This Is The Eye Color People Find Most Attractive
When it comes to what we find most physically attractive in others, one might think answers would vary based on personal preference. Contrary to popular belief, however, science says otherwise. While brown eyes dominate the majority of the population, research indicates that when it comes to eye color, those with lighter color eyes are considered to be more attractive by both men and women (via Pure Optical). Across the board, when it comes to eye color, people specifically tend to prefer those with blue colored eyes.
With blue-eyed individuals making up only a small percentage of the population, perhaps the draw to those with lighter-colored eyes is because they seem to be a rare find? Yes and no. As it turns out, more people are born with blue eyes than you may think; however, they don't always remain blue. The amount of melanin in our bodies is what determines our unique hair and skin color. At birth, the amount of pigment in the iris is not yet fully formed. Therefore, one might initially be born with blue eyes, but over time as the pigment develops, that color may change entirely.
What features naturally capture our attention?
In an interview with Mind Body Green, Carla Marie Manly, Ph.D., discusses how rarity actually is one of the main factors in eye color preference for the very reason that it's basic human instinct to be drawn towards what stands out from the norm. She discusses how doing so is our primitive nature and throughout time it's allowed us to determine whether the unfamiliar is deemed a threat to survival. Therefore, what's unique naturally captures our attention.
With blue coming in at No. 1, green and hazel come up next in line, with brown coming in as least preferred when it comes to eye color attractiveness (via 1800Contacts). But of course, there is no hard and fast rule. There is a multitude of scientific factors that play into what we deem most attractive, and eye color is only one of them. We all have our personal preferences and we never know what may catch our eye.