Elsa's Allure

Elsa Pataky is a one-woman band, hitting all the right notes in a variety of ways—effervescent charm, an infectious passion for moviemaking, approachable smarts and that rare brand of beauty that inspires labored breathing. And if she hadn't just married Thor, we'd be down on one knee, begging the talented bombshell to be ours, all ours.

The 34-year-old Madrid-born, half-Romanian stunner has been building a career for more than a decade and is already a top draw in Spain—though she’s about to go supernova in Fast Five (the latest sequel in the Fast and the Furious franchise).

The onetime journalism student landed her first movie role in the thriller El Arte de Morirand has since appeared in more than 20 films, including Ninette (directed by Oscar winner José Luis Garci), Iznogoud, Manuale d’Amore 2, Snakes on a Plane and Mr. Nice.

ON ELSA: Aster Korean cocoon dress, Carolina Herrera ($2,290).