A night out with the ridiculously good-looking

This intrigued me for a number of reasons but not least as the website has been all over the papers of late. In a stroke of PR genius it faced controversy earlier this year after it cruelly axed 5,000 members because their waistlines had expanded over the festive period.

"Letting fatties roam the site is a direct threat to our business model and the very concept for which BeautifulPeople.com was founded," site founder Robert Hintze kindly explained. Nice.

Naturally his comments were met with global outrage but rather tellingly it also saw 48,000 new applications for coveted membership in the space of 24 hours. The site now has over 600,000 supposedly easy-on-the-eye members worldwide.

But arriving at the party's aptly image-conscious venue, Chinawhite, with my friend Scarlett, there actually seems to be a real lack of stunners. Instead a distinctly
average and scarily self-assured man shimmies up to sit next to us.

"Are you members?" he grins. "No, we're journalists," we reply.

"Oh you should join!" he smiles, looking us up and down unashamedly. Yikes.

When I look round a cringing Scarlett has scarpered. That is the last I see of her for the evening.

Meanwhile Antoine, 21, reveals he is from Germany and has flown in especially for tonight's event. What he lacks in 'beautiful' looks he makes up in exuberant personality - if you like small, hyperactive men with flashing finger lights that is. I kid you not, later in the evening I spy Antoine attaching an array of rainbow coloured lights (not dissimilar to the ones my parents bought me for my bicycle) to his digits which he then waves around manically while pulling off some startling dance moves.

Meanwhile the slightly more demure Chris, striking and smartly-dressed, is clearly out to make a good impression. He's even had a man makeover from a female friend who helped him pick out his M&S suit. His chat, though, needs some improvement.

Indeed, when asked by a pretty PR lady to answer a questionnaire he quips: "If I fill it in do I get to touch you up" Luckily for him this tumbleweed moment is drowned out by the pumping music. He later tells me he works as a dolphin trainer but lying really isn't his forte. After a couple of minutes the truth comes out - he actually works in science publishing.

"Attractiveness is based on pheromones. There are MHC receptors on the immune cells that are similar to the ones in your nose..." he begins.
Yep, you've lost me.

He says he's been single for two-and-a-half-years then decides to re-evaluate his answer. "Actually you need to delete the 12 months I went travelling," he reveals. "So actually 18 months."

What sort of girl is he looking for?

"Someone who I can get on well with," he replies.

As if on cue his phone bleeps. "Found any airheads yet?" a text from his friend reads. Bless.

Duncan, 27, works in the city and is straight to the point about how he believes looks are vitally important.

"If I don't get that initial 'I want to rip your clothes off' then I'm not interested," he says candidly.

"But haven't you ever talked to someone who is aesthetically pleasing only for them to become quite unattractive because of their personality?" I question.

"Nope," he smiles without hesitation, before chasing after a pretty young lady.

Not everyone is here to pull. I meet a Russian girl called Julia, 36, who became a member to network and meet new people. She and her sister plan to organise female only evenings to discuss women's health and sexuality. Likewise 'London dating doc' Paul is here to bag potential clients for his one-to-one advisory service for men - The Black Book Consultancy.

I also get talking to a hypnotherapist who immediately thrusts a flyer for his business into my hand.

"I've got you summed up," he tells me confidently within five minutes. "At first you were hesitant to talk to me and your eyes were wandering but then you relaxed when I asked you questions."

"You mean I like talking about myself?" I confirm.

"Basically yes," he replies. Ouch.

Moving on I meet Yukari a make-up artist, who recently abandonedsugardaddie.com to try out BeautifulPeople. She appears to be hitting it off with another BP member, Colin, who is sporting a bright orange complexion, slick black hair and a suit with an open shirt
which smacks of Saturday Night Fever.

In fact by the end of the evening couples everywhere appear to be getting along famously. Marina, 28, a stunning Russian model is snuggled in the corner with Alexander, 21, a rather pretty and chiselled Frenchman. They have been chatting online for several weeks after meeting on BeautifulPeopleand tonight is their first real life
meeting.

"She is even more than I expected," Alexander reveals as Marina smiles
at him. Oooh!

So after meeting the members there is only one thing for it - it's time to try out the website for myself. Yesterday I tentatively uploaded three flattering shots including my pièce de résistance...

For the next 48 hours existing members will rank me to decide if I'm
'beautiful' enough to make the grade.

Watch this space...