ANGELINA JOLIE
"She looks the most beautiful when she's in the field – natural, no makeup, nothing," says Wyclef Jean of the actress-activist, 30. Indeed, her beauty needs are decidedly practical: a dusting of powder, a few strokes of mascara, a dab of Vaseline on her world-famous lips and – voilà! – she's ready to meet the president of Pakistan. "She wants to make a difference," says U.N. representative Guebre-Christos. "She does it with a lot of simplicity."
JESSICA ALBA
Her new movie is called Awake. Here's how Alba, 25, keeps that fresh vibe. Always wears: "Moisturizer." Barely wears: "Powder. I have kind of a round nose, and too much powder makes it look rounder." Washes hair: "Most days, unfortunately. I don't think it's good for your hair." Smells like: "Gardenia and candy."
ISAIAH WASHINGTON
Playing a doctor on Grey's Anatomy doesn't require taking the Hippocratic Oath. Still, Washington, 42, follows a "first do no harm" policy with personal grooming. No scruffy beards: "What woman in her right mind wants to be stuck by a dude with a bunch of bristly hairs?" No gnarly nails: "I get manicures and pedicures." No designer haircuts: "A trim once a week. As natural as possible – not too tapered or Jheri-curl juicy."
EVA LONGORIA
Longoria, 31, packs heat as a secret service agent in The Sentinel – and she shoots from the hip. She isn't vain: "Makeup artists always want to fill in the scar on my left eyebrow, but I never let them." She's a trendsetter: "She's really changed the way women on the red carpet look at color," says stylist Robert Verdi. She's practical: "I go to work in my pj's. I just have to get undressed again."
JAMES BLUNT
Before his earnest falsetto topped the charts with "You're Beautiful," Blunt, 32, was a captain in the British army, even escorting the Queen. Up next: Summer tour for his album Back to Bedlam. What he brings on the road: "A bar of soap." Why so basic? "In the army you carry as little as possible. Most touring bands do the same." Beauty icon: "My father's in the army. He doesn't facial himself either."
BEYONCE
To play the lead in the film adaptation of the Broadway smash Dreamgirls, Knowles, 24, subjected herself to bushy eyebrows and frumpy suits. The result: Total transformation ("Very not cute," she told reporters) – and a taste of what life might have been like if she hadn't been born beautiful. "To be honest," she said, "I feel people would have acknowledged my talent a lot more."
HEATHER LOCKLEAR
"Maybe 40 is the new 30," says TV's consummate California girl, 44. After splitting from husband Richie Sambora in February, the mom of daughter Ava, 8, just keeps getting hotter. So – the secret? Run, sun (strictly the fake variety) and fun. "I don't say, 'No more bread or pasta.' I just don't have five platefuls. I've always been a red-meat eater. I try to eat a little less and be aware."
TERRENCE HOWARD
The Oscar nominee, 37, describes himself as "extra-medium maintenance."
Sweat equity: He's up at 4:30 doing 500 push-ups, 1,000 sit-ups and a three-mile run before taking his three kids to school.
Sacrificed for art: Shoulder-length hair.
Man pampering: Regular manicures plus spa weekends "with a number of massages. That's when I allow myself to be high-maintenance."
DANICA PATRICK
In 2005 the 5'2" IndyCar Rookie of the Year, 24, led the Indianapolis 500 for 19 laps – a first for a female driver. And there's buzz about an even better showing at Indy this month. Still, racing can get bumpy. "You sweat so much," Patrick says. "We have a helmet and this head sock; the sun's on you. The skin takes a beating. I do MicroDermabrasion every month. And facials – they hurt so good."
ZIYI ZHANG
Although her latest role in Memoirs of a Geisha required hours of heavy makeup, Zhang, 27, prefers a more minimal approach: "I like a natural and clean look. Having makeup on, I cannot recognize myself. It changes my feelings in my heart."
AVRIL LAVIGNE
She has a third album in the works, and she's planning a wedding to Sum 41 frontman Deryck Whibley, 26. So for Lavigne, 21, her "new" image is just the latest, natural next step. "Being a girl is awesome. There's so much – bags, shoes, makeup, accessories," she says. "I love putting lotion on – I'm obsessed with lavender. It's a lot of fun, and I think the older you get, the more you get into it."
BRANDON ROUTH
You know him from a year as Seth on One Life to Live and a guest spot on Will & Grace. But up next: leaping tall buildings to star with Kate Bosworth in Superman Returns, out in June. So, what about the costume? "I got used to the tights pretty fast," says Routh, 26. "And when you wear a cape, you glide and flow; you become regal. I'd recommend it."
RACHEL BILSON
Voted sexiest in her senior class, Bilson, 25, a star of FOX's The O.C., figured out her formula early on. Drugstore deal: 99¢ Wet 'n' Wild white eyeliner. "I've always used Wet 'n' Wild! A light liner on the inside of your eyes really opens them up." Biggest don't: "The brown lip liner with pink lipstick phase in junior high." Comes with the package: Boyfriend and costar Adam Brody "loves my freckles."
NAVEEN ANDREWS
Looking like he's been stranded on an island for months doesn't come easily to Lost's Andrews, 37. He hates the required growth of stubble and laments his limited wardrobe. But at least his hair-care routine hasn't had to change: "I can go two or three weeks without washing it. If I wash it more, it tends to turn into Sly and the Family Stone."
NICOLE KIDMAN
The world-class beauty, 38, shares three simple beauty rules:
1. "Don't wear too much makeup."
2. "Stay clean and fresh, and try not to smoke."
3. "If you have fair skin, stay out of the sun and wear a hat. I couldn't live without sunscreen."
People Magazine: Top 15 Most Beautiful in the World List
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