Fake Bake Month: ModelCo Tan Airbrush in a Can - Beauty Addict

Monday, May 21, 2007

Fake Bake Month: ModelCo Tan Airbrush in a Can

OK. We've done gradual tanning lotions, tinted tanners, mousse tanners, and spray tans in the booth. Now it's time for the "airbrush" category.

Or, if you prefer, the "tan in a can."

Tan Airbrush In a Can was the first ModelCo product I tried; I've since become addicted to their other "in a can" offerings, like the moisturizer.

Tan in a Can (I know the word Airbrush is in there, but doesn't "Tan in a Can" sound so much better?) is a tinted mist with a 360 degree nozzle, enabling you to cover even hard-to-reach spots like the center of your back. The tint is a dark golden tan with no shimmer; it requires some effort to smooth it out, so the application isn't exactly hands-free, but the result is lovely, even on its own before the real tan develops. In fact, I went out one night with this on, prompting my friend B to send me the following text message: "U r already tan! Don't rub it off!"

Tan in a Can dries almost instantaneously, feels like you're wearing nothing, and develops into a great looking tan underneath within a few hours. It smells great at first, like vanilla cookies, but takes on an odd quality over the hours. Nadine Baggott likened it to a "stale biscuit tin," and I rather agree; there is something very strange about the combination of vanilla + metallic smell + DHA. But, in the end, it's tolerable and definitely worth it.

Just be sure to seclude yourself somewhere far away from furniture, clothes, and anything white, because, oh boy, you will make a mess. I once coated myself with Tan in a Can in a hotel shower, and it looked like the Janet Leigh shower scene from Psycho, only 20 years later, with the blood spatters having dried on the tiles. I felt sorry for the maid who would have to see that, so I ended up hosing down the shower myself. It was rather frightening.

Fake Bake Month Official Rating

Scent: 3
Color: 5
Texture: 5
Drying Time: 5
Neatness: 1
Bonus Points: 3 (for the "streakless" tint)

Total Rating: 22/30


Comments