Marilyn Monroe, also known as her non-stage name Norma Jean, died an untimely death in her mid thirties, and has been remembered as an iconic figure of glamour, sexiness and recalls a time of mystery about beauty that we don’t necessarily still have today. Was she a troubled woman and sometimes tortured soul?
Absolutely – in fact, she may be the model of the cliche phrase “suicide blonde”, since she is the epitome of a woman who was trapped and limited by her own siren status, and couldn’t handle certain aspects of her life, feeling many times not good enough or sexy enough, obejctified and not valued for who she was but for how she looked.
And yet this was the image she pursued to have for years as a relative unknown until her star shone brightly when she had her first major breakthrough. Some of the earlier images of Marilyn Monroe show a clean, fresh faced and beautiful young lady who was full of life and still had an innocence about her. The 100 photos that are going on sale at world famous Christies auction house, where only the super rich go to buy art and other artifacts and memorabilia of yesteryear, are expected to fetch at least one million dollars from the lucky winner.
Fast forward a few years, and we see that she dyed her hair blond, poofed it out and wore the vampiest of makeup with the darkest of eyes and poutiest mouth. It’s as if she transformed from the girld next door, farm raised catholic girl to the images we evoke when we think of sultry nightclub singers who’ve been around the block more than a few times.
And yet, Marilyn Monroe still is one of the biggest beauty icons, with some women still emulating her look and persona today. Think of how Madonna went through her Marilyn look alike phase. Then there are some other starlets who also have modeled themselves after the sexy fifties persona, with the heavy eye makeup and vampy mouth, like Chirstina Aguilera and countless other young ladies who strive for the look of glamour and sophistication from decades ago.
We still see huge photos of the passed actress everywhere, and even some great artists have done rederings that will be around for centuries of the troubled, yet glorified actress and icon. While we’ve gone back to an earthier look, I’m sure that this glammed up, vampy look will always have it’s place in the beauty world, and it certainly will periodically circle around again, as styles do every thirty years.
