By Claudina Hannon
Ladies, did you know that blondes tend to have more long-term relationships than brunettes? Or that 40 percent of single men consider nice smelling hair a turn-on? In case you had any doubt about the importance of first impressions, findings from a Match.com and Wella survey show the crucial roles your hairstyle and hair color play when going on dates. The survey was conducted on 1,000 Match.com users, who shared their preferences and perceptions of women based solely on their hairstyle and hair color choices.
To put the survey’s results to the test, these two companies recently hosted a hair-styling event for 18 Match.com users at PR at Partners in Alexandria before sending them off to a local dating mixer. The lucky ladies had the opportunity to get a blow out and select one of four hairstyle techniques based on the survey’s top preferred hairstyles. The “Love is in the Air” menu had the following selections, along with corresponding survey statistics for each style:
- Romantic Waves: “Almost half of single men find women with curly/wavy hair to be sexy and irresistible.” Also, “Single men ages 30-39 consider women with a curly or wavy hairstyle to be more down to earth than any other hairstyle.”
- Sleek and Straight: “According to a quarter of single men, straight and sleek hair gets you one step closer to a ring.”
- Dreamy Up-Do: “[If you wear your hair pulled back] Almost 50 percent of single men think that you are down to earth.”
- Sexy Braid: “A quarter of single men think women with braided hair are sporty and adventurous.”
Here are stylist Mauricio Rivero‘s tips on achieving the Romantic Waves look:
1) Spray volumizing gel in the roots before you blow dry
2) Create curls that go away from the face on each side
3) Alternate curls’ directions on the back of the head for a more natural look
4) Give the curls a moment to set before gently shaking them loose with your fingers while tilting your head back
But what about color? Here are other interesting stats to keep in mind next time you consider a color treatment: Only 14 percent of single women who have never colored their hair have gone on six or more dates in a year, as opposed to the 64 percent of single women who do color or highlight their hair and have gone on that many dates. Bottom line: There is a hairstyle and hair color for everyone’s preference.