My Beauty Idol was the Magnificent Norma Gene Baker, aka Miss Marilyn Monroe. For me, she was the epitome of beauty. Gorgeousness personified in the body of a curvy, busty, blonde if somewhat damaged and frail American film star in the 1950’s.
Her acting ability was questionable, her films were average and her personal life was riddled with pain and anguish. However, when you look at the thousands of images of this woman, you would never have guessed it.
She was unquestionably beautiful, elegant, with an air of grace which saw her placed high in the list of unattainable women. She was untouchable, and yet so human, humble and ultimately, sweet.
Her platinum blonde hair, red lips, buxom figure and much replicated beauty spot set her apart from many of the other stars of her era. She brought something new and glamorous to the big screen.
Her figure would be poured into tiny dresses in her films, accentuating her tiny waist, womanly hips and pert breasts. Her bright blonde hair would be perfectly coiffed and her make up would be immaculate, leaving her resembling nothing less than a perfect screen goddess.
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| Marilyn in the Travilla Dress |
Sadly Marilyn died in 1962, yet this year which would have seen her celebrate her 85
th birthday shows that 49 years later she is still far from forgotten. In fact, at a recent Californian auction, Monroe’s Ivory Pleated Travilla dress from the 1955 film The Seven Year Itch sold for a staggering $4.6million.
Her Red sequin dress sold for a cool $1.2 million. It is clear that all these years later, the fascination with Monroe is still as powerful as it was back then.
One element of Monroe’s life which has always interested me (being a beauty fanatic) was her beauty regime. Not much is known about her beauty or skincare practice, indeed the majority of what is known comes from photographs showing her at her dressing table, surrounded in products and another of the contents of her bedroom following her death.
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| Marilyn at her dressing table full of Erno Laszlo products |
One brand which Monroe was known to love was a brand called
Erno Laszlo. Erno Laszlo was a Hungarian born dermatologist who founded the brand in 1927.
He was hailed as the Angel of Beauty when in the 1920s he was credited with curing princess Stephanie of Hungary of her sever acne using his products and Ritualistic system.
His main principle is that Water heals the skin, indeed every Laszlo ritual begins with water wash technique- splashing the face with comfortable hot water, up to 30 times.
We know Monroe used Laszlo’s products- indeed his distinctive bottles and pots can be seen in various photos with Marilyn and one product in particular that we know she used was his
Active pHelityl Cream, a moisturiser for dry to slightly dry skin.
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| You can see one of Laszlo's jars at Mailyn's bed side |
I was advised that Laszlo was very strict with clients when describing how to use his skincare ritual and in my quest to attain Monroe’s dewey , youthful and flawless complexion I wanted to give it a go too.
His ritual follows the well knows 3 step plan- cleanse, tone and moisturise, but with a difference.
As stated on their website;
Dr. Laszlo's cleansing products bring your skin back in balance and accelerate cell renewal for fresher, firmer skin. Described as the best cleansing system available, these products work in synergy for your unique skin type
You begin by using the pre cleansing treatment,
Active pHelityl oil. Yes I did say oil and for someone with problematic skin I found the concept of adding oil to my skin frightening.
I needn’t have worried. The oil is rich in Chaulmoogra Oil from India, and this pre-cleansing face treatment melts away makeup, and traps dirt and impurities on contact to promote clear, healthy looking skin.
Once it has been massaged into your skin you fill your sink with warm water and use the
Sea Mud Soap.
Rub it into the water to create a sink full of ‘treatment’ water and massage the bar into your skin over the oil. Then the water splashing technique comes into affect! This is where the rumours about Monroe splashing her face 20 times with water originated from.
Indeed in this regime you splash your face 20 times with the ‘treatment’ water which exfoliates, cleanse sand cleans your skin deeply. Then with fresh warm water splash a further 10 times.
You finish your Laszlo ritual by then dabbing some
Light Controlling lotion onto your face. This Removes any trace residue from your facial cleanser, Gently exfoliates the skin by loosening dead skin cells, Balances pH so your facial moisturizer can be more effective and Naturally binds moisture to your skin to keep it hydrated.
The final step is to apply Monroe’s favourite, the Active pHelityl Cream. I must admit, I was incredibly excited to try this product- to try something that Marilyn had used all those years ago and experience the ritual she would have undertaken, with the ingredients which haven’t changed since then.
The moisturiser has a consistency similar to that of Vaseline- it is white in colour with a wonderful delicate fragrance, reminiscent of luxury talcum powder.
It is recommended that if you find the cream too heavy for you skin, that you then use their
Regular Controlling Lotion over the top- shake the bottle to mix the product well, pour onto cotton wool and dab onto your skin. It leaves it feeling refreshed, clean and incredibly soft.
I have been following this routine religiously for over a week and am delighted with the results.
Laszlo is undoubtedly a luxury brand, it appealed to Monroe, Audrey Hepburn and Jackie Kennedy back in the day for a reason. That said, it is without a doubt worth every single pound.
For a massive Monroe fan, to be able to re-create her skincare regime was nothing short of magical for me- that alone would have been enough for me but the results was great too- my skin is clear, fresh and glowing- not an easy feat for problematic, sensitive skin!
Laszlo is currently unavailable to buy exclusively at Harrods.
COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED
If like me you too are a massive Marilyn Monroe fan and want the chance to win her favourite beauty product, Erno Laszlo's Active pHelityl Cream with an RRP of around £50, then look no further.
All you have to do is follow my blog through Google Friends Connect on the right hand side of the page, follow me on twitter @sarah_berryman1 and leave a comment below with your contact details and a brief description as to why you want to win this prize.
A winner will be chosen at random on my birthday, August 3rd.
Like a huge proportion of people in the UK I suffer with eczema and have done for as long as I can remember. I am lucky that it is not so severe that I have been unable to cope with the symptoms such as sore, itchy, sensitive skin- but it does make bathing and showering much more of an ordeal. 
I could smell the contents of the package before I opened it- an incredible aroma of lemongrass, wafted across the office with one colleague remarking that it smelt like ‘the south of France in here’. 
lavender fields! 
lavender fields! 
