If you love a good spray tan but still – after all these years – struggle with standing naked or in a G-string in front of a stranger, never fear: the future is here.
Just as you can shop at Coles, transfer money between your bank accounts and check into your Airbnb without having to talk to anyone, you can now get a full body glow-up without the agony of exposing your boobs, bum or stomach ‘apron’ to some poor apprentice beauty therapist. (Or in my case, lift all of them up to be tanned underneath.)
Australia’s very first AI-powered tanning booth exists right here in Canberra, at the stunning Reverie — a contactless wellness space in Campbell.
At Reverie, you can partake in a dry float, a premium cedar bath, LED therapy and tanning without having to talk to or see a single person.
Heaven, right?
After trying the KFC Banh Mi on Canberra’s behalf last month, I decided to be spray tanned by AI and report back. Here’s what happened.
Like every other woman in Canberra, I’m in need of a spray tan for the Christmas holidays. I’ve done the ‘pale sick Victorian child’ look all year but I can’t face sitting in wet swimmers in my camping chair in front of friends and family like that.
So I head to the Reverie website to book a casual tan. The time slots are 20 minutes each and as I scroll through options I realise Reverie is open 24/7. That’s right – if you’re a shift worker or forget to tan for an event on the weekend, you can literally head in at 2 am for an instant glow up. Genius.
I’m instructed to download the app (which is named GymMaster in the app store because that’s the technology Reverie owner Cass Smith used to build the app, piggybacking off the contactless gym model).
In my email inbox is a fun flowchart where I select my tan development time (I choose standard, but you can choose rapid), if I’d like bronzer in my tan (yes) and what undertones I’d like (violet caramel). I want to go 2-3 shades darker than my natural skin tone, so I come out at a number 8.
When I arrive at Reverie in Campbell (it’s just down from Teddy Picker’s), I use the app to let myself in. The space itself is beautiful in that perfect-aesthetic/smells amazing way, and I head to the Automated Tanning Studio. I see no-one.
The VersaSpa Pro booth greets me like a comically oversized roll of film. Or a glossy black can of Coke for those not old enough to remember film.
I can’t believe I’ll step out of this contraption in five minutes looking like I’ve just spent two weeks in Bali.
I get completely naked, pop my hair in a hair tie and hair net provided and then follow the instructions to put ‘barrier cream’ on hands, elbows, feet, and in between fingers and toes. I practice the poses illustrated on the poster on the wall: the side poses look like I’m auditioning for the film clip for Walk Like an Egyptian.
I pop the sticky feet on, plug my number (8) into the side panel and hop in. But I suddenly remember I still have my glasses on. I take them off and have a minor panic attack because … I can’t see! If there are buttons to press or more instructions to read in the booth, I’m cooked. I’m panicking because what if it starts spraying and I’m squinting and sweating at the same time and it just goes everywhere?
I vaguely remember reading ‘wave your hand in front of the blue light when you’re ready to begin’ so I pull myself together and find the little blue light and do that.
And then I’m instantly on the tarmac at Canberra Airport, standing in front of a jet engine. It’s loud. And I’m being blasted. But the calming voice of the booth soon kicks in and I strain to listen above the noise.
‘Spraying will begin now.’ She sounds like the love child of Siri and Alexa and she sprays me from head to toe.
‘Drying will begin now.’ She dries me from toe to head.
She says: ‘Turn right and stand with your toes on number 3 and your heels on number 4.’
I can’t see the numbers so I just guess. And do my Walk Like an Egyptian pose on each side. She does my front, left, right then back and then tells me to exit the booth carefully. It takes less than five minutes.
Out of the booth, I realise I don’t feel sticky like I normally do. I’m completely dry. I use the buffing brushes provided to even out my tan and pop my clothes back on.
It’s now 60 hours later and my tan is even and definitely luminous. My face is a little darker than I would have liked, so maybe next time I’ll pop some barrier cream on there as well.
The ‘after’ shot: definitely luminous!
The verdict: Super convenient, fast and no more stressing about being naked in front of some poor beauty apprentice. A little challenging if you’re visually impaired like me and it’s a little steep at $65 a pop but I only tan once a year, so I’ll definitely be back.
To book an AI spray tan, click here.
