'Love Island USA' Star Nic Vansteenberghe Admits He's a 'Lucky Man' Amid Olandria Carthen Romance: 'We're Killing It'

Love Island USA fan favorite Nic Vansteenberghe may have left the villa, but his romance with Olandria Carthen is still going strong.

The pair's love story has continued off-screen after meeting during Season 7 of the hit Peacock dating series, where millions of viewers watched Vansteenberghe and Carthen's friends-to-lovers arc unfold. Now, months after their televised spark began, Vansteenberghe says their relationship is thriving in the real world.

"Olandria and I, we're killing it," he tells OK! while dishing on his latest partnership with Dove Men+Care. "We were in L.A. the other day, got dinner, saw a movie."

Shouting out Carthen's headline-making moments at various fashion weeks and high-profile parties, Vansteenberghe joked, "Nic from Olandria is a lucky man."

The reality star says transitioning from villa life to the real world has only strengthened their bond, with the new year bringing even more motivation for the couple.

"When the new year hit, I definitely wanted a reset from the show," he notes. "I loved being on the show and I loved everything that the show had, [but] Olandria and I, coming into the new year, we both sat down and we were like, 'All right, let's goal set here.'"

For Vansteenberghe, that reset meant focusing on DJing.

“And I think for myself, it was definitely DJing — and we've been going crazy with that, like 28 shows total right now," he explains

Still, there’s one bucket-list moment he’s manifesting.

"And then as a goal that hasn't happened yet, I want to go on Dancing With the Stars extremely bad," he admits. "I need to upgrade my moves."

The model quips, "Olandria has an uncle that I need to meet. Apparently he's been going crazy on TikTok with his dance moves, so I need to get ready for that."

Though life post-villa has been exciting, it hasn’t come without challenges — especially when it comes to rumors and online speculation.

"That’s a great question. I'm still trying to figure it out to this day. To address the rumors and stuff, it's mainly about knowing the facts and knowing what you know and not listening to what you see online before you talk to you your person or family or friends," he admits. "It’s kind of intimidating when your family is starts to get involved with like drama online. So, finding privacy and all of that. That’s a great question, though. I still think about that a lot."

Fortunately, the friendships formed on the show remain solid.

“I was just with TJ [Palma], Iris [Kendall], Hannah [Fields] and actually Rob [Rausch] from last season. We all went to Korean barbecue the other day," Vansteenberghe recalls.

"We all went through this same experience, and having each other there is really cool and we're all now super close friends,” he continues. “Doing normal people stuff, not just in the villa doing those interesting challenges, it's cool to have a real relationship with these people and do a real things.”

Leaving the villa also sparked a personal glow-up for the reality star.

"The only reason I struggled is because I never had a routine. As unhygienic as it sounds, it's so bad, but now that I do have this partnership, I'm able to get deodorant," he says candidly. "It's something I discovered after the villa."

Looking back, he believes having a stronger hygiene routine would have boosted his confidence during his first villa entrance.

"Absolutely. Walking into that villa for the first time, there are 400 cameras around you and you're thinking about the millions of people watching you. I would guarantee you that past me would have wanted, at least the midnight one, to keep me confident and uplifted. 'Cause there's no other feeling like walking into that house for the first time," he remembers.

Vansteenberghe recently teamed up with Dove Men+Care for its new Mood-Boosting Aluminum-Free Deodorant Collection, designed for men who expect more from their daily grooming routines and want a product that supports a strong mindset and wellbeing alongside powerful odor protection.

The new line, which launched January 27, delivers 48-hour aluminum-free odor protection paired with fragrances proven by neuroscience to help influence mood — whether that’s feeling more grounded, focused, calm or energized throughout the day.

Available in four scents — Midnight, Breeze, Paradise and Horizon — the collection aims to align fragrance with mindset.

To bring that message to life, Dove Men+Care partnered with the reality star, whose active, high-performance lifestyle reflects how modern men approach self-care and wellness today.

"Whenever I choose a brand, I try and align it with so many things. Health being the first one. With Dove Men+Care, it's about hygiene, it's about smell and I want to make Olandria feel like she's with a healthy, hygienic, good-smelling guy," he explains. "So when this came across my table, these scents don't just make me feel good, but it makes me feel confident as well. So I think that's gives more power over our mood and mindset than we can get credit for it."

As for his go-to?

"Between the four different ones, there's Breeze — it's bright and refreshing — and Horizon, that focused imbalance, but for going into the villa and carrying about this new life of 'fame' or whatever, it's Midnight for that confidence, uplifting feel, walking onto those red carpets and meeting cool people or doing these interviews."

And yes — they’ve earned Carthen’s stamp of approval.

"They're all Olandria-approved. I would say she likes the Breeze one," Vansteenberghe concludes.