Here are several words that can be used to describe someone's face, facial expression, or attitude along with their definitions from dictionary.goo.ne.jp, which are all related to the word 引き締まった。
- 引き締まる - たるみがなくなり、固く締まる
- [凛]{りん} - 態度・容姿・声などが、きびしくひきしまっているさま。
- [凜凜]{りり}しい - きりっとひきしまっている。
- きりっと - きちんとしてゆるみのないさま。
- [颯爽]{さっそう} - 人の姿や態度・行動がきりっとして、見る人にさわやかな印象を与えるさま。
I can understand the physical meaning, but the idea seems to be used in a more figurative way when describing a person's face, expression, or attitude. Can someone explain the nuance of 引き締まった in this context? For example, does it have a positive or negative meaning? Is it more often used to describe a transient characteristic or someone's essence?