POLL: In general, which do you prefer--tan skin or pale skin?

 I simultaneously have the prettiest and ugliest skin color.  I am really pale which on one hand is porcelain and beautiful,  but at the same time I look like casper the friendly ghost...or powder.

just wondering.

I prefer pretty, cancer-free skin.

Original Post by mollymouser:

I prefer pretty, cancer-free skin.

Ditto. I guess that's what I wanted to say in my post...

everyone looks better with a tan.....

I am a massive fan of pale skin.

I have red hair, and I'm quite pale myself, but I have kinda creamy rosy cheeks, which I hate so so so much. I also have brown eyes, when most lucky redheads have blue or green.

I think tan would look awful on me, as it does on most redheads.

i have to agree with michellerc everyone looks better with a tan!

I think it depends entirally on the person!   I get extremely tanned in the summer, and it normally sticks around for quite some time.  Never had a burn in my life, it's just my skin type. 

I do not like tan at all (on me anyway).  I am extremely pale, have blue/green eyes and black hair.  I looked weeeeird when I was tan. 

Yeah, blue would be cool!

I've always thought pale skin was beautiful. My best friend is a fair skinned red-head (gorgeous hair) but she hates it. Her skin doesn't tan, it turns bright pink.

But I've also seen some people who look smoke'n hot with color. And yeah, darker skin definitely hides some flaws.

I agree that self tanners are a mess and should be avoided. I've used them twice, hoping the 'formula' had improved. But nope. Still orange.

I have very pale skin with a lovely pink tone to it. I can get a bit of color if done slowly, very slowly. Definitely not worth the time. I've used SPF 15 for years before it was popular. I look so much better than the women my age who kept themselves tan over the years.

I love my pale pinkish skin. It is so soft and pretty.

Original Post by trendstudent:

I have a really thin, pale guy friend and he wears a t-shirt that says

"chicks dig pale, skinny guys"

I have a pale, skinny guy of my own!

As a red head I have fair skin but I managed to spend 5 days in Egypt without burning my skin! Sure it would be easier to have darker skin so I wouldn't have to worry about sunburns as much, but pale skin is a badge of honor for people who play as many video games and watch as much star trek as i do.

no tanned skin!!hale white pale skin, the whiter the better :P

Original Post by michellerc:

everyone looks better with a tan.....

totally agree..

My only preference is "not orange." :D

I have fair skin that turns red if you touch it (very sensitive), but I lucked out in the fact that I can actually tan.  (Yay Amerindian bloodlines. :D)  And when I accidently burn it just fades into a tan instead of peeling off and disappearing.

And I'm naturally blond (dirty blond which lightens to platinum in the sun) thanks to the Czech lineage.  I'm kinda a weird mix. :)

My friend has dark hair and that pale porcelain skin that turns pink in the sun.  She hates it but I think she's gorgeous.

I've had a spray tan once and I'm uberrr pale. (For fun.) It doesn't look fake as long as you get something like a senna. Not a st tropez that will make you look so orange. If you get a spray tan the day after wash the excess. Otherwise, it looks orange/ fake. Never scrub it though :)

( My sisters tan/spray tan so this all stuff they've shared with me/told me. ) The trick: Just make sure you get a good shade to start with... something not too dark... incase it doesnt look right on your skin tone.

There are some horrible spray tans but it doesn't have to look that way. :)Spray tans usually look less fake than the creams. Some creams/lotions make you orange,imo. There is clear spray tan not the bronzer too. That's nifty because it doesn't mess up your clothes.

The only time I can naturally tan at all is when in Cali. Everytime we go there I wear sunscreen/block,ect. Still yet: I always tan 3-4 days into the trip I look like a local beach girl. :) Tanned as can be... so natural/darkly! It amazed me the first time it happened. Everyone I know was totally shocked it was possible. Lol! I've never tanned like that in my homestate. I've always had to have sun block/screen and re-apply. There are different types of sun in other states/places? I dunno. I can't even imagine what I would've looked like if I hadn't worn sun protection.

I've never been a fan of tanning myself personally though. I like my skin just like it is... cancer-free. :) I always wear sun protection! If I happen to tan naturally through that's fine. But, I always wear protection especially in Cali... Cuhz: I know I'm going to tan there. Never tanned otherwise only turned pink or burnt. Neither being a flattering skin tone hence all the protection. LOL!

Wear sunscreen  <3 your skin.

I am italian, so I am naturally tan..but I have ALWAYS been jealous of the beautiful, pale look. I am the total opposite. Go figure. I love Gwen P., Claire Danes, Nicole Kidman...Gemma Ward, okay I should stop now :)