The following post originally appeared on Bustle.
When undergoing my first beauty-related social experiment, I noticed that guys had a lot to say about my appearance. Whether it be asking about my health or wondering if my makeup was intended for weekend partying, the dudes that I encountered made their opinions known when it came to my face. Most of the comments made toward me were out of good-intentioned concern, but nonetheless it struck me as intriguing that men (and everyone, really) had so much to say about the way that I look. This interesting development inspired me to further my research into the social perception of beauty. If they felt so comfortable approaching me about my looks in a platonic setting, how might guys react to my different levels of makeup when engaging in a potentially romantic scenario?
To gauge the different reactions to makeup by guys in romantic scenarios, I decided to sign up for Tinder. Having dated my boyfriend for many years now, I've never had to brave the frightening world of Internet dating — I had no clue what I was getting into! I had a friend show me the ropes before creating three nearly identical accounts, only changing their respective photos to match "no makeup," "average makeup," and "heavy makeup."
The Experiment
As many of you know, on Tinder, you cannot view any reciprocated likes (matches) until you indicate your interest in that person by swiping to the right. So when planning my experiment, I decided to swipe right for the first 100 suggested matches per account, then allow one hour afterward to see what kind of messages and matches it turned up. I then counted the reciprocated likes, messages, and ages of my matches to see any general trends when it came to my level of cosmetic "enhancement."
My visible information:
- my Facebook likes (mostly Game of Thrones related, if I'm being honest)
- my age and first name
- four photos per account, all within the parameters of no makeup, regular makeup, or heavy makeup
- my tagline: "I am so ridiculously blessed, it blows my mind"
My account restrictions:
- only show male matches
- only show matches within 50 miles of me
- only show matches between the ages of 21 and 35
Related: 9 Ways to Take Care of Your Feet After a Long Summer Barefoot or in Sandals