*Insert Witty Burn-Related Song Title Here*

For the first time in a very very very long time, I have a rather prominent swathe of sunburn on my back.

And of course, ths WOULD be at the start of summer- when 80% of what I wear consists of backless tops or dresses.

My skin is already quite dark, so it takes sunburn a little differently. There's no prominent red patches or anything, it just turns incredibly, incredibly dark.

Today at the gym, my friend exclaimed with a gasp, "Your back...did you get sunburn? It's like chocolate."

(When I said I wanted to be cool and black, this is not what I envisioned.)

However, as I pointed out rather ruefully to my mother, the one bright spot is that the sunburn has actually spread itself out across my back in what I think looks like a kick-ass Phoenix pattern. Jean Grey, eat your heart out.

I actually got the sunburn two weeks ago at the races on Oaks Day. I didn't even realise that I got burnt until the day afterwards when I glanced in the mirror after my shower and went, "Oooh boy." The little dip between the Phoenix wings, so to speak, is where I slapped on some sunscreen with my palm. Proving that sunscreen really does work.

My back currently looks angry. And peeling slightly. I have a party on Friday night so I'm hoping that the mottled did-you-just-melt-the-milk-into-the-dark-chocolate look sort of fades a bit by then. If not I'll just have to wear my hair down and hope for coverage of some sort.

Let this be a lesson both in vanity and sun safety.

Slip, slop, slap.