Channel Audrey Hepburn With This Beauty Breakdown of Her Signature Glam

Celebrate Audrey Hepburn's birthday with a little bit of glitz and glamour. Keep on reading to find out how to achieve her effortless beauty, which has stood the test of time.

By Alyssa Morin May 04, 2021 4:12 PMTags
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The word "legendary" gets thrown around more often than it should. Yet, no one truly encapsulates the term quite like the one and only Audrey Hepburn.

After all, the British star's life and legacy are synonymous with film, fashion and beauty. And not to sound trite, but the Breakfast at Tiffany's actress is the blueprint when it comes to everlasting style and effortless glamour. If anything, she's the original influencer.

Case in point? She the mastermind behind Louis Vuitton's beloved Speedy 25 handbag, as well as the muse for the world's first-ever pre-shampoo treatment by hairstylist Philip Kingsley. Plus, many fragrances, including Givenchy's debut perfume, were specifically made for her.

Simply iconic.

But as a product of The Golden Age of Hollywood, the Funny Face star understood the art of getting dolled up. So much so that she had a close relationship with her makeup artist (a rarity for the time), Alberto de Rossi.

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Audrey's son, Sean Hepburn Ferrer, even recalled her heartache when she learned about his passing in 1975.

"I remember her saying when he died, crying as though she had lost a brother, that she would rather not work again," Sean detailed in his 2015 book, Audrey Hepburn, An Elegant Spirit: A Son Remembers.

The actress and Italian makeup artist worked together for over two decades. In fact, he's the man behind her many beauty transformations throughout the '50s, '60s and '70s.

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Most notably, Alberto is credited for creating Audrey's famous doe-eyed look.

According to Sean, Audrey implemented the makeup artist's eyelash trick—which wasn't for the faint of heart—when he wasn't around. She'd coat her lashes with mascara first and then separate each individual lash with a safety pin.

In lieu of the tiny piece of metal, Alberto also defined her lashes with tweezers before applying mascara, per Vogue France. But luckily, eyelash combs exist these days for anyone wanting to achieve the same effect.

And long before full brows became all the rage, Audrey set the trend. Alberto boldly filled in the Roman Holiday star's brows and even arched them in a way that made them look like wings.

Hulton Archive/Getty Images

While the actress rarely switched up her eye makeup, she did play around with other areas of her beauty.

She often painted her pout in a vibrant crimson color during the 1950s—a major trend in that era. However, just as the times were changing in the Swinging Sixties, she swapped out the fiery vermillion shade for a much softer hue: a peachy pink.

It became such a trademark of Audrey's that she even encased the delightful color in a one-of-a-kind Cartier lipstick holder made of 18-karat gold and embellished with a single sapphire stone. Engraved on the bottom were her initials, "A.F."—a reference to her marriage with Mel Ferrer at the time. Très chic!

Per celebrity makeup artist Lisa Eldridge—who purchased the makeup accessory and referenced the Christie's Auction description provided by Audrey's son, Sean—the specialty piece actually contained a small amount of Audrey's personal lipstick, which she described as "a true salmon pink."

Many beauty devotees have considered Revlon's Super Lustrous Lipstick in Pink in the Afternoon a great dupe (especially in reference to her Breakfast at Tiffany's lip color). Others that look similar to Audrey's tried and true: Sephora Collection's Rouge Lacquer Lipstick in Slay and MAC Cosmetics' Powder Kiss Lipstick in Sheer Outrage.

Although Alberto helped define the star's signature glam over the years, it's important to note that beauty pioneer Wally Westmore is responsible for many of her iconic looks in films such as Breakfast at Tiffany's, Sabrina, Roman Holiday, Funny Face and others.

CBS via Getty Images

Luckily, Audrey's look is still en vogue after all these years. To celebrate her birthday today, May 4, slip into your favorite little black dress and enjoy this breakdown on how to recreate her timeless makeup.

To achieve the star's bold brows, brush them out with a spoolie first to set your hair in place. Next, grab a brow pencil or a brow pomade (whatever you prefer!) and fill in any sparse areas. With an angled brush or angled brow pencil, enhance your natural arch or create one that lines up with the outer corner of your eyes. This will give them the same wing effect Audrey had. Seal it all in place with a brow gel.

Next, get look-at-me lashes by coating them 2-3 times with your favorite mascara. In between each coat, separate your lashes with an eyelash comb or a safety pin—but only if you want to truly emulate the star's routine and aren't terrified of this trick. For added drama, glue on fluffy false lashes to create more length and volume. Finish your eye makeup with a small cat-eye. 

The Sabrina star's complexion was more natural-looking and fresh since her eyes were the focus. To achieve her effortless look, simply apply your favorite foundation and a rose-colored blush. Most of the time, her face appeared to be mattified. However, depending on your skin type, you can easily skip this step. She also appeared to rarely use bronzer, so foundation and blush are really all you'll need.

Complete your makeup with either of the actress' go-to shades: a salmon pink lipstick or a vibrant red one.

Get a more in-depth breakdown of Audrey's look in our video above!