At Hello! Fashion we’ve been embracing the Barbiecore phenomenon with open arms. So much so that I eschewed my typically minimalistic, muted-toned style agenda and dressed as Barbie for a whole week (see for yourself how that went down...). But 'Stereotypical Barbie', played by Margot Robbie in the movie, wouldn't be so stereotypical if she didn't have a fresh, blonde lid.
As the HF team's resident blonde, the movie could not have come at a better time, as it was the perfect excuse to give my hair a summer refresh and experiment by going from my usual warmer shade to Marttel-approved platinum.
MORE: I dressed as Barbie for a week and this is how it improved my confidence
Though the Australian actress also sports blonde tresses when she's out of character, Stereotypical Barbie's shade was even too daring for Margot to experiment with, as she actually wore 18 different wigs and over 30 hair pieces, according to the film's hair and makeup designer Ivana Primorac.
Nevertheless, I decided to give it a go, and it appears many others had the same idea. According to beauty booking platform Fresha the Barbie phenomenon has caused an 83% increase in requests for platinum blonde hair. Barbie-related beauty hashtags, including #barbienails, #barbiemakeup, #barbiebeauty, and #barbiehair, have garnered a staggering 171 million views in the past month on TikTok... if that's not enough the hashtag #barbieblonde has over a million views on the platform, proving this shade is certainly the most popular hair colour of summer 2023.
Margot Robbie’s hair (well, wigs) for the movie was less of a warm blonde like the actual doll, and more platinum, with a slight hint of warmth through it. But how does one achieve this exact shade? I went to Neville Hair and Beauty in Belgravia, where experts worked their magic and completely transformed my hair without damaging it. Here’s how they did it.
To prepare:
Seniz Alkan, Colour Director at Neville explained: “It’s important to understand that this one-process colour is best suited to people who have a naturally light base colour. It's quite a statement look, therefore it is advised to go for a consultation with your colourist before making an informed decision”
She also recommends taking a photograph for visual references to establish your desired tone if there is a particular look you have in mind.
How to achieve the look:
Admittedly, when heading downstairs in the salon on Pont Street, I was slightly nervous. Though I've been light blonde since forever (literally birth), this look is a much cooler shade than my usual.
I had a chat with Seniz first to discuss the process, and she decided it wasn’t necessary to do a scalp bleach on my hair as my natural colour was light enough. For those with slightly darker hair, carrying out a scalp bleach to lift the colour to a level 9 (the lightest colour on the scale), may be required, which is something a professional would assess. As this wasn't necessary for me, she went straight in with highlights in the lightest shade possible.
After letting the colour take (with a helping hand from heat that radiated from an oscillating, UFO-looking contraption), a toner from Redken Shades EQ in the shade 10N was added through my hair to help avoid the colour turning brassy or green.
Adding a bonding treatment was another important step to ensure my hair wasn't damaged during this process. SOS - a protective treatment designed to strengthen the hair and recover moisture - was also applied all over.
After a sleep-inducing head massage and a hair wash using Kérastase products, I headed upstairs to the blow bar where Saffy-Lee gave me a Barbie-approved, super subtle, bouncy blow dry, which turned out exactly as I requested.
The result:
I could not get enough of my hair: it felt smooth, I felt confident and it was the perfect summer shade. Thanks to the team at Neville, I felt at ease and trusted them with my hair throughout the whole process. My blow dry was also the best I'd ever had. Granted, this shade of blonde isn't for the faint hearted, but the warmer tones running through it makes the end result less terrifyingly bright.
One thing I've learnt this summer thanks to the Barbiecore craze (both dressing in pink for a week and dying my hair potently blonde), is that stepping out of your comfort zone eventually brings nothing but satisfaction, even if it's scary at first. So whether you're thinking of going blonde or brunette, adopting a different dress agenda, or trying a smokey eye for the first time, this is your sign to give it a go.
How to maintain bottle Blonde hair:
“Barbie Blonde is a relatively high maintenance look, which requires getting your roots done every 4 weeks in addition to having regular treatments and glosses to preserve the condition of the hair," the salon said in a press release. "Furthermore, Seniz advises the use of the Kerastase Blonde Absolu bain Ultra-Violet purple shampoo, conditioner and mask for home use between salon visits. It's also really important is the use of the Blonde Absolut Heat Protector.”
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