They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder – but scientists believe they have identified the facial features most people find irresistible.
Researchers captured the faces of hundreds of people using 3D scans and asked an independent set of judges to rate them for attractiveness.
Analysis revealed the highest–rated women tended to have slimmer faces, fuller lips and more defined features.
These are characteristics shared by celebrities such as Margot Robbie and Elsa Hosk, who are widely regarded as some of the world’s most beautiful women.
The most attractive men, meanwhile, were more likely to have prominent chins and angular profiles.
These traits are seen in heartthrobs such as David Gandy and Henry Cavill.
The findings suggest that despite our personal preferences, there are some facial characteristics that consistently catch the eye, the researchers explained.
‘Overall, our findings support the conclusion that facial shape significantly influences perceived attractiveness,’ they wrote in the journal Progress in Orthodontics.
Researchers captured the faces of hundreds of people using 3D scans and asked an independent set of judges to rate them for attractiveness
Analysis revealed the highest–rated women tended to have slimmer faces, fuller lips and more defined features. These are characteristics shared by celebrities such as Margot Robbie (left) and Elsa Hosk (right)
For the study, the team recruited 601 young adults who agreed to have scans taken of their faces.
The researchers placed 716 digital landmarks on every face, allowing them to objectively compare facial geometry rather than relying on simple measurements such as nose length or face width.
Six independent raters – three men and three women – scored each 3D face for attractiveness using a 0–100 scale, where higher scores meant greater attractiveness.
Analysis revealed female faces consistently rated as more attractive tended to be slightly narrower, with a reduced fullness in the cheek area.
The most attractive faces also featured a narrower nose with a more protruding tip, along with fuller lips.
‘Overall, increased attractiveness was linked to a more angular facial appearance, characterized by sharper contours and reduced facial fullness, with the exception of the upper lip, which appeared fuller and more projected,’ the team wrote.
The link between facial shape and attractiveness was less clear–cut in men.
However, attractive male faces did tend to exhibit an angular and well–defined facial structure along with a stronger chin.
The most attractive men, according to the study, were more likely to have prominent chins and angular profiles
These traits are seen in heartthrobs such as Henry Cavill (left) and David Gandy (right)
‘Physical attractiveness influences many aspects of our daily lives and plays a critical role in everyday human interactions’, study author Georgios Kanavakis, from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, told PsyPost.
‘From first impressions and simple acquaintances, to professional opportunities and romantic relationships.
‘While we often think of beauty as being entirely subjective, decades of research have shown that people tend to agree surprisingly well on which faces they find attractive.’
He explained that attractive faces are not usually defined by one ‘perfect’ nose, chin or jawline.
Instead, they are a combination of subtle traits that complement each other.
The researchers say the findings could help doctors and surgeons who carry out cosmetic facial procedures better understand which facial features people tend to find attractive.
A previous study found that overall, women are seen as more attractive than men.
Experts analysed more than 1.5 million ratings of faces from a wide range of countries.
In an earlier study scientists found that overall, women were seen as more attractive than men. Surprisingly, women rated other women substantially higher than male faces
They discovered that – across different ages and cultures – female faces were consistently rated as more beautiful.
This gap was more pronounced among female raters, who showed an even stronger preference for female faces than men.
And this could all be because masculine faces signify aggression and dishonesty, the researchers said.
The analysis, published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B , revealed that the average female face scored higher than about 64 per cent of male faces.
