Hair and makeup artist Ivana Primorac had no idea what to expect when she accepted a job on the hotly anticipated Barbie movie. “I didn’t know what it was,” she told R29, “nor could I draw on any previous experience in my career.” Primorac designed the makeup for Netflix series The Crown, not to mention films such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. But Barbie, it seems, is in a league entirely of its own. Little did Primorac know then just how big a beauty spectacle it would be.
Forty-eight shades of lipstick, hundreds of hair extensions, and a fake tan glowing so bright you could probably see it from space (hi, Ken!) is merely the tip of the iceberg. Barbie was a massive production and ensuring everyone looked perfect was no small feat, said Primorac. “On the main team, there were 22 hair and makeup artists, but there was a total of 75 background artists, too.” Considering the sheer manpower that went into creating every smoky eye, mascara’d lash and lacquered lip, it’s no wonder that internet searches for “Barbie makeup look” and “Barbie makeup ideas” have been on the rise ahead of the film’s debut in theaters today.
To save you wondering how each character achieved such seamless makeup, voluminous hair, and Oscar-worthy feet, we asked Primorac to divulge her set secrets.
The highlighter trick that transformed Margot into Barbie
Forget contouring. Primorac used strategic highlighting to sculpt Margot Robbie’s face as Barbie. “We used lots of Chanel highlighter in the corner of her eye — which makes Barbie’s eyes sparkle the most — and in all of the areas [that] bring the features out. For example, on top of the cheeks, around the mouth, and even on the smile lines,” said Primorac. Every Barbie doll’s lips are in a slight smile, added Primorac, which is what drew her to the doll initially, so applying highlighter on the smile lines — and on the lips — was a trick she employed on each day of filming.
Try Chanel Baume Essentiel Multi-Use Glow Stick, which is creamy and moisturizing and imparts a subtle dew on the skin. Chanel Poudre Lumière Illuminating Powder is a little more understated.
48 of lipsticks were used on set — including these brands
“There were 48 different lipsticks we used in the end,” said Primorac, 40 of them in various shades of pink, from Nicola Coughlan’s bold neon lips to Ritu Arya’s shell-pink gloss. Two brands that stand out in Primorac’s mind are Chanel and Lisa Eldridge. Chanel Rouge Luminous Matte Lip Colour in Abstrait and Lisa Eldridge True Velvet Lip Colour in Velvet Petal are Barbie to a T.
The brush — and oil — that saved everyone’s hair
“It was so difficult to get a brush through Margot’s hair [which consisted of various hair pieces] and that’s when I discovered the Wet Brush,” said Primorac. “It completely changed my life and really helped smooth the hair.” Everyone’s hair routine involved a glossing shampoo, conditioner, and a leave-in conditioner. Virtue Healing Oil came in clutch after hours under hot lights, thanks to ingredients like keratin and coconut oil. “Suddenly the hair would go dry so we used a lot of this hair oil,” said Primorac.
This is Barbie’s exact pedicure color
A defining moment for Margot Robbie’s Barbie is when her heels finally touch the ground. She may have flat feet but at least they look good. “When we went to do that scene, we always thought we’d deal with whatever was wrong with it in post [production],” said Primorac. “But we didn’t have to do anything. It was a beautifully framed shot and Margot has beautiful feet. She had a nice pedicure and we evened out her heels and toes with a body cream — that was it.” Primorac revealed Barbie’s exact pedicure color: Glossify Naked, a semi-sheer nude pink. It’s only available in the UK, but OPI Nail Lacquer in Bubble Bath and Peaćci Nail Colour in Sakura are very similar. If you’re after a heel-quenching moisturizer, try Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula with Vitamin E Foot Magic.
Everyone’s body routine involved makeup
Each Barbie had to have a completely different body routine. “Ryan [Gosling’s] Ken was tanned,” said Primorac (the product used is rumored to be Isle of Paradise self-tan), “but we realized very quickly that a tan is not necessarily ‘Barbie.’ Every doll needed to be an individual and that’s the success of Barbie — she presented as so many different people and had many different careers. We actually used a specially tailored, custom-made body makeup.”
Not your average body makeup, which can easily transfer, this was mixed by an expert chemist. “We couldn’t risk it coming off on all of the pink and white clothing,” said Primorac. “That was the most laborious part, keeping everything intact.” Primorac said the crew went through liters of the stuff, including highlighter and moisturizing balm for the heels of the feet. “Everyone was completely finished, even behind the ears, knees, and elbows.” Aside from custom makeup, Alleven Colour Shield was used for airbrushing the skin.
How to achieve Barbie’s believable freckles
“Freckles were something we used in this film more than any other,” said Primorac. “They’re super cute, even if they look slightly like they’re not your own.” To create freckles that look natural, Primorac likes to use eyeliner and an eyeliner brush. “Dot [the freckles] individually and go over them a second time to make some stronger. Then make others weaker with a Q-tip. This makes them 3D and dimensional, rather than all the same strength in color.” Freckles should go on first, so any product you use shouldn’t smudge when you put the rest of your makeup on, said Primorac. Try Rimmel Scandaleyes Exaggerate Eye Definer in Chocolate Brown or Charlotte Tilbury The Feline Flick in Super Brown, both of which have great staying power. (You could also use a freckle pen, if you have one.)
Barbie’s skin wasn’t meant to look plastic — it had to look real
Primorac’s makeup brief was “fresh and attractive” rather than doll-like or plastic. Kate McKinnon’s Weird Barbie was one of the only makeup looks that involved lots of color, in the form of a Korean eyeliner that Primorac ordered years ago. “[The eyeliner] had to look like Sharpie so we used green, pink, black, and blue liner.”
So as not to mask the skin entirely, Primorac and team adopted a sort of patchwork makeup technique for the rest of the cast. The aim? To avoid too much creasing. “The makeup was actually quite simple. Dot the makeup in areas you need it, rather than covering the whole face,” said Primorac. She recommends a very thin veil of foundation or tinted moisturizer, as you can always go back in and “correct” certain areas where you’d like more coverage. R29 recommends Fenty Beauty Eaze Drop Blurring Skin Foundation, Rare Beauty Positive Light Tinted Moisturizer Foundation, and Huda Beauty GloWish Multidew Skin Tint.
Barbie’s eyebrows were custom-made
Believe it or not, Margot Robbie’s brows weren’t all her own. “We had custom-made eyebrows for Margot so that they were longer to give a slight 1940s movie star look,” said Primorac. “This was important for the proportion of the face because the hair was wider than the shoulders, so the eyebrows being longer made [Margot’s] eyes look bigger.” Opting for a brow pen like Revolution Hair Stroke Brow Pen or Glossier Brow Flick will help create realistic brow hairs.
Primorac thinks that Robbie was most likely sick and tired of all the makeup by the time the film wrapped. “She’s a very practical actor,” said Primorac. “It’s a lot for an actor to have to be preened and pasted full of makeup and creams. Everyone was delighted to look great but by the end of the filming, I think everyone was probably hoping to go and do a movie in the trenches, somewhere in mud!”
This story was originally published on Refinery29UK.
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