Forget the old adage about beauty being subjective. According to a fresh scientific analysis, the most attractive woman in 2025 possesses a very specific set of attributes: long dark brown hair, tattoos, and crucially, she is likely already taken.
The Data Behind the Ideal
To decode the characteristics of modern allure, researchers at PlayersTime conducted a comprehensive review of Maxim magazine's 'Hot 100' lists spanning the last decade, from 2016 to the present. They meticulously categorised each entrant by age, height, body type, facial features, and hair colour to identify prevailing trends.
The findings paint a clear picture. The archetype of today's most desirable woman has dark eyes, long dark hair, stands at a medium-to-tall height of around 5ft 6in (172cm), and often sports a heart-shaped face. Notably, the data suggests that women who are in a relationship, engaged, or married are perceived as more desirable, with a staggering nine out of ten women on the lists falling into this category.
Celebrities Who Match the Mould
This emerging ideal is powerfully reflected in contemporary celebrity culture. Pop icon Dua Lipa and model Hailey Bieber are cited as near-perfect embodiments, each fitting the identified profile with a 90 per cent match. Their combination of classic dark features, cultural influence, and perceived style aligns seamlessly with the data.
Other close matches include actress Shay Mitchell and model Emily Ratajkowski, both scoring 80 per cent. Mitchell matches the ideal height exactly but is noted as being a decade older than the peak age of 29 identified in the study. Ratajkowski embodies eight of the ten key traits, only diverging on age and her Gemini star sign, as the favoured zodiac signs were found to be Libra and Scorpio.
American actresses Olivia Culpo and Zendaya each score 70 per cent. Culpo lost points for lacking tattoos, while Zendaya was marked down for being above the 'ideal' height. High-profile figures like Kendall Jenner and Lily Collins align with parts of the profile, scoring 50 per cent, thanks to their dark features and slim silhouettes.
Evolving Standards and Surprising Traits
The full dataset reveals how perceptions of attractiveness have shifted over the past ten years. The 2016 list featured stars like Margot Robbie, while 2017 included Emma Watson. More recent years have seen a diverse mix, from Beyoncé and Taylor Swift in 2023 to Miley Cyrus in 2024 and Ashley Graham in 2025.
Beyond relationship status, other statistics from the analysis are telling. Of the women featured, 68 per cent were slim, 14 per cent athletic, and a third had an hourglass figure. A significant 44 per cent had undergone either body or facial plastic surgery, and 64 per cent had tattoos. Brown hair and eyes were the most common features, and Libra emerged as the most frequent star sign.
Aleksandra Dimitrova, a data analyst at PlayersTime, commented on the shift: "What's striking about 2025's beauty conversation is how dark, classic features, rich brown hair, deep eyes, and striking silhouettes are increasingly defining public preference. Trendsetting celebrities are driving this shift, pairing these traits with cultural influence, charisma, and effortless style."
The research also touches on the potential 'beauty backfire' effect, where extreme attractiveness can sometimes make individuals, particularly women, seem less relatable. This study, however, solidifies a very specific and data-driven vision of the current ideal, one where timeless dark features are paired with modern markers of confidence like body art and an independent personal life.
