The male and female faces thought to be the epitome of beauty, according to British people

Women thought other women with 'sexy' faces were the most attractive

These faces are deemed to be the most attractive in a study of faces (PA)

The faces of the most gorgeous man and woman in the world have been created with e-fit software – based on the perception of British people.

Pictures of faces were put together with a computer programme, that police use to draw up appearances of wanted criminals, before they were rated for attractiveness by 100 other people.

Researchers then used the findings to create the archetypal faces of male and female beauty. The software is able to tweak the thickness of lips, nose length and width, and the hairline to suit.

The EFIT-V PhotoFit programme was used as part of the two-month-long study led by Dr Chris Solomon, a world expert in facial mapping at the University of Kent.

Dr Soloman said the study – which was commissioned by Samsung to mark the launch of its new Galaxy S6 phone – revealed “some interesting results about what Brits consider to be the epitome of beauty”.

He said: “It’s important to note that these are the idealised faces according to those living in the UK, so a study in Asia or Africa for example would no doubt have different results.”

The study also highlighted the differences between men’s and women’s perceptions of ideal beauty. Women, on average, preferred a more feminine face for men with a softer jaw-line, slimmer and clean-shaven face and medium-sized lips.

Women, on average, think other women with fuller lips, high cheekbones and large eyes to be the most attractive

Men tended to think more rugged and masculine faces are the most attractive on other men. However, women thought other women with “sexier” faces such as almond-shaped eyes and full lips are more attractive than men appear to believe.

Dr Soloman added: “Interestingly, for the female face of beauty, women rated a sexier appearance as the most beautiful than their male counterparts – women perceived fuller lips, a slimmer face, larger eyes and higher cheekbones as the most beautiful, more so than the male population.”

The faces of people similar to celebrities Natalie Portman, Cheryl Fernandez-Versini, Angelina Jolie and Scarlett Johansson were said to be the most striking as well as those like male stars such as David Gandy, David Beckham, Brad Pitt and Ryan Gosling.