Self, Sex

What Men Really Think Of Your Makeup

What really makes a man attracted to a woman? This is a question that doesn't have a simple answer. We know that online and offline chemistry can be completely different in the digital dating game. In a survey conducted by online dating site Zoosk, 1,850 male members were asked to view photos of female celebrities all glammed up, as compared to the natural look to see which style they preferred.

While most of the men gave a thumbs up to a natural look for Jessica Simpson, Beyonce, Jessica Alba, and Jennifer Lawrence, as compared to the red carpet look of Kim Kardashian, when it came to scrolling through thousands of online dating profiles, the men of Zoosk favored womens' profiles with red lipstick and dark eye shadow. When it came to hairstyle, 81% of those surveyed voted for a relaxed and natural look, with only 9% preferring pin-straight hair. Does this mean it’s time to toss out the curling iron?

Here are how the numbers played out in the glamour game. The survey shows that men prefer a natural look with the women they are dating, with 57% giving the thumbs down to red lipstick and 67% who weren't fond of women wearing dark eye shadow. Now let's take a digital look at how men select women while viewing thousands of online dating profiles. Zoosk's data shows the complete opposite viewpoint, where men were dramatically selecting women wearing more makeup, more eye-shadow, and more lipstick in their photos.

Here are some numbers worth blinking a digital eye to:

  • Women who wear eye makeup receive 139% more first messages than women who don't.
  • Men are 65% more likely to want to meet a woman if she wears eye makeup in her profile picture.
  • Women who wear lipstick in their profile photo get 119% more first messages than those who don't.
  • Men are 38% more likely to want to meet a woman if she's wearing lipstick in her profile photo.
  • Woman wearing blush receive 24% more first messages than those who don't.
  • Men are 19% more likely to want to meet a woman if she's wearing blush than if she's not.

All in all, women who wore some form of makeup received more than three times as many messages as those who didn't. It may not be time to dig out your prom or glamour shots, but taking the extra time to look your best in your photos instead of posting the "selfie" from last night's party might be a wise idea. After all, you're auditioning for the job of a lifetime; possible girlfriend or wife.

Julie Spira is an Online Dating Expert and founder of CyberDatingExpert.com. Julie creates irresistible profiles for singles on the dating scene and shortens their digital search online and IRL. For dating advice, follow @JulieSpira on Twitter and sign up for the Free Weekly Flirt newsletter.