Tag Archives: chanel no. 5

Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool (2017)

filmstarsdontdieinliverpool_bornunicorn (1)The opening scene of the film sees the actress Gloria Grahame is in her dressing room at the Dukes Theatre in Lancaster, UK, unpacking her toiletries and getting ready to perform in The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams [1].

filmstarsdontdieinliverpool_bornunicorn (2)elnetthairspray_vintage_bornunicornShe takes out a can of L’Oreal Elnett hairspray.

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chanelno5_dabberbottle_bornunicorn-e1478764778808.jpgThe perfume sitting on the dressing table is Chanel No. 5.

[1] The film is based on the last years of the American actress’ life. It’s true she performed at the Dukes in 1980, but she had the leading role in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? by Edward Albee, not in the Williams play as seen in the film.

Belles Filles (1977)

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Belles Filles is a photoshoot by Guy Bourdin released in 1977. Some distinctive elements of the French photographer’s style are present in the picture above – the dreamy atmosphere, satin clothes, high heels – along with a beautiful set of famous perfumes.

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The first of the perfumes on the washbasin is Chanel No. 5, originally created by Ernest Beaux in 1921.

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Next is Revillon Detchema, released in 1953.

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Givenchy III, created by Jean François Latty and Raymond Chaillan, was released in 1970.

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The last one is Caron Infini, in the beautiful bottle by Serge Mansau. This perfume was created in 1912 by Ernest Daltroff, but this one is the 1970 reformulation by Gerard Lefortis.

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There are three bottles on the floor, too. The first is Nina Ricci L’Air du Temps, created by Francis Fabron in 1948.

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The tall bottle with gold stopper is Rochas Madame Rochas, created by Guy Robert in 1960.

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Last but not least, the leaf-shaped bottle of Guerlain Chamade, a 1969 creation by Jean-Paul Guerlain.

Rolling Thunder (1977)

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There’s a bottle of Estee Lauder Youth Dew perfume on the dresser in Johnny Vohden’s bedroom. The warm spicy fragrance, created in 1953 by Josephine Catapano, was the first released by the American cosmetic brand.

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The Youth Dew iconic ribbed bottle with the golden ribbon can be seen when Johnny takes his Vietnam War tags from his wife’s jewellery box.

chanelno5eaudetoiletterefillable_bornunicornA refillable atomiser of Chanel No. 5 can be seen on the dresser, too.

Madonna’s Material Girl (1985)

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guerlainvintagecolognenaturalspray_bornunicornThere are toiletries and perfume bottles on the protagonist’s dressing table. Some of them are generic vanity bottles, but we can give a name to others. The tall ribbed bottle with gold cap, for example, is the Guerlain natural spray cologne bottle, used for different fragrances from 1964 to 1977.

chanelno5eaudeparfumspray-e1517915804752.pngThe black bottle with gold accent, on the other hand, is by Chanel. Let me spend a couple of words on this. When I first saw it, I thought it was the spray bottle of No. 5 eau de parfum (the dip tube is showing). Later, I had second thoughts: was this bottle on the market in the 1980s? Plus, is the dip tube really showing? The picture is not that clear.

chanelno5eaudetoiletterefillable_bornunicornAs an alternative, it could be the refillable spray canister of No. 5 eau de toilette, available in 1980 (I’ve spotted it in Stardust Memories by Woody Allen).

Screencap source.

Thanks to Annette Flaconnage for the id.

Stardust Memories (1980)

stardustmemories_bornunicorn (1)stardustmemories_bornunicorn (2)stardustmemories_bornunicorn (3)stardustmemories_bornunicorn (4)Dorrie (Charlotte Rampling) appreciates Sandy’s aftershave. Like a madeleine, that scent brings back memories from her childhood. Sandy (Woody Allen) gets the reference to À la recherche du temps perdu by Marcel Proust and jokingly comments he’s wearing Proustian Rush by Chanel. The reason why the French maison has never produced a perfume with such an evocative name is beyond me.

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b661fcaed644e3ad4bf1c96667b7c068A real Chanel perfume appears later in the film, when Sandy visits his sister (Anne De Salvo). Chanel no. 5 refillable atomisers (one small, one big) can be seen on a plastic tray on her dresser.

Someone to Watch Over Me (1987)

someonetowatchoverme_bornunicorn-1Claire Gregory (Mimi Rogers) and Mike Keegan go shopping at a luxury department store. She’s an habitual customer, so she greets the sales assistant sitting at the perfume counter.

chanelno5_dabberbottle_bornunicornjeandesprez_balaversaillescologne_bornunicornAmong the several bottles on the counter, I’ve spotted a Chanel perfume in three sizes, a giant bottle of Jean Desprez Bal à Versailles eau de cologne and a giant Caron bottle. I can only assume the Chanel perfume is no.5, but the same bottle has been used for other fragrances.

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profumi_jean-patou_1000_46919649One bottle of Ungaro Diva makes its appearance, too. In the background, on the right, a giant bottle of a Jean Patou perfume can be seen. It’s unclear whether it’s Joy or 1000, because the two perfumes have the same bottle.

Gillian Anderson’s Dressing Room (2016)

gilliananderson_chanel_bornunicornGillian Anderson posted this picture on her Twitter account on June 1st. It was taken in her dressing room at the St. Ann’s Warehouse in Brooklyn, New York, where she performed as Blanche DuBois in a production of A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams, directed by Benedict Andrews. Originally performed at the Young Vic in London from July 23, 2014 to September 19, 2014, it starred Anderson, Ben Foster, Vanessa Kirby and Corey Johnson. 

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redcherryeyelashes_bornunicornSpotting a bottle of Chanel n°5 didn’t surprise me: the former Southern belle Blanche may be broken and mentally unstable, but she still relies on her seduction skills. The iconic perfume, created by Ernest Beaux and launched on May 5th, 1921, surely put the British actress in the right mood to act in a such a complex role.

On her dressing table a packet of Red Cherry false eye-lashes can be seen, too.

Deutschland 83 E01 (Quantum Jump)

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chanelno5_bornunicornLenora Rauch (Maria Schrader) gives her sister Ingrid (Carina N. Wiese) a bottle of Chanel no. 5 as a present for her birthday. The perfume is not visible but the white box with black trims is unmistakable. No wonder Ingrid is so happy: Chanel no. 5 is literally a piece of European culture she’s not allowed to buy, since it’s not available on the East-German market.

Lena Dunham’s Bathroom (2014)

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IMG_6089Yesterday Lena Dunham posted this picture on her Instagram account. She wore her pajamas and Allstate Foundation Purple Purse bag, a symbol of what the foundation does – supporting domestic violence survivors and the organizations that serve them. She snapped the picture in her bathroom and I couldn’t help but notice an empty Chanel no. 5 giant factice next to the wash-basin. This type of bottle is used in shops for display and it is filled with coloured water, but I think it’s nice to keep in a bathroom, too, especially if you’re a fan of that perfume. So does this mean Lena is a Chanel no. 5 wearer? I wouldn’t be surprised if she were.