Stars who didn't fake n' bake before the Oscars

Jessica Chastain is a classic beauty in her elegant nude gown that shows off her naturally fair complexion. Per usual, I'm a huge fan of the red lip. She may have been skipped over for best actress, but in my opinion, she wins best dressed for the evening.

Major props to Jennifer Lawrence for totally wiping out on her couture gown and still looking graceful.

Amy Adams keeps accessories to a minimum with her extravagant ball gown. Her fair skin is the perfect complement to the pale blue gown.

Jennifer Garner chose a bold, berry colored dress that really makes her fair skin pop.

Love her or hate her, Anne Hathaway always looks comfortable in her own skin.

Who was your favorite on the red carpet this year?

White hot

Hate her music or serial dating habits all you want, but Taylor Swift has developed an insane sense of style. Last night at the People's Choice Awards, T.S. took a page from my own personal style handbook and wore white way after labor day. I adore white in the winter, and I thought this gown looked stunning on her.

Everyone always says, "Don't wear white, it will wash you out," but I think I'd rock this look if I had a fancy awards gala to attend. What do you think of this look? Is white on pale skin a do or a don't?

My fingers are famous!

Creepy blog post title, I know. Sorry, guys! But how cool is this: My manicure is featured as Julep's Nail of the Day. This pale girl is rockin' it! Happy Monday, all :)

DIY Peplum Top

I had one of those "ah-ha" moments the other day that was too good not to share. I've owned this shirt for about a year now, but I've never been able to wear it with a pair of pants. Because it's so billowy, I've always paired it with a pencil skirt--something I could tuck it into. By simply adding a belt, I was finally able to wear the blouse with a pair of pants. Plus, the silhouette morphs into a trendy peplum shape. I dig it.

Start with a loose-fitting blouse like this
one by Daniel Rainn.

Add a thin belt just below your natural
waist. And voila!

White as a ghost

I've always loved playing dress up, so it's no surprise I adore Halloween. Last weekend, I got to celebrate a bit early by running a super hero-themed 5k with a couple of my friends. I re-purposed last year's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle costume into something that was more 5k appropriate, while my bestie found a little boy's size XL Batman costume at Walmart about an hour before the race. Believe me when I tell you: running three miles in a Halloween costume as harder than it looks.

Dressed up as a ninja turtle for the 5k last weekend.

Run Like Hell in downtown Portland.

When I dressed up as a ninja turtle for Halloween last year, I wore a teensy green dress--not rain-proof running gear. Now, when I say that being diagnosed with melanoma impacted all aspects of my life, it really has. Even Halloween.

Pre-melanoma, Halloween prep meant hours in a tanning bed. After all, how could I dress up as a sexy cop, nurse, cowboy, schoolgirl, etc. without the requisite tan? Stopping by the tanning salon was just as essential to my Halloween costume as stopping by Party City to pickup a new pair of fishnet tights. The Halloween after my diagnosis, I made a conscientious shift to seek out a costume that would flaunt my pale skin like an accessory. After watching hours of YouTube clips on how to fix my hair just right, I decided to dress up as a sexy, tan-free pin-up girl. Red lipstick and all.

Halloween 2007.

Then last year, I picked the ninja turtle costume because I wanted to try something new. Something slightly less cliche and slightly more badass. I strut out in my teensy little costume, fully aware that almost every inch of my ghostly white legs were showing. Perhaps it's narcissistic of me, but I'm always worrying about what other people are thinking about me. On Halloween I worried less so because, well, everyone was dressed up, too. Consequently, it caught me by surprise when my friend's boyfriend made a comment about my costume/white legs.

"Shouldn't you have gone to a tanning salon a few times before wearing a skirt that short?"

Flaunting my fair skin in 2010.

I was pissed. Really pissed. Not pissed so much that my friend's boyfriend was making fun of me. 30-year-old men act like high school boys all the time. I really could have cared less that he was giving me a hard time about my Halloween costume. What drove me insane was that he chose to mention the one thing he should have known would really piss me off.

So it appears that no matter how old we get, I can't quite escape critique from my peers about choosing to embrace my natural skin color. *SIGH*

Have you ever gone tanning or spent extra hours at the gym so that you'd look better in a Halloween costume?

The skin cancer paradox

Image: Skin Cancer Prevention

A statistic that continues to perplex me: 86% of tanning bed users acknowledge that tanning causes cancer, and yet they do it anyway.

A reality that continues to perplex me: The number of people I'm friends with who continue to tan even though they know I've had melanoma (it's surprisingly high).

I realize that not all cases of melanoma are caused by UV radiation--natural or artificial--but some of them are. Yesterday, my dad sent me an article from CNBC.com that reiterates what I'm always saying about tanning and skin cancer: "Despite piles of research on the skin cancer risks of sun exposure and tanning beds, dermatologists and cancer groups struggle to persuade people to protect their skin from ultraviolet rays."

We know what we're doing is bad, and yet we do it anyway. It's like some sort of skin cancer paradox, isn't it?

If you're unfamiliar with recent findings, statistics, and legislation on melanoma, the CNBC article gives a great overview. I've read many of the studies it references in their entirety. I also love the suggestion from the University of North Carolina dermatologist at the end of the article: "Changing public opinion may be more effective than legislating change [for young people]. Effective campaigns to prevent skin cancer may need to emphasize that skin is most beautiful and healthy in it's natural, untanned, state."

P.S. Best of luck to my girl Chelsea Price who is speaking at the uber-fancy Skin Cancer Foundation Gala this evening. Besides hobnobbing with the rich and the famous, Chelsea will be sharing her experience of what it's like being a Stage III melanoma survivor in her mid-twenties. I hope that people pay attention because Chelsea isn't an anomaly. Melanoma isn't just an old person's disease anymore, and by limiting our exposure to harmful UV rays, we may be able to reduce the numbers of young people diagnosed with this crappy, crappy disease.

Dare to wear: Cobalt blues

Button up at Jcrew.com.

Every season, there's a color: A color that's all over the runways and that I pin and pin obsessively. This season, that color is cobalt blue. I can't get enough of it. I love it for being so rich and bold, but I also love it because it literally looks good on everyone. Pale skin, olive skin, dark skin--I dare you to show me someone who doesn't look pretty in a richly pigmented royal blue.

Tinley Road Silk Blouse at Piperlime.com.

Steve Madden Vegass shoe at Piperlime.com.

Accordion Pleat Skit at Bananarepublic.com.

Cobalt crops via Thesimplyluxuriouslife.com.

Heart and arrow earrings at Etsy.com.

Looking for more summer brights?

Things that make me happy

I know I can be super whiny, especially when it comes to tanning beds and skin cancer. Instead of standing up on my soapbox or going on another rant, today I thought I'd share a few things with you that make me smile. Cheers!

Note the "for lease" sign on what used to be a tanning salon.
If only they'd all just go away...

I usually get sick of a nail polish color even before it starts to
chip. Not the case with Essie's Too Too Hot. I swear I've used
half a bottle of the stuff since May.

Found this while flipping through a magazine recently. In
response to "what do you love about yourself," this woman
responded: "In LA, everyone is obsessed with tan skin, but
I embrace my porcelain complexion because it makes me
stand out from the crowd." Amen sister.

Emma Stone is my hero and Ryan Gosling is a dream boat.
'Nuff said.

Enjoy the rest of your week!

3-year-old me and loving the skin you were born in

May is Melanoma Awareness Month. Please help spread the word by sharing this post with your friends and family. 

Little me, happily oblivious of skin cancer.

Last week, AIM at Melanoma shared this fantastic new American Academy of Dermatology PSA on their twitter feed (kudos to whoever manages that by the way--you always write me back!) Much as I love bashing on tanning beds, I love this PSA because it digs a little deeper than that. It makes you think: at what point did I look at my natural skin color and start to think, "This is unacceptable. You are ugly"? Was it when kids on my basketball team started giving me a hard time for baring my pasty white legs in a pair of shorts, when I went to the Clinique counter for the first time and realized even alabaster made my face look dirty, or when I flipped through a Delia's catalog and realized none of the models looked like me?

Yes, it was the tanning beds fault that I got skin cancer. Yes, it was my fault that I went to the tanning beds. But whose fault is it that I felt like I needed to start tanning in the first place? Why wasn't my natural skin color good enough for me? Studies have shown that people are more attracted to others who have tan skin than those who don't. Just a few generations ago, however, folks felt the opposite. I hate to think that if I have a daughter she will be faced with the same pressures I have been: bleach this, tan that, buy this, don't buy that. Does it ever end? As a species, we can be pretty self destructive.

Although melanoma is depressing, and my rants about tanning are, too, I purposefully created this blog to celebrate pale being pretty. As a professional writer and a perfectionist, I agonized for days over how I should "label" my writings. "You're writing about tanning," my friends said, "The name of your blog should have something to do with tanning." But I held firm. This blog was to be more than just about tanning. It's about me learning how to embrace the skin I was born in, and to share that journey with others. I think that's why this PSA in particular resonated with me so clearly. On that note, please check out this lovely short video, and make sure you share it with all your friends!

Swimwear for your skin tone

Just being a realist. I will never look like this in a swimsuit.

Open up any magazine on newsstands right now and I bet you'll find a how-to guide on picking the right swimsuit for your figure. Flip over to the beauty section and you'll probably find a blurb on selecting the right eye shadow to match your complexion. But how do you know what swimsuit will best flaunt your skin tone?

Based on years of non-scientific research, I've compiled some pointers for picking out skin-loving swimwear. Love handles and pear shaped-bottoms? Sorry, you're on your own. But at least I can help you narrow down the color palette.



Myth: Pale girls can't wear white swimsuits

Absolute LIE. Several years ago, I found my favorite two-piece on sale at Target. It's white with super-subtle gold horizontal stripes. I've worn it with a tan, and now without and I still adore it. Adding texture like crochet or stripes to a white swimsuit keeps it from being too blah (or too revealing).

Avoid pastels

Unfortunately, a pale pink swimsuit might make you look a little washed out. Choose a color that is distinctly darker or brighter than your skin color. You may be able to pull off a cool aqua or something similar, but try it on first. Snap a picture with your iPhone in the dressing room. Sounds silly, but it will give you a better idea of how you'll look in pictures.

Myth: If I wear a t-shirt or cover up, I don't need sunscreen

A plain, white tee offers about the equivalent of SPF 4. If your cover up is crocheted or similar, your sun protection will be even less. Plus, what if you decide to go take a dip? A good rule of thumb is to apply sunscreen underneath both your swimsuit and your cover up. Do this and you'll also be less likely to wake up the next morning with an outline of your swimsuit straps on your back.

Jewel tones are usually a safe bet

Fair skin looks amazing in a rich eggplant evening gown. The same logic transfers to beach wear. Try purples, greens, and blues.

A last word of advice from someone who has tried on a lot of swimsuits

Always try before you buy. This may seem like a no brainer, but don't blindly order items from the Victoria's Secret catalog. Swimsuits will not look the same on you as they do on the VS models (at least they sure as hell don't on me). Accept it, move on, and find something that makes you feel your best. If you're uncomfortable, it's always going to show. But nothing is sexier on the beach that a smile, a bottle of sunscreen, and a little bit of self confidence.

Now get shopping! Here are some swimsuits that I love:

MINKPINK at shopbop.com.

Fun brights from Jcrew.com.

Ella Moss from Nordstrom.com.

Stripes from Nordstrom.com.

One piece from Jcrew.com.

Michael Kors at shopbop.com.

Well, duh: Young women tan despite health risks

I don't want to call out any one sorority,
so I'm leaving this purposefully vague :)

All this week my Facebook feed has been blowing up with links to a new study that was presented at the American Academy of Dermatology annual meeting. Key points of the study:

- Two thirds of sorority members at a Midwestern university used tanning beds.
- 93% intentionally tanned outdoors.
- 40% had no plans on using sunscreen.
- To give perspective, 81% of young women in the U.S. (not just sorority chicks) tan outdoors and 32% have used tanning beds in the past year.

While these numbers are sobering, I can't help but to think: well, duh. I love Rich from Hotel Melanoma's reaction to the study, which he titled "The Folly of Youth":

"My initial reaction to this story was to get uppity, shake my head, and dismiss these young women as vain and vapid airheads. But then I remembered some of the high-risk behaviors I engaged in as a college student in the early 70’s, knowing they were risky but thinking I was bulletproof. I once read that the male brain doesn’t reach maturity until we reach the age of 25 or so, and until then we aren’t fully capable of rationally evaluating the potential risks and consequences of our actions. If I’m representative of my species and gender, I don’t doubt this one bit."

Whether you're male or female, Rich is right. If you're still in your teens and possibly early twenties, you can probably blame your prefrontal cortex for some of your impulsive behavior. A book I finished recently about the prefrontal cortex and decision making says:

"Brain areas that are relatively recent biological inventions--such as the frontal lobes--don't finish growing until the teenage years are over. This developmental process holds the key to understanding the behavior of adolescents, who are much more likely than adults to engage in risky, impulsive behavior. More than 50 percent of U.S. high school students have experimented with illicit drugs. Half of all reported cases of sexually transmitted diseases occur in teenagers. Car accidents are the leading cause of death for those under the age of twenty-one. These bleak statistics are symptoms of minds that can't restrain themselves." -Jonah Lehrer in How We Decide

We've all done stupid shit. When I was pledging my sorority, I did particularly stupid shit. Truth be told: if one of my sorority sisters had asked me to jump off a bridge--I would have (especially if they prepped me with a shot of SoCo and lime and told me I'd have a date for winter formal waiting for me at the bottom). College is a really tricky period of time in life. You're not a kid anymore, but you're definitely not an adult, and you're far from living in reality. For me, this was exacerbated by the fact that I want to a small, private East coast school that was heavily Greek. Everyone knew everyone else and we were all up in each others' business. Sorority girls aren't necessarily "vain and vapid airheads." Quite the opposite, actually. Some of the smartest, most intelligent women I know have been Greek, but there's a tremendous amount of peer pressure that goes on inside a sorority. Consequently, you have premeds graduating magna cum laude with eating disorders, binge drinking problems, and a propensity to line up for the tanning salon before heading to Cabo for spring break.

I think the only real way we'll be able to decrease the number of tanning bed users will be to change our perception of what's attractive. Simply knowing that tanning is dangerous will not stop sorority girls--or anyone--from sunbathing. It actually took about a year or so after I had my run-in with melanoma that I started to realize, maybe pale really is prettier after all. Friends still poke fun at me sometimes, telling me that maybe I should go outside and get some vitamin D. Six months or so after my surgery, I remember being at the lake with a group of friends, literally fuming with jealousy that they all got to lay there, soaking in the sun, returning home with tan lines and flushed cheeks. Right in front of me. Even having known me, seen my scar, and heard me complain to death about how evil the tanning salon industry is, a number of friends and acquaintances still tan. They know what can happen to them, and yet they still do it. So, really, I want to just ask everyone, what is it about the fake 'n bake that's really all that attractive? Because as long as ya'll love the Jersey Shore look, we're going to continue to see a rise in melanoma in young people.

Image: Papermag