Spray Tan, Killer Heels in Britain's 'Tartiest' Towns

Little girls have always liked rummaging through the contents of their mother’s wardrobe, draping themselves in oversized dresses and tottering around on high heels as they try to get a glimpse of glamorous grown-up life. Those who grow up in the Welsh capital of Cardiff are most likely to turn out to be the most captivating in Britain, a poll has found.

Matt Cardy

CARDIFF, WALES - JULY 24:  A girl wearing fancy dress walks between the various pubs and clubs in Cardiff city centre on July 24, 2010 in Cardiff, Wales. The Coalition government is widely expected to introduce new laws to give increased powers for local councils to curb binge drinking and to take action in areas plagued by alcohol-influenced crime and disorder. The previous government controversially introduced 24hr licensing in 2005 when it was hoped would introduce a cafe culture society to B

Dressed in all their finery, kitted out in killer heels and often caked in jaw-dropping amounts of fake tan and make-up, Cardiff’s finest leave no stone unturned in support of their eye-catching appearance.

Women in Belfast, Norwich and Liverpool are next in the glossy rankings, the Vivastreet.co.uk poll found.

Vivastreet polled women from large towns and cities across the UK and asked them a series of questions relating to their personal appearance.

Among other things, it asked them how often they use fake tan, if they have ever worn hair extensions and false eyelashes, and if they have undergone any beauty-enhancing procedures such as teeth whitening and laser hair removal.

The towns and cities were then ranked depending on how highly they scored in each category.

The full list goes as follows: 1) Cardiff 2) Belfast 3) Norwich 4) Liverpool 5) Manchester 6) Glasgow 7) Newcastle 8) Leeds 9) Birmingham 10) Bristol.

The poll revealed that 35 percent of women in the Welsh capital are regular fake tan users, 43 percent have worn fake eyelashes on a night out, and 11 percent have had their belly buttons pierced.

Almost a quarter have tried hair extensions, 34 percent have had a Brazilian wax and 10 percent admitted to removing it all with a Hollywood wax.

Cardiff’s women like their heels high: more than three quarters said they like to wear heels higher than three inches when they hit the streets to sample the city‘s nightlife, the poll showed.

More than half of respondents in Northern Ireland's Belfast admitted to applying a little fake tan once a week, while more than 31 percent have used false eyelashes.

Teeth whitening appeared to be particurly popular among Belfast’s women, with 71 percent of respondents saying they have tried some form of whitening.

The survey also revealed a difference in beauty preferences between the cities of Liverpool and Manchester.

Liverpool ladies are big on fake tan, while Liverpudlians prefer fake eyelashes.

No less than 68 percent of Manchester respondents said they would never go for a night out in heels less than three inches.

For a more daring type of woman, head to Bristol, Vivastreet.co.uk found. More than half there said they had a tattoo, and 70 percent confessed they had gone commando at least once in their lifetime for a night out on the town.

Across the UK, there was also a growing trend among men to put a lot more effort into their looks. Vivastreet found that 12 percent of men in the UK use fake tan on a regular basis, 21 percent pluck their eyebrows and 9 percent have worn body-enhancing underwear.