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Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (or Jackie O as she’s fondly known) has long been one of the world’s most beloved beauty icons. The coiffed hair, those bold eyebrows, the oversized sunglasses—the former first lady knew the power of looking and feeling good. Here, Vogue takes a look at her beauty routine, from the foundation she swore by to why champagne was an important part of her diet.
How she looked after her skin
Jackie O’s go-to professional was dermatologist-to-the-stars, Erno Laszlo, who also looked after Marilyn Monroe’s alabaster skin. Much can be gleaned about Onassis’s skincare routine through archival documents from 1963 that made their way into New York’s Makeup Museum. Laszlo’s advice was to avoid “applying more oil or creams,” both to help prevent blackheads and pimples reappearing and simultaneously get rid of the “bumps” she was suffering.
Two of the key products she used were Erno Laszlo’s Phelityl Oil, a pre-cleansing oil designed to dissolve make-up and the day’s grime, and the Light Controlling Lotion, a gentle exfoliating toner which she was also advised to use under her arms. Both are still available today.
Her approach to the sun
While Jackie was religious about staying out of the sun and always wore hats on visits to Cape Cod, Laszlo controversially advised against this. Instead, he extolled the benefits of the sun and told her not to fear brown spots because he could “make them fade in the fall.” A far cry from dermatologist advice today (wear sunscreen, people!).
That bouffant hair
Legendary hairstylist Kenneth Battelle, whose hair salon in New York’s Manhattan was filled with the great and the good, is the man behind Jackie’s signature bouffant style. Battelle didn’t just work with Onassis, either; his client list included Lauren Bacall, Diana Vreeland, Jean Shrimpton, Judy Garland, Katharine Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe and Gloria Vanderbilt, and it is said that his softer hairstyles were responsible in part for the demise of the hat.
“I believe hair should be like fabric,” he said. “Light should pass through it, and you should want to put your hand in it.” Rumor has it that upon first meeting Jackie and her “washed-and-ironed hair,” he advised her to grow it so that he could create softer, looser hair via rollers.
She slept on silk
The key to keeping her hair healthy and frizz-free? A silk pillowcase of course. “If you sleep on cotton, it roughs up your hair,” one of her make-up artists, Peter Lamas, once said. “[Jackie] would use a silk scarf to sleep and a silk pillowcase.” Having become increasingly popular in the past few years, not only do they feel like the height of luxury, but they’re also great for keeping skin smooth and luminous.
The hair product she swore by
It wasn’t just silk pillowcases Onassis swore by; her iconic hairstyle, often subjected to heat, required extra hydration and nourishment. Lamas’s advice was to use a hair oil on lengths and ends—her favorite was a lavender-based formula. Try Champo’s Weightless Hair Oil, which combines lavender with macadamia seed and lemongrass oils, for a similar formula.
Her favorite foundation
For fresh-looking skin and to help cover up those sun spots, Onassis loved Elizabeth Arden’s Flawless Finish Foundation. With new iterations of the formula available today, it’s known to be ultra long-wearing—a formula that has truly stood the test of time.
Lipstick was her go-to
Save for her bold brows and a flawless complexion, Onassis wore minimal makeup, but often coordinated her lipstick to her outfit. Berry reds and coral hues were her preference.
Her signature scent
If you were wondering what Jackie smelled like, look no further than luxury French perfume brand, House of Krigler’s Lovely Patchouli 55, a leathery scent which housed notes of amber, bergamot, patchouli, and citrus. She wore it daily.
A walk a day keeps…
The varicose veins away, according to Laszlo, who advised that daily exercise—in the form of a walk—should fend them off. She had expressed that she was afraid of succumbing to them.
If in doubt… cover it up
Consider bad hair days a thing of the past: Onassis would disguise hers with the help of a chic silk scarf, preferably from Hermès. Another nifty beauty trick to glean from her was the sunglasses, which were large enough to conceal all manner of sins.
Don’t forget to indulge
Oh, and last but not least: as well as a diet of two boiled eggs for breakfast, broiled beef and cottage cheese for lunch and meat with watercress salad for dinner—and the occasional apple—she forwent much water in favor of a more delicious tipple of choice: champagne.