Treatment: Tanning massage
Where: Bluemercury, 3059 M St., Georgetown; 202-965-1300; www.bluemercury.com.
Price: $125
What it is: I'm gently massaged with salt scrub, then slathered with Darphin tanner.
Time: The treatment takes one hour, but you'll wait a few hours more for the tan to fully develop.
Effect: Shimmery and subtle bronze–but I'm the only one who notices.
Pros: Michelle is friendly and a talented massage therapist. She packs me a bag of samples to take home.
Cons: The exfoliator makes my skin itch. Michelle doesn't tan my face, though she gives me products to do it myself. And it's expensive.
How long the tan lasts: Starts to fade after three days, is gone after five.
Verdict: I'd go back to Michelle–but spend my money just on a massage.
Treatment: St. Tropez Whipped Bronze
Instant Self-Tanning Mousse
Where: privacy of your own home
Price: $22.50 through Sephora.com
What it is: a muddy brown mousse that instantly dissolves into your skin
Time: five minutes
Effect: Very subtle tan. The color is supposed to deepen over the next three hours, but it never changed on me.
Pros: Easy to rub in and you see color instantly, so there is little risk of streaking. Not a trace oforange.
Cons: The mousse looks a little scary–like hair dye–and left a faint stain on my palms. You may need to layer it on to get a noticeable bronze.
How long it lasts: gone after two days
Verdict: A fast, easy fix for winter skin, but as the color sets so quickly–and tan palms are a giveaway–it's wise also to buy St. Tropez Self-Tan Remover ($15).
Treatment: Solaire All-Natural Tan
Activator
Where: privacy of your own home
Price: $17.49 for 60 capsules through www.nutritionworld.com
What it is: an herbal supplement containing vitamin E and a "bronze oil blend" that promises to "jump-start your skin's melanin production"–even if used without sun exposure
Time: two pills daily for ten days, then one pill daily as long as desired
Effect: None on my fair skin. A company spokesperson says Solaire may work better on darker skin tones.
Pros: No synthetic carotenes, so it won't turn youorange–if it works on you at all.
Cons: It hasn't been approved by the FDA.
How long it lasts: not applicable
Verdict: My skin looked no different after one month's use–a waste of money.
Treatment: Mystic Tan UV-Free Tanning
Where: Solar Planet, 2130 P St., NW; 202-293-4895.
Price: $24.
What it is: I stand naked in a eight-by-eight-foot booth and am sprayed for 30 seconds with a mist of self-tanner. The color deepens over the next 24 hours.
Time: in and out in five minutes
Effect: There are three levels of bronze to choose from. The lowest gave me a deep, golden tan.
Pros: I could see color right away, which gave me a chance to smooth out streaks and wipe off areas that were too dark.
Cons: Skin feels chalky for a few hours, and the tanner's butterscotch smell lingers. Despite using barrier cream on my palms, they still tanned.
How long it lasts: five to seven days
Verdict: For quickness, cost, and ease, I found this the best treatment.
Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.
