Tag Archives: aquanet hairspray

The Shards S01E05 (Murder on the Dancefloor)

Brett (Igby Rigney) is checking his hairstyle during a break from Dance Off!, the dancing competition he’s taking part in.

Right in front of him there’s a spray can of Aquanet unscented super-hold hairspray.

Terry Schaffer (Wes Bentley), Debbie’s father, is acting like a helicopter parent: he’s doing everything he can in his power to make his daughter win the competition. In this specific scene, he’s talking about Brett’s Less Than Zero script, and arranges a meeting with the boy at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

On the far right side of the dressing table we can see a bottle of Rave unscented ultra-hold hairspray.

More products can be seen when he sits down.

There’s a jar of Vaseline pure petroleum jelly (Terry applies it on his lips).

The Mondrian-inspired can is from the Studio Line hair styling collection by L’Oreal, one of my most vivid memories from the 1980s (I loved the mousse and the gel).

The white bottle is Aquanet unscented super-hold hairspray.

The Shards S01E02 (Don’t You Want Me)

The opening of this scene deserves a moment of silence. This is the intricately ornate vanity of Debbie Schaffer (Hayes Warner), who’s getting ready for a night out. The “frieze” decorating the bottom of the mirror perfectly echoes the maximalist style of the early part of the decade. Honestly it’s left me speechless, because there’s a lot about the 1980s (visually speaking) that I have tried to forget over the years, but let’s move on from here.

A can of Aquanet super-hold hairspray can be seen on the table. It’s the first product she uses.

There’s a lot happening on her table, but I have managed to identify two bottles. The one with the milky white stopper is Dior Miss Dior eau de cologne; the other, with the milky white dove stopper, is Nina Ricci L’air du temps, previously seen in the pilot, although housed in a different bottle. Both choices are historically accurate: the original Miss Dior (a creation by created by Paul Vacher and Jean Carles) was launched in 1947, and the Nina Ricci fragrance (a Francis Fabron creation) was launched in 1948.

Among the nail polish bottles, there are a couple with a distinctive hexagonal cap: they are Super Nails nail polishes by Natural Wonder.

It makes sense for Debbie to own Remington 600 Super hand-held hair dryer, which came with attachments for different stylings.

When the girl opens a drawer of her table (she’s looking for something), more products can be seen.

There are several Lip Smacker lip balms, among which Blue Raspberry, Piña Colada and Kiwi. These are not vintage products, but these lip balms were first introduced in 1973 by Bonne Bell. They’re definitely a realistic choice.

Last, a Chanel compact. It’s impossible to know what it contained (pressed face powder or eye-shadows), but it’s another realistic choice. The advert above is from 1980: it promoted the make-up collection Les Provocatifs, which I haven’t been able to find more information about. In any case, in the early 1980s both pressed face powder and eye-shadow palettes were part of Chanel cosmetics collections.

Stranger Things S05E02 (The Vanishing of Holly Wheeler)

In a season filled with chaos and violence, Karen Wheeler (Cara Buono) is the only character who gives us a short moment of relax — nice music (ABBA’s Fernando is playing on the small stereo she keeps on the bathroom counter), a glass of white wine and a bubble bath.

On the same counter there’s a can of Aqua Net super-hold hairspray.

Half-hidden among other bottles, there’s a Guerlain flacon montre with a gold stopper. This is a historically accurate choice, because this specific bottle was introduced on the market in 1972. The front sticker is not visible, so it’s impossible to tell what fragrance it contains.

The product she generously pours into her bath tub is Avon Bubble Bath in Soft Pink.

The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021)

TV preacher Tammy Faye (Jessica Chastain) has a very distinctive make-up and hairstyle, so it’s not surprising to see her dressing table packed with products.

The green lipstick tube is by Revlon from the Moon Drops line, first launched in the late 1950s. The lipstick collection, which included 20 shades, was launched in 1964.

The perfume on her vanity is Estee Lauder Private Collection, a green floral fragrance created by Vincent Marcello and launched in 1973.

In the background there’s a can of Aquanet all-purpose hairspray.

Thanks to Kelly in the comments for the Estee Lauder perfume id.