11 Things to Know About Jackie Onassis’s Beauty Routine (2024)

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.

In 1965.Santi Visalli

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.

11 Things to Know About Jackie Onassis’s Beauty Routine (2024)

FAQs

What was Jackie O's skin care routine? ›

As it pertains to her morning and night routine, Jackie was instructed to slather on two products daily: Erno Laszlo Light Controlling Lotion (a gentle exfoliating toner) and Erno Laszlo Phelityl Oil (a pre-cleansing oil).

How did Jackie stay so thin? ›

Beyond the topical, the doctor also suggested a specific diet: Two hard-boiled eggs, “Hollywood toast” with honey, tea, skimmed milk for breakfast; beef, broiled, cottage cheese or “something of the like,” and skimmed milk for lunch. Meat, watercress salad or “whatever vegetable” rounded out dinner.

What is the Jackie O shoe trick? ›

“More intriguing to me was the quarter-inch lift affixed to one heel on each pair of shoes, apparently meant to compensate for one leg being slightly shorter than the other. No one would have ever guessed.” To put it in perspective, a Tic Tac mint is about one-quarter inch thick, that's how small the difference is.

What color was Jackie Kennedy's hair? ›

Jackie Kennedy Onassis was one of those timeless beauties who will forever be remembered as a style icon. When it came to her gorgeous brunette locks, she apparently relied on a simple trick for keeping the strands strong and perfectly coiffed — even while she slept!

How did Jackie lose her weight? ›

Jackie has always insisted she achieved her weight loss by going on WW (Weight Watchers), which she was an official ambassador for.

What was Jackie O known for wearing? ›

From her tweed skirt suits and pillbox hats of the early '60s to her oversized sunglasses, graceful chiffon gowns, and stylish Gucci bags (that the design house later re-named for her) of the following decade, the former First Lady is the ultimate style inspiration.

What face cream did Jackie Kennedy use? ›

Her beauty essentials.

"She used Erno Laszlo skincare products," Keogh says of the former first lady. "Back in those days, there was a real Dr. Erno Laszlo and all the society ladies went to see him for skincare, as well as the starlets of Hollywood, Marilyn Monroe and Kate Hepburn and Greta Garbo.

What eating disorder does Jackie have? ›

“Back when I decided to recover from anorexia, I was really intent on getting over all of the things that were, you know, typical textbook anorexia (habits) that were keeping me super unhealthy and making me sick,” she said. “And I did and I've come really far. I don't do any of that kind of stuff anymore.

How many babies did Jackie lose? ›

Jackie is known to have had one miscarriage early in her marriage. She also had one stillbirth, a girl she named Arabella, and two premature babies: John Jr., who survived to adulthood, and Patrick, born prematurely in August 1963 only to die two days later.

What were Jackie Kennedy's favorite foods? ›

For lunch, the first lady had a cup of broth and a slim sandwich (which, on occasion, was grilled cheese.) Her dinner of choice? Cold poached salmon, followed by lamb with potatoes, string beans, and ice cream.

What were Jackie Kennedy's last words? ›

The look on her husband's face after he was shot would haunt Jackie for the rest of her life, revealed Christopher Anderson's These Few Precious Days: The Final Year of Jack with Jackie. He looked puzzled, as The Mirror describes it. The last words she ever got to say to him were, “I love you, Jack.

What did Jackie Kennedy's wedding ring look like? ›

Initially, Jackie Kennedy's engagement ring featured a 2.88 carat diamond next to a 2.84 carat emerald along with diamond accents. In 1962, Jackie had it redesigned to include additional marquise and round diamonds.

Did Jackie O have curly hair? ›

Even though she insisted in the 1960s that this side of her family was Jewish. She had thick, unruly, curly hair that she managed by straightening and heavy lacquering to tame it into her 1950s signature coiffure.

What is Jackie Kennedy's favorite color? ›

Of course, she could also be seen in black, white, and bright red, but still her favorite were pastel natural shades — sky blue, pistachio, purple.

What type of hat did Jackie O wear? ›

Regardless of color, dimpled or not, the pillbox hat would become synonymous with Jackie's style as first lady.

What foundation did Jackie Kennedy use? ›

New York makeup artist Pablo Manzoni told Vanity Fair in 1995 that Onassis often used the iconic Elizabeth Arden's Flawless Foundation.

What perfume did Jackie O wear? ›

This got me wondering: what perfumes did Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis actually wear in real life? According to one source, she did wear Bal a Versailles and Jicky. She is also said to have worn Joy, and 1000, by Jean Patou, Fleurissimo, by Creed, Lovely Patchouli, by Krigler, and Jil Sander No.

Who started PCA skin? ›

PCA SKIN was founded in 1990 by aesthetician Margaret Ancira and developed by dermatologist Jennifer Linder M.D. Since our founding, professional partnerships have been an integral part of our identity.

Who created Jack Black skin care? ›

Jack Black Skin Care: Curran and Jeff Dandurand How I Built This with Guy Raz. In 1998, Curran Dandurand and a colleague from Mary Kay Cosmetics came up with an unorthodox idea: a premium skincare brand for men.

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