red. she is a clod to say something like that.

Isn't it amazing how one negative comment can stay with us? Like Jr. High School all over again! She's actually a very loving, kind person, but she does tend to say things that seem out of line.

I too have broken vessels here and there; but a very ruddy complexion to me would be a face totally red with broken vessels.

Fair skins will show capillaries more.

I like to "even out" my face with a light foundation...

Very ruddy to me would be really, really RED!

Your friend most likely had just finished reading an article or saw something in Glamour magazine and felt the need to apply her thoughts somewhere :-)

Thanks everyone.... I thought "very ruddy" would be "very red". Since my face isn't even red at all, then it can't possibly be VERY red.

My friend has a tendency to make blunt and unnecessary comments whether they are true or not. When I see her face up close I notice obvious foundation lines under the chin. Maybe she's covering up something and she needed to point out someone else's flaws too. I feel comfortable with my face as it is, flaws and all, but I was still wondering if she might be right because why after all would someone say that if it wasn't true. She's in her upper 40s and I'd think those kind of statements would more likely come from a much younger person.

Anyway, thanks again!

Jen

Perhaps you had a glass of wine....perhaps you were eating something with hot peppers...or had been walking outside. Whatever the reason...it was by your words "several years ago"...Let it go...there are many things that could make your face temporarily "very ruddy"...maybe she was "very pasty"...or felt that way.
Linda C

Linda -- it was a work lunch so I definitely wasn't drinking wine (I rarely do anyway), definitely not eating hot peppers (my stomach doesn't like them), and I hadn't been walking around outside. I'm not angry or upset with her about it... it just took me this long to ask what "very ruddy" is because I've casually wondered about it ever since and lately began to really wonder, so I thought I'd ask here what "very ruddy" means. That's all. :-)

Jen

I've heard of 'ruddy complexion' before. I always thought it meant, dull and not very glowing. I hope your feelings weren't hurt. Some people don't mean to be cruel, and just blurt out things.

Are you still friends with her?

oooooooooooh I just looked this up and it DOES mean reddish or rosey! How about that! Was this woman wearing rose colored glasses? hahaha!

Shaun, yes we are still friends. We are work friends and I don't see her often because we don't work in the same building. I run into her from time to time, or see her when I join her and the same group of ladies.

No, she wasn't wearing rosey glasses. She tends to be slightly critical at times, that's all. But she is also very thoughtful and giving. Her comment didn't hurt my feelings... it just made me wonder if I do have a ruddy complexion. I'm satisfied now that I don't.

Thanks,
Jen

I wonder why she said it?

I don't know -- that's the big question! If I don't have a ruddy complexion at all, then why say it? Sometimes I've felt talked down to by her. It's hard to describe without going into tremendous detail and I am not going to do that here.

There are people in this world that are hard to understand; I know someone who seems to always say something to annoy me, so I often wonder if it's my problem, sort of being too sensitive to what she'll comment on.
She knows I'm not a very good golfer, yet she'll always ask,
what's your handicap now ?

When my friend Katherine took a "Color Me Beautiful" type class many years ago, to sell Amway's Artistry cosmetics line (man, I wish they still had that stuff!), they taught her to be very careful about *how* she described complexions.

Even though, for example, you could call someone's skin "sallow" or "yellow", you'd be likelier to sell cosmetics if you said "ivory"!

Ditto with the rosy tones: you can call 'em red or ruddy, but it won't make you any friends.

Maybe your luncheon pal is merely vocabulary-challenged.

sylvia
(ivory)

The Artistry cosmetics were great! I miss them too. I had my colors done with that line and the woman assumed I was a spring (warm) before she started the process, but I turned out to be a summer (cool).

Sylvia, didn't you used to frequent the Garden Party forum, several years ago? I think I remember seeing your name there.

Jen

I just remembered... We were talking about make-up and I said I don't wear foundation and that's when she said I should because I have a very ruddy complexion. LOL!

I guess I might be considered to have a rudy complection. It may be my Irish heritage.
My skin has a lot of rose color to it. In some places it looks as if I am blushing. If I ever blushed, it was a LONG time ago tho.
Actually I have never considered it a deficit (til now?? lolol)
Ruddy is good.

I do wear some foundation to even it out sometimes.

Given the choice between ruddy and my very decidedly olive skin...I'd take ruddy any time!

I think I would prefer olive anytime over ruddy. I have some broken blood vessels and wear heavy foundation to cover them. Still, for the most part I don't consider myself to have a ruddy complexion. Except if my blood pressure gets up sometimes my face will get red, also if I get hot my face will really turn red.

You are way overreacting and are obviously insecure about yourself. Ruddy just means you have a healthy red glow. Some people present it when they're hot or embarassed, some all the time. It has nothing to do with broken blood vessels which are called tlengiectasias.

the dermatologist & ophthmologist both told my husband he also has a ruddy complection... meaning his Irish heritage. It could explain other medical problems like dry eyes he was told. I think ruddy means the tiny blood vessels are closer to the skin in these persons & not a derogatory statement if said in this way.

She might have used the term ruddy in a wrong context. But I wouldn't worry about it. You might have had a beautiful rosey glow at the time she said that. I have a fair complexion, and told many times I'm red, even if I don't blush. I don't let it bother me. So don't take her coment to heart.

Ironically, I would take the comment as a *compliment* to mean that my skin has a nice warm glow without having purposely tanned! GOOD for you!