Finland is famous for its pristine lakes, northern lights, and soft culture of gentle strength and easy humor. But behind the postcard landscape are women whose beauty glows with ability, personality, and a signature peace called sisu. In music recording rooms, skating rinks, film productions, newsrooms, and restaurant kitchens, they turn imagination into life as they remind the world that beauty looks most alive when it has purpose.
This amiable countdown of twenty-five Finnish ladies—numbered from number 25 through number 1—spans from Golden-Age film legends to contemporary social-media darlings. Each short vignette spotlights what they do, why Finns adore them, and an interesting factoid you can discuss over coffee. Jump in and learn how elegance and toughness mix under the northern horizon.
25. Viivi Avellan
Born in Kauniainen and armed with a warm on‑air presence, Viivi Avellan started as a sports anchor, fronted entertainment news on MTV3, and later launched her own media firm. Her path—from reading hockey scores to mentoring Nordic entrepreneurs in Singapore and Los Angeles—mirrors Finland’s move from local curiosity to global player. Outside studios she writes lifestyle handbooks and invests in startups, proving journalism can double as both passport and compass.
24. Sara Sieppi
Tornio native Sara Sieppi was first runner‑up at Miss Finland 2011, but when the crowned winner resigned, she found herself representing the nation with barely a week to prepare. Since then, she’s turned reality‑show hosting, quick Nordic wit, and social‑media savvy into a full‑time career. Fans come not only for polished selfies but for candid chats about confidence and hustle culture—subjects that resonate with a generation balancing tradition and TikTok.
23. Pihla Viitala
A graduate of Helsinki’s Theatre Academy, actress Pihla Viitala moves between arthouse drama and Hollywood action without losing her Finnish understatement. She learned Icelandic for one role, played a Viking shield‑maiden in an international series, and still directs shorts spotlighting immigrant voices. Critics praise her knack for blending Nordic cool with sparks of mischief—a mix that keeps casting agents calling.
22. Pirkko Mannola
Miss Finland 1958 became the face of post‑war musical comedies, yet Pirkko Mannola avoided nostalgia traps by training in serious theater, recording schlager hits, and popping up in modern reality shows. Her cross‑generational appeal proves charisma ages like fine cloudberry wine.
21. Laura Närhi
When synth‑pop band Kemopetrol paused in 2010, vocalist Laura Närhi turned a blank slate platinum. Her solo debut, Suuri sydän, narrated grown‑up heartbreak with the intimacy of a 2 a.m. phone call. Between tours, she scores documentaries and hosts a podcast that unpacks Finnish lyrics line by line, making the language sound as smooth as any chart‑topping tongue.
20. Noora Hautakangas
Crowned Miss Finland 2007, Noora Hautakangas didn’t settle for red‑carpet life. She earned a business degree, interned in marketing, and co‑founded a wellness startup focused on preventive health. Her feeds mix product launches with marathon‑training tips, encouraging followers to treat ambition and self‑care as two sides of the same coin.
19. Iina Kuustonen
Capable of drawing belly laughs in sketch show Putous and breaking hearts in medical drama Syke, Iina Kuustonen credits stage work at Helsinki City Theatre for her range. Off‑camera, she champions mental‑health projects, openly discussing anxiety to thaw the silence that can surround the topic in Nordic culture.
18. Jenni Vartiainen
Before selling over 350k records, Jenni mastered spins and axels as a competitive figure skater. The discipline paid off later in marathon concert tours. Her haunting ballad “Ihmisten edessä” became an anthem for acceptance, still sung at Pride parades. Despite superstardom, she keeps a cottage on Lake Kallavesi, where she writes melodies among whispering pines.
17. Satu Tuomisto
Miss Finland 2008 leveraged her spotlight for good, touring schools to discuss cyber‑bullying years before the term hit major headlines. She now raises funds for children’s hospitals through charity galas where she gladly swaps gowns for sneakers to run auction items across the room.
16. Regina Linnanheimo
A silver‑screen legend of the 1940s, Regina brought Hollywood glamour to Finnish cinema long before streaming existed. Her pairing with Tauno Palo in melodramas like Kulkurin valssi still draws nostalgic viewers. After retiring, she translated plays and quietly fostered stray cats, showing star quality need not fade to stay radiant.
15. Hanna Ek
A decade after winning Miss Finland 2005, Hanna Ek’s résumé spans yoga instruction, eco‑fashion modelling, and mindfulness workshops in corporate settings. Partnering with textile innovators who turn pine cellulose into breathable fabric, she turns catwalks into classrooms where sustainability struts first.
14. Janina Frostell (Janina Fry)
From charting across Europe with pop single “I Wronged You” to designing lingerie sold in Nordic malls, Janina Fry reinvents herself with cheerful defiance. She’s hosted travel shows, released a cookbook, and still cheers at children’s hockey games in Porvoo—proof that glam and grounded can share one calendar.
13. Armi Kuusela
In 1952, Armi made history as the very first Miss Universe, crowned at seventeen in Long Beach, California. Instead of chasing a Tinseltown contract, she married Filipino businessman Virgilio Hilario and embarked on a life of diplomacy, fundraising, and marathon swims. She still visits Finnish schools to encourage foreign‑language study and global curiosity.
12. Elina Tervo
Elina Tervo toggles between swimsuit shoots and summit climbs. On social media, she posts bare-faced mornings in mountain huts, aligning external beauty with raw adventure. Her travel‑inspired skincare line funds tree planting in Nepal, proving an influencer’s reach can stretch well beyond a sponsored caption.
11. Linnea Aaltonen
Miss World Finland 2007 now curates large‑scale sports events, wrangling everything from golf tournaments to Helsinki’s marathon expo. She sketches stage layouts herself, cites Alvar Aalto for clean lines, and still volunteers at a local gymnastics club. Colleagues say her calm voice on a walkie‑talkie can solve almost any logistical crisis.
10. Minna Halme
Professor of Sustainability Management at Aalto University, Minna Halme, tackles climate change with spreadsheets and empathy. Consulting Finnish startups on circular‑economy models, she argues that profit and planet must co‑evolve. Students describe her lectures as part science lesson, part pep talk—clear enough to inspire both engineers and poets.
9. Rita Aaltolahti
Though her modelling career fills glossy spreads, Rita Aaltolahti spends half the year in the Turku archipelago sampling seawater for a Baltic conservation NGO. She organizes shoreline clean‑ups that wind down with campfire soup, turning environmental care into a communal ritual under midsummer skies.
8. Anna Easteden
Raised on a dairy farm outside Tohmajärvi, Anna Easteden first flew abroad as a teenage model, later securing roles in U.S. shows like Bones and Two and a Half Men. She credits rural roots for the steadiness needed to handle Hollywood’s audition roller‑coaster with humor rather than panic.
7. Johanna Grönholm
A former champion hurdler, Johanna Grönholm now covers athletics for national broadcaster Yle, turning casual viewers into informed fans by explaining wind gauges and lane draws. She co‑founded a charity that donates running shoes to Lapland youth, proving icy distance should never block big dreams.
6. Viivi Suominen
Part style blogger, part wellbeing advocate, Viivi Suominen streams “get ready with me” videos that weave mascara hacks with frank talks about seasonal darkness. Collaborations with Finnish lighting designers making mood‑boosting lamps show how personal vulnerability can spark creative industry links.
5. Pia Pakarinen (Pia Lamberg)
The drama around Pia Pakarinen’s decision to relinquish her Miss Finland 2011 crown might have sunk lesser spirits. Instead, she moved to Los Angeles, adopted her mother’s surname Lamberg, and studied acting. Commercial spots for Adidas and cameo roles in series like SAF3 followed, capped by a stint as trophy model at the Grammys. Her story underlines the power of rewriting one’s script.
4. Sara La Fountain
Raised by a French father and Finnish mother, Sara La Fountain grew up stirring bouillabaisse and berry soup. Her cookbooks champion wild mushrooms and foraged berries over imported produce, and her TV shows teach viewers to plate Nordic dishes like tiny design objects.
3. Sofia Ruusila (Sofia Belórf)
From IFBB bikini champion to lifestyle entrepreneur, Sofia Belórf built a brand on resilience—both muscular and mental. After a high‑profile legal case shook her public image, she launched a podcast discussing justice reform, turning tabloid drama into productive dialogue about second chances.
2. Janni Hussi
Rising before dawn for radio prep, squeezing a HIIT session into lunch break, then filming skits that parody Finnish small talk, Janni Hussi mixes sweat and silliness to addictive effect. Her audience tracks marathon splits and comedy appearances with equal enthusiasm.
1. Kiira Korpi
Nicknamed “Jääprinsessa,” or Ice Princess, figure skater Kiira Korpi dazzled with ethereal spins and three European medals before chronic injuries forced her retirement in 2015. Armed with a psychology certificate, she now runs skating‑plus‑mindfulness camps, reminding young athletes that mental grace matters as much as physical precision.
