Seems I've opened a can of worms here...
I'm not out to impress anyone. A little color's a nice extra, like a shake of oregano on my spaghetti, but I'm not out to tease men or win respect. It's a false respect, first of all. If someone only respects me for fashion, that's not respect. That's BS and it comes from false hearts. And men? I have a husband. I don't want attentions from other men. (One guy we know used to play with my hair and my Bakhsheesh almost beat the snot out of him. I now cover my hair and desire to wear dastaar.) The cosmetic preparation I wear is to protect me from a potentially disastrous reaction to sunlight. Akal Purukh Di Fauj had it right: this skin's not mine, I'm just renting it for as long as I'm staying on this planet. This skin, my body, is my little house that I'm renting from Guruji, and I have to be a good tenant and take care of His property. If any human being gives me fake flattery for how my skin looks, it is just as bad as giving me a bad time over my color.
Blessed be,
Polska