Tag Archives: clarins

Jane Birkin’s Bathroom (1987)

This beautiful portrait was taken by Richard Melloul in the bathroom of Birkin’s house in rue de la Tour, in Paris. You may recognise it as the bathroom which appears in Kung Fu Master! (1988) by Agnès Varda. Some of the perfumes and toiletries in this picture can also be found in the film.

On the left side of the marble shelf above the washbasin there’s a jar of Gessy brilliantine, which I found no picture of.

Next there’s a bottle of Coty cologne. The front label cannot be read, but considering it has a white stopper, it could be Le Muguet.

A bottle that can be seen in Kung Fu Master! is Chanel 8°5 Lotion Fraiche.

There’s also Guerlain Vol de Nuit in the gorgeous flacon rayonnant. This is a 1933 fragrance by Jacques Guerlain.

On the far right side of the marble counter there are several round boxes, possibly containing face or body powders. Among them, there are Les Météorites pressed-powder pearls and Coty Airspun loose face powder, both seen in the Varda film.

On the right side of the marble counter there are several skincare products. Among them, I can see a white jar and a white tube by Clarins (impossible to know what they contained) and Guerlain body creme.

The last product I have been able to identify is a massive flacon goutte by Guerlain, sitting on a wooden counter above the bath tub. First introduced in 1923, it was used for over 30 different fragrances, so there’s no way to tell exactly what this bottle contained.

Thanks to Viola for submitting this post.

Joey in My Mirror at Hornstr. (1992)

The haunting beauty of Joey recurs in many portraits by Nan Goldin. This one, taken in Berlin in 1992, is often paired to a similar picture, taken in New York in 1999. It’s not a coincidence that in both pictures a Clarins product makes its appearance, but this shouldn’t come as a surprise: products by the French brand were incredibly famous in those years. Personally I was very familiar with Eau Dynamisante and with the glass bottle with white cap seen above.

It’s the liquid foundation Le Teint Mat Multi Éclat. My sister loved it! It was a staple in her make-up case.

Sofia Coppola’s Bathroom Cabinet

Sofia Coppola’s bathroom cabinet.

I spy Caudalie, Kerastase, Dr. Hauschka, Valmont, Clarins, Mario Badescu, Bumble and Bumble, Joëlle Ciocco and Biologique Recherche products, plus NARS lipsticks, Diptyque Olene, Robert Piguet Fracas and Marc Jacobs perfume.