03 Aug How To Get The Look: Marilyn Monroe 50th Anniversary: Hair And Makeup Tips For A Beauty Icon
This Sunday marks the 50th anniversary of one of Hollywood’s most glamorous and iconic actresses of all time: Marilyn Monroe. Where would the world of beauty be without her? Even to this day, women from all over the world still try to emulate her signature look — her gorgeous red lips, come-hither eyes and that perfectly coiffed hairdo, making her the quintessential blonde bombshell. Here at BeautyStat, Marilyn has a special place in our hearts, so, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of her passing we got some of the beauty and hair industry’s best to help us achieve her look! Read on as makeup artist of her eponymous cosmetic brand Laura Geller helps us achieve Marilyn’s matte red lips and defined eyes, also giving us tips on how to modernize the look. Oscar Blandi and Edward Tricomi take us step-by-step on how to achieve Marilyn’s hair at home, with the exact steps that Marilyn’s hairstylist, Mr. Kenneth, used on her! Once you get the look, strap on some diamonds and embrace old Hollywood glamour!
With Marilyn, it’s all about the lips! Women back then just seemed to pull off the red lip so well, picking just the right shade of red. But, Laura Geller insists that anyone can pull off Marilyn’s scarlet pout with just a few key tips to keep in mind, “Turn to a matte red lipstick — a true blue-red or even a tomato-red. When applying, the idea is to make the mouth look very sculpted. Find as close to an exact match of a lip pencil shade to your lipstick hue and touch up the edges of the lip — especially around the bow — after you apply your lip color to ensure precision.” If the matte red lip seems a little dated to you, Laura adds one more step to the lip look to achieve a more modernized finish, “I love a spot of high-shine gloss in the center of the lower lip for some dimension (try Laura Geller Light Beam Ultimate Shine Lip Gloss, $13.60). That simple touch of light-catching brilliance and texture will create the illusion of a fuller pout.”
Laura Geller
Marilyn’s eyes were tantalizing — with those thick lashes that seemed to go on for days, but kept the eyeshadow light on the lids. According to Laura, the key to Marilyn’s simple yet defined eye look is the three E’s: eyeliner, eyebrows and eyelashes. “Simply keep in mind that eyebrows should never be neglected; they completely pull together and frame the face, explains Laura. “Fill in sparse brows with a great pencil or marker (try Laura Geller’s Brow Sculpting Marker, $24.00) to better define an arch. Make sure you lengthen and extend them for the perfect shape. Next, line the upper eyelids with a deep kohl black eyeliner – I love a gel formula for both its staying power and ease of use (try Laura Geller Inkwell Waterproof Gel Eyeliner in Black, $16.50).
Start the line off thin, gradually thickening as you draw outward; the idea is to create a precise, dominant line. Extend liner just beyond the outer eyelid for a sultry finish. To achieve those 50’s lashes and Marilyn’s doe-eyes, wear a full strip of false lashes on top and coat lower lashes with mascara (try Laura Geller Wow Factor All in One Mascara, $22.00). There is nothing sexier than a set of wow lashes! If the eyelashes seem a bit much for your everyday look, Laura suggests skipping the falsies and instead combing your lashes with a brush, alternating between a volumizing and lengthening mascara.
If blondes supposedly have more fun, then Marilyn is the girl to prove it! Who wouldn’t want those soft, bouncy curls with that perfect length hair — just enough to playfully flip and shake. “A simplified way to get the look yourself? Try a curling iron instead,” advises Edward Tricomi, co-owner of Warren-Tricomi salons. “Just be sure not to brush or comb the curls. Use only your fingers to set the curls in place.” Edward also suggests having short to medium length hair to achieve her look using setting gel and hairspray. But, not too much — Marilyn had a soft wave to her hair, which always looked touchable.
Edward Tricomi
Edward Tricomi actually was lucky enough to learn from Marilyn’s very own hairstylist, Mr. Kenneth, how he used to do her hair, “He would create a deep side part and set her hair with medium-sized wet set rollers in a side pattern; four to the sides of her head and then down the back,” explains Edward. “When he would take the rollers out, he did not brush them out with a brush or comb, instead he would use his fingers and comb the curls into place. The style stayed stiff at the roots using setting gel. That is how the root area stayed so well lifted. You could also create the style using a curling iron. The key is setting the curls in place with your fingers the way Mr. Kenneth would do.”
Oscar Blandi
For those with longer hair who wish to rock Marilyn’s hair style, Oscar Blandi advises, “To create this style, regardless of length, you should have layers on the top, bottom and sides. The shorter the layers, the more volume you’ll be able to achieve”, explains Oscar. “If hair is all one length, chances are it will be flat on top with a little wave on the bottom. Layers will keep the look intact longer. Of course, the shorter the hair, the more “exact” your recreated look will be.”
A little hair serum (try Oscar Blandi Jasmine Oil Serum, $35.00), volumizer (try Oscar Blandi Volumizing Spray, $30.00) and brushable hairspray (try Oscar Blandi Lacca Hairspray, $25.00) will have your Marilyn hairdo looking and feeling its best. But, want to know which hair products Marilyn exactly used? Oscar admits, “I’m sure she used a Mason Pearson Brush and lots of hairspray, judging by how intact it always was — probably either Elnett or AquaNet.”
With these steps, anyone can recreate Marilyn’s classic yet glam look. So, what do you ladies think? Will any of you be trying out these looks? Let us know by commenting below, which will automatically be posted to our Community Forum (click here to check it out!) where you can find other beauty related discussions! Don’t forget to also submit a photo to our Photo Of The Day (click here!) feature, where a new photo will be picked daily. Your photo just might be selected, so get going!
– Theresa Romano
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