Ireland is putting on a little show for us this week, with blue skies and sunshine over lots of the country (I really felt like Jean Byrne writing that, my wardrobe is less exciting though, more of a Gerald Fleming standard *does exaggerated wink*). And so we've been chatting a lot recently about faking a golden glow.
Great, says you, but what if I want to embrace the pale and interesting? Well, porcelain princesses are taking over Hollywood, nice 'n' stealthily, like. And with Maleficent set to hit our screens later this year and picking up a Mac limited edition collection along the way, you can be sure that pale and proud are going to be beauty buzzwords later this year.
Porcelain Princesses: Gwen Stefani, Amanda Seyfried, Anne Hathaway. (Images courtesy of Abaca/Marie Claire/Getty Images)The old adage of 'if you can't tone it, tan it' seems a bit old school now, something like Richard Simmons might shout as his hedgehog-like hair bounced around during a session of Jumping Jacks.
Hitting the (tan) bottle is almost a rite of passage for many women - we spend many years slathering it on, only to realise that our skin tone was more beautiful au naturel.
Allow me to submit the cautionary tale of Nicola Roberts Vs. The Tan With the Biscuit Bang as exhibit A in this case. When Nic stopped messing with her natural hair and skin tone and embraced her natural colouring, she shot to the top echelons of the fashionista pack.
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Nicola Roberts, before and after (Images courtesy of Rex/PA)You might think ditching the tanning mitts (read about the five things I hate about those gruesome gloves here) will save you oodles of time in the beauty department, but this ain't the case. Pale skin requires just as much, if not more, love and time.
Here are some tips to help you make the most of being pale, proud and porcelain:
- Use an SPF - this is the most important step. Fair skin is the first to show sun damage (lines, pigmentation, sun spots) so give yourself a fighting chance by investing in a good SPF. You can read about some of our favourites here.
- At night, choose a product with AHAs to help cell turnover. And this step demands you keep up the SPF!
- Remember to exfoliate once a week (or whatever suits your skin) to slough off all the dead cells and damaged surface skin.
- Redness is exaggerated with pale skin so make sure you are using products suited to sensitive or rosacea-prone skin.
- Make sure to use colour to add some structure to your makeup - a pop of bright lipstick or a a strong smokey creates the perfect contrast to a pale complexion.
- Pay attention to your eyebrows - a light tint can help you look instantly groomed.
Dita Von Teese (Images via Dita Von Teese.org and Wonderbra)And with many pretenders to her crown, Dita Von Teese remains the grande doyenne of her porcelain kingdom. Her look just screams 1940s glamour; she's the ultimate pin-up of pale-skinned lovelies everywhere.
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So, over to you - are you a fan of the pale and interesting look or will nothing separate you from your tanning products? What celebs do you think rock the porcelain look? And do you have any tips to keep this skin type at its fairest? Share with us in the comments!
