Bloody hell, have you SEEN Helena Christensen on the cover of Elle?

[squeaver]

legs not retouched apparently

She is 41.

[sigh]

I'd like to be retouched and stretched. Although at my weight they might need to stretch me to 12 ft 10!!!!!!!

if I could look like anyone in the world, HC would be the one.

I saw her once in RL, many moons ago. She looked as though she'd swallowed a string of Christmas lights. Absolutely lit from within. You can't bottle that stuff, that's luck pure and simple!

What was Michael Hutchence thinking?? Paula Yates, WTF??

I have always been utterly in awe of HC, and if I could look like anyone, it would be her

However, even if not retouched, the lighting on that photo is very very clever

I don't want to blow my own trumpet (as it were) but although facially I leave a lot to be desired, my body would actually look like hers with good lighting and some retouching of blemishes and the odd bit of cellulite

I yearn to be retouched.

Helena looks bloody marvellous. I want legs like that.

That's anyfucker off the Christmas card list.

or christy turlington.

or natalie imbruglia, actually. short but absolutely has that lit from within thing going on in RL.

did you know Christy Turlington suffers from emphysema ?

Presumably caused by years of smoking/passive smoking

Christy Turlington.... gawd- how beautiful is she?
Haven't seen her for years though...

Oh yes, I once saw CT in a restaurant in New York. I quite literally stopped in my tracks and just stared.

I can't believe my friend Lorraine lied to me. I'm taking her off my Christmas round robin circulation list TODAY.

oh dear, really? when i read interviews with her i do like her. i think mostly because i stare at her marvellous tip-tilted nose and bambi features. she's sssssssoooooooooooooooooo gorgeous. likewise helena.

i've gone off erin because she's so one-note in the m&s ads. and cos jamie theakston dumped her. but she does stay in shit hotels in paris so that makes me like her again.

There was an article in US Vogue about Christy a few months ago. She is doing a Masters in Womens Health, and I got the impression she might angle for a career in politics. She is very involved with campaiging for maternal health.

She is stunning but much shorter than I had imagined, but then she was sanding next to Bono, who is on the petite side, when I saw her.

Funnily enough, CT's sister is married to CT's husband's brother. I thought that was sweet.

years of smoking anyfucker. She spoke about it in an article I read once.

she smoked to keep thin and reduce her appetite . As so many models do, ballet dancers too apparently.

Oh come on - my legs are exactly like that - what's your problem!

her own smoking then ?

I thought so

Christy is very naturally beautiful but emphysmea is nasty

no no have you not seen Christy in the ads for throat cancer? She lost a parent to it (smoking) - as far as I know she is very anti-smoking

Erin O'Connor, why? why? not at all, not seeing it at all

at the idea that Michael Hutchence should have liked Helena Christenson better just because she's got long legs and is easy on the eye.

Oh dear.

I think I'll skip Helena Christenson's style tips though - she seems to have tucked her skirt into her knickers for the main shot.

No she smoked. here

thanks po, glad I am not going mad

It must be a bind though having everyone drop things and crash into people with the staring and all that malarky.

I have a friend with a face a bit like HC and it is really hard not to just sort of gaze at her sometimes.

" at the idea that Michael Hutchence should have liked Helena Christenson better just because she's got long legs and is easy on the eye.

Oh dear."

why? WHY? why oh dear?? Not saying that beauty is everything but dear god, Paula was just rough - and a junkie to boot. Hardly a class act.

if nothing else, I took heart from this episode during my romantically angst-ridden early 20s. The lesson being: beautiful people get dumped too.

I like Erin O'Connor cos she shops at my supermarket and dh has a crush on her, so I get to text him 'I saw your mate today' and he has to guess which one and gets all excited when it's her.

Other than that my favouite model would be the Russian Natalia Vodianova or HC or Linda (although not when I was younger).

Actually Claudia is a fave lately as she does the motherhood bit so well...

Paula wasn't rough, she was a perfectly good looking woman when she met MH and she only became a junkie after being with him. Up until that point, her public image was that of a bright, funny, vivacious woman. No-one ever suggested she was rough until MH came along.