skin deep

If I got a dollar for every time my mother has told me that "pale is beautiful," I'd have enough money to rent my own place indefinitely. But then there goes my primary source of income. Oh, Life, you bastard.

Nearly every time I decide to wear shorts on a warm day, she feels the need to remind me that "being pale will make even ugly people look beautiful." Or something like that. lol What is she trying to tell me here? Is it even possible to stay pale in SoCal? Maybe if I stayed indoors every summer, but what on earth would I do that for? You'd think that after having spent more than a decade telling me this and seeing that I refuse to wear jeans in 100 degree weather, she'd give it up. That, and the two years of high school tennis that left me ten shades darker after every season.

Besides, I'd just look pasty...and all my skin imperfections would show up more vividly. Anne Hathaway and Christina Hendricks can pull off that ivory-skinned look, but they'd probably burn if they tried to go any darker :P

Apparently, CH is naturally a blonde? I like redheads more, but that's just my preference :)

Concerns about sun damage and skin cancer aside, I can stay in the sun for a pretty long time without burning. Although, I recently learned that you can get sunburned without feeling any pain...if you touch an area that was exposed and it leaves a red mark, it's supposedly evidence of sun damage. Better not to risk it and just use a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15. The higher the SPF the better, but only to a certain degree. Some articles say anything higher than SPF 50 yields a barely detectable increase in protection, while other sources place the cap at SPF 90.

This one smells sooo good, it could double up as perfume!

Anyway, I firmly believe that almost anything is fine in moderation. Having a light tan makes me feel a little less like I've spent the last year in a cave. Plus, can't do without that vitamin D :)