Pale or Tan?

[Paisley]

I actually do use a self-tanner in summer, because my lower legs have a different skin texture than the rest of my skin. So, they are always pale white, while the rest of me is a little darker. In summer, I like to wear skirts or capris, so I put self tanner on from the knees down to even me out. So, I prefer a hint of tan, just so I'm not two different colors.

The skin on the legs is thicker and takes longer to tan.

 

[Paisley]

I have a coworker around age 50 who likes the deep tan look and uses tanner. Another coworker asked her if she covered herself in shoe polish.

And yes, she looks like a well worn bag.

 

[zaika]

for me...pale. i tried tanning but i just burn. i lost my mom to skin cancer after years of summers spent burnt to a crisp, so i'm extremely satisfied glowing in the dark!! i'll never try tanning for beauty's sake. but that's just me.

 

[Antje]

I love the pale look,
but somethimes when I'm not having too much sleep
I kinda look sick so then maybe a little tan covers that up

I know a lot of people suffering skin cancer so I don't go in the sun if I dont have to

antje

 

[Dracca]

Pale by all means, I have never found a tan attractive on myself. On others it just depends on their coloring I guess. Some people look great while others just look odd, IMO, especially if it is too overdone.

 

[nyx]

The skin on the legs is thicker and takes longer to tan.

I use the light foam made by Neutrogena. It's very light, so I don't get that "shoe polish" look lol

I don't set out to tan BTW, my skin is a little darker because of the asian in me--but it just doesn't get to my shins. The skin there is very dry--my mother has the same--my dad always called it "dragon skin." So, I exfoliate like crazy and put on the foam. It usually lasts awhile and doesn't take much just for the legs.

 

[HadleyH]

Both

Both ways appeal to me.


(* but if it's tan, not by the sun, sun=bad for you[bad] be careful!*)

 

[LizzieMaine]

Around here we see a lot of tourists during the summer who spent way too much time tanning in their youths -- leaving them with skin that's the texture of an old baseball glove. Not a look I aspire to, so I've never made any effort to tan other than whatever incidental sun I might pick up.

But it's interesting -- the older I get the darker my overall skin tone becomes. I used to be quite sallow-pale, but now my skin's gone much more peachy-reddish -- I don't know if this is a natural consequence of aging or if I've just picked up a nice patina over the years, but I think it looks a lot healthier than it used to.

 

[pigeon toe]

On myself I definitely prefer pale, as that is what I naturally am. Also, with dark hair and hazel/green eyes, it's a more dramatic look. I still have to use blush so I don't look like I'm dead!

On everyone else I just prefer what their natural skin tone is. There's one girl I know who has fair skin naturally but tans the hell out of it so she looks burnt to a crisp. It looks horrible! Natural is best.

However, on men, to be honest, I like tanner or darker skin. I don't want a guy to fake tan though! Super pasty men just aren't too attractive to me (though there are always exceptions).

 

[gluegungeisha]

On myself I definitely prefer pale, as that is what I naturally am. Also, with dark hair and hazel/green eyes, it's a more dramatic look. I still have to use blush so I don't look like I'm dead!

Me too! I've got green eyes. I can go without blush everyday (it actually looks kind of pretty with some subtle lipstain to contrast my skin), but for photos...forget it!

I think it's a pretty big misconception that sunlight in general is bad for you. It's you easiest source of vitamin D, and anyone who is seasonally affected (such as myself) definitely knows how big of a difference a little sun makes. When I was in India, I saw an ayurvedic practitioner when I was losing weight really rapidly and feeling really weak...the Delhi heat (up to 115 F with humidity!!) played a large role in my loss of appetite and fatigue. The man said that he likes his patients to bath in the sun for a bit in the early mornings (before 7:30) and a little before sundown. Exposure in the middle of the day, he said, is the most harmful. I found that to be really interesting.

 

[Miss 1929]

Not for me!

If I go out in the sun for ine hour unprotected, I stroke... throw up... pass out... then get freckles. Which I consider adding insult to injury!
Sun = evil.

 

[artful dodgette]

i love being pale! especially as i dye my hair black, i like the contrast! so in the summer its factor 50 for me
x

 

[hepkitten]

Recently I went to a family wedding and saw a relative-by-marriage I hadn't seen in 20 years. When I was younger I'd always envied her perfect, deep, L.A. tan. Now she looks ten years older than her actual age. Still brown as leather, though.

Here in Oregon, I've finally found my peeps. Fish-belly-white rules! Like a lot of others here, I prefer it. Dark eyes, dark hair, more dramatic.

 

[PolkaDotMeggie]

For me, "pale" means sickly, washed-out and ruddy.

I think the words we should adopt for ourselves are "fair" or "porcelain". It shows there is a healthy woman under the ethereal skin!

 

[deelovely]

Pale... I have no choice really. I am fair skinned and if I try to tan I only end up burning and getting more freckles. This used to bother me alot when I was growing up because I was made fun of for being so pale, was actually called Snow White by some people... so it made me pretty self conscious about my skin color. I am *almost* over this and becoming more accepting of the skintone that God gave me! Plus, my hubby points out to me that tan leathery skin is just not as attractive as fair healthy, younger looking skin!

 

[~*Red*~]

I think Pale loks great on some people, just not me! I'm half mexican for crying out loud! lol When I'm pale, I look sick!! But I also tan far too easily, so I always always wear lots of sunblock, which ends up giving me a nice healthy tan. Occasionally in the winter, when I've been spending too much time indoors, I'll go to the tanning bed. It really just makes me feel so much better.. like...therapy...what do they call it? The winter blues.. whatever it is...I get it. Those 10 minutes in the bed, makes me feel like a new persona and revived from the dead! And then I also have a tiny bit more color, and don't look like the dead either. It's not a nice pale, trust me.. more like a green pale.. yeck!

 

[Liz]

Pale for me! I'm naturally very fair, and love it. The funny thing is that my mother and sister are my exact opposite -- my mother used to sit out in the sun for hours to get tan, and my sister always uses bronzer. To each their own, I guess!

 

[anabolina]

Yeah odd that. I'll admit I once liked myself with the tanned look and my skin tans pretty easily now, too easily. When I was a kid, if I spent any time outside in the sun, I would start to get a burn, now it takes a lot for me to get a sunburn, I've also much more cautious now about sunblock and SPF. I suppose tanned skin is supposed to look slimmer and i do appreciate that effect, If I can't have beautiful arms, I can at least have tanned arms that look slightly smaller IMHO. I'm pretty happy with my skin in terms of makeup though, I often buy the lightest foundation and it looks great on me and I'm not seriously pale so I kinda feel sorry for those of you who are so pale its hard for you to find a DS foundation.

I also think pale can look better then tanned on a lot of people. I've a friend who is beautiful, but before every major event, she visits a tanning bed. I just can't believe anyone uses a tanning bed after we know they're bad for you. [huh] I'm at a high risk(blonde hair, blue eyes, very pale skin as a child and lots of sunburns as a child , and lots of moles now to watch for evil cancer) for skin cancer so I try to minimize sun exposure and always wear one than one type of sunscreen. I mean, I've already had a couple of moles removed that proved to be nothing, why would anyone tempt fate like that when there are some good self tanners out there that do not require you risk sun cancer and wrinkles?

 

[satindoll]

Another vote for pale! Though I live in Florida and am surrounded by people who love to tan, it's just not practical for me. I don't tan easily and I've found as I get older any tanning I do get ends up looking uneven and splotchy.

I'd rather be pale than all age spotted anyday!

What I'm wondering is if any of you have a good recommendation for a self tanner I can use for my legs? Anyone with really pale skin ever have any luck with these?

Tried that Jergens lotion stuff but didn't notice any difference at all.

Sometimes I do have to put on a bathing suit and having a little color on the legs really does look better.

 

[rubyredlocks]

I think it depends on the individual.Some can keep that pretty golden healthy tanned look so well and at times I'm envious.
I've really learned to love my fair skin,and even my freckles.I get freckled just walking to my car while wearing major sunblock.I think it contrasts well with my vibrant red hair and dark brown eyes.Also,I credit my sun-avoidance as part of the reason why I look a bit younger than my 37 years.