Three seconds. That’s the time it takes for someone to know whether they find you attractive.
But is that smile they’re giving you a flirty one or a “let’s be friends” one?
Here are some science-backed ways to help you find out.
Sometimes it could be really obvious when someone is flirting with you and whether or not it worked.
“How much does a polar bear weigh? Enough to break the ice,” is one example.
Other times … not.
“If you were a booger, I’d pick you first,” is another.
But now there is research that looks into flirty facial expressions.
Researchers from the University of Kansas took 500 photos of women with neutral, happy and flirtatious faces and had several men interpret them.
The researchers found there are four key factors to a flirty smile: a head turned to one side and tilted down slightly, a slight smile, and eyes turned forward toward the implied target.
Another flirty subtle sign women may show is using hand gestures a lot while talking and playing with clothing.
A little sunshine can also increase your odds. A study in France found when men asked women for their phone numbers, women were more likely to give their phone numbers on a sunny day.