Have we reached peak Barbie mania yet? Not quite! Since Chioma and I were lucky enough to attend an early screening at Warner Bros.’s Hudson Yards headquarters last week, our world has remained pink-hued. This week we have Vogue Beauty Editor-at-Large Arden Fanning Andrews joining us to discuss her total Barbie transformation. Arden, who describes her natural aesthetic as soft goth and more Keanu Reeves than Margot Robbie, donned a custom blonde wig by renowned hair stylist Evanie Frausto and make-up by Pat McGrath Labs guru Jenna Kuchera for a full transformation into a Beauty Barbie.
Arden also discussed her hero products of the summer—including the one balm to rule them all, Bonjout’s Le Balm Skin Savior Solid Serum—and her sunscreen must, Bare Minerals’s Complexion Rescue…though her real secret to summer skin is physical coverage, like the mani gloves Arden wears for walking around Manhattan to protect her pristine hands. We also discuss the workout trend of the summer, which seems to be anything with little exertion. Think pilates and…walking. Yes, TikTok has once again rebranded the mundane with Hot Girl Walks, which is basically just…women walking around but we are here to recommend it!
You know what other groundbreaking beauty secret we recommend? Sleep! I recently wrote an article about sleep being the new luxury good, and how it is measured and managed with a host of tech aids. Chioma and I both wear Oura rings to track our sleep and Arden is a champion napper.
In fact, my Oura ring registered a nap for me while I was watching Barbie; apparently that’s how relaxed a sea of pink made me. But we were not asleep for our second Barbie-focused interview of the week, with lifelong Barbie collector Darian Darling chatting with us via Zoom from her Barbie-inspired home in Los Angeles (which she delightfully refers to as the Pussy Palace). In addition to walking us through the weird and wonderful world of Barbie collectors, Darian taught us a bit about the history of Barbie, including how Mattel co-founder Ruth Handler discovered a similar doll intended for grown men in Germany in the 1950s and decided to create her own version for American girls—a revolution of its time, considering every doll until that point had been a baby or toddler at the oldest. A new world order for dolls was established, and Darian is here to tell the tale.
