Its been two years since ive competed. When I did i used ProTan, the suntan bed, and then some dream tan 2 the morning of the show, and touched that up during the day.

Has anyone found something better? I know Ray mentioned doing the mystic tan. Im wondering if that was before or after a few pro tan coats. I would think after to maybe smooth everything out.

A little discussion about it would be nice.

JT - I have had several people recently recommend just using Dream Tan #2 the morning of the show with touch up as needed. Nothing before that. Sure simplifies the process.

I did the Mystic the day before then Dream Tan. I feel that's the best combo.

Frank

This is a good read and worth laugh and glimpse at Murphy's Law in Action.


Here was the protocol.

Tan in the beds at my club a few times, about 6.
Paid 45 bucks for Mystic Tan at the local salon.
Wednesday the week of the comp
Tanned in a bed at the salon (6 minutes), got dressed, went to the Mystic Booth and got shot with the darkest stuff they had.

Thursday
Back to the salon.
Tanned in a bed (6 minutes), got dressed, went to the Mytic Booth, they ran out of the "New" darker Mystic spray! (The employees of he salon and ownder could not understand why I need to be so dark, especially given the fact that I was already dark from UV beds...)
Clothes back on back up to the front counter to talk to the owner. She had a near empty bottle of the lighter spray gave it a few shakes and hooked it up to the machine. Actually it was going to be thrown out it was so empty.
Got a full coat but it was definitely not as dark as the one I got Wednesday.
The owner was not sure when she would have more Mystic Tan in. She was more than polite and clearly did not anticipate having a couple bodybuilders relying on her saln and Mystic Tan. One of my clients that is very fair skinned was relying on the same salon...

I put all my tanning eggs in the Mystic Tan basket and now they are out of it...are you kidding?

Friday
I get a call mid morning. It is the owner of the salon. She got the tanning solution in and was going to comp me a tan or two, whatever I needed to get dark, I think she was fially catching on to this not dark enough thing.
I had to go in less than 24 hours after my last tanning session so I could not use the UV bed first so straight into the Mystic booth.

Using the UV beds for a base is a great idea as the Mystic does not hit everywhere. The UV beds also open your pores allowing the Mystic Tan to be even darker (get in the pores). I think if I would have gotten 3 or 4 coats of the darkest solution at the darkest booth setting this would have been plenty. Plan your time accordingly so that the salon is not breaking any state laws forbidding UV bed tanning twice in 24 hours as I do feel the UV beds make a difference before the Mystic Tan.


Be sure to specify how important it is that you are dark. Looking good under the salons lights is not the same as being in front of the stage lights. Be polite and work with the owner/employees...

I still used two coats of pro tan...applied with a sock with the pro tan in a bowl..dab and wipe just like staining fine wood work. Both coats were applied Friday evening. This method takes (depending on humidity levels) less than an hour and a half.

The morning of I put Dream Tan on.
Up at 6 am or so. One coat of dream tan, the Bronze one not sure of the number. Then off to the comp.

I never touched up...just some Pam before predjudging and the night show.

This includes sitting around back stage in fleece pants and long sleeve top. The stuff never ran or wiped off.

NOTE:
Here is the thing...I seem to take on that plastic look with the dream tan and this seems to take away from my definition. Looking at pictures of the day before the comp and again with the dream tan on the next day I do not look as defined. This has happened every time I have used Dream Tan and I am questioning whether or not I will used it again.

Happy Tanning!

Ray
OCB Midwest States and Show Up and Bench Competition
November 19, 2005

quote:

NOTE:
Here is the thing...I seem to take on that plastic look with the dream tan and this seems to take away from my definition. Looking at pictures of the day before the comp and again with the dream tan on the next day I do not look as defined. This has happened every time I have used Dream Tan and I am questioning whether or not I will used it again.

The problem may not have been in the Dream Tan but the fact you tanned before. You shouldn't tan after Wed before the contest. It causes the swelling and possibly holding water when you normally wouldn't be holding. Rather than looking drier than ever, your skin is angry at you for burning it.

Frank

An hour or so prior to pump up for pre-judging:
One moderate coat Dream Tan #2. Pat it down.
Done.

A

Frank

I thought that as well.... here is the thing tough. I did not tan on Friday and looked great Friday night even Saturday morning. Then I put the dream tan on. I still looked good, but took on a plastic look.

Good point....tanning will cause water retention and some swelling that can impact definition.

Ray

quote:

Originally posted by ETX: I still looked good, but took on a plastic look.

Hey Ray,

Since judging criteria has always remained unpredictable, uncertain and controversial over the years, the "plastic look" might just be en vogue at the present time. Have you ever looked at a GI JOE doll?

GI JOE is ripped.

Aram

One word of advice...try your color before the day of the show (even if on just a small part of your body) to make sure you don't have a reaction to it or that it is not a bad batch.

Right before my last show, I was applying my bronzer and I looked in the mirror and was slowly turning green ! It was horrible! I basically had to scrub everything off and start from square 1, just hours before the comp. I looked like a female-mini version of the Hulk.

Fortunately all turned out OK, but certainly an experience I could have lived without!

Jtheo I too use the mystic approach and dream tan#2 but on top of that use mineral oil at the show, putting a little on the hands and rubbing them together and padding it in like applying the dream tan and it works like a charm but has to be done 10-15 min before stage time.

where do you get mineral oil?

You can get mineral oil at most grocery stores or at walgreens, rite aid, etc.

I think??

quote:

I still looked good, but took on a plastic look.

Perfect for doing the "Robot" on your routine! LOL

I know what you're talking about and really can't place where the problem stems. I saw it on a couple of competitors. I think a lot has to be from the base.

I actually put a heavy coat of it on before the weigh-in and sleep with it on. By the time I get to prejudging, I would have had 3 coats.

I like that mineral oil idea.

Frank