Where does a physical description of Helen of Troy’s beauty show up?

Answerer 1

None of the descriptions of Helen by the ancient mythographers are very detailed at all, and the case is no different with in Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey.

Iliad 3.121: “white-armed Helen”. The passage immediately following that line describes the embroidery of the purple linen piece which Helen is wearing in the scene.

Odyssey 22.224: “high-born Helen of the white arms”
Iliad 3.171: “Helen, fair among women”
Iliad 3:228: “long-robed Helen, fair among women”
Odyssey 4.120: “Helen, like Artemis of the golden arrows”
Odyssey 4 in between Lines 296 & 306: “long-robed Helen, peerless among women”
Odyssey 15 in between Lines 92 & 109: “Helen, the beautiful lady”
Odyssey 15 in between Lines 120 & 130: “fair-cheeked Helen”
Iliad 13 in between Lines 754 & 774, & Odyssey 15.56: “fair-tressed Helen”

In each of the following lines/passages of the Iliad, in appearance she is described simply as “fair-haired Helen”:
Book 3 in between Lines 324 & 340; Book 7, Line 354; Book 8 in between Lines 78 & 97; Book 9 in between Lines 328 & 346; & Book 11, Line 368 & in between Lines 489 & 516.
(Menelaus is himself also sometimes referred to as “fair-haired” in certain parts of the above books of the Iliad as well as when he features in the Odyssey.)

Source(s):
Aaron Atsma, The Theoi Project, on theoi.com

Answerer 2

The easiest way into this is that Paris was told by Aphrodite that she would give him the most beautiful Human woman if she was handed the Golden Apple. Helen was not even motioned. Then Aphrodite used her powers to make the married woman who was the most beautiful human and Paris to fall in love. Neither Helen or Paris be condemned for the Trojan war. Helen had chosen Menelaus from 27 other princes and married and had a Daughter by Menelaus before changed Helen’s thoughts and emotions.
There are some that say Aphrodite not only wanted the apple she was jealous of Helen.