Tag Archives: david fincher

On the Set of Madonna’s Vogue Music Video (1990)

How many times have you watched Madonna’s Vogue, one of the most influential music videos of the 1990s directed by David Fincher? Personally I have lost count. When it was first released in March 1990, it was captivating with its impressive use of black and white and the imagery heavily paying homage to the Art Deco painter Tamara de Lempicka and Hollywood portrait photographers like Clarence Sinclair Bull and Horst P. Horst.

In particular, the final shot of the video [1] basically reproduces one of the most famous photographs by Horst – Mainbocher Corset, taken in 1939.

The German master of light and shadow shot one of his models, Madame Bernon. She was wearing a tightly-laced corset made by the corsetière Detolle to be worn under one of the creations of Mainbocher, the fashion house founded in 1929 by the American designer Main Rousseau Bocher.

If you are a fan of this music video, I bet you’ve never realised that the round bottle sitting on a shelf (left side of the screen) is a real product. It’s a beautiful glossy black Lanvin talcum powder duster. Possibly the fragrance of this perfumed talc was Arpège, the white floral creation by Paul Vacher and Andre Fraysse launched in 1927.

[1] The photo shot on the set of the music video was taken by Lorraine Day.

Thanks to Carolina for submitting this post.

The Killer (2023)

The opening credits feature a very brief moment in which some beauty products and fragrances appear on screen.

The gloved hand of the Killer is holding a bottle of Chanel Coco Mademoiselle. But this is neither the eau de parfum nor the eau de toilette, because the name of the product is printed in black on white paper. I believe the prop masters used the bottle of the Eau de Parfum Intense (bottle and stopper made of clear glass) and replaced the neck sticker, which is in this case gold with white stripes, with the one from the Eau Privée version, which is white with gold stripes.

In the background we can see a bottle of Caudalie Vinoperfect concentrated brightening essence.

The bottle on the right is supposed to be part of the Replica series by Maison Margiela. The bottle is the same, but the front label has been replaced (a different font has been used for the word Replica, for example), even though it still bears the name of the original product.

Gone Girl (2014)

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salonselectives_bornunicornAmy Elliott Dunne (Rosamund Pike) may be a runaway wife, but she takes care of herself in any situation. After dying her hair, she buys Salon Selectives shampoo and conditioner. The shampoo is Level 5, as shown by the green metallic band on the red bottle, which indicates a balanced cleansing level for normal healthy hair. The conditioner is Level S, which indicates a daily treatment for smoothing and taming frizz from sleek silky hair.

 

Gone Girl (2014)

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gonegirl_bornunicorn (5) 49022-hi-HD_InvisibleCoverFoundation jackblack_oilcontrollotion_bornunicorn $_57There are Make Up For Ever HD High Definition liquid foundations, Jack Black all- day oil control lotion and Evian natural mineral water spray cans in the dressing room where Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) discusses his upcoming tv interview with his attorney Tanner Bolt (Tyler Perry) and his sister Margo (Carrie Coon).

gonegirl_bornunicorn (6)Other spray cans of Evian appear on the dressing table in the tv studio where the interview takes place.

 

Gone Girl (2014)

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barr-co_bornunicorn (2)Barr-Co bubble elixir and bath salts on Amy Elliott Dunne’s bath tub.

This choice is very interesting, since the movie is set in Missouri and these products are made in St. Louis, one of the most important cities of the state. Maybe it’s the film production supporting a local business, but it can also have a narrative meaning, indicating Amy’s attempt/pretense to adjust to her new life by using local beauty products.

Gone Girl (2014)

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gonegirl_bornunicorn (6)One of the most dramatic scenes of the movie sees the protagonist, Amy Elliott Dunne (Rosamund Pike), cutting her hair and dying it dark blonde. She uses a L’Oreal hairdye, which I first identified as being part of the Superior Preference line. The only odd detail is the cap of the color gel: it should be gold, but in the movie it’s black.

gone_girl_bornunicorn LOreal-Superior-Preference-Natural-Blonde-bornunicornLater in the movie, Desi Collings (Neil Patrick Harris) takes Amy to his lake house. He buys some toiletries for her, including a box of L’Oreal Superior Preference hair dye in Natural Blonde. Ta-dah! My id was correct. The fact that the same hairdye appears twice makes sense to me. “I just want you to be you again,” he repeats, and going back to blonde is definitely a step in that direction.