Don't go changing

Not everyone can actually be beautiful but culture, gender and confidence influence whether you think you are. Synovate asked respondents to place themselves on the beauty continuum, anywhere from 'I am beautiful and do not need to change anything about the way I look' through to 'I do not think I am beautiful or attractive and want to change the way I look'.

So who's hot and who's not?

The South Africans (32%) and Indians (24%) were most likely to think they were beautiful and did not need to change a thing. But the survey also gave the option of 'I think I am beautiful but there's always room for improvement' and when added together, it seems the South Africans (65%) and Brazilians (62%) have the best 'beauty' images of all respondents.

Honore Gasa, Client Services Director (FMCG) for Synovate in South Africa, attributed this to the African ideal of beauty.

"We have just as many images of beauty around us in South Africa as any other country. But they are diverse and reflect a wide variety of beauty ideals. The acceptance of this diversity and a multi-dimensional interpretation of beauty is why South Africans are able to think of themselves as beautiful and work with what they have."

Most likely to feel they look ordinary and want to change were the Koreans (21%) and they were also most likely to think they look ordinary but do not need to change (16%). More Americans than anyone else nominated 'I do not think I am beautiful or attractive and want to change the way I look' but this was the relatively low number of 7%, creeping up to 10% among American women.

Overall, 57% of people do not want to change the way they look (whether they believe they are beautiful or not); but that means over 40% would change their looks if they could.

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> A mixed beauty bag

> Beauty is as beauty does

> It's a kind of magic

> Putting your mouth where your money is (and other things people will do to improve their looks!)