Classic Beauty Secrets From Hollywood Screen Sirens

Sophia Loren kept her complexion in top shape by applying olive oil to it every day. In addition, she also added two tablespoons to her food and bathed in it regularly.

– Kate Moffatt

Audrey Hepburn: You may baulk at the idea, but rumour has it Audrey Hepburn separated her lashes with a pin after each coat of mascara was applied. The idea was to create a look as natural as possible.

Bette Davis: Considering she had a song written about them, Bette Davis must have been doing something right with her eyes. The actress kept a simple beauty routine, but would regularly use ice-cold cucumbers on her eyes, and a layer of petroleum jelly on the delicate skin underneath to ward off dark circles.

Rita Hayworth: Rita Hayworth’s gorgeous red hair was touched up on a daily basis to ensure her black roots remained unseen – that is, until studio executives realized her roots actually perfectly framed her face.

Grace Kelly:Grace Kelly’s enviable cheekbones were achieved by mixing two different blushes together. She used a darker one underneath to achieve a sculpted look, and blended a lighter one over the top to highlight her angles.

Greta Garbo: The secret to Greta Garbo’s dramatic eyes? She used petroleum jelly on her eyelids, which she then blended with skin-toned powder and a darker shade in the crease of her eye for a dramatic look. Finally, she mixed petroleum jelly with charcoal to achieve a dramatic eye.

Joan Collins: Joan reportedly splashed her face with ice water 25 times after cleansing, believing it got the blood flowing and kept her wrinkle-free for years.

Katharine Hepburn: Katharine Hepburn kept her gorgeous skin in top shape with regular exfoliation. She would mix sugar, warm water and a squeeze of lemon juice, which she massaged into her skin and followed up with a splash of ice-cold water.

Marlene Dietrich: Marlene capitalized on a beauty trend that was hot in the 1930s: the actress used to shave off her eyebrows and colour them in with kohl, believing them to be more perfectly shaped that way.

Lauren Bacall: Known as one of the most beautiful actresses of her time, Lauren Bacall famously refused to be “made over” by Hollywood. She never plucked her eyebrows in an effort to maintain their thickness, and refused to straighten her teeth. “Howard [Hawks] had chosen me for my thick eyebrows and crooked teeth, and that’s the way they would stay,” she said.