Why are dusky women often more attractive than fair-skinned ladies?

I was at a coffee-break recently when one of my workplace colleagues announced that he was no longer pursuing the girl he had once described as a blueprint of the kind of women that attracted him. Upon some degree of elbowing, he finally blurted that her somewhat dusky skin turned out to be a bit of turn-off. I had personally never believed that he would have been able to get it started with the lady in question since she seemed far more liberal-thinking and artistically-driven than he could ever be. However, it made me wonder about how many Indian men still have a perception rooted in their minds where ‘being fair’ equals ‘being beautiful’.

This is a fact among Asians settled abroad too who seem to feel more insecure about their tanned skin hues as compared to the fair-skinned nationals who surround them. It was once reported that thousands of British Asian women suffer horrible skin injuries, even cancers, due to their continuous experimenting with fairness skin creams. Now, we have our leading superstars like Shahrukh Khan advocating the same to men too!
I personally endorse the theory that dark skinned or the typically dusky-skinned Indian women can be as beautiful and appear even more appealing than their fairer counterparts on any day of the year and this is why:

Dusky Skin Is More Exotic

I have personally dated two dusky-skinned ladies and I often complimented them on the ‘chocolatiness’ of their skin. Surprisingly, my flattering remarks would often be shot down with these women opining that they just weren’t at par with the craving that the whitish skin induces—I would like to clarify that this just isn't true. Every skin type has its own individuality. Dusky skin, sported by the much worshipped on-screen beauties like Lara Dutta, Bipasha Basu, Sameera Reddy and Kajol, have an aura of exoticness.

Fairer skin might seem more appeasing and the reddish hue it takes upon being touched to the slightest degree does appeal to the male psyche but I equate duskiness with a degree of carnal appeal. There is something about well-moisturized, earthy-colored skin that makes it look more supple, younger and flawless as compared to the fairer hue.

Earthy Skin Is Understated Elegance

Some folks might not agree with this but I feel that loud, bright colors worn on fair skin creates a rather loud, attention-grabbing appeal. There is nothing wrong with this way of grooming oneself but I have always preferred style that is understated and elegant. This is why earthy-skinned women seem more adept to me in establishing a bit of classiness. Whether it is using demure hues of eye shadows, kajal, eye liners or a rub of the blush, a slightly darker skin ensures that the contrast is minimal—not very pronounced, making a more stylish statement rather than being attuned towards grabbing eyeballs.

Duskiness Camouflages Blemishes Better

I am not much of a party-going soul but from whatever outings I have managed in the presence of beautiful women, one fact has surfaced rather clearly. Without their concealers, toners and other cosmetic weapons unknown to the male species, very few women can boast of a naturally blemish-free skin. Those who are fairer seem to struggle a lot more with hiding these blemishes since the most advanced of make-up solutions can come-off or give embarrassingly-visible clues that the skin has been tampered with to camouflage the underlying menace of skin problems. Dusky ladies have a clear advantage here as their skin reveals the least and is automatically geared towards concealing a lot. (Special Features, MensXP.com)