Brow expert turns her hand to tans

Hawke's Bay brow expert Vania Bailey has opened Tans on Tennyson. Photo / Supplied

Vania Bailey has been beautifying women in the Bay for more than a decade – now the well-known eyebrow architect is adding tans to her tool belt.

She maintains a two-month waitlist for eyebrows and other permanent makeup – however when she spotted a gap in the beauty market, she decided to fill it with Tans on Tennyson.

The small boutique salon does tans only, bookings are essential and it will be open at 71 Tennyson St, Wednesday to Friday 5pm to 7pm.

"It's a really central location, and I wanted to make it more comfortable and easy for people so they can walk in and out with a glowing tan. It's a gradual tan that develops over four hours, so it doesn't look too over the top," Vania said.

The brow expert is offering her current permanent makeup clients $10 off their tans, as a way to say thank you for supporting a local business.

"I think it's nice to have shortcuts in the beauty industry to make yourself look and feel good," she said.

Over the past few months Vania tried numerous tans to find the perfect fit for her clients – no matter their skin texture or tone.

"The most important thing for me was the smell and how it was going to sit on my skin, without staining my white sheets.

"After trialling a lot of tanning products I kept coming back to sustainability and staying power, along with smell - Eco Tan won hands down.

"We have come a long way from the Coppertone tan in a bottle; I remember having a tan meltdown at high school because I was completely orange – so I'm well aware of what can happen when you don't know what you're doing.

"Our skin is our biggest organ and much of what we put on it is absorbed into our bloodstream.

"Eco Tan is a gorgeous tan, suitable for light and dark skin types to give it that overall even, glow. It is also the first to be a certified organic tan.

"Any marketing company can apply the word 'organic' but to be certified is next level."

Vania decided Tennyson St would be the perfect location for a tanning studio, and knows first-hand that a good tan can do wonders for your confidence at any age.

"Personally, I don't tan, so having a bit of colour makes me feel happier, healthier – I wanted to show how easy it is for women.

"I am also offering half body tans for those who don't want to get completely undressed, and just want their legs done."

Book a tan or permanent makeup with Vania by calling: 021 174 9038 or by using the booking form via her Facebook page: @TansOnTennyson

Tanning Tips
• Exfoliate and shave the day before and remove any traces of old tan build-up. "Your body exfoliates every three days, a spray tan should look good for just under a week as you naturally start to shed old skin cells after this time," Vania says. "Having an exfoliation day pre-tan is essential for a natural looking, evenly placed colour."

• Don't use deodorant or moisturiser before getting your tan, as it will give you a patchy result.

• To keep your tan looking fresh, moisturise with an unperfumed body lotion which will help to maintain tan on the skin.

• Another good summer tip is when you are swimming with your permanent makeup – apply Vaseline, for longevity of brow colour.

• Always try to wear a hat as sun fades your eyebrow colour and the UV rays can wreak havoc on skin.