Sure, we'd all prefer to walk around like suntanned beach babes when we're in a bathing suit, but who wants to risk skin cancer and wrinkles to do it?

The choices to tan in the past included the real sun, a tanning bed, or applying a self-tanning product. Well, we already know about the dangers from the sun, and tanning beds have similar risks. The self-tanners are better than they were before, but they're messy and sometimes difficult to apply evenly.

Enter Mystic Tan... The spray on tan promising perfect coverage in seconds. Well, this sounded interesting... so off I went to Media City Sun in Burbank, California to see for myself.

The first thing you do is watch a short video so you know what to do when you get into the booth. The procedure is quite simple. Apply barrier cream to the palms of your hands and your feet to block the spray, stand facing front for the first spray, then turn around for the second spray to get the other side.

After watching the video, it's off to the booth. The initial spray can be a little surprising, but nothing uncomfortable. 15 seconds per side, then out of the booth, wipe off the excess, and you're done.

(By the way, if you were wondering if the spray on tan solution will stick to your hair, it won't. But a cap is provided to cover everything but the hairline.)

There are a few tips you need to know in order to get the best possible experience from your Mystic Tan:

• Make sure you exfoliate and moisturize the night before.
• After you tan, don't use any products or shower for at least 4 hrs after your spray on tan.
• Salt water and chlorinated pools will fade your tan.

Allergic reactions are rare and the only people who need to look out for them are those that have had reactions to other self-tanning creams or lotions.

Mystic Tan does work and does give you a near perfect tan, but it only lasts at full strength for about 4 or 5 days at which time you begin to fade.

The fade is not always even and Mystic Tan offers a product called "Perfection" which I strongly recommend you purchase in conjunction with your Mystic Tan session to even out the fades. This product is basically a home version of the Mystic spray on tan solution and can also be used for quick tans on body parts in between sessions.