Not everything is about beauty, but some things are, and being a female celebrity is definitely one of them. And while we always knew that Marilyn was primped and polished within an inch of her life before we ever got a glimpse at her, it’s interesting to see just how much of her routine was based on actual optical illusions. (The shadow under the eyelashes seems particularly sneaky.) It’s unlikely that most women we meet throughout the day are adjusting their features even close to the degree that she did, but it’s fascinating to think about just how much of the beauty we see around us is manufactured, or designed for us to perceive it in a certain way.

Even without Photoshop, there is something very powerful about makeup and the way we understand beauty. That little shadow under the lashes may have just been a trick of the trade, but it had generations of women after her attempting to recreate the same look with markedly less skill. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go attempt to do that thing with my lipstick.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAneUTr8mog&w=584&h=375]