Los Angeles, Oct 27 (IANS): Women take as long as four weeks before meeting their partners without make-up, says a survey.

Women, who participated in the study, said they feel far less attractive, less confident and more vulnerable without make-up, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

The survey, conducted by beauty and health retailer Superdrug, also revealed that six in 10 ladies want to be sure that their prospective partner likes them enough before revealing their true looks.

"It does take a while for women to feel comfortable with a new partner and make-up can act as a shield for many females. The research indicates that for many women wearing make-up isn't just a way of looking attractive, it's much more than that, it's a way to be confident and project an image," said Sarah Sharp, spokeswoman for Superdrug.

The study was conducted over 2,000 women and for them meeting their partner without make-up is a serious issue.

"Many women consider going au naturale in front of a new partner quite a serious step, they are exposing themselves completely," said Sharp.