Although your average guy may not admit having as strong an opinion about lip colors, a recent study at the University of Manchester found that men really are attracted to lipstick, with red being the most captivating.
According to a study from the Univeristy of Manchester, dudes love when women wear red lipstick: The researchers traced the eye movements of men as they checked out women with pink lipstick, no lipstick and red lipstick. Red-mouthed ladies were checked out three times longer than the other women.
Research indicates that red lips are universally appealing, possibly due to a perceived association with sexual arousal. Highly attractive women were perceived as even more attractive in red.
Not only is it a huge confidence booster, but studies confirm that red lipstick is officially the sexiest colour. Scientists have found that red lipstick draws attention to the mouth, most notably from the opposite sex.
Wearing red lipstick indicates that you have genitals that are super aroused (the labia gets darker as you get more excited.) That explains why, for much of history, red lipstick in particular was associated with prostitutes — though it was also associated with some other sexy-seeming women.
Earlier explorers from the University of Rochester in New York have already scientifically confirmed that women in red attracts men's attention most of all.
“Red is typically thought of as a sexy color for women only,” said Andrew Elliot, PhD, of the University of Rochester and University of Munich. “Our findings suggest that the link between red and sex also applies to men.”
Until lipstick was popularized in the early 20th century, red lips were often associated with morally dubious women: impolite, sexually amoral, even heretical. In the Dark Ages, red lips were seen as a sign of commingling with the devil.
Scientists have revealed that wearing the colour red will make you more attractive to the opposite sex. Studies reveal that red is the most attractive colour to both men and women but, curiously, the two genders are attracted to the same colour for different reasons.
What Your Favorite Lipstick Color Says About You. If you always wear red, you're passionate and ambitious. If you always wear red, you're passionate and ambitious. You have an infectious laugh that makes those around you smile.
Red lipstick is a classic makeup element, and also one of the most intimidating.
SkinStore surveyed 2,000 women and found that nude lipstick is what makes them feel "prettier" and "more attractive." While reds, purples, and browns can make for a fun pop of color, it's not actually what most people gravitate to. The top five power shades were nude, light pink, berry red, dark pinks, and bright red.
New research out of the University of Rochester found that guys think a woman is more interested in sex when she's wearing red. For their study, scientists showed men a pic of a woman wearing a red T-shirt, and another of her wearing a white T-shirt.
A study of 1,000 people in 35 countries revealed that the perfect lip shape is all down to symmetry. More than 60% of respondents thought a 1:1 ratio between the upper and lower lip was the most attractive shape. A cosmetic surgeon in London said a heavily-defined cupid's bow is the most-requested lip feature.
In a previous study, scientists showed that men seem to be more attracted to women clothed in red rather than in a blah color such as white. That's regardless of the cut, he adds. "It doesn't have to be a red dress or a sexy outfit," he says. "It can be a red T-shirt."
The men rated the woman in red as being more desirable. In that same study, men were also shown images of a woman against different color backgrounds ― red, white, gray or green ― and asked to rate her attractiveness. Men found the woman standing against the red background to be more attractive.
Indeed, when men and women become sexually excited, both our lips and our genitals swell and redden as they are engorged with blood, becoming increasingly sensitive to touch.
Other research in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology shows that men think women in red are more attractive because they seem more sexually receptive (a.k.a. open to getting down). Bottom line: It's a color with some interesting connotations.
The effect is considered to work the other way, too. A paper published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology produced evidence from seven experiments which demonstrated that women perceive men to be more attractive and sexually desirable when viewed against a red background and in red clothing.
Perhaps not surprisingly, red is also linked to passion, love, and desire. These associations could explain why people wearing red are consistently rated as more attractive by the opposite sex.
Red lips are a classic but they're always on trend as well. They're at once classy and edgy, polished and elegant but unpretentious too.
Red lip color gained popularity internationally as women's rights movements spread worldwide. As red lipstick symbolized American suffrage, its sway traveled across the pond and then some. British suffragette leader Emmeline Pankhurst donned a red lip, which helped spread the symbolic action among her fellow activists.