Beautiful Belles: Marlo Thomas

We all draw beauty inspiration from women throughout history. Whether we want long eyelashes like Twiggy or pixie cuts like Mia Farrow, something about certain women sparks our beauty interest. And so, I've decided to start a new column here at The Beauty of Life: Beautiful Belles. Each column will focus on a specific icon who's definitely inspired this beauty chick -- and may have inspired you too! Without further adieu, here's the introductory Beautiful Belle.

If you're like me, you grew up wanting to be Marlo Thomas. I memorized the entire soundtrack to Free to Be... You and Me (William's Doll, Atalanta and Ladies First were my favorites) and thought her portrayal of Ann Marie on That Girl rivaled that of Mary Tyler Moore. (I especially loved when she flew the kite with the That Girl logo on it during the credits.) And she just gets more stunning with age -- who could forget her portrayal of Rachel Greene's stylish, full of zingers yet still amazingly sweet mom on Friends?

Thomas' portrayal of Ann Marie garnered quite a bit of controversy, however. As an actress living on her own in New York City, and with a handsome boyfriend whom she never actually married, she was looked upon unfavorably by many -- though the show is considered to be the forerunner for both Murphy Brown and Mary Tyler Moore. But at its heart, it focused on a girl pursuing her dreams and being unafraid to compromise herself or her aspirations -- and she did that while looking amazingly stunning. Thomas' raven-haired locks and big doe eyes, combined with her fantastically on-point wardrobe, made her one to watch.

Since the 1970s, Thomas' charity work has seen no limits. Free to Be... You and Me used poetry, songs and short sketches to impress upon people that we are all actually created equal. With songs like "Parents are People" (a duet between Thomas and Harry Belafonte in which they take on each other's gender stereotypes), the special worked to improve relations and break down the injustices and prejudices in the world. Thomas' work with the St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital has also been quite significant.

Marlo Thomas exudes such an interesting combination of grace and sensuality that turns her into the classic girl-next-door. Her fun-loving laugh, raspy and throaty voice, and kindly smiling eyes create such an air of friendliness and positive character. Her beauty regimen has actually not changed much throughout the years -- she relies on eyes lined in black and pink or nude lipstick to keep her look fresh and elegant. The raven hair might be a little lighter, the cut a little shorter ... but her traditional hair flip could actually be considered the precursor to the famed "Rachel cut!" She truly embodies the feel of "That Girl."