Old Hollywood stars like Rita Hayworth and Greta Garbo strike us as people so beautiful that, much like Aphrodite, we imagine that they were born looking so good. That's not quite true.
Rita Hayworth was born in New York to a Spanish flamenco dancer and Ziegfield chorus girl. She went through a lot to become a Hollywood starlet. Her hair was dyed red and she had to endure a painful treatment called Electrolysis to raise and define her hairline. Rita also underwent serious diet and fitness programs to slim down. Her makeup also needed to be applied a certain way because one of her eyes was smaller than the other, most noticeably when she smiled. (this last bit of information was gathered from Miss Vintage, a site I consider to be the absolutely authority on vintage beauty)
Greta Garbo was a successful actress in her native Sweden before she hit Hollywood. She, like Rita Hayworth, was put through a rigorous makeover that included intense dieting. She dropped 30 pounds. She was also subjected to Electrolysis.
