No, Marilyn Monroe wasn't a natural blonde. Her real hair color was brown. She had to change the color of her hair after she started modeling. Talking about what hair products she used, none of her hair stylists revealed it. However, Gladys Rasmussen once disclosed that he used a secret blend of Sparkling Silver bleach plus 20 volume peroxide and a secret formula of silver platinum rinse with other additional products. Similarly, some people have named her haircut as tight tousled curls.
Blonde, a Netflix original movie, is a semi-fictionalized story of the renowned Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe. The movie, which was directed by Andrew Dominik, follows Monroe's rise to fame as a Hollywood actress and her development into one of the most renowned figures in the industry.
This isn't the first time Monroe's story has been portrayed on a screen. One of the most famous Hollywood celebrities, Marilyn Monroe continues to serve as an inspiration for countless artists. The actress' identity and memories are linked to her red lips, thick lashes, and flying skirt. But nothing sums Monroe more than her trademark blonde hair.
Despite the fact that Hollywood had seen many celebrities with blonde hair over the years, Marilyn Monroe's appearance shines distinctively. However, many of her fans and viewers of the movie have been wanting to know if she was a natural blonde. Well, let's find it out.
Previously, we touched on Merilyn Monroe's parents' nationality and if she really killed herself. Likewise, find out if she had a relationship with Charlie Chaplin's son.
Marilyn Monroe Wasn’t a Natural Blonde as Her Natural Hair Color Was Brown: What Products Did She Use? Hair Cut Name & More!
You read it right. Marilyn Monroe was not a natural blonde. Even in the Netflix movie, Marilyn tells her friends that her blonde hair is not real. Talking about her hair color, she was born with brown hair.
At the age of 21, Monroe began her modeling career with her naturally curly brown hair. Emmeline Snively, the head of the Blue Book Model Agency, was responsible for her change from a brunette to a blonde. Marilyn was made aware by Snively that having blonde hair was necessary to gain more modeling work. As disclosed in the book Before Marilyn: The Blue Book Modeling Years by Astrid Franse and Michelle Morgan, Snively told her,
Look darling, if you really intend to go places in this business, you’ve just got to bleach and straighten your hair because now your face is a little too round and a hair job will lengthen it.
Even though Marilyn Monroe made every effort to deny Snively, she ultimately had to take her boss's suggestion. Thus, in 1946, Monroe found herself working at Frank & Joseph's Beauty Salon. The same stylists who styled the hair of illustrious actors like Rita Hayworth and Ingrid Bergman also worked their styling magic on Monroe's hair.
Sylvia Barnhart, a tint technician, described Monroe's hair as brown and kinky before it started to turn blonde. She was a little girl who had her own role models she looked up to before she rose to fame as a global superstar that many wished they could be like. The late American actress Jean Harlow, popularly known as Hollywood's Blonde Bombshell, was one of these role models.
Monroe wanted to look like her idol Jean Harlow after the process had begun. Barnhart changed Monroe's hair color to a golden honey-blonde after a few months. Monroe had her widow's peak removed with electrolysis as well.
Marilyn Monroe's makeover into a blonde marked her rise to Hollywood fame. She soon entered into a deal with 20th Century Fox, which launched her career in Hollywood. While straightening and bleaching Monroe's hair for years, Barnhart kept making adjustments to the stylist's work. Monroe's hair eventually became pillow-case white, a platinum blonde version. Along with Barnhart, other well-known stylists like Kenneth Battelle, Gladys Rasmussen, and Pearl Porterfield also worked with Monroe. In an interview with 29Secrets, Rasmussen stated,
There are several problems with doing Marilyn’s hair; it’s very fine and therefore hard to manage. The way we [get] her [Monroe’s] shade of platinum is with my own secret blend of Sparkling Silver bleach plus 20 volume peroxide and a secret formula of silver platinum rinse to take the yellow out.
Monroe understood the significance of changing her hair more than anyone else. In her book named titled My Story, she wrote, "In Hollywood, a girl’s virtue is much less important than her hair-do. You’re judged by how you look, not by what you are." Monroe's legendary appearance has influenced many artists over the years, including Madonna, Scarlett Johansson, Michelle Williams, Lindsay Lohan, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, etc. We can expect to see more artists join this group in the future. It's safe to say that Marilyn Monroe's choice paid off because she is now regarded as the blonde bombshell that her hero Jean Harlow was.
Additionally, Blonde is now streaming on Netflix.
Before leaving, find out if Merilyn Monroe had two boyfriends at the same time.
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