The World’s Most Beautiful Women: 10 Years of Beauty, Culture & Global Influence (2016–2026)
Beauty has fascinated humanity throughout history. Every culture and every generation has developed its own ideas about what makes a person beautiful.
But in the modern world, beauty has become increasingly global. A singer from Thailand, an actress from the Philippines, a model from France, or a K-pop star from Taiwan can now become admired by millions of people across continents.
Over the past decade, annual beauty rankings have reflected not only changing ideas about appearance, but also the growing influence of entertainment, fashion, social media, and international fandom.
Let us travel through ten years of some of the world’s most celebrated beautiful faces — from 2016 to 2026.
1. An Important Note About These Rankings
There is no official international organization that determines who is objectively “the most beautiful woman in the world.”
Beauty is subjective, and different organizations use different methods and criteria.
For consistency, our retrospective from 2016 through 2025 follows the annual TC Candler – The 100 Most Beautiful Faces ranking.
For 2026, we include Lingling Kwong, who was named No. 1 in The Netizens Choice’s “Most Beautiful Woman Alive 2026.”
These are two different rankings and should not be interpreted as one continuous competition.
Instead, this article uses them as an interesting window into how international perceptions of beauty have evolved.
2. 2026 — Lingling Kwong 🇹🇭🇭🇰
Thailand / Hong Kong — Actress
Lingling Kwong, whose Thai name is Sirilak Kwong, became one of Thailand’s most internationally recognized actresses.
Born in Hong Kong to a Hong Kong father and Thai mother, Lingling later moved to Thailand and built her acting career there.
Her popularity grew significantly through television series such as The Secret of Us and Only You.
In 2026, she reached No. 1 in The Netizens Choice’s Most Beautiful Woman Alive 2026, reportedly receiving more than 22 million votes.
Her victory demonstrates something important about modern celebrity culture: beauty rankings today can reflect not only appearance, but also international popularity, charisma and the extraordinary power of global fan communities.
3. 2025 — Rosé 🇰🇷🇳🇿
South Korea / New Zealand — Singer, BLACKPINK
Rosé of BLACKPINK reached No. 1 on TC Candler’s 100 Most Beautiful Faces of 2025.
By this point, Rosé was already one of the most internationally recognized K-pop performers in the world.
Her appeal combines elegance, individuality, fashion influence and a distinctive artistic identity.
Interestingly, Rosé’s BLACKPINK bandmate Lisa had already won the same TC Candler ranking four years earlier.
4. 2024 — Andrea Brillantes 🇵🇭
Philippines — Actress and Model
Filipino actress Andrea Brillantes was ranked No. 1 in TC Candler’s 100 Most Beautiful Faces of 2024.
Her victory continued the strong presence of Southeast Asian women in international beauty rankings.
The Philippines had already produced another TC Candler No. 1 winner several years earlier — Liza Soberano.
5. 2023 — Nancy Jewel McDonie 🇰🇷🇺🇸
South Korea / United States — Singer and Former MOMOLAND Member
Nancy Jewel McDonie took the No. 1 position in 2023.
Born to an American father and Korean mother, Nancy became internationally known through K-pop group MOMOLAND.
Her 2023 victory came after appearing on TC Candler’s list multiple times, demonstrating that many winners gradually move upward through the rankings before eventually reaching No. 1.
6. 2022 — Jasmine Tookes 🇺🇸
United States — Model
American model Jasmine Tookes was ranked No. 1 in 2022.
Known internationally through her modeling career and her work with Victoria’s Secret, Tookes represented a different area of global beauty culture from the actresses and K-pop performers surrounding her in this decade.
Her victory was especially notable because it came after eight appearances on TC Candler’s list.
Lisa of Thailand, the previous year’s winner, remained extremely highly ranked in 2022 at No. 3.
7. 2021 — Lisa (Lalisa Manobal) 🇹🇭
Thailand — Singer, Dancer and BLACKPINK Member
For Thailand, 2021 was a particularly memorable year.
Lalisa “Lisa” Manobal became the No. 1 Most Beautiful Face of 2021 according to TC Candler.
Born in Buriram, Thailand, Lisa became one of the most recognizable Thai entertainers in the world through BLACKPINK and later through her solo career.
Her journey through the ranking was remarkable:
2019 — No. 3
2020 — No. 2
2021 — No. 1
Rather than appearing suddenly at the top, Lisa gradually climbed the ranking over several years.
Her achievement also demonstrated how dramatically Thai entertainers had entered global popular culture.
8. 2020 — Yael Shelbia 🇮🇱
Israel — Model and Actress
Israeli model and actress Yael Shelbia reached No. 1 in 2020.
She had already ranked third in 2018 and continued climbing before eventually reaching the top.
Lisa was immediately behind her at No. 2, setting the stage for Lisa’s victory the following year.
9. 2019 — Tzuyu 🇹🇼
Taiwan — Singer, TWICE Member
Chou Tzuyu of TWICE was ranked No. 1 in 2019.
Born in Taiwan and building her entertainment career in South Korea, Tzuyu became one of K-pop’s internationally recognizable stars.
Her victory was another indication of the increasing international influence of Asian popular culture.
Lisa was ranked No. 3 that year.
10. 2018 — Thylane Blondeau 🇫🇷
France — Model and Actress
French model Thylane Blondeau reached No. 1 in 2018.
She had been internationally recognized for her appearance from a young age and developed a career in fashion and modeling.
Tzuyu finished No. 2 that year, while Lisa had already entered the Top 10 at No. 9.
11. 2017 — Liza Soberano 🇵🇭🇺🇸
Philippines / United States — Actress and Model
Liza Soberano reached No. 1 in 2017 after finishing second in 2016.
Her rise is another example of how the ranking often features familiar names repeatedly before they eventually reach the top.
Soberano became one of the most internationally recognized faces from the Philippine entertainment industry.
12. 2016 — Jourdan Dunn 🇬🇧
United Kingdom — Supermodel
Our journey begins in 2016 with British supermodel Jourdan Dunn.
Dunn reached No. 1 on TC Candler’s ranking that year, ahead of Liza Soberano at No. 2 and Korean singer Nana at No. 3.
As an internationally successful fashion model, Dunn represents the strong influence that the traditional fashion and modeling industries still held in global beauty culture at the beginning of our decade.
13. The Complete Timeline
2016 — Jourdan Dunn 🇬🇧 — United Kingdom
2017 — Liza Soberano 🇵🇭🇺🇸 — Philippines / United States
2018 — Thylane Blondeau 🇫🇷 — France
2019 — Tzuyu 🇹🇼 — Taiwan
2020 — Yael Shelbia 🇮🇱 — Israel
2021 — Lisa (Lalisa Manobal) 🇹🇭 — Thailand
2022 — Jasmine Tookes 🇺🇸 — United States
2023 — Nancy Jewel McDonie 🇰🇷🇺🇸 — South Korea / United States
2024 — Andrea Brillantes 🇵🇭 — Philippines
2025 — Rosé 🇰🇷🇳🇿 — South Korea / New Zealand
2026 — Lingling Kwong 🇹🇭🇭🇰 — Thailand / Hong Kong
Note: 2016–2025 are TC Candler No. 1 rankings. Lingling Kwong’s 2026 entry comes from The Netizens Choice’s Most Beautiful Woman Alive 2026 and is included as a separate contemporary ranking.
14. The Rise of Asian Beauty and Entertainment
One of the most striking patterns in this timeline is the increasing prominence of women connected to Asia.
The Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, South Korea and other parts of Asia appear repeatedly.
This does not necessarily mean that standards of beauty suddenly changed.
Something much larger was happening.
During the same period, K-pop, Asian television dramas, streaming platforms, social media and international fandoms dramatically expanded the global visibility of Asian entertainers.
People around the world were being introduced to faces, cultures and entertainment industries that earlier generations might rarely have encountered.
Beauty became increasingly global because media became increasingly global.
15. Thailand’s Special Place in the Story 🇹🇭
Thailand has a particularly interesting presence in this history.
In 2018, Lisa had already reached TC Candler’s Top 10.
In 2019, she climbed to No. 3.
In 2020, she reached No. 2.
And in 2021, Lisa became No. 1.
Then in 2026, another woman with strong ties to Thailand, Lingling Kwong, reached No. 1 in The Netizens Choice’s separate global beauty ranking.
Their achievements come from different ranking systems, but together they demonstrate something much broader:
Thai entertainers have become increasingly visible to international audiences.
16. Who Decides What Is Beautiful?
This is perhaps the most interesting question of all.
Is beauty determined by facial symmetry?
By proportions?
By culture?
By fashion?
By personality?
By confidence?
By popularity?
Or by the emotional response we experience when we see another person?
The answer is probably a combination of many of these factors.
TC Candler itself has stated that its selections are not intended simply as a popularity contest and that aesthetic appearance is only one consideration. Qualities such as grace, elegance and poise also form part of its stated concept.
At the same time, beauty remains inherently subjective, and rankings of this kind have also attracted criticism over their methodology and transparency.
There is therefore no scientifically established “most beautiful woman on Earth.”
17. Social Media Changed Beauty
Twenty or thirty years ago, international beauty was heavily influenced by magazines, Hollywood, fashion houses and television.
Today, the situation is completely different.
Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, streaming services and online fan communities allow an entertainer from one country to become famous almost instantly in dozens of others.
A Thai singer can become a global superstar.
A Filipino actress can develop fans throughout Asia and beyond.
A Taiwanese singer working in South Korea can become internationally recognized.
And a Thai-Hong Kong actress appearing in a Thai television series can build a worldwide fan community.
The internet did not simply change how we communicate.
It changed who the world gets to see.
18. Beauty Is Becoming More Global
Perhaps the greatest lesson from these eleven names is not about determining who is “the most beautiful.”
It is about diversity.
Our timeline includes women associated with Thailand, Taiwan, the Philippines, South Korea, Israel, France, Britain, New Zealand and the United States.
Different ethnicities, cultures, careers and styles appear throughout the list.
The modern idea of international beauty is therefore becoming less geographically concentrated.
19. Beauty Is More Than a Face
Physical appearance may initially attract attention, but lasting admiration often comes from much more.
Talent, confidence, personality, intelligence, kindness, creativity, individuality and the way someone communicates with others can profoundly influence how beautiful that person appears to us.
This may also explain why singers and actresses have become so prominent in modern beauty rankings.
Audiences do not simply see a photograph.
They watch these women perform, speak, laugh, sing, act and express themselves.
Beauty becomes connected with personality.
20. A Decade of Beauty — and a Changing World
Looking back from Jourdan Dunn in 2016 to Lingling Kwong in 2026 reveals much more than a collection of beautiful faces.
It tells a small story about globalization.
During these years, entertainment crossed borders faster than ever before. Asian popular culture expanded dramatically. Social media connected celebrities directly with international audiences. Beauty ideals became exposed to more cultures and more forms of human appearance.
Perhaps that is the most meaningful conclusion of all:
There may never be one objectively “most beautiful woman in the world.”
But the world is increasingly able to recognize beauty in people from many different cultures.
And that may be far more interesting than choosing only one winner.
Beauty is diverse. Culture is global. And all knowledge — even our understanding of beauty — is connected. ∞
Sources
TC Candler – The 100 Most Beautiful Faces annual rankings; CNA Lifestyle; Nation Thailand; GMA Entertainment; GIGAZINE; Philstar; Kompas; The Netizens Choice and international media coverage.
#MostBeautifulWomen #MostBeautifulFaces #Beauty #BeautyAroundTheWorld #GlobalBeauty #TCCandler #LinglingKwong #Lisa #LalisaManobal #BLACKPINK #Rose #Tzuyu #Nancy #AndreaBrillantes #JasmineTookes #LizaSoberano #ThylaneBlondeau #JourdanDunn #AsianBeauty #ThaiBeauty #Thailand #Kpop #GlobalCulture #SocialMedia #BeautyStandards #Entertainment #AllKnowledgeIsConnected #SFBKK
Jeff • Sinee • ChatGPT 🤍
“All Knowledge is Connected.” ∞
0 Comments :
Post a Comment