The Look of Marilyn Monroe

Ava Gardner, Grace Kelly, Rita Hayworth…these lovely ladies had classic beauty. The old Hollywood glamour make-up look seems to be making a comeback with celebs. Kat Von D, Anne Hathaway, Katy Perry and Gwen Stephanie make it part of their signature look. But unless you’re an A list celeb, this look is generally used for special events. Few people pull this off as an everyday look. So how do you pull off vintage Hollywood red carpet glam without it looking street corner harlot? Here are a few tips:

1. Those ruby red lips: Anyone can pull off ‘the red lip’, regardless of your skin tone. The Hollywood stars of yesteryear had flawless skin to complement their crimson pout but the key to getting this makeup look on point is to choose a color that matches your skin tone. Apply concealer around the outside of your lips to further define them. Honeybee shades to try: Desire, Risqué, Vintage Merlot, Burlesque.

2. Flawless skin: Unless you were born with a porcelain complexion, you may have to use a combination of foundation, concealer, and pressed powder to get that picture perfect look. Start with moisturizing your face, then use concealer to hide any blemishes or dark circles. Next, apply foundation and powder for a flawless finish. Our Pressed Powder Mineral Foundation has buildable coverage, so if your skin is pretty decent to begin with, you may be able to get that hi-def matte look with just one product.

3. Cat Eyes: Always a classic, this makeup look is becoming more of an everyday phenomenon. Check out our May 15, 2013 blog article for details on creating this look.

4. Well-defined brows: Perfectly groomed and defined eyebrows accentuate the eyes and give them a polished look. It seems that all the starlets had a well-defined, dark brow back in the day. Pluck, trim and shape your brows to a perfect arch. Then use a dark brow powder or liner to fill in and shape your eyebrows. Our JobaColors Eye Liner in Brown Sugar is often used for this purpose.

5. Keep eye shadow neutral: Don’t overwhelm your otherwise flawless makeup look with overpowering eye shadow. Use a cream or vanilla color on your eyelids so they aren’t competing with the rest of your face. A neutral palette will also draw more attention to the natural color of your eyes. Our Cosmopolitan Eye Shadow Palette is a good choice, or consider PowderColors shades Flirtatious and Chai.

6. A healthy glow: After achieving that flawless foundation, use a rosy powder blush on the apples of your cheeks. This will give you a nice glow and balance out your vintage inspired makeup look. Think porcelain doll, but don’t overdo it. You just want a hint of color. Try our Healthy Glow Mineral Blush in Kitten or Cherub.

7. Big lashes: It’s not too difficult to create the look of false eye lashes, without actually having to deal with the glue and sticky strips. First, use an eye lash crimper to curl your lashes. Then apply your first coat of mascara, working product from base to tip. Use a spooly or eye lash comb to separate any clumps. Once the first coat is dry, apply a second coat, focusing mainly on the tips of the lashes. If your lashes are long enough, you can even go for a third coat, remembering to remove any clumps.

3 thoughts on “The Look of Marilyn Monroe”

  1. A few years ago I received a sample of Honeybee Garden Hydrosol, a face and body mister. I don’t see it on your website. Has it been discontinued? I forgot all about it until a couple of weeks ago and have really been enjoying it. Thank you! karen

  2. I disagree with the statements made by Melissa. There are many everyday women that wear this look and do not look like “street harlots”. As my husband says, the plain Jane looks of today show laziness and a lack of taking the time to style the hair or to put forth an effort into the makeup. Vintage makeup can look proper on the average lady at a party OR the grocers, you just have to know what you’re doing and do it right. I also think it’s a matter of being afraid to change our look from the mundane face were used to everyday. And why NOT wear it everyday these days? I’m sure Melissa could wear it not just on party nights but anytime, as anyone of us can, just as every woman did back in the day! There is no difference except the calendar year. Celebs: In my opinion Gwen S. is the only one of the celebs mentioned that I think can pull the vintage face off beautifully, Drew Barrymore looks beautiful in vintage, and others I can’t think of at the moment. But if we want to talk street corner harlots there are those celebs who go around with their boobs hanging out of their shirts… aka Anne Hathaway.

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