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A Marilyn Moment

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Sixty years after the death of an icon, and an icon she remains. Marilyn Monroe to this day inspires millions of people and continues to influence beauty, fashion, art, and film to no end. She is an emblem of new age glamour, breaking the mould of long-standing body ideals with her signature curves.

Marking the anniversary of Marilyn’s death, new films and documentaries are being released this year to illustrate the extravagant and mysterious life of this megastar. With top Hollywood actresses stepping into the role (we’re excited to see Bond girl Ana De Armas take the lead in Netflix’s Blonde) we’re curious to see each portrayal of such a poignant character.

It may seem like an easy feat, depicting a person with so many mannerisms, quotes, outfits, and beauty looks that are so distinctively “her”, but in reality, her complexity and level of fame and familiarity among multiple generations of people make it an incredibly intricate part with absurdly high expectations. Everyone thinks they know her from the image the media has fed us over the years – the character presented to the world. But there is so much more to her personality and her accompanying persona than the public really know. We cannot wait to explore the truth of the individual she was underneath it all.

Get The Iconic Look

Get The Iconic Look

One of the most distinctive features of Marilyn’s look is her ever-present red lipstick. Red lipstick is known to provide a confidence boost, and it was Marilyn herself that stated, “Give a girl the right lipstick and she can conquer the world”.

So, in honour of this incredible idol on the anniversary of her death, we present to you our top tips to perfecting a red lip, and the shades of red to give you your very own Marilyn moment.

Keep makeup minimal: When opting for a red lip, we find it looks best when the rest of your makeup is kept pared back and simple. Accompanying a red pout with a full face of makeup can look a little much, but with fresh, luminous skin and a sweep of mascara can give you that cool French-girl, effortlessly glamorous look.

How to get Marilyn Monroe lips

Try a liner: Defining the lips with a lip pencil can help create a more symmetrical shape, whilst also making your lips appear bigger and fuller. You can compensate for thinner lips by over lining slightly and perfecting your cupids bow. A lip pencil will also help stop your lipstick from bleeding.

Apply with a brush: If you want to perfect a statement red lip, try using a brush to apply your lipstick instead of the bullet. This will enable you to have more precision and control when applying the colour; you’ll be able to get much closer to the lip line and you can use the brush to blend out any harsh lines.

Check your teeth: No one wants to re-enact that scene from countless 90s movies where someone walks around with red lipstick unknowingly on their front tooth. A quick hack is to suck your thumb – this removes all the excess lipstick from the inside of your lips to stop it accidentally sticking to your teeth.

Our Marilyn Approved Reds