Release your inner Marilyn

There’s a Hollywood movie star in all of us, says Caroline Cox. And you don't have to have Marilyn or Marlene's classic beauty to look a million dollars. So what’s the secret? Glamour with a capital G - and knowing how to work it ...

Marilyn Monroe believed that beauty secrets should stay secret

According to playwright Arthur Miller (who should know because he was married to Marilyn Monroe), ‘A beautiful woman can turn heads, but real glamour has a deeper pull. Glamour has the power to rearrange people’s emotions.’ But to be truly adorable, you’ll also have to be warm, kind and charming. That’s the difference between being admired like Madonna or loved like Kylie.

A woman of glamour has a magnetism few men can resist. ‘It’s what makes a man ask for your telephone number and a woman ask for the name of your dressmaker,’ said Lilly Daché, milliner to movie stars including Audrey Hepburn and Marlene Dietrich. The good news is that the secret to glamour lies within reach of every woman – and doesn’t involve the vulgar trappings of superstardom.

Truly glamorous women are adored because of their exquisite poise, graceful body language and dramatic physical presence. When Katharine Hepburn arrived in Hollywood, the director George Cukor was appalled by her pulled-back locks. He shook her hair loose, had it shortened to chin length, and instantly showed off her greatest asset – the most photogenic bone structure in cinema history. 

Stars today have personal stylists, but those in the past had to find their own individuality

Jennifer Aniston was transformed by a long, layered haircut that cleverly drew attention away from a prominent chin and close-set eyes. Angelina Jolie has progressed from a goth girl to a woman of elegance. And Carla Bruni-Sarkozy doesn’t swank around in sable and sapphires; discreet Dior is the order of her day.

Glamour requires commitment and hard work. It’s not an overnight transformation. But, as you emerge from your chrysalis, remember these wise words from 60s film star Arlene Dahl: ‘There’s no such thing as an ugly woman. There are only those who have not realised their full potential.’


Create your own trademark

Vital statistics aren’t vital! It’s a question of dressing to suit your shape. Work out what suits the proportions of your body and stick to it, rather than following the whims and dictates of catwalk fashion. That way you may even find yourself creating trends rather than following them. Remember that stars today have personal stylists, but those in the past had to find their individuality through a process of trial and error. And the greatest stars know that making a statement makes a girl stand out from the crowd. If you don’t have a natural trademark, invent one — for example, the way you wear your hair, or an unusual piece of jewellery, such as a vintage charm bracelet or super-sized cocktail ring.

Hot lips for glamorous girls

Jane Russell made red lips glamourous

• A dash of red lipstick adds instant glamour, à la Jane Russell. Choose from these six classic shades.
• Clinique Different Lipstick in Raspberry Glacé — a blue-toned shade, as seen on pale-faced Nicole Kidman in Moulin Rouge (clinique.co.uk).
  
• Mac Lipstick in Ruby Woo — a matt retro hue worn by Madonna on her Blonde Ambition tour (maccosmetics.co.uk).
  
• Mac Viva Glam suits pale skins such as Keira Knightley’s (maccosmetics.co.uk).
  
• Nars Jungle Red — great for those with olive skin, such as model Gisele (narscosmetics.co.uk).
  
• YSL Rouge Pur Opium Red — a classic true scarlet that suits everyone (available nationwide).
  
• Laura Mercier Lip Colour Truly Red — a lightweight formula that you can build up in layers (lauramercier.co.uk).

The secret’s out!

• Marilyn Monroe believed that glamour should appear effortless and beauty secrets should stay secret. But a few secrets are worth knowing…
• Marlene Dietrich  contoured her face with make-up to highlight her bone structure. Jennifer Lopez and Beyoncé use her techniques today.
  
• Audrey Hepburn separated her eyelashes with a pin after applying mascara.
  
• Marlene Dietrich never used mascara on her lower lashes as she believed it cast a shadow.
  
• Joan Crawford chewed gum to firm up her jawline.
  
• Catherine Zeta Jones eats malic-acid rich strawberries to lighten her teeth.
  
• When Eva Longoria needs to give her roots a quick touch-up, she uses dark eyeshadow to blend them in.
  

Marlene Dietrich never used mascara on her lower lashes as she believed it cast a shadow

Look like a star (not a celebrity)

A true star doesn’t have to look as though she’s tried too hard. Follow these basic rules:

• Never reveal cleavage and legs at the same time. Pamela Anderson always
  shows both and is clearly a celebrity, whereas ultra-chic star Gwen Stefani says, ‘A little bit of heel is plenty sexy — you don’t have to give it away in the first few seconds.’
  
• Avoid tanorexia. Having luminous orange skin is never glamorous.
  
• No hair extensions.
  
• Don’t swig out of a bottle or can — your drink should always be in a glass (preferably a martini with an olive). And don’t overindulge — that’s for glamour models and wannabes.
  

Katharine Hepburn's hair was styled to show off her bone structure

Hollywood hair

Marilyn Monroe said that ‘in Hollywood a girl’s virtue is much less important than her hairdo’. According to Arlene Dahl, the rules for maintaining the quality, suppleness and sheen of your hair are the same as for a lovely complexion.

• Keep it clean. It isn’t true that frequent washing is bad for hair.
  
• Keep it stimulated by massaging the scalp and brushing regularly.
  
• Keep it lubricated: if it’s dry and out of condition, restore it with a treatment.
  
• Keep it scented: sweet-smelling hair makes men think of romance. Add a few drops of your favourite perfume after rinsing.

How to be adorable on the inside

Glamour isn’t just about having the latest handbag — it’s about having the right personality too, and some of the world’s most adorable women have been gorgeous inside as well as out.

Jackie O may have been elegant and sophisticated but we want to be Audrey Hepburn; Naomi Campbell makes heads turn but we’d sooner spend an evening with Erin O’Connor. This is because these women have warm personalities as well as good looks. 

• Be good at listening: convey an interest in what people say.
  
• Remember birthdays and thank-you notes.
  
• Be courteous: mean it when you ask someone how they are.
  
• Don’t laugh at others’ mistakes: when a foreign visitor drank from his finger bowl at a state dinner, Queen Victoria did the same to spare his embarrassment.

Radiate happiness

• Don’t let unpleasant thoughts spoil your appearance: by consciously training your face to wear an attractive expression, you will be taking a giant step up the ladder of beauty.
• Keep the corners of your mouth turned upwards as much as possible, even when the subject is serious.
  
• Smiles are habit-forming and contagious. People are searching for happiness and will naturally gravitate towards a woman who looks happy.
  
• Make sure the smile springs from your eyes as well.

Put charm in your voice

• Smile as you speak: it will be reflected in your voice.
• Avoid monotony: include dips and rises to change your tone.
  
• Don’t be shrill: bring your tone down to a lower pitch. Raise your ribs to give your voice room. Keep your head high and level to prevent restriction of throat muscles and vocal cords.
  
• Don’t rush your words. Slow the pace and you will sound more confident, less trained.
  
• Control the volume: a loud voice is not ladylike.

All heads turned when Audrey Hepburn entered the room

The extras that make a difference

HOW TO MAKE AN ENTRANCE

Not every girl is born beautiful, but every girl can carry herself as if she were, and inexpensive clothes worn with the right air can look a million dollars. Get your posture right so that you can make the most dramatic of entrances.

1950s fashion journalist and adviser to the stars Constance Moore gives her tips for effortless perfect posture:

• Relax all muscle tension and stand with your feet together, arms by your sides.
  
• Lift your head as high as possible by imagining that your ears are being drawn upwards by a magnet.
  
• Draw your waist and tummy muscles up and slightly in, so that you stand tall but not stiffly. Try to maintain this while walking or sitting.

HOW TO DESCEND A STAIRCASE

Pause at the top and look around — people will notice you and wonder who you are. Check for objects lying around, then start descending. If you’re wearing a long skirt, hold up the hem with your free hand so that it doesn’t get caught under your heels, while running the other hand along the rail, ready to grip if things get dicey. Do not under any circumstances look at your feet. Keep your head up and smile.

HOW TO UNDRESS FOR A MAN

As supermodel Elle Macpherson put it, ‘If you’re wearing lingerie that makes you feel glamorous, you’re halfway there to turning heads.’ Lingerie will make you feel good about yourself. And if you’re wearing a pair of french knickers, no one will be looking at your cellulite.

THE ULTIMATE GLAMOUR FORMULA

• Be yourself.
  
• Glamour is not all slinky, low-cut gowns — jeans can do it too.
  
• Before you can convince others that you’re attractive, you’ve got to believe
  it yourself.
  
• Enjoy the fact that you’re a woman, then men will enjoy it too.
  
• Trust your instincts — don’t ask other women’s advice on how to dress.

Pasta perfect: Sophia Loren shapes up on an Italian diet

Eat like the stars

Fad diets come and go, so how do glamourpusses cope? Here’s a selection of their tips for you to muse on:

● Sophia Loren says: ‘Eat more pasta! How many times have people, while covertly gazing at my hips or waistline, asked how I keep my figure with all that pasta? Now the scientists have confirmed what Italian mammas have known for generations — pasta is good for you.’

● Angelina Jolie follows the ‘upside-down’ diet: eat a gigantic breakfast, a tiny lunch and a minuscule dinner, washed down with two litres of ice-cold water to speed up your metabolism.

● Reese Witherspoon is said to snack on baby food.

● Madonna eats macrobiotically: ‘Fish, grains, some kind of cooked vegetable. Salad. Simple but tasty.’ No meat, eggs, cream, cheese, salt, preservatives or sugar, and always organic. Chew 50 times per mouthful.

● Catherine Zeta Jones doesn’t eat carbs after 5pm, and hasn’t eaten chips since she was 14.

● Charlize Theron says, ‘Barbecuing is a big part of my life. For breakfast I eat steak and eggs. But I will not mix sugar and salt like the American breakfast of pancakes, eggs and bacon. That’s gross.’

● Audrey Hepburn revealed: ‘I don’t like fancy food at all. I much prefer an extremely simple meal that’s exquisitely done… A perfectly cooked steak, a beautiful salad, some raspberries.’

● Elizabeth Taylor advises: ‘Milk is my recipe for lovely skin, sparkling eyes and a well-rounded figure. Without these, you cannot be called attractive.’

● Beyoncé Knowles goes on the ‘maple syrup diet’ if she has to shed pounds quickly for a film role. She mixes Madal Bal Natural Tree Syrup with water, lemon juice and
cayenne pepper and drinks it, instead of eating dinner, for 14 days. (After filming finishes she devours ‘waffles, fried chicken, cheeseburgers, french fries —
everything I can find.’)

THE MAGIC WORD DIET

Remember, if you’re tempted to overindulge, there are three magic words that will make the pounds melt away: ‘No thank you’. This simple formula (which admittedly
requires Spartan willpower), when applied to a box of chocolates, can produce remarkable results…

This is an edited extract from How to be Adored — a Girl’s Guide to Hollywood Glamour by Caroline Cox (Quadrille, £12.99), which will be released on 21 August.

To order a copy with free p&p, call the YOU Bookshop on 0845 155 0711 or visit you-bookshop.co.uk