Beauty Test Run Fails 💅😎

How did you prep for the spray tan? This can make a big difference in how it turns out.

I find the best, cheapest, easiest way to prep for a spray tan is 5 days before the tan (tan on the 6th day), pour a warm bath with baking soda. Soak for 15-20 minutes, then take more baking soda, make a paste (just a little bit of water) and gently rub it in little circles all over yourself. Rinse off really well, then MOISTURIZE THE HECK! out of yourself. You can do this every other day before the tan (so three times). The night before the tan, exfoliate and lightly moisturize before bed. Then, the day of the tan, no products whatsoever - no lotion, no deodorant, no moisturizer or sunscreen on your face, nada. Don't shower that morning, either.

A lot of products that exfoliate have oils and fragrances and things that can interfere with spray tans. This is why I just stick to baking soda. I get spray tans twice a month, and I've never had one turn out wonky.

Also, if you use a retinol or retinoid on your face, you should nix it a week before.

That said, if she didn't even put a shower cap on you, it sounds like she was in a hurry... so I would still go elsewhere.

Ask around too, chances are there are people you know who have great recommendations on who to go to in your area, that's how I found almost all of my "pamper" places after moving across the country.

Please whatever you do, DO NOT rip off your nails! This is what causes damage. In order to remove them, you need to gently file the top layer and soak in 100% acetone for 15min (timing varies depending on thickness - this is a good place to start). This turns it all goopy and you just scrape it off with a stick, and repeat the soaking however many times necessary. Takes awhile especially on yourself, but it will be worth it especially if you like your natural nails! If you want something similar though, a gel manicure will suffice for the day and still look fancy and hold up better than normal polish - and no risk of smudges! Take off the same way but it takes less time

I'm sorry this is going to be long, I'm a nail tech in training so just bear with me!

Removal just takes time and can be a little awkward doing it yourself, just make sure it's 100% acetone (anything diluted won't be strong enough to break down the powder), and use a good thick hydrating lotion afterwards Don't be surprised if it takes an hour or so, it is very time consuming on yourself and can be frustrating, but so very worth it! (Also, peeling nails off hurts like a MOTHER FFF so just don't! lol) The drilling actually doesn't do as much damage as people think/say, all that comes from ripping nails off; drilling just opens the nails and lets the product stick to nails better - which is why it hurts and is hard to rip them off.

As far as your nail health afterwards, they'll probably be a little thin and rough, but nothing to be concerned about. I couldn't say too much about the roughness, since I always put on new product right away, and roughness can come from picking, not soaking! So as long as you do that it should be good, but I'd expect it to go away in a few days if they are rough. However for thinning, I'd recommend getting some Orly Tough Cookie (or any other nail strengthener, that's just my favorite) and applying a layer or two every day/every few days, this is my favorite nail strengthener and a life saver after getting nails done! And I've never heard of a dullness problem, so I can't give too much advice on that!

Hope this isn't too overwhelming

Yea my whole thing is don't start "experimenting" with new things for the wedding unless you are still 3-6 months out. A new skincare routine can wreck your skin, spray tans can go wrong, etc.

Do I follow my own advice? Of course not.

I was experimenting with some skincare stuff up until a week or so ago and was finally like "just go back to what you know" because my skin was reacting in wildly unpredictable ways (I also have my period so hope some of the breakouts are just hormonal and will subside in a few days). I also haven't quite figured out how to adjust my skin/hair products seasonally yet, so whenever there's a big shift in temperature and humidity I feel like a wreck for at least a few weeks while I adjust. At this point I'm just 9 days out so have to convince myself to leave my blemishes alone, stop putting random products in my hair, etc. I bought some press on nails but never tried them, so I'm going to just paint them (because I've at least done that before) and hope it goes well! I'm terrified of putting the nails on and having them pop off cause I did it wrong, or not liking it and trying to remove them and damaging my nails. I also have boob tape and have yet to try actually taping my boobs the way they need to be taped for my dress (I did at least do a "patch test" so I know I won't have a reaction to the adhesive). I had these plans of trying out all these things prior to my wedding but we hardly ever go out (thanks Covid) so doing a full face of makeup just to do some selfies in my house seemed pointless. It will be what it will be at this point!