Ideally, you will apply it twice each day, once in the morning and once at night. It is best to apply moisturizer right after bathing, when the skin is clean and the pores are open. [1] X Research source Give your moisturizer 10-15 minutes to soak into the skin before applying makeup!
Make sure you choose a shade of foundation that matches your skin as closely as possible. If you have never done this before, it is best to go to a department store with a trusted friend or family member. There, an employee can help you determine the correct shade for your skin. Medium coverage foundation refers to foundation that is thick enough to cover blemishes on the skin, but will still feel light and natural. [2] X Research source Remember, Marilyn had a flawless yet natural appearance to her skin.
Be sure to use a concealer that is well matched to your skin so you don’t end up with patches.
It is also believed that Marilyn also used vaseline as a primer all over her face. [4] X Research source If you wish to try this, be very cautious and use a tiny amount to start with, especially if you have oily skin to begin with. Vaseline is very, very thick and oily. It might look great if you can apply it thin enough, but using too much will make you look very greasy.
Unless you are very skilled at doing this, it may be best to skip it! Contouring is not easy to do, and requires a lot of practice! Remember that it is perfectly OK to look like yourself, but with Marilyn inspired makeup.
Apply the blush on the apples of your cheek and sweep it towards your hairline, but make sure it is blended so that you don’t appear clownish!
The t-zone is the area in the middle of your face which includes the skin just above your eyebrows, your nose, and underneath your nose and lips.
Don’t overdo it! You don’t want to have a bright red nose.
Pay particular attention to the inner part of the lid next to the tear duct, and avoid going to far out (e. g. towards the hair line), instead stay focused on the eyelid. If you have darker skins, choose darker tones (not white), but make sure they are shimmery to stick with Marilyn’s look. It is reported that Marilyn also liked to swipe a bit of vaseline or coconut oil on her eyelids before applying shadow. [6] X Research source You can try this, too; however, make sure you apply the vaseline or oil in a very, very thin layer. Otherwise, it might not blend well with the eye shadow.
You can finish the black liner by gently flicking the liner out at the end of your eyelid. You don’t want a cat-eye look, but instead, a small upward flick of the pencil. [9] X Research source
The waterline refers to the small line of skin that is between your eyelashes and your actual eye. When using a liner here, be very careful, or you may poke yourself in the eye!
Make sure you have applied your eyeliner and eye shadow before doing this. Gently place your top lashes in between the “mouth” of the curler. Press the curler to the base of your eyelashes and gently squeeze for about 5 seconds. Be gentle! There’s no need to squeeze the tool to tightly!
If you truly want the look, you can also use tweezers to pluck any extra hairs that may make your eyebrow arch less defined, but be careful! It can sometimes be hard to re-shape your eyebrows once you’ve committed to a dramatic look. Use a bit of hair spray, hair gel, or vaseline to keep the hairs in place. You can also use an eyebrow pencil to help draw in the peaks, but use the pencil modestly, and be sure to blend it with a brow brush!
You can also always purchase normal false lashes and cut them in half, just the way her artist did.
Remember Monroe’s look was mostly natural for her eyes, and more dramatic for her lips! That means you don’t want the eyelashes to be too dramatic.
Be careful not to touch the outer liner with the bright red! If you smear it, it will ruin the depth that was created with the darkest liner. [17] X Research source
Alternatively, if you don’t own a creme highlighter, you can also use a small dab of vaseline.
