Top 50 Beautiful Female Celebrities in the world

Number 50: Ashley Greene Who's number 50: Ashley Greene Where you've seen her: On the big screen as a good vamp in the Twilight series Why we love her: She's the bubbly, optimistic vamp in the Twilight series -- which is a nice change form the angst-fest we get from the rest of the fanged ones! Number 49: Maggie Q Who's number 49: Actress and model Maggie Q Why you know her: She's appeared in everything from action blockbusters (Live Free or Die Hard) to art-house fare ( New York, I Love You) Why we love her: She's passionate about PETA and was even responsible for making sure no real fur snuck onto the costumes for the Chinese film Three Kingdoms. Plus, check out her vegetarian recruiting poster! Number 48: Holly Madison Who's number 48: Holly Madison Where you've seen her: On Hugh Hefner's arm on the reality TV show "The Girls Next Door" Why we love her: Hef's former "Number 1 girlfriend" has survived her breakup with Mr Playboy himself -- no mean feat in Hollywood! Number 47: Danica Patrick Who's number 47: Danica Patrick Where you've seen her: Going very, very fast around a racetrack Why we love her: Patrick may be the best-known female auto racer in the world, and has the record high finish for a woman at the Indianapolis 500. Number 46: Gina Carano Who's number 46: Gina Carano Why you've heard of her: She's been referred to as "The face of Women's Mixed Martial Arts" Why we love her: Two words: American. Gladiators. Plus, she could beat the crap out of us with her hands tied behind her back, and we have to respect that. Number 45: Leona Lewis Who's number 45: Leona Lewis Why you know her: She went from a singing competition to musical stardom Why we love her: After winning X-Factor (the British equivalent of American Idol), Lewis proved her singing and songwriting chops with the albums Spirit and Echo. Even famously grumpy Simon Cowell is a fan! Number 44: Katy Perry Who's number 44: Katy Perry Why you know her: She kiss a girl, and she sang about it Why we love her: The cheeky singer and songwriter knows how to make a splash, both with her music and on the red carpet. Number 43: Gabrielle Union Who's number 43: Gabrielle Union Where you've seen her: On screens both big and small Why we love her: We've adored Gabrielle since "Bring It On," but our respect for her skyrocketed when she testified to the Senate Judiciary Committee, sharing her own horrific story of rape, in support of the Violence Against Women Act. Number 42: Freida Pinto Who's number 42: Freida Pinto Where you've seen her: On the big screen in "Slumdog Millionaire" Why we love her: Pinto burst onto the scene with "Slumdog Millionaire," her first feature film. People magazine placed her on their "Most Beautiful People List" and "List of the World's best Dressed Women." We couldn't agree more. Number 41: Anna Ivanovic Who's number 41: Anna Ivanovic Where you've seen her: On the tennis courts Why we love her: There are plenty of beautiful tennis players out there, but she's the rare woman who combines athleticism with her looks -- she won the French Open in 2008. Number 40: Taylor Swift Who's number 40: Omnipresent singer Taylor Swift Where you know her from: Every single radio ever Why we love her: She's cute as a button and she weathered many a storm this year. Even Kayne West couldn't disrupt her mojo for too long. Number 39: Zoe Saldana Who's number 39: Zoe Saldana Where you've seen her: On the bridge of the starship Enterprise in the new "Star Trek" reboot Why we love her: She's Lt. Uhura 2.0! We're geek enough to find that unbearably hot. Number 38: Kelly Hu Who's number 38: Kelly Hu Where you've seen her: In everything from ass-kicking action movies to sweet sitcoms Why we love her: We admit it: We have a weakness for action babes. Plus, Kelly is a mean poker player, even placing with the the top 200 in the World Series of Poker Ladies Tournament. Number 37: Blake Lively Who's number 37: Blake Lively Why you know her: She's the leggy blond on "Gossip Girl" and nearly every red carpet Why we love her: Her Serena van der Woodsen is the resident wild child on the CW's publicity-bait show, and she never fails to rise to the occasion. Number 36: Camilla Belle Who's number 36: Camilla Belle Where you've seen her: On the big screen and on the red carpet -- on a Jonas Brother's arm Why we love her: She managed to make prehistoric humanity look pretty darn hot in "10,000 BC." Number 35: Aishwarya Rai Who's number 35: Aishwarya Rai Where you've seen her: In Bollywood blockbusters and in international movie productions Why we love her: Time magazine picked her as one of the world's 100 most influential people in 2004, and Julia Roberts has called her the most beautiful woman in the world. Who are we to disagree? Number 34: Kaley Cuoco Who's number 34: Kaley Cuoco Where you've seen her: On TV's "The Big Bang Theory" Why we love her: Cuoco's sweet Penny on Big Bang is the quintessential girl-next-store who sparks a million geekish fantasies. Number 33: Christina Hendricks Who's number 33: Christina Hendricks Where you've seen her: On TV's "Mad Men" Why we love her: her character on "Med Men," Joan Holloway, may be single-handedly responsible for bringing curves back to Hollywood. Number 32: Kate Beckinsale Who's number 32: Kate Beckinsale Where you've seen her: On the big screen Why we love her: "Underworld." You think "Twilight" has sexy vampires? Just wait til you see Kate as Selene fighting vaps, werewolves and anything else that gets in her way. Number 31: Lucy Liu Who's number 31: Lucy Liu Where you've seen her: On screens big ("Charlie's Angels," "Kill BIll") and small ("Ally McBeal") Why we love her: Yes, she's made some dubious film choices ("Code Name: The Cleaner" springs to mind...), but after "Kill Bill," we'll forgive her anything. Number 30: Tricia Helfer Who's number 30: Tricia Helfer Where you've seen her: The SyFy series Battlestar Galactica Why we love her: This statuesque stunner made the idea of humanity being overtaken by robots bent on our destruction sound... not so bad, actually. Number 29: Christina Ricci Who's number 29: Christina Ricci Where you've seen her: On movie screens since 1990 Why we love her: Ricci is fearless about taking oddball roles -- witness Wednesday Addams in "The Addams Family" and Rae in "Black Snake Moan." Plus she embraced her amine eyes as Trixie in "Speed Racer." Number 28: Kim Kardashian ( Getty Images ) Who's number 28: Kim Kardashian Where you've seen her: On her reality show and at every red carpet known to man Why we love her: She's a woman who knows what she wants (endless attention), and knows how to get it. Number 27: Miranda Kerr Who's number 27: Miranda Kerr Where you've seen her: As a Victoria's Secret Angel Why we love her: She was the first Aussie model to be offered a contract with Victoria's Secret, and she hasn't slowed down since. Plus, she got naked to protect the cuddly Koala -- who wouldn't respect that? Number 26: January Jones Who's number 26: January Jones Where you've seen her: On "Mad Men" and on the red carpet Why we love her: She's Betty Draper. Number 25: Alicia Keys Who's number 25: Alicia Keyes Why you know her: You've heard one of her many Grammy-winning hits on the radio Why we love her: For all those hits, for her acting, and most of all, for Keep a Child Alive -- a charity she co-founded that provides medicines to families with HIV and AIDS in Africa. Number 24: Zhang Ziyi Who's number 24: Zhang Ziyi Where you've seen her: On the big screen Why we love her: She kicked butt in "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," enchanted in "Memoirs of a Geisha," showed off her tap-dancing skills (no, really!) in "Princess Raccoon," and was the youngest person ever to sit on the jury of the Cannes Film Festival. Plus, she survived "Rush Hour 2" with her dignity intact! Number 23: Rachel McAdams Who's number 23: Actress Rachel McAdams Why you know her: She stole the hearts of both Ryan Gosling and Owen Wilson in "The Notebook" and "Wedding Crashers," respectively. Why we love her: Have you seen her smile? It's dazzling. We can't wait to see her got toe-to-toe with Robert Downey Jr. in "Sherlock Holmes." Number 22: Paulina Rubio Who's number 22: Paulina Rubio Why you know her: She's all over the Billboard Latin charts Why we love her: We defy you to try to stop dancing to any of her hits. Number 21: Keira Knightley Who's number 21: Keira Knightley Where you've seen her: Movie screens, red carpets, magazine covers, you name it. Why we love her: "Bend It Like Beckham." "Pirates of the Caribbean." "Love Actually." "Atonement." "The Duchess." Is there any role Keira can't play? Number 20: Rihanna Who's number 20: Pop diva Rhianna Why you know her: She's all over the radio, the fashion pages and the news Why we love her: Not only is her music unstoppable, but her spirit is unquenchable: In the aftermath of an assault by then-boyfriend Chris Brown, she weathered the media firestorm with poise and grace. Number 19: Mila Kunis Who's number 19: Mila Kunis Where you've seen her: On "That 70s Show" and in "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" Why we love her: Yes, she's cute as a button. Yes, she's super talented. But we really love her the most because 1) she's the voice of Meg in "Family Guy," and Family guy equals instant adoration, and 2) she's admitted she's a huge fan of "World of Warcraft." Number 18: Sienna Miller Who's number 18: Actress and fashion plate Sienna Miller Where you've seen her: On movie screens (most recently in "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra") and in tabloid shots Why we love her: She's unafraid of fashion risks, she seems nearly unflappable, and... well, she looks like Sienna Miller! Number 17: Natalie Portman Who's number 17: Natalie Portman Where you've seen her: All over the big screen Why we love her: She's a brilliant actress and damn fine to look at. But we love her the most forthis SNL digital short. Number 16: Stacy Keibler Who's number 16: Actress and former pro wrestler Stacey Keibler Where you know her from: The competitive arenas of wrestling and dance Why we love her: It takes guts to leap into the wrestling ring -- and then leap onto the dance floor of Dancing with the Stars. Plus, there are her nicknames: "The legs of the WWE" and "The Weapon of Mass Seduction" Number 15: Heidi Klum Who's number 15: Heidi Klum Where you've seen her: On runways, in magazines and hosting "Project Runway" Why we love her: Klum has been stalking the catwalk since 1992, but she's hardly just a pretty face (and smokin' bod): She won a Peabody award for Project Runway, for which she is host and executive producer. That's the first Peabody award to a reality show. Number 14: Penelope Cruz Who's number 14: Penelope Cruz Where you've seen her: On the silver screen, including an Oscar-winning turn in "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" Why we love her: Have you seen Vicky Cristina Barcelona? How about all her roles in Pedro Almodóvar's films? How can you not love a woman with that sort of talent? Number 13: Hayden Panettiere Who's lucky 13: Hayden Panettiere Why you know her: She's the invulnerable cheerleader on "Heroes" Why we love her: Not only is Hayden ridiculously cute, she's also willing to put her body on the line to stand up for what she believes in. She famously took to the water to try to disrupt a dolphin hunt in Japan, and has hand-delivered a letter of protest to the Norwegian Ambassador urging the country to end its whale hunts. Number 12: Eva Mendes Who's number 12: Eva Mendes Where you've seen her: On movie screens in "Hitch," "Ghost Rider" and "The Spirit" Why we love her: She's a gorgeous woman who refuses to fix what others may see as flaws -- "I have the hugest overbite. It's so big, my older brothers and sisters used to call me "Bugs". I looked like a bottle opener. But I've never fixed my bite because it's one of the things that makes me me. ...My best feature is my big hips. I've got some nice childbearing hips, and I feel very proud of them. When I was younger I thought they were too big. I wanted to be slimmer. But now I totally embrace them." Number 11: Malin Akerman Who's number 11: Malin Ackerman Where you've seen her: On the big screen Why we love her: This year she's been in a comics-based action flick ("Watchmen"), a comedy ("Couples Retreat") and a rom-com ("The Proposal.") Not bad for a year's work! Number 10: Marissa Miller Who's number 10: Marissa Miller Where you've seen her: On the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue and on the Victoria's Secret catwalk Why we love her: Her Sports Illustrated cover spurred record sales, and prompted Maxim to say "she represents the return of the great American supermodel." But Miller doesn't let the attention go to her head: "I get a kick out of it, but it would be stupid to let it go to my head," she told Maxim. "It's modeling -- I didn't find the cure for cancer." Number 9: Shakira Who's number 9: Shakira Why you know her: Her hips don't lie -- and neither do her multiple music awards Why we love her: Her music alone would be enough to make us happy. Add in her tireless work for children's welfare and education and we're smitten. Number 8: Charlize Theron Who's number 8: Charlize Theron Why you know her: She's an Academy-Award-winning actress. Why we love her: Her Oscar-winning performance in "Monster" was called "one of the greatest performances in the history of the cinema" by critic Roger Ebert. Plus she's passionately committed to helping the people of her native South Africa -- her foundation provides health services for some of the poorest regions of the country. Number 7: Bar Rafaeli Who's number 7: Bar Rafaeli Where you've seen her: On countless magazine covers - including the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue. Why we love her: The leggy beauty was the first Israeli model to appear in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue, and she's been on covers ever since. Number 6: Jessica Alba Who's number 6: Jessica Alba Where you've seen her: All over movie screens Why we love her: Ever since "Dark Angel," she's known how to kick ass and take names. Plus she's committed to her charity work, even offering to work for free if producer Bob Weinstein would make a hefty donation to Amfar. Number 5: Salma Hayek Who's number 5: Salma Hayek Where you know her from: Plenty of roles on screens both big and small Why we love her: She's not only gorgeous, but she's funny as hell (did you catch her on 30 Rock?), passionate about improving lives (she's an anti-domestic violence advocate), and smart as a whip. Who wouldn't love her? Number 4: Megan Fox Who's number 4: Megan Fox Why you know her: She's the go-to geek-bait hot babe, and has appeared on countless magazine covers Why we love her: This quote from The Times of London, when the reporter asked her if she considered herself a role model: "It depends on what your idea of a role model is. If your idea of a role model is somebody who's gonna preach to your kids that sex before marriage is wrong and cursing is wrong and women should be this and be that, then I'm not a role model. But if you want your girls to feel strong and intelligent and be outspoken and fight for what they think is right, then I want to be that type of role model, yeah." Number 3: Beyonce Who's number 3: Beyonce Where you know her from: Music, movies, awards shows.... where haven't you seen her? Why we love her: So many reasons, but mostly because "Single Ladies" is a song we're almost glad will be stuck in our heads for the rest of our lives. Number 2: Adriana Lima Who's number 2: Adriana Lima Why you know her: She's one of the hottest Victoria's Secret angels Why we love her: She's one of the hottest Victoria's Secret angels... and so much more! She's deeply committed to her Catholic faith, often bringing a bible to read backstage at fashion shows. And contrary to the stories you hear about models gone wild, Adriana publicly talked about saving herself for marriage. She's now married to Serbian Marko Jarić, and gave birth to daughter this year. Number 1: Scarlett Johansson Who's number 1: Scarlett Johansson Why you know her: She broke big with Lost in Translation and hasn't slowed down since. Why we love her: She's a star who doesn't starve herself, doesn't advertise her personal business, and stays out of the tabloids. Plus, she's about to kick Iron Man's butt as the Black Widow!