Photo: Look Studio / Shutterstock
Up to a point, that is.
By Amanda Chatel — Written on Aug 14, 2021
We've all been there before — we suddenly find the person sitting next to us at the bar incredibly attractive.
Is it pheromones in the air? Could it perhaps be the low lighting? Or maybe the bartender is playing matchmaker without your knowledge.
Well, the answer actually points to your alcoholic beverage.
As many singles have found out, "beer goggles" can be a terrible thing.
You can go from thinking someone is the ugliest thing in the world to thinking they’re the hottest thing coming down the street, only after a few drinks.
Far too many times I thought I was going home with someone who looked like Ryan Gosling only to end up waking up next to someone who was on-par with a troll in the looks territory.
Alcohol definitely plays some dirty, rotten tricks.
Not only can drinking help you lose weight, increase your longevity, and even make you better in bed, but we actually find people to be better looking as we imbibe!
According to a university study, when we drink, we become better looking and more attractive.
Beer goggles are real... sort of. And that's pretty exciting news for all those winos out there.
The study out of the University of Bristol in the UK took 40 students and supplied them with wine. Before the drinking commenced, they took a photo of each participant sober, then after one drink, then after a second.
What was found when sober people were asked to rate the photos for attraction? After just one drink, people are the best looking, compared to no drinks or two drinks.
In fact, after two drinks, people become less attractive than they are when they’re sober. It’s weird, I know.
But why is this?
Well, according to the researchers, it has to do with rosiness of the cheeks, relaxed muscles, and pupil dilation.
After one drink, the pupils dilate just enough to become attractive to those who are looking into those eyes.
The one drink also allows for just the right amount of relaxation in the body to make that person appear more attractive than at any other stage of drinking.
Plus, the rosiness in the cheeks that comes with one drink is a sign of good health, so people are inherently attracted to that because, at our core, we’re all about keeping the species alive and want to do so with someone who looks healthy.
It's simple biology, people.
The takeaway? Stop getting highly intoxicated at the bar every Thursday night.
Not only will you put an end to those wretched hangovers you’ve been having every Friday at work, but you’ll also quit waking up next to people who look like a foot and, based on this study, you’ll be able to maintain your highest level of attractiveness if you take it really slow.
I’m the first one to admit six pickle backs on a Thursday night always sounds like a good idea, but if I’m looking to score and look my best, I’ll just have to keep it at one.
Science says so, after all.
Amanda Chatel is a writer who divides her time between NYC and Paris. She's a regular contributor to Bustle and Glamour, with bylines at Harper's Bazaar, The Atlantic, Forbes, Livingly, Mic, The Bolde, Huffington Post and others.
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Editor's Note: This article was originally posted in March 2015 and was updated with the latest information.