Mystic Tan?

[Trillian]

I just tried Mystic Tan for the first time this afternoon. They said that I have to wait 4 hours before showering. The problem is, we're going to a wedding tonight and I need to start getting ready pretty soon. It will only have been 3 hours. (I know, I know -- Next time, I will check the time first!)

Is that going to make the whole thing completely worthless, or will it maybe just be not quite as dark as if I'd waited another hour?

I don't really want to go to the wedding smelling like Mystic Tan...

[charliezangel]

I would call the tanning salon you got it done at. Ask the associates there, they probably know exactly what will happen if you shower too early.

[Trillian]

Well, I found an answer online after a google search -- I think I actually ended up in the faq on mystictan.com. It said that it would just not reach its maximum intensity. I went ahead and showered an hour early, and nothing bad happened. I am still very happy with the color that I got from the mystic tan and think I will keep going.

My only complaint is that I can't hold my breath the whole time the spray is on, and that stuff tastes HORRIBLE. :( Any suggestions?

[charliezangel]

<<My only complaint is that I can't hold my breath the whole time the spray is on, and that stuff tastes HORRIBLE. Any suggestions?>>

LOL, my sister manages a tanning salon and customers complain about this on a regular basis. And She always says "just don't open your mouth"...theres like nothing to do about it. You can breath in between sprays, but yeah, then you taste the solution. I'll ask her if she has any other ideas

[thedoorchick]

Breathe through your nose. And as little as possible. I know that it's not really possible to hold your breath the entire time but try to take just a couple of very shallow breaths through your nose.

I would never open my mouth while the spray was on. Yuck!

[TriSigmaNC]

Has anyone done this recently and what do you think? I'm VERY against outdoor and tanning beds, but would like a good looking tan.

[keska]

I liked the look as long as you follow the directions but it fades too quickly and I thought it was too expensive to continue to do it on a weekly basis to maintain.

[Rose]

I do it once in a while, but it is pretty expensive so not as often as I would like. I have very fair skin and can not get tan so Mystic Tan is really the only thing that gives me color. I am no good at bottled tans, so I love it. I just wish it was cheaper.

[christyz1]

I've never tried this before, so I have a few questions.

How much does it cost you?? Do you wear any clothes when you are getting sprayed?

[Rose]

How much does it cost you?? Do you wear any clothes when you are getting sprayed?

No clothes, and where I go it costs $25 for a single tan, $40 for 2 and so on. I usually only buy 2 at a time.

[Foley42]

My mom got a spray tan the other day and I asked her about it after I saw this thread. Hers was $25/spray then they said if you lay in the tanning bed for a few minutes then it helps to "set the tan" (that was $5 extra).

You wear no clothes. Put a special oil on your cuticles so they won't turn dark. You wear a shower cap so it won't effect your hair.

They told my mom not to take a shower for 7 hours...

She said she breathed through her nose, but she had to blow her nose really well afterwards hehe :) Hope that helps...

[Aug2002Bride]

When I saw this topic I just had to post this...my 1st experience with Mystic Tan and for those of you that have done it will know exactly what Im talking about....

My salon had me watch a video while I was waiting for the customer in front of me to be done....well I watched bits and pieces but was more into the people watching coming in and out of the salon...

So I get in there and get my clothes off...put the cream and hat on...I get in and press the button....Nothing happens....Im like okay...push it again...still nothing....so after a few more times of doing this I was getting very impatient...I started pressing the button rapidly over and over....STILL NOTHING HAPPENED!...So I get out and Im thinking to myself..."Well maybe the lady before me forgot to press the reset button (which I remembered it said to do in the video before you left)...So i push the reset button on the outside....I get back in and nothing happens for a couple of seconds...Finally it starts spraying...So here I am thinking Im getting my tan FINALLY....then my hair starts getting drenched....Im like I dont remember that part from the video but okay maybe....Finally it stops after a few seconds the entire thing...I knew it was supposed to last longer than that....so now Im totally annoyed by the whole situation....my hair is dripping wet...I get out and put the robe on to go get the girl at the desk....She comes back and asks me what happened...I explain everything like above...Then she busts out laughing and says I just got "misted with the cleaning solution"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was so so embarassed!!!!!!!!!!! Then on top of it after just wanting to crawl out of the place since you know I was the talk of the salon after that...I am driving home and remember I left my wedding rings and everything there so NOW I have to GO BACK and face them all again!!!!

Ive never been back to Mystic Tan since!!!! Just thought you would all get a chuckle out of that for those of you that have done it! I couldnt resist when I saw the title of this thread!

[Foley42]

Aug2002Bride: Oh no! It is kinda funny though hehe. So was it your fault or did the lady do something wrong?

[jnshanna]

Oh Aug2002Bride, that's some story! How frustrating.

We're going to Cancun in October and I don't want to be white as a ghost. I'm thinking about getting the spray because my skin does not tan easily.

My question is, will this spray on even out my tan? I wear t-shirts most of the time so I have a slight tan line on my upper arm. I'm hoping the spray tan will make that line go away?

Any other advice for first timers?

[smilewithme]

How long does it last? Can I do one/two sessions and go on vacation for a week with a nice tan or will it fade too quick?

[ahavnes]

I have a little strapless dress that I want to wear this weekend, but I still have some light halter strap lines left over from summer fun. Has anyone tried Mystic Tan, and will it cover up my lines? What ar eyour other experiences...I'd hate to turn out orange!! :p Also, how long does it take and how long does it last?

TIA!

[HeatherFL]

I tried it and it didn't work too well. When the tan started to fade away, I had horrible looking spots all over. I would airbrush instead (even then, though I get small freckle looking spots when the solution fades from my skin that take DAYS to go away.)

~H.

[dollface]

I would get airbrushed instead, that way they can customize your color and make sure they cover the tan lines correctly.

[Rose]

What's the price difference in airbrushing & mystic tanning? I usually MT but it sounds like people prefer airbrushing. I pay $25 for one MT, $40 for 2.

[vwinkel]

I like the mystic but agree there are some uneven spots such as on your feet or hands. I do this the day before an event I am going to. It takes about 20 seconds per side and lasts me about 3 days.

It will not cover up your strap lines. The only way to blend them is to apply self tanner to the lighter portion. I don't think that would look natural though. Maybe try Dove Energy Glow which is a light gradual self tanner, that way you can apply more to blend it better each day.

[MsRo]

I've also done MT and haven't had great results. I haven't tried ABing but it's worth a shot.

[Linz]

weird. I have done several mystic tans and have loved them. No weird spots and it has always covered my tan lines very well.

I am planning on doing this for my wedding next month.

Airbrush sounds good but I just don't know how I would feel about a complete stranger airbrushing tan on my ass!

[designer]

I did it once before a wedding and I had a few spots that came out a little weird, like my knees and ankles. It worked in a pinch, but I probably wouldn't do it again. I don't know how well it would cover up existing tan lines...it might take a couple sessions.

[Basia N]

I've done Mystic Tan- I like it, as far as getting the tan all over, without missing any areas. The only gripe I have is that the color on my face looks "flat"- not glowy, like a real tan.

[wendalah]

I tried it and I think am too pale for it to work well on me--I looked like an oompa loompa even though I asked for the lightest setting and followed all the instructions.

When I want to self-tan I just buy the tanner and apply it myself--and have my husband do a doublecheck on my back, etc. to make sure I have it on evenly.

[Linz]

wendalah, did you shower afterwards? You are supposed to wait 8 hours and then you can shower. I am pretty fair skinned and I always look like an oopma loompa right after too. but once I shower it seems to tone it down pretty well.

[Kristeen]

I'm trying to envision an oompa-loompa!

I did MT once and it did a great job. My feet looked pretty strange even with the blocking cream, but everything else was great. My tan lines were covered, and I didn't have the problem with the flat face.

When it was being sprayed, I freaked-out a little when I realized the mist was so pervasive it was literally everywhere, even in my airway! (I'm asthmatic) but it didn't bother my lungs and once the adrenaline rush subsided, I was fine.

[wendalah]

Enjoy:

http://www.bloggers.it/Brio/itcommenti/OompaLoompaCrew.JPG

BTW, Liz, showering didn't help much...I had to wait for it to wear off!

[Linz]

that's weird. I'm sorry. :p

[Kristy]

I Mystic Tanned a few times, one being for my wedding. Loved the results. I'm Casper pale and no self-tanners ever look natural on me. The first time I went I did have some streaking, but it's because I didn't wipe down enough afterwards. If you decide to go, stand with your back to the spray first. That way you don't get a mouthful of spray.

[ahavnes]

LOL on the Oompa Loompa! :)

Thanks for all of the feedback ladies. Naturally, I've waited until the last minute, so I don't have time to do airbrush (and it's really not that important of an event anyway). I've been using the Jergens Natural Glow for ages and it doesn't seem to work that well (maybe b/c I already have medium skin?). Sigh, I guess I'll just put more Neutrogena spray on and hope for the best. It's too close to the event (Saturday) for me to end up looking like an Oompa! ;)

[Rose]

Airbrush sounds good but I just don't know how I would feel about a complete stranger airbrushing tan on my ass!

LOL! Me too. It took me a few times to get the cream right with the MT. There are some secrets to making sure the color doesn't look funny on your knees, elbows, hands & feet.

I am very pale and this is the only thing that will tan me. Too bad it's so expensive, I don't do it very often.

[akacharlotte]

I just scheduled an appointment for Mystic Tan. They told me to shower, exfoliate but not to use moisturizer. I just looked at the website for Mystic and it says use a water based moisturizer. For those that Mystic what is the proper preparation? I do not want to come out streaky and orange! Also, do you shave before or not?

[sparkle&shine]

I would definitely shave first and exfoliate really well. That way you have nice fresh skin to tan. The tan will wear off with your skin so shaving and exfoliating even drying off by rubbing the towel on you will remove the tan over time. That is how some people end up with 'freckly' looking tans as it wears off. I would only use a moisturizer if I had super dry skin. If you have normal skin I wouldn't (except where it shows you in the video). That way it will absorb well.

I have done Mystic tan or the like for a lot of events and have always like that way it turned out. You will look really dark at first because there is color to the spray but after you shower it will look good!

[Rose]

I would shave & exfoliate but not use a moisturizer. It prevents the tan from absorbing into your skin.

Sometimes I go before I shower that because I always need to wash off that smell after the 4 hours so I can't say that I have shaved everytime.