As reported on Businessinsider.com
by AskMen
Is it solely about a pretty face or a career accomplishment? Is it about having perfect proportions or about being “wife material”?
Start with #99 >
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.
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99: Bérénice Marlohe
Why is Bérénice Marlohe # 99?
While your average Joe probably doesn’t know all that much about this French beauty, he will before long. For years, Bérénice, who was born and raised in Paris, was cast only in small roles on French TV. And then 2012 happened. That year, Bérénice was cast alongside Daniel Craig as Séverine, the newest Bond girl, in the 23rd installment of the James Bond series, Skyfall. On the heels of Skyfall’s success, Bérénice was recently cast as the star of director Terrence Malick’s upcoming film, an as-yet-untitled project that will feature such A-listers as Natalie Portman, Ryan Gosling and Christian Bale.
98: Kim Kardashian
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Why is Kim Kardashian # 98?
Kim Kardashian, the reigning queen of reality television, certainly had a productive—and lucrative—2012. Kim, the hotter half of KimYe, recently signed a new three-year deal with E! that will keep the Kardashians on the network through their series’ ninth season. The deal is worth an estimated $50 million. As further proof that Kim knows how to get paid, earlier in 2012, she launched two fragrances and a clothing line.
97: Charlize Theron
Why is Charlize Theron # 97?
Statuesque South African beauty Charlize Theron had a wildly productive 2012. Over the past year, Charlize starred in two blockbuster films, Prometheus and Snow White & the Huntsman, both of which were massive hits. And 2013 looks like it’s set to be another banner year for this actress. Aside from starring with Tom Hardy in the Mad Max reboot, Charlize may reprise her role as the beautiful but mentally challenged Rita Leeds on the highly anticipated Netflix-only Arrested Development revival.
96: Ana Ivanovic
Why is Ana Ivanovic # 96?
2012 was the year that tennis starlet Ana Ivanovic finally resurfaced as more than just a pretty face. Since winning the 2008 French Open, she’d been stuck in neutral but finally got back into a grand slam quarterfinal for the first time in four years with her run at the U.S. Open. Regardless of how the 25-year-old does in the win-loss column, the Serbian sweetheart will always attract a crowd with her looks.
95: Kate Moss
Why is Kate Moss # 95?
How many 38-year-old women can pose nude with Rihanna without being overshadowed by the young singer’s impressive body? We can think of only one: Kate Moss. This year, Kate appeared in the buff in a provocative spread with Rihanna, published in V. She’s as hot as she was 20 years ago, when she became a cultural icon thanks to a Calvin Klein campaign. Yes, her not-quite-there stare is as haunting as ever. Will we ever escape Kate and her oversize influence? We sure hope not.
94: Amrita Acharia
Why is Amrita Acharia # 94?
Amrita Acharia played the Dothraki handmaiden Irri in the first two seasons of HBO’s wildly popular Game of Thrones. Sadly, her character was writtenout of the show during the second season, despite surviving far longer in the books. We’re sure that the gorgeous Amrita, who was born in Nepal but studied acting in England, will wind up back on our televisions sooner rather than later.
93: Katie Holmes
Why is Katie Holmes # 93?
Once upon a time, Katie Holmes was the object of our teenage desires on Dawson’s Creek. Those days are gone and Katie has since gone from small-screen drama queen to Hollywood A-lister. Yes, we watched in horror as our former crush did a stint as Tom Cruise’s robowife, but following an abrupt divorce she’s back to her old self. In 2012, she acted in the Broadway playDead Accounts, and she has at least one movie project lined up for next year. We’ll be watching — yes, a little nostalgically.
92: Paulina Gretzky
Why is Paulina Gretzky # 92?
If there’s one thing Paulina Gretzky is not, it’s shy. The daughter of Wayne Gretzky—“The Great One” of the NHL—has in the last few years proven herself to be a prolific poster of provocative pictures on both Twitter and Instagram. And although her legendary Pops has complained about them, we sure won’t. From her bikini shots to her sexy Halloween outfits, Paulina earned her way onto Maxim’s 2012 Hot 100 list the old-fashioned way: by being crazy hot and proud of it. This year, she’ll continue to be one of the best arguments for social media, Daddy’s dignity be damned.
91: Rosci
Why is Rocsi # 91?
Raquel Roxanne Diaz, better known as Rocsi, had some big shoes to fill in 2006, when she became the female cohost of 106 & Park, BET’s long-running music video countdown. The Honduran native with such lush lips quickly won the show’s audience over, earning herself the nickname The Lady of 106. In 2012, she made her film debut in Gang of Roses 2: Next Generationand left BET for a spot as a correspondent on Entertainment Tonight. Eddie Murphy may have broken it off with Rocsi in September, but we never will.
90: Jenna Marbles
Why is Jenna Marbles # 90?
A couple of years ago, Jenna Marbles (real name Jenna Mourey) posted a video called “How to trick people into thinking you’re good-looking” to YouTube. In it, Jenna, who holds a master’s degree from Boston University and is actually very, very good-looking, ran through a laundry list of tongue-in-cheek beauty tips mocking more conventional girls. The video has since amassed over 46 million views, and her many subsequent shorts have cracked the multimillion mark as well—and not just from our own repeated viewings. After all, what’s sexier than a girl who can make you laugh?
89: Aubrey Plaza
flickr
Why is Aubrey Plaza # 89?
Aubrey Plaza, whose patented deadpan delivery is a highlight of any Parks & Recreation episode, earned her first starring role in a feature film this year. In Safety Not Guaranteed, Aubrey played Darius Britt, an intern for a local newspaper who strikes up a friendship with an eccentric wannabe time-traveler. In 2013, aside from her usual NBC duties, Aubrey is set to play the lead inThe To Do List, a raunchy comedy with an all-star cast that’s set for a Valentine’s Day release.
88: Shailene Woodley
Joe Seer / Shutterstock.com“>Joe Seer / Shutterstock.com
Why is Shailene Woodley # 88?
2012 has to have been the best year so far in Shailene Woodley’s life so far. After starring alongside George Clooney in 2011’s award-winning The Descendants, Shailene, at just 21 years old, found herself nominated for a 2012 Golden Globe and winning both an Independent Spirit Award and a MTV Movie Award. And besides her thriving film career, Shailene also plays the lead role on ABC Family’s hit series The Secret Life of the American Teenager, although it was recently announced that the upcoming fifth season would be the series’ last.
87: Bar Paley
Why is Bar Paly # 87?
We like to think of Bar Paly as Israel’s hottest export. You’ve almost certainly seen her sexy spreads in Maxim, and this year you may have caught her on MTV’s Underemployed. The Tel Aviv native, who’s been modeling since she was 17, broke into acting in 2003 and hasn’t looked back since. In 2013, we’ll see her alongside Jason Schwartzman and Charlie Sheen in A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III, as well as with Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in Pain & Gain.
86: Imogen Poots
Why is Imogen Poots # 86?
In addition to having a name we’ll always remember, British actress Imogen Poots has starred in a few movies we’ll never forget, including the zombie thriller 28 Weeks Later, the 2011 remake of the horror classic Fright Night and the film adaptation of Jane Eyre (we’ve got no shame in our game). In 2012, you might have caught the almost unbearably pretty Imogen — who’s not afraid to crack a joke or two about her small bust — in A Late Quartet alongside Christopher Walken. She’s got plenty lined up for 2013, including A Long Way Down, with Rosamund Pike and Aaron Paul. If you’re not an Imogen fan yet, you soon will be.
85: Nadezhda Tolokonnikova
Why is Nadezhda Tolokonnikova # 85?
Nadezhda Tolokonnikova may be Russia’s sexiest inmate. Last summer, her punk band, Pussy Riot, was sentenced to two years in prison for performing at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. Nadezhda has never minced words when it comes to Vladimir Putin, but her anti-establishment streak predates her riot-grrrl days. In 2008, she even participated in a public orgy to protest the election of Dmitry Medvedev. Can you think of a better—or at least hotter—way to stick it to the man?
84: Olivia Thirlby
Why is Olivia Thirlby # 84?
Ever since she rang Ellen Page’s hamburger phone back in 2007’s Juno, the doe-eyed Olivia Thirlby has been one of Hollywood’s busiest young actresses. Not only did this 26-year-old stunner recently make waves when she revealed her bisexuality, but she also starred in a whopping five films in 2012. One was Nobody Walks, in which she starred as a potential home wrecker opposite The Office’s John Krasinski, and another was Dredd, the Judge Dredd reboot, in which she starred opposite Karl Urban.
83: Rose Byrne
Why is Rose Byrne # 83?
Rose Byrne first caught our eye in 2002, when she appeared in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones. While we appreciate her body of work thoroughly—X-Men: First Class was among our favorite films of 2011, and we’d definitely hire the young attorney she plays on Damages—we offer no apologies for the fact that we find her whole classic-brunette-with-a-hot-Australian-accent thing incredibly sexy. So we’ll be glad to line up for tickets when The Internship, her movie with Vince Vaughn, Will Ferrell and Owen Wilson, comes out next year.
82: Liu Wen
Why is Liu Wen # 82?
It’s hard not to love Liu Wen, one of the world’s most successful models. In 2009, after rising to prominence in a Vogue spread, she made history as the first Asian model to set foot on the Victoria’s Secret runway. Over the course of her career, she has appeared in ads for such names as Rag & Bone, Dolce & Gabbana and Alexander Wang, and is now one of the faces of Estée Lauder. This year, you may have noticed Liu in all her slender, delicate glory in Vogue and W editorials, in addition to Diesel’s spring advertising campaign. Given her astronomical success, we expect to see a lot more of her—and you won’t catch us complaining about that.
81: Iggy Azalea
Why is Iggy Azalea # 81?
The word swagger may be overused, but Iggy Azalea has plenty of it. After all, how many blond-haired Australian rappers with model-like bods can say they’re signed to Grand Hustle, the same label that reps T.I.? Iggy emerged in 2011 with Ignorant Art, a mix of danceable beats, Dirty South-inflected flows and unabashedly nasty lyrics. She continued her rise with the EP Glory andTrap Gold, another mixtape. She’s expected to release her debut album, The New Classic, in the coming months. Until then, we’ll be humming her single “Picture Me Rollin’” and picturing her doing just that.
80: Tina Fey
Why is Tina Fey # 80?
Who doesn’t like a smart, witty woman who happens to be easy on the eyes? It’s a combination that’s hard to beat, and Tina Fey embodies it. After some time on the improv circuit, Tina broke out on Saturday Night Live, first as a writer in the late ‘90s. She soon emerged as one of the show’s standout stars, co-anchoring Weekend Update before writing the hit movie Mean Girlsand eventually leaving SNL to launch the acclaimed sitcom 30 Rock. Between the forthcoming Admission, a comedy that will see her sharing the screen with Paul Rudd, and television work, we figure we’ll have enough Tina to satisfy us for another year.