MANILA, Philippines — A collaborative survey conducted in Hong Kong has found that 84% of single individuals in the region are attracted to a nice smile on a first date rather than other physical attributes like six-pack abs.
The survey was conducted by Singaporean cosmetics brand Zenyum in collaboration with dating service Coffee Meets Bagel (CMB) to sense the dating scene in Hong Kong, particularly what individuals are looking for in a potential partner.
Nearly 1,800 CMB users admitted to be actively dating, with 75% of respondents spending more time on dating apps post-pandemic while more than 80% still desire to meet new people.
The qualities that singles look for the most in a potential partner that popped up the most were honesty (76%), a nice smile (60%), and intelligence (52%).
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Additionally, 10% of respondents believed star sign compatibility was important, while 3.5% saw being a K-drama fanatic as a must.
When it comes to first impressions, a nice and kind smile was the overwhelming majority as preferred by 83% of respondents. Height (57%), straight teeth (49%), cute dimples (23%) and six-pack abs (14%) hardly came close.
CMB also took note of personal style (63%) as a key factor, and on further note even personal hygiene as bad breath (65%), body odor (63%), and dirty fingernails (62%) were extreme turn-offs.
"A smile is the key to unlocking the magic on your first date," said CMB co-founder Dawoon Kang. "Attractiveness is more than physical traits, a kind smile is what people long for after this prolonged period of masked faces."
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