Add colour to love life through beauty routine

Can that darker shade of lipstick or sweeping on a little mascara really make you a little more flirtatious? Well, yes, says a new study, which suggests that a daily beauty ritual can vastly improve your love life. In the study commissioned by cosmetics giant Revlon in partnership with New York's Fordham University, women were asked to add a simple beauty ritual to their daily routine and report its impact on their love lives.

The ritual entailed taking time to appreciate yourself each day by looking in the mirror, applying fragrance and eye make-up, enjoying a mint or chocolate, applying lipstick, taking a deep breath and lastly, smiling. The results showed that within a week, 97 per cent of women felt a positive change in themselves while 71 per cent reported wanting romance.

Also, 77 per cent of women felt more outgoing and social and 74 per cent of women were more likely to, well, flirt, the findings showed. A majority of the participants - 85 per cent - noticed a positive change in how others reacted to them and 65 per cent of women reported an increase in compliments from their partner or date.

Revlon enlisted award-winning filmmaker Tatia Pilieva to create an inspiring short film, called "Love Test" to portray the vulnerability and intimacy of real-life couples as they discuss love, beauty and self-esteem, illustrating how a simple daily ritual can help women feel more confident and open to love. The video has already gone viral with over nine million views.