Beautiful Belles: Twiggy

A series focusing on beautiful women throughout history with important contributions to the arts and entertainment industry and charity -- and a fabulous sense of beauty, inside and out!

Who do we have to thank for long, lush lashes that go on for days and days? Why, Twiggy, of course. The first super-thin supermodel became famous in the 1960s for her big doe eyes, long eyelashes, and -- no surprise here -- her rail-thin frame. (Yes, there were ultra-skinny models before Kate Moss!) Weighing only 90 pounds when she was discovered at the age of 16, Twiggy -- born Lesley Hornby -- became known for the high fashion mod look created by English fashion designer Mary Quant.

Twiggy's popularity and fascination only continued to grow after she was discovered. Her short hair was utterly modern and married the masculine/feminine side of fashion effortlessly. She was even regarded as one of the faces of "Swinging London" -- yes, the era made famous by Austin Powers!

Twiggy's sense of style and beauty is truly iconic. One cannot think of the mod period without associating her along with it. Her big doe eyes were always, always accented with loads of black mascara -- and it's rumored that she would even draw on an extra layer of lashes underneath her eyes for more volume! She kept the rest of her look simple, paring the traditional smoky eye with a nude glossy lip and clear, fresh skin. And let's not forget that hair! Her chopped, boy-meets-girl haircut came at a time when most women revered long tresses. This haircut even inspired me during my college years, when I decided to chop off all my hair!

Recent fans of Twiggy will recognize her from her years as a judge on America's Next Top Model -- a role which, sadly, has now been handed over to Paulina Porizkova. But Twiggy is still out and about, modeling for Marks and Spencer and acting in various movies and television shows. She's appeared The Blues Brothers, Pygmalion (as Eliza Doolittle), The Boy Friend and Edge of Seventeen, just to name a few of her many credits. And all the while, she's looking absolutely fabulous. Her hair is longer and blonder, her makeup is softer, but she still embodies that girl from the 1960s with her beautiful big eyes and dewy skin.

Not only contributing to the fashion, beauty and entertainment worlds, however, Twiggy has donated her time and money to Breakthrough Breast Cancer -- a charity in the UK which supports breast cancer education and research.

Twiggy is truly a fashion and beauty icon. One can only hope she continues to make the arena interesting in years to come!