"Marilyn's beauty feels so timeless because it was never really about trend-led makeup," makeup artist Lisa Eldridge told Page Six Style. Getty See more of our coverage in your search results.
This June marks 100 years since Marilyn Monroe’s birth, and few stars have made such a lasting impact on pop culture.
The star was beloved for her range, quick wit, kind nature and signature beauty aesthetic — and interestingly, many of the classic products she swore by are still available today.
Brands like Erno Laszlo, Revlon, Chanel and Max Factor were among her staples, while celebrity makeup artist Lisa Eldridge recently partnered with Monroe’s estate on a collection based on the blond bombshell’s signature looks.
Marilyn Monroe applying her go-to Nivea cream. Getty Images “Marilyn’s beauty feels so timeless because it was never really about trend-led makeup,” Eldridge told Page Six Style, adding that the star’s beloved makeup artist, Allan “Whitey” Snyder, stayed consistent over the years.
Together, they “refined a look that was uniquely [Monroe’s] own,” Eldridge said — one “rooted in beautiful skin, carefully considered light and shadow and enhancing her features rather than masking them.”
Scroll on to shop a few of the icon’s favorites to make the look your own, too.
Monroe used Nivea from head to toe. Besides layering the brand’s signature cream (or Vaseline) under makeup to give herself a luminous, dewy on-screen glow, she was also photographed applying it to her legs in 1951.
With over 15,000 five-star ratings, it’s safe to say the famous blue-and-white tin is still a go-to for many beauty lovers.
Many know that the “Some Like it Hot” star loved Chanel No. 5, but there was a second scent she also adored.
While in London in 1959, Monroe ordered six bottles of Floris Rose Geranium Toilet Water under a pseudonym, according to the brand. Established in 1730, the family-owned perfumery still proudly displays the purchase receipt on its site.
For a while, it was challenging to get the floral perfume stateside, and it will set you back $330 to buy it today. However, many Monroe fans love the bath essence as a way to get the scent for less (not to mention, it’s easily shipped via Amazon).
Cherries in the Snow is a storied shade that first debuted in 1953 and is still available in several different formulas.
The blue-toned raspberry red is considered the closest to the one Monroe regularly wore: Bachelor’s Carnation, which was discovered in a secret compartment of one of her evening bags (as well as her makeup case, along with a matching Cherries a la Mode nail polish) at an auction.
Interestingly, poet Sylvia Plath, a contemporary and acquaintance of Monroe’s, wore Cherries in the Snow.
Besides Revlon, Monroe also wore corals and reds from Max Factor and House of Westmore, now Westmore Beauty.
When asked what she wore to bed, Monroe famously responded, “I say Chanel No. 5, because it’s the truth. And yet I don’t want to say ‘nude,’ but … it’s the truth!”
Her unofficial endorsement caused sales to skyrocket overnight, and it’s still a beloved scent today.
Celebrity makeup artist and brand founder Lisa Eldridge created a line based on the colors the star wore, including two lipsticks and glosses, lip liners and the Elevated Glow Balm Concentrate. The latter is “inspired by the classic Hollywood lighting techniques that were used to sculpt and soften the face on camera,” making it a more skin-friendly way than Vaseline to get a good glow. The beauty exec thoroughly researched Monroe’s beauty looks for the line, becoming totally immersed in the iconic blond’s world. Inspired by the “off-duty, East Coast Marilyn of the mid-1950s,” Eldridge sought out to capture “her colors, her techniques, her joie de vivre.”The fiery orange shade Norma Jean is based on one of the actress’ actual lipsticks, which Eldridge has in her collection. Meanwhile, Amagansett is a cool-toned carnation pink inspired by Monroe’s go-to through the ’50s; she even wore it during a private summer in the Hamptons.
Monroe was Dr. Erno Laszlo’s most famous client, with the physician even creating a balm specifically for her to heal an appendectomy scar. In 1958, the derm prescribed a skin care routine for Mrs. Marilyn Miller (she was then married to Arthur Miller); it included Phelityl Cleansing Bar and Active Phelityl Cream, which is now Phelityl Reviving Cream.Made with ceramides and squalane, the moisture barrier-supporting cream promises 24 hours of hydration and is suitable for all skin types.
Her daily skin care, as prescribed, also included Normalizer Shake-It — now Shake-It Tinted Skin Treatment. The makeup/skin care hybrid keeps skin balanced while providing a sheer wash of color, and it can be worn either under foundation or instead of it.
Makeup artist Erin Parsons is famous for her deep dives into historical cosmetics, and cited two photos where Panstik was seen on Monroe’s vanity.
Parsons also revealed that Monroe’s exact shade, the peachy 626B, was a standard color used on many actresses at the time in Technicolor films, including Elizabeth Taylor and Ava Gardner.
The iconic foundation is still a fan favorite today.
This article was written by Erica Radol, Page Six Commerce Reporter. From identifying the top anti-aging skincare secrets the stars trust to dishing on the latest fashion collabs to finding a great deal on all of the above, Erica has a knack for reporting on – and even testing – Hollywood’s bestselling fashion and beauty products. Before joining Page Six in 2025, she wrote about entertainment, lifestyle and shopping trends for Us Weekly, The Daily Beast, Entertainment Tonight, Well+Good and Hearst.
