Who is the most beautiful woman in the world?
No, I’m not fishing for compliments (but thank you very much). And no, I’m not talking about inner beauty. I’m talking about real, physical beauty.
There are, of course, so many variables that go into our definition of beauty. There are cultural norms and personal preferences. But I’m here to tell you that there is an answer to the question above.
The most beautiful woman in the world is…
Elizabeth Hurley.
Well, maybe she’s not THE most beautiful woman in the world but she is considered a standard of beauty for one reason in particular.
Symmetry.
Many studies have been shown to prove that facial symmetry, among other types of body proportions have a great influence on interpersonal attraction. Elizabeth Hurley has been referred to as a standard of beauty because her face is said to have a high degree of symmetry.
She’s pretty, alright. I doubt we’d ever be best pals but I’ll admit she is downright good-looking.
On the opposite end of the spectrum is Ellen Barkin. She’s often considered “unconventionally pretty.” I even remember reading an article written about her years ago. The author was trying to capture this lack of conventional beauty by saying her face looked like it had been put back together by a kindergartner. He wasn’t trying to be insulting. He was trying to capture her unique essence.
I think if someone had captured my unique essence in that way, I’d cry my eyes out for days. And I think that particular description got to me because like Ellen, my face lacks symmetry.
I’m sure that most of us have some asymmetry to our faces. I have just always felt like mine was more pronounced than others. Maybe age is accentuating it. I’m not sure. But I see it in my nose, my jaw, my mouth, my eyes. Pretty much every part of my face. And it kind of bothers me.
Is it just in my head? Are my right and left halves really all that different? And do I really have a better side? I wanted to find out. So I asked my good friend Photoshop to help me out and I’ve created two new Fadras.
This is me as a lefty. The left side of my face is duplicated so I actually have two left sides. Notice the symmetry? Of course it’s perfect with the aid of Photoshop. Is it better? It’s hard to say. I’m starting to see some skin sagging more on my left side. I have an astigmatism in my eye on the left side. And perhaps my eyes are too close together here. Or maybe I just feel odd seeing an altered version of myself. I do like my nose though.
This is me in bizarro world. I have wide-set bug eyes (in my opinion). My mouth looks sort of mean. My cheeks have no definition and my nose looks a little fat. Basically, I don’t like it.
So it turns out I’m right. I am quite asymmetrical. If you takes my halves separately, we can clearly create two brand new faces, neither of which I really like. Maybe it’s because I’ve had my face all my life.
In the end, I have to admit that accepting that which we cannot change is one of the hardest things in life. Sure, there’s plastic surgery but in general, I’m not a fan of it. Although I am rethinking that nose job idea…
What this little exercise did do is teach me that whole is greater than the sum of its parts. (Thank you, Aristotle).
***
How do you feel about your face? What would you change if you could?
18 comments
Fadra–You’re beautiful on the inside AND outside! Symmetry has nothing to do with true physical beauty, IMO. To me, it’s people’s unique characteristics that make one pretty. That’s not to say Elizabeth Hurley isn’t gorgeous–she is–but I don’t know that I agree that it’s because she’s symmetrical. I like that, in her smile, her whole face lights up. You see a smile in her eyes. That is what makes me think she looks good.
Beauty is also about attitude. Give me a perfectly symmetrical person with a bad attitude, and I’ll show you an ugly person.
My favorite picture of you is your first picture! But it is an interesting experiment to see what a face would look like under different circumstances. As for me, I’m not so concerned with symmetry as I am with my super-sagging face going south…I wouldn’t mind having that reversed, lol!
I agree with you TOTALLY. I can remember in my younger days meeting the hottest guy only to get completely bored with his appearance because there was no personality to match.
I guess I’d really like to see how much my symmetry has evolved from when I was younger and how much our lives take their toll on our faces!
(Notice how I ignored your compliment? I don’t do well with those but thank you 🙂 )
Yep, there are things I would change. I have one eyelid that seems to have more skin than it’s counterpart and I’m starting to see the lines of age…
I liked the lefty you and I like the original! 🙂
I definitely think I have a better side. And I think we’re in agreement on it 😉
This will change your feature and make them symmetrical according to the golden ratio. Try to listen during meditation about 1hr a day for a month or so. You’ll see change in a bout a week. You are already beautiful, but you deserve to look the way you want. Good luck! Here’s a youtube link :-)https://youtu.be/mJombw3O5Vw
Fadra, first you are gorgeous just the way you are! Second, how the hell do I do that in photoshop because I SO want to see my halves made into two me’s!
Fadra, first you are gorgeous just the way you are! Second, how the hell do I do that in photoshop because I SO want to see my halves made into two me’s!
Oh stop it. And tell me some more 😉
I actually cropped in Photoshop and did a reflection in Illustrator. If you can’t do it, send me a pic like the one I took of myself and I’ll do it. For fun!!
This makes me think of that episode of the Office where they are debating whether or not some actress is hot and Oscar projects her picture on the wall with a graph over it and discusses the symmetry of her face.
If you don’t watch that show…my comment makes no sense. Sorry about that.
The older I get, the less symmetrical my face is. Gravity totally doesn’t respect symmetry. And plastic surgery always makes you look weird. If not right away, eventually. Because unnatural things, don’t age naturally. Aaaaand, I’m the Queen of Redundant Land. G’day.
I love the caption- Full Frontal Fadra! LOL!! If I could change anything about my face it would be a slightly smaller nose and not so long. My face is very oval. I guess I lack symmetry too!
My face is SOOOOO asymmetrical — particularly my eyes, which are totally uneven. Would love to see a photo of my right side self and my left side self — very interesting. I’ve always been inclined to hold my head at a slight tilt as a result.
Wow – I never thought of Elizabeth Hurley as a stunning beauty. Pretty, yes. Drop-dead gorgeous? Not so much.
I read somewhere once that actors/actresses were more likely to be cast in leading roles if they had a facial “flaw.” Those with too-perfect looks just aren’t memorable enough… something along those lines. It’s fun to take notice of what makes the actors memorable.
And really – is outer beauty that important?
Oh – I discovered my asymmetry by accident one day as I tried on new glasses. I noticed that they looked crooked by my eyebrows. The oksokind tech said, “that’s just because your ears aren’t even. when I put them (the glasses) on the table, they lay flat. It’s totally your ears. Or your eyebrows.”
If I could change one thing about my face it would be my eyes. I think they’re too big. But as I’ve gotten older I’ve really learned to embrace and love my face they way it. Now embracing my body…that’s another thing.
My eyes are too deep set, so I always have dark circles underneath. It bugs me, but my husband finds that one of my most beautiful features. Go figure.
I would change my nose (very irish & has a bump) and my lips. Teeny tiny lips. I know my face isn’t symmetrical
I remember seeing some show on TLC hosted by…John Cleese? Where they revealed Liz Hurley as the most beautiful. Either way I thought it was silly. Beauty can’t be defined and our definitions of beauty are always changing, esp when you take into consideration what part of the world you live in.
Maybe in Ireland my style of nose is prized…? Who knows 🙂
My twitter picture is flipped around and it drives me crazy. I don’t think anyone else would notice, but to me it is all wrong. As far as my least favorite feature…my nose it always it.
liz hurley? please