Male Attractiveness Test (2026)

Jawline Definition

For male faces, gonial-angle definition correlates with the masculinity-coded subscores that load heaviest on perceived attractiveness in Said & Todorov (2011) trait studies. A defined jaw under directional light is the single fastest male-photo lift.

FWHR (facial-width-to-height ratio)

Carré & McCormick (2008) link FWHR in the 1.85–2.0 band to perceived masculinity and dominance — both signal positively on dating-app primary photos but negatively on LinkedIn, which is why our scoring weights FWHR contextually.

Canthal Tilt

Positive canthal tilt (outer-eye corner above inner) reads as alert and high-status in male portraits. The metric is photo-angle-sensitive — chin tucked slightly down and camera at eye level produces the audit's strongest tilt reading.

Genuine Smile (Duchenne markers)

Men over-rotate on stern photos believing it reads as masculine; the data says the opposite. Tracy & Beall (2011) showed women rate genuine-smile male photos +12% over neutral on Tinder-style judgments.

Cheekbone Protrusion

High cheekbones photograph well for men under directional sidelight at 30–45°. The metric scores higher for low body-fat composition; flat overhead light suppresses the score by an average of 7 points.

Top-band male photos compound jaw + smile + lighting. Use this shot as your dating-app lead and your LinkedIn headshot. Glow-up plans focus on grooming and outfit, not feature changes.

High-band male photos usually have one drag — most often a forced smile or under-eye lighting that flattens the jawline. A second photo with a 30° side-light retake typically lifts the score 8–14 points.

Mid-band male photos trace to one of three causes: low-angle camera (exaggerates nostrils, weakens jaw), flat light (no jaw contour), or a closed-mouth half-smile that reads as forced. Fix the camera angle first.

Low-band male photos are almost never feature-driven for men — they are lighting and expression. The audit retake guidance moves most low-band male photos 18+ points without any change to the face itself.