Hi, I’m Faith. In recent editions of the XSport Life, you may have read my articles describing the experiences I had as a first-timer in a personal training session, Athletix, Boxing and the XSport Spa.
This time, I’ve done something completely cosmetic, not to mention great for my state of mind! If you’ve ever been curious about spray tanning as a helpful way to get a golden glow, read on.
I’ll admit, I’ve always admired a nice tan. However, I rarely have one, due to my genetics (blonde, freckles, fair-to-medium skin tone) and my schedule (I‘m writing indoors all week, and any sun I get tends to be all at once over the weekends working in the yard, at a picnic, etc.).
Now that the weather is breaking, spring fever has me craving short sleeves and definitely no tights with my dresses. And this brings us to the occasion for my first-ever spray tan—my recent getaway to Las Vegas with my husband. When you’re getting ready to take a trip to a sunny, sexy location in mid-April, the sun-deprived winter months can stare back at you in the mirror.
After a little research and a recommendation from a friend, I decided to try an instant solution to get the glow I was craving—a VersaSpa spray tan at the XSport Spa.
I went for my tanning session during the lunch hour. The room was open and I got right in. Had someone been tanning ahead of me, I might have had to wait a bit, but the process is pretty quick so it wouldn’t have been a long wait.
I was dressed for work, with light make up on, so my first concern was would there be any issues with me putting these clothes back on and meeting with people after the tan? I didn’t want stains, smell, etc. The spa gals assured me there wouldn’t be an issue, and guided me with some instructions that helped make sure that was true:
A few hours later, I began to look nice and tan! When I woke up the next morning, I thought I had gone a little too dark. There is a choice of light, medium and dark for your VersaSpa, and I went medium. Next time I’m tanning in a “non-tan” season, I’ll choose the light one. The medium would have been a great choice for me in the summer or after I return from a beach vacation.
In Vegas a couple of days later, I felt super confident in my skin, and it shows in the pics we snapped. I realized that having a bit of color really helps me with several things I care about when I want to look my best: I can do less make up, my skin looks healthier, I look like the outdoorsy type I am at heart, and somehow, I look more fit. I swear that a when I’m tan, it looks like it takes off a couple of pounds!
Timing: My tan was at its peak 24 – 48 hours afterward. It faded slowly over the next week. I was able to get a little sun by the pool on days 3 and 4, which gave my color a little more longevity.
Best parts: It’s fast. It’s customizable. It doesn’t cause sunburn. It doesn’t add to my wrinkles.
Watch outs: People are always worried about turning orange with a spray tan. I didn’t get that effect. I did find a few trouble spots between my toes and on the edge of my palms that looked too dark—very bronze. Also the front of my ankles were darker than I wanted because I hadn’t put barrier cream there like I did on my knees.
Recommendations: Take your time with the barrier to achieve the most natural-looking effects. If you do end up with any darker spots, try what I did: bit of sugar scrub in the shower on just those areas. It worked. Also, if you’re a newbie like me, you might want to try a lighter tone the first time to see what you think.
I will definitely be using the VersaSpa again. I’ll be welcoming the summer season with a lovely tan this year!
If you have never had a spray tan at XSport before, your first one is FREE! Click here to request your session.