Childhood Beauty Icons

I have always been obsessed with beauty, and all things beautiful. When I was a child I loved to watch my beauty icons on television and movies. I have always been a "girl's girl" and I have always admired women with grace, taste, and lovliness.

I had many childhood beauty icons as a young girl, and needless to say my taste in beauty has changed since then, but many of my childhood beauty icons have stayed the same. The classic beauties have always amazed me: Natalie Wood, Grace Kelly, Sophia Loren, Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, Ursula Andress, Jacqueline Kennedy, Catherine Deneuve, etc. This post, however is dedicated to the campy, and sometimes tacky women who were actually hot and happening and all over TV and movies when I was growing up in the 70's and 80's. Women who I wanted to be when I grew up. Beautiful women.

As I said, I was a child of the 70's and 80's so, it goes without saying that I loved Charlie's Angels. Seriously--the feathered flaxen blonde and brunette hair was intoxicating to a wild haired, freckle faced redheaded little girl from Oklahoma like me. My hair never would feather like that. Viva la Farrah, Kate, and Jacqueline. To see Farrah in an interview now just makes me sad, but Jacqueline is still gorgeous to this day.



Holly Holstrom from the Price is Right. OK--Quit laughing you smug people! There were very, very few beautiful redheads on TV when I was a child. Holly was beautiful and she was a redhead, and to little girls everywhere, her job was oh so glamorous! Showcase Showdown anyone?



Lauren Hutton. She was such a hot model when I was a small child. I stayed with my very posh aunt a lot of the time when I was a kid, and she always had the BEST fashion magazines from all over the world. I would devour the pages of French Vogue, Marie Claire, Elle etc. I always thought Lauren looked so natural and so sporty. And the gap in her smile.....Lauren made that gap work! Pox on veneers--Lauren Hutton rocked the imperfect smile!



Carol Alt was another beautiful model from my childhood days. I remember Carol as being the hottest model on the planet next to Christy Brinkley when I was little. I always found Carol's beauty to be much more interesting that Christy's--until Christy married Billy Joel, then Christy was OK by me.



Angie Dickinson. I was very small when Angie was hot, but come on--she was tough as nails, and I loved her hairstyle. She was Police Woman and I wanted some of her piss and vinegar. Angie was a tough broad and I liked her!





Victoria Principal was another lovely redhead on TV when I was young. I used to think Dallas was such a great show when I was a child. Southfork was so glamorous, and they were so wealthy! I wanted to live at Southfork and have a husband just like Bobby Ewing (Patrick Duffy--HA), and be Pamela Ewing. I used to really dream big. Oh Lord!




Patti Hansen was also one of my favorite models when I was a child. She was sometimes honey blonde, but sometimes she was a strawberry blonde-and she always had freckles. I thought she was IT! I could not understand why on earth she married Keith Richards....but I understand it now. Last year, I was lucky enough to get to sit by her at Buff Spa at Bergdorf Goodman in NYC. We were both getting a manicure and we were chatting about Deborah Lippman nail polish. She was loving the color Satin Doll and I told her that Mariah Carey inspired that color. Patti was beautiful, and friendly, and very normal.






Marie Osmond....OK, SHUT UP, I KNOW! But seriously, what little girl from the 70's at least for a fleeting second did not want to be Marie Osmond? Till you admitted the crush on Donny and found out that is just crazy and wrong? I loved Marie. She was wholesome....not to mention she was country and rock and roll dammit! I used to sport a Donny and Marie T-shirt and I was all proud. By the way--Donny is still hot! Mormons age really well. Must be the clean living.

Honorable mention goes to Stephanie Powers from Hart to Hart, Heather Thomas from TJ Hooker, and Joyce Dewitt from Three's Company--shut up, I liked her! She was smart and practical, and THAT IS HOT!

Who were some of your childhood beauty icons? And to my male readers, who did you want to be when you grew up? I already know that Lost Okie loved (and still loves) Clint Eastwood.

Have a beautiful day!