Every time I leave the nail salon with a fresh manicure , I definitely feel a little boost in my self-esteem. You just hold up your hands and admire how cute they look all day.

Other people are checking out your nails, too. In a study , researchers Sara DeMichele and T. Joel Wade of Bucknell University showed 342 adults illustrations of hands that looked identical except for the nails. Participants rated each one on a scale of 0 to 7 for attractiveness, along with how desirable they thought the person would be as a romantic partner.

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Medium-length nails were the clear favorite, scoring 5.1 for attractiveness compared with 3.2 for short nails and 2.5 for long ones. Researchers think medium nails suggest someone takes care of themselves without making everyday tasks unnecessarily difficult.…