Have you ever wondered why long eyelashes are considered attractive? If so, perhaps you’ve wondered why you spend all that time steadying your hand to slick mascara onto your lashes.
The roots of where mascara got its start are fascinating. We can credit Cleopatra for eyeliner but mascara wasn’t invented yet. That wouldn’t come until 1913, but we think Cleopatra would certainly approve!
Anyway, back in 1913, there was a chemist by the name of T.L. Williams. With a little mixture of coal powder and petroleum jelly, mascara as the modern world would know it was born.
The brand that came from this was Maybelline, a combination of his sister’s name (Mabel) and the still-famed petroleum jelly brand of Vaseline (which you likely have a tub of in your home somewhere).
When it comes to mascara, most of us makeup mavens have to have it. Mascara is one of those makeup items that naturally enlivens our features without looking fake even when we’re not wearing anything else.
If you’re trying to pull off a simple look, mascara can be there for you just as well as it is when you’re going for something dramatic and bold.
We could skip everything else, but mascara is one of those items that instantly adds that sexiness factor. Why is that?
Men certainly don’t seem to have this need. It’s only women that gravitate toward the compelling urge to make our lash lines more defined. Why do we take this little stick and swipe mascara on our delicate lashes religiously?
The answer is right in front of our faces, right under our own lashes if you will. When we look at cartoons, we see the female versions of animals with long, come-hither lashes.
The boys don’t have this feature, at least not in cartoons. Though nothing on record seems to show a difference in eyelash length between men and women.
In other words, long lashes aren’t a trait of the female sex. But we’re the ones who typically enhance this part of our appearance. We go to great lengths to do so too, pardon the pun.
Your eyes are one of your most compelling features though. They’ve been called the windows to our souls and they reveal so much about us.
But what about eyelashes, why do they make so many heads turn.
Why are long eyelashes attractive?
Studies have shown that large eyes are more desirable in women. Since long lashes accentuate your eyes making them look bigger, which is a symbol of youthfulness that is usually associated with increased attractiveness. Which brings us to say that long lashes are more attractive on girls and guys alike.
That’s not all though. There are many more reasons why long eyelashes are deemed attractive. You’ll find that out and plenty more if you keep reading!
Long lashes are a sign of overall health
It’s not such a bad thing to have long eyelashes, or even fake the look of them. Having long lashes is a symbol of good health. There are many conditions and diseases that can cause eyelash fall, often called milphosis or madarosis.
Not everyone experiences though, but naturally through aging and wear and tear, lashes can and do fall out. They become more sparse over time.
Using mascara to bolster their length and thickness can help improve our confidence in our appearance. They give that healthy look of full lashes that exude youthfulness.
When many of your lashes fall out, it’s a sign of something not being right with your health. You may notice problems with your hair on your head too.
Stress and diet can play a role in the health of your skin and hair, and that includes eyelashes too. You should get a checkup with your doctor to rule out any serious, underlying health conditions that could be causing your lashes to fall out.
If you get a clean bill of health, you can start taking better care of the lashes you have by reducing your stress levels and eating more nutritious meals. What you eat directly exhibits itself in your appearance so choose wisely!
Long lashes make your eyes look bigger
Whether you have big blue eyes or smaller, almond-shaped brown eyes, your eyes can be a thing of beauty to any beholder.
Accentuating your lashes with mascara instantly opens your eyes up and makes them look bigger and wider. Not only does it give a nice illusion for that coveted wide-eyed gaze, but research has stumbled onto something fascinating.
It seems that during the 20th century, large eyes elicit a protective response from the parents of baby mammals. This also occurs with adults of the human species. Babyish features like big, round eyes along with small chins and high eyebrows seem to stimulate loving and kind feelings out of other adults.
Even the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology noted this back in 1985, citing that baby-faced features had a positive impact for commanding honesty, warmth, and kindness.
Essentially, your longer lashes aren’t just enhancing your eyes. They’re drawing out kindness, hopefully from your boss who you are trying to convince to give you a raise, or perhaps the team at your local coffeehouse who throws in an extra donut with your order because you seem sweet.
Long dark lashes are a sign of youthfulness
But that’s not all. See, scientists have also found that eyelashes, especially those that are dark (naturally or emphasized with mascara and that cool eyeliner trick) help bring out the whites of the eyes. That’s known as the sclera, and the brighter and healthier it is, the more youthful you look.
Emphasizing the limbal ring, which is that dark ring you see around your iris in your eye is another thing that long eyelashes can do. This ring has long been associated with attractiveness.
It’s also the most prominent during your fertile year. They begin to fade and recede more starting in your late 20s. As time goes by, they decline further. Certain conditions like glaucoma can make it diminish significantly.
It all boils down to science yet again. So this evolutionary theory, despite how advanced we are, reveals we all have some pretty primitive programming.
It’s still cool, but this look of youthfulness is so coveted that we will do anything to fake it, even if we can’t really understand the motivation behind that programming. Not until now at least.
So now that you understand why long eyelashes are deemed an attractive asset, let’s read some more about other reasons we’re going to such lengths to make them stand out.
Long lashes are catchier
Long lashes are certainly catchier than having a sparse lash line. At the very basic realm of it, you want plenty of lashes to help protect your eyes from debris and dirt and other gunk in the air. But at the max, you want fluttering eyelashes that attract movement to your eyes.
It’s this movement that you use to convey to those you’re attracted to that you’d like them to come over and talk. That you’re interested. It’s also the same way you can send a glare that says, “Stay away.” We’ve all made these faces before and long lashes help us say it with style.
But when it’s to attract positive attention, every blink and glance that you make helps captivate the one you’re trying to get.
Long lashes are very seductive every time you blink
Interestingly, there’s even more to the long lash theories. It seems research that goes back a good 50 years revealed that the blink of a woman is much slower than a man’s. That contributes to the soft and fluttering look of lashes to accentuate the eyes.
And in more recent studies, people with long eyelashes are seen as much more attractive to the opposite sex. So fluttering your lashes to get what you want may very well work. This is why you want long eyelashes. But use this trick wisely. After all, you don’t want to flutter your lashes at a guy you’re not interested in.
Then again, a little flutter can go a long way when you’re trying to get a discount on car services. But don’t forget that having the knowledge to back it up will always come to your own rescue.
Long lashes are so feminine
When it comes to your face, you have what they refer to as ‘attraction magnets.’ One of those things, which is brought up in the classic movie Clueless, is the mouth. The main character, Cher, played by Alicia Silverstone, says that anything you can do to draw attention to your mouth is always a good thing. She’s not wrong.
However, she never mentions the other attraction magnet you have… your eyes. Your eyelashes are basically like a natural lipstick for your eyes, if you will. They bring a contrast between your eye and the eyelid just as much as lipstick creates a contrast between the color of your lips and your surrounding skin.
Don’t you instantly feel sexier and more appealing with lipstick? The thing is though, not every guy is keen on lipstick. Lipstick is noticeable while mascara is a subtle enhancement. Plus, if he gets to kiss you, he won’t wind up with mascara all over his face.
According to Faced Around the World: A Cultural Encyclopedia of the Human Face, the eyelashes are a feminine trait because they make the eyes look larger. Larger eyes make a face more appealing, youthful, and desired. But there’s something else that we don’t readily notice with those long eyelashes. Keep reading to find out what!
Long lashes are a sign of fertility
And with all this scientific stuff, it should be noted that the longer the lashes, the more likely the fertility. This of course ignites that primal instinct in men.
We’re all still very-much programmed to procreate. When you have dark mascara on your eyes to enhance that whiteness in your eyes, it signals that you’re likely a fertile specimen.
There’s something very coy and seductive about eyelashes too that set men into motion. When you bat your lashes and go through the motions, you can usually get your way with a man you desire.
So when you lose eyelashes, assuming you didn’t rub them half to death while trying to remove waterproof mascara that is, it’s typically a symptom of having an autoimmune disorder.
Autoimmune disorders typically affect fertility. And as you age, that has a different effect on lashes. Your lashes look thinner when they grow back.
Mascara can help with making thinning lashes look lush, but keeping yourself in good health will result in bright eyes that will attract someone over at any age.
Long lashes increase your self-esteem
In short, long lashes will boost your self-esteem. The next time you apply your makeup, take a look at your eyes before you put your mascara on. Then notice how your eyes look after you put it on. You can almost see that confidence. It makes such a huge difference.
Some women have naturally long lashes. Others have them in their youth and then have to fake it to get the look. Regardless, it can make you feel more feminine and more confident in everything you do. Think about it this way… when you want something, you have to negotiate for it.
It doesn’t matter if it’s a new position at work, a higher salary, a new car at the dealership, or trying to get the one you like to ask you out already.
When those situations arise, having a little more confidence is always a bonus. Swiping on mascara might not seem like much, but it is scientifically shown that longer eyelashes make us feel more attractive AND look more attractive to others.
In the game of life, it can’t hurt to add a little extra sweetness to your look to garner a little more compassion out of others. On top of having a sweet personality, this can be all it takes to get your way.
The only downside is some people might think you’re not as smart as you are, or too weak to stand up to injustices (like when a male contemporary at your office gets a raise but you don’t).
Don’t forget that your beauty on the outside will indeed make you feel more confident, but back it up with that tough inside. Be a gal that knows her facts and can recite them with a sweet, unwavering smile on her face while batting her beautiful lengthy lashes.
Conclusion
Long eyelashes are a sign of attractiveness and have been that way for a long time. They make the eyes look bigger and allow the ability to see the whiteness of eyes, which is a sign of good health and youthfulness.
But when most people look at you, they don’t think, “Wow! What a fertile gal with nice white eyes who is ready to reproduce!” This is the programming that is within us all though we mostly can’t explain it.
Men are even more primitive in this regard. They’re compelled to reproduce so when they see luscious, long lashes, they’re fairly hopeless.
Use that to your advantage or simply use your mascara to enhance your looks everywhere you go!
Make sure to check out my post on how to make your eyes look more attractive in glasses.