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Allure magazine celebrates its 20th anniversary this March with a sweeping beauty survey of more than 2,000 men and women—an effort to learn more about aesthetics, American standards, and perception. Back in 1991, when Allure conducted its first survey, editors found that their readers thought Christie Brinkley was considered the American ideal—with her blonde hair, sporty build, and blue eyes. This year's results—20 years later!—yield far different findings.
Nowadays, it seems that Angelina Jolie is the new American beauty icon—she ekes ahead of runners up Halle Berry, Megan Fox, Beyonce, and Jennifer Lopez. As for guys, both men and women rank Brad Pitt the winner, followed by George Clooney, Tom Cruise, Denzel Washington, and Ryan Reynolds.
For a detailed breakdown of the specifics—hair color, body types, self-perception, and age—click through after the jump. The March issue of Allure will hit newsstands nationwide on February 22nd.
Beauty Preferences:
· 64% think women of mixed race represent the epitome of beauty.
· 70% of those who wish to change their skin color wanted it to be darker— this was pronounced among women.
· 74% of those surveyed believe that a curvier body type is more appealing now than it has been over the past ten years.
· 69% of survey respondents believe there is no such thing as an “all-American look.”
· 85% of those surveyed believe that increased diversity in this country has changed what people consider beautiful.Racial Differences:
· African-American and Hispanic women are twice as likely as Caucasian women to report not wanting to change their body in any way.
· African-American and Hispanic women are more likely than Caucasian women to feel they’re more attractive than their significant other.
· A third of African-American women think of themselves as the most attractive person in the room.
· African-American and Hispanic men are nearly twice as likely as Caucasian men to say the butt is among the most attractive features of a woman.
· African-American men are directionally more likely to embrace and aspire to curviness—they say they want curvier hips and a higher/rounder butt or a larger butt.
· African-American women are least likely to be on a diet/watch their weight.The Age Factor:
· The younger the male respondent, the more likely he is to agree with the statement “Cougars are hot.”
· 86% of everyone surveyed think that middle-aged women of today are perceived as more attractive than they were two decades ago.