Hollywood Tans Mystic Tan Review

"It only takes three minutes."  That is music to any busy woman's ears.  To one that is as fair and freckle-prone as me, it sounds like magic. I can be tan in three minutes?  Tell me more...

Last week I visited one of my local (Manassas, VA) Hollywood Tans for a complimentary Mystic Spray Tan.  While there I wanted to learn a little bit about the process too.  I spoke with the staff and learned that while it only takes three minutes to be sprayed in a booth, it takes a lot longer to learn all the tricks to getting a great UV-free, natural Mystic Tan. 

Tips and Tricks

1. Exfoliate.  It can't be said enough. Exfoliate from head to toe.  Prepping before your spray tan is key. You should be clean, shaved and lotion, spray and perfume-free. 

2. Listen carefully to what the tanning consultant is telling you. They know all the tips and tricks.  It is an easy process but only if you follow the directions.

3. Cover your hands and fingernails with lotion. Your toenails too.  I put an extra coat of lotion on my nails to make sure they did not stain during the tanning process.

4.  Place the shower cap a few inches above your hairline so that you don't get a line on your forehead or right at the hairline.  That's a sure tell that you just got sprayed.  Remember to place it behind your ears too.  I would have totally had a set of half-sprayed ears if the tanning consultant hadn't given me this tip. 

5.  If you get streaks or an area is too dark or blotchy then use make-up remover on it.  It won't get rid of the tan it will only decrease the color a bit. 

6.  Don't shower or sweat profusely for four hours after Mystic tan. 

The whole process is pretty fool-proof if you follow these steps.  Once you enter the booth you can undress in one part of the cube and put lotion on your entire body.  A color spray cartridge is place in the tanning part of the booth from the Glow line.  They range from Fair, Medium and Dark. It's non-toxic and the scent smells like most sunless tanners.  It goes away after the first shower. You can also have scents like Coconut Lime added to the spray to subdue the sunless tanning spray scent.  The spray goes on clear and gradually comes to peak color over a 24 hour period.  It can last up to a week depending on how much you sweat and exfoliate too.  A product called Boost can be used daily to prolong color as well. 

So there I was all lotioned up and ready for the spray. I touched the blue button, heard the doorbell like chime and stepped into the spray booth.  I closed the door, waved my hand in front of the big blue button and heard a chime and automated voice telling me to place my feet on footprints 1 and 2.  From the bottom to the top the spray came out and the chime and voice told me to turn. I placed my feet on 2 and 4 and was sprayed from head to toe.  This process was repeated once more and I was done.  Spray tan complete!  I exited the booth and let myself air dry.  I patted myself a bit with a towel and got dressed.  I remembered to wash my hands and I was set.  I felt a bit sticky but that is normal. 

The next day I was a deep brown burnished tan.  I showered and the extra spray washed off.  A few streaks were on my inner elbows but I removed them with make-up remover in just a few seconds.  The whole thing was easy, fun and after five days I still had a nice glowing tan.  I only looked a bit too dark and orange that first day.  Mystic Spray tans gradually fade and I dind't have any odd discoloration from my workouts.  It was well worth it! I would do it again in a heartbeat.

MPR Rating: Five Stars.

Disclaimer:  MPR was not paid for this post.  Services recieved are for review purposes only.  Opinions are MPR's only. 

Infinity Sun Glow on the Go

Infinity Sun Glow is another sunless tanner that has crossed my doorstep.  I like to guinea pig myself out for many types of beauty products, including sunless tanners. This one is particularly interesting because it is the first all-natural sunless tanning technology, made with anti-aging anti-oxidants and pure botanicals. It can give you a customized spray tan while hydrating your skin and enhancing natural skin tone.   The Infinity Sun Glow on the Go ($40) bottle says it can last up to two weeks.
   
Applied with a proprietary spray system this product should be operated by a sunless tanning professional. The entire process should only take about three minutes when done this way. I applied it myself holding the spray 4-6 inches from my skin.  What came out was a concentrated brownish color that didn't spray evenly or all over.  It was dark in some spots and light in others. I rubbed it into my skin for an even cover but hours later I didn't have that glow.  The bottle of Infinity Sun Glow states that it must be applied in even sprays.  That's impossible for someone who doesn't do this for a living or have the proper tools.  Having a professional do it is a must.  I will try it again though and see if I can layer a glowing look that way.  I will say this for Infinity Sun Glow on the Go- there is no harsh aroma when applied or after using, which is fantastic and hard to find.  It also doesn't stain your clothes like others or dry out your skin. My legs did not feel tight after use.  I love that!  Must be the 7 essential oils and Vitamins A and E that make it work like that. 

Infinity Sun Glow on the Go is available on the companys website with a host of other Infinity products.

MPR Rating:  Two Stars.  UPDATE:  FOUR STARS- One day later and I'm a golden goddess after only one application.  No streaking either. Not even one little bit. My skin isn't dry either.  Just remember to really wash your hands right after use or wear gloves.  Infinity Sun Glow on the Go pulled an all-nighter and made it work even if it wasn't as the packaging stated.

Disclaimer:  MPR was not paid for this post. Products received are for review purposes only.  Opinions are MPR's only. 

Fake Bake Fair Skin & Body Polish

I've used Fake Bake's air brush at-home kits. Now I have tried the Self-tan lotion for fair skin. Just like their other self-tanners it builds a gradual tan over time. Basically a few hours and you will have a faint glow about you. Apply it a second day, preferably at night, and it gets deeper and fast.

Fake Bake Fair Self-Tan Lotion ($25) goes on fast. If you don't want streaks then only apply it to one small area at a time and blend it in evenly and well. Definitely use the gloves too. It is impossible to get streaks off. The easy glide formula and subtle "show where it goes" cosmetic colour guide helps with this issue. But you still need to go slow. Naturally derived tanning agents DHA and Erythulose work with the melanin cells to give you a self-tan that works well with your skin tone. I'm pretty fair with pink undertones and I love this product. Fake Bake doesn't give off some funky scent that lasts all day either. Another plus when it comes to self-tanners.

Now, the number one rule to all self-tanners is to exfoliate your skin before applying the self-tanner. Fake Bake has you covered there as well. I tried the Fake Bake Bamboo Buffing Polish which can be used twice a week. My first application I noticed that is a finely-milled, very grainy scrub. I suggest using it without a lot of vigor but it does exfoliate well. I noticed an immediate difference in the texture of my skin. It was soft and smooth and stayed that way for days.

Fake Bake products are available online.

MPR Rating: Four Stars.

Disclaimer: MPR was not paid for this post. Products received are for review and test purposes only. Opinions are MPR's only.

Tan Towels

Summer is just around the corner though the March winds blowing right about now make it seem like a distant oasis.  However my email inbox and the products arriving at my front door tell a different story.  Self-tanners are making an appearance just like the crocuses popping up from the ground and it makes me giddy.

Tan Towels self tanning towelettes for face and body arrived and I was skeptical. I have used sprays, gels, lotions and cremes.  The towel did not impress me one bit.  Upon taking it out of its little pouch I wondered how it could possibly create a golden glow.  Guaranteed to burnish your skin a soft brown within a few hours the Tan Towel also proclaims no streaks.  Pfft, I say.  No self-tanner can really guarantee that.  It's all in the application and the person applying the self-tanner.  So I did.  I used one Tan Towel on my entire lower body.  It was still damp (it starts to dry up to let you know you need another one) so I wiped down my upper body as well.  I avoided my face. I wasn't too sure how dark it would turn out.  You know what?  Not too dark at all. In fact, it took a whole day for my skin to appear tan, not a few hours like they say.  However, when I woke up the next morning I was golden!  Beautifully so and it was a shame I had to hide my newly tanned legs under jeans.  I found that the tan stayed true for a few days.  By a week I still had a light tan but needed a re-application.  I found the before and after shots online to be quite accurate as well.

Now about those streaks. I had them.  I am not going to lie.  The places that I first began using the towel were a bit darker and I must have gone over some areas twice because they were even darker and that is where the streaks occurred.  The second time I applied Tan Towels about two weeks later I was really slow and careful to note the areas I had already swiped with the towel.  No streaks that time!

Tan Towels are available at Sephora, Ulta and online.  You can buy them in packs of ten ($27) or five ($24) , fair to medium and medium to dark.  Full body kits for plus sizes are also available.  Other self-tanning products, like a sunless tanning mist, are as well. 

MPR Rating: Four Stars.

Disclaimer: MPR was not paid for this post.  Products were given for testing and review purposes only.  Opinions are MPR's only.

Nature's Gate Glow Lotion

Nature’s Gate Glow Lotion for light and medium skin tones ($12.99, 16 oz) helps to nourish dry skin while providing a gradual, even and natural looking glow.  It's tanning without the damage to your skin.  This fair-skinned, skin cancer survivor loves that!  Using seven skin conditioning moisturizers and antioxidants it is great for daily use and it doesn't leave behind that stinky sunless tanner stench.

In the past I have had some problems with skin irritation from Nature's Gate products.  This time around no such allergy occurred and I was able to use the Glow Lotion all through the spring and this summer. I love it.  It comes in a generous sized pump bottle with no funky beige color to the lotion.  If I forget to wash my hands they don't become stained like other sunless tanners do. Don't get me wrong, you might have a darker pigment showing in between your fingers but Nature's Gate Glow Lotion won't leave you with orange palms.  I applied it (light skin version) daily for a week and noticed a very gradual tan.  After a few days it lessened and I applied more.  Over two weeks I was noticeably tanner and without a too dark or fake orange tinge to my skin.  Simply put you do glow.  I love this lotion! It works and it is not loaded with chemicals. Streaks are rare and it doesn't dry your skin like other sunless tanners. 

Nature's Gate products are cruelty-free, ph-balanced with a good mix of all-natural herbs and pH-balanced formulas.  The company is environmentally friendly and continues to improve its sustainability with each passing year. Products are available online at Drugstore.com and major grocery and discount retailers nationwide.  


MPR Rating: Four Stars.

Disclaimer:  MPR was not paid for this post.  All items received are for review and testing purposes only.  Opinions are those of MPR alone.

Sothy's Cellu-Guard Self Tanner

Every year I go through quite a few bottles of self-tanner.  I'm a pale girl by nature and I am loathe to obtain any more sun damage than I did as a child.  Every year I test new brands and try to find just the prefect self-tanner.  It is as if I am the Goldilocks of sunless tanners.

Sothys, a skincare company established in 1946, has created their Cellu-Guard Sunless Tanner that helps to bring out the natural warm, glowy tones in your skin.  Cellu-Guard also firms and improves the tone of your skin as well.  It's light faintly floral scent is a nice break from all the powdery ones I have encountered with other sunless tanners.  In just a few hours after my first application I found that I already had a natural looking tan.  Sure, I basically matched my husband's natural winter paleness but for me that was a start in a warmer, tanner version of me.  A day later I applied more of Sothys sunless tanner to my face and body and the color continued to deepen and build.  By day three I looked like I had spent some time at the beach without the aging, freckles, sunburn and dry skin. 

Sothys Face and Body Self-Tanning Cream ($38, 5 fl oz.) is a non-tinted cream formula that gives a long-lasting tan.  Its scent doesn't turn sour later in the day and I have actually been told how natural it looks and how nice I smell after using it.  It has a slightly velvety texture because it has moisturizing ingredients included to give a supple look and radiant complexion. It is lightweight and glides smoothly over the skin, ensuring a streak-free application every time. Even on my knees, elbows and feet there were no streaks.

Sothys also created a Soins Soleil Cellu-guard Age-defying tinted care ($44, 1.7 fl oz.) A lotion formulated to protect the skin from aging and to help retain suppleness. It has a tinted texture and gives a nice sunless tan as well.  It works great for your face and isn't drying. 

After trying a few new store brands (Wegmans Top Care) this year and a department store brand, Sothys comes out on top because it has a more natural color, less odor and you don't need a lot to create a nice, warm glow.  Each tube lasts longer than you would think.  I have even used it mixed with my daily lotion for added moisture and less color.  To find Sothys near you visit here.

MPR Rating: Four Stars.

Disclaimer: I was not paid for this post.  Products were given for review purposes only. Opinions are my own. 

Sunless Tanner Comparison

It is that time of year again when you begin your search for the perfect streak-free, stank-free sunless tanning lotion. If you are like me, you want a nice summer glow without the laying out/cancer inducing rays. In the past I've reviewed high-end department store self-tanners but this season we are all about the economically satisfying drugstore brands. Are they streak-free? Do they make you stink to high heavens? Is the glow really a glow or more of an orange tinge?

First up, Banana Boat's Summer Color Self-Tanning Lotion (Light/Medium color) which is a self-adjusting color and claims to be streak-free. It is for all skin tones and will become darker with each application. This lotion ($7.50) is oil-free and enriched with Aloe Vera and Vitamin E. Like most self-tanners this one can be drying to your skin. I mixed in my body lotion with each application. It helps combat that dry leg syndrome and I make sure I have exfoliated before the first application, as I do with all self-tanners. In about 2-3 hours the color does appear just like the tube (6 fl. ounces) claims. The scent is a bit on the perfume side and after a few minutes you can really smell that familiar self-tanner scent. It lasts all day too. By the end of the day I am satisfied with the light tan I have that lasts for a few days, but I am sick of the smell. Overall, I think this self-tanner works incredibly well for the price and goes on smooth. I just hate the after-smell if that is even a word.

Next, Neutrogena's Sun Fresh Sunless Foam (Fair/Medium skin tones) claims to produce a sheer summer color with a "delicious, fresh scent". That would be grapefruit/nectarine to be exact. I didn't notice this. It smelled a bit fruity but like all other self-tanners it still had a faint self-tanner DHA scent to it. The rest of the day however that changed to a slight rose scent which was not half bad. This one is a bit different application wise too. You pump out a light foam (4 ounces at $9.79) that once applied becomes watery and easy to rub on. It applies evenly and is streak-free. I was amazed actually at how easy it was to apply this tanner. It is oil-free and dries incredibly fast too. It is also non-comedogenic so it won't clog your pores. I have used this one on my face and found it is light enough to not make me orange with more of a light golden color on my face and body unlike Banana Boat which did clog my pores. It is not as drying and is very natural looking.

Finally, I reviewed Kiss My Face's Instant Sunless Tanner (4 ounces at $7.58) made with walnut extract and is paraben free. This quick drying gel claims to be non-streaking as well. After one application though it went on darker than the other two self-tanners and it did streak. That streak? It left a mark for about two weeks that no amount of scrubbing would take eliminate. My daughter was convinced I had a boo-boo that was near fatal. This was very disappointing as I wanted this more natural self-tanner to really work. It comes in an SPF 8 version as well and has no artificial colors or animal ingredients. It goes on as a light tan in seconds and hours later is much darker. Fair-skinned people need to be aware of this factor. It colors your hands fast too-watch out! The upside is that a little goes a long way and it does not have that awful sunless tanner odor. I found that applying it with my daily body lotion made it a bit lighter in color, less drying and streak-free. A combination like that helps put it in second place despite the initial streaks.

Overall the Neutrogena one works best on fair to medium skin types and I'm sure it will for dark complexions too. It has a bit more of a scent than the Kiss My Face version but goes on smooth, doesn't dry out your skin and the color is great! All of these self tanners can be found at amazon.com or drugstore.com for varying prices under $10.

Here's to a healthy glowing summer!