Eva Mendes crowned "most desirable" in poll

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actress Eva Mendes was crowned as the most desirable woman of 2009 on Wednesday in a poll by online men's magazine AskMen.com that organizers swear is not all about looks but overall qualities.

Mendes, 34, topped the online magazine's 9th annual list of "Top 99 Most Desirable Women" after AskMen.com readers cast more than 10 million votes to rank the women with the best qualities for the ideal girlfriend or wife.

She took the top slot from actress Katherine Heigl after placing fourth last year while actress Megan Fox ranked second and Victoria's Secret model Marisa Miller came in third place.

James Bassil, editor-in-chief of AskMen.com, said the list was a "pulse-check" of the women that readers were not only following but also perceived as more than just a pretty face.

"Obviously good looks are one quality but intelligence, ambition and humor also count," Bassil told Reuters.

"There are women in their mid to late 30s on this list who may be old by industry standards but you see more mature women on this list. The younger women getting a lot of play on gossip sites haven't had the time to accumulate the achievements that a lot of these women have."

Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan and Nicole Richie were not on the list while Britney Spears, in the midst of staging a comeback, was back after dropping off the list for a couple of years. She was ranked at No. 90.

The list included perennial favorites like Beyonce at No. 50 and Jessica Simpson at 70 but also some newcomers such as Australian actress Isla Fisher (31) and singer Katy Perry

(38).

French singer Carla Bruni, the wife of French president Nicolas Sarkozy, made her debut on the list in 76th place while comedian Tina Fey, who was widely praised for her Sarah Palin impression this past election season, made the list at No. 97.

Bassil said readers could have voted for the U.S.'s new First Lady Michelle Obama or Republican vice-presidential contender Sarah Palin but they did not garner enough support to make the list with the poll largely conducted before the U.S. election.

Brooke Burke, a former model-turned-TV personality who won the seventh season of TV show "Dancing with the Stars," rose to No. 14 in the list from No. 32 last year.

Burke, 37, who has four children, said it was a compliment to be included -- and to have jumped a few slots.

"It is great to get that attention. I do think it is more of an intelligence vote and people are looking at who they would like to have as an ideal mate and not just their average pinup," Burke told Reuters.

Rounding out the top 10, in the following order, were:

4. Keeley Hazell

5. Anne Hathaway

6. Alessandra Ambrosio

7. Scarlett Johansson

8. Rihanna

9. Kristen Bell

10. Kate Beckinsale

(Writing by Belinda Goldsmith, Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)