A body language expert has shared nine telltale signs you can look out for this Valentine's Day which might indicate someone is head-over-heels in love with you.
Hopefully anyone already in a committed relationship won't need to rely on secret signs to be sure of their partner's adoration, but if you've found yourself in a situationship and can't quite figure out how the other person is feeling, then these signs could offer everything you need to know.
They've been shared by body language expert Judi James, who revealed that the signals include everything from looking 'shy' to offering up undivided attention.
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Check them out below:
The look of love
This one isn't too hard to picture, it's just the human version of the heart-eyes emoji. James, who spoke exclusively to Paddy Power Games, explained: "Nature makes us even more attractive than usual to the person we’re in love with to encourage the mating and breeding instincts.
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"The key enhancement comes from the facial expression, and it’s commonly known as the look of love, an expression you only pull when you look at your partner."
Arguably, this look might also come if someone is absolutely besotted with you, but they just haven't bit the bullet and told you yet.
James went on to explain how you can spot this look, saying: "The features soften, the eyes narrow slightly and there is an instinct to smile, which we can often try to suppress, leading to micro-puckering around the lips. It’s a ‘soppy’ but adorable look that tends to give the game away instantly.”
"Look into my eyes"
Not only a phrase used by hypnotists, according to James. The body language expert explained that when people are in love, they tend to indulge in 'increased eye contact'.
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She continued: "One subliminal reason is to spot the most powerful, un-fakeable response of pupil dilation, which occurs as a physiological response when we look at someone we love.”
Vocal dipping
You might not realize it, but James explained that when people fall in love their voice becomes 'deeper and even a little husky'.
While first dates might be categorized by giggles, she explained: "There’s no shrieking or high-pitched laughter; the voice becomes more intimate and less attention-seeking.”
Toe-curling
This might be a phrase we usually associate with something icky or scary, but James said it's actually a reaction that can happen when someone is in love, too.
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According to James, toe curling is 'the human version of a tail-wag'.
She continued: "They tend to curl with pleasure and contentment when we’re with someone we love. Any metronomic tapping or splaying of the feet or toes is a negative sign.”
Peas in a pod
This one isn't quite as self-explanatory - do we eat a lot more veg when we're in love? Probably not. Instead, James said this relates to wanting to be 'as close as possible' to the person we're in love with.
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"That can mean body language mirroring or even wearing matching clothing," she said. "It’s our desire to create strong rapport and to display a perfect ‘match’, showing the world how perfect we are together.”
Undivided attention
As well as wanting to stay physically close to a partner, James said that being in love means 'wanting to tune in totally to your partner', as well as having a 'strong desire to prioritize them over everything else'.
"No glancing at the phone or checking messages etc, the only person you want to communicate with is the one right in front of you," she said.
Shyness signals
On the flip side, James said that falling in love can also make us look 'shy'. She said: “Falling in love has a powerful effect on the body and that can make us look shy as we try to process our feelings and mask strong urges to gaze and touch, especially if we’re not sure the other person feels the same.
"Blushing, glancing down, small checking rituals like touching the hair or the mouth or even giggling when they speak can all suggest someone’s in the early stages of falling for someone.”
'Locking off'
This sounds quite menacing, but James suggested it's a common part of falling in love as partners want to be 'lost in each other's besotted attention'.
"This means standing in front of you with their back to the room in bars or parties or booking secluded spots in restaurants. Anyone still peacocking or showboating in public is not likely to be in love," she claimed.
Love not lust
Last but not least, James expressed the importance of distinguishing between the two 'easily compatible' feelings of love and lust.
She said: "Being in love means less focusing on lust in terms of eye-gaze and eye-attention signals. Lust means gazing at breasts, bum and crotch areas to assess and admire but deep love means the eyes tend to increasingly stay around the eye and mouth area. We tend to try to read mood and thoughts more when we fall in love and that means using the other person’s facial expressions as a guide.”
Now you know the signs, make sure to keep your eyes peeled around that special someone!
Topics: Valentine's Day, Psychology, Sex and Relationships
Emily Brown