This week I'm loving Marilyn Monroe. I believe the recent cinema hit My Week With Marilyn, starring Michelle Williams as one of the biggest style icons of all time, will see a definite revival in Hollywood glamour -- and a few men sporting a red cheek after a kiss under the mistletoe!
Marilyn Monroe was one of the pillars of the Hollywood film industry -- an award-winning actress, model, singer, pop icon and sex symbol in the Fifties and Sixties -- and her glamorous look is perfect for a big night out we approach all those Christmas parties. Follow my simple six-step guide to get the Marilyn look for that big night out ...
Step one: It is important to get your brows into shape by tweezing away any stray hairs. Marilyn always had a strong and fuller brow, so if you have plucked the life out of your eyebrows and they won't grow back, try a light pencil to add depth. The Gosh eyebrow pencil in brown is a good option, as you have a pencil on one end and a brush on the other to shape your perfect brows.
Step two: Next, apply some foundation primer to keep your skin from clogging up, as the Marilyn look calls for quite a bit of foundation! Try Smashbox Photo Finish Luminizing Primer for her picture-perfect glow.
The Marilyn base is pale but perfect, and her complexion shows you don't have to be tantastic to be beautiful.
If you go slighter lighter with your foundation colour, it allows you to sculpt your face and your cheek bones, to really bring your bone structure to life. I like Maybelline Fit Me! Foundation in Classic Ivory.
However, if your skin tone is darker, go a shade down from what you normally wear. For the highlighting try Jemma Kidd Blush Wear Creme Cheek Colour, it has two different colours so you can experiment on day and night looks, using a slightly lighter colour for a subtle day look and a darker colour to vamp it up at night.
Step three: Have a look at your complexion and see where you need some extra help in getting that flawless finish and apply a light concealer, for example OY! by Green People Concealer.
For best results apply the concealer to the back of the hand first to heat it up as this will leave the application much smoother. Tap the product into place on your face using your finger.
When applying concealer round the eye area or anywhere that may have fine lines, remember the golden rule that less is more, you don't want the product to crease and highlight the areas you want to hide!
Step four: Use some translucent powder to set your make-up for this look. I always use Laura Mercier Invisible Loose Setting Powder. You want to finish the look quite matt, but if you feel your skin wouldn't be able to cope with a complete matt finish then just use a little less powder.
If you do 'over powder', fear not, I have a trick that will refresh your whole make-up look. Take a small amount of MAC strobe cream, rub it into your hand gently and pat your hands over your face. This will take away that ageing powdery look and leave you feeling as sexy as Marilyn!
Step five: For the eyes, keep it simple and apply a black eyeliner flick and lots of mascara. Pull the outside of the eye out and draw the black line from the outside in for a flawless finish. Use a liquid liner such as Rimmel Exaggerate Liquid Liner to get you started. Then apply lashings of Benefit Bad Gal Lash to draw attention to your peepers.
Step six: Apply a gorgeous, bold red lipstick! Arbonne Art of Red Lipstick is a rich deep colour that will leave your pout perfect. Just remember to bring your lippy out with you if you are hitting the town so you can reapply throughout the night.
The secret to Marilyn's look is bags of confidence, so try her make-up look, throw on a dress and strut your stuff.
Source: yellowbrix
