We all have our own opinions on what we think beauty is, but for a long time there has been a consensus opinion on what the ideal look should be – tall, slim high cheekbones, and so on.
Studies have shown that what we consider to be beautiful is based on making a judgement established on the health and vitality of that individual, with symmetrical and smooth faces said to represent good genes.
But what specific features are there that we look for in individuals, and how does body shape come into this? If you’re a keen celeb watcher, you may have one particular starlet whose body shape you secretly covet, but it’s more likely you’d like to pick and choose various parts from a number of screen stars.
Maybe you’ve always wanted Scarlett Johansson’s cheekbones, or Megan Fox’s abs? Cosmetic surgery provider MYA has taken this concept to another level. After canvassing public opinion in the UK, it has put together a photo-fit of the ideal female form.
So the most attractive female has Cheryl Cole’s hair and eyes, combined with the perfect pout, nose and cheekbones of Angelina Jolie (who, incidentally, was recently described as a “unicorn” by Modern Family star Julie Bowen). Throw in the abs, bottom and legs of Beyoncé and Kim Kardashian’s overall body shape and you have the perfect package, apparently.
MYA chairman John Ryan says the results will hopefully make people question the traditional perception of ‘beauty’, explaining: “The results generally show that when it comes to women’s body parts, bigger is considered better. Respondents favored full lips, wide eyes and filled-out bottoms.
“We’ve really seen a U-turn in attitude towards body shape. It’s great to see curvy women like Beyoncé and Kim Kardashian topping the list for best body. I imagine that if we repeated the study 30 years ago, or in the US, we’d have drastically different results.”
Mr Ryan appears to be on to something here, as new research from cosmetic surgeons in the US highlights. They looked at the shape of the eyebrow, and how it has changed by looking at actresses and models in magazines dating back to 1946. The University of Southern California team found that the ‘ideal’ lady’s eyebrow has gradually moved closer to the eye over the years, with the flatter, so-called low-brow now replacing the high arches popularized in the 1960s, becoming the look people go for.
So it seems the MYA study is on to something, and the ideal look is constantly evolving. Maybe it will get people to question the traditional idea of beauty after all.
