Countless beauties have influenced hair and makeup trends over the years – from Cleopatra, that original beauty queen with her milk-bath-softened skin and smouldering kohl-laden lids, to the modern-day golden-haired goddess that is Gisele.
But a handful of women deserve Hall of Fame status, for their talent in hitting upon signature looks so gorgeous that they’ve become ultimate beauty classics.
Grace Kelly
With her refined bone structure and icy-cool hair hue, the ultimate Hitchcock blonde looked every bit the Hollywood princess – she also played real-life royalty beautifully when she married Prince Rainier of Monaco.
Louise Brooks
The actress was the ultimate bob-haired flapper back in the 1920s – her sleek jet hair style was ultra-modern then, and is still striking today.
Elizabeth Taylor
We may not be able to copy her violet shade of irises (without the help of tinted contacts) but we’re obsessed about her arches, the ultimate in groomed brow perfection.
Audrey Hepburn
The Breakfast at Tiffany’s star is a beloved fashion icon, but she has also had big beauty influence over the years, with many striving for her gamine features, pixie-ish hair and sharp brows.
Brigitte Bardot
Her sexy bedhead signature style of hair has been copied for countless catwalk shows and magazine covers, but BB also gave great smoky eyes and pouty lips.
Veronica Lake
Check out the ‘dos at any red carpet extravaganza – you’ll always see a slew of stars channelling Veronica Lake, who made side-parted waves her glamorous trademark back in the 1930s.
Farrah Fawcett
The Charlie’s Angels star indeed wore a halo, at least when it came to hair – a frenzy of feathery flicks that set the scene for the big styles of the 1980s.
Twiggy
The model changed the face of beauty in the 1960s, with her geometric hair styles, experimental eyeliner looks, and loads of false lashes.
Marilyn Monroe
Ms Monroe epitomised the full-bodied feminine glamour of 1950s beauty – think a creamy complexion, fluttery lashes and ruby-red lips.
Sophia Loren
The voluptuous Italian actress’s va-voomy style of beauty is still emulated by many today, particularly her feline-esque flicked eyeliner.
Who is your favourite retro beauty icon? Tell us in the comments below!
