'You have beautiful lips', best chat-up line

The best Internet opening line for men to use is: "You have beautiful lips", a new survey on online flirting has revealed.

Larissa Riquelme

Site users dating website Badoo were invited to use one of 12 different chat-up lines. Each complimented an aspect of a woman's body or appearance.

Researchers measured the success rate of each line in two ways - their success at prompting any response and their success at launching a longer conversation - one going back and forth at least four times.

Complimenting a woman's lips was the most successful overall, but other lines worked best in particular countries.

American, French, Italian or Brazilian women were more responsive to "You dress beautifully". British women preferred praise for their legs.

Behavioural psychologist Jo Hemmings said women responded best to compliments about their lips because it's a bold approach that seems more personal.

"What many women want is for men to take the initiative and not be wishy-washy," the Scotsman quoted Hemmings as saying.

"A lot of men on dating sites send a sort of generic message and women recognise something that hasn't been customised for them."