Travelers, especially those who have crossed continents, know only too well that the concept of beauty or attractiveness shifts from country to county. Cultural differences on beauty abound: for some, thinness and soaring cheekbones, while for others, plumpness and full lips. Someone who finds the Japanese model Yuko Ogura attractive may not hold Scarlett Johansson in the same regard, though she is somewhat universally acknowledged as beautiful.

Our standards for beauty are largely based on what our native culture deems valuable or attractive during the period, shaped in part by what we see in the media. Take for instance England during the late 19th century: men preferred voluptuous women. Today, though, waif-like models, personified by Kate Moss, are the norm, dominating fashion show runways and spawning an industry worth billions of dollars. Who knows, in a matter of decades, being plump may be “in” again.

Inner beauty

But any discussion of physical beauty will likely involve what is commonly referred to as “inner beauty,” personal, non-tangible components (such as personality, grace, and intelligence) that complete the sum-total of the person. Even Miss Universe, one of the world’s most popular pageants, takes the inner beauty into account through the question and answer portion where the contestant has to exhibit that she has something between her ears.

Sushmita Sen, who won Miss Universe in 1994, outshone her more favored competition (Latin American beauties from Venezuela and Colombia) when she showed that, aside from physical beauty, she had the grace and the bearing to answer the difficult question: “What is the essence of being a woman?” The contestant from India remarked: "Just being a woman is God’s gift. The origin of a child is a mother, a woman. Woman is sharing. She shows a man what sharing, caring, and loving is all about.”

Not just in the eye of the beholder

Though beauty has no fixed definition, there are common ideals that run through various cultures. For one, beauty is always equated as the value of youth, a stage where the health of an individual is at its peak. Clear skin, lustrous hair and symmetrical facial features are not only indicative of beauty but also of good health.

And then there’s the golden ratio, which espouses that a beautiful face can be mathematically measured. In a beautiful face, the “distance from hairline to the tip of the nose, divided by the distance from hairline to the tip of the chin,” equals to 0.62 that is called the golden ratio.

No pain, no gain

Almost every Latin American girl aspires to be a beauty queen, especially in Venezuela, which has produced six Miss Universe titlists. Here, beauty is not just a privilege – it’s a goal in life. In the city of Caracas, beauty salons outnumber drugstores, catering not just for the rich but for women from lower income levels. In fact, teenagers celebrate their coming of age by having breast implants, as being small-breasted is looked down upon.

Yohana, a girl who took the operation says: “I see it as something normal. It’s like putting highlights on your hair.” Brazilian girls are as beauty-obsessed as their Venezuelan counterparts and pay for enhancement procedures by installment.

Diversity of beauty

The largest continent in the world also has the largest diversity in appearance and beauty standards. Take your pick: Chinese, Japanese, Indians, Filipinas, Russians, and so on. Among them, it is widely considered that the Indian beauty stands out, with their big dreamy eyes, well-defined noses, and curled eyelashes. Bollywood is where the beautiful congregate: actress Aishwarya Rai is hailed by many to be the most beautiful woman on Earth. The Chinese and Japanese present a different kind of allure, engaging men with their petite bodies, young-looking faces, and porcelain skin.

Slavic girls are considered as the most beautiful in Europe and are the mainstays of fashion runways. Tall, skinny and blonde, they have facial features that can grace any fashion magazine: wide foreheads, clear eyes and high cheekbones. It is no wonder that many claim that the most beautiful people in the world come from Belarus, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, and those other Slavic nations. In Italy, the girls are known for their seductive looks – dark hair, piercing eyes, tanned skin, and ample bosoms. Look no further than Monica Belucci for an example.

According to a judge of the “Face of Africa” pageant, Busi Mahlaba, “There’s no beauty like African beauty – our skin tones, our figures, and our shapes are distinct and unique in all of the world.” Though they are a departure from the norms of what the world considers as attractive, African women are beautiful in their own right: dark skin, flat noses, full figures, and big hips.

Mixed race beauty

It is very common to see beauties comprised of different races. Just look at the American actress Angelina Jolie, who is widely recognized as one of the world’s most beautiful women – she is of Czechoslovakian, German, French, and Canadian descent. Bombshell Megan Fox is also one of the hottest sex symbols today, with her sigh-inducing curves, tanned skin, and Irish, French, and Native American face.

It seems that there is really no consensus on what a beautiful face is. We recognize it as soon as we see one. For you, what makes a woman beautiful?