Who Did Audrey Hepburn Beat To Be Voted The Ultimate Beauty Icon Of All Time?

Forget supermodels, A-list actresses and pop stars - when it comes to beauty inspiration, we all look to the past...

Audrey Hepburn might not be with us anymore, but her signature make-up, elfin crop and incredible poise have earned her the accolade of our top beauty icon of all time.

It seems that when we're looking for hair and make-up inspiration, we turn to the starlets of the past much more than today's actresses and pop stars. The survey, by beauty company Artistry by Amway, found that the golden age of Hollywood is our biggest inspiration, with Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly, Sophia Loren, Brigitte Bardot and Ava Gardner all making the top ten.

The only modern day icons that made the list were Beyonce (who only hit number five, despite being the most googled female of 2014), Kate Moss and Scarlett Johansson, who only just made the top ten.

2,000 women participated in the survey, which also asked participants to reveal their own beauty regimes. When asked what made them feel beautiful, more than two thirds said confidence was the 'holy grail of beauty', while 38% said having make-up on gave them that confidence and 50% said being in love makes them look better.

Participants also expressed a positive attitude towards ageing, with women over 55 saying they were more content with their looks than younger women, aged 18 to 24. The younger women also admitted to wearing more make up than their older counterparts, who prefer a minimal approach to everyday beauty.

The survey also found that Brits voted themselves as the best-looking country, closely followed by France, Sweden, Spain and Brazil.

A spokesperson at Amway UK said: 'The study reveals some great insights into what defines beauty and what makes a women feel beautiful.'The full top ten is as follows: 1. Audrey Hepburn 2. Marilyn Monroe 3. Grace Kelly 4. Sophia Loren 5. Beyoncé 6. Brigitte Bardot 7. Jean Shrimpton 8. Kate Moss 9. Ava Gardner 10. Scarlett Johansson

See why Cheryl Fernandez-Versini was voted the top beauty icon of 2014