November meant CMA week in Nashville, and the city was alive with energy–and so were the spray tan guns. As artists prepared to accept their awards, some for the very first time, and managers and industry executives got ready for Nashville’s busiest week of the year, one business was at the center of keeping the stars and their support teams looking tan and feeling confident: Pure Glow Nashville.
Pure Glow is Nashville’s newest airbrush spray tan salon that delivers a natural-looking, hand applied glow to skin–without harsh chemicals or damaging UV rays. Whether it’s for a celebration, a work event, or just a mid-winter pick-me-up, Pure Glow clients feel confident in their own skin.
Amanda Wilson opened Pure Glow in September, but before that, she spent 15 years climbing the corporate ladder in the hustle of retail merchandising where she was a buyer for businesses like Sam’s Club and Dollar General.
From a high-powered corporate background to being the owner of a small, beauty-focused business in the heart of Capitol View, Wilson is a woman who’s done it all. The world of beauty and aesthetics had always intrigued Wilson, so when she was presented with the opportunity to leave Bentonville, Arkansas for Nashville, Tennessee to lead the beauty desk at Dollar General in 2019, she jumped at the chance.
As her daughter continued to grow and her family continued to deepen their roots in Nashville, Wilson was faced with a choice: should she pursue her dreams of becoming a VP at a retail corporation, or should she chase after creativity and venture out on her own?
Of course, the beauty of the Nashville community and the draw of creative liberty and independence kept her here–and led her to open Pure Glow. Wilson was particularly drawn to Pure Glow because of the innovation it brings to the airbrush tanning segment as well as the customer experience. She was excited about the ability to shake things up in the beauty space, especially when it came to sunless tanning.
“When I was in high school and college, you went to the tanning bed. And then the sunless tanning booths came out, and you could go get a spray tan from a machine,” Wilson remembers. “And then there was this whole boom of girls doing it mobile, and they’d come to your home to spray tan you!” Essentially, Wilson realized the consumer’s desire to have bronze, glowy skin isn’t a trend that’s going away anytime soon. She laughs, “We will never stop wanting to be tan!”
Seeing how much innovation there was to be had when it came to keeping the glow of a tan but maintaining healthy skin and a much more luxurious, warm experience. “There are so many things about self tanning at home that aren’t so great,” Wilson says, referencing the risk of inconsistent application, streaking, and often undesired or unpredictable results. “What I loved most about Pure Glow was the experience.”
The Pure Glow salon is warm, welcoming, and chic–much more like stepping into an upscale spa than your traditional spray tanning salon. “You walk into the treatment room and there’s a place to hang your jacket, your clothing, there’s a place to charge your phone and place your jewelry,” Wilson says. “We’re breaking down barriers. The experience is much more elevated–you should never feel uncomfortable!”
In addition to being a high-end experience, Pure Glow focuses on skin health, with formulations made from organic, non-toxic ingredients. Their unique solution develops in tandem with the skin’s natural undertones, leaving clients with a natural glow that is flattering–and never orange.
More than anything, Wilson is thrilled she took the leap to own her own business because of the personal connections she gets to make every single day with the people that walk through her salon doors, whether it’s with her clients or her team. “Pure Glow allows me to be myself. It allows me to give back to each and every client so hopefully when they leave here they feel the best they’ve ever felt,” Wilson says, smiling.
“I wanted to own something that made women–and men!–feel confident,” Wilson says. “And who doesn’t feel like they can rule the world when they have a fierce spray tan?”
Pure Glow Nashville is located at 19 Josephine Holloway Ave in between Barre3 and Sweat440. Follow them at @pureglownashville, and call or text (615) 535-2434 to book your next tan.
(page 2) "...we focus on an elevated experience, natural results, and healthy skin.”
(page 3) “I wanted to own something that made women—and men—feel confident. Pure Glow allows me to connect with every client, helping them leave feeling the best they’ve ever felt, because when you feel confident in your own skin, you truly can take on the world.”
(page 4) “Who doesn’t feel like they can rule the world with a fierce spray tan?”