Bottle spotting? Do I mean “finding or identifying bottles” in Sueños de Libertad? Yes, I do. Just not any bottle, but perfume bottles.
It all started when I noticed a real-life perfume bottle in the shop of Perfumerías de la Reina (sometimes abbreviated as “PDLR” in the following paragraphs). I thought it was a coincidence, but weeks later I noticed another real-life perfume bottle. And you know, when something happens to you once, it might be just a coincidence, but if it happens to you twice, then you should start thinking it’s a fact.
So what started as a simple “bottle spotting” turned into research (some of you have noticed that I’ve been paving the way by posting vintage perfume bottles lately…) that I think is now more or less mature enough to be shared with you (it’s a never-ending research, though, I’m afraid.)
In the last few months, I’ve been paying attention not only to doña Marta (god bless her, she’s so beautiful and I love her so much, period) but also to the perfumes and perfume bottles in the shop and the storeroom, taking screenshots, reading blurry labels, and using my own memories and Google Lens as my new bible (AI has proven to be useless on this matter.)
So far, I’ve found more than 20 perfume bottles in the store and most of them have a real-life counterpart. Since I started this discovery research after Brossard “merged” with Perfumerías de la Reina, we’ll see plenty of French perfume names. But don’t panic, I also went back to early episodes to find some bottles.
(Disclaimer: although I like perfumes, I’m far from being a perfume expert. Actually, I’ve learned a lot of things thanks to this research, the most important one being that “I barely know a thing about perfumes.”)
Please join me in this amazing SdL/Real-Life perfume bottle journey: The crossover you didn’t know you needed ;)
Note: You’ll see the SDL perfume name first, followed by the real-life perfume name: SDL – Real Life.
This was the first perfume I recognized. It was easy, because 5th Avenue by Elizabeth Arden—released in 1996—is a very well-known perfume, even if you haven’t tried it (I haven’t, have you?)
2. Feuille Sauvage – Agua Brava (Antonio Puig, 1968)
Recognizing this one blew my mind because Agua Brava (released in 1968) used to be a classic fragrance for old men. I mean, most +50 men in the 80’s and 90’s would smell like Agua Brava (in the Latin American world, at least).
I love the fact SdL called this perfume Feuille Sauvage (Wild Leaf), because yes, the green and brown colors recall a tree!
I’m sure Damián wears this fragrance, I can smell it.
3. Esencias de la Reina – Plaisir d’Aimer/Plaisir de Vivre (Linn Young, after 2012)
I have to say that strange things happen in relation to this PDLR perfume.
As you know, first of all, Esencias de la Reina is the perfume that made Marta and Fina to start flirting (I will never forget that; we need more of this, please), but also… this bottle has a twin (in both Perfumerías de la Reina and the original real-life maker, Linn Young/Coscentra.)
The Esencias bottle, as presented to us, has a golden liquid and a golden cap, a white bow, and a pink label. The name of the perfume is very noticeable in the screenshot below, so there is no doubt this is Esencias:
This fluted glass bottle is, without a doubt, a copy of Linn Young’s Plaisir de Vivre. The Esencias’ pink label gives me Plaisir de Vivre vibes, but only because Plaisir de Vivre’s liquid is pink. The cap and bow colors don’t match, though.
And here comes the twin: Linn Young has another “Plaisir”, called Plaisir d’Aimer, which liquid color and cap color (both golden) match Esencias’. The bow and the label’s color don’t match, though.
And here is when we also find a twin in PDLR shop! And that’s not the only curious thing: the Esencias bottle twin does copy Plaisir d’Aimer colors in two identical bottles with different labels.
The first label clearly says Pétalos de la Dehesa (keep the name of this perfume in your head, it will be mentioned again). This bottle is an exact copy of Plaisir d’Aimer:
But then we find exactly the same bottle with another label (I can’t read what it says, but it’s just next to the Pétalos bottle:
So, I wonder why Perfumerías de la Reina would release Esencias de la Reina with great fanfare if they are using a recycled bottle? Who knows, but I guess the props department realized this at some point because there will be a little change in the future (I’ll address that soon).
By the way, Linn Young is a sub-brand of Coscentra, a low-cost perfume maker from Netherlands, which creates perfumes that are inspired by or are interpretations of designer perfumes or perfume houses (they do not copy, they just “reinterpret” well-known fragrances).
For example, Plaisir de Vivre is supposed to be inspired by Lancôme’s La Vie Est Belle (I can see what you did there, Linn Young, with the colors and ribbon), while Plaisir d’Aimer would be inspired by Guerlain’s Shalimar (they used the colors of Shalimar, indeed). I couldn’t find the “Plaisirs” release date but bearing in mind that La Vie Est Belle was released in 2012, they must have been released after said year.
I’m now intrigued by these Linn Young perfumes, and I’d like to know if they are good interpretations. I found Plaisir d’Aimer available for purchase online for about EUR 12, so I could give it a try. Why not?
If, and only if, Esencias de la Reina smelled like Plaisir de Vivre (or La Vie Est Belle), wouldn’t it be a great perfume for Fina?
4. Flor Divina (original edition) – Mies de Oro (Darjantyl, circa 1930)
The original Flor Divina’s bottle is so unique that for a moment I thought it was an original SdL creation; but no, of course not.
I want to publicly thank all those second-hand/vintage item shops online (such as ebay, etsy, todocolección and wallapop) for helping me find the Mies de Oro bottle:
This obscure perfume was made by an old (and extinct) Spanish perfume house: Darjantyl. I didn’t find much information about it, but it seems to have been based in Barcelona and released perfumes during the first half of the 20th century.
This is, as we already know, Digna’s signature perfume. Sadly, I don’t have a reference of how Mies de Oro smelled, but I’m tempted to imagine it as a floral and powdery fragrance, maybe having violet or iris notes.
4.2. Flor Divina (new edition) – Anwan (Al Wataniah, circa 2020)
In case you didn’t notice, Brossard released the new edition of Flor Divina with a different bottle:
The change in the bottle design may respond to a budget issue, since the original Flor Divina bottle would cost thousands of pesetas to manufacture and Brossard doesn’t have the money right now. Vintage bottles (from art deco or art nouveau times) having such complex designs were manufactured using the finest raw materials and the bottle itself, without the fragrance, would be half of the price.
So, I introduce you to the real-life Flor Divina 2.0: Al Wataniah’s Anwan.
I guess I don’t need to mention that Al Wataniah is a perfume house from the UAE
5. Air Nouveau – Splendor (Elizabeth Arden, 1998)
Another Elizabeth Arden “inspiration”.
In the first screenshot, you can see when Gema, Claudia and Cristina see the French bottle for the first time. They were pleasantly surprised by the design, and we must admit it: the bottle is beautiful and delicate. Bravo for Elizabeth Arden! It’s a pity, though, that Air Nouveau is a perfume formulation stolen from PDLR. A big “boo” for Brossard… Thieves!
6. Pétalos de la Dehesa – Coeur Frivole (Linn Young, 2018)
When I spoke about Esencias de la Reina, I told you not to forget Pétalos de la Dehesa. We already know Pétalos is the twin bottle of Esencias, right? Let me tell you that someone at the props department realized this and decided to give Pétalos de la Dehesa another bottle (I’m theorizing, they might have just forgotten about the first bottle as well):
This Pétalos bottle is exactly the same bottle as Coeur Frivole by Linn Young (the label color has changed, though).
Linn Young has two other “Coeurs” with the same bottle, but the “Frivole” version matches Pétalos better: the cap color and the liquid color are the same.
In case you’re wondering, Coeur Frivole is supposed to be inspired by Chanel’s Coco Mademoiselle. Again, Coscentra’s sub-brands do not only reintepret the fragrances, but also the bottles, as I can see a bit of Miss Dior in here (square shape, pink). This design is a bit too modern for 1959, in my opinion, but it’s alright, it looks very good when Fina is next to it.
If Pétalos de la Reina smells like Coeur Frivole, which, in turn smells like Coco Mademoiselle, who in SdL would wear it? María, perhaps. Hello María, wherever you are.
A final thought: SdL really loves Coscentra brands, let’s never forget that.
7. Pasión Oculta – L'Aimant (Coty, 1927)
L’Aimant, as a fragrance, is a true survivor. The perfume itself was released in 1927, but the bottle we see in SdL corresponds to a modern retail design (1980s-1990s), rather than its original early 20th-century packaging.
The Pasión Oculta bottle is the same as L’Aimant’s, except for the label:
I’ll share with you something I learned while researching: L’Aimant was the low-cost response to Chanel N°5, so this trend of creating more accessible versions of luxury perfumes isn’t a new idea.
I have no idea what’s the name of this PDLR perfume, so I’ve decided to call it “Anon 1 (aka Wild Lesbians)” because I can, and because when lesbians are involved, things get wilder.
There is not much to say here. The bottles are THE SAME, except maybe because there seems to be a black bow in the neck of the PDLR’s bottle (or an extra black ring).
To begin with, I’ve called the fictional fragrance XXX Salvaje because I can only read the Salvaje (Wild) part. A reward will be given to the one who can read what’s written before that.
When you look at this bottle, you can immediately tell that it corresponds to an “eau de toilette” (EDT) or an “eau de cologne” (EDC). This type of bottle is usually more functional, being larger (to contain more fragrance), and having transparent glass and apothecary-style labeling. You’re supposed to feel their freshness just by looking at the bottle.
Nowadays, EDTs can have a nice bottle, just as an EDP, but in the past, it seems the design of the bottle would immediately tell you what you were looking at, so I guess that’s why I associated XXX Salvaje to a cologne (I was right).
Álvarez Gómez’ Flores Mediterráneas line corresponds to an EDT and it can be purchased online and in the very same Álvarez Gómez physical store in Madrid, in case you want it.
I’d say Tasio would wear this, but he’s such a pig that I don’t know really…
10. Cologne Royale – 1916 (Myrurgia, 1982)
Cologne Royale is, evidently, another cologne-style fragrance. While the previous XXX Salvaje was a PDLR’s creation, Cologne Royale is probably an original Brossard product.
The real-life bottle is 1916 by Myrurgia. In this case, the props department didn’t even try to change the label or the box. It’s absolutely the same packaging.
Myrurgia is another old, yet not extinct, Barcelona-based fragrance house from the first half of the 20th century. Myrurgia was bought by Puig in 2000.
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Since I don’t want this to be a massive post, I’ll stop here so you can digest all this useless information, and I’ll post another entry with more bottles soon (it’s ready, I just don’t want to bombard you with bottles.)
1. —"What's that worried face, father?"
—"Sorry, Marta, I just couldn't sleep waiting for the second part of my favorite killer lesbians soap, please go on."
2. FINALLY, FINA. FINALLY.
At last! A ray of sunshine in this cloudy Mafin-city! Fina suddenly remembered she's in a relationship and invited Marta to visit a flat for rent, so Marta can help with decoration ideas...
Wait, wait... Do I hear angels sing?
3. What's worse than one devil? Two devils.
4. Oh, no. Miguel has told Claudia about the euthanasia issue. We all love Claudia, but we also know that she tends to be "overmoralist" (is that a word in English?) sometimes...
5. Digna, our favorite gossiper. A serious candidate for MI6.
6. I knew it. I knew it. I knew it (Eduardo's nephew [Roque] is actually his son).
7. I can't believe don Agustín refused to accept Pablo's bribe. What's wrong with this priest. He's been accepting bribes during two seasons and now he's suddenly not?
8. Don't come and cry now, Begoña. You got into this mess by yourself.
9. At the exact moment Beatriz was writing a letter to give Gabriel away, he appeared with his mouth full of promises and Beatriz was immediately sold. This show is beyond absurdity sometimes.
Marta and Damián continue their conversation about Santiago’s death and Pelayo’s blackmail. Marta gives him the details and apologizes for the way things turned out. He tells her she has no reason to apologize. They are interrupted by Tasio. Marta goes upstairs to see Fina, who asks if she’s told her father what happened, and how Damián reacted. Marta says yes, and that her father was rightfully horrified by what was done to them. She has seen that Fina is going through the newspaper and asks if she’s still looking for a place to live. Fina says yes, the little one she liked got snapped up. Marta apologizes for distracting her with the house. Fina admits she would never have been able to afford it. Then she says she’s going to look at one that morning, and would Marta like to go with her. She would appreciate her opinion. I thought you wanted to do this on your own, Marta says. No, only pay it on my own, but you have good taste, and we can figure out how to decorate it together. This is a very nice turn. In the preview: Gabriel has shit up his sleeve.
FINA: Simplemente lo que no me parece bien es que mi vida o mis decisiones estén supeditadas a ti.
MARTA: Disculpa, pero creo que en una relación hay cosas que sí se supeditan al otro. Pero claro, tú quieres vivir tu vida y resulta que yo quiero vivir una vida contigo.
FINA: Marta, ¿estás dudando de lo que siento por ti?
MARTA: No, pero es obvio que, bueno, que tú vas por tu cuenta.
—Diálogo de Fina y Marta, hacia fines de 1959 (Sueños de Libertad, ep. 582)
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FINA: What I don’t think is right is for my life or my decisions to be subordinated to you.
MARTA: Sorry, but I think that in a relationship there are things that do get subordinated to the other person. But of course, you want to live your own life, and it turns out I want to live a life with you.
FINA: Marta, are you doubting what I feel for you?
MARTA: No, but it’s obvious that, well… you’re going your own way.
—Fina and Marta's dialogue, around the end of 1959 (Sueños de Libertad, ep. 582)
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What we thought it'd be a rose garden for a while (Fina's return), turned into a rose thorns garden in less than 24 hours. Is this fair for Mafin and the Mafin fandom? Nope. Must we resist? Yes, for God's sake, we must.
But for the moment, my inner (and sad) DJ (thanks @thexfridax for waking up my DJ mode) is back to sum up the Mafin situation after the return of Fina: YOU'VE CHANGED.
"You've changed
That sparkle in your eyes is gone
Your smile is just a careless yawn
You're breaking my heart
You've changed
You've changed
Your kisses now are so blase
You're bored with me in every way
I can't understand
You've changed..."
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«Has cambiado
El brillo de tus ojos se ha ido
Tu sonrisa es solo un bostezo descuidado
Me estás rompiendo el corazón
Has cambiado
Has cambiado
Tus besos ahora son tan apáticos
Te aburres conmigo de cualquier forma
No lo entiendo
Has cambiado...»
Stay tuned if you want more depressing songs. I have plenty of melodies in mind for broken hearts.
