Creating the Marilyn look
More than 50 years after Marilyn Monroe first entranced film audiences, her image as a glamour icon still resonates.
From a playful Marilyn on a subway grate in a pleated white halter dress in The Seven Year Itch to a polished Marilyn in a strapless pink satin gown singing Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend, her screen incarnations have a timeless style.
M.A.C Cosmetics’ new collection taps into the quintessential sex symbol’s enduring appeal. We asked Gregory Arlt, M.A.C’s director of makeup artistry, what he learned about Monroe’s makeup techniques and to share a few tips on how to channel her look.
Decades after her death, Marilyn continues to inspire women, including many celebrities, with her look. To what do you attribute her continuing appeal?
She was a very rare combination of totally sexy and sensual, but she was also really cute. It’s kind of hard to find that blend in a person. She was the ultimate bombshell; the volume was always turned up. Her hair was always a little bigger and blonder, her lips were redder, and her dresses were tighter and her hips were curvier. She had this larger-thanlife persona that I think so many people, men and women, were attracted to, but also a comedic side to her that I feel made her more approachable.
Can you share any insight into Marilyn’s approach to makeup?
I found out she would use Vaseline all over her face, under her makeup, before she went on camera because it gave her a glow that she really liked. She also apparently used a hormone cream that made her skin tighter, but the hormones in it actually gave her quite a bit of peach fuzz on her face. The director would try to get her to remove it, but she insisted on keeping it because she thought it gave her a nice sort of a fuzzy glow around her face to make her look more ethereal — and it worked. We all think of her using black eyeliner, but in my research I found she actually used a darkbrown eyeliner and used a white pencil on the inside of her eye to make her eye look larger.
What did you learn about her favourite makeup techniques?
I read that she used four to six different reds, ranging from darker on the outer portion of her mouth to lighter in the centre to create her perfect pout. I personally love using a red pencil that matches the lipstick, and a small amount of gloss over it to make the lips appear more full, should you wish to go for that effect.
What are your favourite aspects of Marilyn’s look?
When I close my eyes and think of Marilyn, I see an arched brow, a cat eye and a red lip. And, of course, her beauty mark. I loved her “sleepy,” sexy eyes.
If you were to pick key products or colours from the collection to create a “Marilyn” face, what would they be?
I’d recommend using a lighter shade of shadow over the whole lid if you want your eyes to appear larger. “How To Marry” is a favourite shadow. And, of course, you’d need to apply the “Rapidblack Penultimate Liner” to get a retro cat eye on the upper lash line. Don’t forget a red lip!
What is it about the products that you think will appeal to women?
I think every woman has an inner bombshell. Whether it’s minimal or fullon, these shades can bring out the glamorous side of you.