60 Most Beautiful Women Of All Time Around The World

60 Most Beautiful Women Of All Time Around The World

Beauty, they say is in the eyes of the beholder and each woman on this list possesses her unique charm, reflecting the diverse standards of beauty that exist across different cultures. Beyond how they look physically, these phenomenal women have equally showcased various accomplishments, skills and talents in the industries they’re placed in, including acting, singing, governance, sports, philanthropy, and activism. They serve as role models, inspiring others to embrace their individuality and pursue their passions fearlessly.

By celebrating the beauty of these remarkable women, we acknowledge that beauty extends beyond external attributes. For many of the women we have featured on our list, their beauty resonates across generations, reminding us that true beauty is not confined to a single definition but rather a range of owning their individuality and even empowering others to do the same. Here is the list of 60 of the most beautiful women of all time around the world.

1. Marilyn Monroe

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Marilyn Monroe is one of the most celebrated people of the 20th century. She was a talented actress and singer. Most of the roles Marilyn played were funny and she captured the hearts of many on and off the screen. 

Marilyn went on to be one of the most influential women in history. The span of her career in Hollywood lasted a decade. Her untimely passing at the age of 36 shocked many and was surrounded by mystery.  Read more shocking facts about Marilyn Monroe. 

2. Audrey Hepburn

Audrey Hepburn was a British actress and humanitarian.  Recognised as a film and fashion icon, she was ranked by the American Film Institute as the third-greatest female screen legend from Classical Hollywood cinema and was inducted into the International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame. Her several well-known and well-liked films include My Fair Lady, Charade, Roman Holiday, and Breakfast at Tiffany’s. 

3. Zhang Ziyi 

Zhang Ziyi is a Chinese actress and model. She is regarded as one of the Four Dan Actresses of China. Her first major role was in The Road Home. 

She later gained international recognition for her role in Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, which was nominated for 10 Academy Awards.

4. Lupita Nyong’o 

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Lupita Nyong’o is a Kenyan-Mexican actress. She is the recipient of several accolades, including an Academy Award, and nominations for two Primetime Emmy Awards and a Tony Award.  She had her first feature film role as Patsey in Steve McQueen’s biopic 12 Years a Slave in 2013, for which she received critical acclaim and won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. 

Aside from acting, Nyong’o supports historic preservation. She is vocal about preventing sexual harassment and working for women’s and animal rights. In 2020, Nyong’o was named one of Africa’s 50 Most Powerful Women by Forbes. Read more about 35 Most Famous And Talented Women Actors From Around The World. 

5. Sophia Loren 

Sophia Loren is possibly the most famous actress to come out of Italy. In the course of her career, Loren has had great international success thanks to her immense talent and beauty alike. She was hailed as one of the most beautiful women in the world at some point, and rightfully so. 

6. Angelina Jolie 

Angelina Jolie is an American actress, filmmaker, and humanitarian. As a public figure, Jolie has been cited as one of the most powerful and influential people in the American entertainment industry. 

Jolie promotes various causes, including conservation, education, and women’s rights, and is most noted for her advocacy on behalf of refugees as a Special Envoy for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, a position she held until 2022.

7. Kate Winslet 

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Winslet is an English actress. Known for her work in independent films, particularly period dramas, and for her portrayals of headstrong and complicated women, she has received numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, five BAFTA Awards and five Golden Globe Awards. Time magazine named Winslet one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2009 and 2021. She was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2012.

8. Viola Davis

Viola Davis is an American actress and producer. The recipient of numerous accolades, Davis is one of few performers to have been awarded an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony; additionally, she is the sole African-American to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting as well as only the third person to achieve both statuses.

Time named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2012 and 2017, and in 2020, The New York Times ranked her ninth on its list of the greatest actors of the 21st century.

9. Diana Penty

Diana is an Indian actress who works predominantly in Hindi films. She began her modelling career in 2005 when she was signed up by Elite Models India.

Penty then made her acting debut with the romantic comedy film Cocktail, a box-office success. In addition to her acting career, Penty is a prominent celebrity endorser for brands and products.

10. Beyoncé 

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Beyoncé is an American singer, songwriter, and dancer. Beyoncé has been noted for her boundary-pushing artistry and her vocal prowess. Her success has made her a cultural icon and earned her the nickname “Queen Bey”.

Beyoncé is one of the world’s best-selling recording artists, having sold over 200 million records worldwide. Beyoncé’s accolades include 32 Grammy Awards which is the most of any person, 26 MTV Video Music Awards, 24 NAACP Image Awards, 31 BET Awards, and 17 Soul Train Music Awards; all of which are more than any other singer. In 2020, she was included on Time’s list of 100 women who defined the last century. Read more about 30 Most Famous Women in American History. 

11. Elizabeth Taylor 

Taylor was a British-American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 1950s. 

She then became the world’s highest-paid movie star in the 1960s, remaining a well-known public figure for the rest of her life. In 1999, the American Film Institute named her the seventh-greatest female screen legend of Classic Hollywood cinema.

12. Brigitte Bardot 

Bardot is a French animal rights activist and former actress, singer, and model. Famous for portraying sexually emancipated characters with hedonistic lifestyles, she was one of the best-known sex symbols of the 1950s and 1960s. Although she withdrew from the entertainment industry in 1973, she remains a major popular culture icon.

13. Gong Li 

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Gong Li is a Chinese actress. Regarded as one of the best actresses in China today, she is known for her versatility and naturalistic performance. She starred in three of the four Chinese-language films that have been nominated for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film.

14. Penélope Cruz 

Penélope is a Spanish actress. Known for her roles in films of several genres, particularly those in the Spanish language, she has received various accolades, including an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award, in addition to nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award, four Golden Globe Awards, and five Screen Actors Guild Awards. 

Cruz is the only Spanish actress to have won an Academy Award, as well as the only one to have received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She has done modelling work for Mango, Ralph Lauren, and L’Oréal.

15. Pearl Thusi

Pearl is a South African actress, model, and presenter. She is known for her roles as Patricia Kopong in the BBC/HBO comedy-drama series The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, Dayana Mampasi in the ABC thriller Quantico and Samkelo in the romance film Catching Feelings. In 2020, she starred in the titular role of Netflix’s first African original series, Queen Sono.

16. Gal Gadot

Gadot is an Israeli actress and model. She was crowned Miss Israel 2004 and represented her country at the Miss Universe 2004 pageant. Gadot was included on the list of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time in 2018 and has placed twice in annual rankings of the world’s highest-paid actresses.

17. Scarlett Johansson 

Scarlett is an American actress. The world’s highest-paid actress in 2018 and 2019, she has been featured multiple times on the Forbes Celebrity 100 list. Time named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2021. 

Her films have grossed over $14.3 billion worldwide, making Johansson the highest-grossing box office star of all time. She has received various accolades, including a Tony Award and a British Academy Film Award, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards and five Golden Globe Awards.

18. Sophia Vergara

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Sofia Vergara is a Colombian and American actress and model. Vergara was the highest-earning woman in U.S. television, earning $19 million for the previous 12 months on a list released by Forbes.com on July 18, 2012. 

Vergara was named one of People magazine’s 50 most beautiful people, and named by The Hollywood Reporter and Billboard as one of the most influential Latin women in Hollywood.

19. Shakira

Shakira is a Colombian singer and songwriter. She has been referred to as the Queen of Latin Music and is noted for her musical versatility.  Shakira is described as a pioneer who extended the global reach of Latino singers. With a catalog of 145 songs, Shakira has sold over 95 million records, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time. Read more Incredible Facts about Shakira. 

20. Rihanna 

Rihanna is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. With sales of over 250 million records worldwide, Rihanna is the second-best-selling female music artist of all time. 

Time named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2012 and 2018. Forbes ranked her among the top ten highest-paid celebrities in 2012 and 2014. As of 2022, she was the wealthiest female musician, with an estimated net worth of $1.4 billion.

21. Shailene Woodley 

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Woodley is an American actress. She first gained prominence for her starring role as Amy Juergens in the ABC Family teen drama series The Secret Life of the American Teenager. She subsequently starred in the films The Descendants (2011) and The Spectacular Now (2013), receiving a nomination for her first Golden Globe Award for the former.

Woodley is also an environmental activist. She is a Greenpeace Oceans Ambassador. She is a member of Conservation International’s Leadership Council and GoodLeap’s Advisory Council. 

22. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan

Aishwarya is an Indian actress who is primarily known for her work in Hindi and Tamil films. The winner of the Miss World 1994 pageant, she later established herself as one of the most popular and influential celebrities in India.

Rai has received numerous accolades, including two Filmfare Awards, and was honoured with the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2009 and the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the Government of France in 2012. She has often been cited in the media as the most beautiful woman in the world.

23. Natalie Portman 

Natalie Portman is an Israeli-born American actress. She has had a prolific film career since her teenage years and has starred in various blockbusters and independent films, receiving multiple accolades, including an Academy Award and two Golden Globe Awards.

24. Charlize Theron

Charlize Theron is a South African and American actress and producer. One of the world’s highest-paid actresses, she is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award. In 2016, Time named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

 25. Emma Roberts 

Emma Rose Roberts is an American actress. Known for her work in film and television projects of the horror and thriller genres, she has received various accolades, including a Young Artist Award, an MTV Movie & TV Award, and a ShoWest Award.

26. Priyanka Chopra 

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Priyanka is an Indian actress and producer. The winner of the Miss World 2000 pageant, Chopra is one of India’s highest-paid actresses and has received numerous accolades, including two National Film Awards and five Filmfare Awards. 

Chopra accepted offers to join the Indian film industry following her pageant wins. In 2016, the Government of India honored her with the Padma Shri, and Time named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Read more Facts about Indian actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas. Read more best facts about Priyanka Chopra. 

27. Salma Hayek 

Salma is a Mexican and American actress and film producer. She began her career in Mexico with starring roles in the telenovela Teresa as well as the romantic drama El Callejón de los Milagros, for which she received an Ariel Award nomination.

28. Emma Stone 

Emma Stone is an American actress. She is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and a Golden Globe Award. In 2017, she was the world’s highest-paid actress and was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. 

29. Gong Hyo-jin 

Gong is a South Korean actress. She is considered to be the queen of romantic comedies due to her successful portrayals in her rom-com dramas. In 2019, she was Gallup Korea’s Television Actor of the Year.

30. Selena Gomez

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Selena Gomez is an American singer, actress, and producer. She has received various accolades and was named Billboard’s Woman of the Year in 2017, and she also broke 15 Guinness World Records. 

Selena has a large following on social media and is the most followed musician and actress on Instagram. Gomez’s other ventures include makeup, clothing, handbag and fragrance lines. She has worked with many charitable organizations and served as a UNICEF ambassador since age 17.

31. Zhang Jingchu

Zhang Jingchu is a Chinese film actress. Zhang is best known for winning the China Film Media Award Best Actress award for the 2005 film Peacock, which was shown at the Berlin International Film Festival.

32. Nicole Kidman 

Nicole Mary Kidman AC is an American and Australian actress and producer. Known for her work across various film and television productions from several genres, she has consistently ranked among the world’s highest-paid actresses.

33. Oprah Winfrey

Oprah is an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and philanthropist. She is best known for her talk show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, broadcast from Chicago, which ran in national syndication for 25 years, from 1986 to 2011.

Oprah is dubbed the Queen of All Media and was the richest African American of the 20th century. She was once the world’s only black billionaire. By 2007, she was ranked as the most influential woman in the world. Here are Amazing Facts about Oprah Winfrey. 

34. Meghan Markle

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Meghan is an American member of the British royal family and a former actress. She is married to Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, the younger son of King Charles III. Meghan retired from acting upon her marriage to Prince Harry in 2018 and became known as the Duchess of Sussex. 

In October 2020, they launched Archewell Inc., an American public organization that focuses on non-profit activities and creative media ventures.

35. Emma Watson 

Emma Watson is an English actress, model and activist. Known for her roles in both blockbusters and independent films, as well as for her women’s rights work, she has received a selection of accolades, including a Young Artist Award and three MTV Movie Awards.

36. Jenna Ortega

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Jenna Marie Ortega is an American actress. She began her career as a child actress, receiving recognition for her role as young Jane in The CW comedy-drama series Jane the Virgin. Her breakthrough role came in portraying Harley Diaz in the Disney Channel series Stuck in the Middle, for which she won an Imagen Award.

Ortega received critical praise for her performance in the teen drama film The Fallout (2021) and went on to star in the 2022 horror films Scream and X. She starred as Wednesday Addams in the Netflix horror comedy series Wednesday (2022), for which she received nominations at the Golden Globe Awards and Screen Actors Guild Awards. Here are Jenna Ortega’s 5 Upcoming Films You Must See. 

37. Wangari Maathai

Wangari Maathai was a Kenyan social, environmental and political activist and the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize. She went on to become the first woman in East and Central Africa to become a Doctor of Philosophy, receiving her PhD from the University of Nairobi in Kenya.

Maathai was an Honorary Councillor of the World Future Council. As an academic and the author of several books, Maathai was not only an activist but also an intellectual who has made significant contributions to thinking about ecology, development, gender, and African cultures and religions.

38. Eva Green

Green is a French actress. Green starred as Morgan Pendragon in the Starz historical fantasy series Camelot. She also starred as Vanessa Ives in the Showtime horror drama series Penny Dreadful, earning critical acclaim and a nomination for Best Actress in a Television Series Drama at the 73rd Golden Globe Awards.

39. Kim Yoo-jung 

Kim Yoo-jung is a South Korean actress. She debuted as a model for a confectionery brand at the age of four. After her acting debut in 2003, she became one of the most in-demand child actresses in Korea.

40. Halle Berry

Halle Berry is an American actress. She began her career as a model and entered several beauty contests, finishing as the first runner-up in the Miss USA pageant and coming in sixth in the Miss World 1986. 

Her breakthrough film role was in the romantic comedy Boomerang (1992), alongside Eddie Murphy, which led to roles in The Flintstones (1994) and Bulworth (1998) as well as the television film Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (1999), for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award. Berry established herself as one of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood during the 2000s.

 41. Blake Lively 

Blake is an American actress. Born in Los Angeles, Lively is the daughter of actor Ernie Lively and made her professional debut in his directorial project Sandman (1998). She starred as Bridget Vreeland in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005) alongside its sequel The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (2008) to commercial success. 

She appeared opposite Justin Long in the comedy Accepted (2006) and gained notability and widespread recognition for her portrayal of Serena van der Woodsen in the CW teen drama television series Gossip Girl.

 42. Zendaya

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Zendaya is an American actress and singer. She has received various accolades, including two Primetime Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award. TIME magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in its annual list in 2022.  

43. Reese Witherspoon

Reese Witherspoon is an American actress and producer. The recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Golden Globe Awards.

Witherspoon has consistently ranked among the world’s highest-paid actresses. Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2006 and 2015, and Forbes listed her among the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women in 2019 and 2021. In 2021, Forbes named her the world’s richest actress with an estimated net worth of $400 million.

44. Keira Knightley

Keira Christina Knightley OBE is an English actress. Known for her work in both independent films and blockbusters, particularly period dramas, she has received several accolades, including nominations for two Academy Awards, three British Academy Film Awards, and a Laurence Olivier Award. 

 45. Tracee Ellis Ross

Tracee Ellis Ross is an American actress. She is known for her lead roles in the television series Girlfriends (2000–2008) and Black-ish (2014–2022).

Her work on it has earned her six NAACP Image Awards and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress Television Series Musical or Comedy. She has also received nominations for two Critics’ Choice Television Awards and five Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. Read more amazing facts  about Tracee Ellis Ross.

46. Megan Fox 

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Megan Denise Fox is an American actress. She made her acting debut in the family film Holiday in the Sun, which was followed by numerous supporting roles in film and television, such as the teen musical comedy Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, as well as a starring role in the ABC sitcom Hope & Faith.

47. Marion Cotillard 

Marion Cotillard is a French actress. Known for her roles in independent films and blockbusters in both European and Hollywood productions, she has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe Award, a European Film Award, a Lumières Award and two César Awards.

48. Queen Elizabeth II

Elizabeth II was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during her lifetime and was head of state of 15 realms at the time of her death. Her reign of 70 years and 214 days was the longest of any British monarch and the longest verified reign of any female monarch in history.

Elizabeth held many titles and honorary military positions throughout the Commonwealth was sovereign of many orders in her own countries and received honours and awards from around the world.

49. Carolina Herrera

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Carolina Herrera is a Venezuelan fashion designer known for her personal style, and for dressing various First Ladies, including Jacqueline Onassis, Laura Bush, Michelle Obama, and Melania Trump. 

Carolina Herrera presents her Ready-to-Wear Collection semiannually at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York. Her work has seen her receive so many accolades. She received the Fashion Group International Superstar Award, the Style Awards Designer of the Year in 2012 and the “Mercedes-Benz Presents” title for her 2011 collection. She has been on the cover of Vogue seven times.

50. Michelle Obama

Michelle Obama served as First Lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017 as the wife of former President Barack Obama. She was the first African-American woman to serve in this position.

As first lady, Michelle served as a role model for women and worked as an advocate for poverty awareness, education, nutrition, physical activity, and healthy eating. Her influence remained high even after her husband left the office of the president. Read 10 Remarkable Facts about Michelle Obama. 

51. Rachel McAdams 

Rachel is a Canadian actress. After graduating from a theatre degree program at York University in 2001, she worked in Canadian television and film productions. She was hailed by the media as Hollywood’s new “it girl”, and received a BAFTA Award nomination for Best Rising Star.

52. Margot Robbie

Margot Elise Robbie is an Australian actress and producer. Known for her work in both blockbusters and independent films, she has received various awards and nominations, including nominations for two Academy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, and five British Academy Film Awards.

53. Grace Kelly

Grace Patricia Kelly was the Princess of Monaco and an American actress. After starring in several significant films in the early to mid-1950s, she became Princess of Monaco when she married Prince Rainier III on April 18, 1956. She held the role until her death in 1982.

54. Kerry Washington

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Kerry Washington is an American actress. She gained wide public recognition for starring as crisis management expert Olivia Pope in the ABC drama series Scandal. For her role, she was twice nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series and once for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in Television Series Drama.

In 2018, Forbes named her the eighth highest-paid television actress. Washington has won a Primetime Emmy Award and five NAACP Image Awards, including The President’s Award.

55. Graça Machel

Machel is a Mozambican politician and humanitarian. She is the widow of the former President of Mozambique Samora Machel (1975–1986) and former President of South Africa Nelson Mandela (1998–2013). 

Machel is an international advocate for women’s and children’s rights and was made an honorary British Dame by Queen Elizabeth II in 1997 for her humanitarian work. She is the only woman in modern history to have served as First Lady of two countries, South Africa and Mozambique.

56. Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her songwriting, often inspired by her personal life has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Honoured with titles such as Artist of the Decade and Woman of the Decade, Swift is an advocate for artists’ rights and women’s empowerment.

Having sold over 200 million records globally, Swift is one of the best-selling musicians in history. She is the most streamed woman on Spotify, and the only act to have five albums open with over one million copies sold in the US. Her music is credited with influencing a generation of singer-songwriters. Read more on 50 Most Famous Musicians From Around The World. 

57. Kamala Harris

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Kamala Devi Harris is an American politician and attorney who is the 49th and current vice president of the United States. She is the first female vice president and the highest-ranking female official in U.S. history, as well as the first African-American and first Asian-American vice president.

58. Greta Thunberg 

Greta Thunberg is a Swedish environmental activist who is known for challenging world leaders to take immediate action for climate change mitigation. 

Thunberg initially gained notice for her youth and her straightforward and blunt-speaking manner both in public and to political leaders and assemblies, in which she criticizes world leaders for their failure to take what she considers sufficient action to address the climate crisis. Her sudden rise to world fame made her both a leader in the activist community and a target for critics, especially due to her youth. 

59. Malaika Vaz

Malaika Vaz is a National Geographic Explorer, TV presenter and wildlife filmmaker from Goa, India. She is the youngest person to reach the Artic and the Antarctic with students at the ice foundation.

Through her non-profit organization Kriyā, Malaika works to empower women; victims of sexual violence and disadvantaged teenage girls through adventure sports and outdoor education.  Read more on 20 Famous Environmental Scientists you should know about. 

60. Adele

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Adele is an English singer and songwriter. After graduating in arts from the BRIT School in 2006, Adele signed a record deal with XL Recordings. Adele was honoured with the Brit Award for Rising Star as well as the Grammy Award for Best New Artist.

Adele is one of the world’s best-selling music artists, with sales of over 170 million records as of 2022. She was named the best-selling album artist of the 2010s decade in the US and worldwide as well as the best-selling female artist of the 21st century in the UK.