Shockingly, according to recent research, you're at your most facially attractive after drinking one drink. Just one. The study took pictures of 40 students' faces, when sober, after one drink, and then after two, and asked people to rate their attractiveness; the findings revealed that people fancy you more if you've had one drink than if you're sober, and more if you're sober than if you've had two drinks. Got that?
In short: if you're looking to pull, and you've got your eye on someone specific, then down one glass of wine and go stand in their vicinity before the buzz wears off and you find yourself reaching for a second.
'The present study suggests that alcohol consumption also increases ratings of attractiveness of the consumer by other people,' the researchers at Bristol University said, erotically. 'That is, in addition to perceiving others as more attractive, an alcohol consumer may also be perceived by others as more attractive, and therefore receive greater sexual interest from potential mates.' Nothing like sciencey speak to get you in the mood, right?
Apparently, just one drink increases blood flow to the face giving you a rosy glow - as well as a sheen of confidence that makes you look well fit. Something that is quickly demolished the moment you carry on drinking. Which begs the question: why do so many people get blind drunk when they're nervous on dates? My best mate once got so drunk before a date, she ended up bringing her equally drunk younger sister along who was sick on the guy's shoes. Sure, she's marrying him this year, but that's just because he happens to be the most tolerant man in the world (and likes sick on his shoes, perhaps) rather than it having been a top class idea.
But sisters and sick aside, there are benefits to getting totally battered with someone you fancy - Julie Walters agrees, having recently said in an interview that she'd never had sex sober before meeting her husband, 'especially the first time'. It's true that with all the insecurities and painful awkwardness of dating, it's usually a lot easier once a bottle of wine is involved. It's less sinister than it sounds, because if you can go get battered with someone and it's loads of fun and you laugh about stupid stuff and fall over then you've already done the ice-breaking. And you can sail through that quite often slightly awkward first time sex without the full glare of sobriety shining in your face and saying things like 'Hahaha you're so shit at this and you haven't even waxed, oh my god this is a shambles'. It's how my boyfriend managed to get me to go out with him, and I can attest to the fact that doing it sober is way easier when you know they've already seen you totally nude running around their flat singing Shirley Bassey.
But, then again, you can't argue with science (ha), and science says we look our most attractive after one drink. And we probably do. So which wins? Obviously, it depends what you're deal is - if you're the sort of person who loves going out and getting drunk, then for god's sake choose that over getting rosy cheeks, and if you're the sort of person who doesn't really drink that much but gets nervous on a date, then go have some dutch courage m'lady.
But bear in mind that yes, you'll be attractive after one drink, but not to the extent that you transmogrify into a Suki Waterhouse Scarlett Johansson hybrid with light reflecting particles shining out of your arse. And the drunker they are, the more attractive you'll be by default. So it's probably not worth worrying about, to be honest.
Like this? You might also be interested in...
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.