Life
These Weird Things Make You More Attractive, According To Science
I'm sure I'm not the only person who's experienced the strange phenomenon that is developing a crush on someone and having absolutely no idea why. Not that everyone has to fit a specific "type" in order for me to like them, but there are definitely weird things that make people more attractive — which leads to those ~surprise~ crushes. Attraction is such a nuanced thing: everyone both has and looks for different attractive qualities, so there's not a catch-all way to be "more" attractive. But if you're looking for random ways to up your chances of attracting someone, a new study found an easy trick.
According to a new study from Macquarie University in Australia, men who ate more fruits and vegetables smelled better to women than those who ate a lot of refined carbs (sorry, bread and pasta-lovers). To figure this out, the researchers recruited "healthy young men," then tested their skin for deposits left by vegetables, and had them fill out a survey on their eating habits. To produce sweat, the men put on a clean shirt and exercised, after which women were brought in to smell their sweaty t-shirts and describe their scent.
The results? A plant-heavy diet (aka mostly fruits and veggies) produced "better"-smelling sweat. Fortunately for meat-lovers, though, the study also found that things like fat, meat, and eggs were associated with good-smelling sweat. If you want to make yourself even more appealing than you already are, here are other random things that make you more attractive, according to science.
1Smiling :)
Unfortunately for anyone with resting bitch face, attracting more people is as easy as turning that frown upside down. A 2013 study from Golle, Mast & Lobmaier found that, when asked to choose the more attractive face from a pair, participants preferred the smiling faces — which makes sense, given that smiling also makes you seem (and feel) more confident and approachable.
2Being A Good Listener
If you have a tendency to scroll through your Instagram feed while people are talking to you, it might be time to rethink your phone snubbing ways — because being a good listener is a super attractive quality.
"Listening is the way you actually connect with people," Dr. Jennifer Rhodes, licensed psychologist and founder of Rapport Relationships, tells Bustle. "When people talk to someone whom they feel takes the time to listen, they feel safe and understood."
3Having A Good Sense Of Humor
Class clowns, rejoice: having a good sense of humor can make you more attractive to other people. In a recent study by researchers at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, Canada, around 50 men and 50 women participated in a speed-dating event. They went on between five and ten dates for four minutes each, then rated each partner for things like attractiveness and humor. Perhaps unsurprisingly, they found that funnier people were rated as more attractive by their fellow daters — because who doesn't love a good laugh?
4Having Facial Hair
If you're a clean-shaven dude who's looking for a relationship, it might be time to consider letting your facial hair roam free. A 2016 study found that straight women found men with beards more attractive as long-term partners than as short-term partners. And just in case you can't (or don't want to) grow a full beard, you're in luck: overall, the 10-day stubble look was rated most attractive by women.
5Being Musically Talented
A 2013 study published in Psychology of Music found that, when approached by an attractive stranger, straight women were more likely to give their number to a guy carrying a guitar case (as opposed to a gym bag or nothing at all). Over a third of women gave their digits to the man when he had the guitar, compared to only nine percent of women who gave him their number when he was holding a gym bag. But hey, who wouldn't be attracted to someone with the potential to serenade them? I guess I never should have given up the recorder back in fifth grade.
Honestly, the beauty of romantic attraction is that not everyone looks for exactly the same things in a partner. No matter what your preferences, there are plenty of people out there who you'll connect with and find craz-attractive. And as long as you're confident in yourself and *feel* attractive, you'll have no problem attracting an awesome partner.
