If you're fishing for a potential date, here's a piece of advice for you: Don't do it when you're drunk.

The "beer goggles" phenomenon is real, say scientists from the University of Bristol in the UK, who conducted a research involving 84 heterosexual college students. The students were given either an alcoholic lime-flavored drink (enough to make some students tipsy) or a non-alcoholic version. After 15 minutes, they were shown pictures of people their own age, from both sexes.

The students who had consumed alcohol rated the faces as being more attractive than those who did not. In addition to increased perceptions of attractiveness, previous studies have also shown that alcohol lowers inhibitions, and drinkers are more likely to engage in risky sexual acts.