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Guys Don’t Trust Women Who Wear Makeup

Guys Don't Trust Women Who Wear Makeup

I’m a total failure at makeup. One of my best friends is a makeup artist – literally someone who applies makeup to faces for a living – and all of the lessons she’s kindly given me just haven’t taken hold. I can’t contour without looking like I’m going onto some kind of battle field. Whenever I try that cat eye/liquor eyeliner thing, it looks like someone drew on my face with a Sharpie. Every attempt I make at filling in my eyebrows results in what appears to be caterpillars creeping above my eyes. I’ve long envied those girls who can put on perfect makeup with what seems to be little to no effort. And I still am a bit jealous of them – although a recent study shows that my generally makeup free face may give me a leg up in the trust department.

Recently, University of Connecticut researchers asked 153 straight men and 152 straight women to each look at two pictures of members of the opposite sex: one “unenhanced,” and the other with styled hair, makeup and flattering lighting. In the outcome that makes us all go “duh”, the majority of men and women, alike, said that the made up photos were more attractive than the natural photos. However, here’s where it gets interesting: the men also said that while the made-up woman was hotter, she also seemed less honest.

Rory McGloin, assistant professor in residence in the department of Communication at the University of Connecticut and author of the study, told The Today Show, “The guys were very much honest in their assessment of the female. They say I do find her more attractive and I do find her less trustworthy and I am OK with it.” He went on to say that “Males are so used to seeing women who have been Photoshopped and edited [in society] and they are just skeptical that maybe she’s not really that good looking.” Gettysburg College researcher Alex Jones, who was not involved in the study, got down to the basic reason for the lack of trust of women who spend the bulk of their income at Sephora: “People think women using cosmetics are vain, deceitful and narcissistic.”

“More makeup will make you more attractive, but you will [also] be seen as less attractive for a number of reasons,” says Jones. That may be true, but you know what? I think I still going to keep trying that cat-eye thing.

[via The Today Show]

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Jenna Crowley

Jenna used to be known as 2NOTBrokeGirls, but then one of the girls actually went broke, so she's struck out on her own. Jenna spends her free time saving the world, one sorority girl at a time (usually while wearing yoga pants), questioning why she decided to get a doctorate, and documenting her love of all things cheese related. You can ask her anything you want about football, using your boobs to get what you want, and pizza at @JennaLCrowley on Twitter or via email at [email protected].

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