The Old School Beauty Tricks Greta Garbo Used To Make Her Eyes Pop

When you think of Old Hollywood, you might think of the sheer glamour, beauty, and drama of that era. From Audrey Hepburn's most iconic outfits that are still chic today to the unforgettable legacy of Marilyn Monroe, Old Hollywood was the pinnacle of elegance. And its silent era stars are not to be underestimated, with the iconic Greta Garbo sitting center stage during the industry's heyday. Garbo's influence in filmmaking and entertainment was significant, but so was her impact on the beauty world. In fact, Garbo repeatedly turned to one beauty tip to make her eyes pop, which helped her both on-screen and off.

Considering Garbo got her start in silent films, she turned to hacks that helped make her facial features read as more expressive. To do that, she would begin her beauty regimen by lightly applying petroleum jelly to her eyelids. Then, the "Anna Karenina" star would apply eyeshadow, before finishing off her look with her signature, lining her eyes with charcoal pigment. Garbo essentially found a way to create a primer that also helped to highlight her eyes. Based on our key tips to prevent eyeshadow from creasing, eye primer does just that, on top of making the colors on your lids appear more vivid. Clearly, Greta Garbo was a woman ahead of her time, and knew how to accentuate her gorgeous peepers.

As one of the most in-demand Hollywood stars of her time, Greta Garbo's beauty secrets didn't just extend to eye makeup techniques. Unlike the celebs of today, the Swedish-American actor only relied on one person to take care of her skin and get her camera-ready: Dr. Erno Laszlo, who founded his own eponymous skincare brand. Laszlo had also taken on other elite Hollywood clientele, such as Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn; thus, Garbo knew she was in good hands. Laszlo even created a tailor-made skincare routine just for Garbo's skin type and concerns.

In 2012, Laszlo's prescription sheet for Garbo was sold for $1000 at auction. In it, Laszlo outlined a detailed step-by-step routine that encompassed both morning and nighttime rituals, and even formal events. What's more, most of the products that the dermatologist recommended to Garbo are still sold by the Erno Laszlo brand to this day. Even when Garbo retired early from the film industry at the age of 36 in 1942, she was still using Laszlo's products, judging by the date listed in the prescription sheet. It's a testament to how much Garbo cherished Laszlo's advice and expertise, and it certainly served her well as she aged away from the spotlight.