It’s said that your hair is your crowning glory, so if you’re out to catch a handsome prince this winter, maybe you should take some advice from a recent survey by hair care experts who revealed that 43pc of men prefer a woman with long, wavy hair.

Other styles ranked far lower down in the league tables, with only 13pc of the 3,000 males surveyed selecting long, straight hair as their favourite and just 10pc having a soft spot for the fashionable classic bob.

Interestingly, 80pc of men say that they can tell a lot about a woman by her hair style whilst only 18pc admitted to not noticing when there is a change.

Seventy-nine percent of the survey’s respondents admitted to love running their fingers through their ladies’ locks and 72pc found shiny hair the sexiest, although most claimed to prefer the natural look.

Most surveys on attraction suggest that women value personality higher than looks and indicate that women are more readily able to adjust their preferences to the realities of their partners. For example, women are usually far less bothered about the prospect of hair loss in their partner than the males who experience it for themselves.

However, according to a survey conducted last year on male celebrity hair styles, it seems that classic, well groomed, cropped styles are preferred to unruly shag-cuts or long, messy locks. Squeaky-clean Gary Barlow and Jude Law were named as having the best heads of hair, whereas somewhat scruffier looking Pete Doherty and Peter Andre were listed as celebrity hair flops.

So men, take heed if you’re on the lookout for a new woman, comb out those dreadlocks, trim that scruffy mop and get styling!

The lights are dimmed, the candles are flickering and it’s time for the ambience of some romantic music so you can make your move.

What will you choose as the perfect backing track for love? It seems that traditional ballads and wedding disco favourites are still doing the trick, according to a recent poll of 5,000 music fans.

Bryan Adams has been given the glory of releasing the greatest love song ever, according to the poll, with (Everything I Do) I Do It For You, which spent a staggering 16 weeks at number one in the charts in 1991 and sold more than 1.5 million copies after being featured on the soundtrack of the movie Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves.

American rockers Bon Jovi came second with their 1994 power ballad Always, followed by Whitney Houston’s I Will Always Love You, from The Bodyguard soundtrack. Aerosmith were voted into fourth place with I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing, while Celine Dion’s slushy Titanic theme song My Heart Will Go On is at number five.

Sixth place went to Sinead O’Connor with her 1990 song Nothing Compares 2 U. The song, written by Prince, is so emotional, that the Irish singer shed unintentional tears while filming the video. Elton John is at number seven with Your Song, while Unchained Melody by the Righteous Brothers came eighth. Total Eclipse of the Heart by Bonnie Tyler, and Bee Gees’ How Deep is Your Love completed the top ten, which was compiled by OnePoll.com.

Rhian Gibbings

Research has revealed that second marriages are more likely to work out due to having lower expectations and the benefit of more experience.

1,000 people from the UK responded to the study by internet research company, OnePoll, which reveals that 75 percent of us are prepared to laugh off and compromise on everyday rows with our partners second time round. Almost half of the respondents also said they felt more secure in their second marriage, while 42 percent had more patience.

Another 29 percent believed that, because they knew what went wrong in their first marriage, they could avoid making the same mistakes. Forty-seven percent even admitted that their first wedding day was one of the worst days of their life because they felt trapped.

However, three quarters of people think their first marriage has actually led to a successful second relationship because they knew what to expect, with 74 percent of people saying they grew up a lot while they were with their first husband or wife.

Forty percent have lower expectations of what they are going to get out of their marriage and 59 percent of people say they lead more of an individual life than they did with their first partner.

A spokesman from OnePoll said: ”It seems that the experience of being married once before stands people in good stead when they walk down the aisle second time round. People who are on their second marriages also seem to have a new-found confidence having learned things about themselves and are keen to test themselves and try new activities.”

Rhian Gibbings

If you don’t fancy snuggling up with your beloved at home this Christmas, or you’d just like to get away from tiresome relatives, splashing out on a Christmas getaway might be exactly what you need.

London’s Big Ben in a snow storm

It will surprise your loved one and guarantee yourself a romantic holiday season.

If you don’t mind the cold weather then there are a variety of beautiful European destinations to choose from that will offer you a Christmas to remember.

Visitors to Paris will see beautifully decorated Christmas trees at every corner and will be charmed by the tradition of placing shoes outside for Santa Claus to fill with gifts rather than the hanging up of stockings or sacks. As well as all the usual Parisian sights to see, which are lit up with a fairytale feel, the highlight of Paris has to be the luxurious Christmas fayre – fine wines accompany every meal, with Christmas Dinner comprising aphrodisiac oysters, fois gras, smoked salmon and roast beef.

Germany offers the quaintness of its beautiful Christmas markets, where the children talk of the maiden Christkindl rather than Father Christmas. December 6 is celebrated as St Claus day, and everywhere you look you will see perfectly crafted gingerbread houses and colourful advent wreaths. The Christmas markets are an absolute delight to behold, filled with the aroma of traditional food, mulled wine and with the irresistible offering of beautiful handicrafts, jewellery and clothing. You’d better turn up with a few euros in your pocket.

Thousands of tourists flock to Rome every year seeking the splendour of an Italian Christmas. Visitors to the Vatican City won’t be disappointed. With Italian Christmas celebrations starting on December 8 and carrying through to January 6 there’s plenty of opportunity to feel the Christmas spirit.

The most spectacular feast is eaten on Christmas Eve, which usually consists of traditional fish dishes and vegetables followed by Panettone and topped off with Spumante sparkling wine. Presents are opened and traditionally this is followed by midnight mass in St Peter’s Square.

As well as marvelling at the breathtaking art and architecture of the Sistine Chapel and St Peter’s Basilica, it’s essential to experience the electric atmosphere on Christmas Day when literally thousands of people gather in the Vatican Square to receive blessings from the Pope.

Rhian Gibbings