Iconic cinema makeup looks

Films have often spawned incredible makeup looks. Some are rather difficult to pull off, but a few are fun and easy to recreate. Take a look at our gallery and read our tips to look as glamorous as a Hollywood star.

Black Swan

Photographs of Natalie Portman in full makeup from her upcoming film, Black Swan, made the headlines last week.

The petite actress was looking fierce with red contact lenses, wing-shaped black eyeshadow and deep plum lipstick.

This is not the first time that Portman has sported a dramatic look for a film role. As Star War's Queen Amidala she had some interesting and very elaborated looks, and she went as far as shaving her head for her 2005 movie V For Vendetta.

Whether it may be difficult to pull off the Black Swan makeup in the office, there are plenty of looks championed in films that are very wearable and on trend.

Iconic looks

The goth look straight from Twilight has actually proved to be a success with teenagers and grown women alike, and so has the iconic Brigitte Bardot's 60s look of black kohl-rimmed eyes, nude lipstick and messy hair, which after fifty years still proves popular with women.

The Catwoman look can also be very wearable, with 80s smokey eyes and red lipstick. If red lips are too risque' for you, nudes and pinks work well with this look too.

Marilyn Monroe's makeup in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is still one of the most copied iconic looks, with Madonna and Lady Gaga being some of the many celebrities seen sporting the black eyeliner/bright red lipstick 50s combo (even better if finished off with a painted on beauty spot).

And with Angelina Jolie slated to play Cleopatra in a new biopic of the last pharaoh, we expect a new Egyptian trend on the horizon, as it occurred when Elizabeth Taylor played her in 1963.

And whilst it might not be easy to pull off the Cruella De Vil's signature look of black and white hair and cherry lips from 101 Dalmatians, it still is one of the favourite fancy looks of choice.

Daryl Hannah's eye makeup in sci-fi 80s film Blade Runner may not be what you'd wear for going out, but it has been recreated in may guises, including as a substitute for wearing a mask at fancy dress parties.