‘Doll makeup’ trend has celebrities looking like porcelain dolls and Y2K Bratz
They’re getting all dolled up.
More makeup lovers are toying with flushed cheeks, luminous highlights and a complexion so flawless it looks airbrushed, in a trend fashionistas have dubbed “doll makeup.” The babyfaced aesthetic began on the runway before spilling onto social media and the streets of the Big Apple.
Sexy celebs such as singer Dove Cameron, rappers Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion and actress Julia Fox have lately leaned into the look — but it’s former Disney kid Sabrina Carpenter, 24, who epitomized girl-next-door glam in her recent photoshoot for Skims’ spring lingerie campaign.
The “Nonsense” singer can thank the doll makeup originator Dame Pat McGrath for her now-signature Skims look. The influential makeup artist and owner of Pat McGrath Labs revealed the “ultimate porcelain doll look” at the Maison Margiela’s haute couture show in Paris, France earlier this year.
Pencil-drawn micro-brows, intense eyeshadows, popping blush and a pouty lip are finished with a gleaming sheen in this glassy look.
“I’ve never seen a makeup look go so viral,” McGrath said during her ticketed “Margiela Masterclass” for makeup pros. “Every member of my team’s phone blew up with the whole world asking what was on everybody’s face.”
Alongside Carpenter’s crew, celebrity makeup artist Erika La’Pearl also credited McGrath for inspiring the cover shoot for Cardi B’s latest single “Enough (Miami)” in a behind-the-scenes Instagram post on March 14.
The Toronto-based artist Ms. Myles has also recreated the viral look for her followers on social media. “I’m sure we’re going to continue to see different variations of the Margiela glass skin,” she told CBC earlier this month.
New York Celebrity makeup artist Samantha Jaymes gushed about the “soft glam” look to The Post. “I love incorporating pieces of the trending doll makeup look into my routine for most of my clients.”
Despite the dramatic motif, beauty buffs are advised to ease up on application, reducing the amount of cosmetics they use to achieve a softly beaten face that appears natural, clean and supple.
Jaymes, who has been in the makeup industry for over a decade, has practiced different versions of the trending beat on influencers and models, including Haley Kalil and Samantha Brown.
“I do like to use a decent amount of powder to ensure the longevity of my clients’ glam … by topping it with a luminous blush, glowing balm or cream blush on the cheek, it helps escalate it to that glass skin, fresh doll-like look, while still holding in place,” she told The Post.
Jaymes’ contributions to the trend are part of the tens of thousands of posts from sweet-faced fashionistas online touting the #dollmakeup trend as self-proclaimed MUAs mimic their favorite doll faces, taking inspiration from Bratz and Barbie dolls to porcelain and China dolls.
While the makeup trend continues to expand the palettes of beauty enthusiasts, some who adopt the romantic look can anticipate being compared to “Lolita,” referring to Vladimir Nabokov’s 1955 novel of the same name. The book describes the narrator’s sexual obsession and pedophilia behavior towards a 12-year-old girl whom he’s codenamed “Lolita.”
The trend has spawned an audience that embraces the taboo and twisted story, incorporating pale face powder, heavily pigmented blush, long lashes and soft lip colors. The look is often finished with a girlish flourish, like a hair bow.
Raised eyebrows notwithstanding, Jaymes is a fan of the amplified feminine vibe for her clients.
“There are ways that this trend creates a very wearable and comfortable feel to the skin that helps the clients feel ‘dolled up’ while still feeling like themselves in their own skin.”
