Women who drink regularly can misjudge how attractive men really are

But women viewing colleagues through "beer goggles" - when unattractive workmates become appealing after a few drinks at the office party - should beware.

They may still find them good-looking long after the hangover has gone.

A study found women often fail to assess how handsome a man is after they have sobered up and the condition lasts much longer than for men.

Researchers said females who drink even a small amount lose their ability to rate attractiveness in male faces.

Both sexes are attracted to facial symmetry and the more symmetric the features, the more likely the person is to be free of genetic defects and a worthy mate.

In the study at Canada's Lakehead University, the first of its kind, it was discovered that the more a woman had to drink, the less well she was able to judge facial symmetry.