Do cosmetics enhance female Caucasian facial attractiveness?

R. Mulhern*, G. Fieldman*, T. Hussey*, J-L. Léveque†, P Pineau†

*Psychology Department, ASSH Faculty, Buckinghamshire Chilterns University

College, Queen Alexandra Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, HP11 2JZ.
Telephone: +44 14 94 60 31 85
Fax: +4414 94 46 17 04
E-mail: bmulhe01@bcuc.ac.uk; george.fieldman@bcuc.ac.uk;
trevor.hussey@bcuc.ac.uk
.
†Centre de Recherche Charles Zviak, L’Oreal Recherche, 90 Rue du Général Roguet,
92583 Clichy Cedex, France.
Telephone: +33 47 56 74 32
SUMMARY

This study sought to investigate whether cosmetics do improve female facial

attractiveness, and to determine whether the contribution of different cosmetic products
are separable, or whether they function synergistically to enhance female beauty. Ten
volunteers were made-up by a beautician under five cosmetics conditions: i) no make-
up, ii) foundation only, iii) eye make-up only, iv) only lip make-up and v) full facial
make-up. Male and female participants were asked to view the ten sets of five
photographs, and rank each set from most attractive to least attractive. As predicted,
faces with full make-up were judged more attractive than the same faces with no make-
up. Sex differences within the results were also apparent. Women judged eye make-up
as contributing most to the attractiveness. Men rated eye make-up and foundation as
having a significant impact on the attractiveness of a full facial makeover. Surprisingly
lipstick did not appear to contribute to attractiveness independently.

Key words: Cosmetics; Attractiveness; Skin Texture.

INTRODUCTION

Women use a number of means to manipulate their looks, whether through clothing,
adornments or, to the extreme, scarification or cosmetic surgery. There is evidence that
make-up has been a pervasive cosmetic recourse throughout history [1, 2, 3].
Furthermore, the belief that cosmetics do improve female attractiveness is so pervasive,
that it has led the cosmetic industry to be one of the most successful worldwide [1, 4].

Feeling confident about one's appearance has a beneficial impact on one's mood and
well-being[5, 6]. Cosmetics can be used in a number of ways to manipulate facial
appearance, and therefore becomes a useful tool in enhancing a woman's attractiveness
[7]. The intent of this study was to explore the relationship between make-up and
Caucasian female attractiveness. More specifically it aimed to evaluate the separate
contributions of three main products used by this group: foundation, eye make-up, and
lipstick.

Foundation was used originally to change the colour of the skin, to provide a rosy glow
[8]. More recently however, it primarily matches skin tone and is employed to
homogenize skin texture, by reducing the appearance of oiliness for example. It also
conceals imperfections such as spots, scars, eye shadows or redness of skin, promoting
smoothness and skin clarity [6, 7, 8].

Eye make-up is usually comprised of several products that act together to define and
enhance the eyes. Predominantly these are: eyeliner, eye shadow and mascara. As used
in ancient Eastern cultures, eyeliner can be used to shape and accentuate the eyes [8].
Eye shadow increases prominence, and contrasting colours can enhance eye colour [7].
Mascara elongates and darkens eyelashes, which makes the eyes look larger. The
combination of these three products can dramatically change the size and emphasis of
the eyes. They can lighten eyes that are deep-set or that have heavy lids, or broaden
small, narrow, or close-set eyes [6, 7, 8].

Lipsticks of different shades and textures (glossy, matte) have diverse effects on the
overall appearance and character of a face [7]. It is an important cosmetic component
for balancing the face, particularly when the eyes are heavily made-up [8]. Lipstick can
also have a significant impact on the structure of the mouth, evening out shape and
texture. It can reduce overbearing full lips, plump up thin ones and add balance to
irregular shaped lips [6, 7, 8].

Interestingly, foundation, eye make-up and lipstick appear to focus on facial

characteristics that have been found to be salient to men when assessing female beauty.
Facial neoteny – the retention of childlike features over adult ones, such as large eyes
and full lips - increases the perception of female facial attractiveness [9, 10, 11]. It is
possible that both eye and lip make-up mimic neoteny, by enlarging the eyes and
rendering lips darker and fuller, which may have a favorable impact on attractiveness.

Uniform skin texture has also been found to improve the perception of female beauty
[12]. In addition many studies have revealed that faces of greater symmetry are judged
as more attractive than asymmetrical faces [13, 14, 15, 16]. It has been proposed that
asymmetry may in part reflect repeated exposure to environmental stressors, such as
infection or disease [17, 18]. It may be then, that by homogenizing skin texture,
foundation contributes to the perception of female attractiveness.

It was hypothesized that because cosmetics manipulate specific features that are salient
to the perception of female attractiveness, fully made-up faces would be rated as more
attractive than the same faces without make-up. This study further sought to measure
the independent contribution of different cosmetic products (foundation, eye make-up
and lipstick) on overall attractiveness. In so doing, it could be established whether the
three make-up types work synergistically to enhance attractiveness, or whether they
make an individualistic contribution.

METHODOLOGY

Volunteers
The effect of make-up on female facial attractiveness may be independently variable.
For instance it may improve one person's looks but not another. Therefore, the effect of
make-up on attractiveness was assessed using 10 Caucasian female volunteers between
the ages of 31 and 38. The volunteers were prepared by a professional beautician and
photographed under 5 conditions: i) no make-up, ii) foundation only, iii) eye make-up
only, iv) lip make-up only, v) full facial make-up. The beautician ensured that the
application of products under single conditions matched that of the full make-up
category.
To ensure that all faces were as similar as possible from the outset, the beautician started
by cleansing and moisturizing the volunteers' faces with ‘all skin type’ products. The
beautician then treated each volunteer individually, applying make-up in a way that
enhanced the attractiveness of each individual. It was considered that different colours
suited different people. Appendix I provides an itemized list of the products used on
each volunteer.

Volunteers were photographed in colour under each condition using a high-resolution

digital camera. They were asked to wear a white headband to keep their hair away from
their face, a black bib to hide their clothing, and took off any jewellery. They were also
asked to sustain a relaxed neutral expression as they were photographed.

Procedures
The photographs obtained were split into 10 sets of five photographs, each depicting the
same volunteer under the 5 make-up conditions. The interest of this study was to
measure the effects of cosmetic products on attractiveness. It was considered that the
individual attractiveness (or beauty) of volunteers could act as a confounding variable.
For instance more attractive volunteers may have received higher scores regardless of
the type of make-up employed. A fixed ranked scale (1 st to 5th choice) was therefore
selected to ensure homogeneity in participant responses.

Participants were recruited via a web-based survey. They began the survey by
answering a number of personal questions, including sex, age, nationality and sexual
orientation. Subsequently, they viewed each photograph set sequentially. Participants
were requested to rate the 5 pictures in each set in order of attractiveness. Each choice
could only be used once. The presentation sequence of volunteer sets and the pictures
within the sets were counterbalanced to prevent any order effects.

Participants
There was the possibility that homosexual participants could perceive female
attractiveness in a different way to heterosexual respondents. Therefore in order to
increase the homogeneity of the sample, only heterosexual respondents over the age of
17 were included. One hundred male and 100 female responses were included in the
final analysis. All male participants were Caucasian (mean age = 36.44 years), and only
6 female respondents were of non-Caucasian ethnic origin (mean age = 34.32 years).

RESULTS

The 10 ranked scores from each of the volunteers for each make-up condition were
amalgamated. Each participant had five final scores, one for each condition. The mean
scores indicate that on average, both male and female participants judged volunteers
with all make-up more attractive than when they were presented with none (Table: I).

Table I: Mean attractiveness rating and standard deviation for female and male participants.

Female Participants Male Participants

Make-up Mean Standard Mean Standard
Conditions Deviation Deviation

All 36.54 7.69 36.94 7.40

Eyes 34.41 4.88 33.14 4.04
Foundation 31.18 6.61 31.99 6.27
Lips 25.03 4.82 24.62 4.48
None 22.81 6.29 23.31 5.74

Despite having the highest mean of all groups, the full make-up conditions also had the
highest standard deviation (female participants SD = 7.69, male participants SD = 7.40)
of all 5 conditions. This suggests that not all participants (both male and female groups)
concurred that all volunteers were most attractive when they were fully made-up. The
same may also be true of the foundation and no make-up conditions where SD was also
relatively high.

The percentages of first choice ranks that were awarded to each make-up condition are
illustrated in figure 1. These demonstrate that more than half the respondents of both
sexes chose the all make-up category as their first choice (51.40% for women and
54.80% for men).

Figure 1: Percentage of first choice ranks for 5 make-up conditions.

60
Female Participants
% of first choices

50 Male Participants
40

30

20

10

0
All Eyes Foundation Lips None

For women the next preferred first choice was eyes (29.50%), followed by foundation
(17.10%). Very few respondents chose the lips and none conditions as their first choice
(both 1%). This could indicate that lips contribute very little to the overall
attractiveness of the full make-up condition.

Unlike women, men showed a surprising preference for foundation (22.10%) as a first
choice after the all make-up condition, followed by the eyes (18.30%). A very small
percentage of men chose the no make-up condition (3.80%) as their first choice, which
was more frequent than lips (1%).

Statistical analysis found that both sexes judged fully made-up faces as significantly
more attractive than the same faces with no make-up (Friedman’s analysis of variance:
female data χr² < 170.250, p < 0.001; male data χr² < 177.328, p < 0.001).

Friedman’s analysis of variance demonstrates that there was an overall difference in the
attractiveness of the five conditions. The five conditions were further compared against
one another using Friedman’s two-way rank pairwise comparison to establish which
attractiveness scores were significantly different from the other.

The pairwise comparison of male scores (Table: II) showed no significant difference in
attractiveness between foundation/eyes, between all/foundation and between all/eyes
conditions. This implied that for men foundation and eye make-up contributed
significantly to the attractiveness of the all make-up condition.

Table II: Pairwise comparison across five make-up conditions for male participants.

Eyes Foundation Lips No

All 41.00 62.50 214.00** 230.00**

Eyes 21.50 173.00** 189.00**
Foundation 151.50** 167.50**
Lips 16.00
Note. Significant difference ** p <0.001.

Pairwise comparison of female scores (Table: III) revealed a significant difference in

attractiveness between foundation/eyes and foundation/all, no but difference between
all/eyes. This indicated that for women, eye make-up contributed significantly to the
attractiveness of the all make-up group, but foundation was less significant.

Table III: Pairwise comparison across five make-up conditions for female participants.
 Eyes Foundation Lips No

All 15.50 88.50** 196.50** 227.00**

Eyes 73.00* 181.00** 211.50**
Foundation 108.00** 138.50**
Lips 30.50

Note. Significant difference * p < 0.05, ** p <0.001.

A surprising outcome was that with both sexes, there was no difference in attractiveness
between the lips/none conditions. This suggested that lipstick does not contribute
independently to the attractiveness of the all make-up category.

DISCUSSION

The experimental predictions were supported by the results. Men and women both rated
fully made-up Caucasian female faces between the ages of 31 to 38 as more attractive
than the same faces with no make-up. The extrapolated data demonstrated that some
cosmetic products contributed to attractiveness more than others. Sex differences were
also observed. For women eye make-up was judged to enhance looks most effectively.
For men both eye make-up and foundation has a significant impact on facial beauty.
Surprisingly, both sexes did not judge lipstick to contribute significantly to
attractiveness.

That men rated foundation as a valuable contributor to attractiveness was of interest.

Plausibly, foundation created an effective mask that increased facial symmetry and
improved skin texture and tone. These two factors have been argued as indicators of
health and fitness, and have been found to influence the perception of female facial
attractiveness [12, 13, 14]. Furthermore, research has suggested that age is a highly
influential factor to men, but not women, when rating female attractiveness [19, 20].
Foundation may reduce the appearance of age by concealing fine lines and wrinkles,
which may have influenced the male attractiveness ratings for this make-up condition.
The significant contribution of eye make-up to female attractiveness could be
interpreted in terms of its effect on facial neoteny. Eye make-up generally makes eyes
appear larger and more prominent, a characteristic found in infant faces [10]. However,
the prediction that lipstick could also simulate neoteny was not supported. This could
indicate that other motivations other than neoteny may be involved in finding eye make-
up attractive. An alternative explanation could be that as the eyes are the focal point of
the face, particularly in terms of communication, emphasizing their size and prominence
renders a face more captivating, and thus more attractive.

Finding that lipstick did not independently add to attractiveness was surprising. It is
conceivable that lipstick may only contribute to looks when used in conjunction with
other products, creating a balance to made-up eyes for example [8]. However, this
would seem inconsistent with the profound cultural importance of lipstick to western
women [4]. This unexpected outcome could have resulted from the unnatural pose held
by volunteers. When presented alone, lipstick may appear contrived and unusual
(particularly for darker and redder shades), and this may be exacerbated by the
unsmiling stance of volunteers.

Other factors should be considered whilst assessing the current results. All volunteers
expressed pleasure when fully made-up and this appeared to be reflected in their
behaviour. It is plausible that the experience of a professional makeover had an effect
on volunteers’ self-esteem, and this may have been unconsciously reflected in the final
photographs, rendering this group more attractive. It is equally feasible that the
volunteers had become accustomed to having their photo taken at such close proximity
by the time they reached the final make-up application. This could have had some
bearing on their demeanor and therefore their attractiveness.

Methodological constraints must also be addressed when assessing the validity of data.
The use of a fixed rank scale to assess attractiveness does restrict the results. Though it
was beneficial in controlling the measurement of attractiveness in response to cosmetic
conditions independently of volunteers’ own beauty, participants were forced to rate the
pictures sequentially. This not only prevented parametric testing but also the
independent assessment of attractiveness. Supplementary studies are being undertaken,
using independent measures to assess the attractiveness of each make-up condition.
This alternative design should also allow the assessment of the effect of cosmetics on
the perception of other female characteristics such as age, health and confidence.

The data collection of this experiment was performed through an Internet survey. It
must therefore be considered that the presentation of stimuli to participants may not
have been homologous. The resolution at which the photographs were presented may
have differed and this may have affected the validity of data. This may also be a causal
explanation of the surprising lipstick scores.

In conclusion it remains that women between the ages of 31 to 38 can employ make-up
to enhance their facial attractiveness, and can most successfully increase their
desirability to the opposite sex by the use of eye make-up and foundation.
APPENDICES

I: List of cosmetic products used for each volunteer.

The cosmetic products employed were from a L’Oreal high street range.

Volunteer 1
Foundation: Visible Lift – Light Beige 15.
Powder: Translucide – Soft Ivory 14.
Concealer: Maqique – Beige 3.
Lips: Rouge Resist – Iced Coffee 850.
Eyes: Colour Appeal – Golden Shimmer 23, Brun Metal 42, White 10.
Eyeliner: Upper lash – Black 201, Lower lash – Brown 204.
Mascara: Longitude – Black .

Volunteer 2
Foundation: Translucide – Soft Ivory 14.
Powder: Translucide – Soft Ivory 14.
Concealer: Maqique – Beige 3.
Lips: Colour Riche – Praline Beige 102, Gloss Rouge Pulp – Cristal Integral.
Eyes: Colour Appeal – Smokey Beige 22, Hot pink 53, Metallic Brown 42,
Matt Brown 43.
Eyeliner: Brown 204.
Mascara: Voluminous – Black.

Volunteer 3
Foundation: Translucide – Soft Ivory 14.
Powder: Translucide – Soft Ivory 14.
Concealer: Maqique – Beige 3.
Lips: Rouge Resist Liquid – Café Latte 817, Gloss Rouge Pulp – Cristal Integral.
Eyes: Colour Appeal – Rose Beige 20, Brown 43, Golden Shimmer 23.
Eyeliner: Black 201.
Mascara: Intensifique – Brown.
Volunteer 4
Foundation: Ideal Balance – Beige Rose 18.
Powder: Translucide – Soft Ivory 14.
Concealer: Maqique – Beige 3.
Lips: Colour Riche – Rosewood 302, Gloss Rouge Pulp – Cristal Integral.
Eyes: Colour Appeal – Lilac 52, Hot Pink 53, Brun 42, White 10.
Eyeliner: Upper lash – Grey 203, Lower lash – Khaki 208.
Mascara: Voluminous – Black.

Volunteer 5
Foundation: Air Wear – Light Beige 15.
Powder: Translucide – Soft Ivory 14.
Concealer: Maqique – Beige 3.
Lips: Colour Riche – Soft Rose 003.
Eyes: Colour Appeal – White 10, Colour Crème – Prune 13.
Eyeliner: Platinum 203.
Mascara: Intensifique – Black.

Volunteer 6
Foundation: Translucide – Nude Beige 16.
Powder: Translucide – Nude Beige 16.
Concealer: Maqique – Beige 3.
Lips: Colour Riche – Chocolate 123, Gloss Rouge Pulp – Cristal Integral.
Eyes: Colour Appeal – White 10, Brown 43, Colour Crème – Solar Gold 02.
Eyeliner: Upper lash – Black 201, Lower lash – Khaki 208.
Mascara: Longitude - Black.

Volunteer 7
Foundation: Translucide – Nude Beige 16.
Powder: Translucide – Nude Beige 16.
Concealer: Maqique – Beige 3.
Lips: Invincible – Crimson Extreme 320, Gloss Rouge Pulp – Cristal Integral.
Eyes: Colour Appeal – White 10, Hot Pink 53, Colour Crème – Solar Gold 02.
Eyeliner: Upper lash – Black 201, Lower lash – Khaki 208.
Mascara: Longitude - Black.
Volunteer 8
Foundation: Ideal Balance – Beige Rose 18.
Powder: Translucide – Nude Beige 16.
Concealer: Maqique – Beige 3.
Lips: Invincible – Plum Fury 725, Gloss Rouge Pulp – Cristal Integral.
Eyes: Colour Appeal – White 10, Rose Beige 20, Colour Crème – Solar Gold 02.
Eyeliner: Black 201.
Mascara: Voluminous – Black.

Volunteer 9
Foundation: Ideal Balance – True Beige 23.
Powder: Translucide – Sand Beige 22.
Concealer: Maqique – Beige 3.
Lips: Colour Resist Liquid – Purple shine 340.
Eyes: Colour Appeal – White 10, Brun Metal 42, Colour Crème – Solar Gold 02.
Eyeliner: Black 201.
Mascara: Intensifique - Black.

Volunteer 10
Foundation: Air Wear – Nude Beige 16.
Powder: Translucide – Nude Beige 16.
Concealer: Maqique – Beige 3.
Lips: Invincible – Orange Flame 413.
Eyes: Colour Appeal – Golden Shimmer 23, Brun Metal 42, White 10.
Eyeliner: Khaki 208.
Mascara: Intensifique – Brown.
REFERENCES

1 Etcoff N. Survival of the prettiest: The science of beauty. London: Little, Brown &
Company (1999).

2 Marwick A. Beauty in History. Great Britain, Thames & Hudson (1988).

3 Walter P., Martinetto P., Tsoucaris G., Bréniaux R., Lefebvre M., Richard G., Talabot
J., & Dooryhee E. Making make-up in ancient Egypt. Nature, 397: 483-484 (1999).

4 Cohen Ragas M. & Kozlowski K. Read my lips: A cultural history of lipstick. San
Francisco: Chronicle Books (1998).

5 Graham J.A. Psychology of cosmetic treatments. London, Prager (1986).

6 Johnson Gross K. & Stone J. Woman’s face: Make-up and skin care. London:
Thames & Hudson (1997).

7 Quant M. Classic make-up & beauty book. London, Dorling Kindersley (1996).

8 Aucoin K. Making faces. London, Prion (1997).

9 Johnston V. & Franklin M. Is beauty in the eye of the beholder? Ethology and
Sociobiology, 14: 183-199 (1993).

10 Jones D. Sexual selection, physical attractiveness and facial neoteny. Cross cultural
evidence and implications. Current Anthropology, 36 (5): 723-748 (1995).

11 Perrett D., Lee K., Penton-Voak I., Rowland D., Yoshikawa S., Burt D., Henzi S.,
Castles D. & Akamatsu S. Effects of sexual dimorphism on facial attractiveness.
Nature, 394 (27): 884-887 (1998).
12 Fink B., Grammer K. & Thornhill R. Human facial attractiveness in relation to skin
texture and colour. Journal of Comparative Psychology, 115 (1): 92-99 (2001).

13 Perrett D., Burt D., Penton-Voak I., Lee K., Rowland D. & Edwards R. Symmetry
and human facial attractiveness. Evolution and Human Behaviour, 20: 295-307 (1999).

14 Thornhill R. & Grammer K. The body and face of woman: One ornament that
signals quality? Evolution & Human Behaviour, 20: 109-120 (1999).

15 Thornhill R. & Gangestad S.W. The scent of symmetry: Evolutionary psychology

and the generation of culture. Evolution & Human Behaviour, 20: 175-201 (1999).

16 Tovée M.J., Tasker K. & Benson P.J. Is symmetry a visual cue to attractiveness in
the human female body? Evolution & Human Behaviour, 21: 191-200 (2000).

17 Thornhill R. & Møller A. The relative importance of size and symmetry in sexual
selection. Behavioural Ecology, 9 (6): 546-551 (1998).

18 Gangestad S.W. & Buss D.M. Pathogen prevalence and mate preferences. Ethology
& Sociobiology, 14: 89-96 (1993).

19 Henss R. Perceiving age and attractiveness in facial photographs. Journal of

Applied Social Psychology, 21 (11), 933-946 (1991).

20 Mulhern R., Fieldman G. & Hussey T. Female beauty: An example of human sexual
selection by male choice. Poster presented at the International Conference: ‘Human
Behaviour & Evolution Society’ at University College London (2001).