There’s a Christian Dior houndstooth splash bottle on Helen’s vanity, but unfortunately the front label is never clearly visible. It looks white with a touch of pink, but it could be just a lighting trick. In any case, this bottle was used to contain eaux de toilette and eaux de cologne, so many possibilities open up. I think we should follow one lead, though: what vintage Dior perfume could appeal to an elegant working girl like Helen? We don’t know a lot about her background, so this bottle could be something she received from her mother or grandmother, or she could have bought it for herself. I personally think she would wear a classic, so either Diorissimo or Miss Dior.

There’s another classic product on the vanity – a Chanel lipstick.

And what about the blue glass bottles (four of them!)? They remind me of Neal Yard’s products (the film is set in London, so it would be a logical choice), but I found no evidence the brand used these bottles in the 1990s.