The other day I went for a Vita Liberata spray tan at Holly Decker Beauty Collective on 3rd Ave in Downtown Saskatoon (the only place to get one in Saskatchewan).

This wasn’t my first spray tan rodeo though – I’ve definitely seen a few Mystic Tan booths in my day. I’d always wanted to try a professional airbrush tan though, but never went out of my way since I was always fine with the results I got from the Mystic (and plus, are you really supposed to stand there naked for a stranger? Is it weird that I care?) *Correction: complete nudity is not required, but apparently highly recommended

Holly Decker, founder of the prettiest little beauty boutique you’ve ever seen, assured me it would beat out any other spray tanning method I’ve tried before. I did some research on the brand and it turns out it’s a favourite spray tan of the Kardashians, Meghan Markle, the Hadid’s, Kendall Jenner, Sienna Miller and so many other other A-listers. It also boasts being the only completely non toxic natural spray tan on the market (clearly this was going to be one hell of a spray tan; bring on the little paper underwear)

When I arrived at the studio (see below w/ all the cute Gigi Pip Hats), she wiped off most of my makeup, and since I was lotion-free and had exfoliated and shaved the night before, I was good to go.

Solomia sprayed me in a little pop-up style booth, and expertly instructed me to stand, right down to the finger positioning. This is probably exactly why the results were so even.

Provided you can see past the dorkyest before and after pics, see below for my complexion before the service, and minutes after – the bronzer gives an immediate glow, but a lot of that is also meant to wash off after the first shower. The actual tan itself gradually develops over the following 6-8+ hours.

(ANYWAYS, what’s with my traps being SO uneven?)

So Holly’s great because she tells you exactly what to do, and I mean EXACTLY. She told me to shower after at least 6 hours to get rid of any excess product and to only use my hands and water. No soap and definitely no loofa.

However, I wish I didn’t do that. Tonight I went for another Vita Liberata tan (yes, I’m going away in a couple days and I wouldn’t mind glowing up for it a bit), I’m not going to shower until the next morning. While the tan was a GORGEOUS colour right away and inexplicably even, I just feel like I definitely washed way too much off in the shower AND didn’t wait for it to develop long enough (I think I waited only 5 or 5.5 hours maybe…whoops). Because of those glitches, the tan didn’t last as long as I’d hoped. I’ll keep you guys posted on the results after round two! (check out my Insta stories for that – @misstmill).

(post tan flex^) the morning after 

She also instructed me to moisturize twice a day to help maintain the glow (moisturized skin will indeed help lock in colour for longer), so I liberally doused myself in  Body Shop grapefruit body butter (my ultimate favourite body moisturizer). As I do.

I was gifted the loveliest swag bag with some Vita Liberata gems, too: a pretty, gold tanning mitt; ‘Phenomenal’ Organic Tan Infused Cloths; and possibly what is now my new favourite beauty product ever, Body Blur HD Skin Finish – it totally boosts the tan and gives the skin that super-hydrated-looking Instagrammy skin. It just blurs and bronzes and does exactly what it says it will do. There is major hype for this product from so many people I know right now, and I absolutely get why. It’s great for special occasions, but also for your décolletage or legs on really any day.I still haven’t tried the wipes yet, but I feel like they would be just the thing to extend your spray tan in between appointments, or to pop in your carry on to boost your colour (body AND face) while on vacation.  Also (yes, still talking about it), the Body Blur totally maximizes the life of your tan and I swear takes off 10 lbs.

Click here to book your Vita Liberata tan at Holly Decker Beauty Collective, and use code TANNIS10 to receive 15% off your spray tan and or products.

Side note: it takes just a couple minutes for the entire tan, so you’re in and out in literally 20-25 mins. When you go though, be sure to wear baggy, dark clothing, and it’s recommended to skip a bra altogether. HOWEVER, this time, I did put a sports bra on directly after, so I’ll keep you posted if that f*cked it up or anything.