How did Marilyn Monroe do her nails?
Andrew Mclaughlin
Updated on January 11, 2026
The half-moon manicure was a style craze of the 1950s that's sure to give your manicure routine a bit of retro Marilyn elegance. Dampen a cotton ball with polish remover and wipe off any nail polish from your nails. File the top edge of your nails with an emery board so that they are gently rounded with no sharp edges.
What nail polish did Marilyn Monroe use?
She had three Max Factor lipsticks, although it's well-known that Ruby Tuesday shade was her favourite. In true '60s fashion, her nail polish of choice was Revlon, in iconic shades Cherries a la Mode and Hot Coral.Did Marilyn Monroe wear false eyelashes?
Marilyn liked the volume and length of fake eye lashes, but she also wanted to look natural. She managed to achieve the best of both worlds by cutting fake eye lash strips in half and only applying them to the outside corners of her eyes.What did Marilyn Monroe use on her skin?
To get her signature on-camera glow, Monroe would apply thick layers of Vaseline or white Nivea Creme under her makeup, while dermatologist Erno Laszlo kept her well stocked in his Phormula 3-9—a reparative botanical balm, specially created to heal a scar of hers—and Active Phelityl Cream, an all-purpose moisturizer.What makeup products did Marilyn Monroe use?
Get the Monroe glowShe was also a fan of cold cream, like Pond's, and other iconic products we still use today, including Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Cream and Nivea Creme, and even olive oil, which she also reportedly applied to her skin to offset dryness.