The Real Reason Large Eyes Are More Attractive To Men

You may have seen (or posed for) those Snapchat filters, like the deer and the dog, that give you the doe-eyed look. While they can be fun to play around with, the creators of those filters might actually be on to something. According to BBC Future, large eyes are considered a "babyface" feature, which non-verbal communication expert Caroline Keating says is an attractive attribute. "The big eyes, the long lashes, the arched brows, the plump lips, the small [chin], the round face, the cute little nose — if I wasn't describing a baby, I'd be describing a supermodel," she told BBC.

Furthermore, a study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology associated large, round eyes with "babyfacedness" — and this type of appearance is linked to attractive traits like naivete, honesty, kindness, and warmth. Babies are considered cute across the globe, and their innocent features tend to make people more generous, happy, and helpful, which may further explain why "babyfacedness" is more attractive on an adult (per BBC Future).

Tom Hartley, lecturer in psychology at the University of York in the United Kingdom told Today that large eyes have been considered attractive for quite some time. Hartley co-authored a study in which he and his colleagues viewed 1,000 faces with varying features and tried to predict how humans may react to them. Their computer-generated program was right in line with their predictions. The program predicted that those who have smaller eyes would be seen as less attractive. That said, when smaller-sized eyes were paired with a smiling face, a person was considered more attractive.

According to Business Insider Australia, big, clear eyes are an attractive trait, much like smooth skin, high cheekbones, and the way you smell. Nevertheless, personality also plays a role in attractiveness. "Our brains are hard-wired to like nice people and dislike nasty people, and subsequently that's what changes their degree of beauty," plastic surgeon Robert Tornambe detailed in an article for HuffPost.