WITH her eyes closes, lips ajar and fists clenching the bedding, actress Toni Collette sent temperatures soaring last night when she had the BBC’s first on-screen orgasm.
For her role as a sexually-frustrated therapist in new hit series Wanderlust, she said “you can’t halfheartedly act that, you have to make it feel real.”
Although we have seen all kinds of on-screen orgasms, Toni’s new show has opened up the conversation of what orgasm faces are all about.
We don’t always look pretty when we climax: during the peak of an orgasm over 92 per cent of people close their eyes, 67 per cent drop their jaws and 48 per cent frown according to a 2011 study that analysed 100 people’s sex faces.
And according to researchers and sex experts, our facial expressions during orgasm can say a lot about our personality and sexual prowess – and of course whether we are really enjoying it or not.
Here, Sun Online reveals the signs our faces give away during sex.
The eyes shut face – means you know what you want
Made famous by: Mila Kunis in Friends With Benefits
The ‘eye squeeze’ that Mila Kunis experiences after a raunchy session in the film Friends with Benefits is the most popular type of orgasm – only eight per cent of us keep our eyes open during the final moment.
And people who close their eyes are more likely to know what they want.
Sexperts say if someone climaxes with their eyes shut, they’re very likely to be fantasising because they are able to focus on their imagination and block out everything else .
And according to a 2014 study published in the journal Sexologies, women who fantasised during sex orgasmed more regularly than those who didn’t.
Keep those eyes shut, ladies.
The screaming face – means you might be faking it
Made famous by: Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Sally
The over-exaggerated faked climax as shown by Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Sally is a sign a person is trying to impress someone.
Research has shown that as we orgasm our facial skin changes to a blush colour as the blood comes to the surface and our breath becomes more shallow.
And humans are unable to scream and breathe in this way at the same time – hence why being overly loud can often be a sign of faking – which two thirds of us are believed to have done at some point.
A recent UK study asked heterosexual women questions about making noise during sex, and while many admitted to being vocal, the majority said it was not an indication of pleasure.
Instead, they said they did it to quickly bring things to an end, or to boost their partner’s self-esteem in the bedroom.
But being loud doesn’t necessarily mean you’re lying in order to get things over and done with.
In the build-up to finishing, levels of the ‘reward hormone’ dopamine, which is responsible for the feelings of pleasure we get during sex, and the love hormone, oxytocin, rise in the brain.
Scientists argue we may be more likely moan loudly in pleasure due to these hormonal changes before the orgasm actually happens.
The surprised face – means you’ve lost control
Made famous by: Katherine Heigl in The Ugly Truth
Scientific research suggests that as we lose control of our sense when we orgasm, we also lose sway over our facial muscles, and therefore our expressions – so if people look shocked it implies they are overwhelmed with pleasure.
This type of orgasm face means you enjoy sex and like to experiment, tease yourself, and be teased – just like Katherine Heigl’s character in romcom The Ugly Truth who tries a pair of vibrating undies.
Or Joan Allen in the 1998 film Pleasantville, who experiences this shocked look during a masturbation scene.
The silent face: means you’re fantasising
Made famous by: Dakota Johnson in Fifty Shades of Grey
Although many people think being quiet during sex is a sign the other person isn’t enjoying it, this can often be far from the case.
Being quiet and having your eyes closed can mean you’re fantasising – and a US study found that this is a positive thing to do.
The study showed those who fantasise have sex more often, have more partners and more orgasms: they are more likely to concentrate on the feelings of pleasure and seek these out more frequently.
In the film Fifty Shades of Grey, there are several sex scenes, including a moment where Dakota Johnson’s character Anastasia Steele encounters Christian Grey’s ‘red room of pain’ for the first time and has a quiet orgasm.
Silence is also believed to heighten intimacy when two people are completely connected with one another, just like Ana and her BDSM-loving beau.
When people are enjoying themselves in the bedroom, their muscles will tense, expressions on their face will change and they will look more flushed in the face – so you don’t have to be loud to be having a good time.
The post-sex glow is a real phenomenon in about 75 per cent of women, as having an orgasm will stimulate the nervous system, causing blood vessels in the skin to open up, making blood rush to the face.
The mouth apart face – means your in pleasure heaven
Made famous by: Jennifer Aniston in Bruce Almighty
In 2003’s Bruce Almighty, Jennifer Aniston has a ravishing, eyes and mouth wide open orgasm that she has no control over.
These types of orgasms happen when people have an overwhelming experience of pleasure.
And if somebody has a big pout, it’s a sign that the person is more capable of climaxing.
According to a 2011 study by Scottish researchers published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine on 258 women, having a prominent tubercle – the puffy spot in the middle of your upper lip – means a woman has a greater chance of ever having had a vaginal orgasm from penile-vaginal intercourse.
Scientists believe this is down to a prenatal development in women with a more prominent pout.
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Women also orgasm for around 20 seconds on average, which is why their faces can often show many different expressions.
This can also be down to coveted multiple orgasms, so if a women shows these facial signs it is a sure sign her partner is a good lover.
Lianne Young is a sex and relationships writer and expert for