not just a pretty face

Definitions

1. Someone who is more intelligent, talented, or emotionally complex than might be assumed.
   humorous, sometimes
2. Something that is more useful, versatile, or intrinsically valuable than might be assumed.
   idiomatic

Examples

“But she was not just a pretty face⟳. She was brilliant, accomplished, powerful, and tough-minded, a woman of burning passions.”

“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.”

“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.”

““I was thinking of flowers being not just a pretty face⟳. They produce⟳ oxygen and keep⟳ us alive,” said the designer backstage.”

CEFR level