A true smile that engages both the mouth and the muscles around the eyes, creating crinkles at the outer corners.
A friend who has not seen you in years lights up as you enter, the corners of the eyes folding into soft creases. The whole face warms at once and the pleasure lingers for a moment rather than vanishing the instant the greeting is over.
Look to the eyes rather than the mouth. When the orbital muscles contract and the cheeks rise, the warmth is likely sincere, and a genuine smile tends to arrive a fraction before the words rather than snapping on to order.
Some people smile broadly out of habit or nerves, so weigh the smile against the wider situation. A warm face can still accompany a practised courtesy, so do not treat a single smile as proof of feeling.
A polite smile produced mainly by the mouth, often held to meet social expectation rather than to express joy.
ExploreA very brief flash of true emotion that crosses the face in a fraction of a second before composure returns.
ExploreA rapid raising and lowering of both eyebrows used to signal recognition, interest or greeting.
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