Lemondrop

Say a company touted its lipstick to not only make your lips kissable, but also to change your brain chemistry. Sounds like marketing, but according to a new study, this might already be the case. Tokyo researchers found that our brains react so differently when we see ourselves with cosmetics on, it's almost as if we're viewing a stranger's face in the mirror.

"We are coming to understand how women use cosmetics as a powerful weapon when presenting themselves and in taking a role in society," says Kanebo executive Toru Matsuo. It seems makeup lets us view ourselves more objectively, which may help with communication and encourage women to be proactive.

Full disclosure: Kanebo, which teamed up with researchers for the study, is actually a Japanese cosmetics company. But they aren't the only experts who see a link between a woman's self-confidence and her looks -- Dr. Elizabeth Lombardo, a psychologist based near Pittsburgh, Pa., says women may equate their painted faces to societal pictures of success.

"We have images of what a successful, confident or powerful individual looks like," says Dr. Lombardo. "In this study, when the women saw themselves in the mirror as a confident or successful individual, they played the role. They felt more confident. Confidence can breed assertive behavior."

Tell us: Do you notice a difference in how you see yourself when you're made up?