I'm sure other pale people will agree that being super light comes with a number of advantages, including being able to rock most hair and lipstick colours. However, I find that the problems associated with pales skin usually outweigh the good points,
I wouldn't change my paleness for the world, but here are some problems I wish would go away:
I think it's hard enough finding a pale foundation if you are happy to buy any makeup brand, but when you only buy vegetarian or vegan makeup, the task is nigh on impossible. There is literally no foundation that is actually pale enough for my skin.
There are three ways that this can be countered: you can either buy the palest foundation and hope for the best, find a white foundation to mix with your pale foundation or buy the palest powder possible to lighten the not-quite-pale-enough foundation.
I usually opt for a white powder - be careful to ensure it doesn't look like I have talcum powder on my face - or mix my own shade. The problem with the latter is that white foundations are few and far between and don't always mix well with others.
Unless you want to totally give up on looking pale, there is no contouring kit that will match your skin. I've found that there are a number of issues with buying ready-to-use contouring kits including the bronzer being way to dark, the highlighter being darker than your actual skin and/or the blusher is far too vibrant and you look like a clown.
I've combated this by buying individual products to achieve a light and subtle contour that doesn't look like I'd just rubbed mud into my face. Rather than bronzer, I use a darker shade of concealer or an eye shadow as these come in a broader range of shades and are really easy to blend.
However, I've recently found that I much prefer the strobing technique, which just requires a blush and a highlighter. I use Barry M's Make Me Blush blusher in Fairy Cake for a lightly flushed look and then highlight with Makeup Revolution's highlighter Golden Lights in key areas to add excellent shine.
It could be an overcast winter's day with threat of snow, but if you step out of the house without some form of SPF protection on, you'll regret it. Not only will I get burned - not tanned, I'll just go red - lack of sun protection can also cause reactions like rashes or hives, which stand out really badly against my pale skin.
This is why my face cream - I use B.'s Phase One Day Cream - and my foundation both contain SPF protection. In the summer, I also apply sun cream before leaving the house - SPF 30 as a minimum - and carry around a bottle in my handbag wherever I go. I also use sun protection on my hair and scalp, as there is nothing worse than a sunburnt scalp.
There is no phrase that strikes feat into my heart more than 'let's go sit in the sun'. If you have a pale friend, you should know that this is never an option. Let them sit in the shade, away from the glare of the unforgiving sun or you'll make them have to layer up in order to avoid burns and unflattering flushes.
Sometimes sitting near a window on a sunny day is too much for me, forcing me to pop long sleeves on even if the day is absolutely boiling. This is a problem when you like the beach or hanging out by the pool like I do, which is why parasols and sarongs are my best friends on holidays.
Unless you're taking a selfie so you can ensure you're in the right light and your face is at the right angle, photos can be a nightmare. The flash can make all your features disappear into a pale blur and standing in front of the wrong colour can literally make you vanish into the background.
You'll also have your favourite filter, which is usually the only one that doesn't make your nose vanish in photos or make you seem like a ghost.
I recently found that I'm actually so pale that some photo apps don't recognise my face. While trying to face swap on Snapchat, the wouldn't take a photo as apparently I wasn't present, however, it did allow my friend to swap their face with a magnolia wall.
Even with all of these constant issues, I am happy I'm pale, even though it means I will spend the rest of my life hiding from the sun and having tantrums in the makeup aisle.