Here we see Kim Novak circa 1950, impeccably coiffed and dressed (gloves! purse! pearl bracelet!) while she samples perfume at the Christian Dior boutique in Paris. The bottles with the houndstooth-print labels are most likely Miss Dior, in all its original glory. The dark, curvy Baccarat flaçon standing just in front of Ms. Novak may be Diorama. The bottles with the “basket-weave” labels at left might hold Eau de Cologne Fraîche.
Whichever fragrance she’s wearing, she must smell marvelous.
I’m posting this photograph because Ms. Novak’s appearance at last night’s Academy Awards has caused a bit of online commentary, to put things kindly. Please do take a few minutes to read my friend Farran’s post on this subject at The Self-Styled Siren.
Image: Kim Novak testing perfume at the Dior boutique on the Avenue Montaigne, Paris, circa 1950. Collection of Jean-Louis Quémar.
TINSEL CREATION 
What a lovely photograph. Thank you posting and focusing on Kim Novak’s beauty. I, for one, loved hearing her throaty voice as she presented. What a treat!
So hard for women in film, or in the public eye in general: you’re damned if you do let yourself age naturally, and you’re damned if you don’t! I think it was great that she was invited to present. Now I want to re-watch some of her films…
She has been quite candid about her bad face injections, but it still made me sad. Just imagine what the rest of the audience will look like someday when all that Botox settles!
It made me sad, too. I wish women like her, or women in general, didn’t feel so pressured to take that kind of action against natural aging. I’m sure she would still look beautiful without any surgery or fillers. I think some of those stars just have better surgeons, and everyone raves about how great they look (for now, at least!)…
So lovely – now and always.
Yes, indeed. As I said on Twitter, this photo has a “bygone age” feeling (gloves! couture!), and yet — she is still the exact same person.
Surgery or nor, eventually it catches up! I admire her for putting her face out there and enthralling her fans! Turner Classics is my favorite channel!!!!
So true! and I do think many people were genuinely thrilled to see her on that stage. We just need to ignore the loud and nasty comments that others are making!