One of the most recognizable pairs of lips in American history belonged to a woman who was born by the name of Norma Jeane Mortenson on June 1, 1926 in Los Angeles, California. Soon after being born she was given her mother’s name and baptized as Norma Jeane Baker, which is what she was known as for nearly half of her life. She had quite a chaotic childhood with both her mother and maternal grandparents being committed to mental institutions, leaving young Norma Jeane to bounce around to various foster homes. She was married at the early age of 16 to a man in her neighborhood named James Dougherty. He later joined the marines during WWII and was sent to the South Pacific. At this time Norma Jeane was working in a California munitions factory when she was suddenly “discovered” by a photographer who saw potential in her to be a model. The photographer’s instincts proved to be correct, as her modeling career as a pinup girl quickly blossomed and eventually led her to signing a film contract with 20th Century Fox Studios. However, just before deciding to become an actress, she divorced Dougherty in June 1946 after he objected her career change.

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     Once in Hollywood, she was no longer Norma Jeane...

Because with freshly dyed blonde hair and a name change, she had officially become Marilyn Monroe. She chose Monroe because it was a family name that belonged to her grandmother, a name which always happened to keep her close to where she came from. By 1953, only a few years after starting, Monroe had become an established actress for starring in a few critically and commercially successful films such as Gentleman Prefer Blondes and How to Marry a Millionaire. Monroe quickly became the American female archetype best known for her signature hourglass curves, bright blonde hair, and pouty red lips.

     Monroe collaborated with her personal make-up artist and later close friend, Allan "Whitey" Snyder in order to construct what would become such an iconic look. With or without makeup she was clearly a very beautiful woman, but her willingness to become Snyder’s canvas is what helped to define her celebrity persona. Perhaps one of the most recognizable aspects of her new look were Monroe’s sultry lips, which, according to Snyder, were often created using a blend of different red lipsticks. His technique was to use dark berry shades on the outer corners and a brighter scarlet color in the center to create a more plump effect on the lips. This is why it is difficult to pinpoint just one particular lipstick that Monroe wore the most, since she was typically wearing a mix. However, at this time there was only one major makeup brand that was being used in Hollywood at this time, and that was Max Factor. Because of this, it is possible to 

assume that it was likely one of the brands that contributed to Monroe’s perfect red lip.

     Monroe’s acting success continued throughout the 1950’s, but by the end of the decade her career had started to take a decline as the actress was in the midst of her third divorce to acclaimed playwright, Arthur Miller. At this time her mental health was beginning to spiral as her addiction to barbiturates had increased to the point where she was fired for showing up late to work. At only 36 years old, Monroe was found on August 5, 1962 in her California home to have passed from an overdose.

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     Years later in December 1987,

Friends of the star gathered in Los Angeles to dedicate a time capsule to the late Hollywood icon, Marilyn Monroe. Once buried, the capsule was not to be opened until the 100th anniversary of her death on August 5, 2062. Included in the time capsule was a tube of red lipstick donated by her longtime personal make-up artist Whitey Snyder who said that it was the one “...used to make up Marilyn’s body in death” and “...that she had used this red color for half of her career and that he had specially made it for her”. However, the capsule was never actually buried and it is rumored that someone may have stolen the lipstick and other valuable items that were intended to memorialize Monroe. 

     Other lipsticks that allegedly belonged to the late actress have also been sold at numerous auctions over the years for astounding prices, similarly to many of her other personal belongings. One custom shade of Elizabeth Arden lipstick was even sold for $65,000, making it the second highest selling lipstick sold in auction history. This year, June 1st would have actually been Marilyn Monroe’s 100th birthday, so let this be a celebration of both her life and her long lasting impact on American beauty.