re-rushing as a sophomore @ UF

[littleowl33]

Originally Posted by VandalSquirrel

And here's the rub, why am I branded UNHEALTHY because I am rocking my God/genetic given skin color? I may be potentially healthier in the long run for just embracing how I look as I am. So I am pasty white and don't look my best? This really needs to move to another thread, but all the talk about healthy glow and looking good while not being one's natural authentic self blows my mind.

Thank you!! I'm naturally very pale - I have light hair, light eyes and freckles, so I have to be super careful in the sun to avoid getting burned. If I go out in the sun with no sunscreen or a low SPF, I don't tan - I get a very painful burn and then a multitude of new freckles . And a higher risk of wrinkles and skin cancer down the line. I know some girls who can get a really nice tan just by hanging out in the sun for a day or two, and it looks great on them. I'm just not one of them (though trust me, I tried to be for a few years, with painful results!). Anyway, pale doesn't have to be "pasty", it can be pretty. In a lot of the fashion magazines these days, it's even being encouraged! It's about how you dress and carry yourself. If you're skulking around in bad makeup and strange clothes, you'll look like a vampire. And not the sexy kind.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by littleowl33

Anyway, pale doesn't have to be "pasty", it can be pretty. In a lot of the fashion magazines these days, it's even being encouraged!

For the majority of years in this country, tans were looked down upon and viewed as a sign that you were obviously of peasant stock since you were working outside on a daily basis. It's only since our economy stopped being primarily agrarian and tropical resorts came into fashion that tans have been desirable.

I really wish I could send some of the girls I see doing over the top tanning pictures of some of the women my age (40) who did the same thing, and who now look like leather purses.

[kddani]

Originally Posted by 33girl

I really wish I could send some of the girls I see doing over the top tanning pictures of some of the women my age (40) who did the same thing, and who now look like leather purses.

There's a woman who took her kids to our community pool every day when I was a child. She would lay out, soaking herself in tanning oil (like SPF 2- really, what is the point?).

Fast forward to about 6 or 7 years years ago. She moved to a new neighborhood. My family knows a few people in that community. When they found out that we knew her, we were asked if she had been in a fire or some sort of accident. Everyone in the new neighborhood assumed she was a burn victim.