When I think of 1950's hair and make-up and what defines that era, I am predominantly thinking of Marilyn Monroe's iconic look. Yes, she was definitely a natural beauty, but her look was defined by more than that. It was the make-up trickery and techniques that her make-up artist, Allan 'Whitey' Snyder spent an age refining. In a sense, it wasn't accidental beauty, every element of her face was worked on and enhanced in some shape or form. I was so excited to re-create this Marilyn look, using her own reported techniques for a look that appears so simple at first glance but actually it's like a complex science, where everything must be in perfect balance. So here's a few tips and guidelines on creating this iconic look...
Firstly, the shape of the eye that Marilyn liked to create was a very elongated almond shaped eye which looked almost sleepy, so make sure you drag the shadow and the liner further than the corner of the eye to create that illusion. In terms of shadow, run a natural brown colour through the socket to add definition and an off white base on the lid. The eyeliner flick was not overly thick like Audrey Hepburn's, just a small flick to enhance the illusion of that sleepy eye.Make sure your brows are well groomed and angular is the key here!
A really cool trick I learned about Marilyn's eye makeup, was that she used to run a brown shadow or pencil underneath her bottom lashes which extended out diagonally to create a fake shadow. You may be able to recognise this on photos, it appears that her lashes are so full and long that they cast a shadow underneath. This did look a bit strange when I first applied, but once you apply a set of false lashes, and snap a photo you will be surprised how effective this is!
For the lips I went ombre with a dark cherry lip liner and then taking a brighter red (Ruby Woo or Russian Red from MAC will do the trick) and applying that all over, blending in to the liner. Then pat some white shadow powder right in the centre of the lips, this might also seem a bit odd but once you take a photo it will be become clear. This illuminates the fullest part of lips, giving them a more full, plumped up appearance.
Marilyn was quite a fan of the contour and highlight- define the cheekbones, the jawline and also shade the sides of the nose. Marilyn was reportedly quite conscious of her nose and actually had a nose job but Whitey made sure to contour and slim it down all the same.
Don't forget to add the iconic beauty spot and heated rollers are definitely your best friend here!
I took most of these photos on my iPhone which I wouldn't usually recommend but I really love that soft focus kind of effect that you can get with it and I think it just adds to the authenticity of this iconic 50's look.
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| Photography by Kirsty Brown http://www.facebook.com/kirstybphotography |
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