What part of the face is most attractive?

Face masks make people look more attractive, study finds

There have been precious few positives during the Covid pandemic but British academics may have unearthed one: people look more attractive in protective masks.

Researchers at Cardiff University were surprised to find that both men and women were judged to look better with a face covering obscuring the lower half of their faces.

In what may be a blow for producers of fashionable coverings – and the environment – they also discovered that a face covered with a disposable-type surgical mask was likely to be deemed the most appealing.

Dr Michael Lewis, a reader from Cardiff University’s school of psychology and an expert in faces, said research carried out before the pandemic had found that medical face masks reduced attractiveness because they were associated with disease or illness.

“We wanted to test whether this had changed since face coverings became ubiquitous and understand whether the type of mask had any effect,” he said.

“Our study suggests faces are considered most attractive when covered by medical face masks. This may be because we’re used to healthcare workers wearing blue masks and now we associate these with people in caring or medical professions. At a time when we feel vulnerable, we may find the wearing of medical masks reassuring and so feel more positive towards the wearer.”

The first part of the research was carried out in February 2021 by which time the British population had become used to wearing masks in some circumstances. Forty-three women were asked to rate on a scale of one to 10 the attractiveness of images of male faces without a mask, wearing a plain cloth mask, a blue medical face mask, and holding a plain black book covering the area a face mask would hide.

The participants said those wearing a cloth mask were significantly more attractive than the ones with no masks or whose faces were partly obscured by the book. But the surgical mask – which was just a normal, disposable kind – made the wearer look even better.

“The results run counter to the pre-pandemic research where it was thought masks made people think about disease and the person should be avoided,” said Lewis.

“The pandemic has changed our psychology in how we perceive the wearers of masks. When we see someone wearing a mask we no longer think ‘that person has a disease, I need to stay away’.

“This relates to evolutionary psychology and why we select the partners we do. Disease and evidence of disease can play a big role in mate selection – previously any cues to disease would be a big turn-off. Now we can observe a shift in our psychology such that face masks are no longer acting as a contamination cue.”

Lewis said it was also possible that masks made people more attractive because they directed attention to the eyes. He said other studies had found that covering the left or right half of a face also made people look more attractive, partly because the brain fills in the missing gaps and exaggerates the overall impact.

The results of the first study has been published in the journal Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications. A second study has been carried out, in which a group of men look at women in masks; it has yet to be published but Lewis said the results were broadly the same. The researchers did not ask the participants to spell out their sexual orientations.

This Is The Most Desirable Face Shape, According To A Top Plastic Surgeon

The results are in, and it turns out there is a reported “most desirable face shape,” according to a leading London doctor, Julian De Silva.

By Melody Rose May 13th 2022 3 min read

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At the Center for Advanced Facial Cosmetic and Plastic Surgery, Dr. De Silva examined records from over 1,000 clients across the United Kingdom, and it appeared that the diamond face shape (as seen in the actress Megan Fox) is what women requested the most. A close second is the oval shape, as seen in the singer Rihanna.

Curious as to what makes these traits so desirable that women are willing to go under the knife to get them? Us too.

The 7 Basic Types of Face Shapes

Perhaps you’ve taken one of those old school picture tests or scrolled through Pinterest before heading to the hairdresser to see what kind of face shape you have and what haircut would be most flattering.

If you’re still wondering what unique traits to look for in the seven various shapes, here’s a little cheat sheet to help.

1. The Diamond

It’s no surprise they call this one the diamond! Being the most highly sought-after shape as well as the rarest, it leaves spectators swooning largely due to the pronounced cheekbones. How do you spot a diamond? This structure is characterized by a narrow chin and forehead with wide cheekbones. Celebrities blessed with this shape include Jennifer Lopez, Vanessa Hudgens, and Megan Fox.

2. The Oval

You can easily identify an oval shape if the face is longer than it is wide, with a jaw narrower than the cheekbones. What famous figures are sporting this look? Rihanna, Blake Lively, and Kelly Rowland just to name a few. With these bombshells leading the pack, no wonder this shape ranked in the top two most desirable!

3. The Heart

The heart is the third most desired woman’s face shape, and I’m sure the first person who comes to mind is the stunning Reese Witherspoon. She’s a rather iconic model of a textbook heart shape with her forehead and cheekbones serving as the widest part of her face paired with a dramatic, yet elegantly pointed chin. Who joins her in the heart club? Eva Longoria, Scarlett Johansson, and Tiffani Thiessen.

4. The Rectangle

The rectangle face shape is a hybrid of both the oval and the square. Its distinguishing features consist of a square jaw and a face that is longer than it is wide. Stars who have a rectangular face are Gisele Bundchen, Kim Kardashian, and Courteney Cox.

5. The Circle

A circle, also known as a round, face is easy to spot because of its symmetry. Overall the face has about the same length and width accompanied by a round jawline and chin. When looking at a round face there won’t appear to be any major angles or edges. Popular celebs with this face shape include Ginnifer Goodwin, Kate Middleton, and Mila Kunis.

6. The Square

Similar to a round face, the square face is void of any major angles except for the jawline, which is where the majority of the focus lies. That’s what makes this shape so bold and simple to identify! Leading ladies with this shape include Olivia Wilde, Jenna Dewan, and Cameron Diaz.

7. The Trapezoid

The trapezoid shape, also known as the pear, appears on an oval-based face where the forehead is smaller giving the appearance of a larger chin. The gorgeous Kelly Osbourne and Jennifer Aniston are prime examples of women who have a trapezoid face structure.

The Correlation Between Social Media and Plastic Surgery

It’s no surprise that social media has placed more demand on users to look a particular way with the constant posting of selfies, Instagram stories, and TikTok videos for the world to see. Not to mention the excessive devouring of celebrity and influencer highlight reels that leave consumers feeling worse about their own appearance.

In fact, this confidence depletion has led to the rise of popular apps like FaceTune, VSCO, and Photoshop, which have millions of downloads (FaceTune has 60 million alone!). All of these apps provide options right at your fingertips to alter and morph any photo (or video) you take, from small edits like blurring a pesky pimple to extreme edits like adding facial hair or changing the shape of your eyes.

For some, however, it seems like the apps aren’t even enough. According to Dr. De Silva, he has seen a rapid growth in plastic surgery alongside the growth of social media. He said the number of men and women now seeking face and neck lifts has risen by almost a sixth in recent years.

To quote De Silva directly: “Facebook Facelifts are on the rise as social media creates new pressures on people to look good, particularly in their public profiles and the pictures they share with friends. Face and neck lifts are the original facial cosmetic surgical procedures, and they probably have the most dramatic impact in combating anti-aging and rejuvenating the appearance of the face.”

The pressure to look their best on social media was listed as a motivation in seeking plastic surgery in one-third of female patients and almost one-fifth of male patients.

The saddest part is that people are willingly putting their own health at risk for an ideal appearance represented by a false majority. What you’re seeing online is largely a facade of body morphing and photo editing. In one scenario, this middle-aged man was able to pose as a young lady to boost his motorcycle fan page without anyone noticing by using a filter. In another scenario, an online influencer’s face was imposed onto multiple bodies and nationalities to promote products and increase engagement.

Influencer Josephine Livin is fighting the madness by exposing the digital secrets that exist and encouraging women to not fall for them. It’s wild how advanced the filters are becoming…and, quite honestly, scary.

Even scarier though is the addictive nature plastic surgery can have if being used for the wrong reasons. In one instance, a young Chinese girl had over 100 procedures by the age of 16, with no plans to stop on the horizon as she admits each one leaves her feeling unsatisfied and that there’s still more work to do.

Closing Thoughts

Since technology seems to be going nowhere anytime soon, it’s important to stay confidently rooted in your identity. Every raw selfie has its beauty. Every face shape does too. I think we can all agree that every celebrity listed above is drop dead gorgeous, yet they don’t all have the “desired” diamond. It’s in your power to own what you’ve been given because confidence is truly the only indestructible quality of beauty there is.

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Which Men’s Face Shapes do Women Find the Most Attractive?

What do women want? Well, it’s fair to say this is a universal question that remains unanswered. You can do your best to appear attractive to the opposite sex – we’re thinking dressing well, showcasing your personality – but for some women, how attracted they are to you could simply be down to your genetic makeup.

Many studies out there have focused on men’s face shapes, how we read them, and specifically how attractive we find them based on a number of factors. Like the body shape, there is actually a lot to be seen in a men’s face shape, and we often read this instinctively. Nevertheless, there are specific aspects of face shapes that we like more than others.

Here are the most appealing facial features that women like all over the world.

Wider faces assert dominance

A study conducted by the Association for Psychological Science tested the likelihood of certain facial features leading to short-term relationships. It was found that men with a wider facial width than height were more likely to enter short-term relationships with women.

It turns out that women perceive men with wider faces as being more powerful, dominant and they’re much more likely to get a second date.

Leonardo Di Caprio has a wide dominant face

Got a strong jawline and facial symmetry? You’re in luck!

Another study found that men with a strong jawline give off a strong, dominant vibe that women love – and they’re found to have good genes for reproduction. If you’ve got a strong jawline, you’re on to a winner.

Symmetry is also proven to play a big part. The Journal of Comparative Psychology found that women and men prefer faces that are more symmetrical. In addition to this, when comparing identical twins that were slightly un-identical (in terms of their facial symmetry), women were more attracted to the twin that had the ‘better’ symmetry. Something as simple as keeping your eyebrows trimmed and groomed (so that they look identical) can help you appear much more attractive to women.

Brad Pitt has a strong jaw structure

Don’t worry about your ‘average’ face shape

Women love a distinctly average men’s face shape, apparently! A study that was done back in 1878 suggested that faces blended together were considered more attractive than an individual face. Why you might ask? Most likely because a more average face represents a more diverse set of genes, and it can be seen as being more ‘familiar’.

What’s your face shape?

After reading about facial features women find attractive, you might be asking yourself what face shape you actually have. Many of us have no idea how to categorise the shape of our face. Typically, the main categories are round, square, heart-shaped, oval, and rectangular.

Did you know? The most common face shape is an oval face shape, but it is common for some people to fall between categories and have combined face shapes.

There are a number of factors that can influence your face shape, such as your diet, weight gain, and how much water you drink. It’s true – certain foods can cause you to retain water weight around your face and body. However, the base of your face shape is solely down to genetics.

Eyewear Enhances Your Face

If like us you want to find out your face shape, online eyewear retailer Arlo Wolf have launched a handy face shape guide. This tool will help you pick out your face shape – and, if you’re a glasses wearer, find the perfect pair of specs to fit your face. After all, men who wear glasses are perceived as being more likeable and more attractive to women! This is because glasses can make you look smart, confident, and give the appearance of a more symmetrical face.

Robert Downey jr wears Kirk and Kirk eyewear