A couple of years ago, I was rejected by a boy who had come to my sister’s wedding in order to “take a look at me” for a possible rishta (proposal). His reason? I wasn’t gori (fair) enough. I admit, it stung a little, but not for long. I was more amused by the fact that I was spurned by a man I didn’t even know existed and certainly was not interested in marrying in the first place. Also, I’m not even that dark – but, even if I were, why exactly did it matter so much? As much as I would like to believe this was a one off event, it really isn’t. Many ladies insist this prejudice is restricted to uneducated families, but the truth is obsession with color is still rampant in our society, whether upper class or lower.
If you’re Pakistani, you may be a regular reader of the Sunday Magazine of the Daily Times newspaper. For those not familiar with the insert, it features the latest Pakistani fashions, designers, celebrities and social events. Their regular beauty columnist is a gorgeous, seemingly sophisticated and modern girl who interjects her speech with “hip” slang, such as the shortening of the phrase “trying to” into “trynna” (it personally drives me nuts, but I can appreciate the effort to reach out to the everyday girl). However, in last week’s article on the latest nail polish, even she advised readers to reach for red, as it makes one’s hands look fairer. Hmmm. It makes one’s hands look fairer? I didn’t know whether to be appalled by the fact that a beauty columnist was making such a statement, or that a magazine that considers itself forward thinking would actually print it.
We belong to an age where dark beauties like Rani Mukherjee and Bipasha Basu sizzle on screen, and fake tanner is sold by the millions in the U.S. so that lighter-skinned ladies can achieve the bronzed glow most of us were born with. The whole world is trying to go darker, yet our society is still hung up on how to become
just a few shades paler through skin lightening products (you’d be shocked at the amount of such creams available in Asian markets). Personally, I did not grow up with the Persian genes of a fair, creamy complexion and ash brown hair that the rest of the women in my family were blessed with, and that is absolutely fine by me. When the weather turns warm, I am the first one out in the sun with the agenda of further tanning my skin, while many of my counterparts in the Subcontinent shield themselves by hiding in their homes. And when I actually do get married (hopefully to someone a little more open-minded than my presumptuous suitor of two years ago), I aim to closely resemble Padma Lakshmi’s glowing complexion.
Before I offend anyone out there, I want to make it clear that I am not reverse discriminating against the fair skin girls (my own sisters are pale, beautiful creatures). I simply would like to know – why is it that light skin color is still the definition of beauty in our society when both fair and dark skins are, in truth, each equally alluring in their own right? In the olden days, a fair complexion meant a lady belonged to the upper classes because she did not work under the sun in the fields like a plebeian. This is 2009. Why is one’s shade of brown still an issue in this day and age? Sound off in the comments section below and share an experience, opinion or rant. We’d love to hear what you all have to say on the matter.
http://asianmodelsblog.blogspot.com/2008/01/lakshmi-menon-ad-campaign-for-swatch.html
http://www.salon52.ca/collections/collection.php?id=149#
http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u200/qawi19892007/fair–lovely-winter-cream1.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/91572794@N00/242034928/
same here my sis is fair while i am what they call wheatish! lots of laughs, when i was in my teen I was intimidated by fairness even tried to become fair until one day i met reality in face that a person who like me for my fairness is a shallow being who is not worth my time. I was fortunate that my confidence was enhanced by my husband who loves me for a person !
and looks too… i never use light face powder some how they make me look like gray cake … i love the medium shades and try to be as natural as possible…
All i want to say the girls out there stop dressing or making up yourself for man! do it for your self you will have more fun and leave the looser who reject you for your skin colors or look … find someone worth your time and energy……. between you and me
the person who rejected me kept on looking and looking and finally end up with someone which make me laugh!! heheheh is that the fair maiden… ! all fair no charm 
Lots of laugh!
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I completely agree with you. It’s time the South Asian society moves on from this obsession with being “fair.” Embracing your natural skin color and choosing the right foundation – rather than patting on colors that are too light and turning yourself gray – makes you look much better!
I love my golden-brown color, and am always the first one out in the sun as well. All skin colors are beautiful, and they certainly don’t define who we are as people! I wish more people would understand this.
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I am pale, with freckles and blue eyes. Which make me a prime suspect for melanoma. I was delighted that my children have my husband’s darker coloring. Pale is a pain in the ass.
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I was shocked to see Fair & Lovely sponsoring some of the careers fairs for young teenage girls in Kenya. Big billboards in Nairobi show fairer skinned models doing various highpowered jobs. These are aimed at girls at their most insecure and vunerable stage.
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I LOVE this post! and I am so glad you wrote about it. You’d be surprised how even in matrimonial sections of the newspaper, people advertise for “white beautiful girl” as if a girl is merely (and maybe sadly true) for breeding purposes *sigh*
So many norms to break, such a long way to go…
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doesnt it have something to do with how we always ‘look west’? we want to be like the ‘goras’. it’s that whole colonial hangover thing. i for one, adore bipasha basu and freida pinto. yes, i love katrina kaif too. why should we discriminate? i think people who do are backward and narrow-minded. the Sunday Times should definitely not be publishing such stories, esp when there are so many beautiful Pakistani models out there who are of the ‘gandumi’ ‘wheatish’, as Aniqa puts it, complexion.
Agree Leia, we need to move on.
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You have the most gorgeous, glowing complexion LM, I loove it. I myself am ‘wheatish’ and would not change it for the world. I think we are lucky to have naturally golden skin tones that people try so hard to imitate with bronzers and endless amounts of tanning.
When I got married, my biggest concern was that the makeup artist would try to make me look lighter skinned. I was pleasantly surprised that both the people I went to were as concerned as I was to make sure I don’t lose my original coloring. I was impressed (and a bit shocked after hearing so many horror stories), and it made me think that MAYBE our society is moving forward and starting to appreciate the dusky look, instead of the ‘I just took a bath in a barrel of flour’ look that has been so eminent in the past.
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Brava! A great post and a great way to discuss the matter. Leia, I completely agree with you. We should just embrace our color, whatever it is.
On my last trip to Pakistan I went for a facial in a very nice spa. The woman giving the facial decided to bleach my face without even asking! Needless to say, I stopped immediately.
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Obsession with skin color, whether dark or fair, is prevalent in all societies. It is human nature to seek things that are out of the norm, unusual and unique – goras will always crave dark skin and desis will always be attracted to fair blondes! Such is the superficiality of all societies, moreso of ours. Unless men and women are allowed to interact at an intellectual and personal level before marriage, men will never see beyond a woman’s looks.
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OMG i cannot believe that story.you are so flippin gorgeous mars, and im pretty certain you were ten times hotter than he was. hope a bunch of chicks reject him because hes ugly and lame all around.
can i please tell you i always wish i had a little more color to my skin, and fake tan quite a bit because i so love and crave the desi glow.naturally darker skin has such a great radiance, and blemishes are nonexistent. i get so much as even a hint of a zit or red spot and its there for the world to see.not to mention my panda eyes when im tired.
This stigma/stereotype/color inferiority that people back home perpetuate is completely out of their own inability to accept their natural tone and revel in it. The psychological issue goes so much deeper than just using a cream.
great post, really enjoying your pov.keep on writing!!
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Maria, you were without a doubt the most beautiful girl at our school, and I never noticed you being any darker than your sisters. Now, that said, this is the number one reason I keep finding reasons not to visit Bangladesh. I’ve spent the last decade in California and Texas. I get a lot of sun, and I love the colour of my skin. (As does my husband.) I feel a little translucent during the winter, actually.
When I go to B’desh, though, it’s all about my relatives telling me how ugly I’ve gotten. Forget that I’m 500 times more confident and therefore, I’d argue, better-looking than I was as a teen. Forget that I’m a successful professional, mother and wife. No, no. It’s all about the pigmentation.
I just don’t want to expose my kids to that. I married a man who didn’t realize that our relationship was an interracial one until year 3. I want my kids to be that colourblind.
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I’m soo happy you touched this topic… its been going on since the beginining of time.. I would be considered caramel frappucino/mocha.. complexion.. its such a prevalent problem.. among the desis.. but it is suprisingly in african americans households..too where the lighter skin individual is considered more prettier… when I was preggo, many aunties offered “remedies” to get lighter skin.. ” sana just have some saffron with milk.. or od on some orange juice.. I hate it even more.. when a new girl is born.. and the first thing they ask if ” rang kaisa hain”.. my own relatives are guilty of these harsh words..in the end of you are comfortable in your own skin.. why does it even matter to anyone else..
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I’m naturally golden brownish, and I love getting sun in the summer. I feel like it makes you look healthy! In Pakistan, I would constantly get reprimanded for doing that, and in the winter when I was lighter, aunties would automatically ooh and ahh about how NICE (read: fair) I looked. It is an awful standard of beauty because it ultimately means we are not celebrating what we are naturally blessed with.
AND, If I WANTED to look like Michael Jackson, I’d walk around with a silly little scarf on my face and slather enough sunblock that I look opaque-white. Because that’s really attractive.
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Very well put. I believe its just man’s discontent; i’m not talking about you here, but in general, the obsession with the white skin in our culture, and with the darker tones in the gora culture. Its mostly that when one has too much of one thing, one tends to go for the novelty or uniqueness. Our culture has many browns and few whites, so we like whites, while the gora-culture ppl are mostly white, so they prefer looking darker n different n thus cool
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Not to be the odd one out here but I DONT go in the sun and I DONT like getting a tan. I’m not extremely fair skinned and nor am I mocha colored – more like a natural beige. People here have commented that we should embrace our color but at the same time it seems that everybody who wrote on the forum is either medium skinned or dark skinned and is advocating that we all get rid of our fairness and get a tan!!! Seems like being a whitey is not very well accepted!
I am happy with my skin color and honestly I don’t think there is anything wrong with covering up in order to retain it. Don’t get me wrong!!! I don’t have anything against darker skin – my sister and cousin are dark and gorgeous – but I still don’t think its a big deal to want and like fair skin, to always wear sun block and to cover up!
I agree that most Pakistanis are obsessive about color and skin whitening cream advertisments really piss me off. But at the same time I still think its okay to think white skin is beautiful and to hope that your snow white complexion remains! I sure do!
Lets not discriminate people! If we can talk about how mocha skin is sexy and wanting to get tans to keep that color – then we can also accept whiteys who want to keep looking like the cast of Twilight!
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I just think that if someone wants to be “fairer” should have a choice. It could be a personal choice, rather than one that is forced upon you.
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the writer wants to have a “Padma Lakshmi’s glowing complexion”. Isn’t this discrimination. How about going to the natural “massi” look. Bronze, Wheatish….all these are words for the rich. Fairness creams are for girls from middle class families who do not have the tools to transform themselves to Padma or whoever…
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Well said, Aniqa! I’m glad you feel pride in yourself and have found someone who helps you in feeling like the confident woman you deserve to be. I wish the same for every girl here and in our countries. The person who rejected me ended up with a “fair” girl alright – she was 17!! It’s funny how our society thinks marrying a child is okay, but not someone who is dark! Hehe
Thanks for visiting the blog and for your comment!
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Rupal Reply:
June 20th, 2009 at 7:32 pm
Hey Maria,
Wonderful post! I am fair skin but my sister is ‘dark’.It’s so crazy how aunties always point this out…me and my sister are both confident woman so it does not bother us but makes us wonder if one of these aunties were our mother would we have a different reaction to the comments and grown up insecure. As for the scars…use Merderma…it really does a good job of fading scars! hope this helps =)
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Sarcastic Meow Reply:
June 20th, 2009 at 11:55 pm
I don’t think it works on scars, unless I’m mistaken and it has hydroquinone because anything with hydroquinone will do that.
Mostly, F&L is a cheap sunblock and for that reason it’s biggest customer is supposedly the Pakistan army.
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Lipstick Masala Reply:
July 1st, 2009 at 5:28 am
Hi Rupal!
I completely agree with you. I think it’s kind of like children, who don’t know the meaning race when they are kids, but learn to hate from the adults around them as they grow older. If our skin color doesn’t bother us, why is it so important for the aunties to create the issue in our minds?
Thanks for the tip on Mederma, have seen the commercials on tv but have never given it a shot. I wonder if it’ll work on all the scars I collected in my youth being an accident prone child.
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Lipstick Masala Reply:
July 1st, 2009 at 5:28 am
Hi SM!
I recently heard this Fair and Lovely/Pakistani army factoid from someone else as well and I thought it was a joke. Is this general knowledge that I’m unaware of? I must investigate! Are men in the Pak army generally fair? It would be interesting to know if the F&L is in fact working on them.
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Lipstick Masala Reply:
July 1st, 2009 at 5:18 am
Hi Sarah!
I feel your pain, my legs are so pale they’re blinding. It’s strange, no matter how tanned the rest of my body gets, my legs remain glow-in-the-dark. Must get some of your Florida sun, I think!
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Agreed! A little color never hurt anyone! I think women of color look best when they allow their true complexion shine through, whether fair or dark (I’ve also seen plenty of women stray by buying foundation darker for their skin tone to look tan and it’s a disaster
).
Not to sound corny here or anything, but it’s more important to see what the girl represents through personality and mind rather than the shade of her skin. I hope as generations pass, this mentality fades like a bad dream.
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Welcome to the site, Marinka!
Truth is, darker people are also susceptible to melanoma, but we believe we’re dark so we don’t need to protect ourselves. For all those reading this – SPF is crucial no matter what color you are!
I know you might think pale is a pain in the ass, but you sound quite beautiful, I would kill for your freckles!
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Hi Abi, welcome to the site
I’m interested to know if they thought they were there to “empower” girls. It’s funny how these companies think they’re doing good for society, when in fact they are fostering the discrimination we are trying so hard to break from. I lived in Kenya for four years and I find Kenyan women to be insanely beautiful. I’m very sad to hear Fair and Lovely has infiltrated the Kenyan market, too. You are absolutely right, they are targeting girls in their most formative years, and these billboards may seem innocent now, but they will stick in the girls’ minds and continue to haunt them for years.
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Thanks Maria! I’ve been thinking about these breeding purposes recently, and no matter how much I try, I cannot figure out why it’s so important. God forbid, you will have a dark child. And? What’s the big deal? It’s difficult to educate the poorer classes unfortunately, as most of them can’t even afford a basic education, how are we going to teach them that skin color doesn’t matter? We must come up with a solution! Ad campaign perhaps? I wonder if it would make a difference.
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I think you’re right. We were controlled by goras for so long we began to believe that in order to be a “master” and to have power, one must be fair. That’s a really great point, I never thought of that!
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Thank you AF! I’m so glad you had a great experience on your wedding, you really looked so beautiful! I think that salons in the big cities are starting to accept that women wish to look their own skin tone. If only the aunties of the world would as well and stop subjecting us to their scary white faces!
I would like to point out that AF is one of the rare desi girls I know that uses bronzer and she looks absolutely stunning. Most desi girl shy away from bronzer, but the truth is brown skins look phenomenal with it on. AF, I will be seeking your advice when I write the post on bronzer!
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Thank you so much, Petulia! I found your comment about bleaching hilarious! I’ve had a similar experience and the ladies were almost offended when I refused. I’m sure they were very confused when you stopped them as in their minds they assume everyone wants to be fairer. Trust Pakistani salons to try and make an Italian woman even whiter!
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Very true point, Aftab. It’s a case of the grass is greener – we all want what we can’t have.
I think you’re very right about the interaction part. Most lower classes have arranged marriages so rely on looks to choose their partners. But, I’m interested to know why men of middle and upper classes think this way? For example, the gentleman who turned me down had an opportunity to come and talk to me but did not do so. I would be interested to speak to one of these men, perhaps the first Lipstick Masala interview?
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Awww thank you so much Sabs! You are so hilarious, hehehe unfortunately (or fortunately for him) he is loaded so chance of rejection was slim
Sabs, your skin color is absolutely beautiful! I think I actually scar a lot because of the pigmentation in my skin, and it’s one of the only times I curse my skin color. Hmmm maybe that IS a good time to use Fair and Lovely – think it will work on scars? It’s worth a shot!
You know you’re so right about it stemming from their own inability to accept their skin tone. Most of the aunties I know who badger their sons about finding a white girl are actually really dark themselves! It’s the funnies thing ever but so depressing at the same time.
So glad you’re liking the blog! Lots of love <3
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Sadia, that is so kind of you to say, thank you. I completely understand what you mean about relatives feeling the need to criticize you when you go home. I’ve had that happen to me very often – whether about skin color or weight or whatever. Why do they feel the need to point out my flaws – do they believe they are actually being helpful? And who said I need their so-called “help”?
You are beautiful as you are Sadia, and God has blessed you with a beautiful family, MashAllah. I’m so happy you are in a place where you feel comfortable with who you are and that you share a life with someone who supports that. I’m sure with a mother like you and a father like your husband your girls will grow up to be just fine and embrace themselves and every one around them, no matter what their color.
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Hi Mehndi! Ufh, I hate those aunties! Why is it so important to them what the color of my child will be? Because I’m darker, I’ve been told countless times to marry a fair man so I can have fairer babies. I don’t understand why – is it because my “fairer” child will have more success than my “darker” child? Or is it because my “fairer” child will get more rishtas when he/she grows up? It’s really quite hilarious and confusing at the same time. As long as your children are healthy and happy, that’s what’s most important. I completely agree with you, if you are comfortable with what you have, why should anyone else care?
Welcome to the site, by the way!
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Hahah Kalsoom, I can so imagine those aunties. Unfortunately, I’m related to such aunties. A few summers ago, when I was going home for my sister’s Nikkah I was seriously afraid of going out in the sun for my usually summer tanning routine for fear that I would be blasted out of the universe for coming to Pakistan with dark skin. I actually thought about hiding from the sun for a few weeks before going, but actually tanned even more just to spite the aunties
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Hi Fiz, welcome to the blog
I think you’re absolutely right, as man we will never be content with what we have. In some cases it’s great because it makes us strive to work a little harder to have what the other does. But, the problem with color is that we can’t really change it, we can’t make it “better”, ultimately we will be left with what we were born with. It would be great if people could be happy with what they have even if just in this case.
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Hi Natural Beige, welcome to the site
I agree with you, it’s also okay to want to be fair. But, it’s the reasons why people strive to be fair that bother me (not you, I mean in general). If you are born naturally fair or think that you just look better without a tan, that is absolutely fine, everyone should be allowed their personal preference. I think what I, and many other reader on this blog, have a problem with is girls who wish to be whiter because they cannot accept their skin color because of low self esteem due to societal pressures and discrimination.
I’m glad you’re happy with your skin color – and that’s what we’re striving for. I don’t believe only darker girls should have pride in themselves, fairer girls should be happy with themselves too and should not feel the pressure to tan themselves just to adhere to today’s tanning fad. I probably should have made that more clear in the article, so thanks for pointing it out.
Also, if you are relying on sunblock to maintain your color – make sure that it has both UVB and UVA protection (check the label). Until recently, most sunblock only carried UVB protection and left the skin vulnerable to UVA (which is responsible for melanoma and also photoaging and wrinkling of the skin). So make sure you get one that is both! Look for avobenzone, zinc oxide, or titanium dioxide as ingredients.
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Hi aa,
I completely agree. As I mentioned to “natural beige” above, it’s not about actually being dark or fair, it’s that someone shouldn’t be discriminated against because of it or feel pressured to be one way or another. If you would like to be a certain way because of your own preference, then that is your prerogative. As you put it – “it should be a personal choice, rather than something is forced upon you.” Well said!
Welcome to the site!
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Lipstick Masala Reply:
July 1st, 2009 at 4:58 am
Hi Sheema, welcome to the site.
I’m glad you liked the article. I completely agree with you, if I look at myself in the mirror and don’t see a problem, why does anyone else?
Look forward to hearing more from you on the site
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Hi bbcd, welcome to the site.
With all due respect, I think you misunderstood the point of my post. I wasn’t implying that only specific dark shades are considered “beautiful,” actually I was saying quite the opposite. I wish for discrimination to be a thing of the past, whether fair like Kate Moss or dark like Alek Wek and for no one to dictate to anyone else what color is considered desirable. When I or any of the other commenters here use the terms “bronze” or “wheatish” we are by no means attempting to be elitist, we just choose to use nicer terms than society does. The term “massi” that you use is what I find to be discriminatory. Why is it that you are offended by us using “bronze” and “wheatish”, yet you find it all right to refer to a dark girl as a “massi”? For me, “bronze” IS, in fact, akin to the color of this “massi” term you refer to. But, “massi” is consistently used as a derogatory term in our culture to speak of darker girls, and I don’t wish for it to have any place in our society, let alone on this blog.
As for the use of Padma Lakshmi as an example, one, she is a recognizable face to the public and my readers, and two, I really do find her skin color quite beautiful, whether “glowing” bronze or plain. The title photo I used is of one of my favorites, Lakshmi Menon, who may seem glowing in this photo but has made her name off her “massi” complexion as you put it. If you google her, you can see her dark skin color played up in most of the shoots. Maybe I should have used one of her other pictures that were not so “glowy” and for that I apologize – I simply appreciated the artistry of the photo I did choose.
You speak of fairness creams as an opportunity for girls from middle class families who don’t have the “tools to transform themselves into Padma” – I hope you realize how much these creams and commercials play with a girl’s self esteem and further propagate this obsession our society has with being fair. No one should feel the need to change their skin color into anything. I don’t think anyone needs to look like Padma or even Bipasha Basu for that matter. Some of the most beautiful girls I’ve seen in Pakistan have, in fact, been so-called “massis.” But, I don’t think we will ever break away from our societal complexes by calling people by that name. I’m sorry if this offends you.
I believe girls of all colors are beautiful, which is precisely why I run this blog. I like to think most of my readers already know this, hopefully in time you will too
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Thank you for writing about this and addressing it! My sister & I are on the “brown” side while most of our cousins are fair, and everyone seems to have a problem with this except for us! It’s sad that in today’s society, desi’s still focus on stupid details such as skin color!
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Mars,
I was reading this week’s Daily Times’ Sunday magazine, when I skimmed through Anushe’s article, and, after the first few sentences, decided to turn to your your blog, which is always more useful. You explain your make up tips with such clarity and flair and they’re so much fun to read. What a coincidence that you mentioned the Sunday Times article in this week’s post!
And I agree, nothing beats a healthy, sunkissed glow. In the desi attempt to look fairer, we often end up looking washed out, pale and sickly.
Izza
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hehe..When I first moved to Florida from Ohio..my friends made me go to a tanning salon…apparently my legs were too white to wear a skirt in florida!
Thankfully my mom was very supportive.
And now every summer in Florida..i look like a baked version of my old self! I love it!
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This is a great post!
I’ve been following this blog for a while but haven’t had a chance to comment until now. I totally agree with the double standard in Desi society how it’s alright if the guy is darker but the girl he marries must be a fair skinned, long haired beauty…it’s absolutely ridiculous. I myself have pretty fair skin to the point that my desi friends call me vanilla-face in the winter hahaha. It really doesn’t bother me but it’s definitely interesting how a lot of women both fair skinned and dark skinned want to be their opposite. A few years ago, a friend of mine would always complain about being dark and thought that if her skin was lighter she would be prettier….I went ahead and did a face transformation (from those random face mutation websites) of her going from her normal skin tone to a lighter skin tone and the results were freakish…
I think at the end of the day skin color doesn’t really matter it’s all about your features, certain people can get away with tanning and looking great while other’s not so much…a la lindsay lohan spray tan. As long as you’re comfortable with yourself, you will be fine! Hopefully, this new generation of desi mothers won’t be badgering their daughters to be more “gori” like such and such’s daughter.
-K
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[...] Color Me Brown « Lipstick Masala [...]
Hi Khaula, glad to see you on the site!
Thank you for your kind comments about the article. I completely agree with you, I think the way a person looks depends on so much more than just the color of his/her skin, not just the features but also in how one carries themself. You bring up an interesting point, why is it that men are goodlooking when they are “tall, dark, and handsome,” but the same doesn’t apply to us girls?
I’m glad you decided to comment, I look forward to hearing more of your opinions
And you’re right, Lindsay Lohan needs to lay off the fake tanner!
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I am a brown skinned Indian woman. Funny thing is European men find me very alluring however men from India find me repulsive because of my brown skin. I am not super dark dark brown but I am brown. My sister is fair skinned and people tell her how pretty she is right in front of my face while I am told you have good features but you’re dark. Oh really I though being good looking is about your features NOT your color. I don’t understand why being BROWN is such a CRIME for Indian woman. I don’t even care anymore because now I realize where my own ethnicity will not accept me as I am other cultures embrace me. So I no longer identify with being Indian because who wants to be put down consistently.
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Lipstick Masala Reply:
April 20th, 2010 at 2:36 pm
Hi Jacy, welcome to the site!
It’s so encouraging to hear you say that you don’t care about your skin color anymore. But, there are many more Indians out there like you and I! You have a beautiful heritage that shouldn’t be marred because of what unenlightened people say to you. It’s all a part of the process of breaking away from this ignorance. I hope all of us can band together and make this color discrimination a thing of the past. Here’s to hoping!
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I don’t know why I just now got around to reading this, but of course I agree! Skin color prejudice needs to go. I’ve never experienced it firsthand but my best friend is quite “dark” and is always negatively compared to her fairer sister. It just breaks my heart to hear the things people say to her!
One important thing though- no matter what your skin color, light dark or anywhere in between, wearing sunblock is a GOOD thing. It doesn’t mean that you want to stay fair or that you want to get lighter- it means that you care about your skin and want to protect it. So even if you’re proud of the way your skin color is, please please wear sunscreen! Your skin tone will be more even, hyperpigmentation spots will not get darker, and you will age more beautifully!
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Lipstick Masala Reply:
April 20th, 2010 at 2:37 pm
Yes! Sunblock is crucial! I should do a post on it soon. A lot of us desis think just because we’re brown we don’t need protection, but it’s not true at all – we need sunblock too!
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This article was fun to read..I feel your pain..most of my friends are white and love to go to the beach whenever we get some free time..but I on the other hand have to argue with my mom..she thinks I will get dark and shouldn’t go out..or if I do I need to sit under the umbrella and wear a LONG sleeve shirt to the BEACH!!! it drives me nuts!! I don’t know when Indians will get over it!! I’m like mom my friends envy my tan and u are upset that I am the darkest one..it’s sad but true..Indians and their obsession with fairness..hope it ends someday! p.s. one time my mom brought me an umbrella while i was swimming with my friends so i wouldn’t get dark..my friends were confused and asked if it was going to rain..I didn’t know what to say!!!!!!
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