Image: From the To Have and Have Not Trailer via Wikimedia Commons
Known almost as much for her iconic, wavy hairstyle as her incredible acting chops, and high-profile romance with Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall - who passed away yesterday at the age of 89 - was one of the first Hollywood stars to establish the signature look. Her deep, husky voice and trademark, chin-tilted-down look (simply dubbed "The Look") set her apart from her costars, but it was her signature bouncy curls that truly became an iconic symbol of the Golden Age of Hollywood.
Image: by U.S. Army - Yank, the Army Weekly via Wikimedia Commons
Bacall's look - a deep side part and glossy, cascading waves - is the epitome of old Hollywood glamour. The star was known for doing her own hair - something that was, and still is, mostly unheard of in Hollywood. In fact, Bacall reportedly told Vanity Fair that Humphrey Bogart, her costar and eventual husband, first kissed her while she was combing her hair in her trailer on the set of To Have and Have Not.
Bacall knew her signature look; she described it as "the wave… on the right side, starting to curve at the corner of my eyebrow and ending, sloping downward, at my cheekbone," and was one of Hollywood's firsts to always maintain her trademark style. Paired with bold brows, and a strong red lip, the look was the essence of glamour.
Image: Written on the Wind Trailer Screenshot via Wikimedia Commons
Lauren Bacall was a great talent - from her first magazine cover in a 1943 issue of Harper's Bazar, to her Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations, to Tony Awards and an eventual Academy Honorary Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in recognition of her great contribution to the Golden Age of Hollywood cinema - her influence on both Hollywood and her audiences is undeniable. Her legacy extends to the beauty community, for helping to create the notion of a signature look, and inspiring celebrities and ordinary people alike to recreate her classic curls.
Image: Roland Godefroy via Wikimedia Commons
