The Shade Ritual

The Shade Ritual was founded by Brittani Zonker, a celebrity spray tan artist, and operates as a sunless tanning studio. It has a Manhattan Beach studio at 500 S. Sepulveda, Suite 212, and a Hermosa Beach spa upstairs above CorePower at 1559 N Pacific Coast Hwy, Suite 201, Room 110, inside My Salon Suites. The Hermosa Beach entrance requires buzzing the intercom, and there is free parking in a two-hour lot outside CorePower Yoga, Wells Fargo and Pavilions. The studio says its tans are trusted by people in entertainment, beauty, fitness, lifestyle and wellness.

Each visit starts with a consultation on undertones, skin type and the result the client wants, which guides the shade chosen. The studio aims for sun-safe color that suits each person's skin. A custom formula is then applied over the full body with airbrush, including muscle shading. A spa tan appointment runs about 30 minutes in total, counting consultation, prep, spray and cleanup.

Rapid Tan uses a fast-developing formula for clients on the go and is usually rinsed off in the first shower; the color takes about 6 to 12 hours to come back. Extended Tan develops fully over 8 hours and can be left on without rinsing right away, and its color stops deepening at hour 8. Optional add-ons include a pH balancing prep spray, talc-free coconut drying powder, an odor neutralizer, body contouring, an extra coat, anti-aging drops and a DHA booster.

Mobile tans, starting at $250, are offered within 25 miles of Hermosa Beach or Marina Del Rey, with travel fees outside that area; they take about 45 minutes including consultation, prep, spray and cleanup. Wedding mobile tans start at $350 and are booked for one hour, and group packages are available for wedding parties and special events. Spa and mobile appointments are booked online. A 50 percent non-refundable deposit and a credit card on file hold the appointment, and changes must be made online more than 24 hours ahead, with deposits forfeited after that. Clients more than 7 minutes late may not be able to be seen, and spray tans are final sale. Men can book; they are asked to shave facial and neck hair 12 hours before and manscape 24 hours before. Membership options are Shade Elite at $89 per month and Shade Privé at $179 per month, both with a 3-month commitment; Elite includes one tan a month and Privé includes two, with complimentary upgrades, 20 percent off extra upgrades, a birthday anti-aging add-on and 15 percent off retail. Unused tan credits do not roll over or transfer.

Retail products include a Sunless Tanning Body Mousse at $38, a Tanning-Friendly Soap at $20, a Sunless Tanning Lotion at $25 and a Tanning Face Mist at $20. Separately, The Shade Insider offers a Business of Spray Tanning course for spray tan professionals covering technique, business fundamentals, pricing, branding, marketing and building a business, with step-by-step video demonstrations, DHA selection, skin prep, color matching, contouring and client experience. The course ends with a certificate of completion and lifetime access. The Shade Insider Artist Membership adds monthly education, weekly business trainings, consulting, mentorship and community support.

Custom-formulates each shade from a consultation on undertones, skin type and desired outcome, with the aim of sun-safe color suited to each client's skin.