Looks do matter; the power of ‘beauty’ is mindboggling

Let’s face it – being beautiful is a matter of genetics and chance. Being naturally gorgeous requires as much effort as being naturally gifted. There are some things that you just can’t control… but you can the others.

The advantages of being beautiful are a cross-culture phenomenon. No matter to which part of the world you belong to, there are some features that are universally considered to be conventionally attractive, which are here to stay. For instance in men, a strong jaw while for women, it is high cheekbones. For both genders, it is smooth skin, facial symmetry and shiny hair that draw praises.

Beautiful people are perceived as being healthier, wealthier, more socially dominant and more trustworthy.

According to a study by the University of New Mexico, beauty and symmetry are related to intelligence. The developed social skills that often derive from being good looking are also perceived as a sign of being more intelligent. This usually guarantees a better chance of negotiating promotions, having a higher income, and being more persuasive and able to achieve goals.

From getting higher marks in school for handing in the same quality work to receiving more help when needed, from having an easier time job hunting, to getting higher salaries, they have an advantage. Good-looking people are also less likely to be judged as guilty in legal and courtroom settings, not to mention the obvious advantages they possess in the relationship and dating departments. Even in childhood, kids, who are cuter, are often treated more favorably. Numerous research studies, articles, and anecdotal pieces of evidence are available that give a very comprehensive coverage to the ‘Yes, your looks matter’ phenomenon. When more people are interested in you, the prospects of meeting someone you like are brighter. Of course, it doesn’t guarantee a healthy relationship. You don’t need to meet multiple people; you only need one right person.

If your priority is to build a career, you’ll achieve better results when you focus on other qualities. It’s not that you should look like Shrek: You can still do your best to look good. But maybe you should prioritize learning new skills. The fact is that although beauty can help in the search for a job, it does not always ring true.

“Studies have found that both women and men list ‘a sense of humour’ as a highly desirable trait in a potential romantic partner,” Dr. Beall says. “But other studies have found that only women actually rate a funnier man as more desirable—women’s desirability was less affected by how funny they actually were.” This means women want men who make them laugh, but men want women to laugh at their jokes. “Some have argued that women’s particularly pronounced attraction to funnier men is deeply rooted in our evolutionary past,” Dr. Beall says.

“The production of humor requires heritable cognitive skills such as intelligence and creativity, so mating with a funnier person may provide direct genetic benefits to potential offspring,” adds Dr. Beall.

Because women are evolutionarily the primary caregivers for youngsters, they may be particularly concerned with having kids with good genes.

Beauty is now an industry that many people, from top-tier financiers to A-list celebrities, want to be a part of—and with good reason. Following a solid recovery from the Covid-19 peak levels, the beauty market is expected to reach approximately $580 billion by 2027, growing by a projected six percent a year. This is in line with or slightly higher than other consumer segments such as apparel, footwear, eyewear, pet care, and food and beverages.

Gen Zers demand that brands credibly stand for something. In addition to their focus on sustainability, diversity, and inclusion, they greatly value brands that have an authentic and approachable image and a story that goes beyond products and that welcome consumers into a wider community. Engaging with beauty products and services to feel good and express their authentic selves rather than adhering to specific cultural ideals, this cohort is challenging norms not only around the definition of physical beauty but also around gender and product categories.

Amid continuously increasing interest in the beauty industry from a variety of players, M&A will continue to play a major role in the industry.

As seen in recent years, conglomerates and financial investors alike will pursue deals to invest in promising brands. But deal-making will not be the same as when cost of capital was low. In the near term, megadeals will likely be few and far in between in response to market turbulence. In addition, the criteria for M&A targets will shift from a focus on high-growth independent “brands of the moment” to brands with an innovative product pipeline and a demonstrated ability to grow profitably and sustainably, over the long term.