9 Vintage Celebrity Beauty Secrets That Work Today

The pursuit of flawless beauty is a quest as old as time. Historically, the ancient Egyptians regarded beauty as a sign of divine holiness, and makeup and cosmetics were worn in their society by both men and women. When it comes to celebrities, today's stars might have a lineup of the most modern makeup, skincare and cosmetic treatments at their disposal, but the starlets of yesteryears had a few important tricks up their sleeves as well. From DIY techniques that you can easily add to your routine to clever hacks and some time tested rituals, here is a list of alleged beauty secrets and hacks used by iconic vintage celebrities. 

1. Marylin Monroe's Lip Plumping Trick

A screen siren if there ever was one, Marylin was famous for her list of beauty tricks, one of which was her famous lip-contouring technique. To make her lips appear fuller, Monroe would have her makeup artist apply upto five different shades of lipstick and gloss. Darker reds went on the outer corners while lighter hues were brushed on the middle of the lips, creating the illusion of dimension. 

2. Marylin Monroe Secret to Glowing Skin

Long before the times of #HighlighterOnFleek, Marylin is said to have relied on using drugstore Vaseline both as a primer and a highlighter to achieve a dewy glow. At times, she would add a touch of moisturising jelly to her lids to make them shine. 

3. Audrey Hepburn's Hack for Defined Lashes

No one defines style icon quite like Audrey! The Breakfast at Tiffany's star had a clever trick to create lush and defined lashes. She used a pin to separate each lash after applying mascara to give volume to her peepers. Want the same look without poking your eye out? Try a modern-day lash comb to achieve the desired effect. 

4. Rekha's DIY Hair Mask

It's blasphemous to put-together a list of iconic beauty icons without mentioning Rekha. A great believer in natural beauty therapies, the Bollywood star is said to use  a homemade hair mask of yoghurt, honey and egg-white, for glossy, lustrous and voluminous hair. 

5. Grace Kelly's Blush Secret for Sculpted Cheekbones

Long before Kim K was contouring..well..everything, Grace Kelly had a subtle secret technique for sculpting her cheekbones. She used two different shades of blush, placing the darker, cooler tone under her cheekbones and a brighter pink colour on the apples of her cheeks to create a defined, chiselled look. 

6. Madhubala's Gorgeous, Natural Curls

Long before natural waves and out-of-bed curls were a thing, Madhubala perfected the art of celebrating her voluminous, curly hair. A natural way to achieve this look without using products, curlers or tongs? Rolling damp hair around pieces of fabric, tying off and leaving overnight, a hack used widely in the the 50s and 60s.

7. Elizabeth Taylor's Secret Exfoliation Method 

The epitome of old Hollywood glamour, Elizabeth Taylor took a page out of Cleopatra's book when it comes to exfoliating her skin. Both women shaved their faces to remove fine, baby hair and surface dead skin cells, giving your skin a facial-like glow. To try out this trick today, you can use a dermaplaning tool. Do consult your dermatologist once before you do so. 

8. Joan Crawford's Ice Water Trick for Alabaster Skin

Long before the first ice-roller was invented, Joan Crawford believed in splashing ice-cold water 25 times a day on her face, to wake up her skin and stimulate her pores. 

9. Sophia Loren's Olive Oil Moisturising Soak

Rounding up our list is the iconic Italian beauty, who kept her skin and hair luminously soft by soaking in a hot bath with a few splashes of olive oil.