The Beauty of Marilyn Monroe, 100 Years Later

The Beauty Blueprint of an Icon

Before contour kits and clean girl everything, there was Marilyn Monroe: softly sculpted, perfectly polished, and always camera-ready. Her look wasn’t complicated, but it was intentional. Every detail worked together to create something unforgettable.

The Hollywood Red Lip

Bold, but never harsh. Marilyn’s red lip was all about dimension—slightly overdrawn, softly diffused at the edges, and finished with a subtle sheen. It wasn’t just color—it was confidence in one swipe.

Softly Sculpted Skin

Long before “glow” became a buzzword, Marilyn’s skin had that lit-from-within finish. Think hydrated, luminous, and gently contoured, not chiseled. Her glow came from strategic highlights and a focus on skin that looked like skin.

The Bedroom Eye

Sultry, but never overdone. Marilyn’s eye makeup relied on soft browns, diffused liner, and a subtle lift at the outer corner. The result? Eyes that looked naturally defined, never heavy.

The Platinum Moment

Of course, there’s the hair. Bright, voluminous, and unmistakably hers. Marilyn’s blonde wasn’t just a color; it was part of the entire look, adding contrast and amplifying the softness of her makeup.

Marilyn Monroe™; Rights of Publicity and Persona Rights are used with permission of The Estate of Marilyn Monroe LLC. Photo by Milton H. Greene © 2026 MHG IP Holdings, LLC. marilynmonroe.com

How Marilyn’s Look Shows Up Today

What makes Marilyn’s beauty feel so current? It’s all about balance.

That red lip? Still a go-to. The soft glam skin? Basically the foundation of today’s biggest trends. Her barely-there liner? The blueprint for every no-makeup makeup look.

Even as trends evolve—from glass skin to blush blindness—Marilyn’s approach holds up: enhance what you have, soften the edges, and let the details do the work.

Marilyn, Reimagined

We looked back at Marilyn’s signature elements, and reworked them through today’s lens. These looks bring that vision to life, blending old Hollywood glamour with today’s effortless approach to beauty. The result feels familiar, but updated in a way that makes it wearable now.

The Classic Red Lip, Modernized

A bold red lip will always be Marilyn’s signature, and this version turns up the shine. It’s classic glamour with a high-impact twist: glossy, lacquered lips paired with softly sculpted skin and fluttery lashes.

How to recreate it: Slightly line your lips outside your natural shape for fullness, then fill in with a true red lipstick. Top with a gloss to get that high-shine finish. Keep the rest of the face balanced—think soft contour, subtle highlight, and clean, defined lashes so the lip stays the focal point.

The Polished Icon

This look captures the elegance of old Hollywood with a modern, wearable edge. Defined eyes, softly contoured skin, and a neutral lip come together to create something timeless, without feeling overdone. It’s the kind of glam that works just as well during the day as it does at night.

How to recreate it: Build a soft cat eye using a brown or black liner, keeping the edges slightly diffused rather than sharp. Add subtle contour to define the cheekbones, then finish with a satin-finish nude or pink lip. The key here is balance, nothing too heavy, everything blended.

The Monroe Glow, Reimagined

This is Marilyn at her most effortless—the glow, the flush, the your-skin-but-better finish. The look leans into softly diffused features: barely-there liner, peachy cheeks, and a glossy nude lip that catches the light just right.

How to recreate it: Focus on skin first. Start with a luminous base and add a cream blush high on the cheeks for that lifted, natural flush. Keep the eyes minimal, just a soft wing and a touch of mascara—and finish with a hydrating gloss or balm to get that fresh, lit-from-within effect.

A Glamour Moment, In Your Bags

This month’s IPSY Original and Extra bags are inspired by Marilyn’s legacy, capturing her signature blend of softness, confidence, and timeless style.

Inside, you’ll find products designed to help you recreate that effortless glow, whether you’re going full glam or just adding a subtle nod to old Hollywood.

Because Marilyn’s influence isn’t just something we look back on—it’s something we carry forward, one routine at a time.

Why Marilyn Still Matters

Marilyn Monroe didn’t follow trends; she set them. Her beauty wasn’t about perfection. It was about presence—about knowing what worked, leaning into it, and wearing it unapologetically.

And maybe that’s why, 100 years later, we’re still inspired.