A Little Extra Sundara
I had my first Real-Housewives-(or Single Gal)-of-NYC experience the other week when I went for an airbrush tan at Sundara in NYC. That’s right, dear reader, I said airbrush tan. It was my first time and luckily, I came out feeling more like I got a little extra luxury than Ross: I’m-an-eight??
Sundara is a boutique tanning salon located on a quiet block in Hell’s Kitchen that takes “personalized service†to a whole new level. In fact, when you make your appointment, you’re pretty much going to be the only client in the space. From start to finish, you get completely individualized service – most likely from Natalie, who basically runs the salon. She is, first of all, incredibly personable and professional, which is a must when you’re stripping naked in front of a stranger. But I never felt uncomfortable around her at all and her good nature made it a very pleasant experience.
Before the service she gives you a quick consultation to make sure that you’re not going to be unpleasantly surprised after the spray. As a spray tan virgin, I told her I wasn’t willing to go darker than a light-medium, and she completely understood what shade of bronze I wanted. She will also brief you with post-tan instructions, which I recommend that you pay attention and adhere to. Don’t be like me and sweat out a pool of tan the next day at Bikram yoga.
The spray itself is very quick. There are no funny machines or showers you stand in. Natalie does the whole thing and boy, is she good. She sprayed my entire body twice with a natural, custom made solution. The active ingredient is DHA, which interacts with the outer layers of your skin to create that bronze color. Unlike at home products, the DHA concentrate used at Sundara is more potent and therefore, allowing you to achieve darker colors and longer lasting tans with only one application. Immediately after the application process, I stood in front of the mirror and was wowed by the new color of my skin. I looked alive, and healthy and tan! Another big plus, having a nice tan also makes you immediately look skinnier (Britney Spears at the VMA’s anyone?)
So how did this tan last and fade? Well, sadly for me, I disregarded all post-tan instructions and sweated the whole thing out the very next day (sorry, I’m a gym addict). But even with that, my tan lasted a good half a week. Just imagine, if you follow the rules – you’d be set for a week at least! And the fade itself was so gradual, I barely noticed it. There were no uneven patches or dark spots around my pores. It was a very graceful and natural fade.
Just one thing. Sadly, Sundara does not offer prep services so make sure you shower and scrub before you come in for your service. Also, no showering for 8 hours after, so remove your makeup and wash your face before as well.
Self tanning is a healthy alternative to lying under harmful rays and the technology at Sundara is so advanced that it looks completely natural – maybe even better! At $75 a pop, it’s a nice luxurious frill, but one we could all treat ourselves to if we need a little extra sun in our lives.
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I’m an 8?!?!?!