Abstract
This study collected behavioral data for testing how regional contrast changes due to the addition of cosmetics would affect attractiveness ratings. In addition, we used an established model of asymmetry to look for a correlation between changes in attractiveness related to the application of cosmetics to specific regions of the face and changes in symmetry. Using this asymmetry model we compared female faces with and without makeup. Specifically, we used a highly controlled set of grayscale faces in which makeup application was standardized to explore these issues from a perceptual perspective. The human data showed that adding upper eye makeup significantly increased attractiveness ratings. In contrast, increases in contrast to the lower eyes and lips did not lead to increases in attractiveness ratings; application of cosmetics to the lower eyes led to a significant decrease in attractiveness. We found that for the makeup condition that led to increased attractiveness, asymmetry did not change significantly when makeup was applied to the female faces. This suggests a role for mechanisms other than symmetry related to increases in attractiveness related to makeup use in females.
Highlights
Many have attempted to determine what makes a face attractive (Cunningham, 1986; Fink and Penton-Voak, 2002; Baudouin and Tiberghien, 2004; Rhodes, 2006), and facial attractiveness has been known to play a significant role in our social interactions with others (Langlois et al, 2000; Buss, 2008; Schmid et al, 2008; Perilloux et al, 2013)
The results show that mean asymmetry is slightly higher for original faces than faces with makeup applied on the upper eyes and on the lips, whereas asymmetry increased with the application of makeup under the eyes
It seems possible that cosmetics may at least in part increase attractiveness by decreasing asymmetry
Summary
Many have attempted to determine what makes a face attractive (Cunningham, 1986; Fink and Penton-Voak, 2002; Baudouin and Tiberghien, 2004; Rhodes, 2006), and facial attractiveness has been known to play a significant role in our social interactions with others (Langlois et al, 2000; Buss, 2008; Schmid et al, 2008; Perilloux et al, 2013). Korichi et al (2011) observed that the females in their study who appeared to use makeup more as a camouflage, or to blend in, exhibited greater asymmetry in the lower part of the face compared to those who applied cosmetics to enhance their attractiveness. This suggests a possible relationship between makeup use and asymmetry. Law Smith et al (2006) found that the faces of women wearing makeup were rated more positively on a number of measures, including attractiveness, health, and femininity These are some of the same qualities affected by symmetry and contrast. This was to establish a common coordinate system such that quantified asymmetry measures could be computed and compared meaningfully across all the different faces
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