I’ve had this discussion a few times, and for some reason even though I always tell the truth hardly anyone (female or male) ever believes me.
First thing I notice about any woman: her voice. An attractive voice goes a long, long way with me. Whereas if she has an unappealing voice, it’s a big turn-off.
Second thing I notice: her chat, her conversation, what she talks about, how she talks about it, what’s firing under the lid. A woman can be (by prevailing standards) plain as the back of an envelope, but if she interesting and offbeat and intriguing and funny and obviously has good grey stuff, she’s attractive. Conversely, looks don’t count for much if she’s got nothing to say.
Third thing: hair, I guess (I have a very specific fetish about hair) and eyes and the smile.
Her figure? Couldn’t care less. Extremes either way are unappealing, only because they tend to suggest there are ‘issues’ going on, but otherwise who cares? But the emaciated, All McBeal stick-insect look does NOTHING for me or any man I’ve ever met. Damn it, we like some curves, some presence, some bits that go in and out that we don’t have!
Make-up? Someone who’s beautiful, inside or out or both, doesn’t need it and probably doesn’t use it. For someone who isn’t beautiful, no amount of make-up is going to make one iota of difference. If the make-up is not for male benefit, but for herself, her own sense of how she feels about herself, then okay, but there are better yardsticks.
How she dresses, fashion sense etc. I honestly couldn’t care less. I’ve been out with supremely stylish fashion queens, and with girls who wouldn’t know a designer outfit if it bit them. The latter win hands-down, every time. Common sense is always more attractive than fashion sense, and it seems hard (impossible?) to have both.