We all have our own choices of style icons, idols, symbols of female empowerment and success from today’s popular culture. But these women, whether we fully know them and admire them, or whether we have simply seen them on our TV screens, definitely fit the profile for exemplary girl crushes.
Lauren Conrad
I think one of the reasons we love Lauren Conrad so much is because of her refreshing transformation from being a young reality star on the hit MTV show Laguna Beach, to a successful author (of New York Times best-selling novels), fashion designer, and blogger. Her creativity shines through in anything she does and she most certainly adds her own flair to her exciting work. Her dedication is truly venerable. Needless to say, she is both beautiful inside and out. We learned about her genuine and positive personality during her beginning reality show days and that is why she makes an ideal best friend, and obviously, girl crush! Let’s not forget one of her most memorable quotes: “As people grow up, they realize it’s less important to have more friends and more important to have real ones.”
Emma Watson
Ah, Emma. Emma has been our beloved young actress for as long as we can remember. We all know her best for her role as Hermione Jean Granger in our favorite series of films, Harry Potter. We watched her grow up and transform into a woman, and a sincerely inspirational and well-rounded one at that. She is one of the few child actresses whom has left a mark on our generation. She is an alumna from Brown University and now serves as the UN Women Goodwill Ambassador. Intelligent, humble, passionate, talented, and a dedicated humanitarian, Emma Watson has it all. Can you say, major girl crush here? Also, make sure to watch her speech for the UN Women’s HeForShe campaign to gain some insight on her powerful recent work.
Emma Stone
Emma Stone is one actress we can all surely gravitate towards. Her humor and charm is what have us all falling head-over-heals for her. Emma possesses an extremely down-to-earth and candid personality, making her exceptionally relatable. Her effortless beauty and incredible style make her an icon for the aura of today’s Hollywood. She is one of the few celebrities who can pull off a certain kind of “old Hollywood” appeal. And of course, her smitten relationship with Andrew Garfield and her characteristic “husky” voice are just two more reasons to add to our love for her. Keep on doing what you’re doing, Emma!
Candice Swanepoel
This year’s Maxim Hot 100’s winner is undoubtedly a favorite girl crush. While Candice’s beauty is out of this world (I think we can all agree to that), Candice offers a whole lot more to the model industry. And that includes her personality, immense passion, grit, and realness. Being a Victoria’s Secret angel has certainly contributed to her success, however, Candice’s success is ever-growing due to her hard work and love for the career she has. Models have long had a stereotypical image as simply being these “stick-skinny,” dull, and personality-lacking dolls. Candice defies all of these stereotypes. She is an advocate and an aspiration for being fit and healthy, is fun and loving, and often described by her fellow model friends as having a genuinely good soul, and extremely passionate for the things she loves. And one last amazing thing about Candice, she never forgets where she came from. Her love for her home country of South Africa is mentioned in many of her interviews. This is a truly commendable act, especially in the industry she is in. Thanks for always keeping it real, Candice!
Kerry Washington
Our favorite badass character on the hit show Scandal, Olivia Pope, is played by none other than Kerry Washington. Kerry is a symbol of the ultimate classy, feminine, well-rounded, and intellectual woman we can all look up to. She is not only talented in her work as an actress, but she is very involved and passionate about politics in real life! Remember her speech at the 2012 Democratic National Convention? Take a look at it again using the link below. Kerry is a trailblazer in her sense of style, strikingly beautiful, and most of all, humble in it all. She is one of the few actresses who keeps her personal life private, and that is what makes her so practical and realistic.