Alix Earle Shares Her Go-To Summer Beauty Essentials

Alix Earle calls into our Zoom from her glam room, as she gets ready to shoot her new Hawaiian Tropic ad. It’s 7 a.m. in Los Angeles, but she’s already at work, prepping for a dance-forward shoot with a beachy backdrop, which will come out May 13, just in time for summer. The music video concept appealed to her for a specific reason: “I’ve always wanted to have a pop-star moment,” the 25-year-old says.

It’s only been a few month she since she wrapped up Season 34 of Dancing With the Stars, and already, she’s found a way to get back into her dancing shoes... or dancing bikini. “We are dancing to ‘I Touch Myself’ [by Divinyls], which is a really fun song. All the movement just feels good and sexy,” she says. “I feel confident doing it, but it’s a workout for sure.”

Earle and her partner, Val Chmerkovskiy, came in second place on DWTS — a feat that should instill a healthy dose of confidence in her ability to perfect choreography in a short time. Still, she demurs, “This has a lot of intricate little moves, whereas Dancing With the Stars was a lot of partner work. Hopefully, I can do a good job out here without Val.”

Below, the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover model shares behind-the-scenes details from the shoot and the biggest tanning mistake she made growing up — plus, an exclusive first look at the new campaign.

Elite Daily: Tell me about this new campaign. How has the shoot today been so far?

Alix Earle: We’re still in glam right now, so I got here before the sun even came up. This will be the second campaign I’m doing with Hawaiian Tropic. I was always a fan — especially being in Miami and going to college there, where I’m always out in the sun, the brand has been my go-to. When they came to me last year for the Tana Sutra campaign, I thought it was such a fun and out-of-the-box idea. I’m really excited that we get to work together again.

ED: How was your experience working with the brand different this time around?

AE: We had a pre-production day yesterday to learn the choreography for a couple hours. Last year, it was a little bit more about poses, but this is going to have more movement and dancing.

Coming off of Dancing With the Stars and seeing how much joy dancing brought me was really exciting. Then, seeing how much my audience loved it... I know they want to see more dancing from me. I think this is going to be really fun and special — somehow, it’s going to be even better than our first one. Hopefully, I can nail the dance today.

ED: Do you have any tanning dos and don’ts to share?

AE: Growing up, I always thought that going out there with no sunscreen and burning my skin was the best way to get a tan. I definitely made that mistake when I was much younger and thought I was cool and rebellious. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that is not the way to go.

Now, my go-tos are Hawaiian Tropic Sheer Touch lotion and the tanning oil. You actually get a much better tan protecting your skin — these products only enhance the tan, so I make sure I get every inch of my body. I love that the oil gives you a good glow, too. If I’m taking bikini pictures, I always want that little extra shine.

ED: Besides a few cans of SipMargs, what essentials are you packing in your beach bag?

AE: I always like to bring a hairbrush if it gets windy or I’m going in and out of the ocean. I’ll bring the Rhode lip contour just so we have some makeup going on. Those are my essentials, and of course, a good margarita.

ED: You recently launched “Get Real With Me,” where you get ready with some of your closest friends. What has it been like, working on that behind the scenes?

AE: Get Ready With Me videos are the core of how I’ve connected with my audience over the years. Being able to take that into a format where I can bring other people to the vanity with me is really fun, and I’m excited for the different guests we’ll have.

ED: What’s coming up next for you?

AE: Lots of big things for 2026 and just more to come — more content, things I’ve been working on, more dancing. I’m excited. Hopefully it’s going to be a great year.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.