Last Monday, I jumped a bit out of my comfort zone. I got a spray tan and actually enjoyed the experience.
I’m a fair-skinned person who burns at least once a summer. I’ve never been to a tanning bed because of how awful they are for your skin. I just thought paying to damage my skin sounded rather … backwards? Spray tanning has become popular for just this reason. Faith Mueller,who we featured several weeks ago in Coffee with Faith: local entrepreneur and comedian, has decided to jump on this opportunity and start her own business called Cincy Spray Tan.
“It feels really good,” said Faith about starting her own business. “It’s something that I’ve always thought about and am really happy to do.”
In August, she started Cincy Spray Tan out of her home. Her business is totally mobile: she packs up all the spray tan equipment, travels to your home and gives you a spray tan in the comfort of your own abode. While there are other places you can go for a spray tan, Cincy Spray Tan is one of only two mobile spray tan businesses in the city.
“We’re becoming more and more a city of young professionals, so it’s a great place to start a business,” said Faith.
The spray tan solution simply reacts with your dead skin cells and never actually penetrates through the surface of your skin. Faith uses an eco-friendly brand of solution called Naked Sun which uses neat ingredients such as green coffee extract, strawberry and mango. Things like this assured the skeptic in me.
When I arrived at Faith’s house, everything was set up and ready to go. The entire set up could easily fit in a car trunk with some space to spare. First, there’s the spray tan tent in which the person stands in. The hose that actually sprays you is hooked up to this machine. You put the solution in the hose part at the top and it turns it to a sprayable tan. I’m not really sure what I was expecting, but I was very pleasantly surprised.
Next, I stripped. Okay, not completely. I changed into a strapless bra and my undies. I can see why doing it in your own home works for this aspect. It can be awkward to just strip down for a stranger. I snapped a few before photos:
The actual spray tan experience was quite nice. It felt like a mixture of a hairdryer and a squirt gun. At times, it was just a tad cold. In all, it took maybe five minutes at the most. I was told not to shower for eight hours, so getting sprayed down at 5:30 p.m. really worked out.
Here you can see the before/after difference. I took this right after getting sprayed down. I just looked a little tanner all week, but not like a pumpkin. Spray tans last 7-10 days. Someone who maintains a spray-tanned look is recommended to get one every 10 days.
Want to try a spray tan? Faith offers discounted prices for groups, which is perfect for a bridal party. If it’s just you, it’s $50 per visit. However the price goes down to $40 for 2-3 people, $35 for groups of 4-7 and $25 for groups of 7 or more. Also, with bridal parties of four or more, the bride gets her’s for free. Kind of the perfect gift for a bachelorette party! Also, you can get these prices if you buy in bulk. So if you’re a person who gets a spray tan regularly, buying them in bunches of 7 will save you 50% in the long run!
Want to learn more about Cincy Spray Tan? They’ll be at LA Fitness in Oakley (4700 Margburg Ave. Cincinnati, Ohio 45209) next Thursday, November 12th, from 4-8 p.m., offering half off spray tans. So if you want to try it but are not sure about spending $50 on something new and different, come out to LA Fitness. Also, they’re doing some giveaways. Every 50th person who signs up for their giveaway (you don’t even need to get a spray tan) gets a free spray tan.
Also, you should check out their Facebook and Instagram!
