“Beneath the makeup and behind the smile I am just a girl who wishes for the world.” – Marilyn Monroe

In 2013, we’re a lot more aware of where diamonds come from, and the dumb blonde act isn’t so cute anymore—but we still can’t resist the charms of Marilyn Monroe. In Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, one of her most iconic roles, Marilyn played Lorelei Lee, a woman with a passion for diamonds who saw bagging a rich guy as the only way a woman could succeed in the ’50s. Aside from Marilyn’s breathy sex appeal and comic chops, what we remember most about this film is her glamour: that perfect platinum coif, her flawless red lips and the figure-hugging costumes that are still mimicked all these years later. Here’s how to copy  Marilyn Monroe’s vintage glam look with natural beauty products.

Marilyn Monroe Makeup: Red Lips and Illuminated Skin

Winged eyeliner, perfectly arched brows, scarlet lips and radiant skin came together into one trademark look that defines Hollywood glamour to this day. Marilyn always looked like she was glowing from within, yet there was never a flaw visible: no red spots, no undereye circles, no blemishes. Most of us aren’t starting with a perfect canvas, but we can fake it. Apply a light moisturizer to eliminate any dry spots and ensure an even application of foundation, and then cover any imperfections with a concealer like Josie Maran’s Argan Creamy Concealer Crayon or Jane Iredale’s Circle/Delete concealer, making sure to blend well.

Using a foundation brush (Eco Tools and Tarte offer cruelty-free options), apply a layer of light foundation. Then, use a highlighter stick along the tops of your cheekbones, down the center of your nose, and just below the arch of your eyebrows. Some quality organic options include W3LL People’s Universalist 2 Color Stick and Ilia Beauty’s Illuminator.

Winged eyeliner can be a little tricky if you’re not used to doing it, so follow along with a YouTube tutorial or two to practice. A swipe of red lipstick finishes off the look – check out our red-lip recommendations and tips.

Iconic Blond Curls: Recreating Marilyn’s Hair

Not everyone can achieve or pull off Marilyn’s pale platinum, but you can get the general effect with some rollers and volumizing products. You can try the pin curl method, which is what Marilyn did herself, as illustrated at Va-Voom Vintage Blog, or use the quicker modern method offered by XO Jane. To boost volume at the roots, try Intelligent Nutrients Organic Volumizing Spray, or Aveda’s Volumizing Tonic.

Forget Diamonds: The Finishing Touches

While there are plenty of ethical alternatives to blood diamonds, you don’t need anything that expensive to get Marilyn’s sparkly look. Raid thrift stores, vintage boutiques, Etsy and eBay for pre-loved costume jewelry – the hunt is part of the fun! The same goes for opera-length gloves.

Marilyn’s costumes in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes were so racy for the times, one particular deep-plunging gold dress didn’t make it past the censors. They were all designed to cling to her body in all the right places, showing off her curves. Look for vintage or vintage-style dresses with halter-style tops, nipped waists and flowing skirts that skim the hips.

Related on Ecosalon:

Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday: Get this Hollywood Look with Natural Products

Shackled: The Myth of Marilyn Monroe

The post Marilyn Monroe in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes: Get This Look with Natural Beauty Products appeared first on EcoSalon.

Veronica Lake’s iconic 1940s Hollywood hair came about by accident, when a lock of hair fell into her eye during a promotional photo shoot. This unusual look helped skyrocket her to stardom, and women working less glamorous lifestyles clamored to channel her smoky, sauntering nightclub singer silhouette. In fact, her femme fatale hairstyle was so widely copied that the U.S. government asked her to change it, because it was seen as a health hazard to women who worked on assembly lines in factories during World War II. Lake demurred, and appeared in Life magazine demonstrating how long waves could get caught in equipment.

But there’s certainly no hazard in wearing this look to cocktail parties and on dates, unless you consider an extraordinary amount of attention dangerous. Here are three steps to the film noir look for hair, makeup and accessories.

Iconic Hair: Soft Side-Swept Waves

Veronica Lake’s ‘peekaboo’ hairstyle was achieved with pin curls and a heavy side part. You could still get this look the traditional way – The Stylist Quo has a step-by-step tutorial that’ll spell out exactly how. But if a curling iron is more your speed, check out the instructions at The Beauty Department. It’s easier than you might think.

Smooth those waves with a little glossing product like Feed Your Shine by Yarok, and hold them in place with a natural hairspray that comes out in a fine mist rather than a spritz – try Giovanni’s L.A. Hold.

Makeup: Cheekbones and Red Lips

Natural brows, enhanced cheekbones and red lips are Veronica Lake’s trademark makeup looks. Use just a little bit of brow product like Josie Maran’s Magic Brows to add definition and swipe some mascara onto your lashes. Keep your eye makeup light to balance the bold red lip.

Ilia Beauty lipstick in Wild Child has a semi-matte finish in a fiery shade of red, or you could go with the darker Femme Fatale. Finally, use a little bit of bronzer just under your cheekbones to draw them out, making sure to blend well for a natural beauty effect.

Accessories: Turban and Trenchcoat

Wearing an actual satin dress from the 1940s along with the hair and makeup might look a bit too much like a costume. Instead, choose elements from Lake’s classic look to integrate into your own. A halter-style dress or something in low-cut satin would be a subtle tribute, or you could rock a turban like Lake’s character Ellen Graham. You can find vintage ones on Etsy, or get a sleeker, more modernized version in organic cotton by REIF at Craft and Culture.

And of course, no look could epitomize film noir better than a slim-fitting trench coat. Check out the Jonano Organic Hemp Denim Mini Trench Coat for an updated option, or have some fun poring through vintage boutiques.

Images: Robert Huffstutter, Wikimedia Commons, Cliff, doctor macro

Related on Ecosalon: 

Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday: Get This Classic Hollywood Look (with Natural Products) 

Women on Film: Femme Fatale Rita Hayworth

The post Natural Beauty 1940s-Style: Get Veronica Lake’s Look (With Natural Products) appeared first on EcoSalon.

 Fresh, enthusiastic and playful, yet with a glamorous secret: who among us hasn’t wished to look like Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday? One of the most mimicked style icons of the 20th century, Hepburn is timeless, a contradiction of girlish sweetness and womanly allure, and she truly shines in this career-launching role.

This summertime classic is ideal inspiration for a look that’s just as beautiful in 2013 as it was in 1953. Get this Hollywood look with natural, healthy cosmetics and beauty secrets that’ll make you feel like a princess ready to ride a Vespa down Via Veneto with a handsome stranger.

“Rome! By all means, Rome. I will cherish my visit here in memory as long as I live,” says Hepburn as Princess Ann, and this enthusiasm for a city that was Hepburn’s own home for twenty years shines through in the film, adding to the actress’ iconic healthy and wholesome glow. Fifty years later, the film has ben re-released in theaters to inspire a whole new generation of wistful wannabe travelers to fall in love with Rome, and Hepburn (not to mention dashing Gregory Peck.)

Hair: Baby Bangs and Soft Pinned Curls

Hepburn’s Breakfast at Tiffany’s look and pixie crop may be her most popular hairstyles to copy, but the softer, sweeter updo she sports throughout most of Roman Holiday is so carefree and perfect for summer. This is a more casual, lower maintenance version of the curled-and-pinned styles popular at the time, and it’s easy to achieve at home with the help of a curling iron and lots of bobby pins. Get a tutorial for a similar look at My Favorite Things Blog.

Baby bangs definitely aren’t for everyone, though Hepburn pulls them off with aplomb. You can fake it by curling the front section of your hair and pinning it in place for a face-framing fringe-like look without the commitment.

Makeup: Fresh Face, Bold Brows and Pink Lips

Audrey Hepburn’s look is all about full, bold brows. Along with her doe eyes and full lips, her brows are her defining feature, and this signature look is back in style. But you know what? They weren’t totally natural. Hepburn needed help in that department, too, with makeup artists reportedly working hard to fill them in and get them just right. The key to filling in your brows is to use short strokes with a sharp pencil, brow marker or brush, mimicking hairs. Tarte offers a serious holy grail product for this purpose: Amazonian Clay Waterproof Brow Mousse, which comes in three shades and includes a brush and wand for application.

A light tinted moisturizer or BB cream like Marie Veronique Organics Everyday Coverage, a swipe of mascara and a touch of pink on the lips and cheeks will finish off this classic Hollywood beauty look.

Accessories: The Neck Scarf

A neck scarf is the final touch for the Roman Holiday look. You can find adorable vintage silk scarves in virtually every color and pattern imaginable on Etsy, eBay and in your local thrift and vintage shops.

Images: Wikimedia Commons

Related on Ecosalon: 

Think Yourself Beautiful: 10 Best Quotes on True Beauty

Travel to Italy on a Budget? Ask Ecosalon’s Journey Genie

The post Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday: Get This Classic Hollywood Look (with Natural Beauty Products) appeared first on EcoSalon.

Hollywood’s sirens of its most glamorous era sound off.

1920s Hollywood and onward boasted a bevy of women who exploded onto the silver screen, not only for their striking beauty, but because of their confidence, style and verve. They were dreamers, pioneers, and yes, feminists, women in the spotlight whose ballsy, modern and even ribald retorts still have us smiling. Here are some of our favorites.

A dame that knows the ropes isn’t likely to get tied up. 
- Mae West

I am just too much. – Bette Davis

Sex. In America an obsession. In other parts of the world a fact. -
 Marlene Dietrich

If you are blessed, you are blessed, whether you are married or single. 
- Greta Garbo

It [prejudice] is such a waste. It makes you logy and half-alive. It gives you nothing. It takes away. – Dorothy Dandridge

A 41-inch bust and a lot of perseverance will get you more than a cup of coffee – a lot more. – Jayne Mansfield

Enemies are so stimulating. – Katherine Hepburn

Egotism – usually just a case of mistaken nonentity. 
- Barbara Stanwyck

I’m selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can’t handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don’t deserve me at my best. – Marilyn Monroe

I’ve been through it all, baby, I’m mother courage. 
- Elizabeth Taylor

I’m letting no man handle my bank account. 
– Hattie McDaniel

Look at me and tell me if I don’t have Brazil in every curve of my body. – Carmen Miranda

I’ve never really thought on myself as a sex goddess, more a comedienne who could dance. – Rita Hayworth

I am not a has-been. I am a will be. 
– Lauren Bacall

As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others. 
- Audrey Hepburn

Every age can be enchanting, provided you live within it. 
- Brigitte Bardot

I’m not young. What’s wrong with that? – Vivien Leigh

I like to wake up each morning feeling a new man. – Jean Harlow

I was the shyest human ever invented, but I had a lion inside me that wouldn’t shut up. 
- Ingrid Bergman

Everything you see I owe to spaghetti. – Sophia Loren

I was never the girl next door. – Bettie Page

A gentleman is simply a patient wolf. – Lana Turner

I don’t fear death because I don’t fear anything I don’t understand. When I start to think about it, I order a massage and it goes away. – 
Hedy Lamarr

Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.  – Judy Garland

From the moment I was six I felt sexy. And let me tell you it was hell, sheer hell, waiting to do something about it.  – Bette Davis

ALSO CHECK OUT:

40 Best Quotes About Solitude

50 Best Quotes About Love

All Creatures Great and Small: 30 Best Quotes About Animals

30 Best Quotes About Nature

40 Inspirational Quotes on New Beginnings

Most Ridiculous Quotes About Women: 2011 Edition

50 Quotes About Meditation And Yoga

Image: provocateuse

The post Classic Quotes from Hollywood’s Original Leading Ladies appeared first on EcoSalon.