OY! KRISTEN

This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own!

'I'm a better person when I'm tan."

I read the funniest thing on Instagram this week - "I am a better person when I'm tan." Now I'm not going to speak for women at large, but I have to say, I DO feel better when I have a bit of a glow captured in my skin. Something about a good, golden flush just makes me feel confident and ladylike.

I know that every woman has her "thing", the grooming/cosmetic/beauty ritual that makes her feel like a million bucks (heck, some of us have several of these things... ;), I admit that I am a girl's girl at heart and I like treating myself to a few of these beautifying affinities when I'm able to. I'm thirty and unapologetic these days about things like this - I like hair and makeup and getting my nails did and while none of these things are necessities AT ALL, they do help me feel cared for and a bit pampered. Self care is so necessary! And goodness gracious, when I discovered an organic spray tan that made me feel like a million bucks WITHOUT the harm of the sun's damaging UV rays or toxic chemicals, I was immediately hooked. And you know what happens when a blogger finds something she loves? Yep - she tends to shout it from the rooftops. Guilty as charged, friends ;)

RAW Bronzing Studio is located just a stone's throw away from where I live in my suburb outside of Atlanta (they also have a location in the city). The first time I visited RAW was with my mom, of course, because she's always in the know on the latest natural-beauty craze. She treated me to my first bronzing session as a Happy Mother's Day gift, and I was so intrigued (almost dumbfounded, really) by this mesmerizing place. It's a secret utopia I've driven by dozens of times and never taken a moment to stop in and experience. And I just have to say, not only is the bronzing session amazing - formulated with organic ingredients and free of gross orange-y preservatives - but the studio itself is just so surprisingly warm and luxe, all at the same time. Imagine yourself stepping into an upscale resort boutique in Palm Beach; a true one-stop shop for an exotic, adventurous getaway. Everything you need for a beach trip can be found at RAW from organic sunscreen (that won't strip your spray tan color!) to beach hats, designer sunglasses and gorgeous woven bags, billowy cover ups and lush towels. Gang's all here!

After spending some time gabbing with the amazing ladies at RAW, I decided to give you guys a peek at the life of a RAW Bronzing sunless tan. Some of you may have never even considered getting a spray tan before, or maybe you are a pro and it's one of your "things", but I just want to share my experience with you and give you the opportunity to have the same! I have loved my pampered bronzing sessions at RAW so very much and I'm excited to share it with you AND offer you a crazy discount on your first bronzing experience! See below :)

before

skin clean of lotions, perfume and oil

Before the Session:

My olive skin takes on a green-ish tone in the winter, so I'm always up for a little color to even out the score.

Before the Tan: Protocol
1. When you arrive to RAW, you want to make sure that you are freshly showered, shaved and that your skin is free of makeup, perfume, lotion and body oil. For those of you know me, this means no essential oils on my skin!

2. You also want to make sure to wear dark, loose-fitting clothes, because when you are done with your spray tan you want to give it time to set in without restrictive clothing. You wouldn't put on socks and shoes immediately after getting a pedicure, right? (P.S. - my outfit is not an ideal example of what you should wear, but I wore this so I could show you guys a little bit of skin without stripping down to my skivvies. And also, if I was wearing less I think my Dad might have a heart attack knowing his daughter wasn't wearing clothes on the Internet).

3. RAW provides hair ties, makeup remover and mesh undies, so you can get prepped for your bronzing experience with everything you need. And don't be nervous about stripping down - they are so professional and kind in the bronzing room. It's amazingly un-awkward.

after!

Will continue to develop over the next 8-10 hours

After the Tan: Protocol
1. The best way to care of the tan is to take quick, cool showers and avoid tight clothing or heavy lotions/oils.

2. Do not get wet or sweat for 8-10 hours after the session.

3. Don't plan to get a manicure/pedicure. Make sure to schedule those appointments before your bronzing session.

4. Once the tan has faded, RAW recommends proper exfoliation with a cleanser like Acure Body Wash with a bath mitt to completely remove the color before coming back in for another bronzing session.

Here is a Tips & Tricks guide that is super helpful for extending the life of the tan. In the past I've been able to extend my RAW bronze for 10 days or so. My face was the first to fade (since it gets washed probably the most frequently), but in the case that I felt like the color was significantly uneven, I could always go back in to get a face touch up! But I actually prefer my face to be a bit lighter than the rest of my skin because I think it looks more natural.

My tan is still going strong from this session last week! I'm on Day 6 and I still see a lot of pigment in my skin.

Following the tan throughout the week

I tracked the tan - get the play-by-play on my Instagram Story Highlights here!

And while I'm talking about Instagram, I'm running a giveaway over on my account for a kit of bronzing must-have swag. You can enter here! These goodies are GOOD.

RAW is generously offering my readers 25% off the price of a full-body bronzing service at the RAW South location with the code OYKRISTEN. I hope you give it a try! Please let me know if you have any questions about the experience - you can comment below or reach out on Instagram if you have specifics!

Happy bronzing to you, friends!