I had never heard the term “SexyFace” until one of our forum members mentioned it and linked to this article on Jezebel. Ah-hah! The penny dropped. SexyFace is when models and celebs pose with their mouths open to appear more sexy, like in the photos below. As Jezebel puts it, “the mouth is supposed to turn people on, the look is supposed to make people feel like they are intruding on a private moment “. 

As soon as the phenomenon had a name, I started noticing it everywhere. In magazines, on billboards, in posters, on fashion blogs and even on the red carpet. SexyFace makes me laugh because, to me, it looks so contrived and self involved. It also reminds me of my kindergarten days when a child with blank stare and mouth wide open would be asked “Are you trying to catch a fly?”. “No”, we would reply before the teacher gave a stern “Well then. Close your mouth!”

I’m attracted to people who smile, so I like to see models smile when I’m browsing through clothes online. If they aren’t smiling, I prefer models to look neutral or expressionless, because that seems more natural. Of course, all the shots are posed, but for some reason expressionless looks less contrived than SexyFace.

There is nothing about the SexyFace pose that will make me like the photo or the outfit of the wearer more. Smiling on the other hand, captivates me instantly. My vote: bring back the models who smile.