If you're in the habit of sacrificing a made-up face for an extra ten minutes in bed in the morning, it might be worth noting that that very habit could be costing you a lot come pay day.

Yes as much as it sucks, a pair of American sociologists have found that physically attractive people generally tend to make more money than those of us who are only of "average" good looks.

According to Marie Claire, researchers Jaclyn Wong and Andrew Penner found that "attractive individuals earn roughly 20 percent more than people of average attractiveness”.

But before you get too upset and start blaming your financial woes on genetics, it might be worth noting that the study shows the relationship between good looks and income is reduced when grooming is controlled for – which basically means that by wearing makeup to work, you boost your chances of making more money.

While it was previously believed that women's looks have a greater effect on their pay check than men's, this study actually found that perceived attractiveness is of equal importance for men and women when it comes to their income.

The report states: “Further, while both conventional wisdom and previous research suggest the importance of attractiveness might vary by gender, we find no gender differences in the attractiveness gradient.”  Wohoo for equality!

Interestingly – and again stressing the value a bit of slap can have in the workplace – the researchers did note that while grooming can fully make up the looks-income gap for women, it can only fill in half the difference for men.

So next time the man in your life tells you make-up is a waste of money, you now have the info to put him straight.