Red lips have been voted the most iconic beauty trend
Marilyn Monroe's bold red lips have been voted the most iconic beauty trend of all time, with the sultry smoky eye following closely behind.
The Hollywood sex symbol sported the striking bright pout during the 1950s and 1960s, but most famously in the 1955 film The Seven Year Itch. Her look was later copied by Robert Palmer’s backing singers in the 1980s Addicted to Love video and is favoured these days by the likes of Gwen Stefani, Paloma Faith and Rita Ora.
The second most iconic beauty look was the classic dark, smoky eyes, as loved by Cheryl Cole and Kim Kardashian.
Cheryl Cole loves a smoky eyeFalse lashes, a look which first gained popularity in the 1960s and is still a must-have look today worn daily by celebrities such as TOWIE's Sam Faiers, came third.
The genuine looking ‘fake’ tan bronzed effect - which Victoria Beckham has mastered - was fourth.
And completing the top five iconic looks was heavy eyeliner, a look popularised by Twiggy in the 1960s, still as relevant today as it was then.
The study of 2,000 women - carried out by Superdrug to mark the company's 50th birthday - also placed beauty spots like Cindy Crawford’s and Barbie pink lips as favoured by Katherine Jenkins on the list.
Simon Comins, Superdrug Buying Director, said: "In recent history there have been some really iconic beauty trends.
"The fact that some trends have come and gone, and then come back again shows that beauty trends are a cyclical as fashion, and they have all been sported by the famous faces of the day.
"Many of the looks can take a certain amount of practising to perfect, getting liquid eyeliner in perfect wings or flicks can be tricky and applying false eyelashes does take a while to master, luckily today technology has helped create products that make it easier to create the looks.
"Over the last 50 years make-up and beauty products have changed and our range of products has grown hugely."
Completing the top ten was cat like eye make-up followed by nude lipstick regularly worn by Kim Kardashian. Another look made famous by the U.S. reality star to make the list was heavy contouring, a look achieved with careful blending of bronzer and highlighter.
More dubious trends which feature in the poll included lip piercings, blue eye shadow - which was popular in the eighties and has recently made a reappearance on catwalks - and the 1990s trend of wearing a dark lip liner with a lighter lipstick.
Completing the top twenty iconic beauty looks was pink blusher – a favourite of American songstress Christina Aguilera.
The study also revealed one in five women have copied an iconic look from a celebrity and nearly half said famous faces were where make-up trends originated from.
Two thirds of the 2,000 women polled said they wish they were braver when it comes to experimenting with new beauty trends, with the typical woman trying just three of the iconic looks over the course of her lifetime.
Simon Comins added: "It’s fascinating that we return time and time again to the classic beauty looks.
"This research shows us that the power of a fabulous red lip remains one of women’s favourite and most dramatic beauty looks."
ICONIC BEAUTY TRENDS
1. Bright red lipstick
2. Smoky eyes
3. False eyelashes
4. Fake tan
5. Heavy eyeliner
6. Winged eyeliner
7. Beauty spot
8. Full eyebrows
9. Thin, pencilled in eyebrows
10. Cat's eyes
11. Nude lips
12. Blue eye shadow
13. Lip piercing
14. Glitter eye shadow
15. Hot pink lips
16. Dark lip liner
17. Prominent contouring
18. Shimmer bronzer
19. Acrylic French manicured nails
20. Pink blusher
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