C and I were given air brush tans from a friend of hers.  Because we lack impulse control, we had to use them NOW NOW NOW.  We jumped in her car and drove, gabbing the entire way about a whole lot of nothing.  True to form, we acted without thinking.  About 2 minutes before we got there, C asked me what the etiquette was for airbrush tanning.  I was the expert because I had done it once before.  I didn’t really know and we went into panic mode.  We had been in the situation before back in our NYC days when we were invited to a party in Connecticut.  We had assumed we would stay up there for the night and brought our overnight bags.  When we were on our way there, we realized we hadn’t had a formal invitation and, again, panicked.  Our bags were clearly overnighters so no faking a big hand bag.  Should we leave the bags on the train?  Should we say they were for just in case we spilled something on our outfit?  Should we get a hotel room (we were poor).  Help!  This time, we did not know what to do when someone is spraying you.  Do you wear undergarments?  Do you engage in conversation?  Do you point out your flabby spots and ask for an opinion?  What do you do??  We ended up with beautiful spray tans.  In case you too have questions, now that bikini season is almost upon us, I called Sunset Tan to ask them about proper etiquette.  They are the experts.  After all, they had a TV show….

Q: What do you wear while airbrush tanning?

A: The client chooses.   The person spraying you is used to both nudity and undergarments.  The most common is nudity so you avoid tan lines, but it is your choice.  (Interestingly, only women can go nude.  They require men to wear something.)  They do provide disposable garments for both men and women, if needed.  (Side note, not all places provide paper undies, so ask ahead of time!)

Q: What is the proper tipping amount?

A: The most common is $5.  Some people do 15-20%, however.  (My thoughts: do not skip tipping a person who comes into close contact with your thighs and is still cheerful.)

Q: How do you make it last, since it is not a cheap endeavor?

A: Skip hot showers.  Take quick, lukewarm showers.  Also, do not exfoliate.

Q: Any other tips to share?

A: Come in with freshly exfoliated skin, but do not have anything on your skin, including deodorant.  Skip wearing a bra home if you can, and do not wear anything tight.  (She mentioned that when clients wear tight jeans, they often will have a tanned seam line once it sets.  Yikes!)  Also, wait 8 hours before showering.