Going for the Bronze
In Southern California, the tan is still king, but the tanning booth is beating out the sand dune now that a paltry few miles to the beach can add up to a lot of freeway time. Many a pseudo sun worshipper hangs out at emporiums such as Portofino Sun Spa in Beverly Hills, where the menu of services features everything from a 20-minute face tan for $16 to a $75 customized, head-to-toe spray tan purported to last between eight and 10 days. We stopped by on a recent Saturday for some local color.
*
Sherrie Wu
Project engineer for LAUSD
Torrance
Why come to a tanning salon?
To have a nice, glowing summer look. Also, it enhances your definition. I work out.
Why not just go to the beach?
I don’t want to get the wrinkles, so this is the safest thing.
Do you think there’s more pressure in L.A. to sport a good tan?
Hollywood, Beverly Hills: It’s the home of the stars. Everyone has to have a certain look.
Where do you stand on tan lines?
You want evenly toned skin like it’s your own natural skin. You don’t want to look like you have a tan.
What message does a tan send?
Youthful, energetic, vibrant, fun.
Where do you tell people your tan comes from?
I will tell them that I had a spray tan. I have no qualms about it.
Which celeb has the ultimate tan?
Paris Hilton. She’s tall and beautiful and always has a tan type of look.
If you opened your own tanning salon, what would it be called?
Bronze Buns.
*
Michael Gordon
Clothing maker
Beverly Hills
Why come to a tanning salon?
I’ve been so many years in the garment industry I’m green underneath the tan, and I hate that color.
What are you getting done today?
I just had a face tan in a booth. Twenty minutes of ultraviolet ray.
Why not just go to the beach?
I’m lazy. I can’t sit in the sun for six hours. I need a quick fix.
What do you think about here?
I’m going to the racetrack later. I fantasize about winning the Pick 6.
Where do you stand on tan lines?
Women care. I don’t think about it.
Why are tanning salons so L.A.?
They’re not. I spend about half my time in New York, and I go for a tan about three times a week.
What celeb has the ultimate tan?
George Hamilton always has the best.
Your own tanning salon would
be called?
Tan Is Beautiful.
*
Vanessa Fitzgerald
Model
Brentwood
What are you having done today?
The bed. The spray you do every two weeks, the bed twice a month.
Why not just go to the beach?
You’d burn. Plus, at the beach you put on your bathing suit. You want a little base color.
Is there pressure in L.A. to be tan?
Yes. L.A.’s a competitive place, with Hollywood and everything. In California, we’re expected to have color.
Where do you stand on tan lines?
In modeling they don’t like tan lines. They have to touch them up.
What message does a tan send?
A vibrant thing, a carefree feel. It shows muscle definition. A lot of people think it makes you look thinner.
What celeb has the ultimate tan?
Jessica Simpson. She doesn’t look orange-ish. And, of course, models like Giselle. But she’s Brazilian.
Your tanning salon would be called?
Healthy Glow.
*
Robert DuPont
Writer
Beverly Hills and Manhattan
What are you having done today?
A 20-minute tan in the bed. Face and body. It’s good, because when I stay in the Hamptons I have a base. Otherwise I would burn.
Why not just go to the beach?
It’s too far. There’s too much traffic.
What do you think about while bronzing?
Well, I listen to Barbra Streisand.
Is there a tie between tanning and the showbiz-beauty-fashion industry?
I don’t think so. I was tanning when I lived in Connecticut.
Do you go for the nudie tan?
No. I don’t think people do that, do they?
What celebrity has the ultimate tan?
Pamela Lee Anderson. I saw her on the Fourth of July at a party and she had a perfect tan.
If you owned a tanning salon, what would it be called?
West Coast Sun, maybe. I’d open it on the East Coast.
