Master the formula for a pretty face

A perceptual psychologist explains the science behind beauty, and how to cheat your way to it

 

Archaeologists excavating sites at Harappa and Mohenjodaro say they stumbled on pots of kohl and red iron oxide (possibly used as rouge) used by the women of the Indus Valley Civilisation. Which means the Indian woman's need for make-up dates back to 3000 BC. It's no surprise then that the Indian cosmetic industry is estimated to be worth Rs 20,000 crore.

A professor of psychology in Pennsylvania, who has been researching the science of beauty for 10 years, swears by the power of make-up to cheat your way to attractiveness.

Using online surveys, human tests and statistical data derived from a large database of faces (of mostly students), Richard Russell of Gettysburg College, says, the 'perfect' face is a combination of prominent cheekbones, full lips and a neat nose determined by the facial measurements of the general population around you.

Can your nose do the math?

A key factor in determining how close you are to this 'perfection' is explained by how 'average' you are. A deformed ear can appear ugly. Hence, the averageness of a face with a deformed ear is calculated as low. "A hooked nose, droopy eye or a jutting chin could all contribute to a lower averageness," says Russell. The less average you are, the further you are away from 'beauty'.

For instance, consider a woman with close-set eyes. The distance between a lady's eyes helps determine how attractive she is to others (ideal horizontal distance between eyes: 46%, or a little less than half, of the width of the face). The close-seteyes lady can inch closer to her goal by extending her eyeliner beyond the corner of her eyes, and giving it an upward flick.

 

For droopy ideas, make-up artiste Clint Fernandes suggests using a darker shade of eye shadow on the outer corners. "An eyeliner will help define the shape, and eye shadow will erase the crease line in the socket below the eyebrow. This helps 'lift' the eyes. Attaching fake lashes a tiny distance higher than where your real ones start creates the illusion of wider eyes," he suggests.

Your arch nemesis 

Usually, a woman's eyebrows tend to be at a higher distance away from the eyelid. This is what contributes to how the brain perceives the male and female quotient of every face. The more feminine a woman's face, the prettier it appears. This is characterised by an oblong shape, narrow jaw and high cheekbones. A man's face tends to be angular, with a firm broad jaw. Women striving to inch closer to the ideal of beauty, must therefore, pluck their eyebrows with care.

"Never tweeze or thread hair from the upper arch. Also, an arch that's too high will leave you looking permanently surprised," says Fernandes.

For higher, chiselled cheekbones, make-up artiste Celina Rajamanickam uses two tones of blush, blended.

"Use a darker tone from the base of your ear up along the cheek. The lighter shade should rest above it, and then blend the two with a thick brush," she says. Use the same rule across the sides of the nose to make it appear slimmer.

The fairer sex 

After studying the faces of men and women across ethnic groups in the US, Europe and Asia, Russell discovered that pigmentation was a key difference between the sexes. Biologically, women are a few tones lighter than men in their race, he explains. Hence, the craving for fairer skin universally.

He adds that the contrast between the lips and eyes, and the surrounding areas is greater in women than in men. Which is why, when a woman accentuates her eyes and lips with kohl and lipstick, accentuates this contrast, appearing more feminine, and thus, attractive.

The bright red vintage lipstick trend is a way to exaggerate this contrast of colours between the skin and lips. Researchers relate the fullness and colour of lips with fertility because blood flow in the face is believed to be heightened. "Steffie Paul (in pic) has naturally full lips, and highlighting them with lip gloss heightens the pleasantness of her face," explains Rajamanickam.

Learn your lines 

Correspondingly, age lines and wrinkles darken the skin. "An older woman with smartly applied make-up will look like her younger self. The idea of youth and health is hence perceived as beautiful," says Russell.

Puffiness around the eyes can be tackled with neutral tones of foundation and concealer. Fernandes suggests you use it sparingly mask blemishes and spots.