From Mecca to Chanel: Margot Robbie’s Barbie is bringing back a huge beauty trend

From blush to baby pink gloss, Margot Robbie’s Barbie is already influencing beauty trends - and it’s having a major impact on spending at Australian retailers.

Margot Robbie’s upcoming portrayal of the Mattel doll in the movie Barbie has promoted a spike in demand for makeup and skincare that channels her elevated beauty look in the upcoming Greta Gerwig-directed film.

Hot pink lipstick, bright nail polish, and “airbrushed, rich girl” skin are trending in Australia for leading beauty retailers in a craze dubbed “Barbiecore”, industry experts say.

Even off-screen, Australian actor Robbie is subtly taking cues from her Barbie role – in which she stars alongside Ryan Gosling as Ken – in her day-to-day life, from her blonde bombshell hair to her makeup and bubblegum pink outfits, spanning a pink and white Prada gingham bustier top and matching mini, to a hot pink Versace outfit worn on the cover of American Vogue.

Margot Robbie is driving a huge new trend in beauty - seen everywhere from Mecca to Chanel. Picture: Getty Images

A Barbie girl! In Versace. Picture: Monique Harmer

Mecca head of artistry Jennifer Horsley said the Barbie influence was already being seen in the growing popularity of pink tones.

“Pops of colour have come back – Barbie pinks. I thought the movie would have a big impact,” Horsley said.

She said the trend was being worn as “a soft wash of colour on the eye, a blush applied sheerly, and a pop on the lip”.

Flawless skin and bold lips are key trends from Chanel’s spring/summer ’23 collection (lips using CHANEL ROUGE ALLURE VELVET, available in 20 hues). Picture: Chanel

“Gloss is back too, so we’re seeing a lot of pink glosses,” Horsley said, citing brands from Mecca’s own signature line’s blush to Too Faced’s lip injection gloss (in “Bubblegum Yum”), and Chantecaille’s Sheer Glow Rose Face Tint. “You can wear it in a sheer way – pink can almost lift the skin in the same way as red.”

Lancôme beauty director Lara Srokowski said Barbiecore was influencing makeup in that the current trend was “feminine and playful”.

“Achieving this makeup look is simple with a monochromatic approach – choose a bright pink blush that you can use across your cheeks, eyes and lips,” Srokowski said.

“Simplifying your routine and creating a cohesive look is key to achieving this trend.”

Emma Lewisham, founder of her namesake skincare brand, said there had been a shift towards “genuinely natural beauty” and it was reflected in the Barbie-esque skin which had a “subtle, luminous glow”.

“It all starts with the skin … while enhancing the face’s natural structure for a toned, pared-back beauty look,” Lewisham said.

Originally published as From Mecca to Chanel: Margot Robbie’s Barbie is bringing back a huge beauty trend