Winter White

I am a pale person. I used to tan easily as a child. My parents took us to the beach often (I lived for half of my childhood in southern California) and when we moved to Arizona, the rest of my siblings and I begged my parents to buy a house with a pool.
My dad is Mexican, but currently, from looking at me, one would NEVER guess that. I am not sure where my veritable fear of the sun started but I am serious about sun protection. I always remind myself that it causes wrinkles and ages your skin - because seriously, that probably motivates me more than cancer. Well, ok, not really. But I think that is what stops me from letting myself get even a little bit of color.

Anyway, right now most people are somewhat pale. It is winter after all. But I am starting to think that I am too pale. I left the house yesterday feeling pretty confident about my make up and the way I looked. But when I was in Wal-Mart and I caught a few glimpses of myself - wow. Pale and just unhealthy-looking. Let me just say that I hate that. People saying I should get a little "healthy color". Tan is not healthy. Pale skin is more healthy, as long as the rest of your health is fine, that is. But yesterday at the store, I saw what they meant. I am not just pale. I am translucent, absence of color. And I don't think it is working for me. I have mousy brown hair (I don't color it - can't justify it to the husband), and sort of hazel eyes. So no strong, striking feature to take away from the sheer whiteness of my face. I'm talking Tilda Swinton (or even more pale, if that's possible) but I do not have her striking red hair. And I don't think I look good with red lipstick.

I have some of that "gradual glow" lotion, but I don't think that is going to cut it. I think I decided that I don't really like that stuff. I mean, I like the results when I use it several times and to enhance the slight tint I get in the summer, but I don't like using it as my everyday moisturizer because I don't think it moisturizes enough. So most of the time, I just use regular lotion (therefore, not having time to build a gradual, subtle glow with the other stuff). I need to find a good, natural looking bronzer that will give me results right away.