Mystic Tan

I'd been wanting to try Mystic Tan for over a year now. I finally got up my nerve on Friday, Aug. 10th to try it. As most of those close to me know, I am very pale due to my Irish ancestory on my mother's side. I am not exactly death rewarmed nor am I invisible like Casper. I have been sunburned too many times to count since childhood. Once really, really bad which resulted in the worst case of fever blisters on my upper lip I have ever had. So now I do not lie in the sun to bake myself as I did in my youth. If I am in the sun, I wear the highest sunscreen I have which is 50 and only get sunburned if I miss a spot. I know they have come out with an even higher number sunscreen this year.

I know Don would love it if were tan, but I am not. I am just not into the sun anymore. Besides I seem to be at the stage of my life where the sun is beginning to take it's toll. I've recently had several places frozen off at the dermatologist. Skin cancer runs in my family so I am trying to be very, very careful these days.

Before I could go to Mystic Tan, I had to buy a spare pair of undies to wear during the process because I DID want tan lines! When they asked me if I'd purchased the pre-kit, which cost more, I told them no and the girl had a sour look. I'd bathed well earlier in the morning. She said she was going to use the lightest on me so it wouldn't look unnatural. Then they took me to the room, explained the whole process to me as to where to stand, place my feet, how to hold my hands, to apply their lotion to my feet especially the toe area and my fingernails because the cuticles are so dry. Luckily the lotion didn't smell hideous to my sensitive bloodhound nose.

What they did not prepare me for was when the machine starting spraying the tanning stuff, it would scare the pee out of me - literally! My eyes were closed tightly, but it was hard to breath because the mist felt like it was going up my nose and it was. It was like riding on a roller coaster, eyes closed tight and over in a matter of minutes. This is it? I asked myself as I stood there with the brown mist still falling around me. Should I stand there until there was no longer a brown haze fallout?

Then you are supposed to rub off with a towel. Rub off what I just paid to have put on? The hair net they gave me had flopped forward so my forehead did not get evenly tanned which may have been a good thing since I had a place frozen off of it this week. I wasn't happy with my face due to the uneven color. It looked fake as if it all settled on my nose. It was white around my eyes. I was told I couldn't shower for 4 - 6 hours. I did not have a problem with that as some would.

Next I went to get my bangs trimmed, but had her take off more which was too much. Now I am tanned with bad bangs! I fear I may have made my hairdresser mad because she usualy massages my neck when she shampoos it, but I did not want her to do it today because of the Mystic tan. I explained what I'd just had done but it seemed go over her head. I wondered did she think I didn't want her black hands on me which wasn't the case. Normally I welcome the massge especially on stressful day, but this day was not one of those. I felt too good for a massage.

Don called while I was just sitting down in the chair for my trim. He was calling about a bill I'd paid. I'd taken my own bottle of Vavoom with me to spray on my hair when she finished blow drying my now too short bangs since this establishment no longer sells the type I use. She couldn't believe I found some. It was an extra bottle I had at my mom's if I should need to do my hair at her house or one I left from my last surgery.

Then I went to my car to argue with the credit card company. When I talk on my cell phone I tend to talk loud thinking others cannot hear me. The woman said I was being rude, but I didn't think I was and I didn't explain my loudness. I did apologize. So I had to go pay more on the bill. Not a happy camper like I was beforehand. So much for my good mood.

I got boiled shrimp from Capt. D's for me for dinner. Fish for the guys . I say "boiled". They think I say "broiled". So I have to correct it to say what they advertise as "peel & eat shrimp". It was good. We watched the rest of "Ella Enchanted" which was good. Athough they had all sorts fo things that had not been invented in that era. I kept saying, "I don't think so."

Don did finally ask me what did I do to myself. My mom thought I got a make-over then worried that I would "blister" as if I were sunburned instead of suntanned. This may sound bad but I didn't shower. I wanted to remain dark for once in my life.

When I woke up, I did think I looked darker. The downside was the fact that the backs of my hands were obviously stained. I guess I did not hold them properly, but that thought went out of my head as soon as the spray started! I washed my hands several times, but it wouldn't wash off even days later. I washed my face and it toned down somewhat. Either I had squeezed my eyes too tight to tan or my moisturizer wouldn't allow it to tan. I knew it was a really good moisturizer because made my feet slip and slide in my flip flops ALL Day long until I washed my feet prior to Mystic Tan. I attempted to wash some of the extreme darkness off my toes as well. They were the teltale sign.

With this Mystic Tan, I was able to wear brown cropped pants and a matching t-shirt and felt really good about myself. That's what it's all about. I matched up my face with a darker base make-up by Clinique.

The next morning Rhett & I went to Hardee's to get blueberry biscuits but, they were not what I envisioned nor were they worth the trip, the gas, etc. Having sausage added to two of them was like going through an act of Congress. We got one of them for Don for later which was a good thing because his boss let him off early due to the extreme heat. So he had brunch.

I worked on some of my loose scrap pieces of paper, placing some colors in baggies til time for us to go eat and to see Oceans 13 at the cheap movies. The air was not really cool inside the theatre so I was glad I'd worn the cropped pants. My foot that I broke my little toe swelled up while we were there. I blamed it on the heat.

Will I do Mystic Tan again? Doubtful. I can do just as well with the cream self tanners on the market which are alot cheaper. I know I will never be tan. That is just one of the things I wish I could wave a magic wand and change about myself, but I am no fairy godmother. I still believe in happily ever afterings.

What would you change about yourself?

I'd look like I did in a picture at age 21 with my blonde highlights. I'd have perfect white, white teeth. No lines around my neck. No scars on my body. A year round tan. Contacts. And I'd be rich, of course. Then I'd be content. Or would I?