Women, but not men, are seen as more attractive with longer eyelashes; perceptions of health and femininity also increase with eyelash length; older women, rather than younger women, benefit the most from enhanced eyelashes

Adam, A. (2020). Beauty is in the eye of the beautiful: Enhanced eyelashes increase perceived health and attractiveness. Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences, Jan 2020. https://doi.org/10.1037/ebs0000192

Abstract: Although some aspects of physical attractiveness are specific to time and culture, other characteristics act as external cues to youth, health, and fertility. Like head hair, eyelashes change with age, and as such, they may also serve as external mating cues. In three experiments, I manipulated eyelash length in photographs of men and women and had participants rate them on attractiveness (Studies 1–3), perceived age (Studies 1–3), perceived health (Studies 2 and 3), and femininity (Study 3). The results indicate that women, but not men, are seen as more attractive with longer eyelashes; that perceptions of health and femininity also increase with eyelash length; and that older women, rather than younger women, benefit the most from enhanced eyelashes—but that longer eyelashes did not reduce perceptions of age.