We're all happy that school is done for the summer (unless you're taking summer courses) but do we ever consider the unfortunate fate of pale girls during their summer break?
1. Disappearing in pictures because of the sun.
I have had this happen too many times to count. My friends and I are out having a fun day and want to capture the memory, of course. Then, when we go to take a selfie, the sun hits just right to where I basically disappear. Sometimes, I don't disappear but I look so pale that re-taking the picture is a must.
2. Always having to carry sunscreen on you just in case you’re going to be outside for an extended period of time.
One of my good friends and I run into the same struggles as super pale girls. She was telling me that recently she went on a trip to Hawaii and they took a ride in a convertible. Mind you, this was only a 30-minute car ride. When they got back, her shoulders were as red as a fire truck.
3. Having to put on over 50 layers of sunscreen and still looking like a lobster at the end of the day.
Every year when my family goes on vacation, I always get sent to sit under the umbrella or under the Pop-Up tent since I'm the only pale one on my mom's side of the family. Being fair-skinned, I'm prone to more serious burns, such as second-degree burns, which I have had twice in my life.
4. Having two different shades of foundation, one for winter and one for summer.
During the summer, I hardly ever put makeup on and when I do I generally look pretty tan as long as you can't see my legs, which are about as white as a piece of paper. I have made the mistake before to wear my summer foundation in the winter and people always pointing out my foundation line and telling me that my makeup is too dark.
5. Being told you’re too pale for that.
I have been told this many, many times, mostly by my family whenever we would go shopping for clothes and makeup. I like to wear generally dark lipstick because of my fair skin and when I dress up on a summer night, I have to have my trusty maroon/pink lipstick.
6. Not being able to buy certain clothing because it looks too weird with your skin tone.
There are some clothing items that I have found and would LOVE to wear, but I put them on and they are highlighter pink and make me look washed out and paler, which I didn't think was possible.
7. Having your cheeks turn red because it’s so hot outside.
Everyone always comes up to me saying "Oh poor thing you're so sunburnt." I promise, I'm not sunburnt and I'm definitely not always blushing. I just have this lovely thing called an Irish origin. My fathers' side of the family all burn just like I do and understand my struggle. Especially when I'm at work during the summer, my coworkers constantly ask me if I'm OK or feeling sick today.
8. When wearing a swimsuit, you feel like your pale-ness is blinding the world.
I distinctly remember a beach vacation where I hadn't been outside basically at all that summer so I had no color to my skin. The first day on the beach, it felt like the sun was hitting me and making me sparkle like a vampire from "Twilight" and I felt embarrassed so I spent a majority of my time in the shade or covered up. Now, I have accepted who I am and learned to love myself with all my pale skin.
9. More freckles appear. MORE!
I have a lot of freckles, so many to the point that I couldn't possibly have more. But guess what? I DO. Every day I look and I find a new patch of freckles or maybe one big one. I've learned to love my freckles and see them as beautiful.
10. Spending $15 for a small tube of the good SPF 100 only to burn.
I usually buy about two or three bottles of the Neutrogena SPF 100, this works really well for most of my face, but I tried it on the rest of my body and after that day, I was still sunburnt. I wanted to give up then. Now, I just put on tons of sunscreen and take breaks from the sun.
11. Even when it’s cloudy, you still have to put sunscreen on.
Many times I have said, "Oh it's supposed to be cloudy today so I should be fine!" A big fat WRONG. Even when it's cloudy I still manage to get burned if I don't put some form of sunscreen on, even if the SPF is only 25.
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