Morning, dolls!

Sometimes you just don’t want to do it your damn self. It’s hard to get your back tan when you are your own tan technician. Maybe you have a beach vaca coming up or a special event that will render you unimpressive if you show up your natural hue of pale. I don’t know. I can’t begin to guess. But I had a girls’ vaca in Montauk planned for this past weekend with friends of mine who are sun WORSHIPERS. While they’ve been rocking oil and soaking up every weekend ray of sun, I’ve been inside in the AC being smug about my future young-looking skin and being efficient with my time. Yes, I self-tan a couple times a week, but I by no means was looking dark. And, as a result of a busy week, I hadn’t even had time to self-tan. Quelle horreur, girls.

So when I had the opportunity to get a professional spray tan at Haven Spa, I was right on top of that, Rose. They use one of my favorite self-tanner brands, St. Tropez, for their Full Body Spray Tan.

Haven’s Donna, who applied my spray tan, is a doll. I left about 20 minutes later with nary a streak (she blended after spraying with a sock – very MacGyver!) and an immediate luminous bronze glow thanks to St. Tropez’s bronzers within the self-tanner. She said that I could shower that night as long as it was as late as possible (my appointment was at 6pm). I showered at midnight and still was tan the next day, but I think it is better to wait as long as is humanly possible to shower post-tan in order to preserve it. If you’re looking for a lighter, more subtle tan however, then by all means shower after more than four hours, but fewer than six. Either way, I was still healthily glowing, bronzed and ready to bare my bod on the beach the next day. Some tips before you venture into the world of spray tanning:

* Wear dark, loose fitting cotton clothing to your appointment to avoid staining
* Waxing or shaving should be completed at least 24 hours prior to the treatment to reduce skin’s sensitivity
* At home, maintain your tan with the St. Tropez products available at Haven. The full range of products work in harmony with the Full Body Spray Tan to prolong skin’s color.

The Full Body Spray Tan at Haven
Introductory Single Session: $69
Package of 3 Sessions: $177
Package of 6 Sessions: $ 294
Packages are good for one year from the date of purchase.

Photo credit: havensoho.com