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Issue Date: June 1, 2003
The beauty of symmetry
Can your looks be measured by a mathematical ratio? Studies show that "beautiful" people actually are just "more proportional" people.
By Elizabeth Snead
Everyone knows the adage "Don't judge a book by its cover." But we can't help it; we do just that, day in and day out, consciously and subconsciously. We rate others on the basis of their appearance and compare our own looks with the enhanced images of beautiful women and handsome men in movies and magazines and on TV and billboards.
Beauty not only sells -- it pays off. Beautiful babies get more attention from parents and teachers. Good-looking guys get more dates than average ones. Pretty women get out of traffic tickets and into exclusive clubs. The list of pluses for being one of the "beautiful people" goes on and on.
So what makes a person attractive? Don't bother looking in the mirror; just get out a measuring tape. Widespread studies, such as those conducted by Randy Thornhill (University of New Mexico) and Karl Grammer (University of Vienna), confirm that beauty is simply balance: The more symmetrical a face, the more appealing it appears. The concept applies to bodies, too. Physical symmetry is subconsciously perceived as a reflection of a person's youth, fertility, health and strength. And although bilateral (left-right) symmetry might not be a bona fide health certificate these days, it has been a marker of good health and genes throughout human evolution.
"Our sensitivity to beauty is hard-wired -- that is, governed by circuits in the brain shaped by natural selection," says Nancy Etcoff, author of "Survival of the Prettiest: The Science of Beauty". "We love to look at smooth skin, shiny hair, curved waists and symmetrical bodies because, over the course of evolution, people who noticed these signals and desired their possessors had more reproductive success. We're their descendants."
Symmetry also is sexy. In a study by biology professor Thornhill and University of New Mexico psychology professor Steven Gangestad, hundreds of college-age women and men were measured (including their ears, feet, ankles, hands and elbows). Questionnaires revealed that men who were more symmetrical started having sex three to four years earlier and had more sex partners than their asymmetrical counterparts.
Symmetrical people smell better, too. Thornhill and Gangestad found that women prefer the scent of symmetrical men, and vice versa. So much for Old Spice and Chanel No. 5.
If you weren't born symmetrical, don't despair. Plastic surgeons are skilled at creating and restoring symmetry through popular procedures such as face-lifts, nasal refinements, eyelid lifts, collagen injections, liposuction, and cheek and breast implants. Once reserved for the wealthy, plastic surgery now is fairly common for middle-class folks seeking to gain confidence and improve their career and romance prospects (see psych article).
Stephen Marquardt, a retired California plastic surgeon who researches attractiveness, has moved from beauty's medical side to its mathematical side. He notes that a certain ratio has been found to recur in beautiful things both natural (flowers, pine cones, seashells) and man-made (the Parthenon, Mozart's music, da Vinci's paintings). This "golden ratio" is 1:1.618, with the number rounded to 1.618 known as "phi."
Using phi as his guide, Marquardt designed a mask that applies the golden ratio to the face. For example, the ideal ratio between the width of the nose and the width of the mouth is -- you guessed it -- 1:1.618. The closer a face fits the mask, he finds, the more attractive the face is perceived to be. "Even average-looking people fit the mask, just not as closely as really attractive people," he says. "A lot of this is biology. It's necessary for us to recognize our species. Humans are visually oriented, and the mask screams, 'Human!' "
Marquardt's Web site shows the mask on timeless beauties from Queen Nefertiti to Marilyn Monroe (it works on all ethnicities, with slight variations). There's also a mask for men -- a close fit on Pierce Brosnan, but not quite right on Tom Cruise. To see how well your face fits, go to beautyanalysis.com.
Not everyone seeking symmetry goes under the knife. Although makeup artists don't slap Marquardt's mask on their clients, they do emulate its template, making eyes appear larger, cheeks higher, noses narrower and lips fuller using the magic of light-reflective foundations, powders and lip glosses. (Sorry, guys: Women have a slight edge on achieving symmetry.) Anyone can create the illusion of a symmetrical face, says Hollywood makeup artist Jeanine Lobell, founder of Stila cosmetics. "Creating symmetry is all about using light, dark and reflection," says Lobell, whose clients include actresses Heather Graham, Liv Tyler, Michelle Pfeiffer, Kate Hudson and Mena Suvari.
When she began doing makeup for celebrity photo shoots eight years ago, Lobell created what she calls "essential points of light" on the face by mixing Vaseline with eye shadow and foundation. "Light can soften the face, give it dimension and make it look more moist," she says. "If you want to take 10 years off your age, try a foundation with shimmer or just put a light-reflective cream on your crow's-feet." (See box for more tips.)
Sure, when you look good, you feel better. But don't get carried away in search of symmetry. Nobody's perfect, and that's just fine, Lobell says. "When you look at a beautiful face, embrace the unique qualities, including the unevenness." Individuality -- now that's beautiful.
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The magic of makeup
Using makeup is a quick way to make your face appear more symmetrical -- and make you look and feel more beautiful. We asked makeup artist Jeanine Lobell to create the illusion of symmetry on our model, Margaret Easley, who gamely posed for before-and-after photos at the Los Angeles headquarters of Lobell's cosmetics company, Stila. Lobell's tips:
Choose the right base. The biggest mistake women make is not using the right shade of foundation for their skin tone. If you need help, go to a makeup counter and ask for advice. "Concealer and foundation will even out your skin tone and hide small, distracting imperfections," Lobell says. She used Illuminating Liquid Foundation on the model.
Get a youthful glow. Stay away from matte powder; it emphasizes wrinkles and can make your skin look flat and dry (read: older). Lobell used All Over Shimmer Powder on the model's cheekbones for a youthful gleam.
Use reflective eye shadow. To make your eyes look larger and wider-set, apply a reflective powder or cream one shade lighter than your skin tone on eyelids. On the model, Lobell used Chinois eye shadow, a shimmery beige. Stick to neutral tones; bright colors emphasize you're wearing makeup.
Mind your eyebrows. No one's brows are perfectly symmetrical. Use a powder or pencil in a soft nude or taupe shade to fill in your brows; this allows you to match them and extend the arches and ends to make your face appear more "open."
Curl your lashes. This is a simple way to frame your eyes and make them look bigger before you apply mascara -- black only, please, even if you're fair-skinned.
Create luscious lips. Choose a lip pencil one shade darker than your natural lip color. "Use it to create a new lip line or just balance a crooked one," Lobell says. To make lips look fuller and younger, apply a light-reflective lipstick or gloss. Lobell used Lip Polish in Luster on the model.
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