Back in the day, people had a home remedy or household hack for almost any situation. Need to lighten your hair? Lemon juice is the answer! Lemons, like other citrus fruits, are rich in citric acid which helps to open up the hair cuticles and allow the hair to lighten naturally and safely under the sun’s rays.

To give it a try for yourself, simply squeeze a few lemons and dilute their juice with about 1/2 cup of water. Place the mixture in a spray bottle and spray it over your head before heading outside on a sunny day. Don’t forget to rinse your hair when you get home.

This was a popular makeup trick used by the queen of glam herself: Marilyn Monroe. She was famed for her full and eye-catching lips, but she had a special technique to make them look bigger: she actually used five different shades of lipstick and gloss, placing the lighter tones in the middle of the lips and darker tones around the edges to provide depth.

Many people still use irons, but many members of the younger generations out there have never held one in their hands. It’s a little time-consuming and can be boring to iron lots of clothes all in one go, but ironing all the wrinkles out of a shirt or preparing a crisp blouse for a special evening out really can make a difference to your look.

Avocados are great smashed up and smeared on toast, but they can also work wonders for your skin! They’re highly rich in antioxidants and healthy fats, all of which help to nourish and moisturize the skin. To give this trick a try and see a healthy, warm glow across your body, simply mash up an avocado and spread it over your skin like a mask. Leave it for about 20 minutes before rinsing.

That’s right, girls, face-shaving isn’t just for the guys. In fact, some of the most famous names from the Golden Age of Hollywood used to use this trick, including Elizabeth Taylor herself. Liz followed in the footsteps of Cleopatra, the famous Pharaoh who she played in a 1963 classic, by shaving her face to remove tiny hairs and dead skin cells, resulting in a fresh, healthy glow.

If you were to travel back in time a few decades, one thing you might notice is people standing up straight a whole lot more. We have a tendency to slouch nowadays, leaning over to look at our phones most of the time, but standing up straight is so important. Not only does it prevent back problems later in life, but it also gives you a more confident look.

There’s nothing worse than getting a big, ugly pimple right before a special occasion or a hot date. Many people just want to call the whole thing off and live like a hermit in their house until the zit goes away. Fortunately, there’s a retro hack for handling spots as well!

You’ll need some Visine for this one. It’s a medication for reducing redness in the eyes, and it can also reduce redness in blemishes too. Simply apply some to a cotton ball and then place it gently over the zit for a few minutes.

Audrey Hepburn has one of those instantly recognizable faces. Even if you’ve never seen any of her movies (you really should: Breakfast at Tiffany’s is a classic!), you can easily identify her with those doe-like eyes and long, Bambi-style eyelashes. How did she get that look? Well, it wasn’t all natural! She actually used a little pin to separate her lashes after applying mascara. It takes time, but it’s worth the effort.

When we wash our face, we have a tendency to use warm water. It just feels nicer on the skin, so it seems like it should be better for us, right? Well, there’s actually a lot of science that shows icy cold water is super for the skin too!

Back in the 40s, it was common for women to splash their faces with cold water. It has an instant effect, closing up pores and making the skin look brighter. It’s also a good trick to use in the morning to make yourself look less tired.

Following on from the previous cold-related tip, it was also once quite common for women, especially in Europe, to place a pair of spoons in a cold place for a little while. Once the spoons have gotten frosty, you can place them over your eyes and leave them there for a little while to make those bags disappear and revive tired-looking skin.

Why would you spend cash on all those fancy facial scrubs and chemical-filled products when you have a perfectly good exfoliant sitting right in your kitchen? Yes, sugar is super for your skin and you can make a totally natural and safe facial scrub with ease by mixing a couple of spoonfuls of sugar with a spoon of olive oil. Gently rub the resulting mixture into the face and then rinse it off.

Carole Lombard was once the world’s best-paid Hollywood star! She appeared in a bunch of classic comedies in the 1930s, as well as more serious and dramatic roles, and she had a secret: her nose was injured in a car accident, leaving it slightly curved. In order to ‘undo’ the damage and give her nose a straighter look, Carole used to draw a thin white line along it.

We’ve all been there: you’re getting ready for work, a date, or just a night out with your friends. You’re rushing around the house, trying on outfits and applying makeup in a hurry in order to get ready as quickly as possible. You don’t actually take the time to enjoy the process, and it ends up feeling like a chore.

Back in the day, when life moved at a slower pace, people really spent time and savored the moment of getting ready. This can help you feel a lot better and look better too as you’ll take more time on the little things that matter the most.

Some women are born with long, curvy lashes that curl around beautifully all on their own. Many of us, however, have lashes that stay straight and simply refuse to curl. Well, there’s a way you can fix this! Get your eyelash curler and heat it up with a blow dryer, just for a few seconds. Test the temperature with your fingers to be sure it’s not too hot and then use the curler to give your lashes a whole new look.

Many people make the mistake of thinking that contouring is a new invention. It’s really not. In fact, contouring has been around since the days of Grace Kelly! The famed Princess of Monaco used to use blush on her cheeks to bring out her cheekbones, applying different shades above and below the bones to make them look more pronounced. So the next time you contour, you can feel just like Grace Kelly.

We often tend to think that women in the days of World War II were more conservative and natural in their make-up choices. This is true for the most part, but when it comes to the lips, the ladies of old really loved to indulge in bold colors and bright shades. They often used a deep, intense shade of red and actually used the lipstick to create a pout and make their lips look fuller in the process.

You won’t believe how many useful beauty products are sitting right in your kitchen! Olive oil, for example, can work wonders on your hair. It’s filled with healthy fatty acids that actually work as a barrier, coating the hair and keeping it safe from pollutants and damage from the air.

To make the best use of olive oil, heat up half a cup in the microwave for just 10-15 seconds and then apply it to your locks. Let it sit for 20 minutes before washing it out with shampoo.

Back in the 1940s, ladies would make use of loose or pressed powder to help set their foundation. This ensured that the foundation would last for longer. It’s efficient and very effective, even in the modern day.

As well as sugar and olive oil, you might happen to have some apple cider vinegar sitting around in your kitchen. If you do, you’ve got a super skin toner just sitting there! Apple cider vinegar is rich in acidic content which works to lighten the skin tone and can even be used for treating acne!

To use it, make a blend of apple cider vinegar and water, using around four times more water than vinegar. Apply the mixture to your skin in the evening.

Some of the old Hollywood beauty tricks can be tested out comfortably today, but others are probably best left in the “don’t try this at home” column. Famed German-American actress Marlene Dietrich actually had her molars removed in order to make her cheekbones more pronounced.

She used surgical tape to pull her skin back and give herself an instant face lift too. There’s nothing she wouldn’t do to look youthful and beautiful!

There’s been a bit of a trend in recent years to pluck eyebrows and try to make them as slim and small as possible. Back in the 30s and 40s, this just wouldn’t have happened. Women were proud of their brows back then and enjoyed the ‘natural look’. In fact, many women even wanted their eyebrows to look thicker and fuller. So start taking pride in your natural brow!

This trick is a two for one: you get a delicious cup of tea and a great beauty solution at the same time. All you need to get started is a couple of teabags.

Brew up a cup of tea, as normal, using two bags instead of one (or just make two cups of tea if you’re not alone) and then place the bags in the fridge to cool off when you’re done. Sip the tea while you wait and then retrieve the bags, placing them over your eyes to refresh and revitalize the skin.

Here’s another amazing tip from an actress of the past, courtesy of Rita Hayworth herself. Hayworth was known for her amazing acting skills and natural beauty, as well as her distinctive, wavy, red hair. How did she keep it looking so great? Well, it was all natural!

She applied oil to her hair after every single wash and then wrapped it up in a towel, letting the oil work its magic for about 10-15 minutes at a time. After that, she’d rinse the hair with hot water and lemon juice to help wash away any oil that was still lingering.

Here’s another simple but smart tip to looking better and feeling better each and every day: have a schedule and stick to it. Back in the WW2 days, women always followed a precise night-time ritual.

They’d start by taking off their makeup carefully, then they’d apply some moisturizing lotions and even a little hand cream before going to sleep. Not only can this help you look great, it can also be a relaxing routine to help get you ready for bed.

Heat is often a good thing when it comes to beauty products and tools. You can even apply it to eyeliner! Hold a lighter near the tip of your pencil before applying. This actually softens the eyeliner and makes it easier to apply. Just be sure to blow on it a little and wait a few seconds before applying so you don’t do any damage to your skin or eyes.

Here’s a top tip from the breathtaking Swedish-American star, Greta Garbo. Back in the Golden Age of Hollywood, Garbo used a clever trick to draw attention to her eyes, even in the days when movies were shot in black and white.

She applied a little petroleum jelly onto her eyelids and then lined them with a mixture of petroleum jelly and charcoal. This created a very dramatic and attractive effect, keeping audience’s eyes on Greta at all times.

These days, with the power of Photoshop and Snapchat filters, we can pretty much make ourselves look flawless in every photo we take. This convenience means it’s easy to neglect our skin, but it’s vital to follow a proper routine if you want to truly look your best, without any filters needed.

Exfoliation is a key part of that. Many women from decades gone by would always exfoliate at least once a week to remove dead skin cells and enjoy a glowing look whenever they gazed in the mirror.

Many women in olden times would take baths with sea salt. It worked to nourish the skin and remove old, tired, and dead skin layers, resulting in a healthy glow. Nowadays, you can find scented sea salt bath products that leave you smelling and looking super fresh.

Coconut oil has really surged in popularity in recent years as people start to discover the amazing health and beauty benefits of this product. Even though coconut oil seems like a modern trend, many famous women have known all about it for years. Mae West, star of the 1930s, used it as a facial moisturizer each day to keep her skin looking radiant.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking baby oil is just for babies! Technically, it is, but the benefits of baby oil can work just as well for adults too! Many older ladies will remember applying baby oil to their arms and legs to provide moisture and nourishment. It’s a perfect product for smooth, silky skin and it doesn’t contain any toxins as it’s made for sensitive baby bodies.

Another classy Hollywood starlet from the past, in the same vein as Liz Taylor and Grace Kelly, was Vivien Leigh. Like many women, Vivien was born with lips she wished looked a little fuller. Instead of settling for second best, she actually used liner to draw around the outside of her lips, making them look bigger in the process. It’s a simple trick but it works!

Nowadays, we have so many different toothpastes to choose from, all claiming to work miracles, prevent cavities, brighten teeth, freshen breath, and a million other things. Back in the day, when there really wasn’t such a wide array of options, people relied on something simple but super effective: baking soda.

You can simply rub baking soda onto the teeth to brighten them up or make a paste with it, adding a little mint oil to make it taste nicer.

One of the keys to having healthy, glowing, spot-free skin is simply to have a good diet. Famed actress Gloria Swanson knew all about that. She once said that raw veggies were the best beauty product around. She ate them daily and even applied the likes of cucumbers to her eyes and skin as part of her beauty routine.

Cold cream was one of the most popular beauty products back in the 1940s. Why? Because it works, and because it has a whole lot of uses too! This classic product has been endorsed by leading beauty experts of the modern era. You can use it as a cleanser, a face mask, or even as a full body lotion for soft, smooth, clean skin.

We all know about the benefits of eating lots of fresh fruit and drinking juices and smoothies, but did you know that fruit can be awesome for your skin as well? In the 50s and 60s, it was quite common for women to blend up some strawberries and other fruits and then use the resulting mixture as a facial cleanser. Fruits like strawberries are filled with vitamins and minerals that are super for the skin, giving it a rich glow and a fragrant smell too.

Some Hollywood actresses were famous for their natural approach to beauty. For example, Ingrid Bergman didn’t really make use of too much makeup. She preferred to keep things ‘au naturel’ and only really applied lots of makeup if she needed it for a role.

She did, however, make use of a sneaky shaving trick to give herself a larger forehead. She shaved a centimeter off her hairline. It’s only a small amount, but it can make a big difference to your look.

One classic image we have when we think back to the days of the past is the sight of a pretty lady sitting at her vanity, brushing her hair and applying makeup while admiring herself in the mirror. Almost every woman used to have one of these, with the mirrors and angles letting them really relax and indulge in their beauty routine.

Black eyeliner is the most popular for adding definition and depth to the eyes, but white can be very effective too! Marilyn Monroe famously applied a line of white pencil to the lower lid of her eyes to make them stand out even more than usual.

We’ve already talked about the advantages of olive oil. It’s great for the hair and can be used as a good base for facial cleansers and exfoliating solutions too. Well, here’s another use for it: in the bath! Sophia Loren famously poured a little splash of olive oil into her bath on a regular basis to give her skin and hair a special treat.

One of the keys of looking your best is actually taking your time with it. Back in the olden days, people in general tended to be more organized, with strict, set routines and schedules to follow each day. Modern life can be a lot more hectic, but it’s still useful to try and set aside some time each morning to get ready, applying makeup, beauty products, and perfume and feeling fabulous before you step outside.

The vast majority of women spray a little perfume on their necks and maybe some on their wrists or clothes as well, but one perfect place to add a fancy fragrance is in your hair! Rather than simply spraying the perfume over the top of your head, spritz a little on your hairbrush and then brush it through. Every time you swish your hair, the lovely smell will be shared with those around you.

This tip isn’t the most useful or practical, but it’s still an interesting one to know. It comes to us from amazing actress, Gloria Grahame. Gloria wasn’t happy with her top lip. She felt that it was too small and thin. So, to make it look fuller and thicker, she actually used to stuff little bits of cotton under the lip, in the gap between lip and teeth.

It’s a very interesting fact that many women in the 1940s followed one identical beauty routine: their brushed their hair no less than 100 times each night. This was recommended at the time, as it is said to help distribute the natural oils of the scalp around the hair more evenly, nourishing every strand. It can also be very relaxing and soothing.

It might be fashionable in some circles to have a tan, but there’s a lot to be said for embracing and appreciating your natural skin tone too. Many decades ago, women were very protective of their skin, even if it was pale. They made use of big parasols and large hats to stay safe and avoid tans. This is a nice way to love the skin you’re in and also protect your body from harmful UV rays too.

One of the most iconic images from the beauty world involves a pair of cucumber slices placed over the years. It’s a very old beauty hack, used by the likes of Bette Davis, but it’s still super effective to this day. Cucumber slices help to moisturize the skin around the eyes and you can even add a little petroleum jelly to beat back those dark circles and prevent puffy eyes too.

Many women nowadays prefer not wearing makeup while lazing around the house, and that’s fine. It was perfectly acceptable back in the olden days as well, but when women did go outside, they always used to at least apply some lipstick. It’s quick, easy, and gives your face an attractive, confident glow.

Roses were a common gift from a man to a woman back in the olden days, and they’re still shared between lovers in the modern era, just not quite as commonly. In order to ensure that the roses didn’t go to waste, women liked to pluck the petals and then rub them together to draw out the liquid inside. They’d then dab this on their faces, providing nourishment to the skin and a lovely smell too.

This beauty hack probably isn’t the most practical, but it’s still a fascinating one to learn about. Beautiful actress Marlene Dietrich was always thinking of new ways to make herself sparkle on the silver screen. She once insisted on having her wigs dusted with powdered gold to make them shimmer.

This is something that everyone should know, but many people overlook: baths are brilliant for the body! Lots of people prefer the speed and convenience of a shower, but bathing has been popular since ancient times for its amazing benefits. The heat helps to open up the pores and rid them of oils, dirt, and nasty microscopic particles that stick to you whenever you step inside.

Curly hair was huge in the 50s and can look fabulous today too. Back then, however, curling irons and other accessories were expensive and inaccessible. So people improvised!

They rolled damp hair strands around little bits of fabric and then let it sit like that while they slept, giving them great curls in the morning. You can copy this trick or play around with your own ideas, pinning parts of your hair before bed to have a cool, tousled look when you wake up.

Here’s another odd beauty hack from the land of movie-making. Fannie Ward used to hang upside down for around half an hour each and every day. She said this is what helped her long youthful and beautiful all the time.

It might sound strange, but there is some science behind it. When you’re upside down, blood will flow more liberally in the facial area, helping to nourish and revitalize the skin in this part of the body.

Don’t underestimate the soothing powers and potential of aromatherapy. Whether you’re simply sprinkling some oils into your bath, burning sweet smells around the home, or having a full-on aroma massage, you can enjoy some amazing benefits from indulging with fantastic fragrances.

Beer and beauty don’t usually go together very well. Beer isn’t great for our health and definitely doesn’t usually feature on the list of popular beauty products, but did you know that older generations used to pour beer all over their hair as a kind of shampoo?

The hops and barley used to make this alcoholic beverage help to enrich the hair, giving it more body and shine. Of course, you also have the disadvantage of stinking of booze when you’re done, so it’s not the best beauty hack around.

A lot of people suffer from greasy or oily hair. It can be hard to deal with, even when using specialist shampoos designed just for you. Fortunately, there’s an old hack for that as well! Baby powder can be sprinkled onto oily hair. It soaks up the grease and leaves the hair looking fresher, but it only really works on those with light-colored hair as it shows up too much in darker tones.

The ladies of Hollywood aren’t the only ones providing us with amazing beauty tips and unique fashion hacks. John Wayne, the Duke himself, also had a very sneaky solution he used on a regular basis. Allegedly, the western star used to have a few wigs of different lengths that he switched between every few days.

He’d wear a short wig at first, then a slightly longer one, and so on, before returning to the shortest one to make it seem like he got a haircut. This helped to hide his hairline and give the impression he always had thick, lush hair.

We’re often told that we need to be very gentle and kind to our skin. There’s a lot of truth to that, but you also need to show some tough love from time to time. Lots of dirt, dead cells, and unwanted oils can accumulate on the skin and need to be removed. Simply rubbing the face with a rough cloth can help to rub these undesirable elements away.

Having a silky, satin pillowcase to sleep on can actually be a big benefit to your beauty routine and was very popular with wealthy women of the past. The satin allows the hair to move around freely while you sleep, even as you toss and turn. Traditional fiber pillowcases, meanwhile, cause the hair to clump and snag.

If Frances Starr was alive today, she’d be able to share some amazing beauty hacks with us all. The star said that her amazing looks were all down to simple, natural things. She ate good food and did a lot of gardening in the fresh air.

She also had a funny little habit of doing 20 somersaults every night before bed. She believed that this helped to keep her complexion looking young and fresh, while also aiding with indigestion.

One of the best old school beauty tips around is to make the most of Vaseline for your lips. It’s always been one of the best products for curing dry or chapped lips, helping them stay soft, smooth, and beautiful no matter what.

This trick is a bit strange, but many women and celebrities of the past simply wouldn’t live without it! Before going to bed, they used to tie a silk stocking around their head and under the chin to help the facial muscles stay firm and avoid sagging.

We’ve got so many modern hair products claiming to do all kinds of things, but the oldies are often the besties. Hairspray has been around for decades but is still just as useful now as it was many years ago.

It can be used for everything from fixing and holding hair in place to creating more volume. Many women of past generations also used hairspray to speed up the setting of their nails or protect tights and stockings from splitting.

Salt is usually used to bring out the flavors of food and add some seasoning to recipes, but it can be introduced into your beauty routine as well. Classic Hollywood director Ida Lupino believed that a bit of salt in a facial cleanser could go a long way. It works as an exfoliant, helping to remove dead cells.

We’re always been told to apply more and more products, from serums and oils to cleansers and eye creams. However, it can be a good idea to give your skin a little rest from all those lotions and potions from time to time. Many women of the past believed in the simple power of fresh air and nature to help them look their best.

We’re back to olive oil once more! Not only is it useful in the bath and on the hair, you can even make use of it to get rid of your makeup cleanly and quickly too. Simply dab a cotton ball in some extra virgin olive oil and rub it around the face. It removes makeup with ease and nourishes the skin at the same time.

A lot of women of the past believed in the importance of removing peach fuzz from their faces. Some women these days are scared to shave, as they worry the hair will only grow back faster and thicker, but that’s just a myth. In reality, shaving helps you to apply makeup more easily and evenly and was popular with stars like Marilyn Monroe.

One classic trick your grandma might have used is mixing rosemary into shampoo. You can add just a few sprigs of the herb in with shampoo and let it sit there for a while in the sun. Rosemary is rich in minerals and vitamins that promote healthy hair growth and can even fight the signs of alopecia.

Aloe vera is a magical gift from the natural world. It’s super for treating sunburn and soothing the skin in many ways, and many older women have known about its benefits for decades. Some of them used to make a habit of drinking aloe vera juice direct from the plant itself, believing that this simple act helped to nourish their skin, hair, and nails.

Many Hollywood stars of the past had busy lifestyles but always seemed to look flawless and fabulous, rather than fatigued. How did they do it? Well, the likes of Rita Hayworth were said to crush up mint leaves and apply them beneath the eyes. This helped to make bags and puffiness fade away.

A popular trend in the modern beauty world involves using contrasting colors on your lips, nails, and even your outfits. However, there’s a lot to love about symmetry and sticking with just one shade. Matching lipstick and nail polish was popular in the past and still looks awesome today.

We’ve spoken about Mae West before, and the star has one more tip to share with us. She was famous for her perfect complexion and sublime figure, and says that she owes a lot to her regular detox regime. She went for colonic irrigations very often to remove toxins from the body. Not everyone wants to get a colonic every month, but detoxing your body with detox solutions, teas, and smoothies is a good way to start.

Many Hollywood icons of the past and present all say the same thing when asked about their beauty regime: it’s all about having a good lifestyle. We want to believe that there’s some miracle product or amazing trick to looking fabulous, but the truth is actually very simple. If you avoid smoking, drugs, and alcohol, exercise often, eat well, and sleep enough each night, you’ll start to look a lot better.

One key hack from the olden days that still applies today is to moisturize. Don’t just moisturize once a week. Don’t just moisturize your face or your legs. Moisturize all the time and all over yourself! This is a lesson that many stars of the past lived by. Skin needs nourishment to glow and feel smooth, so you have to feed it with healthy creams and lotions.

Back in the 1940s, many women discovered a clever little hack using something that every woman has in her makeup bag: lipstick. As well as applying lipstick to the lips, you can dab a little on the cheeks and blend it in to give your face a cute, rosy blush.

Liz Taylor believed that beauty was about more than what we can see. It was also about our other senses, and that’s why she always ensured to apply a few sprays of quality perfume as part of her beauty routine. Smelling great is a vital part of feeling your best.

Joan Crawford always believed that high-end beauty products weren’t necessary for keeping the skin smooth and supple. Instead, she had a much simpler and cheaper alternative: chewing gum! No, she didn’t apply chewing gum to her face. She just chewed it.

She believed that making her jaw work each day helped to keep the muscles strong and the skin taut. We can’t argue with her as she always looked young, even in her latter years.