(Celebrities)
Beauty Icons Of The 1940s & 1950s
Who
Still Serve Up Inspiration
So classic.
by
Angela Melero
Updated:
Feb. 20, 2024
Originally Published:
April 10, 2021
Bettmann/Bettmann/Getty Images
Anna May Wong
The
first Chinese-American film star in Hollywood
, Wong made over 60 movies in her 30-year career. Her signature look is truly memorable, thanks to her slim, pronounced eyebrows and short, blunt bangs.
Donaldson Collection/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Billie Holiday
Holiday’s legendary beauty look is often remembered for her rich red lips and use of dramatic florals as hair accessories. (Check out Hulu’s biopoc on the icon,
The United States Vs. Billie Holiday
, featuring
TZR’s January cover star, Andra Day
!)
William Gottlieb/Redferns/Getty Images
Frida Kahlo
Arguably one of the most recognizable faces in pop culture history, the famous painter is immediately recognizable for her legendary unibrow and braided crowns (often bedecked by flowers and ribbons).
Bettmann/Bettmann/Getty Images
Rita Hayworth
Born Margarita Carmen Cansino, the Spanish-Irish-born
Hayworth changed her name and hair color
early on in her career to become the stunning red-headed bombshell she is still known as to this day.
Silver Screen Collection/Moviepix/Getty Images
Marilyn Monroe
You can’t talk beauty icons and not mention Monroe. The
Some Like It Hot
star was one of the highest billed actors of the 1950s and will forever be known for her platinum bob and signature birthmark.
Sunset Boulevard/Corbis Historical/Getty Images
Audrey Hepburn
While often known for her killer Givenchy-laden style, Hepburn’s ethereal beauty look is hard to ignore as well. Her feathery baby bangs, Parisian pixie cut, and razor-sharp cat eye is now the stuff of legends.
Sunset Boulevard/Corbis Historical/Getty Images
Maria Felix
The Mexican film actor, who rose to prominence in the ‘40s and ‘50s, is considered one of the
most beautiful thespians in Mexican cinema
, known for her chocolate brown feathery curls, angular brows, and sky-high cheek bones.
ullstein bild Dtl./ullstein bild/Getty Images
Sophia Loren
The Italian actor was named the
21st greatest female star of Classic Hollywood Cinema by the American Film Institute
and will forever be known for her sultry signature beauty look which included charcoal winged liner, rich red lips, and deeply contoured cheeks.
Tony Vaccaro/Archive Photos/Getty Images
Grace Kelly
The film-star-turned-Princess-of-Monaco is America’s real-life Cinderella story. Kelly’s classic blonde bob and minimalist makeup made her beauty look both approachable and aspirational all at once.
API/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images
Dorothy Dandridge
Dandridge was the first Black film star to be nominated for the
Academy Award for Best Actress
(for her 1954 lead role in
Carmen Jones
). Her perfect curly bob is beyond recognizable, almost as much as her magical singing voice.
Donaldson Collection/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Eartha Kitt
Once dubbed the "most exciting woman in the world" by Orson Welles, you can’t deny the magnetism and charm of Eartha Kitt. The actor and singer will forever be known for her distinctive singing style and even more distinctive beauty.
Bettmann/Bettmann/Getty Images
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