all the questions answered about how i get my “natural” looking spray tan…

Fashion & Beauty

All The Questions Answered About How I Get My “Natural” Looking Spray Tan…

Drescription

This was a post I wrote waaaay back in early 2020! It was meant to be “winter content” as it’s harder to get a tan from the actual sun when it’s cold outside. But as I’ve been talking with my team we just aren’t into the whole “sit in the sun and bake” idea anymore. Protecting our skin and health is pretty important to us but that doesn’t mean we want to totally forgo that tanned glow, right? So we thought that reposting this VERY important and practical content might just be what some of y’all want. Enjoy:)

My team has heard me reference spray tanning for years and when we were brainstorming our lifestyle content for February, they all begged me to do a post about it because they are all curious and want try, but they are scared. So today I’m answering all their questions about how I get my “natural” spray tan in the middle of winter, for under 4 minutes and around $16. I’m not saying you should do this, nor encouraging the idea that tan skin is better than pale – no weird skin shaming here. But, like covering grays or straightening hair, it is something that some people do and even more people are curious about. And while it’s innately driven in a superficial (literally skin deep) way, I think most of us can relate to the confidence boost we get when we are looking healthy and pulled together – whatever that looks like to you. I’m an expert in it (the spray tan, not the “pulled together” look), so get ready because I’m about to drop some spray tan knowledge.

Let me walk you through it all …

WHAT IS A SPRAY TAN?

A spray-tan is a liquid formula with DHA that when sprayed evenly makes you look like you’ve been in the sun and you feel all glowy. There are many levels and tones and indeed you might want to experiment before say, your red carpet walk or your wedding. The same formula can also be in a lot of tanning lotions (we’ll get to that later).

There Are Two Types Of Spray Tans: “Airbrush” And “Booth”.

Airbrush means a real live person actually sprays you *naked* either in a pop-up booth in your home ($50 – $100 depending on where you live and level of experience) or at a salon ($60 – $80). It’s highly embarrassing but you will get a much longer-lasting tan that might look more natural and it’s, ahem, thorough. If you are in LA, I recommend Brittany from Be Bronze Studio.

A “booth” is literally a vertical booth that you stand in and nozzles go up and down and spray you evenly on your front and back. It is faster and more affordable – I have a $60/month membership at a non-fancy place and I go once a week (thus the $16 – it’s likely around $30 if you just buy one). It takes me between 4 – 7 minutes from start to finish (I know because I’ve timed myself SO MANY TIMES while I’ve made Brian wait in the car). There are two major brands of booths – Versa and Mystic. As I’m writing this I literally had no idea how much of an expert I am. I much prefer Versa because it’s more natural and much faster. There are typically 3 different levels of Versa that differ in intensity (and differ from booth to booth). I typically do level #2 bronze (the difference between bronze and clear is that they both give you a tan but “bronze” gives you an immediate glow that will yes, get on your clothes and sheets, and “clear” doesn’t show up for 8 hours, but since I like instant gratification I get bronze).

What do I do before a spray tan? Any prep?

You want to be clean, but not crazy exfoliated because it won’t stick as well. Around the ankles and wrists it will stick more because those areas are less smooth for whatever reason. Ideally, you shave the day before but I’ve shaven the day of one million times.

Don’t spray tan and then mani/pedi or get a blowout, or do anything that has to do with water or it will take the color off your hands/feet/calves and neck…

Do NOT get your first spray tan before an important event like a wedding. They can be uneven, too orange, or too dark so test it out, go on Yelp, ask for recommendations. For any special occasion, I get a custom airbrush done to guarantee that it’s a natural tone and it’s even (again, you have to make an appointment, it takes at least 20 minutes and costs about 4 times the cost of a booth in LA, otherwise I would do it all the time). They can even vary from booth to booth within the same brand so test out that particular booth first.

You need to wear a loose-fitting dress afterward so it doesn’t stick to your body and rub off your tan (it also feels incredibly gross to put on tight skinny jeans after this – you are sticky and damp for hours). No combat boots either. Think flip-flops or loose sneakers.

Side By Side 1

There I am the day before the shoot, consider this a “before”. Those are the four poses that you are supposed to do in the booth, and no I’m not psyched that I had to publish those on the internet. I also waited until my last spray tan was totally gone as you can see to do this post, which was QUITE the sacrifice.

What Happens Once In The Spray Tan Room?

Put your barrier cream on your hands and feet (see IGTV on Instagram). Apply liberally, but if you want to do it perfectly google some videos. I’m not the best at it.

Put on your hairnet and make sure it’s not too far onto your forehead (true story – I had like a full 1/2 inch tan near my hairline on my whole face once for an entire day). In the winter, I usually put a hairnet on my face too, so that only a bit of it gets on my face. This can make it pretty uneven between my face and my chest, but I don’t love a super tan face in winter (or ever on me). I really just want a tan body, not an orange face.

Take off jewelry, at least your necklaces and bracelets (I leave my rings because I always have those on so those tan lines don’t matter).

Step on a towel or buy the little foam things to stand on or else the bottom of your feet will be orange for weeks.

Get into the booth – NAKED or with whatever clothes you want (but you’ll have SEVERE “tan” lines).

Press the button and wait for the robot lady to tell you to move into the above four poses as the sprayer goes up and down 4 times. It then dries you on both sides.

Spray Tan Lores 11

What Are The DOs And DONT’s After Getting A Spray Tan?

You can’t take a shower for 8 hours – that’s the minimum amount of time for it to “activate”.

If you see it looking REALLY DARK then wash your face and chest. I think it sticks faster there and it can look dark and really unnatural. I usually don’t shower the next day because I like it to keep activating and get even darker, but you kinda stink and it’s pretty gross.

Most people shower the next morning but don’t scrub and don’t use a rag. Just let the water run and you’ll see the brown water of the bronzer go down the drain.

You should be careful about having sex for 8 hours, too. I’ve NEVER been in this situation before but I’ve heard from an airbrush person that if “certain liquids” get on it it will indeed take it off if under the 8 hours within that region. That “tan line” is harder to explain in a bathing suit the next day at the pool…

You should expect that it will get on your sheets, jammies, pillowcases, and towels. Mine always comes out, but I can’t vouch for your spray tan (it’s the same with most tanning lotions). I will say that if you like your sheets crisp white then you should likely need to bleach them, but again it’s not a huge problem for me.

You can go swimming, get a massage, sit in a hot tub, steam room, or sauna but all those things will reduce how long it lasts. I tell you this because usually people spray tan before vacation, so just know the consequences of your fun :) I feel like one day in a chlorine pool takes mine totally off (If I’m on vacation I use St. Tropez at night on my legs and I’m happy – use the mitt).

THE NEXT DAY (or 8 hours later):

Spray Tan Lores 15

Yep. There she is. You might say that my legs are tanner than my face and you are right. I could use bronzer on my face if I wanted to even it out, but I wanted to show you what it looked like. That color will last for 2 -3 days with minimal showering.

I consider it makeup for your body. It’s not that big of a deal but it does make me feel more comfortable at least wearing shorts. Head to the video to watch the video of the process which is both entertaining and yes, embarrassing but super informative.

If the booth spray sounds like too much to you (or you just want a good at-home product) here are our favorites:

I’ve used the St. Tropez for years and love it (I opt for the booth because it can get back, butt, and is just more even but if I ever just want legs done I use this). Kate Somerville wipes are great if you have some color already but just want a glow, and Julie and Sara both love the Neutrogena and Banan Boat options.

We would love your suggestions in the comments – especially if there are any new organic brands (or booths) we should try.

A Quick River House Guest Bathroom Reveal

Welcome to a quick reveal of my brother’s guest bath which is small, cute, blue and right next to that new pink bedroom that we are obsessed with. Max Humphrey and I designed this together – starting almost 3 years ago when I was still in Arrowhead! He has the same tile in his bathroom, which was the jumping-off point and we designed the rest of it it to be simple and contemporary. The Tile We worked with Ann Sacks on the tile and chose their Context line for the walls in this really pretty denim blue color called Spa. The wall tile is 2×12 so you can see we did a vertical row and then a horizontal tile on top, essentially creating a type of stripe. It’s a nice way to lay out tile to have it not be busy but do something interesting (neither a stack nor a stagger, no offense to either of those :)). We wanted to do a sort of color drench in here so we used a darker blue penny tile in a color called Lantern on the floor – a real Max Humphrey move. As you can see there is a lot of color variation to the tile that you can’t really tell on a sample, so when it’s installed it has some dark spots making each piece look more organic (but good to know). The Shower Plumbing We went with the Purist line in the Vibrant Brushed Moderne Brass with cross handles. The Purist remains my favorite line of theirs for both modern and transitional, but can absolutely go “modern traditional” as well. And per usual it comes in nine different finishes – all so pretty. Max chose the grout for the tile which was lighter on the walls and a bit darker grey on the floors. We talked about it after the grout was put in, and both of us would’ve done a darker blue grout on the floor, adding more of a contrast with the walls. We used white Caesarstone leftovers for all the trim and niche. We wanted to add some other design elements but didn’t want to make it too busy (and honestly at this point we were on a budget so we didn’t want to add a second tile. I felt that a paint color wouldn’t be impactful enough and didn’t necessarily want to add any wood paneling or anything like that. So once I found this wallpaper from Mitchell Black I loved how it picked up on the warmer tones of the brass and wood, but was still quiet and organic. We also didn’t know how we were going to design the guest room (and this bathroom is inside the guest room so they really needed to coordinate). So whatever we chose we didn’t want to lock us into a specific color palette just yet. This wallpaper is so neutral, soft, and pretty. This bathroom is pretty small, but this vanity has a lot of storage and works really well in here. We switched out the hardware to be black wood (stained, from Etsy) and I love that it looks like freestanding furniture. The sink and counter come with it making it easy for purchasing and install. I LOVE that light fixture, by Worley’s, which you can customize both the metal and the wood. I was greedy and wanted a multi-finish sconce so this black and wood double sconce was perfect here and married all of our finishes. The mirror was a $50 Home Goods purchase, y’all. I know these are a bit trendy and I bought it on a whim, but once I held it up we all agreed it was pretty dang cute and the idea of continuing to shop for something “better” wasn’t necessary. I like the tone of the wood with the wallpaper and the shape of the mirror with the organic “flock of birds” like pattern. For this bathroom we did a deck mount faucet, mostly to switch it up after a lot of wall mounts :) Designing five bathrooms at the same time makes you want a bit of variety. But behind the scenes, we may have wallpapered a dark slightly gold-flecked navy blue paper at first…it was a big “hell no” which was a bummer, but thank god the install of it was also problematic so we were able to re-install the new paper for free. So much better :) The flow between this bathroom and its bedroom is really pretty and while it’s small, it’s highly functional, so pretty, and does the job. Only one more bathroom left :) Stay tuned!

A Modern Traditional Green Tiled Bathroom (With A Last Minute Sink Pivot)

Well, well, well…I do believe this is the last bathroom of my brother’s river house, and likely the one that gets seen the most by guests. I have an order of favorites, for sure, but this one seems to be the reigning #1 (I’m partial to the primary myself, but perhaps that’s because I’m middle-aged and love an at-home spa experience – I mean, they have a sauna inside the bathroom). This one has a punch and a pattern, and a lot of green (go Ducks!). Green tiled bathrooms for the win. We chose the tile back when Max and I were both working on this project, and that man also loves a big green tile moment. I mean who doesn’t love a good green tiled bathroom. We worked with Ann Sacks, which has extremely good colors and really solid tile. Max felt really strongly about this tile and wanted it staggered as a 4″ square. I wanted it stacked as a rectangle, and somewhere along the line, it ended up staggered as a rectangle. I honestly don’t remember who is responsible for what anymore! But it turned out so great, and it’s pretty beloved in the home. A Big Pivot… I do remember that at one point, Ken and Max chose this big double faucet-ed wall-hung farm sink from Kohler that I objectively love, but as the house came together, it started to feel like it didn’t belong here. Katie felt the same. So with conflicting design visions, we looked for other options. We had to make decisions quickly as the subs were working hard on all the bathrooms at the same time. So we played around with what we had on hand, which was a leftover wall-hung drawer vanity (seen above) that felt oddly big. But that’s when Gretchen has the idea of using our leftover tile to tile a smaller version of that wall-hung vanity. So JP and his crews built a box for an inset sink, with the vision to tile overtop of it, keeping the look of the wall tile and running the same way. We taped it out, making sure that it worked with the plumbing that was already behind the tiled wall, while also ensuring that it was the right scale for this bathroom. It was a risk, and a last-minute one on the bathroom that the most people would see and near the end of a long project… We ordered the faucet from Kohler, and I was so relieved that it turned out pretty darn great. Still unexpected in the house, but now that it’s fully decorated, the pattern of the wallpaper and the colorful tile work so well together. The pendants were bought from Schoolhouse Electric – modern yet traditional and on the affordable side. On Choosing The Wallpaper This bathroom is big for a powder bath and dark (no natural light), and just painting felt a bit dead, so once again I was tasked with finding a wallpaper that was organic and fluid so that it contrasted against the linear brick tile, but not too traditional like most florals. As you know, I’m a massive fan of the Raphael pattern for this exact reason – it has this beautiful movement without it being too busy or bold. The large scale of it works so well with smaller tiles, and the white grout pulled so well with the white background. It also felt very Oregon to me – what with the trees and such. Yes, we see it a lot these days, but I enjoy seeing it every single time. The variation in the tile color is so pretty (with many shaky edges – so make sure you are up for that look). It’s just such a deep, rich green with a lot of high gloss texture. Can’t forget the toilet :) There was enough room for a little side table, which I was on the fence about, but the gap was big, so we added it, and it looked cute. I went to my inventory of art and found that I had two more of these MaryAnn Puls pieces (I had bought and framed a bunch for my team holiday present years ago, and had a couple left over). They felt like a sweet moment in here and brought in that hit of warmth with the wood that was echoed with the stool and the wooden arch sculptures (which I bought on Amazon, last minute, LOL). She’s pretty dang cute and a fun punch for guests upon arrival. Actually, my whole family is coming over tonight to Ken’s for a BBQ to get a full updated tour now that it’s all decorated, which I’m super excited about. Last bathroom done!!! Don’t worry, we still have like 6 more rooms to reveal (I love them all SOOO MUCH), so stay tuned. The river house project is truly never-ending :)

I Restocked My Makeup After 2 1/2 Years – Here’s What The Sephora Salespeople Told Me Are The Best Products That Everyone Wants

As you may or may not know, I’ve been wearing the same makeup for years and years. And by “same” I mean literally have been milking the same bottle of foundation and stick of lipstick for a LONG TIME. So long that I was getting lip acne that I blamed on wearing masks, but then I realized I was rarely wearing a mask because I work from home so why the acne? When I googled “Why am I getting zits around my lips” the first thing that came up is ‘”Are you wearing old lipstick?” and I was like, “Whoops. Yah. Gross. You dummy.” So now that the mask mandate is lifted here I felt it was time to go in person to Sephora to get some fresh face supplies during their sale. While there I asked the salesperson what were the new products that everyone was freaking out about? Anything new that people love or are raving about? Their big sale started yesterday so I figured it was a good time. Then beyond what’s hot, I told her my needs and she was SO HELPFUL. Here’s what she recommended: Dior Lip Oil Dior Lip Oil: It was sold out at the store and apparently still is everywhere – I even saw it on Poshmark for $90 (it retails for$35) so good luck finding it, but I still wanted to share it just in case you happen upon it at a random store. It sure must be amazing :) Since they were out of that she recommended the Merit Tinted Lip Oil, which I did get and love. It feels so moist, but not sticky and the color stays (I’ve only worn it for one day, but so far so good). I got it in “Au Naturel” and “Cara Cara” which is slightly more of a pop, but not too bright. Peter Thomas Roth Temporary Eye Tightener Peter Thomas Roth Temporary Eye Tightener: I’m never leaving the house again without it (for shoots anyway). It absolutely diminished the appearance of fine lines. It felt tight and just worked. It’s mostly peptides I think but beyond that, I have no idea how it’s so effective so fast. I’m not saying it’s “good” for your skin, you simply look less wrinkled if you are into that. I think this is an excellent gift to give someone you are close enough to give a wrinkler reducer gift to. I was SHOCKED. I didn’t do a before/after when I put it on the first time but will today and put it on social for you. It does feel VERY tight though. It’s not uncomfortable per se but you can feel it on your face. Super Goop Glow Super Goop Glow Oil: I’ve been wearing the face sunscreen for a long time, but this is awesome because it’s a spray that you can easily reapply over lotion/makeup. People are super into I guess. Caitlin concurred that she loves it too and wears it every day. Benefit Precisely, My Brow Pencil Benefit Brow Pencil: I went to get a new brow pencil from Anastasia (which are excellent because they are so fine) but I complained to her that they don’t last that long and she agreed. She said for that reason she recommends the Benefit Precisely, My Brow Pencil instead. I guess it has hair-like strokes (and was more affordable). I got it in “Warm Light Brown”. So far so good, although I really do need someone to still help me with my brows. Does anyone know any great portland brow people?? Nars Light Reflecting Foundation Nars Light Reflecting Foundation: My friend Whitney told me about this first, then the salesperson confirmed that indeed people are FREAKING out about this foundation. I guess it’s trying to compete with the Armani foundation I’ve been using for a decade. I bought it and sadly the color I chose is slightly too warm for me so I need to exchange it if they let me (I got #5 Salsburg, when I should have gotten 4, I think). She also recommended Kosas foundation for the exact same results – light reflecting, light on your skin, etc – and Kosas is clean beauty (it was just sold out at the store, otherwise I would have snagged it). Hourglass Ambient® Lighting Powder Hourglass Ambient® Lighting Powder: I bought this a couple of years ago and still LOVE IT. Whitney confirmed it was great and the salesperson also adamantly agreed. I bought radiant bronze light (for more tan/sunkissed) and ambient (more everyday glow). BIG FAN. AD Laura Mercier Light Revealer Tinted Moisturizer (SPF 25) Laura Mercier Light Revealer Tinted Moisturizer (SPF 25): I have the oil-free version (which I think I bought because I have lash extensions and you try to reduce the amount of oil on your face with those) but my skin is dry so I need oil. This one has the oil and so far it’s great (and that’s the general consensus). You have a lot of flexibility with the shades since it’s just a tint, so it’s easy to reapply on the go, etc. Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray Charlotte Tilbery Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray: They were out of this, but they had the sample that we tried on our wrist and it did leave a glow. I wouldn’t have thought so since it’s a “setting” spray but it was a lovely sheen. I just ordered the mini size to try it out. AD Freck Rich Bitch Lotion Rich Bitch Lotion: Y’all the founder, Remi used to work for me. Her company Freck Beauty, which started with this fake freckle product, has expanded a lot. When she sent me her new line including this lotion a couple of years ago I expected to like it fine enough, but was super surprised. The lotion is EXTREMELY hydrating. I buy spendy stuff (like Tata Harper, PCR) which I also like, but there were many times since I’ve run out of this lotion that I’ve wanted it on my face. It’s just extremely moisturizing without being “thick”. Anyway, I asked the salesperson about it and she was like “oh I LOVE this lotion” which confirmed it. I am psyched to have it again. I use it as a night cream because my skin wakes up still feeling soft. AD Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter Charlotte Tilbery Hollywood Flawless Filter: OH the marketing manipulation on that name. But Whitney told me that it has a cult following even before I went into Sephora. It was one of the first things my salesperson shouted about. I bought it. Haven’t used it yet, but maybe I will today and show you on Instagram stories. The other things I bought and loved are a Milk blush/lip cream (in “Dash” which is pretty light – I wish I had gotten brighter), and the Laneige Lip Glowy Balm which is super soft and shiny (not sticky). Now my biggest debate during the Sephora sale is that stupidly expensive Dyson Hair Dryer. I used it at my friend’s the other day and yes, of course, it’s wonderful. My hair was far less frizzy, and it was super fast. It’s just so hard to justify that kind of money on a hair dryer, but if I’m ever going to it should be while it’s on sale. SO that’s my Sephora haul and I am very happy with it and that I (hopefully) won’t have lip acne anymore. What are your top makeup or skincare products you use year after year? I’d love to know

This Is the Worst Thing You Can Do to Your Orchid, And You Might Be Doing It Every Day

Are your orchids dying back, refusing to flower, or developing yellow, wrinkled, or mushy leaves and you’re not sure why? Although these symptoms look different to the eye, they may be caused by the same common mistake that plant parents often make when growing orchids. In this guide, a plant pro reveals the number one worst thing for orchids that often causes these plants to fail, and offers expert tips to help orchids grow and bloom better. Meet the Expert Rebecca Finneran is the Grand Ideas Garden director and a retired senior horticultural educator from Michigan State University. The Worst Thing You Can Do to Your Orchid The number one reason why orchids struggle in homes is due to watering stress. “The most common mistake growers make is not overwatering, but watering incorrectly,” says horticulturalist Rebecca Finneran. This includes overwatering, underwatering, watering plants in the wrong way, or simply growing orchids in poorly draining pots or substrate. The good thing is you can prevent most orchid watering problems, and help overwatered and underwatered plants recover faster by understanding orchid growing needs and avoiding a few common watering pitfalls. Want more gardening tips? Sign up for our free gardening newsletter for our best growing tips, troubleshooting hacks, and more! 5 Things You Should Avoid Doing to Your Orchid In the wild, orchids grow as epiphytes and cling to trees using their aerial roots. This unique root structure helps orchids absorb water quickly, but it also make orchids more vulnerable to overwatering and watering stress. This is why it’s so important to water orchids with a careful touch and to avoid these five potential issues when watering. Overwatering Any plant can develop root rot if it sits in soggy soil too long, but orchids are particularly susceptible to overwatering; their roots can rot and turn mushy, slimy, black, or string-like if they aren’t allowed to breathe. To avoid this issue, make sure to grow orchids in well-draining pots, and water them just once every 1 to 2 weeks when the substrate starts to feel dry. Use Clean Water You may want to water with rainwater or distilled water if your tap water contains a lot of chemicals or salts. Underwatering Orchids with root rot often develop yellow or mushy leaves as the rot progress, but underwatering can affect orchids too. “Think about where orchids come from: the rainforest,” Finneran says. “When their leaves are not firm or look like raisins, the plants need a good soak.” Running water through orchid pots should ensure your plants are deeply watered, or you can bottom water your plants. “Take the orchid pot and submerge only the root ball for 1 to 2 hours in a bowl or pan. This allows the fleshy roots to absorb water and will help them immensely,” Finneran says. “I soak all my orchids for one hour a week.” Watering Into the Bud Make sure that you don't water directly into the depression in the center of newly emerging leaves, also known as the orchid "bud." “If you get water into the ‘bud,’ the orchid will rot,” says Finneran. When watering, do your best to direct the flow of water onto the orchid’s aerial roots and let the water run, low and slow, over the plant’s substrate until the water runs through the pot’s drainage holes. Watering With Ice Cubes Plant labels and viral orchid care videos often recommend watering orchids with ice cubes, but Finneran warns against this practice too. “Imagine if you were a tropical plant having ice-cold water on your roots,” says Finneran. That just doesn’t make sense. Instead, use room temperature water when watering orchids, which is less likely to shock their delicate roots. Not Repotting Even if you water orchids correctly, these plants can develop root rot if you keep them in their original store-bought pots; these pots are often lacking in drainage holes and are commonly filled with a dense floral foam or moss-based substrate that keeps orchid roots far too wet. Repotting orchids as soon as you bring them home into pots with drainage holes and bark-based orchid substrate is a quick and easy way to ward against rot and prevent overwatering in the future.