Embracing our Irish skin colour

panda100

Question to the Ladies of the Lounge, Do you embrace your natural skin colour?





I am apart of the 26% of the Irish population with Type 1 skin. This means that I have no melanin in my skin so my skin doesn't tan. Over my lifetime I have really struggled with my skintone, opting more often than not to slather it in fake tan to hide my natural paleness.

The few times I have ventured out on nights out or day trips sans St Tropez the amount of comments I get about my skin colour is unreal. People have commented that I look sick,ghostly and in need of a good holiday, this is despite the fact that quarter of the population have the same skin tone as me. On a recent night out, while wearing a short skirt one guy commented how my legs were in serious need of a tan! Has any other pale ladies noticed how people can be quite rude when it comes to commenting on your skin colour?

I really admire Nicola Roberts for ditching the fake tan.Its nice to see one truly pale skinned gal in the public eye

cynder

Well I never taned until after I had my first child at 19, the older I get the browner my skin goes. I'm blond and was so pale as a child, my hair was white till I was 12. I would never use fake tan. I have English and Italian blood line.


Its good to see people milky white instead of orange or have horrible fake tan lines around their knees hands and ankles.

SmokeyEyes

I was obsessed with fake tan as a teenager but ditched it and am happily spending my 20's as a pale lily:) My boyfriend who has been with me for 9 years and seen me every shade loves me as my natural colour and thinks fake tan isn't necessary at all and was always trying to convince me to celebrate my lovely paleness!

I now love trying to look as porcelain as possible and always wear an SPF 50!

My dad often thinks I'm sickly cause I'm pale but I don't care I love it!:D

Honestly think pale skin is gorgeous on girls!

TeletextPear

Natural skin all the way here - I'm very pale. I think fake tan looks terrible the vast majority of the time, I've seen so many girls with streaks or overly tanned hands that look dirty, or worse again the ones who forget to do their hands or feet. I can't say I've gotten too many rude comments though, mostly because if I'm ever wearing a dress that shows off my legs I'll wear tights.

saa

I do not tan, I would love to be pale like above but no I am pink and I freckle, I werk it though.

daenerysstormborn3

I'm so pale i'm almost see through lol!

I have never worn fake tan. I have experimented once or twice on my legs but then ended up wearing tights because i looked so ridiculous, not orange or anything, i just look ridiculous tanned.

I have had lots of people comment on my pale skin being horrible etc etc but i'd rather be pale and healthy than orange or over expose my skin to harmful rays.

There are very few people who can do fake tan in a way that looks natural and attractive. Even if someone manages to get the tone right they usually make the mistake of liberally applying tan to parts of their bodies that wouldn't tan naturally leaving it looking unnatural.

The smell, the stain it leaves on clothes and bed clothes and the way it looks when it is wearing off make it even more unappealing.

dearg lady

Maybe people are commenting cos they're so used to seeing you with fake tan so it seems such a change? They'd get used to it I'm sure. Bit cheeky to say, but some people are tactless.

I personally go for natural skin colour all the time, but it's extremely rare that I would wear a mini or shorts with bare legs, I usually wear tights, or with knee length skirts I go bare legged. Everyone's used to my pale colouring and no one comments.

I never go out (as in on a night out) without tan. Can't imagine I ever will either. I have a friend who has that gorgeous pale skin like Nicola Roberts and she's just stunning, but I don't look like that, I'm blue and pink and everything in between. I'm fairly good at doing my tan though, I have gotten it wrong of course, but it's a rare enough occurence thank god.

evilmonkee

I'm pale and DAMN PROUD!

I've never had any bad or rude comments about it, however, I think it can be a lot about how you take the comments. (although being told I need a tan wouldn't go down well!)

I've had an albino woman ask me where I buy my foundation.
I've also been told that you'd know I was Irish, or that I look like porcelain.

I don't feel that these are bad comments, I've had lots of problems in finding pale foundation myself. I am Irish and I think porcelain skin is beautiful.

evilmonkee

evilmonkee wrote: »

I am Irish and I think porcelain skin is beautiful.

Definitely, that would be a huge compliment I would think.

Dolbert

I never wear it and love being pale The only negative comments I've gotten are when some women find out I'm not wearing tan for my wedding. Why the fcuk would I if I never, ever wear it at any other time

Dolorous

Dolorous wrote: »

I never wear it and love being pale The only negative comments I've gotten are when some women find out I'm not wearing tan for my wedding. Why the fcuk would I if I never, ever wear it at any other time

My friend (different one to the one above) got married six weeks ago and her bridesmaids gave her a really hard time for not getting tanned. She had to actually go and and get a spray tan done just to prove how ridiculous she would look. I don't get that at all.

SmokeyEyes

My mam's friend who's Irish but living in Australia came over recently and told me they couldn't believe how much makeup and tan some of the girls trowel on over here, said over there everyone goes for a much more natural look, now I know they have the sun over there too but I think the trend over here is for a very full on look lately, where you can see the makeup and tan a mile away!

Scarinae

panda100 wrote: »

I really admire Nicola Roberts for ditching the fake tan.Its nice to see one truly pale skinned gal in the public eye

She definitely looks a lot better now that she has ditched the fake tan!


I am not quite as pale as that - I will pick up some colour, but it's not brown. The closest I've ever got to fake tan is using a bit of sunshimmer to even out tan lines, but that washes off, I wouldn't have a clue how to apply something like St Tropez and I'd be paranoid about getting it wrong! I also hate the smell of it.

Lia_lia

I'm seriously pale too. Blonde hair/blue eyes/white skin...everything is pale! Which is mad because both my parents are always really tanned. And have dark hair. My Dad's family actually have north African blood in there somewhere. Loads of my first cousins are ridiculously sallow. No one ever believes we are related! I mean how did these produce this/this in fairness! I look albino!

Although I do get a *little* bit tanned in the sun. We lived in France when I was younger and in all the summer photos from there I had a tan. But nothing major. Always wear sun-cream anyway so never get burned. I guess I wouldn't be the palest, though. A few of my friends are a lot paler than me. They just wear tan all the time so you wouldn't really notice it.

Very, very rarely wear fake tan. Maybe 2 or 3 times a year. And only a really light one.

Irish girls wear way too much fake tan/dark make-up. Sorry, but it looks fucking stupid. But each to their own I guess. Not my time and money (and naturally lovely pale skin!) that I'm wasting.

Lia_lia

Fishie wrote: »

She definitely looks a lot better now that she has ditched the fake tan!

I think she's stunning! I've always said she's the best looking one in Girls Aloud. Everyone always looks at me in shock when I say it

daenerysstormborn3

The comments i have had thrown at me over my lack of tan were rude and nasty, certainly my perception did not make them this way. Having people of both sex comment on your "horrible pale legs" and being told to "put away the milk bottles" is so nasty. As i said it doesn't bother me anymore but obviously it did when i was younger.

rainbow kirby

I'm ridiculously pale - to the point where I've been sunburnt on long runs in March or while shopping in Dublin city centre on cloudy summer days. I've never bothered with fake tan - it would look silly on me because I'm naturally so pale. My younger sister rarely leaves the house without it, but she's naturally darker than me anyway.

krudler

Lia_lia wrote: »

I think she's stunning! I've always said she's the best looking one in Girls Aloud. Everyone always looks at me in shock when I say it

totally agree, redheads are hawwwt

this:



wins over the oompa loompa look every time, streaky bad fake tan that makes you look like you showered in Bisto is bad, light tan or natural skin is good

panda100

Deleted User wrote: »

I never go out (as in on a night out) without tan. Can't imagine I ever will either. I have a friend who has that gorgeous pale skin like Nicola Roberts and she's just stunning, but I don't look like that, I'm blue and pink and everything in between. I'm fairly good at doing my tan though, I have gotten it wrong of course, but it's a rare enough occurence thank god.

Me too. My skin is a motley of blue,pink and white. I would feel a bit self conscious without me tan on a night out or at a special event. I'm guessing by the sales figures of fake tan in this country I'm not alone.

Everytime I go into Boots there seems to be more and more self tanning products on the market, so the tanning craze seems no sign in stopping. They even have specialised tanning products for men in the Boots in Liffey Valley. The amount of men I see coming out of the sunbed shop near where I work is unreal.I guess this is one area of the beauty regime where men feel under similar pressure to women to look a certain way.

Nice to read all the positive comments in support of pale skin

_coinin_

I use to put that daily self tan on which smelt rotten, just because my boyfriend at the time didnt like my very pale skin. But I got rid the of the tan plus that guy. Im happy with my skin. I was really impress with Nicola from Girls Aloud. She looks so good now. Fake tan is full of chemicals, I cant stand the smell and look of it.
It actually makes some women look worse. If Im wearig a dress or short skirt, I just put on some shimmer lotion that brightens my skin up. I honestly never had any real abuse from people about my skin. My sister does have people telling her to get a tan. I love the look.

AskJives

Tan you say? :pac:

(couldnt help posting it )

panda100

Deleted User wrote: »

My friend (different one to the one above) got married six weeks ago and her bridesmaids gave her a really hard time for not getting tanned. She had to actually go and and get a spray tan done just to prove how ridiculous she would look. I don't get that at all.

I have been a bridesmaid twice, and both times even if I had wanted my skin to be au naturel, it wouldn't have been an option. Spray tans it seems are mandatory now If you are to be a bridesmaid.

rainbow kirby wrote: »

I'm ridiculously pale - to the point where I've been sunburnt on long runs in March or while shopping in Dublin city centre on cloudy summer days.

I'm hearing ya. I have my factor 50 all set for the great limerick run next weekend. Even if its lashing rain, I probably will still get burnt!

angeldelight

I have the same shade of skin - practically blue and see through. In general when I go out I put a bit of instant tan on my arms, and wear tights. I'm not sure what to do for my wedding though - I feel that in white I'm just going to look ridiculous, and all the blotchiness and wobbly bits will look worse if left au natural. At the same time my soon to be hubby is also very pale so I don't want to look like a different species next to him...

rainbow kirby

panda100 wrote: »

I have my factor 50 all set for the great limerick run next weekend. Even if its lashing rain, I probably will still get burnt!

I'm doing the half - my factor 50 needs to be packed too :cool:

Lia_lia

angeldelight wrote: »

I feel that in white I'm just going to look ridiculous

What's this pale skin + wearing white = looking ridiculous thing all about? I think white looks great on pale skin! Looks angelic or something. I always wear white on nights out. Loads of pale skinned girls I know refuse to wear white without a tan...I just don't get it!

panda100

angeldelight wrote: »

I have the same shade of skin - practically blue and see through. In general when I go out I put a bit of instant tan on my arms, and wear tights. I'm not sure what to do for my wedding though - I feel that in white I'm just going to look ridiculous, and all the blotchiness and wobbly bits will look worse if left au natural. At the same time my soon to be hubby is also very pale so I don't want to look like a different species next to him...

Personally, on my wedding day I want to be me and don't want to be wearing false tan. I know that I will not get married in a white wedding dress because white clothes do not suit me, and I want to look the best on my wedding day. Blue is the colour that looks best on me, so its probably the colour I will go for my wedding dress.

I started this thread because I am tired of suppressing my real skin colour. We have to stop thinking that we will look 'ridiculous', with our 'blotchiness' and 'wobbly bits'. What is ridiculous is dyeing our skin brown and masking our natural skin colour. Angeldelight, I hope you decide to go au naturel for your wedding day!

sambuka41

panda100 wrote: »

I have been a bridesmaid twice, and both times even if I had wanted my skin to be au naturel, it wouldn't have been an option. Spray tans it seems are mandatory now If you are to be a bridesmaid.!

in that case I wouldn't be a bridesmaid. A friend of mine was in that position last year, and I love her but she looked ridiculous with the tan.

I really like being pale, its almost a rarity now, so I feel a bit special!!!:p

FouxDaFaFa

When I worked in San Diego people would yell at me from cars to get a tan. I even had a woman on the tram come up to me and give me directions to the nearest tanning salon!

My mum forced me into getting a tan for my Debs and I looked RIDICULOUS. It just doesn't suit me at all.

Bubblefett

When I was in school (an all girls school I should mention) you weren't cooool unless you were glowing orange. It was almost like people enjoyed messing up with their home tan kits they were so bad.
I can still remember going into the common room a few days before our pre-debs and seeing a group of the girls "tanning up."
It really put me off fake tan for life. If I tan it'll be because I was lucky enough to get somewhere warm for a few days.

SmokeyEyes

Beautiful pale gals!

miss choc

I personally like a bit of fake tan on when I go out for the night it makes me look healthier and makes my eyes sparkle and teeth whiter. Mostly though I dont bother with it too expensive and time consuming.
I would love to have olive skin but sure should be happy with what I'm given. I like the pale porcelain type skin of Nicole Kidman, Nicola Roberts mine isnt that pale but takes on that bluey/grey palor in Winter and just pink/freckles in Summer a bit of tan perks up my face

SmokeyEyes

SmokeyEyes wrote: »

Beautiful pale gals!

I would be willing to bet money on the fact that only pics 1&3 are truly tan free. Megan fox and Angelina just look like they found a shade to suit them in the paler pics and I've definitely seen Zoey Deschanel looking a lot paler than in that pic.

SmokeyEyes

Deleted User wrote: »

I would be willing to bet money on the fact that only pics 1&3 are truly tan free. Megan fox and Angelina just look like they found a shade to suit them in the paler pics and I've definitely seen Zoey Deschanel looking a lot paler than in that pic.

Well I was just trying to illustrate a point of course!

This better?

SmokeyEyes

SmokeyEyes wrote: »

Well I was just trying to illustrate a point of course!

Oh I know you were, I'm just pointing out that tanned does not have to equal orange

SmokeyEyes

Deleted User wrote: »

Oh I know you were, I'm just pointing out that tanned does not have to equal orange

Agreed a nice light tan can be lovely but I'm currently obsessed with keeping myself pale:) Don't want any tan at all hee hee!

SmokeyEyes

SmokeyEyes wrote: »

Agreed a nice light tan can be lovely but I'm currently obsessed with keeping myself pale:) Don't want any tan at all hee hee!

You're dead right if you can get away with it. I can't unfortunately

LizT

I never use tan. Just seems like too much effort to be honest! I'm quite pale but not extremely pale. I suppose because I haven't got into the habit of tanning it's not really something that I'm interested in.

cee_jay

I am lucky in that I am not that pale. My natural skin colour would be the colour of some of my friends tanned skin after a week in the sun. I tan easily - after three weeks in Spain I have been mistaken as a local.
However if I haven't been in the sun for a while I do look pale for my colouring but I never wear fake tan. I hate the smell, the messiness and the unnatualness of it all.
I got a spray tan done once in my younger days. I was in a tiny room with no air ventilation and nearly passed out from the fumes. And it was streaky the next day. Never again.
I have a wedding next weekend. Five people have asked me already what am I doing for my tan. I've responded I don't wear fake tan. They then exclaim but it's a wedding! And I just say I am sure the bride and groom are really worried if I wear fake tan or not, I never wear it do why start for this wedding?

dearg lady

panda100 wrote: »

We have to stop thinking that we will look 'ridiculous', with our 'blotchiness' and 'wobbly bits'.

You're not wrong there! I think if people stopped using fake tan for a while, and let themselves get used to it, most would see that their skin is perfectly fine as it is.

Ave Sodalis

I've only worn it once, to a wedding as a bridesmaid because the bride wanted me to.

I've the type of skin that doesn't tan (or burn easily for that matter) and I'm pale enough to be asked (on more than one occasion) if I was a vampire :pac::pac:
I don't bother with fake tan though. I don't see the point of it and find it a waste of time. If you're out in a club with drunk people, the chances are you're going to have alcohol spilled on you which will streak it anyway, ruining the hours beforehand putting it on.

Posy

I think I look better with a bit of tan on- I feel more confident- but I wear ten maybe once a year because it's just soooo much hassle and I'm crap at it.
I try to so with the seasons. (well, "seasons", this being Ireland) I'm naturally dark blonde and pale, so in the spring/summer, I will get highlights done and wear tan from time to time. In the autumn/winter I can't be bothered and look pale and leave my hair darken out.

If I ever tan, it'd be one of those gradual ones for extra pale skin- orange is not my scene.

I find it a bit sad that when you go to Asia, the shops are packed with lightening creams and whitening products. As a whole, we're never happy with what we've got it seems, dark or pale!

Princess Peach

I am super pale and blonde. Never wear fake tan. Mostly I just couldn't be bothered. Don't tan myself in the sun too as I burn too easily so don't sunbathe, too bad for my health!

I rarely see a girl it looks good on to be very honest. Irish girls are way too obsessed. I've had nights where last minute I would ask a friend if they wanted to go out, but they couldn't because their tans would take too long. And when they do plan a night out they start their tan 3 days before. I just don't understand it.

I think I would look odd with fake tan, I'm just that pale. Plus its too much time, money, and it wrecks your clothes! I guess if you can afford a professional spray tan it would be alright, but no girl I know does that regularly. They all use the cheap stuff that does not come out right. I'm far too polite to ever tell though :-/

Twee.

I don't tan, and I would burn very easily. Factor 50 all the way! I recently wore the lightest SunShimmer shade on my legs to a wedding, and it was grand. Took the "blue" look off the pale! For nights out I would never wear tan, combination of I don't think I need it and I'm always in a rush, I'd never have the time to do it! Here's my pale legs! On the right, obvz.

I wear a colour appropriate foundation that matches my skintone and blends with my neck (Bobbi Brown Albaster 00). Sometimes I will wear some Mac Face and Body foundation on my decolletage, but that'd be more for contouring than all over colour.

I got a spray tan for my debs, but had it done about 4 days in advance so I could have a few showers. Ended up being pretty nice, but I wouldn't be bothered again.

metaoblivia

I used to get comments on my paleness all the time! I have naturally black hair and very dark eyes, but my skin, it's not what I consider pale, but I am pretty light. The contrast between it and my hair really makes me look paler than I am. I also live in Florida where people wear a natural tan year round or do the fake stuff. I've never been into it though. I'm far too concerned about the health of my skin to be a sun worshipper or visit a tanning booth, and I simply don't care enough to put in the effort for a fake tan.

Also, as I've gotten older, I've come to embrace my high contrast coloring. It does help me stick out in a sea of sun bunnies. :P

Susie_Q

I'm a redhead and have gotten the 'porcelain skin' comments before; I always take them as a compliment. I've had people stop me in foreign countries and ask to take pictures of me as they had never seen such pale skin before. It's all in good humour and it's always been very friendly. I've never worn fake tan in my life, I don't see the point.

My sister got married a few years ago and my eldest sister and her daughter got spray-on tan for the day. They're both redheads too and imo they looked ridiculous; it was clearly fake tan and it did nothing for them. Some of the pictures of me beside them are quite funny though, my skin makes me jump out of the photo! I prefer the natural look, whatever is your natural skin colour always looks better on you I think.

leahyl

I have to say I'd always wear tan on a night out - it just makes me look better! And I don't slather it on or anything - it's done nicely, I know it is! Otherwise I wouldn't be setting foot outside the door if I looked like an oompa loompa:eek:

I think fake tan, APPLIED CORRECTLY, can make someone look a lot healthier - but that's just my opinion.

I wouldn't have the porcelain white skin that people are talking about though.

I was thinking the same thing as Susie Q posted there - I would imagine fake tan wouldn't look too good on a red head. Red heads normally have the porcelain white skin so I would think it would look too oragney with the red hair.... maybe I'm wrong though!

I'm pale pale and quite happy with that
my grandmother was badgering me for years to try fake tan, but has finally stopped
never tried it and never will

beks101

I'm pretty sallow as far as Irish complexions go and I'd have quite a warm skin tone, so I look positively washed out if I get too pale.

It's funny though, when I lived in Ireland I got the 'are your parents Irish?' comments from time to time because of my skin tone, but since moving to Canada I seem to be considered whiter-than-white, there's so much diversity here. I dated one guy who burst out laughing once when I described myself as 'sallow', and I had a deep summer tan at the time - came back to Ireland about two weeks later and back to the 'you're not really Irish though' jokes!

I wouldn't be a fake tan fan, but because of how washed out I can look if I haven't had much sun exposure, I'll usually wear some tinted moisturiser and that Nivea sun-kissed stuff if I can get my hands on it - it's nowhere near that horribly mucky colour you get with some tans and it's a good moisturiser too. The market for fake tan is way way smaller here - girls just don't wear it. Sun beds do seem to be a prominent thing though, I see them all over the place and also notice that Canadian girls seem to maintain a year-round tan..hardly a coincidence.

Daisies

I'm a red head and thus am pale, never tan and am COVERED in freckles. Depending on my outfit I may wear some fake tan on a night out. I find that some colours make me look ill without a bit of tan and bronzer!If I know a few days in advance eg wedding or ball, I'll use a gradual tan moisturiser (Garnier summer body is my favourite) and if not Sally Hansen, the lightest shade.

I think fake tan gets a bad rep because so many people use a shade too dark for them and apply it really badly. I think if you can find a shade that suits and apply it properly, then there is not problem.

g'em

I inherited skin that tans very well, and both my parents would be big fans of the sun. When I was a kid my Dad would actively encourage me to spend as much time outside in the sun playing so that I wouldn't burn when the holidays came around. So from a very early age I've associated being tanned with happy summer times and it's difficult to shake that. Even now I definitely feel 'healthier' with a bit of colour on me. The ironic thing is I'm starting to notice the sun damage on my face and in the last couple of years I've made a much bigger effort to make sure I wear SPF year-round.

I've spent quite a few summers working in the tropics too, and it got to the point that my skin was so dark it wouldn't tan any deeper. My nickname when I came home was the little ewok because of my dark skin and bleached blonde bodyhair that looked like down :pac: