One good turn-on deserves another

Blonds may have more fun, but brunettes have more allure.

It was a head-turning moment at Sun Media when it was learned that Canadians across the board said they prefer brunettes over blonds in a Sun Media-Leger Marketing poll.

In fact, not only did 36% of Canadians say they found brunettes more appealing, but they also said they prefer black hair over blond tresses. These sentiments are strongest in Alberta, where 40% voted for a sultry and dashing brunette, followed by 20% who voted for midnight black and 16% who prefer sunshine yellow tresses.

"One of the questions I ask my male clients is to describe their ideal woman," said Christine Hart of Calgary-based YourDateCoach.com. "And it never starts with blond or brunette."

While men and women share their preference for dark hair, men split hairs with women when it comes to blonds, with 25% saying they find light hair appealing, compared to 12% of women.

Interestingly, blonds become more attractive as respondents get older, reaching their peak of popularity among those aged 55 and over.

Sadly, though, fiery redheads found their way to the bottom of the list, finding the least popularity among Quebecers at 6%.

It's hard to take inventory of a man's soul when his eyes are cast downward in the area of a woman's buxom parts.

But according to the poll, while 62% of women said the body part they notice first are these shining mirrors to the soul, 31% of men admit it's the chest they zoom in on.

"Men are hardwired to admire flesh," Hart said.

But attractive bits also vary geographically, with 20% of West Coasters and 24% of Atlantic Canadians enjoying orbs of a different kind -- bum and chest, respectively.

As for our sex lives, while more snuggling took the overall top spot for the pre- and post-coitus act, regional differences are eyebrow- raising. Alberta, for instance, bucks the trend here with sexual experimentation and spontaneous sex in different locales duking it out for top spot. Ontarians and West Coasters also want more on-demand sex, while Manitoba and Saskatchewan seem to recoil from questions which pry into sexual activities, consistently posting the lowest results in these categories and with 18% of respondents "preferring" not to answer.

Men also seem more preoccupied with the acrobatics of sex, with 29% wanting to experiment with different positions and locations, while women want more intimacy like snuggling and foreplay.

Lastly, when it comes to physical flaws we can't overlook, Quebecers are particularly discerning.

Maybe it's the French sensibility, the heightened sense of smell, but more than half of Quebecers said they can't turn a blind eye -- or plugged nose -- to body odour.

Quebec also broke out from response patterns, with 17% being sensitive to bad acne.

Meanwhile, men are more likely to comment on a woman's glow, Hart said, and are more finicky about skin.Overall, body odour was deemed the most offensive physical flaw among Canadians, while "really bad feet" was easily forgiven.

Though people can be fickle about turn-ons and turn-offs, the obsessive preoccupation among women about "the last 10 pounds" and bra cup size is unnecessary, Hart said.

"Two women can walk in a room. One can be a size two, with a large chest and long hair but there's no confidence, smile or approachability. But a woman who's a size 10, approachable, who looks after herself and has a smile will ultimately hold his attention."

What body part do you notice first?

Chest

Men 31%

Women 7%

Bum

Men 20%

Women 7%

Legs or arms

Men 8%

Women 5%

Eyes

Men 30%

Women 62%

Other

Men 9%

Women 15%

Which of the following appeals to you more?

Brunettes 36%

Blonds 18%

Black-haired 20%

Readheads 8%

What would you like more of in your sex life?

More snuggling before and after

Men 18%

Women 33%

More spontaneous sex in different locations

Men 28%

Women 14%

More experiment-ing with new and different intimate positions

Men 29%

Women 10%

More foreplay

Men 10%

Women 15%

More passionate kissing

Men 4%

Women 13%