Tuesday, August 9, 2011

When You Want to Get Tan Quickly But Not Look Like Snooki

85, 65, or anything above 45.  Those are the sunscreen spf numbers that I use when I'm outside in the summer.  I'm a huge nerd when it comes to taking care of my fair skin.  This comes from years of lessons learned from sunburn experiences (anyone else ever put an aloe plant directly on their face?)  Plus, once I turned maybe 22 or so, I already became concerned about aging.  I was blessed with healthy looking skin and I want to do my best to keep it looking that way as long as I can.

I've never really minded being pale, and I still don't.  Especially in the fashion world, having super fair skin can look really chic.  But, lately I have been wishing that my skin had that healthy summer glow.  The only way I ever get this look naturally is when I go on a long beach vacation.  I still lather myself in sunscreen of course, but over time I still achieve a bit of a tan.  But this summer I have been a girl on the go.  Unfortunately there hasn't been much lounge by the pool time for me.  Plus, it's also been a thousand degrees every day so when I'm outside I'm either immediately under water or hiding in the shade.  So, what's the solution?  Spray tan!

The last (and first and only) time I ever received a spray tan was many years ago.  It was from one of those horrible spray tan places where you stand inside a shower type type thing and a machine sprays you from all sides.  I remember the experience well because I thought I might actually die from asphyxiation.  On top of the uncomfortable process, the result was pretty unnatural looking.

This time, I went to Betty Lash where they offer the Organic Glow spray tan.  I'm still not quite sure why it would matter if your spray tan is "organic" or not.  But I assume that it's better for your skin in the same way that organic food is better for you.  But regardless of the science of this, I do think my Organic Glow had some notable positives going for it over my past spray tan. 




One of the best parts about the Organic Glow experience (besides the Jedi-like robe they offer you to wear) is that instead of a machine spraying you, you get an actual person hand spraying you to give you a natural all over tan.  Stacy made sure to get every nook and cranny (I know this because at one point she had me bend over so that she could spray my butt creases.)  Oh yeah, if you are modest you can get sprayed in a swimsuit, your underwear, or they can give you some disposables to wear.  Or, you can just let it all hang loose and get no tan lines.  But keep in mind that it is an up close and personal experience.  After I was sprayed, Stacy even made sure to clean my ears , hands, fingernails, and feet so that there were no awkward tanned spots.


When I first got home and looked at myself in the mirror after the few hours of letting the tan soak in, I became extremely nervous that I was going to end up looking like Snooki.  This is because on top of the spray tan, they also give you a bronzer.  The bronzer was making me look like some sort of aborigine, and, although it was kind of cool and made me feel like a movie character, it wasn't the look I was hoping for.  Luckily this washed off once it was time for me to take a shower, and I was left with a natural looking tan.

The before and after my Organic Glow spray tan.  The result wasn't too dramatic, but it was still noticeable in a good way.

My tan had pretty much completely faded after a week.  I think my tan started to fade quicker than normal because I did things that you are not supposed to do (typical.)  The second day after getting my tan I went sporadically swimming (i.e. got drunk and jumped in a pool at a party with all my clothes on) and then passed out without rinsing off.  Letting chlorine stay on your skin is definitely against the spray tan rules.  But even with my disobedient behavior my tan still looked good the next day.


Joanna
keep austin stylish

3 comments:

David A. said...

Organic or not, I'm not a big fan of the "healthy" tanned glow. What's healthy about premature aging? Fair skin was once considered the fairest, i.e. the most beautiful, skin tone on women until the 1960s, I believe. I'm surprised it hasn't made more of a comeback - I vote it does. In conclusion, I'm glad your tan faded quickly!

Cathy Benavides said...

But what if I DO want to look like Snooki.......

I like the idea of spray tans but not the hassle. Knowing me, I'd forget to exfoliate my elbows and look like I elbowed an Oompa Loompa. However, I think it gave you a lovely sun-kissed look..... not that your regular skin tone isn't lovely too :)

joanna said...

Thanks everyone!