October 24, 2011
If you are a
makeup-wearer, you may be seen as more trustworthy, competent,
likeable and attractive, according to a new study by Procter &
Gamble.
The beauty and
hygiene company conducted the study with the help of Massachusetts
General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston University and the
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and broke it into two stages. The
first required subjects to be shown images of women of different
ages and ethnicities in varying amounts of makeup (from no makeup
to "glamorous" makeup) for a very small amount of time -- 250
milliseconds. In the second stage, participants had all the time
they wanted to look at the pictures of the women.
At a glance, the
women wearing more makeup were perceived as more competent,
trustworthy, likeable and attractive. After a longer look, the
women wearing the most makeup were seen as equally competent
compared to when their photos were merely flashed, plus they were
seen as more attractive but less trustworthy.
The study depicts the
positive effect that wearing makeup can have on people's
perceptions of your personality traits, especially upon first
impression; although wearing dramatic makeup in a more professional
environment on a daily basis may be a disadvantage.
Whether or not you
choose to take this study as hard and fast evidence that you need
to bump up your morning makeup routine is up to you.
Natalie Moya | ChaCha Style & Beauty
