They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Beauty cannot be objectified, as what one person may find beautiful, may not be to another. To each individual, beauty is a classification of their own, and it will vary from person to person. There cannot be a precise definition, as the idea of beauty cannot be pinpointed precisely. Ultimately, beauty is what you feel beauty is, and it is yours to determine.
On the internet, it’s inevitable that you will come across people’s opinions. Though they may not reflect your own, they give us an idea of what people in the world are thinking. Since 1990, a group of independent experts on the TC Candler entertainment website has been ranking the world’s top 100 most beautiful women. Not taking age or talent into account, the rating is based merely on looks. According to the website, the list is “not a popularity contest. Rather, it attempts to inform and broaden public opinion instead of reflecting it.”
The ranking carefully considers the “many millions of suggestions submitted by the public” over time, putting together “a list representative of the modern ideal of worldwide beauty.” With representatives from nearly 40 countries, the list also takes “aesthetic perfection” into consideration. Although the list may not be agreed upon by all, it features strong women from a wide range of ethnicities and certainly gives their respective nations something to be proud of.
20. Taylor Hill, supermodel, United States.
Hailing from Palatine, Illinois in the United States, the 21-year-old supermodel is one of the current Victoria’s Secret Angels. She began as a gymnast, before ultimately becoming a model in 2013, where she was featured in print campaigns for Forever 21. She was voted “2015’s Most Promising Model” by Couturesque readers and won “Model of the Year” in social media at the Fashion Media Awards.
19. Lupita Nyongo, actress, Kenya/Mexico.
Lupita was born in Mexico, but grew up in Kenya, and has been regarded as one of the most beautiful modern actresses since being recognized for her outstanding performance in the movie 12 Years A Slave, where she received an Oscar. She is fluent in Spanish, Luo, English, and Swahili, and continues to take on film projects in the United States where she has become a successful actress.
18. Jennie Kim, singer, South Korea.
Coming from Seoul, South Korea, the 22-year-old singer is one of the top K-pop stars in the girl group known as BLACKPINK. She is regarded as the fashion icon of the group and is usually the one to be invited to luxury fashion events. Her nickname is “Human Gucci” as she’s known for wearing expensive items from the renowned designer brand.
17. Yael Shelbia, model, Israel.
Growing up in a very religious family in Israel, the limitations did not stop her from pursuing a career in modeling. She had been discovered on social media by a Milan modeling agency known as ITM, and has since grabbed contracts from fashion labels like Dior. She has stayed true to her religious roots, not posing in swimwear and not breaking the Sabbath, which has led to her losing out on a lot of money opportunities. She follows a long line of models making waves from Israel in the fashion world.
16. Oktyabrina Maximova, model, Russia.
Born in Saint Petersburg, Russia, the 22-year-old model is also pursuing an education in the field of law. She surpassed the likes of many famous women in cinematography and is rising to fame in the modeling world.
15. Lalisa Manoban, singer/rapper/dancer, South Korea.
Lalisa is part of the singing girl group BLACKPINK with Jennie Kim. Although she performs in South Korea with her group, she was born in Bangkok, Thailand. At the young age of 20, she is already a versatile performer, ranking number one in the YG Entertainment competition, and has been involved in modeling shoots as well.
14. Emma Watson, actress, Great Britain.
To most, Emma Watson is known as Hermione Granger, from the famous Harry Potter series. The 27-year-old actress grew up in Oxfordshire, however, she was born in Paris, France. Along with her recognizable looks, she has been known for her outstanding acting, and since her debut in Harry Potter, she has been contacted by directors and featured in many other films to this day.
13. Audreyana Michelle, model, United States.
One of the youngest women on the list, the 18-year-old out of Oklahoma City is a mix of European, Afro-American, and Native American. Only starting her modeling career last year, she has already modeled for Next Miami, Premier London, and Freedom Models Los Angeles. She has a major Instagram following and is good friends with Justin Bieber.
12. Bella Heathcote, actress, Australia.
The 30-year-old actress/model from Melbourne, Australia began her acting career in 2008, having been featured in Fifty Shades Darker, The Man in the High Castle, and Tim Burton’s Dark Shadows, among others. She is also featured on the television series Neighbors, where she plays Amanda Fowler.
11. Antonia Iacobescu, singer, Romania.
Growing up in the United States, but born in Romania, she retraced her roots and came back home where she established success in her music career. Her hit single “Morena” topped charts in Romania, Bulgaria, and Israel. The 28-year-old singer is still one of the top singers in her country with songs that have continued to grace the European charts.
10. Camilla Belle, singer/actress, Brazil.
The 31-year-old actress was born in Los Angeles, California and has Brazilian roots. She was cast as a lead in her first film in NBC’s thriller Trapped Beneath The Earth, and has been featured in big name films such as The Lost World: Jurassic Park, When A Stranger Calls, as well as television shows like Rip Girls, and Back To The Secret Garden. Camilla was ranked number one on this list in 2010.
9. Golshifteh Farahani, actress, Iran/France.
Born in Tehran, Iran, the 34-year-old actress, musician, and singer now lives in France and has been featured in 25 films in her career, in which she has received international recognition. Aside from acting, she is also involved in environmental activism and was also featured as number six in the annual Independent Critics Beauty List of 2014, and as high as number four on this list, in 2016.
8. Ju Jingyi, singer, China.
The 23-year-old singer, actress, and dancer hails from Sichuan, China, rising to fame as part of the Chinese idol girl group SNH48, before parting ways to start her in own solo career. She has already released three solo projects to date and has also been featured in film and television series in Asia.
7. Adelaide Kane, actress, Australia.
Adelaide Kane is a 27-year-old actress from Claremont, Western Australia, who rose to fame thanks to her roles in Teen Wolf, Reign, and Once Upon A Time. She was also featured in The Purge and has a number of upcoming projects in the new year.
6. Jourdan Dunn, supermodel, Great Britain.
Jourdan is a 27-year-old model who was born in London, England and was discovered in 2006 by Hammersmith Primark. In 2008, she became the first black model to walk a Prada runway in over a decade, and has since been the face of Maybelline New York, been on the cover of British Vogue, and is considered an icon in the modeling world. Jourdan is last year’s number one ranked on this list.
5. Nana, singer, South Korea.
Also known as Im Jin-ah, the 26-year-old from South Korea is a member of two major K-pop girl groups, After School and Orange Caramel. She is a licensed makeup artist, as well as a model and actress. She has been featured in several films and television series and has been nominated as best new actress on numerous occasions. Nana was first on this list in both 2014, and 2015.
4. Sarah Gadon, actress, Canada.
Sarah Gadon is a 30-year-old actress that comes from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She began in television, where she was featured in Are You Afraid Of The Dark and has since been featured in Stephen King’s miniseries 11.22.63 as well as Alias Grace most recently.
3. Chou Tzu-Yu, singer, Taiwan.
Chou Tzu-Yu is an 18-year-old singer who was born in Taiwan but claimed her fame in South Korea as a member of the K-pop girl group called Twice. She was a contestant on the show Sixteen, a survival-style show that determined the members of Twice, where she had been picked as one of them.
2. Thylane Blondeau, model, France.
Born in the Ivory Coast, the youngest on the list is 16-year-old Thylane Blondeau, who began modeling at the age of four on a runway in France. She is a part of the IMG Models agency and is said to be one of the biggest up and coming models in the fashion world. She made the cover of Jalouse magazine at just the age of 13 and was featured in a production of Belle & Sebastian: The Adventure Continues, in 2015, where she played Gabrielle.
1. Liza Soberano, actress/model, Philippines/United States.
Coming at number one on the list is 20-year-old actress/model Liza Soberano. Born in Santa Clara, California, she is a mix of Filipino and American. At just the age of 12, she was already offered jobs to model for print ads in Manila and was spotted by a talent scout just a year later. She has starred in romantic films, as well as a number of television series. In 2014, she took home the award for Most Promising Female Star of the Year, and most recently won Female Teen Star of the Year, among many other awards that have been pouring in for her.
