9 Female Icons That Redefined Sexuality Forever (5 of 5)

Angelina Jolie

Angelina Jolie’s most iconic roles often blend strength, confidence, and allure—whether as Lara Croft or Mrs. Smith—presenting characters who were as powerful as they were captivating. Her distinctive features influenced beauty trends for years, inspiring countless makeup looks and, for some, even cosmetic choices. Over time, however, Jolie moved beyond being viewed primarily through the lens of appearance. She gradually shifted the focus toward issues she felt truly mattered, using her visibility to advocate for humanitarian causes and women’s rights.

Her actions have often spoken louder than image. In the spring of 2022 and again in the fall of 2025, Jolie visited Ukraine, where she met with evacuees, toured medical facilities for children, and spent time offering comfort and attention to those affected by the war. These moments highlighted a different side of her public identity—one rooted in empathy, responsibility, and quiet presence. For Jolie, true attractiveness seems to lie not in looks, but in intelligence, compassion, and meaningful engagement with the world.

Marilyn Monroe

Marilyn Monroe’s carefully cultivated “naïve blonde” persona fit seamlessly into early Hollywood, an industry that often placed women into narrow, limiting roles. Her image—platinum hair, red lipstick, form-fitting dresses, graceful movements, and a soft, breathy voice—became an enduring beauty ideal that influenced generations. A defining moment came in The Seven Year Itch (1955), when the famous scene of her white dress lifting in the subway breeze cemented her status as a cultural icon.

Yet that same image also boxed her in. Many historians and biographers suggest that Monroe’s seemingly playful, ditzy screen persona was less about a lack of intelligence and more about adaptation—a way to navigate an industry that offered few safe alternatives. Behind the scenes, she struggled with anxiety, insomnia, and depression, challenges that were compounded by an increasing dependence on medication. Her story reflects both the power and the cost of fame, and the complexity behind an image that the world often misunderstood.