A Morena Girl's Guide to Spray Tans

How getting my first spray tan felt like fighting the "final boss" of colorism and deepened my love for my brown skin.

Welcome to Pearl, a newsletter dedicated to Filipinas and their beauty journeys. Read more about its mission here.

My first-ever spray tan on display at the beach during my wedding week.

I once received a DM from someone who told me she wasn’t wearing traditional white for her wedding because the color would make her skin tone look “very dark.” It stuck with me: Very dark. Like it was something to avoid. 

While I believe you should wear whatever you want for your wedding, it called to mind how deeply rooted colorism is in the Philippines. It’s a culture where “very dark” skin is so undesirable that anyone who grew up in a Filipino household likely got warned about getting too dark or encouraged to use whitening papaya soap (I did). “Whatever that fair girl embodies in my head, is someone that’s just a little better than me,” said one Filipina woman in Refinery 29’s video, “Why People Risk Their Lives to Bleach Their Skin.” It’s a belief shared across generations and the Filipino diaspora: Fair skin is associated with higher social status and upward mobility. Mestiza, a word that means mixed-race, is used to describe lighter-skinned Filipinas with racially ambiguous features (think: half-white celebrities like Pia Wurtzbach or Anne Curtis). Colloquially, it’s often meant as a compliment.

The aspiration for fair skin is so pervasive that Dr. Vicki Belo–one of the most influential figures in the Filipino aesthetics industry–once claimed that skin whitening makes up 60% of the work done at her 13 clinics across the Philippines. Meanwhile, there’s seemingly only one tanning salon in Manila (what Preview dubbed “the first tanning salon in the Philippines”) and it opened as recently as 2019. As if that’s not telling enough, here was a comment on the article about its debut:

So, spray tanning for Filipinas? Not really a thing.

I was 30 years old when I had my first-ever spray tan ahead of my wedding. While admiring the evenly bronze shade all over, I started thinking about how getting a spray tan as a morena Filipina felt like defeating the “final boss” of colorism. It felt like I finally bashed deeply rooted Filipino beauty standards dictating that lighter skin was more beautiful–for good. Getting a spray tan enhanced my natural skin tone and deepened my appreciation for it. I loved how the white of my lace wedding gown looked against my brown skin–and worrying about looking “very dark” was the furthest thing from my mind.

My spaghetti strap swimsuit left stubborn tan lines still there months after I got sunburnt. On the right, you can see the tan lines were well camouflaged on my wedding day. A miracle, TBH!

Tanning was never a factor in my beauty routine before the wedding. Born with morena skin, golden even months after seeing zero sun in the New York winter, I simply didn’t see the need for it. I never heard any of my Filipina friends discuss spray tanning. I wasn’t even introduced to the idea of it until I was working as a magazine beauty editor getting invited to spray tans by celebrity tanners and sent bottles of self-tanner (I’d always pass them along to a coworker). How could I benefit from an artificial tan when I already have a natural-born one that elicited questions like, “did you just get back from vacation?” from other people.

My introduction to spray tanning was born from a rookie mistake. I didn’t sufficiently reapply SPF to my back while on a day-long catamaran ride and ended up with the worst sunburn–and tan lines–I ever had…two months before my wedding. My one-piece branded me with two pale spaghetti straps and a straight line across my back. It would definitely be visible in my strapless gown. I figured two months would be enough time for my tan to even out. I was mistaken!

Left: My tan lines after getting badly sunburned. Right: Immediately post spray-tan, with bronzer still on, the tan lines and redness have disappeared.

I tried dry brushing, AHA serums, retinol body lotion, and even self-tanning drops that turned my skin orange. Desperate, and now sporting three different shades on my back, I finally scheduled my first-ever spray tan with Pradas Glow (the founder, Kristyn Pradas has famously done all the Victoria’s Secret models ahead of the annual fashion show, Ashley Graham, Ariana Grande).

My tanner Jaime arrived at my apartment the night before my flight to Hawaii, where I was getting married. She set up a pop-up booth, I stripped down to a thong, and she got to work misting me with the professional solution of Pradas Glow’s Ibiza Nights shade. Like Michelangelo chipping expertly at a block of marble, she meticulously evened out the pale lines on my back. It was as if they were never there. I was obsessed not only with my suddenly even-toned back, but with the caramel shade I now had all over. I felt confident on my wedding day. I was glowing, radiant, contoured, and my tan lines didn’t show at all. 

I’m officially a convert. So, if you are interested in getting a spray tan, I’m going to share tips to know before you book an appointment:

Exfoliate and do hair removal beforehand.

Take an “everything shower” and slough away dead skin build-up so your tan can last longer and go on evenly. I used the First Aid Beauty KP body scrub, along with my favorite in-shower tool the Luv Scrub (more effective than a loofah and great for reaching your back). Avoid oil-based scrubs! As for hair removal, you want to shave one day before your appointment (using a new razor!) or wax a couple days before.

My spray tanner brought this pop-up booth where I stood as she worked.

Don’t wear any cream, lotion, perfume, or deodorant before your appointment.

Same deal – you don’t want a layer of anything on your skin so the spray tan can develop evenly on your body.

Wear dark, loose clothing.

There may be some color transfer immediately post-tan, so don’t wear any clothes you care about to your appointment. I had some of the tan rub off on my bed sheets around my neck and pillow, so definitely switch them out if you have fancy linens!

Avoid getting wet within 8 hours.

Spray tans take time to develop their full color, so don’t wash your face or shower immediately after your appointment. I scheduled my tan in the evening, so I could sleep as it developed overnight.

Ideally schedule your tan two days before your event for best results.

I really stressed about this one. Because I had a destination wedding, I got a spray tan before I left which was five days before the wedding. The spray tan faded a little but there was still a good base, so my makeup artist just helped with covering up especially stubborn areas.

Avoid hot showers and any rubbing.

Lukewarm showers are best to maintain a spray tan. Don’t use any loofah or scrubbing tool in-shower, and always pat skin dry with a towel instead of rubbing it so you can maintain the longevity of your spray tan.

I felt SO clueless about spray tans before trying it myself, so I hope you found this guide helpful! Let’s normalize embracing morena skin.

---

Links I’m Loving:

The Beauty Edit is a Philippines-based beauty site founded by Filipina beauty editor Nicole Morales. I’m really loving the visuals, reporting, and thoughtful takes on trends. It’s really filling a white space for beauty coverage in the Philippines!

This smoky eye look on Kelsey Merritt is perfection. Brows, too! Really makes me wish I didn’t pluck all my brow hairs in 2003.

Love this VOGUE Philippines profile on Anthea Bueno, a celebrity makeup artist who has worked with celebs like Liza Soberano, Anne Curtis, and Kylie Verzosa. I was lucky enough to meet Anthea in 2019 – she is as kind as she is talented!

Last issue, I mentioned my college bestie Marie Mercado and her Orland-based Filipino ice cream shop Sampaguita. Well, Sampaguita just got featured on NETFLIX! Learn more of their story (and drool over slow-mo captures of ube ice cream and halo halo) on season 7 of Somebody Feed Phil.

How can I support Pearl?

If anything you read resonated or you learned something new, please share this newsletter with a friend. Forward the subscribe page, post an excerpt on IG stories and tag me, and make sure you’re following me over on Instagram and TikTok.

With Love,

Kristina