The True Lily by Larae · St. Petersburg, FL
Spray tanned by hand in St. Pete for 
The area’s longest-practicing spray tan artist. One appointment with her is the whole argument.
Larae Leeson has been hand-airbrushing spray tans in St. Petersburg since 2012 — fourteen years, four studio spaces, and the artists she has trained through the Training Academy since. The True Lily by Larae ($93) is any formula on the menu, or a custom blend, applied personally by Larae, with the mini or full contour included. Seven days a week, by appointment.
The short answer
Fourteen years, 
Experience in spray tanning is not a marketing word; it is the difference between a tan that is sprayed on and one that is read on — undertone matched by eye, solution blended for the skin in front of her, the neck faded at the hairline, hands and feet judged rather than sprayed. Larae has done it longer than anyone practising in the area: she founded The Bronze Lily in 2012, has carried it through four spaces to the seven-suite 1920s home it is in now, and teaches the craft through the studio’s Spray Tan Certification. The True Lily by Larae is the way to book her specifically: $93, any formula — Signature, Standard Rapid, Sweat-Resistant Rapid — or a custom blend, with the Mini or Full Body Contour included, lasting 7–14 days by formula.
Every artist here trains into Larae’s protocols, so a Signature with the team ($45) is the same solution and the same standard. The True Lily is for the client who wants her hands on it — brides, competitors, first-timers who are nervous, and people who have been burnt by a booth. See the full spray tan menu.
What experience looks like
What fourteen years 
Colour matched by eye, not by chart. Olive, pink, neutral, deep — Larae reads undertone before the first pass and blends the solution to it, which is why her tans do not go orange and do not go grey.
The details a booth cannot do. The face sprayed lighter and faded into the neck so there is no line at the jaw. Hands and feet judged by eye and finished by hand. Knees, elbows and ankles treated as the dry spots they are.
Fourteen years of event timing. She has tanned for weddings, pageants, bodybuilding stages, cruises and photo shoots long enough to tell you exactly which formula, on which day, for which event — and to say no when the timing is wrong.
The room, the standard. A clean floor, a fresh white towel, the studio’s hydration formulas with odour neutralisation built in. Fourteen years is also fourteen years of deciding what not to compromise on.
Being honest about it
Whether it is 
You do not need The True Lily to get a Bronze Lily tan. The team trains into Larae’s protocols and uses the same solution; a $45 Signature with them is a very good tan. The True Lily is for when you want the most experienced hands in the room, specifically.
Who tends to book it. Brides and the wedding-day tan, competitors before a stage, people who have never had a spray tan and are nervous about it, anyone colour-matching a difficult undertone, and anyone whose last tan somewhere else went wrong.
What it costs, plainly. $93 for any formula or a custom blend with the contour included. Lasts 7–10 days on Signature and Standard Rapid, 10–14 on Sweat-Resistant. Same prep as every tan: exfoliate the day before, no lotion or deodorant the day of, loose dark clothes, last stop of the day.
Mobile spray tans ($100 per person) are available for bridal and group bookings — text the date and the headcount, and ask if you want Larae to be the artist. And if you want to learn it rather than book it, the Spray Tan Certification is where fourteen years gets handed on.
Cancellations. Twenty-four hours’ notice is required. Cancellations under 24 hours are 50% of service cost; no-shows, arrivals 15+ minutes late, or cancellations under 4 hours are 100%. All bookings require a card on file — no deposits. Phone call or text to (727) 218-7045 are the only valid ways to cancel or reschedule. All sales are final.
Book her personally
Say the word and we will 
The True Lily by Larae · $93 · any formula or a custom blend · contour included
Seven days a week, 7 AM to 11 PM, by appointment.
Call or text (727) 218-7045.
Not sure which tan? Read the honest guide to the best spray tan in St. Pete →
The True Lily · Common Questions
The True Lily 
Who is the most experienced spray tan artist in St. Petersburg?
Larae Leeson, founder of The Bronze Lily at 2851 1st Avenue N in Historic Kenwood, has hand-airbrushed spray tans in St. Petersburg for fourteen years — since 2012 — and is the area’s longest-practicing spray tan artist. She also trains artists through the studio’s Spray Tan Certification. Book her personally with The True Lily by Larae, $93.
What is The True Lily by Larae?
Any spray tan formula on the menu — Signature, Standard Rapid, Sweat-Resistant Rapid — or a custom blend, applied personally by Larae, with the Mini or Full Body Contour included. $93. It lasts 7–14 days depending on the formula.
Is a spray tan with Larae different from one with the team?
Same solution, same protocols — every artist here trains into hers. The True Lily is for clients who want the most experienced hands in the room specifically: brides, competitors, nervous first-timers, difficult undertones, and anyone whose last tan went wrong elsewhere.
What days can I book Larae?
Seven days a week at the moment, by appointment. Book online on Square and choose The True Lily, or text (727) 218-7045 and ask for her.
How much is a spray tan with Larae?
$93 for The True Lily — any formula or a custom blend, contour included. A Signature with the team is $45, Standard Rapid $57, Sweat-Resistant Rapid $63; mobile spray tans are $100 per person.
Does Larae do mobile spray tans?
Mobile spray tans are $100 per person, with free travel within 10 miles of the studio (a mileage fee is quoted beyond that), and are popular for bridal and group bookings. Text the date, location and headcount to (727) 218-7045 and ask for Larae; we will tell you honestly whether she can be the artist that day.
Does she teach spray tanning?
Yes. The Bronze Lily Training Academy’s Spray Tan Certification is taught by Larae — the same hand-airbrushing, colour-matching and timing she has practised for fourteen years.
Why does experience matter for a spray tan?
Because a good tan is read, not sprayed: undertone matched by eye, solution blended to the skin, the face faded into the neck, hands and feet finished by hand, and the right formula chosen for the right day. Those are judgement calls, and judgement is what fourteen years buys.
Didn’t see your question? Ask us anything — we’ll answer it from the studio.