Owner of spray tanning studio Bronze515 Leah Wafful is hoping to bring a golden glow to Main Street.

“It’s just going to be a whole new thing for Ames to experience, and we’re super excited about it,” Wafful said.

Bronze515 started as a side hustle to Wafful’s former day job and transformed into a six-figure business in just 18 months. They are now in the process of opening their second location here in Ames.

The exact opening date is still to be determined, but will be sometime this spring. Wafful is hoping to be open before spring break.

 “To do all of this before I’m 30 is kind of crazy, I mean it’s just taken off in a way that I couldn’t expect,” Wafful said.

 Bronze515 originated in Des Moines in February of 2018 when Wafful opened up her first UV-free custom spray tanning store front.

“I never thought it would be what it is today, but I wanted to start a business where I could make people feel really good about themselves, and look really good,” Wafful said.

Being UV free is a big part of what Bronze515 stands for, as well as a belief in healthier alternatives for achieving the perfect tan. All of the sprays they use are gluten free, vegan, paraben free as well as cruelty free.

 “Being tan is a thing. Especially when it’s cold six months out of the year. We all don’t have time to sit outside in the sun and soak up the vitamin D, and we shouldn’t go in tanning beds. But we also don’t have time to lay in tanning beds,” Wafful said. 

Aside from being a healthier and safer tanning alternative, custom spray tans are timely. A visit to the Bronze515 studio will only take 15 minutes for the same results as spending hours in a tanning bed.

“A lot of younger women and young men have spent a lot of time outdoors, at the lakes, they were lifeguards at the pool. Now they see the damage it is doing to their skin…but they still want that tan. So this is kind of a healthier natural alternative,” Wafful said.

With their spray tans being custom Bronze515 customers can be reassured that they will receive exactly the tan that they want. Wafful has performed over 8,000 spray tans and trained with a celebrity spray tan stylist in L.A. whose client list includes celebrities such as Selena Gomez.

“People are probably going to say, well I just use self tanner. Well again with self tanner, who’s putting it on? Can you reach your back? Can you get the areas that we can get? Probably not. Because we are looking at you, and we are doing it, it’s like Kardashian style. All celebrities get spray tans. So I personally have been trained, done a lot of training, obviously with 8,000 tans I’m well experienced, and my staff is well experienced,” Wafful said.

Once they open, Bronze515 will be located at 301 Main Street, Suite 7, and will be open in the evenings by appointment only.

“We couldn’t pass up the opportunity of the location, it’s super affordable rent. It’s near boutiques, and makeup studios, and hair salons. Main Street is just really kind of becoming like, a really popular spot I think, here in Ames,” Wafful said.

Since opening last year, Bronze515 has developed a loyal customer base, having over 3,000 clients in Des Moines, and with 25 percent of their clients being brides, that number is constantly growing.

Tips for what to do prior to and after receiving a spray tan can be found on the Bronze515 website, Bronze515.com, as well as descriptions on what it is like to get a spray tan, and a break down of what happens from the moment customers enter the studio until exiting.

“We are looking forward to it, it’s going to be really cool to see how this helps also our Des Moines location. Because I already have clients in Ames [who] drive to Des Moines for me. Well now we are going to be a little closer to them,” Wafful said.