Fake It Instead of Bake It with Lavish Tan

It's still a bit too cold in Venice to sunbathe, but that doesn't mean you can't get a tan.

In fact, health-conscious, body-conscious Venetians can get a head start on the summer beach bums by hitting up Lavish Tan on Abbot Kinney Boulevard. The 99-percent organic "airbrush tanning" salon practically personifies Venice's brand of Southern California style.

Banish the thought of Snooki. Lavish Tan offers organic, apple-based hues that actually smell good, even without the optional fragrances.

The key to Lavish Tan is partners Kelsey Jones (who grew up in Venice) and Alex Dexter. After meeting at a tanning bed salon where they both worked, the two got off the UV kick after Jones was diagnosed with skin cancer at age 19.

Despite experiences like Jones', a study in December reported that 18 percent of women had used a tanning bed in the previous 12 months. Six percent of men reported using the method, which uses artificial ultraviolet light to stimulate melanin production.

But according to the National Cancer Institute, "Women who use tanning beds more than once a month are 55 percent more likely to develop malignant melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer."

Conscientious tanners are coming to realize that spray tanning is the safer option, and the industry is growing, according to a June 2010 report by market analysis firm IBISWorld.

Roman Zwolak, who authored the report, noted that there was a "significant shift" to spray-on tans.

But no one wants to be orange. Jones and Dexter knew they could do better than the traditional fake 'n bake color that has become synonymous with the spray tan (again, see Jersey Shore). Jones and Dexter worked with a chemist to find a browner, more natural hue.

Their experiment, during which Dexter said they were "plaid" with trial colors, seems to have paid off. Despite the fact that tanning salons face a 30 percent turnover rate, according to Zwolak, the young Abbot Kinney boutique reports that business is healthy.

Sessions are by-appointment only, and with an upcoming feature in Allure magazine and cameos on WE's Bridezillas, expect "lavish" tans to be all over Venice—not that you'll be able to tell who's faking.

Single, total body sessions are $59. Packages and partial tans available.