You have a glowing, crystal clear complexion!
Every time I read magazines like Her World, 17,teenage, I always come across heaps of advertisements promoting different brands of facial products to readers. No matter what brand is it, they always claim that after using their products, your skin will glow. You will find yourself achieving this glowing ,crystal clear complexion. What really struck me was the choice of adjectives used to describe complexion. When I think of “crystal clear” the very first image that pops in my mind is water or any object that is transparent where light waves can penetrate. When I think of the word glowing, I immediately think of an object that has a shiny, smooth surface that reflects lights thus giving this glow. However, I noticed that this expression is so ubiquitously employed in most adverts promoting beauty and cosmetic products. The literal meaning of glow and clear is as such:
MW: glow (v) 1 a : to shine with or as if with an intense heat b (1) : to have a rich warm typically ruddy color (2) : flush, blush
clear:
1 a : bright, luminous b : cloudless; specifically : less than one-tenth covered c : free from mist, haze, or dust d : untroubled, serene
2 : clean, pure: as a : free from blemishes b : easily seen through

Encarta dictionary: clear-the idea of being transparent. easily see through.
However, what is interesting is that, in almost all the dictionaries that I consulted, the word clear seems to take on another a different meaning in the domaine of beauty and cosmetics. Whether it is a learner's dictionary or reference dictionary, the words clear, in the domaine of beauty was given the definition as free from blemish and red spots. Unlike the conventional meaning of clear which means transparent and luminous, we see how words like glow and clear conveys the idea of a clear complexion, free of pimples and a smooth complexion that reflects light thus giving a glow on the face.
To conclude, we see that the both learner's and reference dictionary gave a very detailed list of the various definitions that the word clear can take. This is interesting since one would not expect learner's dictionary to actually be as detailed as a refernece dictionary assuming that the learners' goal is to first master the literal meaning of the word and its usage in the literal sense. However, we could argue from another point of view that by giving a very detailed definition of the word 'clear' , it benefits the learners in the sense that they will learn to be more aware of the various usage and meanings a word can take. Such information can be very beneficial in the course of their learning process. Hence, should all learner dictionaries strive to be like reference dictionaries? In fact, I am supportive of this simply beacuse learners of any foreign language needs so much more information than a native as to how a word is used and what meanings it has in different domains. Currently, I speak and write 7 languages of which I am fluent in 4 (German , French, English and Chinese). I rarely revise the 3 other languages that I have picked up 6 months ago (Russian, Czech and Polish). Occassionally when I have the time, I do refer back to my course book to revise the grammatical structure and some vocabulary items. I have a learner's dictionary of Russian, Polish and Czech and one of the things that really annoy me is that limite amount of information that the dictionary gives. Supposedly I were to read a text in Russian and I come across a word that I am unfamiliar with, I check the dictionary. But the next moment I come across the same word (used in a different context) I get slightly puzzled simply beacuse the meaning stated by the dictionary does not seem to fit well into the context. Perhaps, this could be an idiomatic expression! But whatever it is, it always bothers me to have a learner's dictionary. I always find them a nuisance because they never seem to help much.
Thus, I am in favour for a learner's dictionary to be equally as detailed as a refernece dictionary for individual who truly aspires to master as many foreign languages as possible. What are your thoughts? Should there be a difference between a learner and a refernce dictionary?