French and Dutch researchers asked 19 men and women drinking at a French bar to rate their own attractiveness and blow in to a breathalyser.

The more the participants drank, the better looking they thought they were, according to the study published in the Journal of Individual Differences.

Researchers then conducted a second experiment consisting of nearly 90 young men who were told they were taking part in a taste test for a new lemon drink -- some were given an alcoholic version, others an alcohol-free beverage. Some were told they were drinking alcohol, others told they were not.

The participants then took a break from drinking and watched an ad for the new beverage before rating their own attractiveness.

Those who thought they had drunk alcohol rated themselves higher, even if they had not been given any.

Researchers say the results could be associated with memories of sexy film stars like James Bond sipping on alcoholic drinks, leading them to link the two.

"Almost everyone thinks they are more attractive after they have consumed alcohol," said lead researcher Laurent Begue of the University of Grenoble in France.

"However, ratings from independent judges showed that this boost in self-evaluation was unrelated to actual performance."