9 Gorgeous Women of the Past Whose Beauty Secrets Might Sound Weird Today

It’s not that difficult for modern women to take care of themselves because store shelves are overwhelmed with beauty products. Moreover, cosmetology and plastic surgery will not only help you look younger but also correct any imperfections in your appearance. However, the stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood didn’t have access to all this beauty luxury that’s why they had to use various tricks, from normal to insane ones to stay on top.

We at Bright Side believe that these ladies deserve special attention for their savvy. Many of those beauty tricks became popular and have remained relevant even today. The bonus part will tell you the secret of Michèle Mercier who preserved her beauty for many years.

Ginger Rogers would sleep outside.

Hollywood actress, singer, and dancer Ginger Rogers once confessed that she hated beauty salons.
In order to preserve her youth, she didn’t use any cosmetics outside of work. She would apply a thick night cream overnight and wash her face with oil-based soap in the morning. She also had a healthy lifestyle, kept a simple diet, and played tennis at least 2 times a week.

But the main secret of her beauty and radiant skin was sleeping in the open air. Ginger Rogers and her husband literally slept outside and moved into the house only during the rainy season.

Jean Harlow would rub hot olive oil into her scalp.

Jean Harlow was the first platinum blonde in Hollywood. Max Factor personally worked on her look, so the actress was quite savvy when it came to matters of beauty. She advised women to not rub the skin on their faces, when applying cream, but instead, to pat it. Jean also claimed that teeth should be brushed in a circular motion, not up and down.

The star recommended rubbing hot olive oil into the scalp at least once a month for the growth and shine of hair. Massaging her head every night and brushing her hair were also among her beauty secrets.

Marilyn Monroe would draw white triangles in the corners of her eyes and used red lipstick.

Makeup artist Allan “Whitey” Snyder was the person responsible for the look of the famous beauty. He used one interesting trick to make Marilyn Monroe’s eyes appear bigger, wider, and whiter.

Snyder would draw small white triangles in the outer eye corners of the star’s eyes, right between the upper and lower wings of the eyeliner. Thus, the look of the actress’s eyes appeared to be more wide open. In addition, he emphasized the inner corners of Marilyn’s eyes with red eyeliner, so that they eventually seemed lighter.

Vivien Leigh would go beyond the borders of her lower lip with lipstick.

The actress who played Scarlett O’Hara in Gone With the Wind didn’t think her lips were plump enough. Even before it became mainstream, Vivienne would color her lips so that the lipliner or lipstick extended beyond the lower lip line.

By the way, this beauty hack was very popular. In a 1940s makeup guide, women were advised to draw a contour line (with a lip pencil) outside the natural lip line. This trick made the lips look fuller without any “beauty injections.”

Marlene Dietrich used duct tape to lift her neckline zone.

A true style icon, legendary Marlene Dietrich was ahead of her time when plastic surgeries were not as available. She invented her own type of cosmetic lifting. The actress tightened the aging skin of the face and neck with the help of adhesive plaster. Also, according to some sources, she would tighten her neckline the same way when she would put on a dress without a bra.

Her daughter, Maria Riva, spoke about this hack too. According to her, Marlene Dietrich would use wide duct tape to visually lift her body in the neckline zone.

Fannie Ward would hang upside down every day.

The silent movie actress, Fannie Ward, was called forever young. They say that at 55, she was able to play a 7-year-old girl and it was all thanks to the fact that her skin remained fresh and young.

Fannie claimed that the secret of her youth was quite simple — she would hang upside down from a door frame every day. The actress believed that it helped the blood wash the facial tissues, freshen them up, and restore energy. According to the actress, it’s thanks to this hack that her skin didn’t age.

Ida Lupino would do salt peeling.

Actress and director Ida Lupino admitted that she used several radical methods for skincare. She would sprinkle a washcloth with salt and massage her face and neck with light circular motions. After this procedure, she would apply a honey mask on her face for 30 minutes, and then wash it off with water.

The actress would do these procedures twice a week and we have to admit that this method does make sense.

Selena Royle would apply adhesive tape between her brows.

Selena Royle, a radio, cinema, and television actress, wrote an article where she recommended that all women apply a piece of adhesive tape in the shape of a rhombus between their brows. Selena believed that this method could help a woman frown less and help her avoid the appearance of wrinkles.

The actress would inspire her compatriots to do all the housework with this duct tape on their foreheads. She was sure that they could preserve their beauty even when doing household chores.

Carole Lombard would use blue mascara.

Charming actress Carole Lombard possessed a hypnotic look. She managed to do this with the help of a simple blue mascara. She would also use violet eyeshadow when going out — it enhanced the blue color of her eyes.

In the 1930s, Carol advised women to open their mouths wide when applying mascara so that the face was as tense as possible and the eyelids didn’t tremble, meaning that the mascara won’t get smeared. Perhaps it was thanks to this gorgeous blonde lady that women all over the world started to paint their eyes with their mouths open.

Bonus: Michèle Mercier would only buy cheap cream.

Michèle Mercier is the French actress who played in Angélique, Marquise des Anges, who broke many men’s hearts and who was famous for her beauty. Women all over the world wanted to learn the secret of Michèle’s beauty to get a bit closer to their idol.

The actress had smooth and clear skin by nature but even in this case, it required care and moisturizer. Michèle Mercier confessed that she never used expensive professional cosmetics opting instead for simple creams with natural plant and herbal compositions.

Which of these hacks seems like it would work even today? Please share your secrets for preserving beauty and youth with us.

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