5 minute read
Recreating Looks from Beauty Icons
DIANA ROSS
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Dazzling gowns with sultry slits, polished shoulder length bobs, glittering jumpsuits, oversized sunglasses, colorful furs- there is nothing that remains unchecked in her great, big fashion book. When someone mentions Diana Ross, my mind instantaneously conjures up this image of a charismatic persona in a shimmering Bob Mackie dress with fanning fuchsia feathers, glowing skin and a curled coif fit for a goddess.
There isn’t a hairstyle that Ross hasn’t experimented with - trust me, I’ve done the research! From her Motown-era bouffant to the fabulosity that is her billowing afro, Diana would wear her hair with pride. The singer consistently proved that there are a million and one ways to rock a bob. As she moved towards her solo career, she let volume take the center stage in her outfits and in her hair. The higher, the better. She occasionally traded in more outrageous manes for slicked back dos. She experimented with braids, jazz-era finger waves, the 70s –pixie haircut, petrol blue afro and all kinds of hair accessories-her favorites being the black netted veil and blooms. She was undeniably the queen of tresses!
MARILYN MONROE
Norma Jean, the fresh-faced brunette from California, had never thought that she would leave an imprint on the beauty world – an imprint so strong that its ripples travelled across boundaries and through time, to create a persona or one could say, a state of mind- “MARILYN.”
Marilyn Monroe was as naive as she was intellectual, as bold as she was shy and as cheerful as she was despondent. But, the one thing that remained a constant was her beauty, and the confidence with which she flaunted. Underneath the misleading portrayals of a sex symbol and a dumb blonde; there lies a powerful and feminine woman, who is defined by her signature look; The Marilyn. The Marilyn consists of: blonde hair concocted into perfect curls, voluptuous red lips and a classic white halter dress.
Pillow-case white was what Marilyn dubbed as her signature shade of platinum-blonde hair, which came with its own set of instructions. Marilyn used hair extensions to achieve her look, and she made sure to have them bleached and highlighted with peroxide every three weeks. She minimized washes by using makeshift dry shampoo (baby powder) on her roots. Finally, to achieve Marilyn’s glistening blonde hair, she spent hours in hot rollers to result in the perfect pin curls.
Marilyn was the entire Old Hollywood Glamour package with her pale skin, full lashes and red lips. To make her lips appear fuller, Monroe would have her makeup artist apply 5 different shades of lipstick and gloss to create dimension. Darker reds went on the outer corners, while lighter hues were brushed on the middle of the lips. She loved to rock the “cat-eye” look with a thick black winged liner on her top lids. If there’s anything Marilyn taught us, it’s how to unleash the power of the falsies combined with a high arched brow.
TOP & EARRINGS EXPRESS NECKLACE STYLIST’S OWN LIPS KOSÅS WEIGHTLESS LIP COLOR IN ELECTRA
JACQUELINE KENNEDY ONASSIS
It’s 1964. you’re sitting wide-eyed in front of the television — as is the rest of the country. You see a graceful figure descend the stairs from her flight in a double-breasted strawberry pink and navy trim collared suit with a matching pink pillbox hat and her trademark white gloves. Her hair coiffed, her eyebrows penciled in and her lips flush pink. An epitome of elegance and poise. Oh, and there’s her husband, John. F Kennedy, beside her! Their hands clasped together. Their romance sweeping the country. Twelve hours later, the scenario would be radically different. Somehow that poignant image would forever be embedded in America’s historical conscience- that immaculate woman, exquisitely dressed and caked in blood.
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was a wife, a mother and a connoisseur of the arts and literature. But, to the greatest extent Jackie O - as she affectionately became known in modish circles and beyond – was a fashion influencer through and through. She made her well-tailored skirt sets that she often paired with a perfectly coordinated pillbox hat and white gloves- a whole look, that I like to call “the Jackie” that forever set the bar for First Lady fashion. She could effortlessly pull off-duty looks with the same grace and elegance she did any black-tie event outfit. All her looks are as relevant today as they were fifty years back- which is why she continues to remain a regular muse for most fashion designers.
Her signature hairstyle was a perfectly balanced soft-layered bob with a deep side part, bouffant and flipped ends and it framed her face perfectly. Jacqueline proved time and again that big hair is always in style. Is it even possible for mere mortals to have such iconic strands? Her go to was essential oils (particularly lavender) on the ends of her strands for added protection and hydration. She swore by silk pillowcases to reduce frizz and to smooth her brunette tresses. Jackie O got creative with her bad hair days. Her solution- iconic silk headscarves (added points if it’s Hermès)
Jackie’s makeup look perfectly embodies the saying- “less is more.” It’s all about strong brows, minimal makeup, and statement lip. Jackie was big on skincare with most of her products (repair creams and face oils) outsourced from Hungary. She followed the Hungarian doctor, Erno Laszlo’s rigorous double cleanse beauty regimen. Jackie had wide set eyes, so she contoured her eyeshadow by placing darker shades on the inner corner of her eyes and white eyeliner on the outer corners. This balanced her face out. She had a perfect solution for the lazy days- skip the eye make-up, opt for oversized sunglasses. Jackie had power brows way before power brows were a thingminimally tweezed, lightly filled. When it comes to lip shades, bold colors were not her thing. She liked to keep her lip color soft and neutral, so she opted for pale pinks and nudes. Her lip color was usually color coordinated with her outfits.
It’s been fifty-five years since that day in November. The fashion industry continues to cherish her and we the common folk adore her. Thank you, Jacqueline – for showing the world that a woman can be strong, resilient and well-read while being an eternal style icon- all with the world watching every sashay of your hemline.
BLAZER JCREW TOP HOTOUCH (AMAZON) HAT H&M EARRINGS NORDSTROM RACK LIPS KOSÅS WEIGHTLESS LIP COLOR IN UNDONE FACE KOSÅS COLOR & LIGHT PALETTE IN CONTRACHROMA
by Mohua Goswami
Fashion by Ana Scheidlinger
Shot by James Giammetta
