11 Old Hollywood Beauty Secrets You Won't Believe
By Lauren Valenti
If you think today’s stars go to great lengths for beauty, it’s nothing compared to what the screen sirens of yore did for vanity’s sake. From DIY techniques that belong in your routine to *don’t try this at home*, here are the super-sneaky beauty secrets of Hollywood’s golden age.
Marilyn Monroe
To make her lips appear fuller, Monroe would have her makeup artist apply 5 different shades of lipstick and gloss to create dimension. Darker reds went on the outer corners, while lighter hues were brushed on the middle of the lips.
Related: 21 Genius Ways To Use Lipstick
Elizabeth Taylor
Liz Taylor took a page out of Cleopatra’s book, as both women made a habit of shaving their face. It may sound funny, but it removes the fine baby hairs and the surface layer of skin cells, which gives the skin a facial-like glow.
Audrey Hepburn
The secret to Hepburn’s long, Bambi lashes? After applying mascara, she’d use a pin to separate each individual lash. Now that’s how you get clump-free lashes.
Related: 20 Most Iconic Cat Eyes of All Time
Carol Lombard
During her career, Lombard was injured in a car accident that left her nose slightly curved. Before she put on her makeup, she’d draw a thin white line on it as she believed it made it look straighter.
Grace Kelly
Contrary to popular belief, contouring is not a new technique, nor was it invented by Kim Kardashian. The Princess of Monaco used blush to define her cheekbones, with one shade for underneath her cheekbones, and a slightly darker shade dusted on the apples.
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Vivien Leigh
Full lips have always been a coveted beauty trait, and Leigh was insecure about her thin bottom lip. To compensate, she used liner to to draw outside her natural lip, giving the illusion of a larger pout.
Marlene Dietrich
The German-American had plenty of tricks up her sleeve, but she was most notorious for having her molars removed to further accentuate her cheekbones and using surgical tape to give herself a temporary face lift. Whoa.
Rita Hayworth
Hayworth’s wavy red mane was her signature–so naturally, she had to keep it in tip-top shape. She did this by applying oil to her hair after every wash, wrapping it in a towel, and leaving it in for 15 minutes. Afterwards, she’d wash it out with hot water and lemon juice to remove any leftover residue.
Related: 7 Mistakes You’re Making When You Blowdry Your Hair
Greta Garbo
To make her eyes look more theatrical, Garbo put a thin layer of petroleum jelly on her eyelids underneath a dark eye shadow. She also lined her eyes with a mixture of jelly and charcoal pigment.
Mae West
Coconut oil may be all the rage today, but the ’30s star used it daily throughout her life. She would apply it to her face as moisturizer to give her skin a youthful glow.
Gloria Swanson
Health food was kind of Swanson’s thing and her skin reaped the benefits. “My best beauty secret is raw vegtables,” Swanson told Weekly World News. “I apply them on my face and make sure I eat them regularly. As far as I’m concerned, there is no beauty product better than raw vegetables.”
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