Jules Von Hep, the celebrated beauty expert and founder of self-tanning brand Isle of Paradise, has released a new book titled The Confidence Ritual: Give Yourself a Glow Up From the Inside Out (£22, Piatkus). In it, he shares his personal journey from struggling with low self-worth and body dysmorphia to becoming a body-confidence advocate. Von Hep, who began his career as a spray tan artist nearly two decades ago, observed that nearly every client apologised for their body, a realisation that shaped his own path to self-acceptance.
After selling Isle of Paradise, Von Hep took time to process the change, including therapy with Self Space. He explained that walking away from the brand was difficult because it felt like losing part of his identity. 'Nothing prepares you for being a brand founder,' he said. 'We created Isle of Paradise to disrupt the beauty industry. True beauty is deeper than the surface.'
Von Hep's inspiration for The Confidence Ritual came from his years of witnessing vulnerability and insecurity in his clients. 'I never remembered what a spray tan client looked like, but how they made me feel,' he noted. The book combines his experiences from behind the 'spray tan curtain' to the front row of brand launches, offering a practical guide to building confidence.
Von Hep has been open about his own struggles, including being bullied at school, which led to suicidal thoughts and a recurring eating disorder. He also experienced a homophobic attack in a Manchester nightclub four months before Isle of Paradise launched. These experiences, he says, fuelled his mission to help others ditch shame and embrace authenticity.
