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People's World's Most Beautiful 2009 Christina Applegate & others
She has an "angel" of a boyfriend, Dutch bass player Martyn Lenoble, "who loves me from head to toe." She has a cozy Malibu beach house that she calls "the best thing I've ever done for myself." And, after a very public battle with breast cancer that has given her a gratifying "feeling of purpose," Christina Applegate has a new lease on life.
"I used to be really shy but I started to come into my own in my late 20s and early 30s," Applegate, 37, tells PEOPLE in the cover interview for the annual Most Beautiful issue – her first interview since her reconstructive breast surgery last November. "Now I'm not afraid to speak up in a room full of people and be a part of the conversation."
The Samantha Who? star says she's finding balance and embracing her body after undergoing a double mastectomy in July.
"You have to get through the physical transformations then buck up, go to work and try to be the normal, happy Christina for everyone around you," she says.
One source of strength has been Lenoble. "He's been a friend for about 13 years," Applegate says. "Our relationship gets stronger and stronger. I'm really lucky."
And, more importantly, he makes the actress feel "beautiful" about her new body.
"I'm very grateful to Martyn for coming along at a time that he did because he's been my rock through all of this," Applegate says. "He gave me something to really want to live for and something to smile about."
HALLE BERRYWhen asked what makes her famous face happy, Berry, 42, (who appeared on the Most Beautiful cover in 2003) replies, "My daughter's smile and her eight new teeth, the smell of fresh flowers, hiking as the sun comes up, feeling good about the woman I’ve become and finally getting a complete night of sleep."
90210 STARSThe stars of TV's sexiest zip code – (from left), Jessica Stroup, 22, AnnaLynne McCord, 21, Jessica Lowndes, 20, and Shenae Grimes, 19 – put their best, freshest faces forward for their PEOPLE shoot. "My mother taught me less is more," says Lowndes. "When I discovered bronzer in tenth grade, I kind of went to town – I looked like an Oompa Loompa!"
CIARA The R&B star, 23, also went sans makeup at her PEOPLE shoot. "Being beautiful is all in the attitude," she says. "It's about confidence."
ZAC EFRONThe heartthrob told PEOPLE he stays in shape by "backpacking, hiking, surfing, swimming, playing tennis – things that get you active and are also fun." And the 21-year-old avoids junk food – well, usually. "I try not to eat anything that's packaged. Of course, I never succeed."
CHRISTINA AGUILERA"Being a mom has made me do things I never did before," says the singer, 28, who took the plunge into motherhood with 15-month-old Max. "I'm a total vampire – but Max makes me go out into the sun or to the pool in the middle of the day. He brings out a different side of me that I'm really starting to enjoy."
FREIDA PINTOAn overnight sensation thanks to her turn in the Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire, the former model, 24, says she's taking it all in stride. "The beauty of life is that it takes turns that are sometimes bigger than your wildest dreams," she told Blackbook.
CHANNING TATUMHe's had training in martial arts (which he shows off in his new film Fighting), but Tatum says he's a lover, not a fighter. "I'd probably run, more than likely," the 29-year-old told WPIX in New York about how he'd react to a throwdown. Then, referring to his starmaking role in the film Step Up, he joked, "Or I'd be like, 'Wanna dance? Let's have a dance-off!'"
JULIANNE HOUGHThe Dancing with the Stars champ and country singer admits that she likes the revealing outfits she wears on the ABC reality show. "I'm the first to admit it: I like being sexy! I always wear the shorter shorts and my dad's like, 'Cover up!'" the 20-year-old told PEOPLE. "Modesty, that's my biggest downfall."
ROBERT PATTINSONThe Twilight star, 22, says he doesn't quite understand his heartthrob status – or the fuss about his signature tousled do. "I don't get it. It's funny, you look the same for years and no one ever mentions it. Then suddenly it's a big deal."
TAYLOR SWIFTShe's only 19, and this is already her second appearance on PEOPLE's Most Beautiful list! Last year, she posed without makeup, saying "it's important to be comfortable with who you are and go natural once in a while."
MICHELLE OBAMAThe First Lady says growing up in a supportive household helped make her the confident woman she is today. "I had a father and a brother who thought I was beautiful, and they made me feel that way every single day," says Obama, 45. "I grew up with very strong male role models who thought I was smart and fast and funny, so I heard that a lot. I know that there are many young girls who don’t hear it."
MELISSA RYCROFTAfter being rejected on The Bachelor, Rycroft, 25, is having the last laugh. She moved on to a Dancing with the Stars gig – and a new boyfriend, an insurance agent named Ty Strickland! "He has been my biggest rock and supporter," she told Ellen DeGeneres.
TRISTAN WILDSOn 90210, he plays good-guy Dixon – a character who gets dissed when telling a girlfriend he loves her. (Her reply: "Thank you." Ouch!) In real life, he's luckier in love, saying that's never happened to him. "Thank goodness, 'cause if it would have, I probably would have cried," the 19-year-old told The CW Source.
TAYLOR MOMSENThe youngest Gossip Girl star at 15, Momsen's already signed with IMG models, but admits that her height (5'8'') can make it hard for her to find jeans that fit. "I have a really strange body," she told Vanity Fair. "I'm tall, but I'm all legs, like three-fourths of my body."
KRISTEN WIIG"Humor is one of the sexiest qualities a person can have," says the Saturday Night Live star, 35. "There's that phrase, 'comedy crush,' where you may not be that attracted to someone physically but, because of how funny they are, you have a little bit of a crush on them. Their humor makes them more attractive. Growing up, my crushes were John Ritter and John Cusack. And yeah, I have a comedy crush on Bill Murray."
ANGELINA JOLIEThe actress – who appeared on the Most Beautiful cover in 2006 – takes her fame in stride, focusing on her family to stay grounded. "The world can like me, hate me, fall apart around me, and at least ... I wake up with my little kids and I'm happy," Jolie, 33, told Parade Magazine.
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