So we’ve seen Whitey’s treasures of Marilyn, now time to get down to business. How did they do it?
Lisa Eldridge, a renowned makeup artist, made this fantastic video which takes you through all the steps. (She also does some great tutorials on makeup basics and evening looks.)
(If you want a laugh, check out some of the comments - it seemed to provoke a bit of a scrap! She also does some great videos on makeup basics and evening looks.)
But for the purposes of this post, I’ve condensed the info into a few main tips, so we can all get Marilyntastic super fast:
Base
Let’s face it, none of us are quite the same without our makeup and Marilyn was no different. I think she looks great with or without makeup but this pic certainly shows how a few honed makeup techniques can totally change your appearance.
Also, if you take a look at this picture you will see she had amazing skin – not a blemish in sight – and that’s in a swimming pool!
- Marilyn used Nivea and Vaseline on her skin, which gave her a dewy, soft-focus look. Although thick and sticky in texture I would imagine she’d be using something like Elizabeth Arden’s Eight Hour Cream today, to get the same effect.
- Marilyn didn’t use powder – as she wanted to keep a real glow. I bet Marilyn would have loved products such as MAC’s mineralize satinfinish foundation.
Shape & Contour
I absolutely love this picture of Marilyn. I think it really shows the contouring and highlighting in her makeup:
- Shade under cheekbone and jaw-line with a bronzer (makes a long face shorter).
- Shade either side of the bone on the nose (creates a shorter nose).
- Apply coral- pink blusher to the cheekbones and above the eyebrows/temples.
Highlighter
- Apply highlighter with a brush to the sides of the nose, along the top of the nose and around the centre of the forehead (creates a smaller chin, chiseled cheekbones and a wider forehead).
Eyebrows
- Using an eyebrow pencil or eyeshadow and a thin brush, create a high arch towards the outer eyebrow with feathery strokes which will define the brow and accentuate the width of the forehead.
Eyeshadow
- Use a white eyeshadow over the lid and up towards the eyebrow.
- Apply a white shimmery eyeshadow – to open the eye, as above.
- Extend the white shadow to the inner corners of the eye.
- Using a neutral coloured (dark brown) shadow, shade in the outer socket of eye (to set the eye back).
Lashes & Liner
- Curl lashes with eyelash curlers.
- Apply mascara to top and bottom lashes.
- Apply half a set of eyelashes to outer corners of eye (this extends the shape of the eye).
- Line eyes with a brown eye pencil, or use a brown shadow and very thin brush, to outline the upper eyelids – taking the line “up and out” at the end.
- Using the pencil or brush again, line the lower lid taking the line slightly down, to create a shadow of the upper lashes (best seen on the video or in the picture above).
- Use a white pencil to colour in between the upper extended lash line and the lower shadow line.
- Use this white liner inside the lower rim of the eye.
Lips
- Use a darker liner around the lips (shape is higher at outer corners).
- Use a darker red lipstick around the edge and outer corners of the lips.
- Use a lighter red in the centre of the lip.
- Blot lips and apply another layer.
- Apply white powder to centre of lower lip – (to make the lips look more voluptuous).
- Apply copious layers of gloss!
I must admit I am using quite a few of these techniques in my repertoire these days and they certainly freshen up the face.
So now we know the tips – we just need some frosting, courtesy of Tiffany’s or Cartier to complete the look.
“Talk to me Harry Winston, tell me all about it”
Have a good weekend folks! Cxx
