not just a pretty face

English

(sometimes humorous) Someone who is more intelligent, talented, or emotionally complex than might be assumed.
- 2002, Leslie Downer, Women of the Pleasure Quarters‎^[1], →ISBN:
  But she was not just a pretty face. She was brilliant, accomplished, powerful, and tough-minded, a woman of burning passions.
- 2003 January 19, Abi Daruvalla, “Not Just a Pretty Face”, in Time, retrieved 2 May 2014:
  Wouter Bos seems too good to be true. He's smart, relaxed and impossibly telegenic, with a knack for coming across as humble and sincere.
(idiomatic) Something that is more useful, versatile, or intrinsically valuable than might be assumed.
- 2011 December 2, Marc Saltzman, “What to buy a gamer on your gift list”, in USA Today, retrieved 2 May 2014:
  But it's not just a pretty face. This soccer sim also offers authentic physics — including ball dribbling, passing and scoring, and how the players react to one another — and more than 500 officially licensed clubs, totaling roughly 15,000 players.
- 2013 September 16, Suzy Menkes, “Fashion Review" In London, the Sexual Language of Flowers”, in New York Times, retrieved 2 May 2014:
  “I was thinking of flowers being not just a pretty face. They produce oxygen and keep us alive,” said the designer backstage.

Typically used regardless of the appearance of the subject, often with humorous intent, and sometimes as a self-description.