I prefer pale, but tanned can look great too. NinjaStar makes a good point about healthy skin. I understand why fbbs, etc. have to be so tan for competitions, but most of the time I'll take pale.

For me, it's a case-by-case basis. Some bodybuilders look better with their natural light complexion.. some better tanned.

I agree with an earlier poster, that the contest tanning, combined with fake tan, can look dried & barbequed. I just prefer a natural skin tone, whether it's tanned/olive, or pale, is kind of a push.. 

I tend to prefer off-season fbbs when they're thicker and fuller so gonna have to go pale on this one

I agree with those saying that what looks natural/healthy on the particular woman should be best, whether a lighter, paler look or tanned, especially in off-season condition.  I don't mind a darker tan come contest time, as it showcases the muscle better than paler skin, as long as its not the 'turkey-basted' look (especially with badly-applied fake tanning products), as seen on the first photo of Natalya.  I do like the natural 'olive' look as others have said of many a FBB from a Mediterranean origin (including many from Latin America).

Additionally, women who aren't naturally darker skinned who regularly go for tanning sessions (whether just via sunbathing or in tanning shops [not spray on - I mean UV machines]) eventually end up with really horrid old-looking, leathery skin.  I won't mention any names of FBBs who have gone this route and ended up like this, but most of us will know who they are.  Ladies - natural tones outside of contests are best, and don't go overboard on the tan generally.

 Think some look good tanned ..  but agree it can get extreme before a show lol

I competed as a small teen lightweight a little while ago... and there was NEVER any question that a tan was needed to compete. When you go on stage in an auditorium the stage lights are very bright and will 'wash out' your muscle definition if your skin is too pale. Now you had to work really hard, diet really hard and [maybe] have a lot of [expensive] injections in your bottom to look as good as you can that day so you cannot afford to have your 'cuts' disappear. So as deep a natural tan as you can get THEN either the darkest spray or one of the old fashioned stains OVER your own tan is absolutely necessary.
Even some already dark skinned boys in the contest I was in [south sea Islanders from Samoa or Tonga or Fiji or NZ Maoris] had chosen to enhance their already darker skin.
These really unnatural tans are NOT some kind of eccentricity but essential to present your muscles adequately. It is a serious competition you know, not a beauty contest LOL....
[Stage actors are similarly made up.]
What the boys/girls do about their skin color between shows is their business... whether anyone else approves or not... well so what...

I prefer tan because it shows details of each muscle. The amount of tan is worth a discussion though. Some can overdo it and I get distracted by how dark their skin looks. Either the right amount or natural look is fine.

I competed as a small teen lightweight a little while ago... and there was NEVER any question that a tan was needed to compete. When you go on stage in an auditorium the stage lights are very bright and will 'wash out' your muscle definition if your skin is too pale. Now you had to work really hard, diet really hard and [maybe] have a lot of [expensive] injections in your bottom to look as good as you can that day so you cannot afford to have your 'cuts' disappear. So as deep a natural tan as you can get THEN either the darkest spray or one of the old fashioned stains OVER your own tan is absolutely necessary.
Even some already dark skinned boys in the contest I was in [south sea Islanders from Samoa or Tonga or Fiji or NZ Maoris] had chosen to enhance their already darker skin.
These really unnatural tans are NOT some kind of eccentricity but essential to present your muscles adequately. It is a serious competition you know, not a beauty contest LOL....
[Stage actors are similarly made up.]
What the boys/girls do about their skin color between shows is their business... whether anyone else approves or not... well so what...

I agree - the darker tans are necessary under the comp stage lights. 

With the exception of for displaying vascularity, for which I have no preference, tan is always much much more preferred.  It highlights the muscularity, definition and muscle separation that much better, and unless the tan is extremely dark, tends to look healthier than pale skin.