Hailey Bieber’s latest cover is less about polished perfection and more about atmosphere.
For the third issue of ICE Magazine, titled The Brazil Issue, the model and Rhode founder steps into photographer Renell Medrano’s sun soaked visual world, with the shoot created in Rio de Janeiro during Carnival 2026. The result feels intimate, playful and distinctly warmer than the ultra controlled beauty imagery we usually associate with Hailey.
There is fashion here, certainly, but there is also skin, heat, nostalgia and a very specific sense of place.
The Cover Lets the Tan Lines Do the Styling
The most talked about image is also the simplest. Hailey appears nude on the cover, lying in the sand with a drink can in hand, her tan lines becoming the most visible “garment” in the frame. Small tattoos, sun warmed skin and a deliberately undone beauty look do the rest.
What makes the image work is that it does not feel aggressively styled. The tan lines are almost mischievous, turning something usually hidden into the central visual idea. There is a cheekiness to it, but also confidence. It feels less like nudity staged for shock and more like the end of a very long beach day, captured before anyone had time to overthink it.
That sense of ease is important because it keeps the image from becoming too polished.
Brazil Is More Than a Backdrop
The shoot has personal meaning for Hailey. Her mother, Kennya Deodato Baldwin, was born in Brazil, and Hailey has spoken about growing up around Brazilian culture through her family. Her grandfather is musician Eumir Deodato, a Grammy winner with strong ties to bossa nova.
That connection makes the Brazil theme feel less decorative. Instead of simply placing Hailey on a beach and calling it tropical, the editorial leans into references that feel familiar and lived in. The presence of Brazilian drinks, tape bikinis, beach settings and Carnival energy gives the images a cultural rhythm that feels more specific than a generic resort shoot.
The Bikini Images Feel More Playful Than Perfect
The bikini photographs shift the mood from sensual to playful.
Bright colours, barely there swimwear and a casual beach energy make these frames feel much less studied than Hailey’s usual campaign work. There is something refreshingly unprecious about them. The images are polished enough to belong in a fashion magazine, but not so polished that you lose the sense of heat, salt, movement and skin.
That balance is what gives the shoot its personality. Hailey looks good, of course, but the photographs are not simply asking us to admire her. They are trying to pull us into the mood of the issue.
Renell Medrano Changes the Way We See Hailey
That is where Renell Medrano becomes important.
Medrano has photographed Hailey before, and Hailey has spoken about the trust between them, saying she feels comfortable being pushed and photographed differently because she knows Medrano wants her to feel comfortable in herself.
You can see that trust in the images.
Hailey is less controlled here than she often appears in beauty campaigns. The body language is looser, the styling is lighter and the overall mood feels more instinctive. Even the nude cover does not look rigid or self conscious.
That freedom is probably the strongest part of the shoot.
The Beauty Direction Keeps Things Honest
The beauty styling stays restrained, which is exactly the right decision.
Her hair is short, softly waved and a little undone, while the makeup is kept natural and sun kissed rather than overly sculpted. The approach lets the skin, tan lines and beach setting remain central.
For someone whose beauty identity is often associated with glazed skin, perfect brows and very controlled minimalism, this feels like a softer, less branded version of Hailey.
There is still polish, but it is not trying so hard.
What Makes the Editorial Work
The success of the shoot comes from the fact that it does not force a big fashion concept onto the images. The clothes, or sometimes the lack of them, are only part of the story. The real focus is confidence, familiarity and a more relaxed kind of sensuality.
The Brazil setting gives the images warmth, but the personal connection gives them depth. Hailey is not simply visiting a location for a fashion story. She is being placed inside a visual language that connects back to her family and upbringing.
That makes the editorial feel more personal than promotional.
Glamcheck Take
Hailey Bieber’s ICE Magazine cover works because it is not trying to make her look more perfect. It lets her look looser, warmer and a little less controlled.
The tan lines are cheeky, the swimwear is playful and the Rio setting gives the shoot a natural energy that feels very different from her usual glossy beauty campaigns.
If you are borrowing anything from this editorial, let it be the attitude. For beach dressing, keep the styling light, let one strong bikini colour do the work and do not overcomplicate the beauty. Slightly undone hair, fresh skin and a little confidence will always photograph better than trying too hard.
