Women's liking for men -- or at least male faces -- varies according to the menstrual cycle, claim Ian Penton-Voak of the University of St Andrews in Fife, the UK, and his colleagues. They say there are days during the month when women actually prefer 'masculine', 'Clint Eastwood-types' over the more 'feminine' Leonardo DiCaprio-lookalikes. Moreover, women taking contraceptive pills do not seem to be influenced by the hormone cycle and prefer men with softer faces. The researchers showed a series of computer-manipulated 'average' male faces to British and Japanese women, and asked them which ones they found more attractive. The women seemed to prefer more masculine male faces when they were in the middle of their menstrual cycle. Just before, during and just after menstruation, on the other hand, they were drawn to more 'feminine' faces. Interestingly, women preferred 'hunky' men for a short-term sexual relationship, although they found them less dependable, dishonest and 'cold'. For the choice of Mr Long Term, however, they preferred 'feminised faces', which are associated with better parenting and fidelity ( Nature , Vol 399, No 6738).
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