I am super insecure about my image and sensitive to feeling objectified (history of modelling and eating disorders doesn't help).

A comment like "you've got beautiful eyes" makes me feel suddenly exposed - has this person been looking at me and judging me all this time? What else have they noticed and not commented on? Is it only my eyes that meet objective standards of beauty? If I didn't have nice eyes, would this person be ignoring me? etc. etc.

However, the same comment phrased differently "I love looking into your eyes" or "your eyes make me feel gooey inside/like a kid again/insert-cheesy-phrase-here" will have a completely different effect on me. I will respond well, feel that the speaker is being honest, and be genuinely flattered.

The difference is that the first comment is phrased objectively "you are x", whereas the second is more subjective "I feel x when I'm with you". Because it's subjective, my brain doesn't question it - I feel that the speaker is being completely sincere.

Or something like that, anyway... it's sort of a difficult subject for me to articulate :/