SNEAK PEEK OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE LIST: LUPITA NYONG'O, GABRIELLE UNION, KERRY WASHINGTON, PINK & MORE

Though she grew up thinking that "light skin and flowing, straight hair" made women desirable, World's Most Beautiful Woman Nyong'o, 31, tells PEOPLE that her mother "always said I was beautiful. And I finally believed her at some point." The Oscar winner, who's now a face of Lancôme Paris, is excited for this honor in part because of "all the girls who would see me … and feel a little more seen."

GABRIELLE UNION 

This 41-year-old stunner – who drinks one gallon of water every day to keep her skin hydrated – doesn't just have beauty idols like Janet Jackson and fellow honoree Kerry Washington; she actually knows them. "I'm more about inner beauty," she told Essence, "so most of my beauty icons are people … I can confirm are nice, and also happen to be beautiful."

KERRY WASHINGTON Not only gorgeous, Washington, 37, is also ageless (seriously, she doesn't look a day over Save the Last Dance). But she demurs such compliments. "The 'imperfections' are actually the gift," she told Doobop.com. "The reality is we all have nerves and moments of insecurity … But if I said to myself that I'm only going to show up, or speak or be visible when I'm perfect, I would never get out of bed."

MINDY KALINGThis beauty has brains, too, in the form of a Dartmouth degree, a writing credit on her hit show The Mindy Project and a New York Times best-selling book. So how does she juggle it all and still look great? By catching plenty of Zs. "I have the sleep patterns of a 12-year-old boy, so I could sleep until 2 in the afternoon," the 34-year-old recently told PEOPLE. 

"Pampering for me is sleeping."

PINK This CoverGirl, 34, has never been one to follow conventional beauty "rules" – and that's just fine. "Beautiful has never been my goal," she told Redbook. "Joy is my goal – to feel healthy and strong and powerful and useful and engaged and intelligent and in love. It's about joy. And there's such joy now."

STACY KEIBLER 

For mom-to-be Keibler, 34, looking good starts on the inside. "I believe you are what you eat," she told NewBeauty, adding that she centers her diet on organic fruits and vegetables, drinks water and meditates daily. "I really try to focus on keeping my body, my mind and soul all in balance."

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