In 1927 the German painter and musician Walter Spies settled in Ubud, in Bali. He went on to co-found the Pita Maha artists' cooperative and to host a stream of Western visitors, and in doing so he helped shape the Bali that the rest of the world imagines: green, warm, a little dreamy. Nearly a century later that picture is still selling things. It is also the whole mood of one particular beauty brand.

Coco and Eve is the clearest example I know. Emily Hamilton, an Australian, had the idea while hiking a volcano in Bali, and she and her husband Alex Ostrowski founded the brand in 2018 to bottle that feeling with tropical ingredients and a bit of science. Their first product was a hair masque, which the press says rose to fame quickly. A Texas private equity firm, Gauge Capital, took a majority stake in 2024, and Hamilton continues to lead. I like a brand that knows exactly what mood it is selling, and this one never pretends to be anything else. The pink tube is the promise.

The trick is to start with the tanning side, because that is where the personality lives. The Sunny Honey Bali Bronzing Foam is the one to begin with: the brand says it is a DHA mousse with a color guide, that the tan develops in six hours or more and lasts five to seven days. The Express Tanning Antioxidant Mousse is its quicker cousin. The Antioxidant Face Tanning Micromist is for the face, and the Sunny Honey Velvet Application Mitt is what I would reach for so the streaks never happen. Then the hair and body pieces: the Coconut & Fig hair masque, the Bond Therapy Pro mask, the Tan Boosting Body Oil with SPF45, and the Anti-Aging Tanning Serum.

Start with a rule I wish I had learned sooner: exfoliate the day before, moisturize knees, elbows and ankles, and apply the tan in circles with a mitt. The tan is only as smooth as the skin underneath.

Gradual tanners are the forgiving route. Lux Unfiltered's Summer Skin body cream in Santal is a hydrating gradual tan, Tan Luxe's Gradual Tan Lotion builds up over days, and Self Glow by James Read's Endless Summer moisturiser does the same. Sisley Paris makes a self-tanning hydrating body care for anyone who likes the label to sound like skincare. If you want more control, Tan Luxe's Body Self-Tanning Drops and Dolce Glow's Goccia di Sole serum drops for face and body let you mix the amount into a moisturizer yourself.

For a proper mousse, St. Tropez's Self Tan Suprême Violet Bronzing Mousse is the closest cousin to the Coco and Eve foam. Luna Bronze's Self Tanning Jelly is the unusual one of the group, a jelly rather than a foam or a lotion.

A pairing I like: a gradual lotion all week, then a mousse before an event. One keeps you glowing, the other gives you a night to look forward to.

What I would skip: a dark mousse the night before something photographed, if you have never used it before. Test it a week ahead.

Here is a test I like: wash your hair, apply the mask to the mid-lengths and ends only, and comb it through with your fingers. If the mask disappears in the first minute, you have used too little. If your roots feel heavy, you have used too much.

Gisou's Honey Gloss Ceramide Therapy is the shiny one, Briogeo's Superfoods Avocado + Kiwi Mega Moisture is the friendly one, and Olaplex's Rich Moisture Hydration and Anti-Frizz mask is the one to look at if frizz is your fight. Moroccanoil's Restorative mask is the repair-minded one, and Crown Affair's Renewal is the quiet, elegant tube. Ceremonia's Mascarilla de Babassu is a hydrating mask built around babassu, as the name says. Kérastase's Genesis is the strengthening one, and Color Wow's Money Masque is a deep conditioning treatment for hair that has been colored.

A pairing I like: use a masque before you self-tan, not after. A long, hot rinse right after a fresh tan is not kind to it, so do the hair first and the tan last.

What I would skip: leaving a mask on overnight because more feels better. The brand's own Coconut & Fig masque and Bond Therapy Pro mask from the first grid are the same story: read the leave-on time on the tube, follow it, and rinse. Ten minutes is usually plenty.

One rule for body oils: put them on damp skin, straight out of the shower, and use less than a full pump. Oil seals the water in. On dry skin it just sits.

goop Beauty's Afterglow is the glowy one, Supergoop's Glow Oil SPF 50 is the one that doubles as sun care, and 111Skin's Rose Gold Radiance is the softly shimmering pick. Augustinus Bader's Body Oil is the plain, clean one for people who like their oil unshowy. PHLUR's Beach Skin Shimmering Body Oil is for a night out, and Wonder Valley's Hinoki is the one named for the Japanese cypress. Sol de Janeiro's Glowmotions is a glow oil that leans into the mood of summer, and Kindred Black's Stardust is for the days you would like to sparkle.

A pairing I like: a shimmer oil on shoulders and collarbones only, and a plain oil everywhere else. It looks like sunlight instead of glitter. The Tan Boosting Body Oil SPF45 from the first grid is worth a mention here too, since it is the brand's own answer to the same question.

What I would skip: a shimmering body oil over a fresh self-tan. Give the tan a day, and the oil will look prettier.

I think Coco and Eve does one thing better than most: it knows the fantasy it sells, and then it backs it up with a formula you can actually use. If you have never self-tanned, begin with the Sunny Honey Bali Bronzing Foam and the mitt. If you already love the hair masques, that is where the brand began, and it is a sensible place to start.

Walter Spies came for a summer and stayed for the rest of his life. You only need to try one tube, and you can decide from there. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Eva NYC, the Brooklyn Hair Brand Known for Masks and Primers and Say Yes to Ouai Hair Oil.