Marilyn Monroe's Best Eyeshadow Trick

(Image credit: Getty Images)

By Lauren Valenti 2016-02-17T15:24:50Z

As we all know, Marilyn Monroe had many a beauty trick up her sleeveless gown.

Lately, I'm stealing one in particular and that's the secret behind her glimmering lids. A fan of the non-matte finish, Monroe's makeup artist Whitey Snyder was known to dab a smidgen of Vaseline or a drop of coconut oil on her shadow (or mix it in) for a creamier finish. And over the past few seasons, this glossy lid look become as commonplace on the runway as a slick back.

For Spring, Opening Ceremony and Topshop pressed a thin layer of Vaseline over the lids for a fresh-out-of-the-shower sheen that's equal parts fresh and sultry. Backstage at New York Fashion Week, makeup artists were similarly fond of the technique, with Maybelline's Baby Lips Lip Balm in Quenched swept over the charcoal smoky eyes at Public School and Jay Manuel Beauty's Ultimate Lip Gloss in Wet slicked over the bronze lids at BCBG.

Further confirmation of the look's sex appeal comes courtesy of Rihanna whose lids beamed in her black-and-white "FourFiveSeconds" music video, as well as Beyoncé, who rocked shiny orange lids with her waist-length braids in "Formation."

The Application

No matter what mixing medium you're using, the less you use the better. Otherwise it can make the pigment look clumpy or crease-y! A teeny-tiny dab on the center of the lid with light blending is what will yield the most fluid finish.