Barbie The Movie has caused a hot pink splash lately. (Um, the production company used so much pink paint that they wiped out the manufacturer’s global supply! Talk about extra.) Speaking of painting, you’re probably wondering how to recreate the signature Barbie makeup look. From her captivating eyes to her iconic doll-like lips, Barbie offers plenty of makeup inspo for your blank canvas. Luckily, nailing the look is easy. Introducing our exclusive limited-edition NYX Cosmetics Barbie collection – made from vegan friendly and cruelty-free formulas and brought to you in collaboration with the new movie, Barbie. Welcome to the Barbie makeup dreamhouse.
The history of Barbie
She is a feminist and cultural icon. She is the moment. She’s Barbie! Those of us with childhood memories of Barbie will be tickled pink with the release of Greta Gerwig’s new 2023 Barbie movie. But the hype began in 1959, when Mattel officially debuted the first Barbie doll on shelves. Barbie has served as inspiration for many fashion and beauty trends over the years. From her iconic Barbie makeup look to her adaptable fashion sense … there’s so much to love about our favourite lady in pink.
Over the years, Mattel has made moves to be more inclusive, creating Barbie dolls that model inspirational women throughout history like Naomi Osaka and Laverne Cox, and also displaying a range of physical features, like Barbies with vitiligo or limb loss or differences.
Can’t wait to get started on your Barbie movie makeup? Grab your rollerblades. Let’s paint the town pink.
How to get the Barbiecore look
It’s hard to ignore the term ‘Barbiecore’ right now. But what is Barbiecore and how can you recreate the Barbie makeup look at home? Allow us to dish out the deets. Barbiecore is the hyper-feminine, pretty-in-pink vibe that’s modelled by our favourite childhood doll. It’s fantastic. The bright craze is defined by pink, of course, but it’s also about emitting a confident attitude and sending great vibes into the universe. It all comes down to 4 key steps:
1) Prepping the canvas with foundation.
2) Accentuating the eyes with eyeliner, eyeshadow and false lashes.
3) Dolling up the cheeks with blush.
4) Recreating the iconic Barbie lips with lip gloss or cream.
Ready to get started? Come on Barbie, let’s go party! (BYO makeup brushes).
Step 1: Prep the canvas
The first step to a flawless, fabulous and Barbie makeup look is … face prep! Before creating your masterpiece, you want to create a smooth base with primer and foundation. The Marshmellow Smoothing Primer is our top pick for the job (bonus points for its pastel pink aesthetic that’ll fit right in with your Barbie makeup vibe). Follow up with the Bare With Me Tint Foundation, which comes in 24 buildable shades to complement a wide range of skin tones and leaves your skin with a smooth and bright finish. Once you’ve nailed your base prep, it’s time to take a trip to Barbie land.
Step 2: Layer and blend your eyeshadow
The Barbie Mini Palettes will help you to create a soft and shimmery eyeshadow look. Not only does it consist of two pocket-sized eyeshadow palettes, but you’ll also score a collectible mini butter gloss. Using an eyeshadow brush or your fingertips, blend your chosen pigments onto skin.
Pro tip: Pick three colours for your Barbie makeup look – a darker colour for contrast, a lighter colour for the lid and a highlighting colour for the inner corners, cheek or brow bone.
Step 3: Rock a coloured eyeliner
Define the eyes with the Jumbo Eye Pencil Kit in Barbie Pink and Ken Blue. These two shades of vibrant pink and electric blue offer endless creative possibilities for your eyes. You can use the pencil in three ways:
• As an eyeliner (just sharpen the tip and trace your lash line).
• As an eyeshadow (use the creamy crayon to colour your entire lid).
• As an eyeshadow primer.
Next up? It’s go-time for your lashes.
Step 4: Level up your lashes
Achieve Barbie-inspired long, voluminous lashes with the Barbie Jumbo Lash pack. Stackable, lightweight and reusable for up to 15 times, these lashes have jumbo volume, jumbo length and jumbo impact. Triple threat, who?
1. Apply our 2-in-1 Liner and Lash Adhesive on your lash line.
2. Allow the liner to dry for 2-3 seconds.
3. Using your fingers, tweezers or lash applicator, pop on a lash.
4. Enjoy up to 12 hours of comfortable and lash fluttering wear.
Now that your lashes are levelled up, you can brush up on your Barbie makeup blush skills.
Step 5: Achieve doll-like cheeks with blush and highlighter
Want to achieve the rosy, doll-like blush effect that we all know and love? The secret lies in selecting and applying the right shade of blush. Say hello to the Barbie On The Go Cheek Palette. Featuring two vibrant blushes and one highlighter, getting the Barbie makeup look is easy.
Using a fluffy brush, simply apply the blush below the apples of your cheeks, before applying the highlight to the cheekbones.
And there you have it – a youthful and fresh doll-like fresh face of makeup Barbie would be proud of. Next up? Lips, so you can complete your look with a mirror kiss.
Step 6: Seal your look with iconic Barbie lips
To nail your Barbie makeup look, you’ll need to pick the perfect lip shade and know the right techniques to use. For a perfectly defined pout, It’s A Barbie Party Butter Lip Gloss has got your lips covered. This life-of-the-party lip gloss is all about the non-stick shine and can be applied onto bare lips or layered over other lip products (including your fave lip liner and lipstick). For that Barbie movie makeup effect, simply use the soft wand applicator in the tube to lightly brush the lip gloss over your lips, and don’t forget to pout it out.
Plus – matte lovers can rejoice, because the creamy matte Barbie Smooth Whip Matte Lip Cream is here to serve looks. Whether you’re rocking the Dreamhouse Pink or Perfect Day Pink shade, your lips will be giving main character energy. Simply swipe on your lips with the lip hugging applicator and build up the cream as desired.
Rock a Barbie-inspired look now and forever
Deep down, we’re all Barbie people living in a Barbie world. So, if you’re ready for your Barbiecore era, this is your sign to:
1) Unleash your creativity. Step out of the box!
2) Try the Barbie trend.
3) Next time you’re choosing a makeup product in any beauty store, ask, “does it come in pink?”
We hereby give you free reign to express yourself, always. Because the bright (pink) side is always the right side. After all, you’re the Barbie makeup master. He’s just Ken.
Peek the entire NYX Barbie makeup collection and build your own Barbie makeup look now – designed for every Barbie and Ken! Best. Day. Ever.
