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.

 

Looking for a fun, fresh idea for Girl’s Night?

You’ve invited your friends over for a “Girl’s Night” next weekend. You’re going to have some food and watch a movie for the millionth time. It’s always fun to see everyone, but do you want to try something different this time? What about getting an airbrush tan?

Airbrush tans are safe alternatives to roasting in the sun or exposing yourself to harmful UV Rays in a tanning bed. You get a beautiful tan in only minutes and it lasts up to ten days! But you don’t have to go OUT to get one. You can bring the tan to you right in your own home.

If you’re in Denver, give SHINE a call and one of our expert technicians will bring a mobile tanning station to your house and give everyone a personalized, amazing tan. It’s great for homecoming parties, bachelorette parties, and plain old get togethers!

If any of your friends are new to tanning, give them these helpful tips before they come over:

1. Exfoliate at home – use a body scrub or get out that loofah and make sure the top layer of dead skin is scrubbed off your body.
2. Don’t put on any lotions, sprays, or perfumes before the appointment.
3. Wear what you’re comfortable in! If that’s a bikini, great. If you’re comfortable going topless, or even nude, go for it! We’ve seen it all and tanned every body type you can imagine.
4. Afterwards, be sure to stay dry for a few hours while the solution sets in and works its magic. The next morning, be sure to moisturize and keep your skin soft and healthy for as long as you can to lock in that color. When the top layer of your skin sloughs off, the tan will be gone. But the good news is, it’s fast and affordable to get another appointment! 😉

Tips to extend the life of your airbrush tan.

Nothing lasts forever. Unfortunately that’s true about spray tans. But there are some tricks for keeping that tan as long as you can!

Some of the most important things to help with you tan are done at home before you step foot in the tanning salon. That begins with exfoliating!  Spray tans only work on the top, outermost layer of your skin. This makes them much safer than tanning beds or laying out in the sun, but it also means that the tan won’t last quite as long. 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.

Also be sure you shave (or wax) the day before your appointment. When you remove hair, you often remove a bit 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.

On the day of your appointment, don’t put on any creams, sprays, perfumes, or lotions. A layer of lotion on your skin 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.

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 flakey 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.

How To Get a Natural Tan

It’s summer. You’re not all bundled up anymore, you’re going to be showing some skin! You want that skin to look great when you do, right? Tans are ideal because they hide more flaws and look healthier than pale, pasty skin. But we all know there is a huge difference between being TAN and being ORANGE!  We’ve all seen someone who overdoes it on the self-toner and spends a few hours too many in the tanning bed and comes out looking like an orange leather handbag…  No one wants to look like that! You want a healthy, glowing, NATURAL tan. So how do you get one? Well…

Your skin gets tan because the sun produces UV rays that penetrate your skin. These UV rays are actually pretty dangerous. It’s like being in a giant microwave.  So to protect your cells from literally baking, your body produces melanin to absorb these rays safely. This is what makes your skin darker. But getting a natural tan from the sun is sometimes tricky. There is a fine line between tanning and burning. Try as you might to protect yourself, I’m sure there’s been a time or two when you’ve gotten a dreaded sunburn. It looks and feels terrible. Painful, itchy, peeling, bright red skin is a far cry from healthy, gorgeous, glowing tan skin! But that’s just one of the risks of tanning outdoors in the sun. Long term sun exposure can deeply damage the anatomy of your skin cells and cause wrinkles, sun spots, and even skin cancer.  Tanning beds produce UV rays as well, so it works in much the same way. It also carries the same risks.

You might think that’s the only way to get a natural tan, but it’s actually not!  Airbrush tanning is another natural way to tan. (I know… I’ll give you a minute to pick up the pieces of your blown mind…)  It’s not a paint or a dye that gets applied to the skin like most people think it is, which is why it won’t leave you looking orange the way most self-tanners do. Airbrush tanning actually uses a non-toxic, completely organic compound called DHA.  It doesn’t cause wrinkles, sun spots, or skin cancer the way the sun can because it doesn’t penetrate deeply enough to damage your skin cells. DHA creates a chemical reaction within the amino acids in the very outermost layer of your skin. It’s a little bit like when you cut an apple and it begins to turn brown on the surface. This reaction does not involve the underlying skin pigmentation, nor does it require exposure to UV rays to initiate the change in color. It’s a natural, temporary color that looks just like a tan that occurs from melanin. Airbrush tans typically last about 7-10 days if you exfoliate properly before your appointment. It’s FDA approved and less expensive than you probably think it is for such an amazing treatment.

So the next time you want a natural tan, try airbrushing!

Tips to Make Your Airbrush Tan Last Longer

So you got an airbrush tan, and you love it! But how can you make sure it lasts as long as possible? Here are a few tips!

1.) Exfoliate, Exfoliate, Exfoliate!!!!

Spray tans affect the top, outermost layer of your skin. It won’t penetrate deeper into lower layers the way UV rays do – this makes an airbrush tan much 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. To make sure you’re not applying your tan 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 on the market. A quick search online can also give you recipes to make your own natural sugar scrubs at home. They sell exfoliating sponges and gloves that will help ensure you get all that old skin off as well. So scrub, scrub, scrub the day before your appointment.

2.) Shave First.

This goes along with the exfoliating… Make sure you shave (or wax) the day before your appointment. When you remove hair, you often remove a bit 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.

3.) Leave The Lotions.

On the day of your appointment, don’t put on any creams, sprays, perfumes, or lotions. The tanning solution should go directly onto your skin so that it can be absorbed and work it’s magic. If you have anything on your skin, it can block the solution and sabotage your tan!

4.) Skip The Skinny Jeans.

Wear loose clothing to your airbrush tanning appointment. The tanning solution dries pretty quickly, but it’s still a good idea to avoid tight-fitting clothing that can 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.

5.) Stay Dry for 6-8 Hours.

It’s not just tight clothes that can potentially disrupt your tan. Water can wash off the solution before it’s finished fully penetrating and bonding to your skin. 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 – sweating opens pores and washes away the solution just as much as a shower can.

6.) Moisturize!!!!

Once your tan has settled in (after that initial 6-8 hours) then be sure you keep it moist to lock that skin in. You know how your skin gets flakey when it’s dry? Those flakes are dead skin shedding off. 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.

7.) Avoid Chlorine.

Chlorinated pools are awesome, but after an airbrush tan, it’s best to limit your time in them because they shorten the life of your tan. 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!

 

 

Airbrush Tanning is No Joke!

 I’m always cautious of posts I read on April Fools Day… I’m afraid of getting tricked! But this year, believe me – this article isn’t a joke, but the results of your airbrush tanning are sure to fool others into thinking you’re younger, thinner, and more flawless than you might be!

You might be thinking “What do you mean? Younger, thinner, and more flawless??? I thought an airbrush tan just makes you… tan!”  Well, yes – it does. But what that tan covers up can be remarkable!

If you’re like me… and well, any one else with a human body… you probably have a few imperfections. Varicose veins, stretch marks, scars, cellulite, a few extra pounds…  that’s normal! Don’t you wish you could have a photoshop in real life to smooth out those glitches? Well, an airbrush tan is the next best thing!

   

 

It smooths over your imperfections in mere minutes! It gives you a youthful complexion and healthy glow, not just in your face, but through your whole body.

A good airbrush tanning technician knows how to contour your body like skilled artists! They know how to shade the right areas to hide things that need hiding, and highlight things that you want to stand out! Ladies, you can have perkier, rounder looking breasts without any surgeries. And without spending months in the gym, you’ll look thinner and more toned!

These results are real – no fooling!

And the best part? It’s safe and a lot less expensive than you’d think! Airbrush tanning doesn’t carry the same risks that tanning beds and laying in the sun do. The solutions used at Shine   are all natural, vegan, and cruelty-free. Airbrush tanning is FDA-approved and doesn’t use harmful UV-rays to create a tan like other methods. You’ll be surprised at how reasonably priced it is too!

This April, fool your friends with the optical illusions created by an expert airbrush tan!

 

 

Girls Night In

You love going out with your girlfriends! Dinners, drinks, dancing, concerts, theater….  but sometimes a girl’s night IN is just as fun! It’s certainly more relaxed and comfortable and a great chance to catch up on all the gossip going on in their lives without having to shout over a DJ.  The typical dinner and sitting around the tv is fun, but next time you want to invite the girls over, why not try something different? Consider having a theme or activity! It’s easier than you think. Here a few fun ideas:

1. a swap party –  Have everyone bring their old clothes, shoes, and accessories and everyone can go through and pick out pieces they want! All the left-overs can be donated to Goodwill. You get rid of clutter in your closet and come home with some great new swag. Win-Win!

2.  craft night – Pick a fun project, like jazzing up some old shoes or decorating a picture frame or making some jewelry. Have all the supplies ready when the girls get there and spend your night being crafty!

3. wine tasting – Have all your friends bring a bottle or two of their favorite vino and spend the night sampling each other’s choices. Be sure everyone either stays the night or gets a cab home after this one!

4. spa night – Everyone loves a good pampering! Have everyone bring their favorite shades of nail polish and do each others’ nails. Another fun idea is to do airbrush tanning! Airbrush tanning helps cover up varicose veins, stretch marks, and other imperfections to give you a full-body make-over in only a few minutes. You’ll look healthier, more youthful, and even slimmer! You might think that you have to go to a fancy studio to get it done, but some places, like Shine Salon in Denver, can actually come to your house and tan you and your friends in the comfort of your own home! They bring all the equipment necessary and it’s a quick, clean process.  It won’t break the bank either. Have everyone chip in or treat your friends for a night in everyone will be sure to remember and rave about. It’s a great idea for bridal showers and pre-prom parties as well!

Tan is IN This Winter!

 

It’s that time again, Wash Park….

WINTER!

Winter can be rough. Especially in the fashion department. Sure, it’s great to be able to bust out those super cute boots and the great full-length coats, but for those with lighter skin and hair, it’s easy to look completely washed out in the winter months. Wearing light colored clothes can make you look downright sickly sometimes.

But it doesn’t have to! Even in white and ON white, look at the difference a little color can make….

Radiant, right?!

You can get that glow too, best of all – it’s quick and affordable! It’s airbrush tanning. It used to be that if you wanted a tan in winter, you’d have to spend time baking in tanning beds or stain your whole house with lotions and sprays that left you greasy and orange looking. We now know about the dangers of UV rays and how tanning beds can cause skin cancer and premature aging, so hopefully you’ll realize that going that route isn’t worth the risk. And forget the streaky at-home bronzers, too. We live in the age of AIRBRUSH TANNING!

Have you tried it yet? A professional technician helps you pick a natural tone for your skin, and applies the solution for you quickly and evenly. There are no harmful UV Rays to worry about, and at Shine, the solution itself is vegan and cruelty-free. It isn’t some sort of stain or dye, the solution contains a natural compound called DHA that reacts with your outermost layer of skin to create a temporary tan.  DHA is FDA approved and completely organic. The tan lasts approximately 7-10 days and you can get it done in under 15 minutes for less than $30 at Shine!

So be radiant in your coats this season! Look healthier, younger, and more fashionable in mere minutes this winter.  You have no excuse not to!