30+ Brazilian women who were considered beauty icons over 100 years

Muses, icons, symbols. Beautiful, imitated and desired. Who hasn’t wanted to copy a movie star’s haircut? The makeup of a character pumped in soap operas? The clothes of a fashionable singer? The complete looks of the top models? Or the dances of axé dancers?

Since the beginnings of national cinema, in the 1920s, it has become important to launch models of beauty and behavior for the crowds. Then came radio, television, the internet, social networks. Each era, over the course of these 100 years, has had its women who aroused passions.

O awesome.club took a beautiful journey into the past, over 100 years, to show you women who influenced fashion and behavior in Brazil. Each with its own unique charm and charm. Embark with us on this time machine of beauty and glamour!

Brazil had a star in American cinema, at the time of silent films. Lia Torá was the winner of a photogenic contest promoted by Fox Studios and made some films in Hollywood. Her career was interrupted, however, with the arrival of sound films in the late 1920s. Lia was beautiful on screen, but she did not speak English.

Here in Brazil, one of the most charming (and daring) actresses in cinema in the 1920s was Lelita Rosa, who acted in Lips Without Kisses🇧🇷 human clay and other movies. Lia and Lelita were two forerunners in our entertainment industry.

In the 1930s, radio gained prominence as a means of broadcasting news and entertainment in Brazil. It was natural that great voice stars emerged in this scenario, but they still depended on cinema and magazines to make their faces known by the public.

Carioca Heloísa Helena, who would later become more recognized as an actress, began singing on the radio and was the first to play Tender, from Pixinguinha. Carmen Miranda, born in Portugal, was undoubtedly the biggest musical celebrity at the time and recorded some of her biggest hits. She had an impeccable sense of elegance and originality, which in the following decade carried over to American cinema.

Carioca singer Emilinha Borba was one of the most popular artists of the radio era in Brazil. She established her career in the 1940s and maintained her success in the following decade, especially with the interpretation of carnival songs.

In dramatic art, the 1940s saw the emergence of one of its most beautiful and elegant muses, the actress from Rio Grande do Sul, Maria Della Costa, who built a solid trajectory in theater, also making her presence felt in cinema and, later, on television.

In the 1950s, the national cinema gained strength with a vast production of comedies – nicknamed chanchadas – and musical films that took crowds to theaters. Beautiful, graceful and with a talent for singing and acting, Eliana Macedo, from Rio de Janeiro, was one of the most symbolic figures of this cinematographic period.

On stage, one of the female forces was the carioca Tônia Carrero. She debuted at the Teatro Brasileiro de Comédia (TBC) and then formed her own company, alongside actor Paulo Autran and Italian director Adolfo Celli. But soap opera fans like to remember her as the elegant Stella Simpson from Jellyfish (1980).

In the 1960s, the first television soap opera stars appeared. And Leila Diniz, from Rio de Janeiro, was one of them, acting in some of TV Globo’s inaugural productions. Leila was an important figure for female emancipation, with speeches and attitudes well advanced for the time.

Another personality of the time who deserves the title of muse is the carioca Helô Pinheiro, who inspired Tom Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes to compose one of the most recorded Brazilian songs worldwide. Helo is nothing more, nothing less, than the girl from Ipanema🇧🇷

The actress and model from Rio de Janeiro, Ilka Soares, was synonymous with elegance in the 1960s. So much so that she even signed a column with tips on behavior and beauty in the newspaper. night diary🇧🇷 But who actually wrote the texts was the writer Clarice Lispector.

With a more voluptuous attitude, Norma Bengell launched a successful film career, which included several works in Europe. She also had stints in music and, as a singer, participated in some of the first bossa nova launch shows in Rio de Janeiro.

Soap operas were consolidated in the 1970s and became mirrors of fashion and behavior in Brazil. It was natural that the great stars of the time came from the dream factory built on the small screen. Beautiful and blonde, Bruna Lombardi from São Paulo was one of the first models to consolidate an acting career on television.

Elected Miss Brazil in 1969, another blonde muse from the golden age of soap operas was Vera Fischer from Santa Catarina. After acting in several comedies in the cinema, she made her television debut in 1977, in the soap opera Magic mirror🇧🇷 And it continues to maintain its muse status.

Sonia Braga, from Paraná, personified the playfulness of Brazilian women in the soap opera Gabriela, a great success of 1975, based on the work of Jorge Amado. The beauty of the Bahian Gal Costa, who sang the telenovela’s opening theme, was also strongly linked to that period.

The 1980s saw the emergence of some of the greatest Brazilian models. After gaining space in fashion, the gaucho Xuxa Meneghel became a TV star in charge of children’s programs, first on Rede Manchete and later on TV Globo, where she was a phenomenon of popularity.

Luiza Brunet, from Mato Grosso do Sul, is another face of fashion that represents the time very well. It was launched in a resounding Dijon jeans campaign, stamping the back cover of several magazines of the time. Today Luiza is a businesswoman and an important activist in the fight against violence against women.

The carioca Monique Evans was another top of the 80’s, appearing on the covers of women’s and men’s magazines. Throughout her career, she has diversified her activities as an actress, presenter, reporter and reality show participant.

Born in Nova Friburgo (RJ), Luma de Oliveira also had an eventful career as a model. But the public usually remembers her as the muse of carioca carnivals in alas and as godmother of the drums of several samba schools.

O Program H, presented by Luciano Huck in Bandeirantes, was responsible for the launch of two great muses of the 90s. Suzana Alves incarnated the character Tiazinha, and Joana Prado, the mysterious Feiticeira. Both from São Paulo, they rocked the dreams of a generation of boys.

One of the liveliest fashions of the 90s was the Bahian group É o Tchan, with their irresistible rhythms and choreography. In the photo above, dancers from various phases of the band appeared on the cover of the CD commemorating the 10th anniversary of É O Tchan. From left to right, Débora Brasil, Carla Perez, Scheila Carvalho, Sheila Mello and the muse Jacaré.

The century turned and Bahian music continued to appear on the charts, launching its biggest star, Ivete Sangalo, in a solo career, with her tropical style full of energy. Meanwhile, in the fashion world, a girl from Rio Grande do Sul was taking her first steps to become one of the biggest models on the planet. Gisele Bundchen, of course.

Brazilianness took over television in the 2000s with the presence of two emerging stars in telenovelas, both from the state of Rio de Janeiro. Juliana Paes quickly established herself as an icon of national beauty. Camila Pitanga also became a symbol and built a solid career, playing very diverse roles.

In the most recent decade, the muses of Instagram have given the cards to launch fashions. Carioca actress Marina Ruy Barbosa, with more than 37 million followers, is one of the best examples of a digital influencer. Grazi Massafera, from Paraná, also achieved the status of trend diffuser with a successful acting career, after her experience in the reality show Big Brother Brazil🇧🇷

Cris Vianna, from São Paulo, is the face of diversity in the new times: she works on catwalks, in photography studios, on television, in cinema, in theater and in series created for the Internet. Alessandra Ambrosio follows Gisele’s legacy as a model of international fame, one of the highest paid in the world, according to the website Celebrity Net Worth.

For you, who are the most beautiful and charming Brazilian women of all time? Do you prefer the style of the women of the past or do you believe that today we are more elegant? Feel free to give your opinion in the comments. We are very curious to know what you think!