Madeleine Gertsen, Features Editor
@MGertsenCourant
“Wow, I can’t wait to lose my tan and become pale again!” said no one. Ever. Everyone feels prettier when they’re tan. And unless you’re living under a rock, you know that being tan is everyone’s goal when they go to a warm place for vacation. The white, sickly look isn’t exactly “in” anymore… and good thing! But that doesn’t mean that tanning doesn’t come without a price (there’s a thing called skin cancer, skin poisoning, and peeling).
I am someone who got the pale genes of the family. Ask any of my friends, family, classmates, or even teachers who have had me or my sister: she’s the tanner one. After facing this tough reality throughout middle school and high school where being tan really matters, I discovered a way that I could be just as tan as her (and in some cases more orange than her). Spray tans!
When coming back from break, after spending hours in the sun, it is really hard when no one notices that you’re one shade darker than before you left. It’s even harder when half the girls in your grade come back twenty shades darker than before they left. But the worst is when girls come back tanner than you, but they went on a skiing vacation… when it was 0 degrees the entire time.
I’m not encouraging anyone to get a spray tan, but personally I love them as a way to boost my self confidence. And my skin color, literally. There are two main places where you can get them: Zen Bronze and Palm Beach. There will always be an ongoing debate in our school over which one is better, but it varies from person to person.
When you walk into Palm Beach, you will most likely see an orange-skinned girl and get scared off, thinking you will look just as orange as her when you leave. This doesn’t have to be true! Just ask which shade they think is best for you (they’re 80% accurate) and then hop on into the machine. The machine makes you feel like you’re being suctioned into it so if you’re claustrophobic, go to Zen Bronze. My spray tan for Junior Prom was from here and I got a lot of compliments the next day, so something definitely worked (or maybe everyone was lying).
Zen Bronze, on the other hand, doesn’t have machines, so this leaves you to stand in the cold in front of someone spraying you. This can be really awkward, or it can be really fun depending if you start a conversation with one of them to take the edge off. Personally, I think the shades of Zen Bronze turn out better on my skin because it has a brown or red undertone instead of orange. Then again, it might just be that I’m pale and I think any tan looks better on me than no tan at all!
My mom has always been a supporter of spray tans as a healthy way to get tan. Maybe she feels bad that I got her pale skin, or maybe she likes the idea of a healthy tan. But for those of you who have mom’s that don’t let you get spray tans, here are some tips for persuading her:
- Spray tans are a healthy way of getting a tan. Much better than baking yourself in the sun, burning, peeling and then getting skin poisoning!
- They are an instant tan (I don’t know any other tans you can get within a few sprays of a metal bottle).
- You can go with a glow, a little bit darker, or really dark (or really orange if you pick the wrong shade…).
- And it’s not that expensive! Unless you’re over 18 and go to Palm Beach (they doubled it to $50 for those over 18… no thanks!).
- YOU FEEL PRETTY. Admit it, we all feel prettier when tan.
Whether you’re pale or not, spray tans are meant for everyone, especially before junior or senior prom when we try to look our best. And yes, our best includes a nice tan. They’re also really nice when you can’t go away for break (thank you sports teams for keeping me home!!) and want to look good on the first day back. Being tan is always a nice accessory, even if it’s not always necessary. Just remember, don’t go too dark or you might look a little out of place… Everyone likes a tan, not looking like a pumpkin.
