Written by Menswear Style in Interviews on the 4th January 2021

James Read has loved self tan from a young age. He would spend time dreaming up new innovations and thinking of interesting ways to avoid tanning faux pas. He has been in the beauty business for over 19 years and there aren’t many roles he hasn't played; from working with celebrity clients to becoming a worldwide Tanning Ambassador and launching the first ever stand-alone Tanning Studio. James quickly became a recognised influencer in tanning trends worldwide, as well a regular judge for several prestigious beauty awards. However, despite it all, it was always his dream to pour his passion, ideas, and industry secrets into his very own brand. James Read Tan was built on a completely unique concept; combining the benefits of luxury skincare with a natural golden tan to suit all skin tones. The mission has always been to change the world’s perception of tanning. His products are effortless to apply and are all about making your skin not only look amazing but feel amazing too.

In a recent episode of the MenswearStyle Podcast we interviewed Tanning Expert, James Read, about his vast experience working with celebrities and how he came to launch his eponymous brand. The brand was the first tan product ever launched by a tanning expert, first to introduce the category of self tan and skincare, and first to offer a translucent sleep mask. Our host Peter Brooker and James also chatted about tanning misconceptions, how the Covid-19 lockdown has affected business, how having a glow can lift your mood, what products guys should use, the importance of continuous innovation, and when celebrities are customers.

“I've been in the industry for nineteen years now. Through my career as a tanning expert, brands used to hire me to launch their products and come up with new ideas. I launched my brand nine years ago which was quite hard, I went through lots of disappointments to get to where I am now. A brand is very much like a train where you stop off and go up and down, but you still find your way. I love what I do and the pandemic lockdowns have made me more focused. We've been up on sales because it's all been about self-care at home and looking after your skin. I think people are much more conscious about how they look and they want to look good even if they are at home. Putting on some moisturiser or self tan lifts your spirit, improves your mood and makes you feel good too. I would recommend guys new to tanning should start off with a gradual tan by using mists. We just sent some to Ryan Reynolds for his new film he is filming. We were the first ever brand that introduced skincare and self tan as a category but I’m always thinking about the next step, how to recreate the brand and reinvent yourself. I see it as a pop star that has had a really good couple of albums, and then they've had one that wasn't the best. People quickly write them off and then suddenly, they bring out a new album and it’s everywhere. I see my brand like that. It's coming up with a new product that's going to be the talking point, that everyone's going to want and everyone's going to want to buy.”

This is a shortened transcribed edit of episode 99 of the MenswearStyle Podcast with Tanning Expert, James Read of jamesreadtan.com. You can listen to the full version below or listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favourite podcast player.

We sit down and interview tanning expert James Read to discuss the founding story of his self tan products and why men should use tanning mist.