Fake N Bake -- Minus the Bake :)

So we have the no bake cheesecake and (my favorite) the no bake cookie, but I've found the no bake tan! On Monday I went and got a spray tan. I am a big fan of being tan, especially in the summer and when I'm trying to attract the attention of a certain boy, but I'm also a big fan of not getting cancer. I have one grandparent who died of cancer and another who is now in remission (way to go Grandma!) but literally cancer scares the begesus outta me. So as I was considering it, weighing the pros and cons I came across the spray tan. I immediately thought of celebs like Jennifer Aniston but then I thought of Paris Hilton and that sometimes orangey glow she has..not so cool. But I decided I would try it anyway, if the worst thing about it is having a Paris Hilton orangey glow then I'm down with at least trying it. So I read about it a little online. I'm always a little cautious about reading about things online because you never know what kind of information you are getting, but I found some good tips: hydrate well a week (..or a weekend...) before getting the tan and exfoliate the day before. This worked well because I researched on Friday and had planned on getting the tan that Monday. So all weekend I lathered up with lotion and made sure to drink lots of water and then Sunday night I exfoliated well. Monday I got to the tanning salon and the attendant was super nice and explained to me what to do. It was a little weird though. So it's just a big booth and you first get undressed, cover your hair with a cap and apply the base cream to your fingernails, toenails and drier spots just for coverage. Then I walked up to the door and swiped my hand across to open the door (it's all motion sensored- how cool!) and got in. The door closed and then started the semi creepy computer generated female voice.... "Door closing" "Please face forward your tan will start shortly" "In 5...4...3...2...1.." (Yes, it really counted down like that, I was like.. Um am I in a tanning booth or a spaceship...??) And then the spray started from bottom to top. There are marks where you should stand so you aren't too close, but it sprays for 15 seconds and I'm a breathing kind of girl so I sucked in a breath....and some tanning spray :( . So then Ms. Creepy Voice says to turn and the spray will start again. For all those who have seen the Friends episode where Ross gets a spray tan (lol-i love it!) I made sure to learn from his mistake and turn around. :) So after I was sprayed down again it was done. I stepped out of the booth and started to dry off. When I stepped out I wasn't totally convinced of the spray tan. I looked down and couldn't see any noticeable difference except that I was wetter oh and I smelled like tanning lotion. So I patted myself dry and proceeded to dress. They say that it takes 12 to 24 hours for the tan to set in but I saw results throughout the day. The only bad thing was my hands. I thought I had generously applied the base cream but apparently I didn't do such a good job because my hands were pretty orange. Not like embarrassingly orange but a darker shade than the rest of me. And that was it, I was done. Not bad. In all I think it's a pretty good trade off for looking tan and not risking cancer. The other pros I saw were how quickly you tan-mine was noticeable after a few hours and how easy it is to do. Some cons though, splotchy spots-not really too obvious, except for the hands, getting the spray in my nose and the price. My tan was 24 but it was buy one get one, so I still have another one to use, but if I were to keep it up, it might be a little pricey. Also, the attendant said it would only last about a week or so, so we'll see. I used the Mystic Tan but I've heard there are others out there too. Hm...not bad :)

ps. In my week of trying new things, I also got a manicure and my color? "Explosive!" But I like to call it, Summer Construction Orange ;)