SPRAY TANS.

I’m constantly confessing my absolute, undeniable love for spray tans.

Here’s the thing: I’m very much about looking like a sun-kissed goddess ( I wish? ) but not into the fake & bake Snookie, season 1 look. Yes, yes you guys know I avoid the sun like I avoid Jury Duty but really I cannot stress it enough: LAYING IN THE SUN IS SO BAD FOR YOU. SOOOO bad for you. It’s one thing I can say I’ve researched until I am blue in the face. Really though, it’s so aging.

If you’re reading this & you’re 15 or 21, lucky YOU! Stay out of the sun to preserve your youth, skin, & avoid skin cancer.

Be that girl who wears a cool hat to the market, gas station, & post office. The more your face is out of the sun the better.

Anyway, we got off on a tangent there, BUT as much as I hate the sun, I still like a pretty glow.

And that is achieved by spray tans. I spray tan 3 times a month. It works well for my lifestyle & keeps my skin out of the sun.

Here are my ride or die spray tan tips that I’ve picked up over the years:

1.) Shave & dry brush before.

Ok this seems rather obvious but let’s go over it just in case. Shave everything you need to shave BEFORE you spray tan ( I like to shave the night before I go into the spray booth ). Dry brushing is what I live for, seriously it’s life-changing, so I can’t go too long without it. I always dry brush RIGHT before I spray tan to exfoliate & ensure the tan goes on evenly.

Also, I wait 2 days to dry brush again after a spray tan which makes me cry because I love dry brushing SO much but hey, beauty is pain.

2.) Get a manicure after, pedicure before OR do the ‘claw.’

This one’s a weird one but if you’re getting a manicure, get it after. But if you’re getting a pedicure, get it before.

Here’s why:

Manicure after because the spray tan sometimes ruins it or makes it chip faster.

Pedicure before because the massage ruins the tan & makes it look like half of your leg is tanned and the other half is pale. Can everyone picture this?

Also, for the record, I do this weird thing because I’m always running late ( & it’s more cost-effective): I get something called a polish change. Basically it’s $5 dollars for hands & $7 dollars for toes. My nail salon guy will just paint my nails instead of the whole massage, file, chip, etc.

It’s so quick & perfect if you’re constantly on the go. Ask your nail salon for a polish change if you’re interested.

SO. This makes it fine to do a pedicure AFTER because I’m only getting a paint job. If you’re getting the full on pedicure, do it BEFORE.

If you’re like me & getting a paint job toe job ( I made this phrase up ), get it after the spray tan. Because there’s no foo-foo massage.

Am I making sense?

NOW, if you’re in the predicament of already having your manicure, do the claw. Yes, the claw. Like claw your hand so your nails are clawed under. If you guys need a picture of this, SNAP message me OR I can do a tutorial? But I’m assuming you don’t want to see me butt-naked in a spray booth with a shower cap on? Just assuming though?

3.) Put a towel down underneath your feet.

This is my ride OR die TIP! Always request a little towel if you’re in a spray tan booth. Put it under your feet BEFORE you step in ( before because sometimes there’s like old spray tan residue which is highly annoying ).

The reason I do this is because the tanning solution gets all over the ground of the booth & makes the tan go on the beds of your feet which is just not pretty. At all. Just use a towel.

Trust me, Michael has made fun of me more than 10382574 times for forgetting.

4.) Wash your hands & feet off the SECOND you get out of the booth.

Honest baby wipes save me here. I use them to wash off my hands & feet after exiting the booth.

5.) Wear a lightweight maxi & some flip-flops ( or shoes that aren’t cramping your toes in ):

Here’s another tip…always go into the tanning salon prepared. I wear a lightweight maxi all the time JUST like this bright blue one. Actually if we’re being honest I haven’t taken off this dress by Yumi Kim for a few days & plan on obviously rocking it in Mexico ( because how pretty does a dynamic blue dress look with a hot spray tan?! ). I wear a dress just like this when I’m running errands & spraying because it’s really ideal to just throw on.

You don’t want to wear like a tight sports bra with suffocating leggings & tennis shoes. Why? Because after the tan when you put on super tight clothes, it makes marks. Nasty marks. Trust me on this because it’s happened to me five million times. Wear something light weight. You can find the perfect cute dress here.

Lastly, opt for sandals so your toes can breathe OR shoes that aren’t too tight. The ones I’m wearing here don’t cut off my circulation ( hello HALF MY SHOE COLLECTION ) so they’re perfect.

If you think about it, a lot goes into a spray tan, it’s basically an art. I kid, but shit!

Also, when you’re ‘sun-kissed’ opt for colors like white, black, or super bright ( like this dramatic blue dress ). Why? Because!! Your spray tan will look SO much better!

Do you have any top-secret spray tips to share with all of us? I AM LISTENING. Anything helps.

If you follow me on Instagram, you know lately I’ve been into ORGANIC spray tanning— has anyone tried this? I’m kind of obsessed because the smell is too much…& I feel better about having an organic solution on my body.

Ok that’s it for now. We are off to dinner at Market in Cabo for some arugula & pomegranate salad and POPCORN soufflé. Follow along on Snapchat to see us plan our wedding. Love having you guys be a part of the process.

OH! & you can check out the latest spray tan I had pre-Cabo, using all these tips!

Adiós, lauryn x

SHOP THE LOOK: Yumi Kim dress | shoes ( similar ) | sunglasses ( similar ) | clutch | nail polish

+ this post is in collaboration with Shopstyle | photos.