If you're looking for a quick, no-sweat way to become bronzed this summer — without the skin damage associated with sun-baked tans — you might want to give the new Mystic Tan spray-on tanning method a try.

Janice Morse before | ZOOM |

Janice Morse after

        I got surprisingly natural-looking, even-toned results from Club Tan at 8740 Montgomery Road in Kenwood, which began offering Mystic Tan in April. The process also is available at Club Tan in Florence. The two locations are among several hundred tanning salons nationwide offering this “ultraviolet-free” bronzing option.

        I opted for Level 3, the darkest coverage, since I have darker skin tones and I already had some natural tan. Enquirer copy editor Liz Pegram, a fair-skinned redhead who also tried Mystic Tan, asked for Level 1, the lightest coverage.

        The process is short and simple: You get in the buff, step into a booth, press a “start” button and get sprayed with a fine mist that turns your skin brown.

        Getting ready for the 28-second spray is the tricky part.

        A five-minute video presentation shows how to prepare. (I also advise a look at www.mystictan.com or www.mist-on.com to find out ingredients in the solution, how to achieve the best results and how to prolong the effect.)

        One of the most important steps is applying “barrier cream” to your hands and feet — and especially to unpainted fingernails and toenails — to prevent them from absorbing too much bronzing solution. You tuck your hair under a paper bonnet.

        Next time, Ms. Pegram plans to put barrier cream just on her finger tips; the color from the first application ends half way down her fingers.

        Once you enter the booth — which resembles a shower stall — you close the door, push the green button and step back onto a surface with non-skid strips.

        Then you assume the position: standing with your legs slightly apart, arms out to the sides, elbows bent, fingers flared.

        Close your eyes. Wait. And hold your breath. That's not as easy as it sounds — the mist was so chilly, I kept gasping.

        The machine sounds a bit like an air compressor. A trio of nozzles attached to a carriage moves up and down to coat your body surfaces evenly.

Liz Pegram before | ZOOM |

Liz Pegram after | ZOOM |

        When the mist stops, you have 10 seconds to do an about-face. Facing the back of the booth, you're supposed to hold your hands in front of you to keep the mist from getting on your palms.

        After the machine stopped, I stepped out of the booth, opened my eyes and looked down at myself. I was covered in what looked like black coffee. I felt like a 64-inch-tall biscotti — with goosebumps.

        I towel-dried and went to the ladies' room to look in a mirror. Brown rings circled each nostril. Eeew! Thankfully, a brisk rubbing with a towel got rid of that unsightly effect.

        The Mystic Tan solution includes an instant bronzer, which washes off. The other ingredients take up to 24 hours to work their magic. (On some people, interaction with skin chemistry might cause a “starchy” smell, the manufacturer says, but that wasn't something anyone reported noticing on me.)

        In the end, my color change was subtle. In a way, that's good; friends said the results looked natural.

        Despite a few glitches and first-timer's jitters, I found the process was quicker and easier than applying a self-tanning spray, cream or lotion at home. But it's pricier than other methods, and the results lasted only about four days.

        Nevertheless, now that I'm familiar with the process — and what mistakes I made on my first try — this could be a tanning method I'll warm up to.

        Ms. Pegram, who had some streaking from the process, was pleased overall. She's ready for another spraying.

        “This time, I'm going to try medium dark,” she says.

       Club Tan offers Mystic Tan on a walk-in basis. Cost: $15 for first-time users; subsequent visits $25 each. Information: 984-8262, Kenwood; (859) 282-1617, Florence.
       

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