The secret of feminine beauty

I bid you all a happy weekend with a more worthy insight into feminine beauty from the New Scientist:

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Researchers at the University of St Andrews in Fife, UK, have found that women’s facial attractiveness is directly related to their oestrogen levels. ...

"There was a very strong and direct correlation between the level of each woman's oestrogen and how attractive, healthy and feminine they were found to be, showing that fertility is related to attractiveness," Law Smith told New Scientist. The faces considered most healthy and feminine were also deemed the most attractive.

"It is likely that those women with higher hormone levels also had increased levels of oestrogen during puberty – the time when the hormone has a crucial role in determining facial appearance," she suggests.

The two composite photos of the 59 test subjects show the women at the highest and lowest point in their estrogen cycles. I leave it to you to guess at which one is more attractive -- answer HERE -- but really, who knew hormones could give you sharper cheekbones.

The good news for the estrogen-challenged: makeup does an amazing job of imitating biology. [LINK via Boing Boing]