A talented actress, the “Queen of Hollywood” and one of the style icons of the last century - all this is Elizabeth Taylor. The beauty and grace of Liz, as her fans affectionately called her, was admired all over the world, but only the most devoted of fans knew that Taylor owed her success in part to an unusual genetic mutation.
The fact is that nature awarded the actress with a double row of eyelashes, which further emphasized her extraordinary eyes and neat facial features. Distichiasis - a developmental anomaly in which an additional row of eyelashes appears behind normally growing ones - is most often observed in animals, but also occurs in humans. The FOXC2 gene is considered responsible for this.
Doctors say that despite the obvious safety of the mutation, it nevertheless has its disadvantages. So, if a person’s eyelashes are quite hard and long, distichiasis can be accompanied by lacrimation, inflammation and itching, and often vision problems caused by increased pressure on the eyes. eyeball.
"Most of these problems are not serious and can be treated with eye drops or special ointments," Aaron Fay, an ophthalmologist at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, explains to NBC. “Some people with this genetic mutation are also advised to wear contact lenses to protect the surface of the eye.” More radical treatments include removing excess hair with tweezers, electrolysis, or a freezing procedure that destroys specific hair follicles.
Distichiasis can occur in both men and women. Moreover, sometimes this happens at birth, as in Elizabeth Taylor, and sometimes the mutation begins to manifest itself at a more mature age.
Research shows that distichiasis occurs much less frequently than other eyelid abnormalities, including trichiasis, an abnormal growth of eyelashes toward the eyeball that causes irritation and serious injury to the cornea. It is also interesting that you cannot always determine it using a mirror, since sometimes it is impossible to do this without specialized equipment.
By the way, the lavender shade of the eyes is another anomaly that is often mentioned when Taylor is mentioned - most likely, it is not an anomaly at all. This question has already been raised by scientists, and they came to the conclusion that the film star’s eyes were actually dark blue, and unusual color they were given the lighting on set and the right makeup.
The "Queen of Hollywood" Elizabeth Taylor will always be remembered for many things: her unmatched performances in many classic films, her love of expensive jewelry, her many marriages and, of course, her famous violet eyes.
Purple eyes
Of course, thanks to contact lenses, today everyone can have the eye color they want. But Taylor certainly didn’t resort to this method, because the first tinted contact lenses only became available in 1983. Eyes Elizabeth Taylor were really purple.
The appearance of an iris ring around the black pupil of the eye depends on how much of the natural pigment melanin the iris contains. The more melanin in your iris, the darker your eyes will appear. Melanin levels are determined primarily by your genes. For example, the irises of a person with dark brown eyes contain more melanin than the eyes of a green-eyed person.
U Taylor there was a very specific, and rare, amount of melanin. But it was almost the same as that of a man with blue eyes. If you look closely at various photographs of a celebrity, it sometimes becomes difficult to discern what color her eyes are. "Eyes Elizabeth Taylor were they purple or dark blue? - this question torments many fans. What's more, 300,000 puzzled fans asked Google the question, far more than about any other celebrity. So eyes Taylor can be called the most popular in the world.
Although, most likely, the reason for such frequent requests in search engines is the popular perfume named after the actress - “Elizabeth Taylor Violet Eyes”. But of no less interest is the incredibly rare purple.
Norman Saffra, head of ophthalmology at Medical center Maimonides in Brooklyn stated: "There are various shades blue and gray tones, and even more shades exist in between. Perhaps purple was her typical pigmentation. It is quite possible to have purple eyes - it all depends on the pigmentation.”
Saffra also emphasizes that eye color can also change depending on the eye's absorption of light. For example, a white shirt will reflect light off the iris, making your eyes appear a little lighter.
Makeup can also affect eye color to some extent. Taylor She was often photographed wearing blue and purple eyeshadow, which emphasized her natural eye color. Also, dark brown eye shadow and black eyeliner can highlight the uniqueness of your eye color.
There is also a version that in fact Taylor had dark blue eyes, which in certain lighting could give a violet tint. So some people think that the whole secret of purple eyes is Elizabeth Taylor hidden in the lighting, makeup, special shades of clothing and photographic retouching of her images.
But there is much more interesting fact. "Alexandria Origin" is the name of a genetic mutation whose main characteristic is purple eyes.
Taylor born with normal blue eye color (people with "Alexandria descent" can be born with any other eye color). But six months after birth, the eyes began to change more and more towards purple.
The process of transforming eye color takes approximately six months. During puberty, the eyes begin to noticeably darken or become mixed with blue. However, this kind of mutation has only an external effect and does not in any way affect the quality of a person’s vision. But one study proved that 7% of owners of “Alexandria origin” are highly susceptible to heart disease. This is what caused the death Elizabeth Taylor.
Extra row of eyelashes
But it was not only the beautiful violet color that made the actress’s eyes special. When Elizabeth Taylor When she first started going to screen tests, directors often asked her to remove too much makeup from her eyes. But after that they were sincerely surprised to learn that it was not too large number mascara on the eyelashes, but a natural feature of the girl.
When Elizabeth was first born, a doctor told her mother that Taylor had a genetic mutation called distichiasis, a rare abnormality that causes an extra row of eyelashes to appear behind normally growing eyelashes.
This anomaly can have a number of very unpleasant consequences: the second row of eyelashes rubs against the eyeball, leading to irritation, frequent lacrimation and decreased vision, and sometimes the eyelashes grow directly into the cornea, which makes it feel like microscopic needles are constantly piercing the eyes.
Fortunately for Elizabeth Taylor it just became additional benefit. Fluffy eyelashes in addition to purple eyes made the actress's gaze especially deep.
It is not surprising that she was invited to play the role of Cleopatra. After all, the bright makeup of that time combined with the eyes Taylor created an incredible sensation. By the way, it was after the release of this film that “Cleopatra’s eyes” came into fashion - heavily black-lined eyes and long arrows.
Perhaps it was the eyes that helped Elizabeth Taylor to become a queen, a sex symbol and the dream of many men. But on initial stages such a spectacular appearance only got in the way Taylor. The actress had to work very hard to prove that behind her brilliant appearance lies a great actress capable of embodying the image of Queen Cleopatra, Helen of Troy and many other legendary women.
Hollywood film stars seem inaccessible to everyone and spoiled by luxury, but many forget that behind the mask of the “ideal” ordinary women with their own habits and weaknesses are hidden. However, not all of them like it when stylists or fashion designers create their image. And it’s no secret that even the incomparable Elizabeth Taylor preferred to cut her hair and do her own makeup.
Rumor has it that the number of queries for “Elizabeth Taylor's eyes” on Google exceeds similar queries for other actresses. Even the magnificent Marilyn Monroe and the impeccable Audrey Hepburn lost the palm to the “Queen of Hollywood”. Undoubtedly, it’s all about the charm of the actress, the amazing combination of violet eyes and dark hair like a raven’s wing, and also makeup...
Today, many are trying to replicate her "look" with various tricks and even inserting purple contact lenses to recreate her look. But, perhaps, all this is a waste of time, because individuality is given to us in order to emphasize it. As for the “secret” makeup, it may just suit many women.
And in the next video, you can see in detail how makeup is applied “a la Taylor”. By the way, you can skip ahead a little in the video, since at the beginning the stylist talks for a long time about the nuances.
Scarlet lips, luxurious eyelashes and eyes precisely emphasized with black eyeliner - these are the main accents of the unforgettable signature makeup of one of the most beautiful actresses 20th century. At the same time, harmony of color and plasticity of lines were observed throughout.
As we said earlier, the actress rarely entrusted her makeup and hairstyle to professional stylists; she liked to line her upper eyelid herself and curl her thick eyelashes and apply mascara and eye shadow.
Elizabeth Taylor is an incredible beauty and talented actress, called the “Queen of Hollywood,” during her lifetime she was known as the owner of eyes of rare beauty. However, not everyone knows that Elizabeth Taylor’s world-famous violet eyes are nothing more than the result of a mutation in the genes of the legendary actress.
Medical history
When Elizabeth was born, her parents immediately noticed her unusually thick eyelashes and took the girl to the doctor. He explained to the concerned parents that the child’s eyelashes grow in two rows, and there is nothing wrong with that. Six months later, Elizabeth Taylor's eye color changed to purple. The reason for this was a rare mutation with beautiful name"origin of Alexandria". According to medical research, violet eye color does not affect visual acuity in any way, but causes heart disease in 7% of its owners. In Elizabeth Taylor's case, heart problems were the cause of her death.
Illness or gift?
It is known that Elizabeth Taylor's first appearance on set caused a stir around her eyes. Someone thought that her mascara was applied too thickly to her eyelashes, and the girl was asked to remove the makeup from her face. They did not immediately believe that this was a natural feature of the young actress.
Perhaps it was her eyes, unusual and amazing, that allowed Elizabeth Taylor to get closer to her success in the film industry and made her the dream of the strong half of humanity. However, at the beginning of her professional career, Elizabeth Taylor's appearance only prevented her from proving her high acting talent. She had to work very hard to gain recognition not only as a true beauty, but also as great actress, capable of successfully bringing images to life on screen famous women different eras: Helen of Troy, Cleopatra and many others. Elizabeth Taylor won three Oscars, two of which she received for her participation in films, and one special for her humanitarian work.
Violet eyes that have captured many men's hearts
It is not surprising that such an extraordinary beauty as Elizabeth Taylor was constantly surrounded by the attention of men. She was married eight times, which always caused heated gossip in society. IN cult film Elizabeth Taylor's "Cleopatra" violet eyes, highlighted by jet-black eyeliner, forever captured the heart of her two-time husband, Richard Burton. All the men in Elizabeth Taylor's life showered their beloved with jewelry, some of which were exclusive. One need only mention the famous Peregrine Pearl (a gift from Richard Burton), which once belonged to famous royalty.
Elizabeth Taylor
Men leave, but jewelry remains forever. Elizabeth Taylor, who would have turned 83 on February 27, knew this better than anyone else. Numerous spouses and fans of the Hollywood diva adored her and literally showered her with luxurious jewelry, which made up the world-famous “Elizabeth Taylor Collection”. Today we are looking at a photo album" Elizabeth Taylor eyes and beauty's jewelry"
Elizabeth Taylor said that when she was born, she did not open her eyes for eight days. But when I did this, the first thing I saw was wedding ring her mother
WITH teenage years Elizabeth Taylor was fond of collecting jewelry with keychains telling about some memorable events in her life. On this gold bracelet you can see a keychain in the form of a movie clapper in memory of the film "The Taming of the Shrew", as well as a sphere with four medallions inside, on which are written the names and dates of birth of her children
Historical, iconic, legendary and even epochal are just some of the words that can be used to describe the jewelry that makes up Elizabeth Taylor's luxurious collection. The main Cleopatra of Hollywood was called a collector not only of precious stones, but also of the husbands who gave her these stones.
Without a doubt, one of the most generous donors was Richard Burton, whom Elizabeth Taylor married twice! It was this actor, whom our heroine met on the set of the film “Cleopatra”, which made her famous, who presented her with a 69-carat diamond ring as a gift. Gemstone, called Taylor-Barton, is still considered one of the largest in the world.
Elizabeth Taylor conquered the hearts of men who were ready to lay all the jewels of the world at her feet. Like this diamond ring dubbed "Taylor-Barton"
The famous Taylor-Barton diamond weighs just over 69 carats, the history of which dates back to 1966, when a rough diamond was found in South Africa. Jeweler Harry Winston made a pear-shaped diamond from it, which Richard Burton soon bought
While working on Cleopatra, Richard showered his Elizabeth with emeralds. The stunning Bulgari set was a reminder of a wonderful time in their lives. It was then that Barton uttered the phrase that became famous: “I introduced Liz to beer, and she introduced me to Bulgari.”
Elizabeth Taylor with her most generous husband, Richard Burton
Let us remind you that Barton and Taylor’s romance began on the set of the film “Cleopatra”
“Cleopatra's Mirror”, created by Bulgari jewelers specifically for the filming of the film starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Made of gold and turquoise, it became one of the unique items in the actress’s collection.
Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra in the film of the same name
An emerald Bulgari necklace that was part of a set given to Taylor by Barton in memory of her filming of Cleopatra.
Taylor wore this necklace to the 1967 Oscars. It became happy for her: the actress received the coveted golden statuette for her role in the film “Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”
Diamond brooch with emeralds and sapphires, given to Taylor by Barton in 1965. According to Elizabeth, this piece of jewelry from Tiffany&Co forever remained for her a symbol of the first stormy days of her marriage to Richard.
An indicator of Richard's enormous passion for Elizabeth was another impressive diamond (this time weighing 33 carats), named after the actress. She received it from her husband on Valentine's Day in 1968. This sparkling piece of jewelry was one of Taylor's favorites. She did not part with him until her death in 2011.
The Krupp diamond ring that Taylor received from Barton for Valentine's Day in 1968
“This ring brings me the most amazing feeling of beauty,” Taylor loved to say.
Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton
In 1971, in honor of the birth of Elizabeth Taylor's first grandchild, when she was 39 years old, Richard Burton gave her a Van Cleef & Arpels set with the words “You are so beautiful that no one will believe that you are a grandmother.”
Many ill-wishers claim that Barton tried to make amends for his betrayal with such generous gifts. Whether this is true or not, no one will know, but we must pay tribute to the actor - he gave not just jewelry, but a whole story. Like, for example, the Taj Mahal diamond, which the actress received for her 40th birthday.
Elizabeth Taylor wearing the Taj Mahal diamond pendant
It takes your breath away not so much from its beauty as from its “biography”. As the name makes clear, the stone is associated with one of the new seven wonders of the world - the mausoleum built in memory of his young wife by Emperor Shah Jahan. It was he who presented this diamond to his beloved Mumtaz Mahal four years before her sudden death.
A sapphire sautoir from Bulgari in the Art Deco style was one of Richard's gifts for Elizabeth's 40th birthday. A little later she complemented it with the same ring
The story of the famous “wandering” pearl Peregrina is also fascinating. As legend has it, the 55-carat mother-of-pearl stone was found in the 16th century and subsequently became part of the Spanish crown, in which Queen Isabella posed for the legendary Velazquez. Having acquired “the most flawless pearl in the world” (with the help of Barton, of course), Taylor handed it over to the jewelers of the House of Cartier, who made a luxurious pendant out of it.
In this form, Barton presented Taylor with Peregrine's legendary pearl. A little later, she ordered a frame decorated with rubies for her from Cartier
The legendary "wandering" pearl of Peregrina
Taylor called the “wandering” pearl the most perfect in the world
The saying “Men go, but the jewelry stays” was, to some extent, the definition of Taylor’s entire life.
Elizabeth Taylor
The actress adored diamonds for the shine they gave to her look.
Elizabeth Taylor's special relationship with jewelry is also characterized by the fact that her famous book she wrote specifically about jewelry. In it, the actress talked about how she was a queen for all her husbands. It’s not for nothing that Mike Todd, the star’s third husband, presented her with an ancient diamond tiara with the words “You are my queen!” It was in it that she shone at the Oscar ceremony in 1957.
Elizabeth Taylor with Mike Todd, who presented her with a vintage tiara with the words “You are my queen” as one of the gifts
The same diamond crown made in 1880
In August 1957, Elizabeth Taylor and Mike Todd (her third husband) were vacationing in a villa in France. Elizabeth was swimming in the pool when Mike unexpectedly presented her with three red boxes with the Cartier logo, inside of which was an amazing ruby set
Elizabeth Taylor
Cartier ruby set
However, from time to time the actress presented such generous gifts to herself. For example, she once ordered sapphire clips from French jeweler Joël Arthur Rosenthal. They were made using stones of different shades to convey the special shade of Elizabeth's eyes. “She told me that her eyes were blue, like mine, sometimes green, but to everyone else they seemed purple,” the designer recalled.
Those same earrings from the French jewelry house JAR, conveying the subtle shade of the actress’s eyes
Elizabeth Taylor parted with her jewelry as easily as she accepted it. “I know that there is a certain amount of magic in my jewelry, and I hope that it will be passed on to other people, to store and protect those who will possess them, because we are all just temporary guardians of this beauty,” the actress admitted in recent years of your life.
Elizabeth Taylor
At an auction held after the death of a Hollywood star, her jewelry collection was sold for a record amount of $119 million.
Taylor wore almost all her jewelry until the end of her life.
During the auction in 2012, later called the most extraordinary, the starting price of 20 million dollars (this is the amount the star’s collection was valued at) was exceeded almost 6 (!) times. All proceeds were directed to various charities, just as Taylor herself wanted.
Maybe it was for such a big heart, and not just for her beauty and sensuality, that she was so loved by these generous men?