Perfect Match stars AD Smith, Juliette Porter and Sandy Gallagher tell Yahoo how they prepared to enter the villa on Season 3 of the Netflix series. (Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: Brenda Islas/Netflix)Poreless skin. Gleaming white teeth. Glossy hair. Turn on a reality television show this summer, and it's likely the women staring back at you from the screen will have all three, plus an enviable collection of Day-Glo beachwear. But anyone who's a fan of the genre knows that none of these enviably gorgeous people wake up like this. It takes a lot of work (and money) to look that good.
Getting ready for a reality show is a multilayered effort, and often, the contestants onscreen have less time to gear up than viewers might think. The logistical sprint that ensues after they hear a "yes" from production is its own learning process, and repeat stars get better at figuring out their travel hacks with each new season.
On Netflix's Perfect Match, everyone is a seasoned pro. The show gathers alums from across the Netflix reality universe (and starting this season, the broader reality TV-dating universe) to see who can build the strongest relationships. Eleven men and 11 women pile into a swanky villa in Tulum, Mexico, where they party, hook up, trade partners and complete challenges to see who is the most compatible. Whichever pair earns the title walks away with a free couples' vacation.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAs the show returns for Season 3 on Aug. 8, we chatted with cast members Amber Desiree "AD" Smith, Juliette Porter and Sandy Gallagher to find out how they prepared to be constantly camera-ready in the tropical heat.AD SmithAmber Desiree "AD" Smith. (Brenda Islas/Netflix)Last seen on: Love Is Blind Season 6Estimated cost of show preparation: $5,000 to $6,000Hot tip: Start shopping online early.
Smith stole the hearts of Love Is Blind fans as a reliable, relatable source of commentary on Season 6, and she was open to finding love again on Perfect Match. When she got the final green light to join the cast, Smith tells Yahoo, she had about two weeks to get ready to film.
Then, "it's the reality TV show, hair, nails and clothes Olympics," she says with a laugh. Because this process can be both a marathon and a sprint, Smith usually gives herself a head start by filling her online shopping carts with items she thinks she'd need for filming around the time that producers tell her she's being "highly considered." Then, she does some math."You're like, OK, if I'm probably gonna be there for about 30 days... I need an outfit for relaxing, lunch, breakfast, dinner, dates [and] challenges." Because Perfect Match involves a lot of pool time, that worked out to an "unlimited" supply of bikinis, plus "maybe 20" of everything else "just in case."AD Smith, in one of her bikinis, and Ollie Sutherland in Perfect Match. (Courtesy of Netflix)While producers typically suggest cast members bring two suitcases for the course of filming, Smith won't take any risks. "I've shown up to sets in these islands with three and four suitcases, and I don't feel bad about it," she says.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAll told, Smith estimates that her Perfect Match preparations cost somewhere in the thousands. It costs $700 to get her hair braided to withstand the tropical climate, and then she adds clothes, shoes, accessories and cosmetics on top of that. During her first reality show appearance on Love Is Blind, she covered all of her own expenses. This time around, she reveals, "your girl got a little bit blessed" - and brands sent her some supplies, which cut down her costs.
It's not just about what you wear. Leaving the country means you have to be careful about which skin care products you bring; anything deemed oversize could be confiscated during travel, Smith says. Because of this, she got a facial ahead of the season. Knowing she'd be in a bikini all the time, she upped her usual cardio routine by spinning on her Peloton and doing Pilates.
Smith has two tips for anyone considering going on reality television: Time your Botox carefully and do your own nails."I always get my Botox before I get cast, and then I go back to my doctor, and she's like, 'Absolutely not. I'm not giving you anything else,'" she says. "I haven't been able to get any Botox for my shows because I didn't know I was going to be cast for them, and I got it too soon. But every time I get back [from filming], I go right to my doctor.""I've shown up to sets in these islands with three and four suitcases, and I don't feel bad about it"AD SmithAnd as for the nails? She says just bring press-ons.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementSmith's biggest regret is getting a Russian manicure, which eventually grew out. She's since realized that "you can pack your own UV light and do your own nails while you're there. Because once they grow out, it's a wrap."Juliette PorterJuliette Porter. (Brenda Islas/Netflix)Last