The Tanning Shop

Yes, I know, It’s very naughty for me to have gone here, with the increasing levels of skin cancer in the UK and the huge alternative choice of self tanning products available. Also, I know what you’re thinking, who do I think I am, some wanna be WAG?
But, (or course there’s a but…) one day I was just fancied The Tanning Shop, it was freezing weather, rainy and lets face it we’re not going to be seeing the sun over here again for a very long time. When I saw the bronzed, smiling bodies looking back at me from the shop posters all my reasoning went out of the (very pale) window in my head and I decided to buy a course of 30 minutes for £32.50. Besides, i have the excuse that my olive skin tends to get a greenish tinge to it if I don’t try get some sun somewhere in this bloody county (Olive’s you will know what I’m talking about!).
The shop is small (I think there are 5 vertical tanning beds), very clean and the girl who was at the desk was really friendly. Everything was well taken care of, with makeup remover and cotton pads in the booths if you’d forgotten your own, and ‘winkease’ that fit individually over each eye so you don’t get those tell tale goggle, ski mask like marks. It only took me 8 minutes to achieve a slight glow and the smell of a roasting bird. I think it was the weird smell, like I’d just been cooked, that made me realise how stupid I was for coming here and damaging my body like this, so i doubt I’ll be using the rest of my course. However, If I do ever get the urge to smell like a turkey roll again the courses are valid for 12 months from the day of purchase.
I know nothing about sunbeds, but at over £1 a minute seems a bit steep. if sunbeds are you thing though, this branch of The Tanning Shop is a nice, clean and quick (I was in and out in 15 minutes even though it was lunch time) little one to use.

I’m well aware of the health risks of using sun beds, but recently, before a trip to Los Angeles, I decided to treat myself to a couple of sessions to prep my skin so it didn’t burn to a crisp the moment it saw some sun after months of no sun here in London.
So in I popped into The Tanning Shop. The girl behind the counter was helpful and friendly. The rooms were clean and the ‘winkease’ eye protectors, which I’ve never tried before, were really effective once I worked out how to put them on!
Yes, I’m not condoning tanning beds at all, but they do have their place in this cold, cold, city of ours!