When I first heard about the upcoming Barbie film, I felt an initial twinge of excitement before flashing back to my youth when finding a Black Barbie was like trying to find buried treasure. On the off chance my mom did find Black Barbies in the '90s, they stayed in their original packaging and on the shelves in my room for me to look at and not play with. As a child, that sucked. As an adult, I love that my Barbies are still in mint condition.
Due to feeling left out as a kid, I was so happy to see Issa Rae as President Barbie in the movie trailer, but as the Barbiecore trend took off, I again felt left out due to a lack of stories highlighting pink products that would look great on deeper skin tones. For this reason, I've spent hours researching the perfect pinks for dark-skinned beauties to get in on this trend.
In my quest to find out what pinks work best on dark skin, I reached out to a couple of beauty pros: Shenelle Mays-Smith, licensed aesthetician and film and TV makeup artist, and world-renowned celebrity makeup artist Sir John, who is now Kilian's makeup creative director.
Sir John notes a couple of things to keep in mind when it comes to pink and deeper skin tones. "Dark skin tones look great in darker pinks or any pink shade with blue and purple undertones, such as fuchsia," he tells me. "Cool-toned pink shades are not as flattering because they can make the skin appear pale or sometimes a bit chalky." So where does that leave hot pink? He says, "A hot-pink lipstick works beautifully on dark skin. Plus, it's a bold statement look."
If you're still not ready to wear a full-on pink lip, Sir John recommends a mauve liner. "You can never go wrong with pairing down a pink lipstick with a mauve lip pencil," he explains. "It softens and provides a neutral base. You can also opt for a soft-brown lip liner for the same effect."
With this guidance, let's dive into all of the best and most flattering Barbiecore-pink makeup products for those of us with deep skin tones. Keep scrolling!
The Lip Lineup
Bright pinks are gorgeous on deep skin tones, but if you want to try a softer pink, Mays-Smith recommends this medium-coverage lipstick balm, which offers an excellent fusion of hydration and color payoff.
One thing I love about Danessa Myricks's beauty line is how well the products multitask. This three-in-one color can be used on the cheeks, lips, and eyes for a bright monochromatic look. Plus, the formula blends out beautifully with your fingers, brush, or sponge.
To tone down brighter hues like Danessa Myricks's Tutu (shown above), Mays-Smith says lining the lips with a deeper liner like this one from Charlotte Tilbury helps to seamlessly blend warm and cool tones.
Drugstore lipsticks also offer long-wear, no-transfer colors. This vitamin E infused formula with a built-in primer offers a gorgeously pigmented, matte formula that will stay put on your lips for up to eight hours.
For under $10, this full-coverage, vegan, and matte formula housed in a heart-adorned case is a rich fuchsia that is so pretty on deeper skin tones.
If you want a bold, bright pink, I can vouch that this formula stays put for hours without leaving a rim on glasses or straws. However, it is bright, so line your lips with a deeper shade first if you're easing into bold lip colors.
For the ultimate pop of color with a budge-proof finish, this beloved formula with a budget-friendly price tag won't let you down.
If you love fragrance and matte lipsticks and are looking for a more muted pink, this is among my favorites. It doesn't wash me out, and it's infused with Kilan's signature scent.
Depending on my mood, I bob and weave between full coverage and something lighter that offers a more low-maintenance wash of color. For me, this tinted lip balm is the perfect in-between. Sometimes, formulas meant to offer a wash of color don't always appear on my lips because they're naturally lined with a darker hue. However, the buildable formula gives my lips a pop of color with shine and hydration.
"When wearing a statement pink lipstick, my go-to favorite combo is this lipstick from Nars in the shade Schiap paired with The Lip Bar's Straight Line Lip Liner in Straight, No Chaser ($10), which is a rich berry," Mays-Smith tells me. "This blend of blue-toned hues makes this pink duo perfect for day and night."
At first glance, this deep fushia might not seem like a full-color lippie. However, after one swipe, you have a full-bodied, hydrating pop of color that looks great on deeper skin tones. This cream rouge is pricey, but because so little goes a long way, you'll have this in your makeup bag for a while (and it lasts up to 24 months).
When wearing any matte lip color, you must hydrate your lips before applying. I use this hyaluronic acid and shea butter infused lip mask overnight. The following day, I slough away dead skin, and my lips are deeply hydrated and ready for matte lip color. It's also a great topper if you're in the mood for some extra shine!
The Eye Lineup
Pat McGrath isn't the queen of editorial and runway makeup by accident. Lucky for us, she lets us in on her secrets with items like this quad featuring four creamy, easily blendable rose shades that will bring any Barbie-inspired look to life.
This liner from Victoria Beckham is always on my must-have list. When I saw the vibrant magenta launching, I was so stoked. I find that the vitamin E infused pencil doesn't irritate my sensitive eyes, and I love that it's smudge-free and waterproof.
This nine-shade palette curated with shimmers and mattes is well-loved by makeup novices and experts alike.
Isamaya always brings the glam with its packaging and eye shadows. The rhinestone-studded gold case isn't the only star of the show. The palette features 12 shimmering shades that can be used on the eyes and the face (excluding the Mare shade). Add water to your brush before applying it for a more impactful look or to use the shades as liner.
If you don't want a full palette of pink shadows but want to dive into Barbiecore, add pink glitter to your lids. Don't worry about whether this formula will stay put. Once it dries down, it won't budge until you wash your face.
Inspired by the Barbie movie, these reusable black lashes feature wisps of Barbie pink and will significantly volumize the lashes.
The Complexion Lineup
"I'm a big fan of blush duos for added dimension and layering colors for ultimate pop," Mays-Smith shares. "[Use] the richer colors apple to ear and lighter color on the apples only." Her suggestion for the Barbiecore trend is the Blushed Duo Volume 4 by Juvia's Place.
This blush has gone viral on TikTok, and its recent reformulation reacts with the skin's PH and moisture level upon application to create a just-for-you hue. I love that the noncomedogenic, unscented formula (two major pluses in my book) gives a natural flushed look sans the typical ash that paler pink blushes can leave behind.
I fell in love with this shade called Lucky. I overdid it the first several times I applied (because just a little goes such a long way), but once I got my blush application right, I was sold!
This bronzer isn't just a favorite of Mays-Smith. I love it too. Why are we adding bronzer to this list? Using bright pink doesn't mean adding dimension to the face is out—remember to add some warmth back into the skin!
Before drugstore brands started offering products beyond tan, Black Radiance was always my go-to. Discovering this contour palette felt like finding that rare piece while thrift-store shopping. It's priced under $10, and you get everything you need to add dimension to deep skin tones at a price you can't beat.
The Nail Lineup
For the press-on lovers, the baby pink not only complemented my skin tone, but the nails also stayed put. Wiping excess oil off the nails with alcohol is a vital step to ensure they don't pop off. If they do, I always keep nail glue in my bag just in case.
For a deeper pink polish, this 8-free hue is just for you. And if you’re an impatient at-home nail artist, add a couple of drops of The Accelerator to the base of each nail after the polish has been on the nails for a couple of minutes to speed up drying time.
This summer, make this bubblegum-pink chip-resistant, 10-free nail color a part of your lacquer repertoire.
I've become a huge fan of Pleasing polishes because they are beautifully pigmented and glide onto the nails like butter. This biodegradable, 12-free color offers that same 10/10 coverage and a stunning, vibrant pigment.
You don't have to be a professional nail tech to get creative with these mani markers on hand. The pack of three features white, black, and pink markers to help you create everything from a French mani to florals. Don't worry about making mistakes, as nail polish remover easily removes them.
Whether your nails have extensions or regular polish, taking care of the skin on your hands is important for skin and nail health. Like Barbie, we need cute accessories too. In this case, this multipurpose balm doubles as a skin barrier restoring cream thanks to its ultra-hydrating ingredients—hyaluronic acid and shea butter—housed in a round Dior motif-adorned container that fits easily into any bag you carry.
The Fragrance Lineup
For a light fragrance with a mix of fruity and floral notes housed in a Barbie-esque bottle, you'll bask in this refreshing scent from Parfums de Marly. It boasts top notes of mandarin, Italian bergamot, and grapefruit; middle notes of orange blossom, black currant, and raspberry; and base notes of chantilly cream and marshmallow.
Adorned with the iconic Valentino stud, the fragrance is equally as stunning as the bottle. The vanilla-, jasmine-, and benzoin-infused fragrance is my absolute favorite to wear on a night out.
The Bombshell perfume has been in my collection for years! Before I knew anything about fragrance, I only bought it because of the pretty pink bottle. Now, however, I can appreciate the balanced scent featuring notes of citrus, Brazilian purple passion fruit, Tibetan Shangri-la peony, Madagascan vanilla orchid, and Italian sunstruck pine.
This warm, floral fragrance is one of my top picks for the Prada girlies who are ready to be pretty in pink but environmentally conscious. This perfume is housed in a refillable bottle, with each refill using 40% fewer materials than three 50-milliliter bottles.
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