Red has a reputation of making women feel ambitious, daring and confident. Think of the little red dress you zip up to impress or those haute red heels that are your go-to accessory.
But when you are looking for just a dash of confidence and sex appeal, you could turn to red lipstick.
A recent study found that red is the sexiest lip color. The study, done by the University of Manchester, found that men fixated on the lips of women wearing red lipstick for 7.3 seconds and only 2.2 seconds on girls who were not wearing any lip color, according to Daily Mail UK
“Behavioral psychologists or cultural psychologists would tell you that it’s because women in red have been portrayed over time as sexy,” said Laurie Mintz, a UF psychology professor.
Modern sex symbols like Rihanna, Angelina Jolie and Kim Kardashian have sported this crimson look on a regular basis. But scan the crowds along University Avenue on a Friday night and you’ll find that red rouge hasn’t spread widely through Gainesville.
“It rubs off and leaves a weird color on your lips,” said Amanda Morales, a 19-year-old health science sophomore. “I feel more confident with a nude or light pink.”
The study found pink held men’s attention for 6.7 seconds.
Communication sciences and disorders sophomore Devon Hall has found the trend doesn’t work for her.
“I’ve tried it,” the 19-year old said. “It doesn’t look good on me anyways.”
Some girls recognize the lack of scarlet lips across campus and use it to their advantage.
“It’s red, vibrant and beautiful,” said Janna Knapp, an 18-year-old exploratory freshman. “Not every girl wears it, so it makes me stand out.”
Mintz agreed that the swipe of color is going to grab someone’s attention.
“You’re going to be noticed more in red than in, well, white,” she said.
Contrary to the study, some guys don’t give the color the kiss of approval.
“It’s attractive,” said Sorrel Thomson, an 18-year-old exploratory freshman, “but it wouldn’t make me talk to one girl rather than another.”
A version of this story ran on page 8 on 9/5/2013 under the headline "Women, kiss up to red: Study shows this lip color stands out"
Telecommunication junior Andrea Solis, 20, smiles with red lipstick Wednesday afternoon. A recent study found that men fixated on the lips of women wearing red lipstick for about seven seconds.
