Growing up, my life revolved around Barbies. I used to spend my off days meticulously planning the hairstyles and outfits for the ones I owned. And I know I wasn’t the only one. As the self-anointed ambassador for all things pink, I can ecstatically say that Barbiecore wasn’t just a fleeting trend that had its moment in the limelight. While Valentino’s Fall 2022 collection at Paris Couture Week sprung a pop of pink into everyone’s lives, let’s not forget the reason this trend gets its name—Barbie herself.
When the initial images of Margot Robbie sashaying the role of everyone’s favourite doll dropped on the Internet, I screamed the loudest. Even though the rise of Barbiecore began in 2022, with the runways and our Instagram feeds being dominated by this vibrant hue, we think this aesthetic is here to stay for good.
Battle Of The Aesthetics
While mermaidcore was all about putting gloss and cooler hues on the centre stage, coquettecore brought out the pearls and siren eyes. The only aesthetic that came remotely close to competing with Barbiecore was the ‘Vanilla Girl’ aesthetic, which in my controversial opinion was probably the blandest one to have ever existed. Characterised by clean girl makeup, which most of us still happen to be obsessed with, this aesthetic is minimalist and adopts tones of off-white and beige. However, the popularity of this aesthetic was kinda short-lived, because Barbiecore took over and how!
The Rise Of Barbie
Ever since Greta Gerwig announced that she’ll be a part of the highly-anticipated Barbie movie, the Internet has been abuzz with excitement and theories. While we knew Margot Robbie would be bringing the iconic doll to life with Ryan Gosling by her side as Ken, we didn’t know the uproar the trailer release would cause! With a star-studded cast and a plotline that follows Barbie into the real world, this movie got everyone to start talking about Barbiecore once again. For proof, a 300% increase in searches for Barbie was reported right after the trailer dropped!
It’s Everywhere
While the world of fashion may seem like it’s at its peak with Barbiecore, beauty isn’t far behind. Lip gloss and skin tints along with glazed highlighters did make clean girl makeup the popular one for a while, but blonde hair, fluttering lashes and a pop of pink have made a permanent place in our beauty mood-boards. On the outside, this may seem like a maximalist beauty trend but there’s always a way to tweak it the way you would want to sport it.
Here are a few ways you can make Barbiecore beauty work for you—
Hair
Even though Barbie sported a full head of blonde hair, not all of us can pull that off. An easy way to get locks like Barbie’s would be to sport a flirty, high ponytail with your hair slicked back.
Eyes
When it comes to playing around with your eyes, there’s so much to explore with textures and patterns. Minimalist beauty lovers can go for a pop of pink eyeliner while the ones who enjoy being glamorous can choose a swipe of some pink glitter on the eyelids.
Cheeks
Pink blush is always in, isn’t it? Instead of going the regular way and applying blush to the apples of your cheek, try something offbeat by dramatically placing the blush on your temples and watch your face get a colourful lift.
Lips
If you don’t feel like making a statement with your eyes, let a bright pink lip do the talking for you. If you’re afraid of sporting a vibrant hue of pink, choose a neutral pink while keeping the rest of your makeup minimal.
Nails
Nothing sparks more joy in me than freshly painted pink nails do. With pink nail polish, there’s so much you can do—swirls, glaze, rhinestones and crystals. The world is truly your canvas!