Happy First Day of Carnival! 9 Brazilian Bombshells Worth Celebrating, From Gisele Bündchen to Sonîa Braga

Today kicks off the world-famous festival known as Carnival in Rio de Janeiro—a five-day spectacle of parades, samba, music, and extraordinarily body-con costumes that highlight what is arguably the Brazilian people’s most remarkable collective asset: a supernatural set of genes.

By now, of course, it’s well-known that the country’s seemingly universal birthright includes great hair, good skin, and a gravity-defying toned physique. If all-American stunners like Christie Brinkley and Cindy Crawford dominated fashion in the eighties and Eastern European beauties like Carmen Kass and Natalia Vodianova defined the early aughts, it’s safe to say that the past decade will be remembered as the era of the Brazilian bombshell.

Take the case of Gisele Bündchen , whose honey-streaked waves, sun-kissed freckles, and lean hourglass figure kicked off the new millenium by single-handedly popularizing a sporty sensuality on and off the runways, sending her career on a steady upward trajectory that, more than a decade later, shows no signs of slowing down. The same is true for Adriana Lima and Alessandra Ambrosio , whose blend of voluptuous curves and athleticism set the bar for the otherworldly physiques of the Victoria’s Secret shows—along with their infectiously fun-loving charm.

Not that the Brazilian beauties haven’t captured our imagination in the past. This is, after all, the country that produced Heloísa Pinheiro, the original beach babe who inspired the bossa nova classic “The Girl From Ipanema”—as well as actress Sônia Braga, whose earthy sensuality lit up the screen in Kiss of the Spider Woman and, decades later, tempted Sex and the City’s Samantha into a Sapphic liaison.

In honor of the first day of Carnival, here’s a look at our favorite Brazilian knockouts of all time, from the acclaimed novelist (and striking beauty) Clarice Lispector to perennial runway favorite Isabeli Fontana .

The post Happy First Day of Carnival! 9 Brazilian Bombshells Worth Celebrating, From Gisele Bündchen to Sonîa Braga appeared first on Vogue.