Woman buys Harbor Freight spray gun. Then she reveals a secret trick that puts her husband to work: ‘I’m not using my husband to his full potential’
Getting a tan right before the summer for a glow-up can be tricky, considering just how expensive it is. Professional salons, for instance, can charge upward of $120 just for an appointment. While most spray tans cost somewhere between $45-$65 depending on the region, paying that much for a treatment can add up very quickly.
That’s where TikTok comes in. It turns out that thousands of people are opting for a new spray tan hack that’s leaving them with glowing treatments for around $30-$45. All it takes is the purchase of one spray gun at Harbor Freight Tools, some tanning solution, and an extra set of hands.
That’s why one woman decided to do a DIY spray tan at home. But, she wasn’t going to be the one spraying herself. Instead, she was able to wrangle her partner to help her get some of the same results as an in-person appointment.
TikToker Caitlin Sims (@caitlinpsims) joked, “ On my way to my spray tan appointment. First time having a male spray tan artist,” while walking with her husband toward an outdoor area near their home. Really, she had bought about $45 worth of equipment to use for her DIY hack. Then, in a video with over 2.1 million views, she explained exactly what she used and how she got a second pair of hands to assist her and what she used to get a cheap treatment.
Sims’s method—what did she use for her spray tan?
Sims purchased a spray gun from Harbor Freight Tools, which she loaded with Norvell Double Dark spray tan solution. She, like many other TikTok content creators, was following a popular “$10 Spray Tan Hack” called the ‘Harbor Freight Spray Tan Method.’
Thousands of women have purchased spray guns from Harbor Freight Tools in order to give themselves spray tans at home. Surprisingly, many people have said that the method is foolproof and extremely effective, giving them similar results to in-person appointments with professionals.
In her video, she explained that she purchased the spray gun directly from Harbor Freight Tools. She ordered her tanning solution on Amazon and got her husband to get working on her. She also showed off how he sprayed her legs and other areas of her body. Then, she let him record her for the final look.
“ All right. He just got done spraying me. Feel like it looks pretty good,” she said, while showing off her evenly tanned skin. “We’ll take a shower in the morning [and] we’ll see what it looks like.”
How did the Harbor Freight Tools tan really turn out?
For the next few days, she posted active updates to show what the tan looked like. Sims said she was extremely happy with the results, with the one caveat being that the next time she applies the treatment, she’d want to put some extra lotion on her hands to prevent them from getting too dark.
Commenters were able to supply some tips to help her and others figure out the best methods for the DIY spray tan. One viewer said, “Wash your hands, feet, elbows and knees 1-2 hours after spray with a wash cloth to prevent that from happening,” referring to Sims’s hands being a touch too dark. “Spray the hands from at least a foot distance as it’s such a heavy mist.. cross cross over them in an x motion.”
Other commenters had similar recommendations, saying, “When I started my spray tan business I tried to use a cheap harbor freight gun and it had a skip in it. They may be better by now but get him to get farther back and use the air compressor or a hair dryer to dry after each application, I do 2. With the hands a feet do one pass in an x pattern.”
Multiple viewers also recommended that Sims switch from Norvell tanning products to Sjolie, saying that it’s a better product overall. They recommended using Sjolie for every part of the process, from the tanning solution to the lotion applied afterward.
Regardless, Sims hit a roll with spray tanning, even helping friends get perfect tans right before the summer months hit. She was even able to provide others with tips for future applications after some trial and error.
@caitlinpsims Thank you to whoever the original creator is that posted to get the harbor freight spray gun & to my husband! #athomespraytan #harborfreightspraytan #redneckspraytan @Travis Sims428 ♬ original sound – CAITLIN SIMS
The Mary Sue reached out to Sims via email for more information.
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