Attractiveness

Beyond color and length, what makes hair appear attractive? A new study systematically alters hair shine, alignment, and volume to see how these features shape our judgments of female appearance.

A popular social media filter subtly reshapes faces in ways that are surprisingly specific. New research quantifies these digital alterations and explores their connection to aesthetic procedures.

Your political party can make or break a first impression on dating apps. But a new study suggests another political trait might be even more attractive to potential partners.

A major study on workplace attractiveness reveals a surprising twist: the "beauty premium" is weaker for female service employees. The analysis found men's perceived performance is more consistently influenced by their physical appearance.

The desire for plumper lips may be driven more by women than men. A recent study shows that preferences for lip size are largely shaped by own-gender biases, challenging assumptions about who cosmetic procedures appeal to.

Can your brain reveal your romantic type? A new study suggests it can, using machine learning to decode brainwaves and predict whether someone finds a potential partner attractive from just a glance.

A new study reveals that people with higher autistic traits perceive facial attractiveness differently. Researchers found a link between these traits and a stronger preference for masculine features in both male and female faces.

A new study suggests that attractive people are generally liked more—but not when they’re critical of others. Researchers found that verbal negativity can dampen the likability boost typically associated with good looks, both in behavior and neural responses.

Facial symmetry and good looks are only part of the picture. A new study suggests that scent, voice, and body motion also contribute to attractiveness—and people often disagree on who’s appealing.

A new study finds that while moderate eyelash length is seen as most attractive and healthiest, longer lashes are linked to greater perceived sexual receptivity—suggesting that long eyelashes may signal openness to casual relationships, despite lower attractiveness ratings.

New research suggests that minimally invasive facial aesthetic treatments, such as fillers and neurotoxin injections, offer only a modest boost in perceived attractiveness. The treatments had little effect on how trustworthy, competent, or romantically desirable people were judged to be.

New research from China suggests that women feel unsafe when confronted with a sexually objectifying gaze—but still choose to self-sexualize if the man is attractive or high status. The findings highlight a psychological tradeoff between risk and potential reward.

A new study challenges the idea that more beauty equals more influence. Researchers found that highly attractive fitness influencers often receive less engagement than moderately attractive ones—likely because their polished appearance makes them seem less relatable to their followers.

Physically attractive women tend to report greater interest in casual sex, but a new study finds that traditional moral values—especially those emphasizing social order and purity—can override this tendency, particularly among women with rural or conservative backgrounds.

Researchers have used eye-tracking to show that our gaze is not random when we evaluate bodies. A study in Behavioral Sciences found that attention is focused on the chest and torso, and this focus shifts when judging for attractiveness, health,...