The Tanning Shop review - The Mystic HD sunless tanning

Everyone knows that having a tan can make you feel great, I hate to admit it but when I have a sun tan I feel a lot more body confident and it makes me look and feel slimmer. After a recent skin Cancer scare I try my best to keep my skin protected to avoid any dangerous sun damage. This does however mean that my ability to get a 'real' sun tan is limited (which of course isn't a problem! I would much rather be healthy!)

This is when my taste for spray tans began, not only are they super quick, they are also a safe alternative to tanning without UV rays and prevents skin damage which also causes ageing of the skin. I have tried lot of different spray tans but never the Mystic HD sunless tanning booth, so I was delighted when I was asked to try it out. I did all my prep work the night before my tan and really made sure my skin was exfoliated well and moisturised my dry bits (knees, elbows etc.) I was ready to go.

The lady at the Tanning Shop that I went to in Angel (Islington) was really welcoming and helpful. I can imagine if you’re not a regular spray tanner like myself then this sort of place can be a bit scary, so it was great that she really put me at ease. She explained exactly what would happen and helped me pick the right colour of my skin tone, I went for medium.

"This revolutionary device will allow you to select from one of four levels. Pick from glow, light, medium, or dark. This means a personalised and natural tanning result for you"

The lady then showed me the booth which I would be tanned in, It was a large machine that you step inside, on the floor are different numbers which you stand on to help get an all over tan, the machine talks to you and guide you through all the steps. Before I got into the booth I undressed and applied barrier cream to my hands, feet, knees and elbows, these parts of your body tend to absorb more solution than the rest because they are drier, the barrier cream helps to stop this leaving you with a more even tan.

I popped my sticky feet on (pads to protect the bottom of your feet from tanning) and I was inside the booth ready to be sprayed. One of the great things about the Mystic HD booth is that you are completely on your own, there is no awkwardness if you want to go topless. I kept my pants on so I could see tan lines and the effective it had.

The machine started up and clearly gave me instructions of what to do and where to put my feet while it was spraying me. within a few minutes I was completely sprayed and was drying. The only issue I came across was that my sticky feet didn’t stick very well because of the barrier cream, so I had to slide around the booth.
"The “MagneTan” technology with sweeping airbrush motion, attracts micro-mist particles evenly to every surface of the body. So no matter what your shape or size you will be sure to be mystified."

The solution sprayed onto your skin develops over 8 hours, so I could get home without any funny looks while my skin changed colour! It was not sticky like some spray tans can be, it dried really quickly and didn't smell at all.

As the evening went on I noticed the colour started to change, and by the morning it had fully developed. I had a shower and washed off the excess tan leaving me with the finished result. My tan that I was left with was even and natural, however, I don't think I applied enough barrier cream to my hands and feet as the colour of them are a lot darker.
Overall though I am happy with the result and would defiantly book another session, next time though I would make sure I applied more barrier cream to my hands and feet, my experience at The Tanning Shop was great, the service was fantastic and I would certainly recommend it. Its great knowing that there are alternative ways to get a sun tan if you are worried about UV rays like myself. (Full Body Photos to follow :)