Style Icon & Humanitarian: Audrey Hepburn

Known for her immense talent, kindness, and beauty, Audrey Hepburn was far more than a Hollywood elite whose influence permanently changed the landscape of modern fashion. Between her many leading roles and Academy Award Nominations, Audrey took part in humanitarian work and charity all while stunning the world with her unique take on women’s fashion. 

 Here, we’re going to scrape just the surface of who Audrey Hepburn was, and talk about how her style has influenced modern fashion and beauty. 

Who Was Audrey Hepburn?

Born in 1929 in Belgium to English parents, Audrey Hepburn spent her childhood traveling between homes in different countries in Europe, Audrey studied the arts starting from an early age, studying ballet, music, and musical theatre. Audrey moved to the U.S. as an adult to pursue her career, landing roles on Broadway before gracing the silver screen. 

 Audrey Hepburn’s career was marked by incredible roles like Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady and Sabrina in Sabrina. Both of these roles earned Hepburn a nomination for an award for Best Actress. For her role as Ann in Roman Holiday, Hepburn won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe. Hepburn was also recognized for her stage work and won a Tony Award for her performance in Odine. Today, Hepburn’s most iconic role is undeniably Holly in Truman Capote’s Breakfast at Tiffany’s. 

During Audrey’s career, she worked with such names as Steven Spielberg, Fred Astaire, and Julie Andrews. In addition to her celebrity friends, Audrey also surrounded herself with humanitarians and earned several awards for her efforts. Inspired by her experience living through World War II in Europe, Hepburn spoke to the United Nations, earned a Presidential Medal of Freedom, and was posthumously honored with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for her work as a UNICEF ambassador. 

Hepburn’s Signature Style

As a result of her English upbringing, Hepburn's style always had a subtle touch of formality. Even though Audrey's white gloves and feminine dresses feel idyllic and chic, she could also wear a T-shirt and cropped pants like an on-trend outfit. The combination of this with her trademark short pixie and full straight eyebrows has been a style reference for thousands of designers, artists, actresses, models, makeup artists, and hairstylists all over the world. Audrey embodied the best elements of her generation as well as generations to come, from the adorable tomboy to the lovable pixie to the elegant Cinderella.

Get The Look

Want to give Audrey’s elegant yet effortless style a try? Here’s what you’ll need to complete the look: 

Eyebrows

Audrey’s brows may define her look even more than her clothing or hairstyle. Use Bésame's brown Cake Mascara thinned slightly with water, applied with an angled brow brush. To start, shape the top part of your brow. Keep the tail straight while defining the top of the arch. Next, shape the under-brow area. Audrey had a higher arch, which she filled in to create her signature look. This can be achieved by filling in the middle of the eyebrow with more color and slightly tapering it at the end.

Skin

Audrey maintained a very fresh look with her flawless skin and avoided the sun to ensure an even tone. To reduce redness and hyperpigmentation for a more even skin tone, try using a light dusting of Violet Translucent Powder. To give yourself that soft, glowy, almost fuzzy radiance, finish any look with Soft Focus Translucent Powder. 

Lips

Although Audrey wore a variety of lipstick colors, red was her favorite. She appeared in many of her best-known photographs with a generous coat of red lipstick. For the best vintage reds, look no further than Bésame. Not only does Bésame have a shade for every era, but also every skin tone. If you want to wear a red as bold and daring as Miss Hepburn, we recommend trying colors like Carmine 1931, Victory Red 1941, or Red Velvet 1946. 

If you are looking for something a bit more subtle and sweet like Audrey’s natural looks, try our Champagne Gloss over a coat of Portrait Pink lipstick.