Men prefer when women wear less makeup, study says

The women were asked to pose for before and after shots. Then researchers showed the women in a series of 21 photos, all with different amounts of makeup on. (Via The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology)

They showed them to 44 Bangor University students, and the subjects were asked to pick three photos: the one they personally thought was most attractive, the one they thought most women would view as most attractive, and the one they thought most men would see as most attractive. (Via Flickr / Chris Zielecki)

"Both sexes thought that men would go for the more made-up faces." (Via NBC)

But that wasn't the case. It turns out the female participants thought the models looked better with more makeup than the male participants preferred. And get this: None of the observers chose the photo with the model wearing her completed face of makeup. (Via The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology)

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So, the overall conclusion from this study?

"These results suggest that women are likely wearing cosmetics to appeal to the mistaken preferences of others." (Via The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology)

But ladies, before you toss your makeup to the curb, there are some interesting points to be made.

Glamour notes that the women applied the makeup themselves, and some might not have been experienced.

And The Atlantic brings up another important point.

"The judging took place in Bangor, a tiny hamlet in Wales, where beauty standards are probably different than they are in Beijing or Berlin or Baton Rouge."

 This study was published in The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology.