Spray on tan?

marksmartini

I am going on vacation in two weeks and I am pasty white and don't really want to go to the tanning booth.  I was just wondering if anyone could recommend a spray on tanning place in the north Seattle area?  Also, any pro's/con's/tips? 

TIA

Tygirljojo

If you can and feel comfortable with it - I would recommend going to a spray tanning place where they have an actual person spray the solution on vs. going into a machine like Mystic Tan.  A person spraying can cover all nooks and crannies (i.e. the webbing area between your fingers, armpits, etc) that a machine can cause you to look wierd on. 

Be sure to exfoliate with a loofah or something similar the day of your tan.  Do the tan during evening or at night and if you end up sleeping with it on( needs to stay on for 8 hours at min) be sure your sheets are dark!  And do the tan 1.5-2 days prior to you leaving. 

The one thing I will warn against - the tan will start to look wierd after 4-5 days.  I ended up getting splotchy as my skin was starting to naturally shed itself as skin will do.  So if it's a short vacation, great.  A week?  I would actually avoid.

melissa82

Tips--wear loose clothes you don't care about getting some "tan" on. The place I went to had colored tanning solution. This meant I had what looked like a million bronze freckles ALL OVER. (My mother screamed when she saw me.) I had to walk from the place to my car in the parking lot like this. So I rec big sunglasses to hide out celebrity-style! LOL.

You can't shower for 8 hours (I think) so make sure your appt is at an opportune time. And scrub well when you do shower so it won't come off on your clothes/bed.

niq24601

If you're pale even the lightest tanner will make a big difference -- no need to go with medium or dark. Also in addition to loose clothing wear dark clothing or smudges might start to show.

Gene Juarez also has tanning services where someone applies it and gets at your nooks and crannies, either with the exfoliation or you can do it yourself there. They have locations at Northgate and Alderwood, but be sure to call and make sure someone there does it.

BrandyL10

I think it works very well, you will be very dark at first, but I just showered a few times that day and it lightened up a bit. But like Tygirl said, it starts to look funny after a few days. I was wearing sandals at the beach about a week after the spray on, and I looked down, the spray had come off my feet in patches and around my ankles from my socks rubbing. It looked like I had walked barefoot in mud, Gross!

bearsinlove

I'm quite pale myself and the Mystic has worked well for me (in Texas anyway - it was way too humid in Florida and it didn't dry right).  I plan on doing it again soon.  I haven't had the problem with it flaking off after a few days - just make sure you stay moisturized!

melissa82

OMG they still have those booths that spray color on you!?!? No way! Do you still have to do Charlie's Angels-style poses while getting shot with orange gunk?

BrandyL10

Melissa, ha ha! That is exactly what my experience was! This was a few years ago though to be honest, but thats right, I felt like one of the angels!

Tygirljojo

LMAO, yes, you have to do the wierd poses that make you feel like a mannquin acting like a kid.  My fave to try and get the stuff to cover the webbing between fingers is what I like to call The Pouncing Tiger.  And then of course there's The Sumo Mummy to try and get it under the arm pits and on the inner thigh.

melissa82

Jolene, if you could please post a photo of yourself in the Sumo Mummy pose, I think it would really help everyone. =p

mudpuddlestomper

I am afraid of the spray on stuff.  my SIL sprayed about a month or to after she had my neice.  she fell asleep nursing her (with no shirt on so the baby was flat against her chest..) and because the baby slept so hot, the tan rubbed off on half of the baby's face and chest!  ha ha ha ha ha ha

Tygirljojo

Melissa - I'm sure it would!

Mud - I feel so sorry for the kid (and the mom's likely horror at seeing her newborn like that) but that's just too funny!!

marksmartini

OMG!  You girls just crack me up!  Thank you for the tips and ideas of where to go I really appreciate it!  I am a little afraid to try it still.  Maybe will just do the old fashion tanning booth a time or two instead?  

LMAO about the tanning baby, that would be so humiliating to explain to everyone!  LOL