Whether it’s a glittering gem, glossy lips or a new coat of paint on a car, human beings like shiny things. We know it’s not simply an aesthetic preference, because studies show that even babies will paw at a jingling set of shiny keys or stare open-mouthed into a glassy mirror. The attraction is innate.

But why? Multiple studies have been conducted to solve the puzzle. And the answer is tied to one of the most basic, primal needs we have. It’s all about water.

A team of Belgian researchers attacked the question in six studies published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology. In one of them, 46 participants were blindfolded and handed a piece of paper. Half of them got a matte sheet, and half got a glossy sheet. People who held the glossy sheet rated it as more attractive and of higher quality than the matte sheet, even without looking at it. And in another test, researchers printed out leaflets (for adults) and pictures of Santa (for kids) on matte paper and glossy paper. Both groups preferred the glossy sheets, according to the study.

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