It is the look that says he has just one thing on his mind – but bedroom eyes actually make men look shifty rather than romantic, a study has found.
Men who look at women with a normal, open-eyed gaze are perceived to be more sincere and better partners.
Narrowing the eyes in an attempt to look alluring only makes men look untrustworthy and up for a fling, the researchers discovered.
Celebrities such as Idris Elba, Antonio Banderas and George Clooney are known for their smouldering, bedroom-eyed look, which has earned them a legion of adoring fans.
A team from the University of Michigan, however, warned them and any other men to use such a technique carefully.
According to Livescience, they used identical photos of men in their early 20s with their eyes half-open and fully open and showed them to two groups of test subjects totalling 400 men and women.
The female participants were asked to rate each of the men on how attractive they were for a long-term relationship, a short-term relationship and a fling.
They were also asked which of the two men they’d prefer to father their baby, and if they’d trust him going with her sister on a long trip.
Men were quizzed to see if they’d like to go into business with each man and if they’d be fine leaving them with their sister on a long trip.
The results showed that among women the open-eyed man was seen as more desirable, with 71 percent saying they’d rather marry him. The majority also said they would rather have a relationship with him.
Among men the findings showed they were less likely to want the bedroom-eyed man as a neighbour or as somebody to work with.
Both sexes thought that men with a wider gaze would be more trustworthy to send with a sister on a trip.
They also thought that the man with the wider gaze was more likely to be in a relationship for the long term.
The University of Michigan researchers said that larger eyes make men look more naive and vulnerable.
Lead researcher Daniel Kruger, a psychology professor at the university, said the sexual maturity bedroom eyes suggest “can come back to bite you” later on.
He noted: “A lot is conveyed in a glance. You don’t gain so much of an advantage by doing this expression unless you’re already engaged with someone who is interested in you, or who you have a chance with, so don’t overuse it.” – Daily Mail