Bella Donna

Born Harlean Harlow Carpenter, Jean Harlow will forever be known as the original platinum blonde. In fact, so popular was her flaxen hair, women of the '30s rushed to lighten their own locks in droves. While Jean apparently denied that she had her hair colored, word is that Max Factor was responsible for bleaching her hair to her signature shade. It's also been said that a harsh mixture of peroxide, Clorox, ammonia, and soap flakes were used to achieve the desired lightness.

The actress started out doing bit roles, but eventually became a superstar after appearing in Howard Hughes's Hell's Angels. Hughes even held a contest, offering up $10,000 to the beautician who could re-create Harlow's famous color.

To learn more about Jean, and to see more images of the actress, just keep reading.

While many women dash to electrolysis or maintain a standing appointment with a waxer, Frida Kahlo proudly— and beautifully, we might add — skipped out on hair removal treatments. In fact, when she was photographed for the cover of French Vogue in the late 1930s, she wore her signature braided hairstyle, red lips, and a unibrow. This unconventional beauty was famed for her artistic talents, and her legacy is stronger than ever.

To find out more about Frida, keep reading.

At 76, Florence Henderson is looking pretty amazing, as evidenced by her recent appearances on Dancing With the Stars. Florence, who first got her start in theater in the 1950s, is best known for her role as Carol Brady from The Brady Bunch. But she's also an accomplished singer. (Don't you remember when Carol loses her voice and Cindy gets it back for her by asking Santa Claus?)

And when it comes to beauty, Florence is known for that "hair of gold" flippy shag, which she still wears a variation of today — just not as severe. (For something a little more modern, try a wavy pixie.) As for how she keeps looking so youthful? Perhaps it's because of her training in hypnotherapy, as well as through being a licensed therapist. Flattering makeup doesn't hurt, either. In fact, Florence has even had her own line of cosmetics, Florence Henderson Transformaire, and word has it that she prefers to apply her own makeup. What can't this funny lady do?

There is no one who seems to have as much fun with beauty, or as few pretensions about it, as Dolly. The 64-year-old doyenne of country music famously said: "It takes a lot of money to look this cheap." She's unapologetic about her style, whether she’s wearing gobs of glittery purple eyeliner with orange lipstick or a lacy, rhinestone-covered pink chiffon dress with a hip-high slit.

Dolly was raised poor in a dilapidated cabin in Locust Ridge, TN. She began writing songs when she was 7, then singing professionally to support her family when she was 13. As a teenager performing at the Grand Ole Opry, she met Johnny Cash, who told her to go where her heart took her and not care what others thought. She took that advice, and it paid off. To date, she’s had more top 10 albums than any other country singer, and more number-one hits than any other female artist.

For other bons mots from Dolly, read more.

Her hair may have inspired Rogue from The X-Men, but Bonnie Raitt's a true inspiration to those of us living outside the Marvel universe as well. Being a female guitarist in a world dominated by men with names like Slash and Howling Wolf is a hard road, but Bonnie's dedication to her craft has gotten her all the way to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

She's not only a pioneer, she's also overcome her fair share of struggles: dropping out of Harvard to follow her musical mentor, struggling with drug and alcohol abuse, getting dumped by her record label only to come back with two best-selling albums, and standing by her principles when she came under fire for making negative comments about then-president George W. Bush. Through it all, though, she's remained a voice of compassion and an amazing talent.

She's less known, but equally commendable, for her political activism, including civil rights agitation, anti-apartheid work, and early interest on global warming and clean energy. Plus, who doesn't love a woman who not only embraced her first gray streaks, but makes salt and pepper hair look dead sexy? Bonnie really has given them something to talk about, and we love her for it.