[eternalmarilynmonroe]

Marilyn Monroe meeting Lassie at a party in her honour, 1952.

[the-beautiful-world-of-barbie]

[retrogasm-deactivated20161109]

[top-hat-white-tie-and-tails-dea]

[popcornandacola]

[gingerastaire]

Greta Garbo + Characters

[onceandfuturekiki]

Greta Garbo’s silent films

[mortisia]

Flesh and the Devil (1926)

[hollywoodlady]

Retro Beauty Secrets:

Marilyn Monroe was arguably as famed for her radiant Hollywood glow as she was for her flirtatious on-screen presence. However, she used an odd technique to maintain it – hormone cream. The actress would layer Active pHelityl Cream and a powder foundation on top of each other to create a radiant base that shimmered and shined on camera. The downside was that she grew a fine layer of peachy-blonde hair over her face. She was encouraged to shave it off, but refused because of the glow it gave her in photographs. 

Audrey Hepburn was an incredibly dainty Hollywood beauty, who pioneered the baby doll look with a slick of liquid kohl and super-fine layer of mascara on the upper lashes. Rumour has it that she got her lashes so plush and natural-looking by pain-stakingly separating them with a pin after each layer of mascara she applied.

German actress Marlene Dietrich is considered to be one of the greatest actresses of all time, but was also highly prized for her sculptured glamour. She believed in accentuating the natural lines of her face with shading, shaping and contouring. One of her most startling features were her perfectly shaped brows. She achieved this look by shaving them off and drawing them on with kohl, as was the fashion in the 1930s. She also never used mascara on her lower lashes, as she believed it cast a shadow and made her look tired.

American actress Joan Crawford didn’t use fancy products to keep her legendary face smooth and taut – she chewed gum in the belief that it firmed up her jaw and help to drain the toxins out from under her chin. She was also religious about her cleansing regime, and would splash her face 25 times with ice cold water after every wash.

Greta Garbo’s dramatic eye make-up was the inspiration for many a Hollywood starlet – including Marilyn Monroe – and not without good reason. To create the look, she would apply a super-thin layer of petroleum jelly over the eyelids, cover with neutral skin-toned powder all the way up to the brow line and blend a dark shade into the crease for a theatrical, deep-set appearance. She’d also line the upper lid with eyeliner made from a blend of petroleum and charcoal pigment, and finish with mascara.

A strong-willed actress, Katherine Hepburn had very much her own style – natural, minimalist and slightly androgynous. This meant a lot of neutral tones and flawless skin that allowed her to wear sheer, natural make-up and still look radiant. To keep her complexion in tip-top condition, she would exfoliate regularly. She would use a mixture of sugar, a tiny amount of warm water and a squeeze of lemon juice massaged into the skin and followed up with a splash of ice-cold water.

There’s a reason Kim Carnes wrote a song about Bette Davis’s eyes – they were enviably huge, bright and line-free. How did she keep them that way? Simple – cucumbers on the eyelids every night before bed and a layer of petroleum jelly under the eye at night to protect against puffiness and dark circles. 

Rita Hayworth’s tumbling auburn locks caught many a man’s eye during the 1940s, but there was one trick she used to keep her hair in great, lustrous condition. Like many women of the era, Rita would shampoo her hair with hot water, rinse it, then saturate it with oil and wrap it up in a towel for 15 minutes. Then she’d rinse it out with hot water, a cleanser and lemon juice to get rid of any left over residue.

Grace Kelly’s minimalist chic has earned her a reputation for being one of the most classic beauties of all time, but even she had a few make-up secrets to share. Instead of harsh lines and colour, she chose neutral shades that subtly enhanced her natural features. She would apply a tawny brown eyeshadow delicately along her eyebrows to define them, and created the illusion of cheekbones by using two shades of blusher – a lighter tone over the bone, and a darker shade in the hollows.

Stunning British star Vivien Leigh kept her skin spectacularly beautiful with regular facials. The Gone With The Wind actress was among several high-profile clients of Madame Lubatti, a legendary skincare doyenne who hand-mixed scented lotions and aromatic oils to treat English royalty and society ladies. Via

[horrorsoflife]

[monsterman]

Christopher Lee (May 22, 1922 – June 7, 2015)

[d--r--a]

[wattpad-deactivated20190318]

[thefilmstage]

“Every actor has to make terrible films from time to time, but the trick is never to be terrible in them.” - Christopher Lee (May 27, 1922 - June 7th, 2015)

Watch a 45-minute career-spanning discussion with the late actor.

[l-o-t-r]

Peter Jackson Remembers Sir Christopher Lee

It is with tremendous sadness that I learnt of the passing of Sir Christopher Lee. He was 93 years old, had not been in his usual good health for some time, but his spirit remained, as always, indomitable.

Christopher spoke seven languages; he was in every sense, a man of the world; well versed in art, politics, literature, history and science. He was scholar, a singer, an extraordinary raconteur and of course, a marvelous actor. One of my favourite things to do whenever I came to London would be to visit with Christopher and Gitte where he would regale me for hours with stories about his extraordinary life. I loved to listen to them and he loved to tell them - they were made all the more compelling because they were true - stories from his time with the SAS, through the Second World War, to the Hammer Horror years and later, his work with Tim Burton - of which he was enormously proud.

I was lucky enough to work with Chris on five films all told and it never ceased to be a thrill to see him on set. I remember him saying on my 40th Birthday (he was 80 at the time), “You’re half the man I am”.  Being half the man Christopher Lee is, is more than I could ever hope for. He was a true gentleman, in an era that no longer values gentleman.

I grew up loving Christopher Lee movies. For most of my life I was enthralled by the great iconic roles he not only created - but continued to own decades later. But somewhere along the way Christopher Lee suddenly, and magically, dissolved away and he became my friend, Chris.  And I loved Chris even more.

There will never be another Christopher Lee. He has a unique place in the history of cinema and in the hearts of millions of fans around the world.

The world will be a lesser place without him in it.

My deepest sympathies to Gitte and to his family and friends.

Rest in peace, Chris.

An icon of cinema has passed into legend.

[l-o-t-r]

Peter Jackson

[nitratediva]

Greta Garbo in Queen Christina (1933).

[sublim-ature]

Yosemite Valley, California Yinka Oyelese