I know this has long been a joke thread, but after so many years of inactivity, and with the OP no longer around, I feel it’s time enough at last for a revamp.
the term handsome when applied to women just refers to women who are attractive but not ‘pretty’.
Pretty is more a delicate, fragile beauty (like daisies. butterflies).
Handsome is a strong, durable beauty (like mountains and tall ships).
A Hitchcock blonde (Kim Novak, Janet Leigh etc) isn’t pretty but is definitely attractive.
Deneuve is another example I’d give.
She was pretty when she was young:
but she grew to be more handsome (and arguably more attractive) when she got older :
