What Does This Description Make You Think Of?

Lady Goddess · May 25, 2012

So in my YA novel I described my MC as having "sun-kissed" skin. If you read that in a sentence, what color would you think of?

I'm going for the same color as Eva Mendes. (She's so beautiful to me.) But I couldn't think of a description that would fit so I used sun-kissed. Does it work? Should I use something different? Suggestions, comments please.

And thank you in advance.

mirandashell · May 25, 2012

I would think a white person with a tan.

alleycat · May 25, 2012

To me it's just a bit too "poetic" (and it makes me think of Sun-Kist fruit).

Olive skinned?

Chrissy · May 25, 2012

mirandashell said:
I would think a white person with a tan.

This.

When I think of Eva I think bronze, but I don't really like that word, personally. It's too much like a statue.

Golden something, maybe?

Raventongue · May 25, 2012

I agree on golden something, not sure what.

Golden brown doesn't sound right. It's all I can come up with to describe it, though.

mirandashell · May 25, 2012

Good song though.

fireluxlou · May 25, 2012

sun-kissed skin makes me think of a white person with a slight tan.

like Californians.

Lady Goddess · May 25, 2012

Thanks for the feedback guys.

Golden something would probably work. And golden brown is pretty close, but not quite.

Cappuccino maybe?

thebloodfiend · May 25, 2012

I'm the complexion of a cappuccino. Don't know why, but food used to describe skin color annoys me.

Sun kissed just gives me images of a blonde with a tan.

Eva Mendes, I know nothing about her fyi, has the complexion of the average Mexican, from what I've seen of her in Hitch (that was her, right?). She looks light brown to me. Maybe (and I hate the word because it's so ambiguous) olive toned.

Lady Goddess · May 25, 2012

thebloodfiend said:
Eva Mendes, I know nothing about her fyi, has the complexion of the average Mexican, from what I've seen of her in Hitch (that was her, right?). She looks light brown to me. Maybe (and I hate the word because it's so ambiguous) olive toned.

That was her.

I don't like olive as a description either. It makes me thing of an actual olive.

Raventongue · May 25, 2012

Hmm... Golden olive? *brick'd*

Dark golden?

JoNightshade · May 25, 2012

The thing that strikes me about Eva Mendes's skin is not the color itself, exactly, but that it's so lovely and smooth it almost glows. I might go with burnished copper, to capture both the color and the quality.

thebloodfiend · May 25, 2012

^That I like. Burnished copper. Interesting.

Lady Goddess · May 25, 2012

JoNightshade said:
The thing that strikes me about Eva Mendes's skin is not the color itself, exactly, but that it's so lovely and smooth it almost glows. I might go with burnished copper, to capture both the color and the quality.

Oooh I like this. I'm definitely going to use it. Thanks!

Lady Goddess · May 25, 2012

Raventongue said:
Hmm... Golden olive? *brick'd*

Dark golden?

Dark golden is good too. I'll file that away for later. Thanks! :Hug2:

Raventongue · May 25, 2012

Any time

aruna · May 25, 2012

Don't like golden brown or olive for your needs. They don't convey that feel of glow you're looking for. Burnished copper is perfect.

Chazevelt · May 26, 2012

When I read 'sun-kissed' I didn't think tan, my mind went straight to 'light sunburn on pale skin', like blushing shoulders.

I once used 'genetically tanned abs' to describe a guy of mixed race.

For me, 'burnished copper' seems kinda harsh for a soft skin tone, probably because it's used so much to describe a horse's coat- which is shiny and usually intended to mean a reddish or dun/yellow color. I immediately think of a polished penny.

Rhoda Nightingale · May 26, 2012

I'm getting California Blonde from the "sun-kissed" description too. I blame Francine Pascal.

Snitchcat · Jun 4, 2012

How about "gold silk" or similar? Cliched, I know, but it's the first thing that came to mind. Or, I guess you could just go for "bronze-brushed/blushed skin"? Or something like that.

(This is what happens when you haven't written for a while -- description gives you fits. :tongue

)

What Does This Description Make You Think Of?

Lady Goddess

insert something epic here

mirandashell

alleycat

Still around

Chrissy

Bright and Early for the Daily Race

Raventongue

little orphan anarchist

mirandashell

fireluxlou

Lady Goddess

insert something epic here

thebloodfiend

Cory

Lady Goddess

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Raventongue

little orphan anarchist

JoNightshade

has finally arrived

thebloodfiend

Cory

Lady Goddess

insert something epic here

Lady Goddess

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Raventongue

little orphan anarchist

aruna

On a wing and a prayer

Chazevelt

Rhoda Nightingale

Vampire Junkie

Snitchcat

Dragon-kitty.

What Does This Description Make You Think Of?

*insert something epic here*

Still around

Bright and Early for the Daily Race

little orphan anarchist

*insert something epic here*

Cory

*insert something epic here*

little orphan anarchist

has finally arrived

Cory

*insert something epic here*

*insert something epic here*

little orphan anarchist

On a wing and a prayer

Vampire Junkie

Dragon-kitty.

insert something epic here

insert something epic here

insert something epic here

insert something epic here

insert something epic here