Pieces of a Woman (2020)

Martha (Vanessa Kirby) goes shopping at a department store. The lip colour she wears is Maybelline Superstay Ink crayon lipstick in Settle for More. The brand sticker has been removed.

In the same display there are other Maybelline make-up items – Fit Me! Matte + Poreless foundations and Fit Me! concealers.

Bitter Moon (1992)

When Mimi (Emmanuelle Seigner) follows Oscar at a house party after their break-up, she’s wearing a drab dress and looks very depressed. He mocks her by advising to put some make-up on. She follows the advice by powdering her face.

In the bathroom where Mimi powders her face there are three great perfumes. The first on the left is Hermès Calèche, created by Guy Robert and launched in 1961.

The bottle with drop-shaped stopper is Van Cleef & Arpels First, created by Jean-Claude Ellena and launched in 1976.

Last, Caron Nocturnes de Caron in the fascinating black bottle with round glass stopper. This floral perfume, created by Gerard Lefort, was launched in 1981.

Été 85 (2020)

David (Benjamin Voisin) and Alex (Félix Lefebvre) are recovering after being attacked by bullies at a local fun fair. They’re cleaning themselves up in David’s bathroom.

The first bottle I can see on the left side of the bathroom shelf is Boucheron Pour Homme eau de toilette. I don’t think David wears it, so it’s likely to be something his late father used to wear.

There’s another perfume bottle, and this definitely belongs to David’s mother, the outgoing Mrs. Gorman. It’s Fabergé Babe, a floral fragrance launched in 1977 and famously advertised by Margaux Hemingway.

In the screencap above there’s also a tube of Colgate toothpaste.

On the shelf there’s also a bottle of Pétrole Hahn Vert hair lotion and a box of Nivea Creme.

Conte d’hiver (1992)

Félicie works as a hairdresser. One of her clients is reading a magazine while having her hair washed. The back cover of the magazine features an advert that will surely send a thrill of excitement down your spine: the ubiquitous Guerlain Samsara!

The nose who created one of the greatest Oriental fragrances was Jean-Paul Guerlain. Launched in 1989, it was housed in a beautiful pagoda-like red bottle with gold accents.

Parenti serpenti (1992)

If you asked me what is the ultimate Christmas Italian film, I would surely choose this one. Despite being a brutal depiction of the petty intrigues and toxic relations among the members of the same family, it’s a comedy, so the line between laugh and darkness is very very thin.

I’ve watched it many times, but I’ve never noticed an intriguing detail in Milena’s bedroom: the iconic silver, black and turquoise metal bottle of Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche on her vanity. Milena, as most of her relatives, masters the art of simulating and pretending, and rarely shows her real self. Using a very trendy perfume is in tune with the character, who wants to appear different from what she really is.

Thanks to my friend Rocco for the id.

Vivien Leigh’s Dressing Room (1960)

I’ve already written about Vivien Leigh touring the U.S. in 1960. The English actress starred in the play Duel of Angels by Christopher Fry alongside her partner Jack Merivale.

The picture above is a bit blurry, but there’s one object that clearly stands out.

It’s a Guerlain flacon lyre containing perfumed talc. Too bad it’s impossible to read the front label, so we will never know what the talc was scented like.

A growing archive of beauty products and perfumes in movies and tv shows