Beautifully Bronze
Mission: To get the J Lo glow.
Why: One stop beauty session for those looking for beautiful, brown skin
Where: Bronze Bodies, Bldg 209A, Infinity Plaza, 138 Huaihai Zhong Lu, near Pu’an Lu. Tel: 6335 3091
How Much: RMB 100 for the tanning session, RMB 200 for the collagen station, RMB 78 for the manicure
Done right, a flawless bronze tan can only be described as the epitome of sex-appeal (think Rihanna, Brooklyn Decker, Kim Kardashian), and coco-brown skin alone conjures up tongue-in-cheek images of nude beaches somewhere off the Brazilian coast. With the sun’s rays now at their peak, the safest way to achieve a natural, even looking tan – especially if you have a hectic schedule - is undoubtedly to visit a tanning salon.
And so Talk Magazine’s style editor searched for the next best thing to achieving that just-back-from-Brazil look this side of the Orient and found it at Bronze Bodies—complete with tropical tunes, a futuristic collagen station and a super convenient nail studio. It may not have been a Brazilian nude beach, but it was far from disappointing.
Bronze Bodies offers the latest technology in tanning beds that deliver a better ratio of UVA and UVB rays, resulting in healthy exposure for the skin. It boasts that a healthy tan formed through regular tanning sessions can actually benefit in giving you a sun protection factor between four and eight.
Before I began my own session, I was informed by Keanu Law, the owner of Bronze Bodies, that clients need no more than fifteen minutes of tanning in the sunbed to achieve that sun-kissed look, making it great for girls on the go. This is followed by an optional ten minutes in the collagen-light therapy station to promote the reformation of collagen in the skin, which is great because more collagen often means less wrinkles.
I swiftly entered my own private tanning room, covered myself from head to toe in the recommended tanning lotion (Bronze Bodies sells only Australian Gold brand, a leading company in providing suncare solutions) and donned the protective eyewear. Once in the bed, all I had to do was press a button to start my treatment (no confusing part there) and soon I was listening to Caribbean-esque music as UV rays beamed on me in a blindingly bright hue. Ten minutes was all that was required, so I was in and out in no time.
The collagen light therapy station was an equally exciting experience. Standing upright on the reflective platform, I stepped on the start button and firmly gripped the handles. As the platform vibrated at an intense speed, a familiar set of Caribbean-esque songs began to play from the overhead speakers. As we all experiment with oddities in the name of beauty, this was no exception, and I had to laugh at how awkward I felt.
The last part of my visit was to the nail studio, in which I received an awesome manicure in the prettiest of baby-blues. I was greatly impressed by how quickly my manicurist was able to primp and polish my nails. Even after a week, the job still looks good!
My visit to Bronze Bodies was definitely worthwhile. Without having to sacrifice my whole day, I was able to obtain an alluring tan and also gain a magnificent manicure! Not only were the services excellent, but the staff were extremely warm and inviting. In my opinion, for a place as concrete as Shanghai, finding a warm refuge is a godsend—especially if it leaves you glowing.
