"Why I decided I was done with fake tanning."

Image: Kahla, demonstrating the vampirish joys of flash photography.

It’s been about five years since I last touched a tanning product. My bed sheets and bank account are both happier for it — and more importantly, I am too.

For about seven years there I dabbled with faking it. I had spray tans for both of my school formals, and on-off relationships with gradual tanners in summer. Bronzing my skin was never something I was compulsive about, but as someone whose complexion sits on the lighter end of the Derwent pencil tin, it’s often felt like an unspoken obligation.

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Now, I am the first person to make jokes about my fair skin. The fact I look like a cast extra from True Blood is not lost on me, nor is the fact my skin practically glows when it comes into contact with sunlight. I will happily rattle off a list of pale girl grievances, most of them revolving around sunburn and flash photography. (Post continues after gallery.)

Yet a lifetime of seeing magazine cover lines like, “Ew, you’re so pasty! Here’s how to get ready for beach season!” (well… something to that effect), and fielding well-meaning comments like, “That’s a great dress, it’ll look so good when you have some colour on you” can really get under one’s fair skin.

Attitudes like these imply fair skin is both an unfortunate genetic mutation and a work in progress; that you couldn’t possibly be happy with how it looks in its natural state. Although Australians mightn’t be as sunbake-happy as they once were, there’s a lingering attitude that ‘bronzed’ is some kind of ideal we should all aspire to. Enter: fake tans.

RELATED: ‘This is the only fake tan I use in winter.’

Of course, many people do like to look bronzed, regardless of their natural skin tone. That’s cool. I understand the appeal — going a shade or two browner can completely change your look and give you immediate holiday vibes, and tan skin looks gorgeous against bright colours.

Fake tan enthusiasts also tend to rave about the slimming, 'healthifying' effect they feel it has on their bodies. Sophie Monk is one of them — on Instagram recently the radio host joked, "If you can't tone it? Slap some damn tan on it."

I don't love that particular sentiment, but if using a tanning product makes you feel great about yourself, or helps you express yourself, then you go Glen Coco! No judgement here. Just remember to wash your hands post-application, and maybe steer clear of white doona covers. Trust me.

RELATED: Common mistakes people make when applying fake tan.

For me, however, forcibly changing my skin colour just isn't appealing at this stage of my life. Admittedly, this partly comes down to laziness and a preference for spending my cash on things like brunch instead. Porcelain-skinned stars like Emma Stone, Cate Blanchett and Zooey Deschanel have also done a lot to help me embrace my colouring (thanks, ladies).

For the most part, it's because I just wouldn't feel like me. When I look at my school formal photos, it's like I'm looking at an entirely different person — and for this reason, I probably can't see myself faking it up for my [at this point, purely hypothetical] wedding day, either.

In the interests of Future Me, I won't go making any grand 'I HEREBY REFUSE TO TAN FOREVER!' statements in this article, because perhaps I will decide to be a bronzed bride one day. Many women do! But if I were getting married next week, I wouldn't even consider it.

I can't imagine looking back at those photos in years to come and bitterly regretting the decision to go au naturel (albeit with slightly better hair, makeup and lighting than usual). It's possible to achieve the so-called "bridal glow" without adjusting your skin tone.

RELATED: Getting married? Here are some bridal beauty costs you might not have considered

More generally, it kind of troubles me that painting or spraying your skin a different colour is somehow more acceptable than embracing your natural complexion.

It works both ways — as The Glow's beauty editor Carla recently explored, skin whitening products are popular for similar reasons (and often for deeper race - and class-based reasons, as well) in countries like India and Indonesia.

RELATED: "My skin doesn't need to be any whiter, thanks."

Is it really so inconceivable that someone could actually like being pale? Because I do — this hasn't always been the case, but I'm there now. I like to accentuate my complexion with bold lipstick and certain fabric colours (and, um, Halloween costumes); and I happen to think it looks perfectly healthy, thank you very much.

I'll also have you know my skin has come into direct contact with sunlight many, many times and nobody has ever lost their sight as a result.

Do you have pale skin? How do you feel about fake tan?

If you enjoy using fake tanning products, there are some great products around at the moment. Here are some of The Glow's picks: