In those 40 images to be evaluated, a detail of the appearance of these faces was omitted. In half of the photos, the 20 men wore their faces without any additional elements, facially naked. For the other half, they had been retouched by a professional make-up artist, who gave them a subtle “naked” look through the careful application of concealers, powders and other similar products.
The result was remarkable in most cases. “We found that male faces were more attractive when presented with subtle makeup, compared to those without makeup. This was true for both male and female raters, and whether the data was analyzed by participant or by face,” said Dr. Carlota Batres, a specialist who led the study.
We found that male faces were more attractive when presented with subtle makeup, compared to those without makeup
As reported Franklin & Marshall College press release, In previous studies, it has already been found that a more uniform skin increases the perception of the attractiveness of the skin of the male face. On the other hand, they have determined that a lower facial contrast (that is, less contrast between the features and the surrounding skin) generates the perception of masculinity in the faces.
This social idea that only women wear makeup is a very temporary thing, since in times as old as the period of splendor of Egypt, men outlined their eyes; the Romans reddened their cheeks; In the times of the reign of Queen Elizabeth I it was usual for them to powder their faces.
For four of the 20 men who lent their faces, makeup had the effect of lowering their attractiveness score among respondents.
This is not a golden rule, because beauty is always in the eye of the one who appreciates it.