Marilyn's Beauty Secrets

Last fall during a vacation to Los Angeles, I was lucky enough to poke around the Hollywood Museum. I absolutely loved the rooms devoted to Max Factor and the glamorous ladies he helped make iconic during Hollywood's yesteryear. Seeing the vintage makeup set-ups on vintage vanity tables was such a pretty treat! Spaced around were photos of Marilyn, Ava, Marlene, Lucille, with little captions and quotes. One of my favorite finds was an article in a women's magazine by Marilyn Monroe, titled My Beauty Secrets. Unfortunately, there was plexiglass in front of this vignette, but I totally squished my face up against to take pictures and read as best I could. At this point, there are very few secrets left to the legend of Marilyn Monroe, but reading her words (or close to them) is still an fascinating look into the past of a "pretty woman." 

She mentions the usual Hollywood starlet answers that persist in magazine interviews today, like praising the benefits of "good soap and water" and never having more than one glass of wine a day. A true California-lifestyle icon, in the article she also espouses year-round nude sunbathing, tiny protein rich meals, and warns that no amount of makeup can "hide the dullness that over-eating and over-drinking" will bring. She even warns us mere mortals against wearing too much makeup, sagely advising that "When a man looks into your eyes, he doesn't like looking into an over-heavy mess of mascara and eyeshadow." I know what you're thinking, but Marilyn readily admits that yes, on screen she is heavily made up, but not at all in every day life.

She also personally needs "nine hours sleep, and more often ten, and I usually get a nap in during the day", which makes her a girl after my own sleepy heart. My favorite factoid was that Marilyn claims to eat only "two raw eggs beaten up in a glass of milk" for breakfast every day. Too me, that's the most old-fashioned quote ever.