7 Traits That Make Women More Attractive (According to Science)

 

When it comes to what they find attractive, guys seem to adhere to their own set of mysterious standards. While we tend to go with whatever beauty look we want and encourage other women to do the same—whether it’s bright purple lipstick or a messy topknot—we have to admit that a teeny-tiny part of us is curious about what exactly the magic formula is for a good ole double take.

With this in mind, we did a little research and found seven very interesting studies about what traits are supposedly “most attractive” to men (because science studies this a lot). Curious? Bored? Want a laugh? Keep scrolling for seven things that make women more attractive to men, according to science.

Bright, Pearly Whites

PHOTO: Getty/Caroline McCredie

According to this study, flashing your pearly whites can affect how attractive you are to the guy you’ve been daydreaming about. Researchers found yellower, more uneven teeth were perceived as less attractive. But don’t go binge-scheduling teeth-whitening sessions just yet; the study also found that brilliantly white smiles were judged as no more attractive than naturally white smiles.

Red Lipstick

2 / 7

PHOTO: Imaxtree

This study from the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology finds a direct correlation between the color red and males’ attraction to females. The best part? According to the study, “Men seem unaware of this red effect”—so by all means, apply your MAC Lipstick in Ruby Woo ($17) with abandon.

Larger Hips-to-Waist Ratio

3 / 7

PHOTO: Getty

Thin, waify body types might be the runway standard (for now), but researchers from New Zealand found that men prefer a larger waist-to-hips ratio of 7:10 over a smaller ratio of 9:10.

Higher Voice

4 / 7

PHOTO: Imaxtree

This study found that men preferred female voices that are higher in pitch and “breathy.” But for the sake of your girlfriends, just don’t take that as an invitation to bring your baby voice to the public space.

Brunette Beauty

5 / 7

PHOTO: Getty/Kevin Mazur

Blondes may have more fun, but are they seen as more attractive? A study from 2008 found that brunettes were rated “more favorably” than blondes by male subjects and that hair length had only a weak effect on attractiveness ratings.

Less Makeup

6 / 7

PHOTO: Imaxtree

Yet another excuse to join the #nomakeupselfie movement? Subjects in this study from the Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology were shown photos of female faces wearing varying levels of makeup and asked to choose which look they found the most attractive and which look they’d guess the opposite sex would find the most attractive. Both men and women agreed on the same amount of makeup they found attractive, but women actually thought men preferred way more makeup than they actually did.

Longer Arms

7 / 7

PHOTO: Getty

Don’t have Gisele’s mile-long gams? Having long arms might be more attractive to guys anyway, according to this study.

Have you heard of any of these studies? Tell us your thoughts below