New research reveals four subtle yet telling signs that you’re more attractive than you might consciously realize.
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Most of us like to think that we’d be able to tell if someone was attracted to us. But, in most cases, noticing the signs isn’t nearly as straightforward as we believe it to be. Both attractiveness and attraction can look totally different from person to person. And often, the features that others find most attractive are the ones that we ourselves fail to recognize altogether.
An April 2025 study published in the British Journal of Psychology sought to explore these often overlooked features of attractiveness. And, intriguingly, the results indicate that attractiveness is much more complicated than simply being “good looking.” Rather, it’s the result of a combination of traits, personal preferences and subtle cues — all of which are very hard to attribute to a single physical feature or personality trait.
If you’re wondering whether someone might be drawn to you, here are four science-backed signs to look out for, according to the study.
1. People Perk Up When You Speak, Even Before They See You
Have you ever heard a person’s voice in a crowded room, and inexplicably found yourself turning your head to find out who it belonged to? As niche as this scenario sounds, it’s one that most of us are likely to have experienced before. And as the 2025 study notes, it’s also no accident.
According to the findings, voices seem to have an incredibly strong effect on individuals’ judgments of attractiveness — nearly as much as faces do.
This isn’t too surprising, considering that psychological research has long observed that certain vocal characteristics (including pitch, resonance and tone) are usually what we think makes someone stand out. It’s also well-known that our voices are often taken as indicators of our warmth, confidence and even our physical health.
But beyond biology, our voices are also windows into our personality. A rhythmic playfulness, a warm softness or even the way we laugh can command attention, well before our looks even get a chance.
So, if people seem to be captured whenever you speak to them, or if they stick around to chat even when the conversation isn’t particularly profound, it could be a sign that they’re drawn to you.
2. You Look Way Better In Person Than In Photos
We live in a society that’s overly obsessed with images, from dating app pictures to Instagram carousels. Yet, according to the 2025 study, static photos can very rarely capture someone’s true beauty.
The authors of the study noted that videos without any audio — in which you could clearly see both a person’s face and their movements — were rated as considerably more attractive than static images were. Unsurprisingly, these ratings climbed even higher when these videos also captured the individual’s voice.
As insulting as it may sound at first, it seems that being told that you look “way better in person” is actually quite the compliment. In real life, people will respond to the way you smile, the way your eyes light up when you laugh and the one-of-a-kind mannerisms that make you you.
These are crucial but highly dynamic pieces of information, and they’re what allow for the richest and most honest impression of who we are as people. Photos, on the other hand, can barely capture our best features on a good day.
So, don’t be too harsh on yourself the next time you see yourself in an unflattering photo. Chances are that the camera has simply flattened all of your most compelling features.
3. You Have A ‘Signature Scent’
Your smell isn’t likely to be the first thing you think of when it comes to how attractive you are. And, in fairness, scent was actually associated least commonly with attraction on average in the 2025 study, in comparison to the other traits in question.
That said, ratings for scents were often matched with other traits. Taken together, this might reflect what pre-existing psychological research suggests: that smell also communicates information about us in the same way our voices do.
As a 2021 study from Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications notes, people often infer scent as a signal about one’s mood, age, personal health and, sometimes, even their personality.
This isn’t all that surprising, either. Smell can, for better or for worse, easily be someone’s most memorable feature.
Think, for instance, about that t-shirt you refuse to give back to the person you love, simply because it smells like them. Or, on the other hand, the way some people seemingly have a fragrance that is totally “them,” that you notice even when they aren’t wearing perfume or cologne. These moments reflect just how inextricably and primally our sense of smell is linked to attraction.
So, if strangers frequently tend to comment on how good you smell, or if they seem to want to be close to you for no apparent reason, it might be a sign that you’re drawing them by means of natural chemistry alone.
4. You Get Compliments From People Who Aren’t Romantically Interested In You
Perhaps the most interesting finding from the 2025 study was what was observed between individuals of the same sex. Specifically, the findings from same-sex ratings seemed to suggest that attraction doesn’t necessarily always have to be a romantic feeling; in most cases, it spoke to how likable or compatible an individual believed the other to be.
So, if you often get compliments about your appearance, your presence, your “energy” or your “vibes” from people who aren’t seemingly trying to date you, then take that seriously. These are some of the strongest social signs that you’re an attractive person, and on multiple levels at that.
Regardless of what it is that catches their eye, a platonic compliment can be a great indicator of how others see you. These factors are what make people want to work with you, befriend you and, most importantly, remember you.
Are you attracted to someone at work because of their capabilities? Take this science-backed test to learn more: Interpersonal Attraction Scale