This all started with the photograph of Italian actress Virna Lisi on the front of the March 1965 issue of Esquire magazine, conceived by George Lois as a comment on women’s liberation. It has been widely imitated ever since, by Esquire themselves and by others.

Here is the Virna Lisi original (note she is using a Gillette Super Speed flare tip, a proper razor):

Here is a re-creation with Jessica Simpson, American singer and actress, also using a proper double edged (DE) safety razor:

And they have done it with their editions around the world. Here is Hong Kong singer and actress Fan Bing Bing, once again using a proper DE razor:

Polish singer Maryla Rodowicz also used a DE razor on the front cover of Machina in June 2008. They even made a video of the photo shoot:

Anna Mucha (Ania Maria Mucha), an actress who was in Schindler’s List, is also Polish, here she uses a cut throat razor:

Myleene Klass, British singer, model and TV presenter, shaved (yes, with a DE) for the front cover of the News of the World’s Fabulous magazine in October 2009:

Another using a cut-throat is Greek actress and 1984 Miss World contestant, Vana Barba (real name Vasiliki Barba), here featuring in Athens magazine in her native Greece:

Finally here is French actress and singer Nora Arnezeder using a Muhle R41 razor on the front cover of Be magazine: