Glow Getter: Isle of Paradise Founder Jules Von Hep
Jules Von Hep
I first met Jules Von Hep in spring 2018 right as he was launching Isle of Paradise. At the time, I had only had gotten a spray tan by one other person (I was accustomed to getting spray tans in a booth). My first experience with a spray tan artist wasn’t amazing, I had recently lost a significant amount of weight, and as a result I had a lot of stretch marks and loose skin on my stomach. Right as I disrobed she looked at me and asked if I had any children (I did not). Whether or not she was asking because the way my body looked, it didn’t make me feel great at a time when I was most vulnerable (standing naked in front of her). So when my appointment with Jules began, I remember immediately apologizing for the way my skin looked (to make matters worse, before my appointment, I tried to remove old self tanner by scrubbing so hard that I created blood blisters on my neck that looked like hickies). As I began my spiel/apology for my loose skin and what looked like hickies, Jules stopped me and looked me dead in the eyes and told me to stop apologizing. But he also went on to tell me how he’s tanned some of the most beautiful, famous women that would also apologize for the way their bodies looked. I left my appointment feeling like I had a new BFF in Jules, loving my tan (duh), but I also couldn’t get over the fact that that many women were really insecure about their bodies.
Well, fast forward two years and a few major retailers later (you can now find IOP on the shelves of Sephora — NBD) and it remains one of the brand’s main missions to change the way people view their bodies and to help them feel more confident. Yes, the beautiful, color-correcting self tanners obviously help, but IOP is about much more than a pretty tan. The brand’s Instagram account, which now garners almost 160k followers, is way more than the average tanning brand Instagram page that’s ordinarily filled with pretty posed pictures of thin women in bikinis with dark tans. Instead, it’s a bright, feel-good space that regularly checks in with its followers and features people of all ages, sizes, sexes, and ethnicities being celebrated for glowing from the inside out. But don’t just take my word for it, check out their 2019 Own Your Glow campaign.
I say all that to say, Jules is one of those gems that makes you wonder how he does it all. He’s a brand founder, innovator, and celebrity spray tan artist and still manages to hold space for so many people and remains a pillar in the body positivity movement. To see how he juggles all of his titles and to learn more about his journey thus far, read on.
How did you get started? I had always been obsessed with the confidence and creativity that the beauty and fashion industry helped people with, and after a stint working in fashion I quickly moved into beauty. I met my mentor Nichola Joss (facialist to Meghan Markle, Margot Robbie, Kate Moss, Cate Blanchett, etc.) on a shoot, we instantly hit it off and I started shadowing her. She said to me “I think you’d be an amazing spray tanner.” At first I wasn’t interested at all in spray tanning, but then, after some training and a few clients later — I was hooked. I loved that every single appointment made an instant difference to an individual's mood and body confidence. I then worked on shows including The X Factor, Strictly Come Dancing (UK version of Dancing with the Stars) and finally The Crown. I’ve worked with Kate Moss, Sienna Miller, Lily James to name a few. I still love the rush that a spray tan brings to my clients — that instant hit of glowy skin and the feeling of being a bit more confident naked.
What was your first Isle of Paradise product? The Self Tanning Water! I was so sick of my spray tan kit being brown and gloopy from all of my formulations, it was messy and this Virgo didn’t like it. Waters are so lightweight and hydrating for the skin, we can spray them over or under our make-up, they are clear, so no stained sheets or white hemlines. I like fuss-free beauty, I like to feel refreshed by beauty and I am obsessed with the glow — so a light mist of Isle of Paradise Self Tan Water, with its cucumber, eucalyptus, and peppermint scent is, for me and many, heaven in a bottle.
How did you arrive at the perfect formula for your first Isle of Paradise products? I knew I wanted Isle of Paradise to be color-correcting — I had been using color-correcting makeup in my body finishing kit backstage for years before until one day I started applying the same principle to self tan. Using violet bases to correct sallow orange tones, using green to counteract redness in my clients skin, and adding peach to brighten dull complexions. Going from an idea and a concept to a finished product takes some time, but I knew I had to make the tanning industry easier, more accepting, and most of all: more fun.
As an expert I am all about performance and the end result: How is it going to sit on the skin? How is it going to fade during the course of a week? Do all of these ingredients need to be in here? Once we took this knowledge to the labs, it was about achieving the right balance between the tanning ingredients. Meaning, predominately DHA (Isle of Paradise uses organic DHA as it sits better in our solutions), and the other hydrating ingredients like avocado oil, chia seed oil, and coconut oil (to really pep up the products and make them super nourishing). It was also really important to me to create products that don't contain parabens, phthalates, and sulfates. At the end of the day, our team discovered that when we removed ingredients historically found in self tanners (like silk and lanolin), we didn’t need them. Skin can glow naturally — as it should!
Favorite memory from a tanning appointment or event? There’s memories from my early career that were pivotal — working backstage in Paris with Roland Mouret, being flown to Venice in the middle of the night to give an A-lister a tan, meeting real rockstars, working with royalty, the first client that cried, the first client to get married, the client who survived cancer. My job is incredibly personal and I’m lucky to have such a broad outlook on individuals. Everyone is different, but everyone is kind of the same too. We all have our hang-ups, we all get nervous, we all like our comforts. Being a celebrity spray tanner taught me that people are just people, whether they work on the TV or not.
Can you recall a time you faced a (tanning) challenge and how you overcame it? We all make mistakes, and in the early days, boy, I made plenty. My worst was adding body oil to a dancer before a TV appearance. I wanted to give the skin a total gleam and overlooked the professional side of the job and the dancer slipped on live television. My heart sank and I never worked like that again! Life is about learning from mistakes! Ironically, the week after I was in Milan throwing oil on runway models skin to make them look like sea creatures so it went full circle!
Best piece of advice you’ve ever received? Never underestimate the power of your passion.
Your absolute favorite Isle of Paradise product? The Green Water is my babe! I shouldn’t have favorites, I feel like such a bad parent! It’s just one of those products that whenever I wear it, someone comments on how glowing my skin is. I also love the Ultra Dark Mousse. I never liked having a dark tan on myself until we developed Isle Of Paradise — I just love the deep rich bronze it gives.
What has been the most challenging part of being an entrepreneur? The most rewarding/exciting part? I’m always so honest about my path, I never wanted my own tanning brand but I felt that it was my duty as an industry expert to launch a brand that didn’t lie to consumers, that had clean ingredients, and one that celebrated body confidence and appearance rather than shame it. Launching your own project requires long hours and at the start, little to no pay. People get jealous, everyone has an opinion, and you learn fast who you can trust and who you can’t.
The most rewarding part would have to be making people happy and confident in their own skin every day. That’s why I fell in love with spray tanning because I’d sit and listen to my friends moan about their jobs and I would come home and think "I’ve had a really great day." I’ve made so many people happy and that’s just been the anchor of why I love doing what I do. It's an amazing feeling to be able to help people feel confident and capable in their own skin.
One instance when you should see a spray tan artist versus using a self-tanner? There’s nothing like a professional treatment, having someone take away all of the stress and worries you might have, whatever field we’re talking. I am totally capable of trimming my own beard at home, but I love nothing more than to have someone else trim it — just so it’s one less thing to think about. See an artist for that hit of feel good, always try to have them come to your house then you can stay naked for as long as you like while you dry. Big events, vacations, or just a hit of feel good — you do you.
What advice would you give to new spray tan artists? Anyone has the capability to be a spray tanner — and as my friend's Dad says, anyone can paint a fence! What makes you a good spray tanner is attention to detail, your energy and your ability to make someone feel like themselves when they’re standing naked in front of you. Self tan takes a lot of principles from make-up, if in doubt — blend it out. When you leave a client you will always worry about how the tan has developed. Have the spilled water? Have they showered at the wrong time? Did they put fragrance on the moment you left them? There’s nothing you can do, but if it goes wrong, you’ll know about it.
In addition to the tanning world, you've also been a serious force in the body positive movement. How do you juggle your personal life, running a brand, and holding space/being a positive influence on so many people? I try to be the role model that I wanted to find when I was in my early 20s. There was no one talking about body positivity when I was in my teens and at the start of my career. If it feels good, I’ll do it. If it’s not bringing anyone joy or happiness then I wont do it — it keeps everything a bit more manageable then!
Lastly, how do you cope when you start to feel overwhelmed? I leave the situation I’m in. Whether its going for a walk, taking time out, visiting my parents, etc. I remind myself that my existence is not defined by this exact moment in time, but by the whole A-Z of my life. Always think of the bigger picture!