Beauty Tips From Old Hollywood Icons That Are Still Useful Today

There's much to fascinate over when it comes to Old Hollywood stars. Some celebrities from that era lived hopelessly tragic lives. Others were part of affairs so scandalous that they're still talked about today as if they happened just months ago. Most of them, though, were stunningly, transcendently beautiful. So much so that their skincare routines, hair care regimens, exercise steps, and makeup products are still discussed on a regular basis. Even the bizarre diets of Old Hollywood stars are looked into, because maybe one of the starlets kept their physique with the help of nutritious meals that weren't totally strange. 

When it comes to Old Hollywood glamour, though, what's actually most helpful are the beauty tips. Many stars achieved their beauty with the help of products and practices that are totally feasible today. From lifestyle choices to easy fixes, here are some beauty tips from Old Hollywood icons that are still useful today.

Greta Garbo had a few old-school beauty tricks up her glamorous sleeves, and one way she stayed looking her best was by following a very thorough and specific skincare routine. Like many of her Old Hollywood contemporaries, Garbo worked with famous dermatologist and skincare brand founder Erno Laszlo. In fact, Garbo's skincare routine was so famous that the instruction sheet she was given from Dr. Laszlo was sold at a 2012 auction for $1,000. Garbo was instructed to use oils, soaps, creams, and more, following different steps for morning and night. The actor even had specific steps to follow for evenings out and formal occasions.

While it's not vital for us all to hire a world-famous doctor to give us a custom skincare regimen, like Garbo did, it is important to be as committed to skincare as she was. And though some modern celebs boast 25-step-routines, most experts agree that regular cleansing, exfoliating, and moisturizing is all you need to maintain skin health. Above all, consistency is what's most important. As dermatologist Ife J. Rodney said to Business Insider, "You have to have a routine that's simple, that's something you can stick with every day."

Grace Kelly's vintage glamour was quintessentially Old Hollywood.Whether she was looking out at the Santa Monica pier or dipping her toes in the Mediterranean Sea, Kelly was as put together as possible. According to those who knew her, Kelly smelled great, too. The royal actor knew the power of a great scent, and she opted for a few signature perfumes throughout her lifetime. "Her perfumes reflected her refined sensibilities and were a signature element of her personal style. On Oscar night in 1955, she wore Chateau Krigler 12, a blend of lily of the valley, mimosa, rose and musk," perfume expert Claudia Poccia told New Beauty. "A year later, Prince Rainier III would commission the House of Creed to create a perfume to complement her wedding bouquet," she added.

While experimenting with different fragrances can be fun, finding a specific aroma that suits you is a great way to leave a lasting impression. "Having a signature scent is a way to be recognized and make a statement of sorts, in a similar way as you would with a new haircut or your clothing," fragrance expert Roger Schmid told New Beauty. 

Kelly's perfumes were fit for a princess, and, unsurprisingly, that reflected in their price. Anyone looking to wear a signature scent today doesn't need to spend a small fortune on perfume. There are plenty of lovely, affordable options, and scent profiles can be curated without perfume, too. Hair products, body washes, lotions, and more can all carry fragrances that make for a signature scent. 

Grace Kelly had all sorts of beauty tips that are still relevant today, and a standard element of her routine was applying a red lip. The princess was known for wearing Rouge Dior Lipstick, a shade that is still available today. Kelly isn't the only Old Hollywood starlet who was fond of the product — Marlene Dietrich, Josephine Baker, and Edith Piaf wore it, too. Millions of other women throughout history have also worn a red lip, with some even opting for nothing else on their face. Science confirms the power of a red lip. "The color red can have a profound psychological impact on both the user and the observer. It says, 'I am powerful, strong, and vibrant,'" evolutionary psychologist Julia Robertson told Harper's Bazaar.

Finding the right red lipstick may require some trial and error, but following color theory can help. For a complementary shade, anyone with warm undertones should look for a red lipstick shade that also has yellow or orange tones, and anyone with cool undertones should look for a shade with blue or purple tones. Anyone with neutral undertones can try shades with either warm or cool undertones. And for anyone who just doesn't like a bold red, try shades that are a little more subtle, like terracotta, burgundy, or cranberry.

Old Hollywood bombshell Marilyn Monroe's best beauty tip had little to do with a particular product and everything to do with her personal habits. In her case, she didn't go out in the sun. 

"Despite its great vogue in California, I don't think suntanned skin is any more attractive ... or any healthier, for that matter. I'm personally opposed to a deep tan because I like to feel blond all over," Monroe once said, as reported by Vogue. Plenty of medical professionals agree with Monroe. One of the best ways to take care of your body's largest organ is by staying out of the sun. Doing so can reduce the development of wrinkles and age spots, and it'll reduce a person's risk of developing skin cancer.

Importantly, Monroe was not against dark skin — the actor was a civil rights activist who wanted equality for all. Rather, Monroe's comments were a declaration of the look she liked best on herself and an endorsement of people embracing their natural skin color and protecting their health by limiting sun exposure. But for anyone who feels more confident with a tan, especially in the summer, consider using an at-home self-tanning lotion or serum, or get a spray tan for special events, as a way to look sun-kissed while avoiding harmful ultraviolet rays.

"I have never been able to wear pajamas or creepy nightgowns; they disturb my sleep," the stunning Marilyn Monroe once said, per Vogue. The Hollywood bombshell reportedly did everything she could to maximize her zzzs. "On Sunday, which is my one day of total leisure, I sometimes take two hours to wake up, luxuriating in every last moment of drowsiness," Monroe once said in an interview with Pageant magazine.

Monroe didn't have the internet available to find studies to back up her beliefs on sleep, but she does have science on her side. Research shows that sleep deprivation is linked to developing increased signs of aging in the skin. Poor sleep can also lead to wrinkles and fine lines, droopy eyelids, give  red or swollen eyes, dark circles, and cause the corners of the mouth to drop. Sleep is also important for skin cell regeneration, especially for people who have chronic skin conditions like atopic dermatitis or psoriasis. Monroe was known for having great skin, and while she did maintain a rigorous skincare routine, she also prioritized sleep, which likely contributed to her glow.

Audrey Hepburn was iconic and ahead of her time. Her look interrupted the dominating beauty standards of the time, and she completely carved out her own brand of Old Hollywood glamour. Hepburn was known for her distinct facial features, and her makeup artist, Alberto de Rossi, worked his magic to define those features even more, contouring Hepburn's face before the technique had a name. "I mix colored powders and I shadow the face like a sculpture, the temples to avoid a flat forehead, the cheekbones, the jawline, the nose, the chin, depending on the planes of the face," de Rossi said of his work on Hepburn in an interview with Vogue.

As de Rossi described, contouring is all about sculpting the face, using light and shadow to highlight certain features, and modern makeup has made it easier than ever for anyone to contour their face with ease. De Rossi used his artistry to deploy the technique, but we have contouring sticks, concealers, and specially-designed brushes to make sculpting our faces more manageable.

What's important to remember is that contouring looks different on everyone. As de Rossi said, sculpting depends on each person's facial planes, so it's best to experiment and learn what areas to emphasize. And remember de Rossi's philosophy, that makeup "is not a painting, but a sculpture. Colors are not the only element."

Call her Rita Hair-worth. Old Hollywood icon Rita Hayworth had gorgeous locks, and she had a cheap trick to maintain them. "Women of every era covet the hair of those found on the big screen and in magazines," hair stylist Michelle Jacoby told Women's World. "Besides Hayworth's gorgeous hair, her method of maintaining it was something you could DIY with an item found in your kitchen, making her look much more accessible than the average Hollywood starlet's." Hayworth's trick was to deep condition her hair with olive oil after shampooing. The actor let the oil sit for about 15 minutes before rinsing with water and lemon juice.

"Rita Hayworth was on to something — oils are healthy for the hair — but we now know the kind of oils we put into our hair is very important," trichologist Tiffany Anderson told Women's World. Essential oils, avocado oil, argan oil, a concoction, or a store-bought product are among the most recommended oils for deep conditioning today, rather than just olive oil à la Hayworth, but she was totally right to deep condition. The practice, especially when using high-quality products, keeps hair shiny, smooth, and detangled, and it reduces frizz. Experts say that most people only need to deep condition their hair once a week, and they caution anyone with skin conditions like eczema or psoriasis to be careful, especially if using a store-bought product as certain ingredients could cause flare-ups.

Eartha Kitt had a flair for the dramatic when it came to her eye makeup. The musical sensation was known for her bold eye makeup, with some of her most iconic looks including a sensational bit of colorful shadow. Kitt was also known for wearing bold eyeliner and dramatic lashes, making for eyes that demanded to be noticed.

With all the makeup products available today, it's easier than ever to get Kitt's look, or at least something similar. A bold, striking wing can be achieved in several ways. An angled brush and a pot of eyeliner will do the trick, as will some highly pigmented eye shadow. If an angled brush is hard to manage, try an eyeliner pen or liner with a pointed applicator. Stencils may work, too, and don't forget that any mistake can be corrected with a cotton tip and some makeup remover. 

As for lashes, nothing replicates volume or length quite like a good old pair of falsies. Kitt knew that, too, hence her penchant for the products. But for anyone who isn't sold on the idea of getting out lash glue and tweezers just for good glam, there are dozens of mascaras available that'll do the trick. And for a semi-permanent option, there are lash extensions, tints, and lifts available, too. Find a look that works and stick to it for a signature eye look like Kitt.

Few women have walked the earth as glamorously as Elizabeth Taylor did. Take it from someone who knew her personally, her former personal assistant, Tim Mendelson. "It was disarming to run upstairs with a pile of papers and then walk into her bedroom and just see her like that because I'd forget," he once told The Hollywood Reporter of his Oscar-winning boss. "She was just so beautiful and she'd be like 'What's wrong with you?' and I'm like 'You just look so gorgeous.' And that's with no makeup on at all."

One way Taylor kept her face looking so good was through regular exfoliation. Taylor was known to do what's now referred to as dermaplaning — shaving the face. The actor did so to rid her face of dead skin cells and unwanted peach fuzz, making for a smooth surface on which to apply makeup. Like Taylor, anyone can do this at home, or they can contact a professional for a dermaplaning appointment.

Dermaplaning isn't the only way to exfoliate, though. There are plenty of exfoliating products available that can be incorporated into a skincare routine a couple of times a week. Regular exfoliation can help reduce breakouts, increase collagen production, decrease signs of aging, help with sun damage, minimize fine lines and wrinkles, and more, depending on the type of exfoliation. Taylor knew what she was doing when it came to skincare.

Ava Gardner had her beauty routine down to a science. She knew what looked good on her face, like curled lashes and thick eyebrows, and she knew how to add a little something extra to make for even more glamour, like flecks of glitter on her hair. Gardner also believed in balancing out her face with a bold lip, and she had some specific instructions for how to achieve the look. "Everything depends though on being able to have a neat outline," Gardner once said in an interview (via Instagram). "I don't see how anyone can help but have a messy or crooked line unless they use a lipstick brush."

Balancing the face with lipstick is a beauty trick that stars of modern Hollywood employ, too. Makeup artist Fiona Florczak explained to Good Housekeeping that the technique has been used on celebrities like Helen Mirren. "[A] pop of colour on the lips adds dimension to the lower part of the face. It brings harmony, balancing colour and structure to the face." Florczak made sure to note that a pop of blush to complement the lip color will result in a balanced face, too. "A bright lip adds confidence, warms the facial features, and lifts your complexion ... I believe that's something that flatters everyone," she said. If the technique is good enough for Gardner and Mirren, it's good enough for anyone.