The do’s and don’ts of bridal fake tanning with celebrity tanner Jules Von Hep

By Holly O'Neill
28th Nov 2018

The do’s and don’ts of bridal fake tanning with celebrity tanner Jules Von Hep

Jules Von Hep is the creator of Isle of Paradise, the tan everyone is talking about. As soon as Isle of Paradise launched, it hit the headlines for being the first tanning brand to feature a plus-size model in it’s campaign imagery. Jules is a champion of body confidence, imploring women to stop apologising for their bodies when they step in the tanning booth – he once stripped off while giving a spray tan to make a client feel more comfortable – and he co-hosts a podcast called Wobble with writer Sarah Powell, where they discuss body confidence and happiness.

Jules is often referred to as a “celebrity tanner” for having sprayed everyone from Blake Lively to Kate Moss and he’s also been a global ambassador for Tan-Luxe and worked on campaigns with St Tropez. He has perfected tans at London and Paris fashion weeks and under the glare of TV lighting and millions of eyes on The X Factor and Strictly Come Dancing.

A post shared by The Isle Of Paradise (@theisleofparadise) on Jun 21, 2018 at 11:30pm PDT

After spending years perfecting tan by applying colour-corrective make-up on top to reduce redness or brighten, he created Isle of Paradise – available at Boots – with green (reduces redness), peach (neutralizes blue and purple shadows) and violet (cancels yellow tones) pigments in his tanning formula. The result? The perfect shade every time, whether you choose light, medium or dark, and the added benefits of superfood ingredients like coconut and chia seed oil. Whether you go for the Tanning Water – a revolution in tan – or mousse, tanning drops, gradual tan, or the instant, tanning just got a lot easier.

Isle of Paradise The Medium Glow Collection, €34.99

Here, Jules shares his tips and tricks for perfect bridal fake tanning.

DO – Book a trial with your spray tanner (before your hen do is a good idea). Don’t assume that because a friend has had an amazing tan for their wedding, that yours will be amazing too. A spray tanner needs to know your skin, to learn about your beauty regime, to listen to what colour you want and to tailor the perfect skin tone to you.

DO – consider the rest of your bridal party having tans. So often I say to my bridal clients, ‘I know you want to look tanned, but you don’t want to be the only person tanned in your bridal party, you’ll stand out for the wrong reason! Tan as a pack!’

DON’T – have a facial, massage or manicure AFTER your spray tan. Ensure all of those treatments have been carried out 24 hours before. A tan should come 24 hours minimum before make-up and hair.

DON’T – panic if you can’t find a spray tanner you like or you’re getting married overseas. Chances are you’ll be capable of doing a great job yourself! Isle of Paradise reacts with your skin tone to give you a glow that replicates a post-holiday glow – with colour correcting tan in three shades (Light, Medium and Dark) you’ll find a shade that matches your skin tone (and dress).

DON’T – go too dark. When you wear bridal colours (typically paler tones) you will look more tanned anyway. Choose a shade lighter than your normal tan shade.