What does it really mean to be a desirable woman? Is it solely about a pretty face or a career accomplishment? Is it about having perfect proportions or about being “wife material”? You answered these questions by voting in our annual Top 99. And judging from your responses and those of our staff, one thing is clear: Desirability isn’t any one of these things, but all of them. You chose women who represent the complete package of beauty, brains, ambition and charm. And we think you chose wisely. From young up-and-comers to Top 99 vets, here are the women who make all our hearts skip a collective beat.
WHY IS JENNIFER LAWRENCE # 1?
In 2012, sultry 22-year-old actress Jennifer Lawrence achieved wide recognition by playing heroine Katniss Everdeen in the highly anticipated film adaptation of The Hunger Games. Based on her performance in the film, Rolling Stone named her “the most talented young actress in America.” Now that’s some high praise. But Jennifer’s real breakout role was playing Ree in 2010’s Winter’s Bone for which she was nominated for an Oscar. This past September, Lawrence reprised her role as Katniss as production began on The Hunger Games sequel. In 2012 Jennifer also starred alongside Elisabeth Shue in House at the End of the Street and with Bradley Cooper in Silver Linings Playbook.
WHY IS MILA KUNIS # 2?
This year, besides costarring in Ted, the Seth MacFarlane-helmed raunchy summer blockbuster, Mila Kunis was also dubbed the sexiest woman alive by Esquire magazine. With just one look at this pint-sized 29-year-old beauty, it’s no surprise that she’s been honored with such a title. And, on the heels of that honor, Christian Dior recently named Mila the face of one of its Spring fashion campaigns. Needless to say, Meg Griffin has had a hell of a year.
WHY IS KATE UPTON # 3?
The average person could be forgiven for having been unaware of this drop-dead gorgeous model prior to 2012, but that year Kate Upton became a bona fide household name. At just 20 years old, Kate’s still not able to legally order a beer, but she’s already graced the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, an honor all swimsuit models strive for but few are lucky enough to ever achieve. Her success didn’t stop there, though. Kate is one of those rare models to successfully transition from swimsuit to high-fashion modeling with 2012 editorials in Vogue Espana, Vogue Italia and American Vogue. She also had a near-constant viral video presence in the same year. Her Terry Richardson-shot “Cat Daddy” video was damn near everywhere and came close to breaking the internet within minutes of its release. Her ridiculously sexy ad for Carl’s Jr wasn’t exactly tame either.
WHY IS RIHANNA # 4?
Earlier this year, Billboard gave Rihanna the top spot on its list of the Top Pop Songs Artists of 1992-2012, a nod that will come as no surprise to anyone who follows music. Beginning with 2005’s “Pon De Replay,” the sultry Barbadian songstress has recorded string after string of progressively more provocative hits, culminating in “Diamonds,” the lead single from Unapologetic, her seventh album. Like her career, her ongoing collaboration with on-again off-again love interest Chris Brown also shows no signs of slowing down. This year she also made her film debut in 2012’s Battleship. Of course, Rihanna’s impossibly delicate face and statuesque body have never hurt her appeal. As long as she continues to produce music videos and pose for magazine spreads — like her recent bare-all shoots for GQ and V — we’ll continue to pay rapt attention.
WHY IS EMMA STONE # 5?
Raspy-voiced, red-haired California girl Emma Stone had a great 2012. The Amazing Spider-Man star has had a relatively short Hollywood career but has already earned the Trailblazer Award at the 2012 MTV Movie Awards. And while we’re not quite sure what the qualifications for being a “trailblazer” actually are, it’s still pretty impressive that Emma owns such a trophy at 24. She also (along with the rest of the cast) won a 2012 SAG award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture for the Oscar-nominated film The Help. 2013 looks like it’s going to be another stellar year for this impossibly cool actress. Pre-production for The Amazing Spider-Man sequel starts early in the new year and Emma recently signed on to play the lead in the next Cameron Crowe movie.
WHY IS MIRANDA KERR # 6?
Victoria’s Secret Angel Miranda Kerr can simultaneously pull off both sexy and cute better than anyone else on the planet. And while Mila Kunis was given the title here in the States, Miranda, who, sadly, is married to actor Orlando Bloom, was recently named the “Sexiest Woman Alive” by Esquire UK. For the record, we don’t play favorites. We’re huge fans of both choices. This adorable Aussie was also recently named the ambassador for her homeland’s most popular airline, Qantas.
WHY IS KRISTEN STEWART # 7?
Kristen Stewart certainly had an interesting 2012. After a highly publicized indiscretion with her Snow White and the Huntsman director, Rupert Sanders, Kristen wound up reluctantly single for the first time in roughly four years. She and her longtime boyfriend and Twilight costar, Robert Pattinson, ended things over the summer (though their status at the moment is anyone’s guess). The breakup made promoting the former couple’s film, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2, the final installment in the famed Twilight series, rather difficult. But now that both the scandal and the Twilight films have run their course, look for big things from Kristen in 2013, including the start of production for a Snow White and the Huntsman sequel.
WHY IS JESSICA GOMES # 8?
By now, you’ve no doubt borne witness to the miracles that are Jessica Gomes’ stunning face and figure. The Australian-born model of Chinese-Singaporean and Portuguese descent has appeared in four Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issues, along with ads for brands like Levi’s and Motorola and, yes, the Victoria’s Secret catalog. Her voice should be familiar too — in 2012, it was revealed that she was the woman behind the sublimely sexy “Maybach Music” drop heard on so many Rick Ross tracks. These days, she’s been flaunting her business savvy while marketing her line of skin care products. We hope she has the sense to feature herself in all of her ads.
WHY IS JESSICA PARÉ # 9?
As the hot young wife of Don Draper, the ad man with an ever-present glass of Scotch in his hand, Jessica Pare was responsible for the sexiest scene in the history of Mad Men. At Don’s birthday party, Jessica’s character, Megan, a sultry French sexpot, delivered an eye-opening musical performance. The song, “Zou Bisou Bisou,” was sung by Jessica herself entirely in French. The scene was so popular that Jessica’s version of the song wound up being released as an iTunes single.
WHY IS MICHELLE JENNEKE # 10?
Michelle Jenneke is a 19-year-old hurdler from Australia. She’s had quite a few victories on the track, but her best performance… well, that’s another story altogether. Jenneke went viral with her pre-race routine at the 2012 World Junior Championships in Athletics in Barcelona. Boys all over the world warmed up right along with her — albeit in a slightly different manner — when they saw her loosening up before the race. Dressed in the smallest two-piece tracksuit available, Jenneke bounced and danced, swaying her hips and swinging her hair like a total coquette. She finished first, winning a gold medal for her race but also for the sexiest warmup of all time.
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