MARLOW, England, September 12 /PRNewswire/ --

- 83% of Women Across the Globe Reveal That it is Important to
Look Natural According to One of the Largest International Studies Conducted
Into the Beauty Perceptions of Women and Men

Women across the globe are ditching the quest for wrinkle-free
perfection in favour of looking as natural as possible - according to the
largest international study conducted into the beauty perceptions of women
and men.

Despite the obvious diversity between national cultures, the
Aesthetic Anthropology: Beauty Across Cultures study reveals a worldwide
consensus among women to want to look as natural as possible to reflect their
personality, expressions and to protect their emotional wellbeing.

The study(i), commissioned by Allergan, makers of BOTOX(R)
(now known as VISTABEL(R) when used cosmetically) is the first time beauty
attitudes and perceptions have been assessed in this way. The aim was to
assess the cross cultural attitudes to beauty - similarities and differences
- to capture the socio-cultural moment in time.

New Notion of Beauty

The international study confirms that the new notion of beauty
is contrary to the last decade's obsession with being wrinkle free. While 80%
of women across Europe (82%) and the US (80%) recognise they have wrinkles or
fine lines, 6 out of 10 of them admit they only want to reduce some of them,
if any at all.

The most popular wrinkles women want to reduce are the frown
lines between the eyebrows and the forehead wrinkles (25%). UK women reveal
that their top three reasons for considering to use wrinkle relaxing
injections are to look more refreshed (55%), to look good for their age (52%)
and to look less stressed and tired (48%).

Beauty and Self Esteem

UK women feel the most pressure to look good, with 59%
acknowledging that there is increasingly more pressure on them to look more
attractive compared to 49% of US women, and just 30% of Italian women. One
third of all women (35%) also reveal that their beauty regime has a more
significant impact on their self esteem than it did five years ago, and only
4% of women surveyed would use the word attractive to best describe their
face.

Dr Isabella Lepri, anthropological expert from the London School of 
Economics, says:

"People everywhere have always endeavoured to look attractive for many
reasons. However, what is beautiful varies tremendously, and in the western
world we are currently seeing a shift. There is an ever-growing pressure on
people, especially women, to be successful as well as look good, which
constantly challenges their self-esteem. This is compounded by ultra-thin
models and super mum expectations. However, the results of this survey seem
to suggest a change in attitude ... today the ultimate challenge is to meet
all the expectations while looking effortlessly, naturally beautiful, but
feeling good about yourself, taking pride in your accomplishments or liking
what you see in the mirror may no longer be defined by the need look
perfect".

The Value of Beauty

Women across Europe spend an average of GBP30.00 on beauty
treatments per month. Nearly 1 in 5 women (18%) are spending 50% or more than
they did 5 years ago! Despite this revelation, only 54% of women - compared
to 65% of men - are satisfied with their current beauty regimes, which may
reflect the fact that the 'natural look' can be difficult to achieve.

Although the use of anti-ageing creams has doubled over the
last five years, increasingly, women are turning to the latest modern beauty
treatments. Over a third (35%) of UK women stated that they may consider
using wrinkle relaxing injections in the future and men are following suit!
One quarter (25%) of men in Europe and the US revealed that they may consider
using cosmetic treatments such as wrinkle relaxing injections in future as
part of their regular grooming routine.

Mr Rajiv Grover, Consultant Plastic Surgeon, states: "Wrinkle
relaxing injections have a significant role to play in shaping the face of
21st century beauty. Never before has 'natural' been so obtainable and
desirable. I was surprised to see the biggest change across Europe has been
from British women, with 35% now admitting they would, or that they might,
consider using wrinkle relaxing injections in the future. In some countries,
total facial rejuvenation with non-invasive wrinkle relaxing injections and
cosmetic fillers are fast becoming an everyday beauty routine."

Metrosexual Men

It's not just women (48%) who are feeling the pressure to look
good. One third (30%) of men admit to feeling the pressure to improve the way
they look compared to five years ago. Anti ageing creams are now something
men in the UK would consider as part of their grooming routine (13%), with
17% of European men considering facials! Feeling refreshed was the key driver
behind grooming for men, although one in five (20%) admit that it helps them
look more professional in the workplace - this is clearly more important to
US men vs European men (31% compared to 10% respectively)!

Men are also growing increasingly comfortable discussing their
grooming and appearance with their partners (58%) and friends (26%).

Men and women agree ... on stars that look natural!

And when it comes to the celebrities, many women aspire to
have the natural beauty of stars such as Gwyneth Paltrow (71%) and Nicole
Kidman (56%), who topped the 'natural look' list for both men and women -
beating off stiff competition from Renee Zellweger and Halle Berry (both
51%). Among men, Hollywood hunks George Clooney (78%) and Sean Connery (75%)
came out on top for looking good for their age - for once Brad Pitt (70%)
only made it in at third place! One thing is for sure, the Pamela Anderson
era and all it embodies, is definitely over.

Wendy Lewis, international beauty consultant and author
comments: "Just like we are striving harder to protect our environment and
return to nature, we are also seeing women and men who want to look healthy
and real - it's not a coincidence. People are finally realising that
'natural' is sustainable, perfection is not, and we are experiencing a
backlash to the 'extreme' look. As a beauty expert, I welcome this new era in
aesthetics."

About the Survey

The survey was conducted by Research International via an
online omnibus panel of adult women and men aged between 25-60 years. A
nationally representative sample of 1000 women and 500 men were surveyed in
each European country (UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain) with a further
nationally representative sample of 2000 women and 1000 men surveyed in the
United States. Each sample was managed to be nationally representative by
age, region and socioeconomic class / income. Data gathered was then weighted
by age ranges to be representative of the national population.

About Allergan

Allergan, with UK offices in Marlow, Bucks and worldwide
headquarters in Irvine, California, US, is a technology-driven, global health
care company providing specialty pharmaceutical products worldwide. Allergan
develops and commercialises products in the ophthalmology, neurosciences,
medical dermatology, medical aesthetics and other specialty markets that
deliver value to its customers, satisfy unmet medical needs, and improve
patients' lives.

Allergan has developed the patient education website, The
Natural Look (TM) (http://www.thenaturallook.co.uk) to raise awareness about
non-invasive cosmetic procedures and surgical options. The Natural Look (TM)
(http://www.thenaturallook.co.uk) is based on the results of extensive market
research, and aims to support women with the right level of information and
education to increase their options and facilitate discussions with their
healthcare professional.

(i) Aesthetic Anthropology: Beauty Across Cultures, conducted on behalf
of Allergan by Research International, July 2006

For further information and interviews with spokespeople please contact: 

    Julia Cross, j.cross@cca-uk.com, +44-(0)207-632-1811
 
    Lucy Hawkins, l.hawkins@cca-uk.com, +44-(0)207-632-1981

MARLOW, England, September 12 /PRNewswire/ --