A spray tan (aka “fake tan”) is absolutely the safest way to go bronze.
As a teenager during the 90’s, tanning beds were all the rage. And yes, I frequented them a lot, especially my freshman year of college because there was a tanning salon right across the street from my dorm room…#SKINFAIL. If I had only known then what I know now about those scary contraptions. The real sun and tanning beds = dangerous, blotchy, wrinkled, old lady skin, end of story.
But a friend of mine (thanks Bonnie!) recently introduced me to the world of personalized spray tanning with the Norvell system she purchased to start her own side business. I was skeptical because I had only done the tanning booth spray tans (applied by a machine, not a real person) that ended up giving me oompa loompa feet and hands.
But I figured, what have I got to lose. It’s only temporary and she raved that this was THE BEST spray tan system she had ever used and she was sure I’d be ADDICTED after the first time. That’s a pretty bold and confident statement. Oh, and it’s the tanning system that they use on Dancing With The Stars. Boom!
Best spray tan results ever.
After going to her home and getting the royal tan treatment, I was blown away by the fantastic and realistic results of this spray tan immediately. Even though you watched the video (by the way, did you enjoy it??), it does not show all of the steps I experienced (I wasn’t exactly comfortable showing you myself getting it done the first time!), so here is a breakdown of what went on….
- She reminded me to exfoliate my body before meeting her but not to apply any other lotions
- We applied this system in her very large shower, but she has a fold up tent she carries with her when she goes to clients
- I got a pre-treatment spray from her, sticky disposable shoes she applied to the bottom of my feet, and a barrier cream applied to my hands and tops of feet
- She asked me how tan I wanted to become? She had three levels of formula to choose from : light, medium, and super dark. I figured, it’s my first time, let’s go slow and start with one layer of light
- Her handy dandy large airbrush machine was used to spray every inch of my skin, including my face which got a very light coat. It was cold being applied but in-between sprays she would occasionally shoot me with some warm air to dry it quickly!
- After a total of maybe 7 minutes of application, I was done
- Immediate color showed up and continued to darken in the hours to come
I can’t believe I didn’t take any full body pictures of me after I got it done (blogger fail) but trust me, it looks fan-freaking-tastic. The above head shots do show the difference between zero tan, then my tan 3 days after I got it done! But that shows you how great it looked and how long it is lasting.
Lasting Impression.
I am going on day 4 now as I write this post, and even though it is definitely starting to fade, the good news is it is fading evenly. I will definitely be going back and getting another one of these Norvell spray tans again very soon! Like next week before my first beach trip of the year.
I guess my biggest point with this post is, that SPRAY AND/OR SUNLESS TANNING IS THE SAFEST AND BEST WAY TO TAN. Being a makeup artist and paying close attention to my clients skin, I can usually tell who are the non-tanners and those that worship the sun. The ones that don’t wear sunscreen and love to sunbathe, are the ones who look older than their actual age. Don’t believe me, read this article from the DailyMailUk on how the sun is to blame for 80% of your wrinkles and skin damage.
I will still continue to use my at home tanning mousses and lotions in between when I splurge to get a spray tan for special events. Because that is the safest way to go and there are some really good options out there. I am listing a few popular ones below that I have researched and used myself if you are in the market for one.
Shop them all from Ulta.com here :
- St. Tropez Self Tanning Classic Mousse, $32. I have used this for years and love it. Has hardly a sent, goes on smoothly and dries super fast to give a realistic tan. This is my splurge at home self tanner!
- Kardashian Body Buffer Exfoliator, $12. I gotta give it to the Kardashians, they must have developed a great sunless tanning brand bc it gets really good reviews all over the web. This exfoliator you use in the shower is great for prepping your skin for when you do apply self tanner. Apparently smells fab too.
- Kardashian Sun Kissed Instant Sunless Spray, $20. This self tanner also gets rave reviews for its yummy scent, quick drying, and immediate color that doesn’t turn orange. The Kardashians take tanning seriously.
- Jergens Natural Glow Instant Sun, $12. The cheapest self tanner I have found that I actually like. It’s in my bathroom right now. It dries so so quick so I have to wear gloves when applying. The scent is more noticeable than my St. Tropez above but it’s not bad at all. I use the light bronze and it gives me immediately darker skin tone but I usually need two coats to get me noticeably tanner. Zero orange too!
- Tan Towels Anti Aging Self Tan Towelettes, $30. For a count of 15 towels in this box, these are specifically made for the face and get rave reviews everytime I read about them. Each towels contains exfoliating properties and a liquid tanner than is good for your skin and gives a healthy even glow.
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(Short film created by JAWAVI FILMS)
