Spray tan tips from The Bronzed Bee

The Bronzed Bee specializes in airbrush tanning.
Credit: Christopher Brown / Shoot From Within Photography

Whether you’re getting glam for your summer wedding or just want a glow for the beach, there are spray tan commandments you must follow. Break them and risk streaky hands or a stained, once-white dress, warnsAshley Piotrowski, owner of The Bronzed Bee in Philadelphia.

Piotrowski’s clients, especially summer brides, come to her for meticulously applied airbrush spray tans, but all of her hard work will — literally — fade away if you don’t stick to these rules:

1. Go for a trial run
“A bride can come in the night before her wedding and get an airbrush tan thinking it’s going to be one thing — and it comes out another,” Piotrowski says. She recommends spray tan newbies try it out about a month before a big event.

2. 48 hours to perfection
“Come in two days prior to your wedding, and no sooner,” Piotrowski cautions. You’ll need to avoid water during the 6-8 hours the tan is developing — which means no showering. “The day before you’ll have your rehearsal dinner, you’ll be running around sweating,” she says. “You’re going to want to be able to shower that day.”

3. Keep it light
Piotrowski says to “ask for a glow”: “If you tell me you want to be super dark, like you just got back form Jamaica, I’ll deliver — but you might not be happy with it.” No matter how dark you go, the color is there for about a week; opting for a Tan Mom look won’t make it last longer.

4. Amend your mistakes
Keep a small bottle of touch up solution at home, for when you accidentally wash your hands before the color has set. If you absolutely must clean your hands, Piotrowski recommends using hand sanitizer on just your palms. And we’re going to recommend that you skip the spray tan if you work in the food service industry.

5. Powder, powder, powder
“I don’t care if it’s Christmastime, you’re going to be sweating on your wedding day,” Piotrowski says. Sweat can make a tan run, or leave a telltale sign on a white dress. Keep moisture at bay no matter what you’re wearing with liberal doses of baby powder.

Pamper party

Book a Pamper Party for tanning, makeup application and more.
Credit: Lauren Mechelle

Looking for makeup tips too? Piotrowski recently teamed up with B Wilson of Just B Beautiful to offer Beauty Bee Pamper Partiesat The Bronzed Bee for groups prepping for a wedding, celebrating a birthday or just indulging in some expert beautification. Grab some girlfriends and select any combination of makeup application, airbrush tans, hair touch-ups, waxing, eyelash extensions and more. Cupcakes catered from Pamcakes and champagne round out the party atmosphere.

Just B Beautiful offers hair and makeup services in New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia.