Nancy Etcoff, in her book, Survival of the Prettiest, noted, "Appearance is the most public part of the self. It is our sacrament, the visible self that the world assumes to be a mirror of the invisible, inner self." Her book takes a look at what we find beautiful and why. She argues that our passionate pursuit of beauty reflects the working of a basic instinct

Etcoff concludes that this basic instinct goes back to the earliest days of mankind and that it was related to survival. The cavewoman that was most highly desired was the one who was most likely to produce strong and healthy offspring. A single glance revealed it all: she had healthy skin, great teeth, shiny healthy hair, ample breasts, and shapely hips. Sound familiar? The caveman that was the pick of the crop was the tallest and strongest, so that he could defend and feed his family. Sound familiar?

Etcoff's research reveals that our "beauty detectors" can see a face for a fraction of a second and rate its beauty-even give it the same rating we would on a longer inspection. Research about first impressions at Harvard University concluded much the same: that we make an in-depth and long-lasting impression in a mere two seconds. My research concurs with that of Nancy Etcoff. She says, "Long after we forget many important details about a person, our initial response stays in our memory." I call this the Mona Lisa Effect.

The Mona Lisa Effect is when you cannot glance at a person. You want to gaze; and the memory of the person stays in your mind. You cannot remember details, only the overall impression. My firm, The Impression Strategies Institute, deals with the science and strategies of first impressions. It is my conviction that first impressions are made more than once. When a person's image is transformed dramatically, the first impression that is made of the new persona is no different from an "authentic" first impression.

I like to believe that instead of "beauty detectors," we have "harmony detectors." In terms of image, if you do everything right, no one notices the details. But, do one thing wrong, and that is all that is remembered. My thirty years of research has shown that if you learn to camouflage your figure flaws (so there are no distractions for the harmony detectors); and dress in a manner that is polished and classy, which includes wearing colors and styles that flatter you; and then make your face the focal point via great hair, makeup and accessories, the harmony detectors will go off the scale!

Etcoff cites the definition of "beautiful" given in the Oxford English Dictionary: "Excelling in grace of form, charm of coloring, and other qualities which delight the eye and call forth admiration." The perfect description of a polished and classy persona could be "grace of form." And "charm of coloring" most likely implies that a person knows which makeup and clothing colors enhance her the most. Lastly, "other qualities which delight the eye and call forth admiration" might include a stylish hairdo and striking accessories.

Add all these things up and you get a person who has total harmony with her appearance. And color, it should be noted, is the one ingredient over which we have the most control. It also has the ability to produce the most powerful results in terms of looking healthy, classy, and attractive. Conversely, makeup and clothing in the wrong colors destroys harmony. St. Augustine appreciated the power of color. He declared that beauty of the body was "a harmony of its parts with a certain pleasing color." For Cicero, it was "a certain symmetrical shape of the limbs combined with a certain charm of coloring." Color is the foundation of image consulting, and it can make or break your image.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, it has been said. However, according to recent studies on the perceptions of infants, reported by Nancy Etcoff, this statement may need modifying. Perhaps fashion and style are in the eye of the beholder. Beauty, or harmony of features, is noticed even at three months of age. Researchers reported that infants gaze longer at attractive faces than at unattractive faces and that infants appear to come into the world equipped with the ability to discriminate, preferring the "beautiful." Beauty preferences, it seems, are not learned. We are hardwired from birth to seek for harmony. There are no unattractive people, only those who have not yet learned how to be attractive. And don't forget, Hollywood glamour is not what it is all about. It is about harmony of color, of style, and "line" from head to toe. Beauty is nothing more than absolute harmony with all these elements.

Sandy Dumont, THE Image Architect is an image consultant and professional speaker based in Virginia Beach, with 30 years of international and national experience helping individuals and Fortune 500 companies improve their image. She conducts customized Branding for People™workshops on a regular basis.
For more information, visit www.theimagearchitect.com or call 757/627-6669.

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by Sandy Dumont, THE Image Architect © 2006
Originally published in Tidewater Women, July 2006