You’re pretty. You know you’re pretty, we know you’re pretty … but does he know you’re pretty?

Well, he does (come on, you’re beautiful), but for some reason he still isn’t all that into you. Humph.

Perhaps you’ve spent all day smiling at him, directing him to your face, sent him a close-up of your face on Facebook … what gives?!

The truth is that men are actually deeper than we sometimes give them credit for. Yes, they’re from Mars, and yes they like to gawp at waitresses. But they’re not actually all that shallow. Looks aren’t the only thing they care about when it comes to dating. There are actually a few things guys look for in women.

I know, right!

Let’s take a look at some things that will attract him more than just your pretty appearance.

You Need To Be Playful

Sure, guys like it when a girl is serious about serious things, but they also like a girl to be playful too. You might have movie star looks, but if you can’t have a giggle now and then, you’re going to struggle to wow the guy of your dreams.

Guys like to flirt with their girlfriends, and they need you to be responsive. If they tease you, they want you to tease them back. They want you to smile more; they want you to be cheerful and to have a great sense of humour.

You’ve Got To Be Feminine

Yes, we’re in 2016 now and gender stereotypes are certainly changing. But men still prefer women to be WOMEN.

This means that you act like a lady. This means you don’t belch louder than them, swear in public like a sailor, or down pints of beer quicker than their dad’s.

Sure, they want you to have a sense of humour, but they just don’t really want you to be more manly than they are. You’ve got your feline prowess, so use it.

You Need To Love Yourself

If you’ve got really low self-esteem, you need to check yourself into a therapy rather than a dating site. Guys aren’t on the lookout for women they need to nurse psychologically; they want you to be strong, confident, and they want you to love yourself.

After all, if you don’t love yourself, how can you expect a guy to fall in love with you? Believe in yourself and he’ll believe in you too.

You Need To Be Smart

It might surprise you, but men want their women to be smart. They don’t want to date the kind of woman who can’t handle her own in an argument, and whose idea of flexing her mental muscles is asking him how his day went.

Again and again.

Guys like to be intellectually challenged. They love a good debate, and they like to get their hands (or minds) dirty discussing politics, philosophy, art and so on.

Looks are one thing, but men can get over looks. They can even get bored of them. But they can never get bored of an intelligent mind.

You Can Chill With His Mates

It’s very important for a guy that you get along with his buddies. There will be occasions when he wants you to go out with him and his mates, so if you can’t get along with them it’s going to cause a whole heap of friction.

You Have No Children

Yes, some men actually like it when you’ve got a kid. They like the idea of walking into an instant family.

But most men don’t. They don’t like the idea of raising another man’s kid, and they definitely don’t want an instant family with the women they’ve just met.

They want you to be free, single, and without baggage. A lot of guys like to think of themselves as bachelors who are easy come, easy go. If you turn up on the second date with a toddler, you’re going to put him off instantly.

And no, telling him that you named the toddler after him won’t work.

You Can Cook

No, he isn’t expecting you to cook dinner for him every night after he’s returned home from work. This isn’t 1960 anymore.

But guys do appreciate it if you can at least cook. Just like girls like it when guys can cook. It’s sexy, and it means that you’re probably going to conjure up a feast when he’s absolutely starving. He’ll love you forever if you do that.

See, guys get sick of ordering takeout food all the time. They love it when you suggest cooking them their favourite meal now and then.

Don’t Be Scared Of Your Flaws

Men lust after hot women. That’s a fact. If guys are asked which hot female celebrity they’d love to date, the usual names crop up: Beyonce, Gwen Stefani, Jennifer Lopez. How can the rest of us compete with such elixirs of beauty?!

The truth is that it’s all pure fantasy, and guys actually prefer to date women who aren’t afraid of their flaws. Men like your flaws; they are what make you YOU, and guys fall in love with the whole package, from your beauty to your blemishes.

You Need To Listen

Men have as many problems as women, yet sometimes they shy away from opening up and discussing them. Once they do open their hearts to you, you need to listen.

Guys do like mother figures, and they need to know you care about them. And they’d much rather talk to a female than a man when it comes to their emotional problems. So be there for him.

What do men find attractive? What are your thoughts?

Stay happy!