# Things women do to make themselves attractive to men that don't make them attractive to men **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 27, 2012, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-women-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-men-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-men/635987 "2012-09-27T10:52:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-women-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-men-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-men/635987/41 "2012-09-27T16:20:18Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > The right high heels, worn properly, can be stunning. If they make you walk like a newborn foal YOU’RE DOING IT WRONG. > > ETA: I mention this because I was out earlier at the mall and was walking behind a woman wearing a pair of Louboutins who clearly did not know how to wear them. I kept waiting for her to pitch over forward. Mmmmmmm… newborn foals… 😃 The list? Oh lordy. Every bit of goopy glittery fakey trickery. I’ve dated and married women who 99% of the time don’t wear make up or perfume. Their bodies are unenhanced. Their nipples are devoid of hardware. Their toes are their own. Their bottoms are their own. Gag on the lot of it. ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-women-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-men-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-men/635987/42 "2012-09-27T16:59:41Z")
Tattoos and body piercings. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-women-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-men-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-men/635987/43 "2012-09-27T17:17:26Z")
Lip injections. They are _not_ going to make you look like [_naturally thick-lipped celebrity_]. They’re going to make you look like a nightmarish, monkey-faced freak of nature, just like the thousands upon thousands of other women who thought lip injections would make them look like [_naturally thick-lipped celebrity_]. I’m not sure why this simple fact is taking so long to sink in. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-women-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-men-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-men/635987/44 "2012-09-27T17:26:47Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > Lip injections. > > They are _not_ going to make you look like [_naturally thick-lipped celebrity_]. > > They’re going to make you look like a nightmarish, monkey-faced freak of nature, just like the thousands upon thousands of other women who thought lip injections would make them look like [_naturally thick-lipped celebrity_]. > > I’m not sure why this simple fact is taking so long to sink in. Yes. Isn’t one Mick Jagger enough? ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-women-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-men-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-men/635987/45 "2012-09-27T17:26:54Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Duckface. Amen. ---
**Author:** ![SnakeBabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@SnakeBabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakeBabe)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-women-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-men-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-men/635987/46 "2012-09-27T17:32:33Z")
Men differ, some like tattoos, some don’t. Some like false eyelashes, some don’t. Etc…It’s not possible to please them all. Same goes for women. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-women-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-men-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-men/635987/47 "2012-09-27T17:34:42Z")
> [@Blaster\_Master](#): > > \Makeup should be like cooking with spics,\ Yeah, I had to read that twice, too. 😃 > [@corkboard](#): > > \ > And I don’t see it too much these days, but a few years ago there was a trend of women to outline their lips with a contrasting, darker line. It looked like clown makeup. If you must outline your lips, at least blend it in with the lipstick. You look ridiculous. Ah yes, anus lips. Lovely. I read somewhere that men are most attracted to primary colours on women - it doesn’t really matter _what_ you’re wearing, if it’s a primary colour, men will be attracted to it. Do you guys think there’s any truth to that? ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-women-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-men-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-men/635987/48 "2012-09-27T17:34:51Z")
> [@matt\_mcl](#): > > I think it’s telling that we’re contemplating the idea that women do these things for men, or for other women, but not for themselves. (Because women never do things for themselves.) And in fact that it actually causes \*puzzlement \*that women do things that men turn out not to enjoy." You said it. Not only are women not constantly calibrating every aspect of their appearance to be maximally attractive to men, some women may be doing these things specifically to avoid being seen attractive to men. Beyond not being everyone’s priority, unwanted attention from men is obnoxious. If you are taken, celibate, picky, married, feeling unsexy or just focusing on other priorities, it can be really temping to try to deflect that attention. That 5’10" woman in the killer heels? She probably _likes_ intimidating the hell out of people, the same way a man might wear a sharp suit and mirrored aviators. The women with the out-there makeup? Maybe she has a boyfriend/girlfriend, and when she goes out with the girls she finds it more fun to project “fierce” or “out there” than “come hither.” The long nails? She may be saying “Go ahead, just try to hit on me. See what happens.” ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-women-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-men-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-men/635987/49 "2012-09-27T18:00:06Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > That 5’10" woman in the killer heels? She probably _likes_ intimidating the hell out of people, the same way a man might wear a sharp suit and mirrored aviators. Yup. I’m 5’9" and love wearing heels. I don’t do anything crazy-tall (no platforms, rarely above 3.5"), but I wear them because **I like being tall**. And if you have to stop having fun/go home early because your feet hurt in those heels, you have crummy shoes. ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-women-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-men-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-men/635987/50 "2012-09-27T18:06:49Z")
Coming to post the other end of the spectrum, purposefully dressing to repel men. There’s a blog devoted to it, **[Man Repeller](http://www.manrepeller.com/)**. They actually get **[front row seats](http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/12/living/man-repeller-leandra-medine/index.html?hpt=hp_c3)** during fashion week! ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-women-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-men-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-men/635987/51 "2012-09-27T18:13:09Z")
> [@Blaster\_Master](#): > > …should be like cooking with spics, you put in enough to enhance the flavor,… Yeah, refried beans just aren’t the same without them. > [@even\_sven](#): > > …The long nails? She may be saying “Go ahead, just try to hit on me. See what happens.” Whaaaat? and possibly break one of those nails? Never! ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-women-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-men-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-men/635987/52 "2012-09-27T19:20:54Z")
Yeah, we get it- women do these things for themselves, not for men, etc. So for every woman that does any of these things for themselves, consider the responses in this thread not to apply to you. But the OP asked about things women do specifically to be attractive to men. Therefore, consider the responses only to apply to those women, not the ones that get breast implants or have long fingernails simply because they want to. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-women-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-men-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-men/635987/53 "2012-09-27T19:56:24Z")
High heels are supposed to display a woman’s legs. Some legs shouldn’t be on display, but even if they are worth displaying the heels do nothing for me. My father didn’t like women wearing lipstick so my mother almost never did. So I learned not to like it either. So my wife doesn’t wear it. Now I’ve noticed that my two DILs don’t wear lipstick either. What I really hate are black-rimmed eyes. Lipstick doesn’t turn me on, but black-rimmed eyes are ugly, ugly, ugly. A little face powder can do wonders for a woman if her skin isn’t perfect, but that is the extent of my interest in makeup. Another thing I cannot abide is all those blondes with dark roots showing. Blondes were once rare and exotic and some men found them appealing. Now that sometimes more than half the women you see are bleached blondes, it is no longer rare and hardly appealing. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-women-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-men-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-men/635987/54 "2012-09-27T20:22:56Z")
> [@corkboard](#): > > Yeah, we get it- women do these things for themselves, not for men, etc. So for every woman that does any of these things for themselves, consider the responses in this thread not to apply to you. But the OP asked about things women do specifically to be attractive to men. Therefore, consider the responses only to apply to those women, not the ones that get breast implants or have long fingernails simply because they want to. Yes, but from the responses in this thread, it seems like nearly every characteristic mentioned has both fans and detractors. So being incredulous that women would ever do X to attract a man ends up with responses of “but X is really hot!” So why is a woman doing something in particular to get a man? Because sometimes, it works. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-women-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-men-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-men/635987/55 "2012-09-27T20:54:16Z")
Breast implants. Now I’ve seen some good ones where you can’t really tell until they (don’t) move, but 95% of them are just pathetic and unattractive. Cut a grapefruit in half, paint a nipple on the halves and glue them to your chest. That would look better Thick makeup is not attractive to the majority of men. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-women-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-men-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-men/635987/56 "2012-09-27T20:55:25Z")
I know I’m really in the minority on this but for me it’s women growing thier hair really long. Anything past the bottom of her shoulder blades is kind of a turnoff to me. As to everything else mentioned so far\*…I think some women can pull off the heavy makeup or fake eyebrows or super high heels etc. Many can’t. \*Except baby talk and duck lips. That’s just weird! ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-women-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-men-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-men/635987/57 "2012-09-27T20:56:30Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > What I really hate are black-rimmed eyes. Lipstick doesn’t turn me on, but black-rimmed eyes are ugly, ugly, ugly. Oh good lord yes. The one makeup trick I find most absolutely repugnant and repellent - Racoon Eyes. Ladies, there should NEVER be a 360 degree field of black around your eyes for any reason. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-women-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-men-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-men/635987/58 "2012-09-27T21:56:22Z")
1. Rub tennis ball in boot black. 2. Apply blackened tennis ball to eye. 3. Watch them run, screaming in horror. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Battle\_Pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Battle\_Pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Battle_Pope)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-women-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-men-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-men/635987/59 "2012-09-27T22:27:31Z")
Something I’ve been seeing lately around here is young women wearing the same shade of makeup applied quite thickly over their entrie face. No shadows or highlights just a layer of pale colouring with fairly dark lipstick. Makes them look like a store mannequin trying to eat a squash ball. Perfume: a hint is good. Eyewatering - not so much. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-women-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-men-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-men/635987/60 "2012-09-27T22:34:10Z")
> [@Battle\_Pope](#): > > Perfume: a hint is good. Eyewatering - not so much. My life long retort to overwhelming perfume or cologne is: “_You know that a bottle contains more than one application, right?_” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-women-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-men-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-men/635987.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-women-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-men-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-men/635987.md?page=4)