Barbie Inspired Nails

by Rebecca Fox April 06, 2024

Attention all Barbie lovers and lovers of all things pink, welcome to the world of Barbie! In light of the release of the highly acclaimed Barbie film, we thought that it would only be right to make this blog post about Barbie and Barbie nails. The release of Barbie the movie, has brought back a huge amount of attention and popularity to Barbie dolls and all things pink. So get excited because this post will give you tons of inspiration for your next manicures so that you can be in the loop with the latest trends and Barbie craze!

If you’re reading this, you’re probably a Barbie fan and, like many of us, have probably grown up playing with Barbie dolls. Or perhaps, you might not know much about Barbie at all. To get you excited about Barbie, here are some fun facts about Barbie:

1. Barbie was named after Ruth Handler’s daughter, Barbara, and Ken after her son, Kenneth.
2. She is from (fictional) Willows, Wisconsin, where she attended high school.
3. Barbie’s official birthday is March 9, 1959, the day she was unveiled to the toy industry during New York Toy Fair.
4. Barbie first appeared in her iconic black-and-white striped swimsuit.
5. Barbie was joined by Ken in 1961.
6. The first Barbie doll was sold for $3.00.
7. The first Barbie commercial aired during the Mickey Mouse Club in 1959.
8. Barbie doll’s signature color is Barbie Pink (PMS 219).
9. Barbie stands 11.5 inches tall.
10. The best-selling Barbie doll ever was 1992 Totally Hair™ Barbie, which featured floor-length hair.

Now that you know more about Barbie, here’s some more history on the iconic doll. Barbie was introduced on March 9, 1959, by Mattel, Inc., a southern California toy company. Ruth Handler co-founded  Mattel with her husband, Elliot - she was inspired to create the doll as her daughter enjoyed playing with make-believe paper dolls of women. 

The appearance of the Barbie doll itself was modeled after a doll named Bild Lilli, which was inspired by a German comic-strip character. Eventually, Mattel bought the rights to Bild Lilli, and Handler created her own version of the doll: the Barbie doll.

Barbie's physical appearance has evolved significantly over the decades: from her initial days with a classic hourglass figure to the creation of dolls with different body types, skin tones, and hairstyles, Barbie has adapted to reflect a more inclusive and realistic representation of beauty.

As a result, over the decades, there have been countless versions of Barbie that have been created. Let’s take a look at the evolution of Barbie dolls throughout the years!

The first ever Barbie doll was released on March 9, 1959, at the American Toy Fair in New York City. This first doll was inspired by the glamour of 1950s celebrities such as Elizabeth Taylor and Marilyn Monroe. During this first year, 300,000 Barbie dolls were sold and the first doll was sold for only $3.00. 

Did you know that Barbie has had more than 250 careers since the doll was released? There is a Barbie doll for almost every career whether it’s a doctor, engineer, teacher, actor, chef, and the list goes on! 

 

Let’s take a look at some of the most popular and iconic Barbie dolls:

Day-to-night Barbie

This Barbie doll was released in1985 and it was part of a campaign called ‘We Girls Can Do Anything’. This doll was designed to show that women could easily transform from a work setting to a bar: changing outfits from day to night. The doll’s outfit changes from a blazer and briefcase to a cocktail dress and purse. 

Totally Hair Barbie 

This barbie doll with very long, gorgeous hair, was released in 1992. The doll came with a tube of styling gel and it was very popular. In fact, this Barbie was the best-selling doll in Mattel’s history as it sold 20 million dolls. 

Barbie Fashionista with Wheelchair

The introduction of dolls with different body shapes, ethnicities, and abilities aimed to create a more inclusive narrative, encouraging children to embrace and celebrate their unique identities.

This doll was one of the first barbies with disabilities and it was designed to promote diverse representations of beauty. Mattel said that the wheelchair was one of the most requested items from Barbie fans. For the design of this doll, Mattel worked closely with experts at UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital 

Inspiring Women Barbies

Mattel has also released some Barbies that feature ‘Inspiring Women’ who have made history, including Amelia Earhart, Frida Kahlo, and Katherine Johnson. Earhart was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, and the first person ever to fly solo from Hawaii to the U.S. mainland. Kahlo was not only an inspiring and beloved painter, she was an activist who continues to influence women’s movements today. Johnson was a physicist, space scientist, and mathematician at NASA’s Langley Center. She provided the calculations for Alan Shepherd’s historic first flight into space, John Glenn’s ground-breaking orbit of the earth, and the trajectory for Apollo 11’s moon landing.

Now, let’s get into Barbie-themed nail wraps! Barbie nails are a vibrant and fun way to express one's love for the iconic doll. The nail art often incorporates the signature Barbie pink, with a mix of glitter, rhinestones, and playful patterns that capture the essence of Barbie's glamorous world. Here are some fabulous ideas and inspiration for your next manicures! Oh, and please go ahead and post your Barbie nails if you decide to try out any of these ideas (and make sure to tag us - we’d love to see them!)

Pretty in Pink: Barbie Nails!

We’ll start off with the basics! Pink is the main highlight in many Barbie nail designs, ranging from soft pastels to bold, vibrant shades. You can combine different pink tones or incorporate glitter for an extra touch of glamour. Did you know that we have some super cute, Barbie pink nails in our collection of nail wraps? We also have tons of other pink designs that you can use to create your own Barbie-inspired nails - the possibilities are truly endless, and we’d love to see what you can come up with! 

Here are some of our pink nail wraps that you can use for your Barbie nails:

Designs/Themes from the movie

Disco Barbie

Barbie in Gingham Dress

Canva stock Photo

Barbie as a Mermaid

Canva stock Photo

Canva stock Photo

Glamorous Glitter nails

Barbie is all about the glitz and glamour so embrace the glitter and add it to your nails! We have a bunch of beautiful, glitter designs that you can use for an all-over glitter set, or you can choose to use these glitters as accent nails. 

Ken

Oh, and let’s not forget about Ken! Ken was released in 1961 and he is known as Barbie’s best male friend. Ken was named after Kenneth Handler, the son of Barbie inventor Ruth Handler, whose daughter Barbara was the inspiration for Barbie.

Here are some fun facts about Ken: 

1. Ken and Barbie are friends. 
2. Ken is 2 years younger than his famous Barbie, his official birthday is on 11th March 1961. 
3. Ken is exactly 12 inches tall, which makes him half an inch taller than Barbie.
4. Ken is from a fictional town called Willows, Wisconsin.  

The most famous Ken doll is Earring Magic Ken, which was released in 1993. The doll features platinum blonde hair with a silver hoop earring.

Today, the Ken doll is available in four body types, eighteen sculpts, thirteen skin tones, nine eye colors and twenty-two hair colors - it’s pretty amazing! 

Canva stock Photo

Barbie the movie has also been collecting awards and most recently, 3 of its original soundtracks have won in the Grammy's!

Here's the music video of Billie Eilish with What Was I Made For:


Well, that’s a wrap of our journey through Barbie’s evolution and style over the years. We hope that you’ve enjoyed reading this blog and we hope that you’ve been inspired to try out some of these Barbie nail design ideas! And remember to tag us in your creations as we’d love to see the looks that you come up with! 

As you can see from this post, Barbie nails are a great and creative way to express your love for the doll. Whether you’re a nail art enthusiast, Barbie lover, or even both, you can really use Barbie as inspiration for your next nail design idea!
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