From Barbie pink nails to Barbie blonde hair, the Barbie-fication of the beauty industry has extended long past the season of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie circa summer 2023. While we may be leaving behind Barbie pinks slowly but surely, new doll-inspired trends are popping up on the daily, this time, in the form of plastic-like “Barbie skin.”
We’ve heard of things like “Barbie legs” and “Barbie arms” in the aesthetic and plastic surgery world, but what if you just want your skin to shine like fresh plastic with no procedures? If that sounds like you, read on for one influencer’s guide to achieving skin so soft and shiny you can’t believe it’s real.
How to get Barbie skin, according to Zoe Kim Kenealy
Move over, glass skin, influencer and beauty guru Zoe Kim Kenealy just invented a whole new spin on skin-less skin trends with her recent Instagram tutorial walking followers through her body-care routine for getting her arms, chest and neck glowing so bright they look unreal. The first step? A good shower.
“The shower is wear it starts,” the creator begins. “Try to exfoliate at least once a week and wash those body creams and perfumes off. You want to clean.” Moving on to her plastic skin products, Kenealy starts with Kopari’s Golden Amber Sun Shield Body Glow ($42), noting that the formula makes you look wet not glittery—an important distinction when creating Barbie skin. “I also love the Glow Oil by Supergoop! ($40),” Kenealy mentions. “This one is also sparkle-free, you’re still going to look plastic, but it will be more of a dry Barbie doll look.”
One of the most important parts of the looks, the creator goes on to note, is using a setting spray—her product of choice being Urban Decay’s All Nighter Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Setting Spray ($36), as the addition of hyaluronic acid in the formula gives the skin an extra plump and dewy finish. “This is locking in all of that oil we put on so it’s not going anywhere,” Kenealy says while letting the concoction dry. The finished product is truly amazing, as the creator’s skin looks genuinely unreal. If you want a slightly less plastic look, though, the influencer recommends the same process, just less product.
