In high school I first started going to the tanning bed for senior prom. Once I started, I got hooked. My freshman year of college I’d walk across campus to hit up the tanning bed decently often. It was a good way to take a nap and always helped my headaches, plus I just LOVED to be tan!
Danielle introduced me to the world of self tanning lotion during the second semester of my freshman year of college and I switched from the tanning bed over to the lotion. During the winters I’d use the self-tanner and in the summers I’d lay out as often as possible to keep a darker color. While the lotions worked, I hated how orange my hands would be (or how white they would be if I wore gloves) and I hated how the lotion got everywhere. All over my sheets. My pjs. My underwear. Whatever. I also didn’t like the cost and didn’t like the hassle of having to apply it.
When I was pregnant with Kye I discovered the Ibod home spray system. It worked okay, enough for me to keep my color in the winter and feel confident. But it was the same as the lotions as far as the time it took to apply (had to do it every night if I wanted to be dark) and it got everywhere and all over everything. And like the lotions, it caused my hands and feet to look pretty funky!
Once we got a pool in our backyard I started laying out on the regular. Since it’s so hot down here I was pretty much able to lay out almost year round. I quit using the Ibod b/c it was just a hassle and the battery life on the thing was down to like nothing. So I just was pretty pale in the winter and would apply tanning lotion to the areas that would show like my chest and arms haha. Lazy tanning 😉
Last year I watched a YouTube video that was being passed around called Dear 16 Year Old Me and it really opened my eyes to the risks of skin cancer. I always knew it was not good to be out in the sun a lot but it was one of those things I put out of my mind. Kinda like when people smoke…they know it can kill them but they just don’t think about it. Same with this! The reality is that being tan is NOT WORTH IT. Having kids puts things into such a bigger perspective and watching that video made it impossible for me to feel okay about my tanning habits. So I changed 🙂 I quit laying out as often, but I still layed out. I still didn’t wear sunscreen like I should have. But I did better than I had been doing before and every small improvement helps!
A couple years ago I found out that our local hospital offers a free skin cancer screening so Zach and I attended to have a good all-over check. This year, we took both kids with us and Kye was old enough to start being checked as well. Around the same time as my foot surgery I had a new mole pop up on my lower leg. I just knew that it was something not okay. That my sun loving days had caught up with me.
Having that scare made my small-steps change to big ones. I decided that day that regardless if the mole was skin cancer or not, that I was DONE with the SUN. No more laying out at all. No more sunscreen free skin. None. Thankfully the mole was nothing and I didn’t even need a biopsy of it but I’m so, so thankful for that mole! It was the wake up call I really needed and the push to make a true change. I slather my kids up with sunscreen like crazy, but I also need to be slathering that junk on myself too!!!
With my decision to give up tanning once and for all, I also decided it was time to invest in a better fake tan option. My IBod was on it’s last leg and when I started researching the best tanning lotions, they were EXPENSIVE. I put it out there on Facebook for suggestions and Danielle commented about the home spray tan system she bought awhile back. I ended up contacting Krista and instantly adored her!
Zach is in sales and he is a rare find in the business as he’s truly an honest sales person. He shoots you straight and finds out what your needs are then only sells you what will benefit you. He’ll tell you straight up that the vision policy may not be your best bet or that the dental might cost more than it’s worth for your situation. His honesty and approachability is why he’s so successful, and Krista is exactly the same way!!! We had a wonderful conversation and I ended up buying a home spray tan package from her on the spot which is totally not my style. I typically think things over and ask for like a million different opinions from people when making a decision 😉 She wasn’t pushy at all and really worked with me to save me money on everything I wanted, which I really appreciated!
When all my goodies arrived in the mail I was PUMPED! I was especially impressed that Krista has bible verses on her packaging, yet another reason I really like her 🙂 She also gave me a list of things to buy from Walmart so I’d be ready to go! I set up all the stuff to do it and Zach sprays me once a week. Our first time doing it took awhile but now we have it down to under 10 min and I am IN LOVE WITH IT!!!!!
I love how tan I look and how long the color lasts. I love that it doesn’t get all over everything (like at all!!! Not even on my underwear!). I can’t smell but Zach says it doesn’t stink either which the IBod solution always did. I especially love that the solution is safe while pregnant and nursing (not that I’m doing either right now but I like to know I can stick with the same thing forever!) and that it’s much more affordable than buying lots of different lotions or going to a local place for a spray tan. More than anything though I LOVE having the confidence I get from being tan without putting my skin at risk for cancer 🙂 I’m a firm believer that tan fat looks better than pale fat haha I feel skinnier when I have a tan and I feel better about the way I look overall. Now I can be tan year round and never break a sweat!!!
In this before picture I had makeup on my face so the bronzer did make me darker but in the after one I didn’t even wear any make up 🙂
I LOVE IT!
These pics are a little sneak peak of our recent family photos with Captured By Colson but they really show a good comparison! The lighting is different but you can still get the idea (in the first one it was about to storm so it was dark out where it was very sunny in the second one).
I know so many people have asked me about it since I posted on Facebook about it! I have sprayed one person so far (Courtney got her tan on at our house and Zach actually sprayed her since he’s such a pro at it now haha! She LOVED it and the color looked great on her!) but am def down to hook some locals up! However, I totally recommend buying your own system. Why not just have it at the house so you can get sprayed whenever you want?!?!? Plus it’s so affordable that it would make a wonderful side business as well!
Here is more info about Krista’s company, Golden Sol and about the solution and tanning system:
Golden Sol is a faith-based company and supplier of all natural spray tanning supplies. Their main goal is to properly educate you about the spray tanning process while providing excellent customer service and afforable pricing. They want you to know that spray tanning can be a very pleasant experience…if you are using the right solution! Most solutions have red dye (that stains), formaldehyde to preserve (that smells), and then perfume (to cover up the other smell). Golden Sol has created a solution that eliminates all of that and just gets back to the basics. The color is beautiful, there is no streaking or orange color, and no smells. They will even train you how to use your machine and how to build a business if you decide you want to.
So, if any of you decide you want a spray tanning system for personal use or you want to spray some friends and family and start a little side business, go check out their website: www.goldensoltan.com or www.goldensolonline.com. You can also call the owners at 770-922-3890 (Ask for Krista). The owners are 2 stay at home moms that have a passion for teaching and helping women feel beautiful, inside and out. They will treat you like family and help you get started. They even agreed to hook my readers up with a discount!
SPECIAL OFFER:
If you mention my name or the blog, they will give a $25 discount off of their Basic Package (Which is what I ordered! It’s $499: includes machine, pop up tent and 1/2 gallon solution) or a $50 discount off their Essentials Package ($699: includes everything from previous kit plus another 1/2 Gallon solution and a fan and filters. If you’d just like to get a spray tan from a Golden Sol representative, take a look at the website: www.goldensolonline.com and go to “Locations”. They have about 100 locations around the southeast and these are all people that have been trained by Golden Sol, are using Golden Sol products as well as using the same equipment…so you know your tan will look the same anywhere you go!
I am SO thankful Danielle recommended Krista and that Zach supported me using some of my Advocare earnings to buy my own system (and that he is so willing to spray me!). It really will save us a lot of money in the long run and has been a worthwhile investment for us already!!! If you have any questions, let me know and def give Krista a call for more info 🙂