She may have made People's Most Beautiful list, but American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi has plenty of insecurities.
"I face them every day," the songwriter, who recently opened up about battling an eating disorder. "When I was trying to be an artist, people would say, 'Maybe you need to lose a little weight; your nose is too big.' When it's time to go on stage, I think, 'Shave [down] your nose!'"
DioGuardi, 38, has other body anxieties too: "I'm most insecure about my legs and my knees. They're kind of big," she says. "I'm not someone who wears a lot of shorts and short skirts."
Now that she's a grown woman, she feels more comfortable with herself. "If I look at pictures of me in my 20s, there are things that looked out there, my nose was too big, but I feel like I've grown into my looks," she says. "This is what I'm supposed to look like."
What's more, DioGuardi says she is no longer dealing with the eating disorder that caused her to overeat.
"With the amount of stress I'm under these days, the food just goes right through you," she says. "I'm running around, constantly challenging myself." To keep her body toned, she works out two to three times a week doing strength and resistance training.
But the Idol judge, who got engaged to general contractor Mike McCuddy in December, says the true source of her beauty is her state of mind.
"What makes me feel ugly is when I wake up and I'm not feeling great about the day," she says. "Beauty comes from the inside. Do you love what you're doing? Do you love who you're with? Do you have a life that you feel is balanced? That sort of happiness, you can exude it."
Turns out beauty is more than skin deep, even in Hollywood.
This week, People released its annual 100 Most Beautiful People issue, choosing actress Christina Applegate as their covergirl for the strength she displayed last year after being diagnosed with breast cancer and undergoing a double mastectomy. And her good looks don't hurt, either.
As usual, Angelina Jolie, Halle Berry and George Clooney also made the cut in this year's choices. But there were some fresh names on the list as well, thanks in part to the Disney craze that's erupted of late. The magazine featured youngsters Demi Lovato, Emma Roberts and Selena Gomez, along with High School Musical phenomenon Zac Efron (sorry, Vanessa).
The Twilight contingent also represented, with Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart both making the list, along with the young ladies of 90210: Shenae Grimes, Jessica Stroup, AnnaLynne McCord and Jessica Lowndes.
Country girls Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood made the cut, along with scorned bachelor girlfriend-turned-Dancing With the Stars stunner Melissa Rycroft.
Since nothing's sexier than a sense of humor, some of our favorite SNL alums and comedians were honored as well. Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Jimmy Fallon, Kristen Wiig and the always-delightful Chelsea Handler cleaned up in that category.
The last surprise: First Lady Michelle Obama, arms and all, represented the White House -- along with Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.
For a complete list and great pictures of this year's choices, pick up the latest People which hits newstands tomorrow.
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, told People in the cover interview for the annual Most Beautiful issue. "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, followed by reconstructive breast surgery in November.
"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."
She may have made People's Most Beautiful list, but American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi has plenty of insecurities.
