How One Woman's Body Was Photoshopped to Meet 18 Different "Ideal" Beauty Standards

Skin, Human leg, Red, Joint, Orange, Thigh, Beauty, Organ, Muscle, Fashion,

(Image credit: Courtesy Superdrug Online Doctor)

last updated 28 July 2021

People always say that perceptions of beauty vary widely from one country to the next, but just how different can those views really be? In a new study (opens in new tab), 18 graphic designers from all over the world—interestingly, most of them women—were asked to Photoshop one woman's face and body to fit with what is considered their culture's aesthetic ideal.

The results are truly fascinating.

Text, Swimwear, Brassiere, Swimsuit bottom, Undergarment, Waist, Font, Lingerie, Thigh, Swimsuit top,

U.S.A.

Brassiere, Hairstyle, Shoulder, Human leg, Joint, Waist, Swimsuit top, Undergarment, Abdomen, Stomach,

China

Hairstyle, Brassiere, Shoulder, Human leg, Joint, Waist, Chest, Swimsuit top, Undergarment, Lingerie,

Colombia

Brassiere, Skin, Joint, Swimsuit top, Chest, Undergarment, Abdomen, Lingerie, Waist, Thigh,

Egypt

Hairstyle, Brassiere, Human leg, Joint, Swimsuit top, Undergarment, Swimwear, Thigh, Lingerie, Muscle,

Italy

Skin, Human leg, Shoulder, Brassiere, Joint, Red, Undergarment, Thigh, Muscle, Fashion model,

Netherlands

Finger, Skin, Joint, Brassiere, Swimwear, Waist, Thigh, Muscle, Undergarment, Trunk,

Peru

Skin, Shoulder, Brassiere, Joint, Human leg, Waist, Undergarment, Chest, Thigh, Lingerie,

Philippines

Brassiere, Hairstyle, Skin, Swimsuit top, Undergarment, Pink, Lingerie, Waist, Bikini, Swimsuit bottom,

Romania

Brassiere, Pink, Undergarment, Chest, Abdomen, Swimsuit top, Navel, Stomach, Waist, Lingerie,

Serbia

Brassiere, Shoulder, Joint, Pink, Waist, Undergarment, Chest, Abdomen, Thigh, Stomach,

South Africa

Hairstyle, Brassiere, Skin, Joint, Swimsuit top, Undergarment, Waist, Bikini, Lingerie, Navel,

Spain

Brassiere, Shoulder, Joint, Swimsuit top, Pink, Undergarment, Chest, Waist, Abdomen, Stomach,

Mexico

Brassiere, Skin, Shoulder, Human leg, Joint, Swimsuit top, Undergarment, Waist, Lingerie, Chest,

Syria

Skin, Brassiere, Shoulder, Joint, Human leg, Pink, Waist, Chest, Undergarment, Abdomen,

United Kingdom

Brassiere, Shoulder, Joint, Undergarment, Waist, Chest, Navel, Lingerie, Swimsuit top, Abdomen,

Ukraine

Brassiere, Hairstyle, Shoulder, Human leg, Joint, Red, Swimsuit top, Waist, Chest, Undergarment,

Argentina

Brassiere, Skin, Swimsuit top, Pink, Undergarment, Waist, Chest, Lingerie, Abdomen, Navel,

Venezuela

Human, Hairstyle, Skin, Brassiere, Shoulder, Joint, Waist, Undergarment, Swimsuit top, Abdomen,

If this doesn't go to show that *all* bodies are beautiful, we don't know what does.

My writing has regularly appeared in The New York Times, The Paris Review, Salon, VICE, Guernica, The New York Observer, BuzzFeed, Cosmopolitan, Seventeen, Esquire, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, and many more publications.

I was previously the Senior News Editor at Best Life Online and the Viral Content Editor in the Newsroom of Hearst Digital Media. My portfolio consists of a vast and diverse body of work that includes personal essays, lifestyle articles, breaking news posts, and viral content. My areas of expertise, however, are Russia, sex and relationships, and mental wellness.