Louise Jackson
They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
And this perhaps points to the most obvious problem when deciding if you’re hot or not.
Who actually gets to decide? And how do you know if you are perceived as attractive?
Here are some potentially surprising signs that you are conventionally attractive.
What is considered conventional beauty?
Before we launch into the signs you’re conventionally attractive, we do need to clarify a couple of things.
I’m going to go out on a limb and say that all of us want to feel attractive.
But attraction can’t be so narrowly defined. Personal tastes are always going to factor into it.
You’re going to see in our list quite a few physical characteristics that are considered attractive. But you’re also going to notice plenty of characteristics that go beyond skin deep.
This isn’t a cop-out.
It’s because the research shows that a range of things make us (even conventionally) attractive or not.
Plus, what we think of as conventionally attractive isn’t static. Research has shown that our ideas of beauty change with the times.
And rather than looking like a supermodel, conventional attraction often hangs on the more subtle cues we give out.
So without further adieu, let’s dive in.
11 hidden signs you’re conventionally attractive
1) You smile a lot
It’s official, smiling is far more attractive than smoldering.
The best thing about the first sign on our list is that it’s got zilch to do with genetics.
Don’t underestimate how powerful simply smiling is to how attractive you seem to others.
Research has found that the more you smile, the more attractive you are.
In fact, even if you’re not the best-looking person in the room, having a cheerful expression on your face actually compensates for it.
Why is it such a game-changer?
Well, another study found that happiness was the most attractive emotion.
Obviously, a smile plastered on your face is going to make you look like a positive person. At the end of the day, that’s a quality we want in a mate.
2) You look “healthy”
What’s considered conventionally attractive to us can be clumped together into a category labeled: ‘healthy’.
Sorry to be vague, but it’s hard to pinpoint so precisely. Perhaps because there is so much room for personal preference.
That’s why researchers looking at an evolutionary basis for facial attractiveness concluded:
“Although we can say whether a face is attractive or unattractive, it is extremely difficult to articulate the specific features that determine this attraction.”
What they could say though was that certain things show a “biological quality” that we tend to find attractive.
Amongst other signs on our list, these features include things like:
- Good skin
- Looking clean
- Being fairly well presented
- Adequate self-care
- Bright eyes
- Thick hair
In short, if you look pretty healthy, the chances are you’re considered conventionally attractive.
3) Your face is more symmetrical than most
You may have heard this one before.
Apparently, the more symmetrical your face is, the better looking you are.
But, you might be wondering, why?
Professor of biology at the City University of New York, Nathan H Lents says this preference is probably hardwired into us:
“Facial symmetry is universally associated with beauty and attractiveness in both sexes and in sexual and non-sexual contexts. The most well-supported theory for this is that our species has evolved to recognize symmetry, if unconsciously, as a proxy for good genes and physical health.”
4) You’re average looking
Ok, let me explain this one. Here’s the weird thing:
We often think of beauty as being something extraordinary, right?
But the truth is that average is more attractive than we might expect.
Rather than standing out in a crowd, your averageness could be the real key to being conventionally attractive.
Researchers noticed that when people were asked to judge attractiveness, a pattern emerged.
The faces deemed the most attractive are those whose features are closest to the average in the population.
Rather than being anything special, they were prototypical.
So it turns out attractive faces really are only average.
5) You get enough sleep
It seems getting your “beauty sleep” really is aptly named. Because when you get plenty of shut-eye you’re generally seen as more attractive.
A group of researchers carried out an experiment to measure the impact of sleep on attractiveness.
Here’s what they discovered…
They asked observers to rate the attractiveness and health of participants who had been photographed:
- after sleep deprivation
- after a good night’s sleep
And yep, you guessed it, the sleep-deprived people were seen as way less attractive and less healthy.
6) You have a good back-to-butt curve
What the heck is that? I hear you ask. I know, it sounds weird.
So let me explain.
The “ideal” body type is another minefield of controversy when it comes to beauty.
It doesn’t really exist, and it certainly changes with the fashions of different cultures and different periods in history.
But there is one thing that does seem to make women more attractive:
A pronounced curve in your spine (aka your back-to-buttock curve).
A study from Texas University even pinpointed the preferred degree of the curve —45 degrees, in case you were wondering.
They put this down as another sign of health and fertility, as researcher David Lewis explains:
“These women would have been more effective at foraging during pregnancy and less likely to suffer spinal injuries. In turn, men who preferred these women would have had mates who were better able to provide for fetus and offspring, and who would have been able to carry out multiple pregnancies without injury.”
7) You have a great pout
I have really thin lips (*sobs*) that I’ve always wished were poutier.
And it turns out this vanity of mine has some scientific reasoning behind it.
It’s true that fuller lips, as well as having a greater vermillion height (the space between your lip tissue and normal skin) are seen as more attractive.
The magic number is apparently an upper-to-lower lip ratio of 1:2 according to one study.
It all comes down to that health and vitality again.
Having luscious lips is a signal to men that a woman is more fertile.
8) You’re treated differently
It feels pretty unfair, but the research shows that we do seem to like beautiful people more.
As highlighted in Business Insider:
“Experiments have shown that we consider attractive people “as more sociable, dominant, sexually warm, mentally healthy, intelligent, and socially skilled” than unattractive people.”
That’s why one of the hidden signs you’re conventionally attractive comes down to how other people treat you.
If you’re “good-looking” you might get away with more things. People might be quick to do you favors. You may even find it easier to make friends.
Research has found conventionally attractive people are:
- More likely to get called back on job interviews
- Judged as more trustworthy and honest
- Assumed to be happier
- Considered healthier
- Given more attention by teachers at school
- Feel more confident and so make more money
9) You have so-called “sex-typical” facial features
Largely, how you look is dictated by hormones.
And research has found that certain highly “sex-typical” facial features and facial structures are more attractive.
What does that mean for you?
Essentially, if you’re a guy, you’re seen as more attractive if you’ve got:
- Prominent cheekbones
- Prominent eyebrow ridges
- A relatively long lower face
If you’re a woman you’re seen as more attractive if you’ve got:
- Prominent cheekbones
- Big eyes
- Small nose
- Smooth skin
- A taller forehead
Why?
Because these things all reflect our ratio of testosterone to estrogen and vice versa. And we are apparently drawn to higher levels of sex hormones in people.
10) You smell good and sound good
Eyes aren’t the only way we perceive attractiveness.
That’s why another of our hidden signs you’re conventionally attractive is in the way you smell and the way you sound.
That’s going to be affected by genetics, your environment, and your hormone levels.
But researchers concluded that the tone of your voice and your scent has a big impact on whether someone is attracted to you.
As highlighted in Readers Digest:
“To get a better idea of the way attractiveness is perceived, Agata Groyecka-Bernard, Ph.D., a researcher at the University of Wrocław in Poland, and her co-authors analyzed 30 years of research on human attraction and found that beauty is far more than skin-deep. It also involves other components, like how we respond to a person’s natural aroma and their speaking voice. The main takeaway? The tone of someone’s voice and even their scent can make an impression on you when you first meet them—even if you don’t realize it.”
11) You feel attractive
Here’s the thing:
Being attractive isn’t just in the eye of the beholder.
It actually starts within you.
Yep, I’m referring to good old self-love.
But I’m not throwing this out there to try and appease people who might not feel conventionally attractive.
I’m adding it to the list because countless studies, time and time again, have all found the same thing.
Simply put, confidence is attractive.
If you feel attractive, then other people will find you more attractive.
