How to Get Marilyn Monroe's Makeup Style

Get Marilyn's iconic look.

Marilyn Monroe had a look that was sexy, glamorous and timeless. Her graphic yet understated look consisted mainly of a matte foundation--produced in those days by pancake makeup, strong but subtle eye makeup and red lips. You can achieve her iconic look, using the modern tools available to us today.

Things You'll Need

• Facial cleanser, moisturizer and primer
• Foundation
• Make-up wedge
• Make-up brushes
• Light beige or ivory eyeshadow
• Light brown or taupe eyeshadow
• Light brown eyebrow pencil
• Black liquid eyeliner
• White kohl pencil
• Mascara
• Blush brush
• Bronzer or blush in a contouring color, such as mauve or plum
• Blush in a brighter, highlighting color
• Red lipliner and lipstick in the same tone
• Clear gloss
• Tissue
• Translucent powder
• Powder brush

Instructions

1. Prepare your skin by cleansing, moisturizing and applying a primer.

2. Apply concealer to hide imperfections, such as dark under-eye circles and blemishes, and blend using a makeup brush.

3. Blend a matte foundation into your skin with a makeup wedge.

4. Use a light beige or ivory eyeshadow to highlight the browbones (the skin right beneath the brows) and eyelids.

5. Apply a light brown or taupe color to the crease of each eye ending it in a cat-eye, with the outer edge pointing slightly up toward the brow.

6. Fill in and slightly extend brows using feather-light strokes.

7. Line the inside rim of the eye using a white kohl pencil.

8. Line the top lash line of each eye using liquid eyeliner, ending the line in a point, flicking it slightly up at the end.

9. Apply a contouring blush with a blush brush below the cheekbones, on the temples and along the jawline.

10. Apply a brighter color to highlight the t-zone--on the cheekbones, on the forehead, on the tip of the nose and on top of the chin.

11. Line the lips using a lip pencil.

12. Apply lipstick with a lip brush or directly from the tube, if you prefer.

13. Fold a tissue, place between both lips and press lips together to set the lipstick.

14. Apply a touch of clear gloss on top of lipstick.

15. Lightly dust your face with a translucent powder using a powder brush.

16. Apply mascara to top lashes.

Tips & Warnings

• Tweeze your brows of any stray hairs before you begin.

• Use a foundation color in the lighter end of the tones that still blends with your skin tone.

• Experiment with red lipstick in different tones until you find the one that most flatters your coloring.

• Use a cotton swab with baby oil to gently correct any smudges.

• For a more lush, glamorous look, use false eyelashes instead of mascara.

• If you want to make the top lip appear fuller, line along the outside of the top lip or just the bow in the top center, with the white kohl pencil. Smudge it a little to blend in and powder it, so the line isn't obvious.

• Check how your foundation looks in different kinds of lighting to avoid having your face look as though it does not belong to your body.

References

• Get Glamorous: Step by Step Marilyn Monroe Makeup

Resources

• Pop Sugar: Marilyn Monroe's Make-up Secrets
• Eye Makeup Tips: Marilyn Monroe Makeup Techniques