Becoming ... Jennifer Aniston

Though she bid a tearful adieu to Friends, Jennifer Aniston has plenty to smile about. The actress says she's looking forward to her next project: starting a family. See the defining moments in the life of PEOPLE's Most Beautiful cover girl. By Serena Kappes

3 of 11

HAIR TIES

Although Aniston has undergone her share of tress-formations over the years – dark and tousled in 1994 (top left), blonde and straight in 2001 (bottom left) – she made the most waves with her trendsetting shag (in 1996), known as "The Rachel." Of the sensation her do caused, Aniston told PEOPLE: "It's bizarre."