Men find the natural look just as sexually desirable as when women put on lipstick and mascara, study says
Stars like Gwyneth Paltrow, Julia Roberts and Anne Hathaway are often praised for embracing the makeup-free look.
But scientists now say that men find the natural look just as sexually desirable as when women put on lipstick and mascara.
The new research, based on speed dating events, found that women who wore little or no makeup were just as attractive to potential partners as women who wore cosmetics.
“Surprisingly, we found that men did not have greater sexual interest in women who wore more cosmetics than women who wore less,” psychologist Professor Bryan Koenig of Southern Utah University, who led the study, said in EvoS Journal.
Previous research has suggested that makeup, especially red lipstick, made women more attractive. One theory is that this is because red lips trigger evolutionary signals that a woman is ovulating.
Scientists now say that men find the natural look just as sexually desirable as when women put on lipstick and mascara
The new research, based on speed dating events, found that women who wore little or no makeup were just as attractive to potential partners as women who wore cosmetics.
In the study, psychologists questioned 200 men about their attraction to women during speed dating events.
One group of women wore foundation, eye makeup and red lipstick, while the second group was asked to come to the event with little to no makeup.
At the end of the events, the men were asked if they were sexually interested in each woman. The results showed no difference in the ratings between women with and without makeup.
Psychotherapist Phillip Hodson said: 'The results show that for men it makes no difference whether a woman carries a full blow or not when it comes to her sexual desirability.
'What arouses male desire remains a refined sensual mystery, a mix of physical form, facial expression, pheromones, accent, humor and conversation.
'The research showed that what we like differs per individual.'