Marilyn Monroe’s ample proportions and girlish manner served her well, but it’s her face, immortalised on screen and by Andy Warhol, that’s become her lasting legacy. From her first screen test in 1946, to her final days in 1962, her personal make-up artist Allan ‘Whitey’ Snyder worked with the actress on her red lips and flicked out eyeliner. Now, in the build-up to the release of the new film My Week With Marilyn, based on the book by Colin Clark (£8.99, Harper Press), we discover her beauty secrets.
THE POINTED BROW
Monroe’s brows were always brushed upwards and drawn into a high pointed arch. She believed that doing them this way intercepted the width of her forehead. Although we can recreate her dramatic brow, it’s more flattering to opt for a subtle arch or simply increase the depth of brow colour to avoid that perma-angry look.
Try: Chanel’s Crayon Sourcils with smudge-proof colour and a handy brush on the end.
THE HALF-LASH
The platinum hair, those red lips, it would have veered far too close to the vicinity of drag with a gargantuan pair of full-on false lashes to boot. Instead, Snyder used to cut the lashes in half and apply them to the outer edges, making sure they flicked up slightly to let Monroe’s natural beauty shine through.
Try: Mac’s 20 lash, for a little natural lash augmentation.
THE ICONIC LINER
Monroe’s eyes were a work of art. Snyder would line just below her waterline with white pencil liner to give the effect of larger eyes. He’d also use the same white liner to draw a small triangle on the outer corner of the eyes and then smudge it outwards to lift the whole eye. Contrary to popular belief, Snyder used a brown, not black liner to create that iconic liner flick, but would create a subtle point in the centre of the lid with the liner to draw focus to the eyes.
Try: Revlon Grow Luscious Lash Liner in Espresso and Benefit’s Eye Bright for colours that suit all skintones.
THE RED LIPS
The exact products Snyder used for Monroe’s lips aren’t fully documented, but we do know that she used five shades of lipstick and over-lined her upper lip. One of the colours she wore was a now-discontinued Guerlain Rouge Diabolique. This blue-based red was perfect for the era and counteracted the slight orange tone that Technicolor film produced, so her lips appeared the perfect cherry red.
Try: Guerlain KissKiss in Exces De Rouge is a pretty close match to Monroe’s favourite lipstick.
THE PERFECT BASE
Although it’s reported that Monroe used Vaseline or olive oil as her foundation base, the perfect modern primer would be less messy. By blurring any imperfections with a DIY primer, her powder and foundation would look even more flawless on screen.
Try: Smashbox Photo Finish Primer underneath foundation for Monroe-like perfect skin.
THE HIGHLIGHT
Monroe knew the importance of light to diffuse the contours of the face. She’d highlight the centre of her nose, upper lip, cheekbones, chin and centre of forehead, using a darker contour shade everywhere else. It’s the effect that gave her an almost superhuman glow, and lit up the screen.
Try: NARS Blush Bronzer Trio for a highlighter, blush and contour all in one kit.
