The Love Island USA Cast Tell All About Those Kissing Challenges (EXCLUSIVE)
"I used a lot of breath spray," confessed Season 8's first dumpee, Sean Reifel.
Loose lips don't just sink ships on Love Island USA!
How to Watch
The Love Island USA Season 8 reunion premieres exclusively on Peacock on Monday, August 31 at 9 p.m. ET.
They launch connections, spark jealousy within the Villa, and often leave Islanders wanting to learn more about who they just snogged. And the Season 8 Islanders are kissing and telling after a whirlwind summer of romance.
Before hearts start truly racing around the Villa, the smooch-heavy challenges usually do the honors of turning up the heat, transforming first impressions into full-on makeout sessions and giving everyone a very memorable introduction. By now, kissing strangers is just part of the Love Island USA game; the smooches can be heartfelt, messy, hilarious, and surprisingly revealing, pushing Islanders to step outside their comfort zones while helping chemistry blossom faster than a nervous conversation around the fire pit would.
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Season 8 delivered no shortage of unforgettable lip-locking moments, and as the sun sets on Season 8 and life outside the Villa begins, fans want to know what the Islanders really thought about those kisses. Read Peacock Blog's exclusive scoop, below.
Love Island USA's kissing challenges feature plenty of breath spray
From behind-the-scenes details about how everyone stays fresh to the inevitable debate over who was the most savvy kisser this season, Peacock Blog was eager to get the Islanders to kiss and tell after a gripping Season 8.
For viewers, the kissing challenges look like a whirlwind of romantic chaos, but the Season 8 Islanders revealed that production makes sure the singles are properly prepared for those marathon make-out sessions, providing the contestants with breath spray. Season 8's first dumped Islander, Sean Reifel, revealed that his biggest fear was another Islander complaining about his "stank breath."
"It was definitely an experience, though. I haven't done anything like that before. I used a lot of breath spray," Sean said. "I think at some points, you can kind of see it in people's face. They may just be like tired of kissing. 'Cause there was a lot of kissing... I feel there were some points where we were just like, 'Oh my goodness.' But I mean, I felt like a kid at the candy store to be honest."
Unsurprisingly, bad breathe is a common fear behind the scenes on Love Island USA. Season 8's Paralympic princess Beatriz Hatz opened up about her appreciation for the breath spray, telling us that all of the Islanders were mindful about staying minty fresh for whichever Islander they locked lips with next.
"We have people that literally carry breath spray," Beatriz shared. "I remember my first challenge, like Night 1, I'm nervous and I'm like, 'Oh my gosh, you guys.' We're standing in line with all the girls, and [crew members] come over, and they're like, 'You want spray?' I'm like, 'Yes!' Like, immediately, everybody just sprayed between every single kiss."
"It was definitely an experience, though. I haven't done anything like that before. I used a lot of breath spray... I felt like a kid at the candy store to be honest." - Sean Reifel
Beatriz was keen to add that she and other Islanders made sure to brush their teeth before big challenges, knowing they'd likely be expected to kiss "a bunch of people" at any moment. Season 8 Bombshell Sol Dean confirmed the Islanders' dental hygiene was on its A-game.
"Honestly, no one's breath stank during the challenge," Sol happily reported. "So I'm sure they were like freshly brushed teeth [LAUGHS] before they went into the challenge. I feel like no one ever knows what's going to happen like that night that it happened. So everyone's like, 'OK, let's make sure hygiene's good, brush our teeth.'"
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Season 8's Bombshells kiss and tell after Love Island USA
As the Islanders reflected on their experience, they didn't hesitate to weigh in on both the thrill of the kissing challenges and which cast members stood out as the most romantic snoggers in the Villa.
"Honestly, going in, you just have so much adrenaline. You're like, 'Oh my God, I'm doing this.' You're like, 'Just go do it,'" Sol recalled. Fellow Season 8 Bombshell Caleb McDaniel agreed that the kissing challenges led to plenty of jitters, especially when Caleb and Sol were tasked with sharing their first with the Islanders on top a massive bed alongside their current couples.
"Oh, you don't think about anything other than what you're doing right there," Caleb shared. "I had so many plans coming in... As soon as I got on that bed, I was like, 'Everything's out the window. I'm free for all in it right now.' You're not thinking about anything other than the moment you're in."
That is, unless one of Love Island USA's wacky challenges provides turbulence against those kisses. Case in point: when the Islanders got to enjoy a steamy makeout session in a shower during a challenge.
"It was wild though," Caleb said, looking back on his shower kiss with Kenzie Annis. "Whenever me and Kenzie were kissing in the shower, the water was coming down. We're both, like, drowning. We can't even breathe. That was one time when you were like, okay, camera's aside, this a little rough. [LAUGHS]."
"I was very nervous, but I started having this mindset of the guys are probably more nervous than me, you know? Like, I know that I have like this strong energy, and if anything, they should be nervous as f**k that I'm walking in the room." - Parmida Keshani
Aside from being mildly waterboarded, Caleb was happy to reveal his kissing odyssey on Love Island USA was a pleasurable journey, with exciting experiences made with Kayda Bosse and Amora Robinson.
"Amora was a really good kisser... Mine and Kayda's kisses were always just — I know it was during challenges — but they were, like, intimate, I feel like." Ever the Southern gentleman, Caleb was keen to clarify, "I mean, all kisses were good. There's not really any that I was like, that wasn't a good kiss."
Whether they were forming first day connections or stealing kisses at Casa Amor, the experience of kissing a stranger is objectively surreal. Looking back on the experience, Season 8 Casa Amor Bombshell Parmida Keshani admitted she was nervous while making her debut as the "Persian Cat" with eyes for Corbin Mims.
"I was really nervous at first. This is not something you do in the real world," Parmida told Peacock Blog. "You don't just walk in and like kiss seven, eight guys. I was very nervous, but I started having this mindset of the guys are probably more nervous than me, you know? Like, I know that I have like this strong energy, and if anything, they should be nervous as f**k that I'm walking in the room. So I just kind of like had that boss energy and I was like, f**k it, let's do it. [LAUGHS]"
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Parmida wasn't afraid to kiss and tell about the best kissers in the game, coyly revealing that aside from Corbin, she was impressed with KC Chandler. "I feel like I got used to it, you know?" Parmida said, looking back on how she tackled the kissing challenges with pride. "I feel like after those challenges, I can do anything."
While the romances evolved tremendously since those first kisses took place, its safe to say the Love Island USA kissing challenges once again did exactly what they were designed to do: break the ice, stir the pot, and get everyone talking. Stream Love Island USA on Peacock.
Reporting by Stephanie Gomulka.
