After a long and grueling day at the office, most people can’t wait to get home and put their feet up or grab a beer with friends and relax. But for Andressa Leite, after her full day working at HD Supply in downtown Orlando, she can turn her attention to Sun Mist, making her small business dream a reality in the City Beautiful. Sun Mist prides itself on being the premier custom spray tanning service in Orlando and lives by their motto: “It’s better to fake it, than to bake it!”
Leite, a College Park resident, has personally invested heavily to start Sun Mist, and not just with her time. Three years ago, she opened Sun Mist as a mobile spray tan company, building up clients all over the Central Florida region. After only six months of business, she was ready to open her full studio, the first spray tan only salon in Central Florida, and has been at her Edgewater Drive and Bryn Mawr location for the last two and a half years. She loves being both a resident and a business owner in the neighborhood and is very active in supporting the other small businesses off Edgewater.
Sun Mist, which is open from 5pm-9pm on weeknights and 10am-6pm on Saturdays, is already growing a large customer base and is by appointment only. Leite even started hiring part-time help as her business expands. A regular full body spray tan costs $35 and her ultra-rapid full body tan costs $45, with many package deals available.
Leite will usually have between eight to 12 tans booked each night, after her full day of work at HD Supply. In a recent drop-in visit, it was also clear her clients are very comfortable with Leite, with one client sharing her latest photos and relationship news after getting her new spray tan.
“I love people and being face-to-face, and communication during my day job is mostly on the phone or email, very impersonal,” she said. “When I’m working Sun Mist, it’s like hanging out with friends.”
She later joked, “It’s amazing what people tell me when they are cold and naked.”
Her hard work has also gotten attention outside of Central Florida and is setting the example in this emerging industry. Others from around the country have come to Orlando to train with Leite and Sun Mist and she is also a member of the Professional Spray Tanning Association. Sun Mist was even featured the MTV show “Friendzone” last summer, spray tanning a reality TV dating contestant.
Providing a healthy alternative to tanning in the Sunshine State was also an early goal.
“I worked in a tanning salon when I was in high school and college and I saw the damage and the danger,” said Leite. “I’m a fair-skinned Brazilian, so I want to have healthy skin and a good tan, but I didn’t want to harm myself or others.”
That led her to take on the rays with the latest spray tan technology, using a sugar-based tanning solution that is 100% organic and includes only naturally-derived ingredients. It’s even PETA-approved Vegan.
Running her business in addition to working her full-time day job can be tough, but Sun Mist has proven to be worth it all around. “It’s very exhausting sometimes and it can be hard to answer all my calls,” said Leite. “But it makes me feel accomplished and rewarded every single night – and I like working for myself.”
Best spray tans, for sure!