The Golden Ratio

Friday 2 March 2012


Idly browsing the web the other day, I came across this really cute article. Someone has unearthed from the archives a vintage film from the 1930's that instructs young ladies how to apply their make-up.
Have a look here: http://t.co/FSOzL62G
Isn't it the most fascinating thing? Of course, their idea of beauty was a little different from our modern-day version- the skinny, pointed eyebrows and sharp 'm' curve of the lips.

But isn't it fascinating how the principles of geometry have stayed the same? The triangles and plains drawn onto the face are not at all dissimilar from our own methods of shading, contouring and highlighting.
As someone who has always been 'allergic' to maths, it's intriguing to me that a lot of what we poetically describe as 'beauty' can be traced back to mathematical principles.
At A-Level, I did Psychology and my specialist topic and studies were around the psychology of physical attraction. Little wonder I'm now writing a beauty blog!
The theory can be traced right back to that Renaissance Man, Leonardo Da Vinci, and his comrades. He produced illustrations for a book entitled 'De Divina Proportione', that explained how harmonious proportions gave a pleasing effect. You can read more about the Golden Ratio here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_ratio#Aesthetics
It's fascinating stuff, and goes a long way towards explaining why my day is never perfect if I draw my eyebrows in crookedly!

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