This week we honor classic beauty Marlene Dietrich as our throwback Thursday.
The German born beauty first rose to fame in her native country and then quickly became just as famous in the US. Nominated for an Academy Award and considered a style icon, Dietrich broke barriers and was known for her innovative beauty secrets on screen.
What made Dietrich so iconic were not only her stunning looks, but also her bold style. Aside from her bold lip colors, thin eyebrows, and deep eyeshadows, the actress was also known for breaking the traditional stereotypes with roles that challenged typical gender roles.
The star often played a femme fatale who made men melt like putty in her hand, but Dietrich did it all while wearing men's fashions, often rocking pants on and off screen. Such a fashion statement during the 1930's added to her allure and gained her many fans.
In later years, Dietrich is said to have come up with many unique ways to make her self look younger on screen as well. During the 1940's, with plastic surgery still in its infancy, the actress took matters into her own ingenius hands.
To keep herself looking her best, it is reported that Marlene Dietrich came up with her own version of the facelift!
The Daily Mail wrote in an article last year that in her early 40's, Dietrich had makeup artists twist tiny strands of her hair around hairpins to be pulled extremely tight. The pins were then fixed further back onto her head - sometimes drawing blood! Ouch!
Dietrich also used surgical tape to pull back the skin on her face, keeping it concealed in her hairline or under a wig. In addition, Dietrich would sprinkle real gold dust into her wigs for a magical effect on camera.
To achieve a more defined bone structure, the star had her molars removed to better define the hollows of her cheeks. And to keep her skin taut, the actress ran a thin gold chain under her chin and behind her ears to pull back sagging skin, taking years off her look.
Check out the fun Pixiwoo tutorial inspired by Marlene Dietrich below and tell us what you think of her 1930's style!