Beauty secrets: Why Marilyn Monroe and Grace Kelly are called timeless beauties

These handy make-up pointers from the past are essential for every woman

Ever wondered why Marilyn Monroe and Grace Kelly are known as timeless beauties? What was their secret to flawless skin and pearly white smile? Or how did they manage to have perfect hair and eyes free of dark circles despite their hectic routines?

Here are secrets of the two beauties that every woman should know:

1. Sea salt bath:

Sea salt has antimicrobial properties that can prove to be therapeutic as it flushes away infections. The secret behind the glowing skin of the ladies in the past is bathing in this exfoliant.



With a variety of scented bath salts available in the market, you can mix it with the sea salt base. For dark spots, use epsom salt. It is also effective for its detoxing properties.

2. Baking soda for teeth whitening:

Back before we had super advanced toothpastes, baking soda was used to get sparkling pearly whites. Big in the 60s and 70s, vintage beauties would rub baking soda on their teeth then rinse.



To make the taste a bit more bearable, try adding lemon and peppermint oil to create a paste then use once or twice a week.

3. Strawberries to clean face:

Switch your chemical formulas with this organic bliss. In the swinging sixties beauties used to blend strawberries and use as a cleanser. The pink hue gives a natural glow and also leaves you with sweet fragrance.



You can also mash this sweet smelling fruit with bananas and honey and use the mixture as a face mask. It will leave your skin soft and supple.

4. White eyeliner inside eye:

Using a white pencil to line the inner water line of the eye is a well-known trick of the trade from Marilyn Monroe. The Hollywood starlet loved her signature sultry eye look to make her blue eyes pop.



Try using pastel coloured eyeliner with white undertones for a playful nod to this classic beauty tip.

5. Mint leaves for dark circles:

Let your skin breathe with refreshing mint leaves -- one of the most essential tips to fade dark circles. Crush min leaves and leave them under the eyes for some time, you will get a fresh, wide-awaken skin like those Hollywood pin-up girls, Rita Hayworth and Sophia Loren.



Mint toothpaste can also be just as effective, in case you want to avoid getting messy. Dab a tiny amount under your eyes at night, and voila! Wake up bright-eyed.

6. Spray perfume onto hairbrush:

Coco Chanel famously said that women should wear perfume wherever they would like to be kissed. Most Hollywood beauties used to spray their hairbrushes with some fragrance in order to carry their scent with every swish of their locks.



There are perfumes designed specifically for hair available in the market. These scents not only leave your hair smelling good but also nourish your strands.

7. Use petroleum jelly on eyelids:

If you do not have an eye primer then you can always go for a very thin layer of petroleum jelly. The vintage classic look is all about having dramatic eye make-up.



Women would apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly over eyelids and then cover with neutral skin-toned powder all the way up to the brow line and blend a darker shade into the crease for theatrical deep crease impact.

8. Cold water treatment:

Joan Crawford famously told how she splashed her face with ice cold water 25 times every morning to keep her legendary face smooth and taut.



If you can’t bear dousing yourself with freezing water, try mixing together sugar, warm water and lemon juice to cleanse your face for a fresh complexion.

9. Olive oil on hair:



A favourite trick of auburn-locked Rita Hayworth, to keep hair looking lustrous, she would shampoo hair then apply olive oil to the ends and wrap up in a towel for 15 minutes. She would rinse with hot water, cleanser and lemon juice to get rid of any residue.

10. Two shades of blusher:



Who is not desperate for high cheekbones? A trick credited to Grace Kelly was using two shades of blusher, a lighter shade on the bone and darker in the hollow. Try using a highlighter on your cheekbones and dab above your brows for the ultimate minimalist chic.

11. Crush rose petals or beetroot to tint cheeks:

Back in the days of old school romance, a lady’s gentleman caller would always present her with a bouquet of roses. Before they withered, these blushing dames would rub the petals together until they produced liquid then dab this onto cheeks and lips for a rosy glow. So now you know that the bouquet presented to you in so not going to be a waste of a gift.



Try mixing the petal liquid with a clear lip gloss to create a natural colour with some extra shimmer to take you through the night.

12. Homemade rollers:

In the fifties, having thick curly hair was all the rage but hot rollers were expensive and uncomfortable to sleep it. Pioneering vintage beauties worked around this by rolling damp hair around pieces of fabric, tying off and leaving overnight.



Use the same trick but spritz your hair with sea salt spray once in the ‘rollers’ for a more tousled, bedhead look.

The article was originally published at Mail Online.