Anybody who’s heard the song “Brick House” knows 36-24-36 measurements attract a man. Yet, there are certain other numbers the Commodores never could’ve guessed a woman should keep in mind when getting fixed up for a fabulous night on the town. Consider the following:
1.) Show no more (or less) than 40% of your skin.
A study by experts at the University of Leeds determined women who showed exactly 40% of their body skin received twice as much attention from potential suitors than their scantily-clad and buttoned-up counterparts. Not sure how to calculate 40%? In the study, each arm accounted for 10 per cent of the body, each leg for 15 per cent and the torso for 50 per cent.
The findings were based on work by four female researchers, who discreetly observed women at one of the city’s biggest nightclubs from a balcony above the dance floor. Using tape recorders hidden in their handbags, the researchers took note of what female clubbers were wearing and how many times they were approached by men asking them to dance. Those with 40% skin showing got by far the most attention!
2. Rock a 0.6 waist-to-hip ratio.
Despite images in the media insisting that the most attractive women are 5’10” and 110 pounds, researchers are proving this is only the case if these women have waist-to-hip ratios of approximately 0.6. What’s more, women of any weight are found to be more attractive by the opposite sex if they have this magical waist-to-hip ratio (Personality and Individual Differences, 1994).
Don’t have a ratio of 0.6? Keep in mind that for a woman with 36″ hips, a mere 3-inch reduction in waist size is a full 10%! Try the waist Spanx ($68.00, Amazon.com) for an instant 1-to-3-inch pull-in without much effort.
3. When applying makeup, remember the number 1.6.
In 1997, a group of researchers at UCLA developed the Marquardt Mask, a system of 42 matrices that are superimposed on the face. The researchers concluded from manipulating each of the matrices that the ideal is to have:
- Lips 1.618 times wider than your nose;
- The width of your eye at its widest 1.618 times wider than the tip of your nose;
- The length from your nose to your ears horizontally is 1.618 times wider than your nose.
Even more complicated, the measurement from the top of your head to your chin divided by the width of your head, and the measurement from the top of your head to your pupil divided by the measurement from your pupil to your lip should also be 1.618. (For a complete list of ratios, visit the University of Chicago “The Perfect Face” website.)
It is these proportions, amongst others, that make a face universally accepted as beautiful. Interestingly enough, the popular model Agyness Deyn almost perfectly fits all of the desired proportions. If you don’t exhibit these proportions, accentuating the smaller feature really can make a difference. For instance, if your eyes are too small for the 1.6 eye-width-to-nose-tip ratio (as mine are), wearing smoky eye makeup can make your eyes look dramatically bigger. Similarly, skinny lips can easily be fattened up with a bold lip color and nude lip pencil.
Bottom Line
The keys to true beauty, of course, are confidence, kindness, and authenticity. I, however, find the above research-proven techniques are fun to employ for a special night out on the town with friends or that special someone. I definitely am not suggesting that anyone run to a plastic surgeon and alter their appearance by these ratios – after all, how fun would life be if we all had the face of Agyness Deyn and the body of Sofia Vergara?! It’d be like a soap opera or something! So, just have fun with the above information! Let me know what you think!
Photo source:
If only all accountants where this good looking 😉, a photo by Perla Azul on Flickr.