Totally shallow

[mrissa]

I just got the photos from my ten-year high school class reunion, and I must say this: it is all right to be pale. Really. (It is also and equally all right to have other natural skin colors, but in my high school class, that was not so much an issue. At RHS, as in much of Omaha at the time, diversity meant you had Czechs and Irish. Maybe an Italian or two if you wanted to get really exotic.)

I'm sure that one or two of the people I thought were naturally tanned from spending time outside and having skin that would do that were actually fake-baked or tanned from a booth. I'm sure that one or two of them would really surprise me that way, due to lucky skin chemistry or the money to spend on doing it right or both. I am willing to go with the idea that there is such a thing as a well-done fake-bake.

But. But, but, but. I am not a makeup person, so if I can tell that you are fake-baked, you did it wrong. Here's a hint: your ears will tan or burn, given the chance, so if you are simulating a tan, do not miss the ears. The pictures of your tan face and really white ears will look extremely silly unless you have hair that always covers your ears, in which case my advice to you is, make sure "always" really, really means always.

Also, the "I will have skin cancer lesions removed by our 20-year reunion" look is not actually an appealing look on anyone, ever. Some people have skin in the mid-brown ranges and look lovely, but if you are not naturally one of them, forcing the issue will not make you look lovely. It will make you look withered. No one should look withered at 28. Really, really, really.

Comments

[jmeadows.livejournal.com]

Go pale!

[karenmkk-610.livejournal.com]

Lol I saw the pics and I thought the same thing, I had a hard time recognizing some of them lol.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

I was definitely glad that he labeled the pictures, yes. Of course, some of that is that I just haven't been thinking about some of my classmates in the last decade. Their names sounded vaguely familiar, and if you'd said, "Did you know this person at Ralston, Gustavus, or UCD?", I would have been able to say which. But still.

[everyonesakitty.livejournal.com]

*nods* totally, dude. I'm from South Carolina, where everyone was at the pool or in the tanning bed daily. I shunned it all and got made fun of for being pale, but at least I'm no leather-face hehe. No regrets. You have great skin; I'm glad you didn't cave to the pressure.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

I actually don't experience it as pressure. It's kind of like I know men are pressured to be strong and broad-shouldered and all that, but it's not really anything to do with me. It just feels that distant.

[marykaykare.livejournal.com]

I can't tan to save my life. My sister walks out into overcast and turns dark brown. Guess whose skin looks better now that we're in our 50s.... A couple of years ago I had myself referred to a dermatologist for a skin check (a couple of people I knew died of melanoma -- as a fair skinned blue eyed blonde who burned frequently as a child this caused me paranoia). He said I had some of the best skin he'd ever seen on someone my age with my history.

Smug.

MKK

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

And rightly so! That's very cool.