Cardi B’s Pink-On-Pink Makeup Proves ‘Barbiecore’ Is The New It-Girl Aesthetic

It’s pretty typical to hear Cardi B’s journey to fame described as a modern fairytale. In a lot of ways, it’s spot-on. A talented, beautiful girl is plucked from obscurity thanks to her own charisma and ability (and masterful command of the internet) only to find herself at the top of the A-list heap — with a trail of awards and accolades in her wake. Yes, Cardi B’s story seems to skew storybook, but her looks lately have been more aligned with an altogether different sort of glamorous childhood touchstone. For a post-Super Bowl party, Cardi B’s pink eyeshadow — paired with her glossy, curly blowout and baby-pink Chanel skirt set — screams Barbiecore, the ultra-femme aesthetic celebrities are loving right now.

As she hurried down the street on Offset’s arm, camera lights illuminated the rapper’s rosy pink eye makeup, highlighted cheekbones, and the shimmering Playboy medallion around her neck — surely a nod to her relatively new position as the legendary brand’s creative director. Even her full, collarbone-grazing hair seemed especially Barbie-like thanks to its impressive volume, high shine finish, and barrel-curled ends. The entire pretty-in-pink look was capped by touches of white, including long, snowy nails, lace-up heels, a white quilted purse, and, of course, an armful of white diamonds on gleaming platinum.

Not only does the pink eyeshadow match her outfit and rosy-blushed cheeks, but it adds a wash of warmth, too. Pink eyeshadow in general is having something of a major moment lately (it is the most romantic month right now, after all) with plenty of stars getting in on the Barbie-approved shade. This week, Lizzo wore pink eyeshadow twice to two very different ends. In one photoset, the pinks add a dreamy cottagecore effect, while the other veers more lilac and — coupled with an amazing pink wig — is pure Mattel material.

A handful of weeks ago, Euphoria scene-stealer Sydney Sweeney also took a Barbiecore look out for a spin. Dressed in a powder-pink, Elle Woods-approved Rodarte set complete with Old Hollywood curls and a halo of bright pink eyeshadow, all she’s missing is a Malibu Dream House in the background.

It’s not hard to see why the doll aesthetic is so appealing. Pink in most forms is rather universally flattering and doesn’t seem too over-the-the-top even when dealing with a full head-to-toe color coordination situation. You can take a page out of Cardi’s book and go for a spot-on shade match, or go for Sweeney’s take on the trend which utilizes two very different pinks to striking effect. Either way, you have Barbie’s stamp of approval — and considering she has approximately 2,839,389 careers, you know she knows what she’s doing.