Hello all. I have truely missed you! Please accept my apologizes for abandoning you. I have been
so, so busy. I recently wrapped up at my old job and went straight into my new job. Hopefully towards the end of April I get sometime to breath!
I get numerous questions about airbrush tanning and I would like to think of myself as an expert on this since most people try it a handful of times and give up since it can be a little high maintence to commit to "spray/fake" tan. As many of you know, I am turining the big
3-0 (
eek!) next week and with age comes wrinkles, age spots, saggy skin, etc and I decided last March that I had put my skin through enough the previous 29 years and vowed to forever stay out of the tanning beds and to always lather myself up with SPF 30 anytime I am going to be out in the sun for long periods of time (for example when I am sun bathing on the beautiful Miami Beach for my 30th Birthday!). Being a natural red (auburn) head, tanning is not something that comes natural or easy to me. I have to work
really, really hard to get a beautiful-bronzed-beach body....
that was until I came across airbrush tanning.
Now when I first started "spraying" last March, I began with Sun Tan City's Versa Spa.
What is Versa Spa you ask? Versa Spa is like the Cadillac version of Mystic Tanning (a spray tanning booth many of you may be familiar with that tends to leave people looking a little on the orange side). Versa Spa has nozzels that spray you as they move up and down the front of the booth. You will stand in four different positions to ensure even coverage (from what I remember of Mystic you only get sprayed front and back). You can opt for different colors: Clear Light, Medium, and Dark and Bronze Light, Medium, and Dark. If you go this option I have found the best results with Clear Medium (and nice touch of color) and Clear Dark (looks like you spent a week on the beach). I
was a HUGE fan of the Versa Spa (photo below)...
until I discovered airbrush tanning.
Airbrush Tanning is much more customized and is done by an Airbrush Tech.
Soooo....someone sprays your entire body while you stand their in a swimsuit, underwear, or nude (completely your preference...I choose to do undies only as I didn't like having the bathing suit top lines). I have been going to
No Lines Tanning here in Lexington (located over on Pasenda Drive, inside the Hair Cafe) so I can't speak to all airbrush tanning places here in town but NLT is incredible! The color is a beautiful, natural golden bronze color and the spray they use is made of natural ingredients. In less than 10 minutes I can have a color I could never achieve by laying out in the sun. NLT offer's an array of "colors": Medium- a light sunkissed color (rarely used...but I assume it's close to the Clear Light/Medium at Sun Tan City, Dark- my color of choice (and I get two coats "painted on" as my husband refer's to it), and then Extra Dark- think Jersey Shore Snooki tan... I cannot speak highly enough of NLT! I always get tons of compliments on my color (when people find out it's fake) and the team there makes you feel super comfortable when you standing there in nothing but your skeevies.
note: This is not me...(I wish my stomach was that flat)...just some random picture I found on google to giev you an idea of what happens during an airbrush tanning session.
Spray tanning can be a little high maintence until you get used to doing it but to me it's totally worth it to not expose my skin to the hard UVA/UVB rays in a tanning bed that cause not only pre-mature aging (
can I get some botox please?) but also skin cancer. So here are tips to help you get the most out of your spray tan!
1. Do any Grooming that you may need to do a day or so in advance. These are things like getting your mani/pedi (acetone will take the tan off), get your eyebrows/lip/bikini area waxed probably two days in advance. If it's too close the spray will stick to the areas with wax...if it's done after then it can rip off the color.
2. Exfoliate and moisturize you skin well, everyday, all the time. Your hands and feet will always be the driest parts of your body. The extreme dry areas will suck in the most color, making them look darker or possibly even "orange". I usually shower, using a loofa to exfoliate my skin, shave all needed areas, and then moisturize my whole body after my shower. You will want to wait at least an hour after showering before you go spray. I will usually spray at night then do a next morning shower. You will be given barrier cream pre-spray to lather up your hands and feet. Don't be scared of barrier cream, more is more!
3
. Take off your make up before you spray. This way you can wait till the next morning to wash your face...which will give you a better color. If you wash too early then you will have a tan body and a white face (fail!).
4. Wear loose clothing home from the salon. Anything tight can rub the color off as it is drying. I usually pack pajama pants, t-shirt (long sleeves if it's raining), and flip flops to wear home. Also pack an umbrella if it's looking a little grey outside. You do not want to get wet as your color is setting and rain can leave you splotchy.
5. Do not shower for 8+ hours. I find that my color does best if I go spray around 5 pm then shower then next morning at 7 am, which is more than 12 hours.
Do not use a loofa in the shower or an exfoliating scrub as it will make your color fade away faster. The color sticks to you top layer of skin and fades away as your dead skin cells come off. Exfoliating removes that dead skin, which removes your color faster. Pat yourself dry with your towel. DO NOT RUB! Also steer clear of white towels, sheets, and clothes as the first day you will notice color rub off. If you do get it on your whites, don't worry, it will come out...but it's gross to look at until you do.
6. I tend to use hand sanitzier over soap during this period as your hands and feet seem to fade the fastest. We all need to wash our hands to stay germ free, but it will fade your color to wash them a million times a day.
7. I also try to sleep in long pants and a long sleeved shirt so that the color doesn't rub off on my white sheets. But you do not want to sweat either...sweating after your spray can leave you splothy too. I have noticed if I get too hot at night then my sheets will be stained with big brown tan spots (
ewe, gross, I know!) but it will wash out. So don't put brand new clean sheets on the night of your spray cause you are more than likely going to want to wash them in the next day or so.
Last but not least, go out into the world and be a bronzed bombshell! Once you get the hang of all the things mentioned above you will be hooked on "Spraying." You will notice how much more beautiful, healthy, and clear you skin will be versus when you tan in a tanning bed. Tomorrow I will post pictures of my before and after pics of my airbrush tan. Today's color is a little skewed since I just sprayed this afternoon and the spray comes out bronze (the tech has to see where they put the color). The color will be a little different and even more beautiful tomorrow after I shower.
No Lines Tanning offer's some great packages including: $50 unlimited for a month (same as Sun Tan City's Versa spa, minus the 6 month contract), student discounts, and $10 Tuesdays. Now I opt for the prep spray which is an additional on top of $10 Tuesday for $5 and helps eliminate any dry areas and makes your spray more even. Tell them Mindy sent you if you drop in to get airbrushed!! 859-277-1545 or visit them on
Facebook.
Disclaimer: All information above is strickly my opinion. I was in no way compenstated for or asked to write about either product mentioned above. All the above are my opinions and I only wished to share my knowledge of "spraying" as I am very passionate about spray tanning and preventing skin cancer (and being bronze!).
