A Just A Little Bit Orange Feature
By Clara Pettitt. Copyright © 11/26/2000. All Rights Reserved.
Sunless.com in Chicago — Page Seven
Earlier, I had spotted the guy in the black suit as he methodically pilfered hundreds of dollars worth of products. His movements were practiced and sure. I did not call any attention to him at the time because one of the exhibitors was clinching a deal with a salon owner, and shouting "Stop, thief!" would have wrecked the moment for her.
Hot Rumor: The pilfering was so rampant at the Nashville show that the exhibitors felt that a cloud of locusts had descended upon them.
Next I visited Most, familiar to many as the makers of Indian Summer, brought back due to popular demand. The owner of Most kindly gave me a full size bronzer as well as his sunless tanning product.
After a dogged search, I found the Fake Bake exhibit. They were extremely hard to find as the Fake Bake name was almost unseen — instead the booth was festooned with the logo Fruit Acid Tanning on numerous signs. Since my review of the product was not all that positive, I snuck past quietly.
I noted that the exhibitors looked a bit stressed, perhaps due to fielding questions about "fruit acid tanning." As all sunless tanners made since 1960 contain the active ingredient dihydroxyacetone, the phrase "fruit acid tanning" probably led Expo attendees to assume Fake Bake contained an active ingredient other than dihydroxyacetone, which it does not.
On the other hand, they may have suffered through a visit from the guy in the black suit.
Hot Rumor: At another trade show, some of the Fake Bake exhibitors got Fantasy Tans, then returned to the Fake Bake booth.
Off to Florida Tan, a line I am unfamiliar with. I received many samples, but unfortunately there were no sunless tanners among them, although Florida Tan offers one called Unexposed.
I received a large red shiny bottle labeled Channels Of Fire which I showed to Dave.
"Looks like mace," he observed. Sure enough, it contained capsicum, or pepper, the active ingredient in all pepper sprays. This was one of the many "tingle" products that appeared to rule the Expo.
I located the Jan Tana booth, where no new products have appeared, but the packaging has changed dramatically, and I think for the better, particularly for those of us with hands smaller than Arnold's.
As I wandered past a Sunnies display, I thought back to the three hour NTTI course I had had the day before, and found that what was most interesting was not the material covered, but the material not covered.
