My first time airbrush tanning…

I’ve been reading about celebrities getting airbrush tans in magazines for years, I’ve seen instagram posts tagged with #airbrushtan, I’ve seen episodes of reality shows where they go to get them, but I had never known anyone that had one done themselves. It seemed really intimidating. I didn’t know what to expect and was afraid I’d do or say something wrong or embarrassing. So for years I ignored the ads for salons that offered airbrush tanning services. I decided I’d stick to tanning beds where I knew what I was doing and no one else was there to laugh at me. Until one day I read an article about how tanning booths emit the same dangerous UV Rays that the sun does. I read about all the internal damage UV Rays can cause to your skin, including cancer! I brought it up with a friend of mine and she confided in me that she does airbrush tanning instead of tanning beds. I had so many questions!!! She sat down and talked me through it and we made an appointment together with her airbrush tanning specialist.

She told me what I needed to do before the appointment, and I’m glad she did. I would’ve had no idea. The day before we went in, I shaved my legs and made sure to exfoliate in the shower. Apparently, skin cells have their own life cycles. Old ones are at the very surface and when they die and flake off, the new skin cells beneath them are exposed. You don’t want the tanning solution to be applied to old, dead skin because it will flake off and your tan won’t last as long or look as even as it should! There are many special exfoliating brushes and scrubs available, but if you don’t have any, some soap and a good rub-down with a wash cloth will work just fine.  Shaving, waxing, facials, manicure/pedicures, massages, and laser treatments should all be done before your tanning appointment because if you do them afterwards, you run the risk of ruining the skin with the fresh tan on it.

She also told me to NOT wear any deodorant, perfumes, or lotions on the day of the appointment and go in wearing loose, comfortable clothing. She said I could wear a swim suit for the actual tanning, or I could go nude if I felt comfortable with it. I wasn’t quite that brave, but the technician was super nice and really professional. She assured me that she’s seen it all and is in no way judging my body. In fact, she said she could custom tailor the tan so that it would hide some of my blemishes and make me look toned and thinner. Amazing! She sat with me and discussed my goals and how dark I want the tan to be. She knew all about the products and was confident that I wouldn’t come out looking orange or unnatural. She matched my skin tone to the perfect color for me. I really didn’t expect so much personal attention. I felt like I was really being taken care of. I was really relaxed and comfortable and the whole thing lasted about 15-20 minutes.

Afterwards, the technician told me that I should stay as dry as I can for at least 8 hours! Avoid showers, pools, and sweaty exercise while your tan sets. Once it dries, you’ll want to keep your skin moisturized. Apply moisturizer daily in the morning and evening to help keep your tan as long as possible. When your skin gets dry, it flakes off and will take your gorgeous color with it, so keep it smooth and hydrated! Avoid soaps and moisturizers that contain AHA (Alpha Hydroxy Acid) as well as chlorine from pools/hot tubs whenever possible. Long hot showers and baths might also dull your tan, so keep ’em short if you can! You can also apply tan extender solutions that contain DHA – these will help your tan last even longer. DHA is the compound that creates the tan. It sounds like some sort of chemical, but it’s completely natural and organic. An airbrush tan doesn’t penetrate past that top layer of skin, so there is no internal damage unlike UV Rays which go deep into the inner layers and can create problems.

My tan lasted about 10 days and looked way more natural than I had expected. I was worried there would be streaks or blotches or come out too dark or orange, but none of that was the case! I was also surprised by how affordable it was. I figured it was a “luxury service” and would cost a small fortune, but it was much less than I expected.

If you’re apprehensive, I highly recommend you take the leap and give it a try. If you’re in Denver, I highly recommend Shine. They use 100% vegan, cruelty-free products and really know their stuff.

 

Full body transformation – No surgery or pills required!

Plastic surgery is BIG business. People pay thousands of dollars on surgeries, injections, lotions, potions, pills, and powders in order to make themselves look younger, slimmer, and more beautiful. What if I told you that there’s an easy way to look your best that you’re probably overlooking and it costs less than $30 and takes only a few minutes?

I’m talking about an airbrush tan! You probably think a tan is just a little color, but with a custom airbrush tan, it’s way more than that. Skilled technicians personalize each tan and can contour the application to make you look thinner, have bigger cleavage, and even have more toned muscles. It’s incredible what some well-placed color can do.  It also makes you look healthier and more youthful. The color helps to hide and diminish blemishes such as varicose veins, age spots and cellulite.  An airbrush tan can even your skin tone without any foundation and will look amazing even after you wash your face at night.

Spray tans have gotten a bad rep in the past for looking orange or streaky. That’s because spray tans USED to use dyes to stain the skin. An airbrush tan today doesn’t need all that artificial color! We use a safe, organic compound called DHA which works on the very top layer of your skin and doesn’t penetrate or damage deeper skin cells the way that tanning beds can. It creates a tan in a natural way and is approved by the FDA. The risks of cancer and skin damage associated with UV rays in tanning beds and the sun are not found with airbrush tans. And forget about those streaks! Your tanning technician is specially trained and will apply this formula evenly over your body to create a tan so natural that no one will know it isn’t real.

An airbrush tan won’t last forever sadly, but if you exfoliate before your appointment, avoid showering or swimming right after it, and then keep your skin nice and moisturized for the next week, you can prolong your tan up to 10 days, sometimes even longer!  It’s great to do all year round, especially for special occasions or big events. You’ll look like a whole new, healthier version of yourself.

Time to see what an amazing make-over it can be – Make an appointment today!

Fall Fashion – Tan is IN

The temperature is falling, but that doesn’t mean you have to give in to pale skin for the next few months. Keep your summer glow all year round with an airbrush tan!

How it works:

When you get an airbrush tan, a technician uses as specialized tool to evenly spray a solution on your skin. The solution we’re referring to contains Dihydroxyacetone or “DHA” – I know it sounds kind of scary, but DHA isn’t some sort of toxic chemical. In fact, it’s a completely NON-toxic, organic compound often derived from plant sources such as sugar beets and sugar cane, and by the fermentation of glycerin. DHA-based sunless tanning has been recommended by the Skin Cancer Foundation, American Academy of Dermatology Association, Canadian Dermatology Association and the American Medical Association as a safer alternative to sun-bathing. When you get a tan from laying out in the sun, UV Rays are penetrating deep into the inner layers of your skin where they can cause serious skin damage, even cancer! But DHA works only in the outermost layer of your skin and changes your skin tone in a safe, natural way.

How long does it last?

On average an airbrush tan lasts 6-10 days. But there are steps you can take to make sure it lasts as long as possible. Be sure you exfoliate before your appointment. The night before, take a shower and scrub, scrub, scrub! We are constantly growing new skin cells and old ones flake off to reveal fresh new skin below. We want to be sure we are spraying the new, healthy skin and not old, dead skin on the surface! Be sure to shave before you come in, too. And don’t wear any lotions or perfumes on the day of your appointment. We want to be sure that the solution doesn’t encounter any obstacles and can be applied directly and evenly to your fresh new, smooth, clean skin! After your tan, avoid showering, working out, swimming, or anything requiring you to get wet for the first few hours. Let it really soak in and give it time to be absorbed. Avoid tight-fitting clothes when you come in for your appointment for the same reason – you don’t want the solution to be rubbed, washed, or smudged away before it has a chance to set into your skin. After those first few hours, break out the lotion! Keep your skin nice a moisturized for the duration of your tan. If you can avoid letting your skin dry out and fake off, your tan will last longer.

The benefits

You might be wondering why anyone really feels like they need a tan in winter to begin with… well, you’d be surprised what a little bit of color can do! It’s been shown that an airbrush tan, when properly applied, can make you look thinner, younger, and healthier. The color can help to mask age spots, cellulite, and blemishes, too. Your airbrush tan technician isn’t going to let you look orange, either. We know the nuances of our solutions and how to create a natural looking skin tone for each unique customer. In the dead of winter, you don’t want to look like you spent all night sleeping in a tanning booth, you just want a touch of color to make you glow and we can get you that perfect shade. It only takes a few minutes and costs less than you might think!  Give us a call to see for yourself!  🙂

Don’t be fooled, tanning beds are DANGEROUS!

You might know that laying in the sun can cause damage to your skin. Sunburn, wrinkles, and even skin cancer can result from over-exposure to the sun. So it would be the natural assumption that laying outside to tan is bad for you… so tanning indoors is a better alternative, right? All these tanning salons out there with their fancy tanning beds and booths – those must be safer, right? WRONG! Tanning beds emit the same harmful UV rays that the sun does!

There are two types of UV rays – UVA and UVB. Most tanning beds emit mainly UVA rays, although some “high pressure” tanning beds emit a more concentrated mixture of the two. UV Radiation has harmful side effects such as  skin cancer, cataracts, premature skin aging, and suppression of the immune system. UVA rays in particular have been shown to increase the chance of getting melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer! As great as getting a perfect tan can be, it’s not worth dying for.

The FDA has banned the use of tanning booths by minors and strongly discourages people from using tanning beds for cosmetic purposes. There are too many risks involved. Besides skin cancer, you risk getting a sunburn and without using goggles, you put yourself at risk of getting a condition called arc eye, or snow blindness, which is basically like a sunburn on your eyes! Many tanning booths limit your exposure to 20 minutes, but 20 minutes can be enough time to cause damage, especially when you go often.

Why spend time and money for something so dangerous? There’s a safer alternative….

Airbrush Tanning!!!

Airbrush tanning doesn’t create color using a dye or stain, it uses a compound called Dihydroxyacetone, or DHA, which sounds like a crazy chemical name, but it’s actually an all-natural, organic, simple carbohydrate with formula C3H6O3. This skin browning effect is non-toxic and not invasive. This reaction takes place in the outermost layer of the skin, not deep down where UV Rays penetrate. Different amino acids react to DHA in different ways, producing different tones of coloration from yellow to brown. The resulting pigments are similar in coloration to melanin, the natural substance which browns or “tans” from exposure to UV rays.  It’s a natural, organic reaction, not one caused by radiation. The result is a natural looking tan without the harmful side effects.

We no longer have to stand in a booth that sprays you and turn around hoping to get every inch of skin evenly either! Airbrush tans are applied by trained professionals using a special spraying device that will make sure there aren’t any missed spots or uneven tone. Airbrush tanning technicians can even apply the formula in such a way that you can add slimming contours and cover problem areas specifically.

When properly cared for, an airbrush tan can last up to 10 days. It’s a natural, organic, safe option for getting some color all year long. And best of all? It’s quick! Instead of lying around all day getting a tan, you can be in and out in 15 minutes with a full body tan, and technicians can even come to your home with a mobile station and do it for you there!

Shine uses organic, vegan, cruelty-free formulas that you can feel good about and fit with your own healthy lifestyle.

Keep your airbrush tan longer!

 

Don’t you wish summer could last forever? Unfortunately, we can’t help with that, but we CAN give you a few tips to keep your airbrush tan looking stunning for longer!

Step 1: Exfoliating!  The solution in airbrush tans doesn’t penetrate into deeper layers of your skin; it stays on the top, outermost layer. This makes it safer, but it also means it won’t last forever. We are always losing skin. The top layer of skin dies and falls off or gets rubbed away by clothes, showers, etc. To make sure you’re not applying your tanning solution to a layer of dead skin that is just about the fall off, you should exfoliate the day before your tanning session so that the fresh skin underneath is the skin that gets tanned.  There are tons of exfoliating scrubs, sponges, and gloves on the market that can help you with this task. You can even make your own natural sugar scrub if you’re handy like that! There are tons of great recipes out there. Whatever you choose to use, make sure you do it the day before your appointment. You want to rid yourself of the old skin, and let your bright new skin get treated.

Also be sure you shave (or wax) the day before your appointment. When you remove hair, you can remove a bit of that top layer of skin as well. If you wait until after your airbrush tan, you’ll be removing a layer of the newly tanned skin with your hair, and that will reduce the time you get to spend with that glow. Plus, if you have hair on your body, the tanning solution will get on the hair and it can block the solution from getting to your skin and working it’s magic.

Step 2: Keep it bare. On the day of your appointment, don’t put on any creams, sprays, perfumes, or lotions. A layer of lotion can block the tanning solution from absorbing into your skin. Choose your outfit carefully before you leave the house, too.  Skinny jeans are great, but don’t wear them to your airbrush tanning appointment. The tanning solution dries pretty quickly, but it’s still a good idea to avoid tight-fitting clothes that will rub against your skin and potentially rub your solution off before it has a chance to fully penetrate and give you the best possible tan.

After you’ve gotten your treatment, avoid water for a few hours if you can. It takes about 6-8 hours for the solution to completely settle in and do it’s job. Until then, avoid showers, baths, saunas, and heavy work-outs since sweating opens pores and washes away the solution just as much as a shower can.

Step 4: Moisturize! Once your tan has settled in (after that initial 6-8 hours) then be sure you keep your skin moist to lock that skin in. You know how your skin gets flaky when it’s dry? Those flakes are dead skin shedding off. Your hydrated skin will stay healthier longer. Once your skin is nice and tan, we want to keep it! Keeping your skin moisturized will ensure that you keep that tan as long as possible. We recommend moisturizing at least twice a day. If you can find a moisturizer that has SPF sun protection built-in, even better! It will help protect your skin from those damaging UV Rays we mentioned earlier!

When your skin is nice and tan, it’s best to limit your time in chlorinated pools. Chlorine dries your skin out and sometimes can even have a bleaching effect. So it’s best to avoid chlorine altogether if possible, but if not – be sure to shower it off as soon as you can when you get out of the pool and keep that moisturizer flowing!

Following these tips can ensure that your tan lasts as long as possible.

Self-tanning vs. spray tanning

So you’ve heard about the risks of sun exposure and the damage that UV Rays can have to your body, so you decided that you don’t want to put yourself at risk by laying out in the sun or using a tanning bed. That’s a great choice! But you still want to look great this summer and pale skin just isn’t the look you want…  so what are your options? You can self-tan or you can spray tan… but what’s the difference? Is an airbrush tan really different than the spray-on-tans you can buy in a bottle at your local pharmacy?

The answer is YES! And the differences don’t just stop at how they’re applied.

There are tons of self-tanners on the market. There are countless sprays and lotions to choose from and they range in price from a few dollars to a few hundred dollars. The ingredients in these products vary, but a large number of them use types of dye to stain your skin. Unless you’re familiar with the product and how it looks on your unique skin tone, it’s hard to tell what shade of “tan” you’ll end up with. This sometimes ends up leaving you with an unnatural, embarrassing orange color.

You also have to be very careful applying your self-tanners. If you miss a spot, you likely won’t notice until the skin around it is colored and it’s still pale! Trying to cover your missed spot with more lotion will only make the dark skin darker and still leave you with a light patch. You have to properly rub all the solution into your skin or you will end up with streaks or splotches of darker color. Sometimes this is hard to do on your back or in places that you can’t easily see or reach. There are also some areas of your body that you don’t want to be as dark as the rest of your skin, like the back of your knees or palms of your hands. Those areas rarely tan in real sunlight so having them match the rest of your tan looks unnatural. Certain self-tanning products can also stain your clothes or furniture as well as your skin, so you’ll have to be cautious around fabrics.

Getting an airbrush tan eliminates many of these concerns!

When you get an airbrush tan, your technician will be able to help you find the right shade for your skin tone. They’re experts at making sure your color won’t look too dark or too unnatural. Airbrush tanning solutions don’t use stains or dyes to create that color. There’s an all natural, organic compound called DHA in these solutions that reacts safely and naturally with the outermost layer of your skin to create a darker pigment naturally. This is added to a bronzing agent to create the perfect glow. All of our products are vegan and never tested on animals. The FDA has approved them and they don’t carry the same health risks associated with tanning beds or laying out in the sun to tan.

Having an expert technician apply the solution also ensures that there will be no missed spots, no streaks, and no unnatural looking tans on areas that you DON’T want! And it’s much quicker than trying to do it yourself.

All of this is much less expensive than you think, too! Check our website for prices and specials. You’ll be surprised at how reasonably priced it is to get a great airbrush tan. You won’t consider going for the self-tan option again…  Make your appointment and start looking and feeling amazing with an airbrush tan from Shine!

Look great in ‘1-8!

Happy New Year, Denver! We’ve made it through 2017 and as we embark on this fresh year full of adventures, milestones, challenges, and changes, let’s not forget to stop and spend some time rewarding ourselves.

Year after year, one of the most popular New Years Resolutions is to get back into (or start fresh at) the gym. This is an excellent goal for your body and mind! When you’re thinking about working out, I bet you aren’t thinking about a tan, but you know the old saying “fake it ’til you make it?” Well, it applies here! An airbrush tan is surprisingly slimming. You will not only look healthier with a little color, a good tan will also hide small imperfections such as varicose veins. A great airbrush technician can even give you some shading to give you extra tone and definition. When you look better, you feel better. Looking your best will give you the confidence and motivation to throw on those workout clothes and get out there! Once you’ve been working hard and accomplish your goals, you’ll love how much better your 2018 body looks with a tan, too. Don’t let pale skin wash out your achievements; show off with some color!

Make this year SHINE with a safe, affordable, all natural tan from us. You deserve to look your best all year, and we’re here to help.

 

 

Defeat the enemies of your airbrush tan!

Your brand new airbrush tan is so lovable, it’s hard to imagine it would have enemies, but it does. There are things that want to fade it into oblivion, but we’re here to give you the tools to fight for your tan!

The first thing you can do to protect your tan begins before your appointment! Be sure to shave and exfoliate your skin the night before your tan. You want to be sure that top layer of flaky dead skin that we all have is sloughed off to reveal the fresh skin underneath. There are plenty of products available to help you exfoliate, but beware of sugar scrubs or other scrubs on the market which have an oily base. That oil might feel great, but before an airbrush tan, it can coat the skin and make it hard for your tanning solution to permeate. You want to walk into your tanning appointment with clean, DRY skin. Don’t apply any lotions, perfumes, or sprays to your skin before you tan because it can block the tanning solution and you could end up with an uneven or weak tan.

The next enemy your tan will encounter is tight clothing. While airbrush tans dry fairly quickly and don’t stain the way some self-tanning lotions do, you still want to give your tanning solution time to soak into your skin evenly. Skip the skinny jeans and opt for loose clothes on the day of your appointment.

Once you’ve gotten your tan, stay clear of water. For the first 6-8 hours, water is your tan’s enemy. Swimming, showering, even sweating can wash off the solution before it has a chance to properly set. After those first few hours, water lightens up and your tan and water can be friends again. But don’t spend hours in the hot tub if you can help it. Chlorine will be still try to sabotage your tan in large quantities, too. Chlorine dries your skin out and can have a bleaching effect with prolonged contact. So it’s best to avoid chlorine altogether if possible, but if not – be sure to shower it off as soon as you can when you get out of the pool and pat yourself dry.

Dry skin is enemy number one. Once the tan skin on your body starts dying and flaking off, it takes your tan with it. Keep your skin moisturized, but avoid over-saturating it. Opt for a light moisturizer over a thick body butter, and use it whenever you start feeling dried out.

With these tips, you’ll be a super hero to your tan!

Is there a difference between an “airbrush tan” and a “spray tan”?

Airbrush tan, spray tan; tomAYto, tomAHto… right?  Not exactly. Not all tans are the same! Let’s explore a few different types of tanning…

♦ Spray Tan Booths

Spray tan booths are large booths that you stand in, and the tanning solution sprays out of nozzles and onto your skin. There’s no one there spraying you, you’re on your own.  If you accidentally turn your arm the wrong way or clench your legs together in the booth, the spray might not hit you evenly, leaving you with an unnatural looking tan. You need to be extra vigilant in order to get an even tan. You also need to be wary of tanning areas like your underarms or palms of your hand which might look unnatural with a dark bronze color! Booths can also make people feel slightly claustrophobic, so if you feel uneasy in tight spaces, this might not be the method for you.

 ♦ Self-Tanners

We’ve all seen these, and let’s be honest – most of us have tried at least one variety. They’re cans of spray-on liquid or lotions found everywhere from posh salons to your local drug store, and they promise perfect golden skin in the privacy of your own home. But how well do they work? I’ll be honest, you MIGHT be able to find one that you’ll swear by. But chances are, it will take a lot of time, money, and misery before you do. There are so many different formulas out there, and everyone’s skin is different, so it’s hard to tell which lotions, potions, and sprays will look natural on you. Some are made from dyes that stain your skin and look orange, some are made from other chemicals that might irritate your skin, and some are just plain ineffective. It’s also hard to apply sprays and lotions evenly on yourself, so you might need a friend to help. You might THINK you’ve gotten every inch, but the next day you look in the mirror and there’s that big patch of white skin, or even worse, thick streaks or blotches of dark color! Many at-home products will not only color your skin, but leave stains on your clothes, sheets, and furniture as well, so you’ll need to be careful. As the saying goes, you usually get what you pay for. You’ll get much better results letting a professional handle it. Which leads us to….

♦ Airbrush Tanning

Airbrush tanning is the preferred method for many people, including Hollywood’s biggest celebrities. With an airbrush tan, you’re working with a professional technician who knows how to pick the perfect formula to make each person’s unique skin tone look naturally colored.  They will then spray you by hand to ensure that the solution is applied evenly to all areas you want to tan, and eliminate excess spray from getting into areas you DON’T want – like knees, elbows, and underarms! It’s not a dye or stain like other self-tanning products. The active ingredient is something called DHA which is an organic compound that safely and naturally causes a tanning reaction in the very top layer of your skin. Airbrush technicians can touch up specific areas to even out skin tone or eliminate tan lines, and can even do things like give definition to thighs and abs. Airbrush tanning won’t leave streaks or stains like most at-home products, and it only requires one application. An airbrush tanning session is a truly personalized experience. You can even have an airbrush artist come to your house! They will bring all the equipment necessary to give you a great tan in the privacy and convenience of your own home.

For an affordable airbrush tan in Denver, Shine salon is the place to go!  We can also come to you and we offer special group packages for spa nights, bachelorette parties, weddings, pre-prom, etc. Give us a call to make an appointment and see why airbrush tanning is the best kind of spray tan you can get!  (303)-722-4040

Imperfections? What Imperfections?

No body’s perfect. Everyone has something they’re self-conscious of or wishes they could hide. You’re beautiful and you should embrace your body, with or without your imperfections… but if there were a quick, safe, pain-free way to look healthier, slimmer, and younger for under $50, would you be interested? You might be surprised to learn that an airbrush tan does all this!

These aren’t your mother’s spray tans. Back in the day, people used stains and dyes to color the skin a “tan” color, but it often ended up looking orange and streaky. Today, we use a safe, organic compound called DHA in our airbrush tans instead of artificial colors and dyes. DHA works on the very top layer of your skin and doesn’t penetrate or damage deeper skin cells the way that tanning beds can. It creates a tan in a natural way and is approved by the FDA. Our products are vegan and cruelty-free so you can feel as good as you look.

Our technicians are specially trained and know which formulas will look best with your unique skin tone. We will apply it evenly over your body so that it won’t look blotchy or unnatural in any areas. We can even contour the application to make you look thinner, have bigger cleavage, and even have more toned muscles. We can even out your skin tone and do wonders to hide varicose veins, age spots, cellulite, scars and stretch marks. It’s incredible what some well-placed color can do.

Pale skin washes you out and can leave you looking frail and sunken-in. A little color livens you up and leaves you looking younger and healthier in minutes.

Time to see what an amazing make-over it can be – Make an appointment today!