Barbie

The world turned pink for a couple of days and I liked it! What a little divisive fragrance, it is a collaboration like many others yet people either love it or hate it, to the point of judging who, like me, bought it. Surely the re-selling game has gone too far with this one and I agree that although it is a beautiful fragrance it is not worth it to spend 100€ on it. Anyone has a different concept of worth, so who am I to put a price on it? Well, what I mean is that it is simply not fair to sell it that much when the starting point is only 22,90€, unfortunately is always so with limited editions, for instance...a Francesca Bianchi's bottle of 30ml Sticky Lips was proposed to me to the price of 250€ just beacuse it was limited edition, it is how things go. But enough about this debacle, how does Barbie smell? How does it behave? Is it Barbie enough? Does it smell cheap and juvenile? Personally I highly recommend it. If this is your genre and you can get it for a fair price I think it is a very feminine, girly and happy fragrance. It goes in to Barbie territory without being cloying or too much synthetic, and it is a pink fragrance through and through! On my skin it opens with a bubblegum effect of the pink kind, which dances around a strong neroli and candied orange duo. There is a gorgeous aromatic aspect in the opening, the neroli results tea like, powdery and a bit detergent like which I looove!!! There is a play between something fresh and syrupy, and this I think is the key to the succes of the fragrance: yes it is named Barbie, it is done by Zara and it is sweet but it is a grown-ups version of that, thanks to the play of different accords. I didn't observe any bitternes in the neroli or the opening in general, the orange is candied to the point of resembling sweet mandarin; the bubblegum character which operates in the back of the citrusy neroli is always on the background, it is not properly based on strawberry but it is quite close, and it is syrupy yet light and never nauseating. The fragrance, even having such refreshing opening, appears to be fit for a Barbie! The heart is made of candied orange blossom and rose, a declination very dear to me. In this case the orange blossom and rose are perfectly blended togheter in a lovely floral essence that comes forth as delicate on my skin, airy and ultra feminine, not childish or cheap smelling at all. I was expecting and fearing this part would be very sugared, to the point of obscuring the the carachter of the flowers so I was pleasantly surprised. The fragrance as whole is indeed sweet but, at this stage, the sweetness seems to come only from the backbone of vanilla which is warm and intense but not edible. I don't find anything cloying about the fragrance. More nuances are given to the flowers by a body of tonka bean that supports them with a sophistication of sorts. It is not a strong cumarin tonka, I think it is that type that is a bit nutty and a bit tosted in a light earthy way, at least at this stage. Some lightly fruity nuances are present in the rose note, and a vague, gentle muskiness floats in to the heart of the fragrance, reminiscent of light ambrette. The dry down however is where things gets really Barbie! From the flowers and particulary from the rosiness, the scent evolves in to a strong marshmellow based in vanilla and tonka; marshmellow is not listed as a note by the brand but to my nose it is unequivocally a strong component. In the dry down the vanilla transforms from a more warm and intense type to one that is very sweet, dry, almost edible and very airy, reminiscent in smell of that type of vanilla pod which one can buy at the supermarket to use it in pastry. Now the scent strongly reminds me of Rose Marshmellow Candy by Zara x Jo Malone, but less synthetic, more intense and long lasting. Something citrusy and fizzy is still present amongst the vanilla and marshmellow, something that could be defined as bubbly; this aspect and a lively powderiness is what majorly defines the texture of the fragrance in the dry down, while as a whole I would label it as airy and fluffy but still quite intense. True closure is given to the scent by the tonka bean which overbearingly returns, this time smelling more almondy (nutty) and like true confetti. A lot is being said about this fragrance in terms of comparisons, many say it is a "dupe" for Love, Don't Be Shy by Killian or some other fragrance on the same genre, what I can personally say about it is that Barbie by Zara is not a true dupe of anything I know, I think it has its own identity even while being part of an overpopulated genre; from the fragrances I know I think that Barbie has elements of Love, Don't Be Shy by Killian (the orange flowers and marshmellow smells almost the same but Barbie is less soft, more neroli based and rosy), of Princess by Killian (same tea like quality in the opening and similar base), of Oriana by Parfums de Marly (it is very, very similar but more fruity and less musky, same mandarin opening). This is a very populated genre, many other fragrances come to my mind, some of them I own in decants, samples or I have tested such as Candy by Prada (similar sweetness and tonka but less powdery), Guimauve de Noel by Parle Moi de Parfums (much more sophisticated, more sugary but similar orange blossoms), all the gourmands from Reminiscence have similar aspects, then there is La Stanza delle Bambole by Nobile 1942 (much more nuanced, different opening and mid but similar dry down), Sintra by Memo (same aromatic quality in the opening thanks to neroli and petitgrain but different texture and accords, and quality of course). The way the citrus are intertwined with the sugared florals is reminiscent of Meringa by Profvmvm Roma, Kiss Me Intense from Nicolai, and Oddore 'e Pastiera from artisanal Italian brand Scotti Sorrento. I could go on and on, this is a very prolific genre, suffice to say I personally find Barbie is its own thing. In between Zara fragrances I can say that Barbie shares the quality of marshmellow and vanilla (in the dry down) with Rose Marshmellow Candy, the orange in the opening smells like the sweet mandarin opening of Creatively Shanghai, the vanilla both in the middle and dry down is similar to the evolving vanilla in Memorable Aura, and the tonka in the dry down is the same of the one in Vanilla Violet Orchid, something is also reminiscent of the tonka and vanilla in Cherry Smoothie (I was fearing Barbie would be as cloying and synthetic as that one but luckly it wasn't so). I am not a Barbie girl and sure as hell I don't live in a Barbie world, often times I prefer melancholic scent and unisex fragrances, much more true to my mood and personality, and generally more elegant, but from time to time I don't mind smelling happy and being reminded of my childhood with fragrances. Sometimes, wearing them, I even manage "to be" someone else for a couple of hours, it is cathartic in a way...that is why I love the art of perfumery (and fashion and makeup) so much. However I must admitt I did fall prey of the hype with this one, the world just turned pink for a couple of days before the Barbie movie came out, between the beauty of Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, that intrusive obnoxious Ice Spice x Nicki Minaj song, and the fact that until I was 15 father always bought me a new Barbie every Christmas, well I just succumbed to it and bought one. Opening it sure did feel like opening my new Barbie, even though the fragrance doesn't have that lovely plasticky touch (only the dry down is slightly doll head in my opinion). Lasting power is that good on me (8 to 9 hours) and so is projection, even in this heat. I don't find the fragrance obnoxiously sweet but I am rarely bothered by sweetness. All in all, I am a fan and hoping in a restock, so many people were left disappointed by the low quantity, in Italy it didn't even appear as in stock on the website that they already put the out of stock badg on it, it was never truly sold!

I have to say, the Barbie perfume and Sand Desert at Sunset (similar to Angel's Share) are my favourite perfumes from Zara. First spray is syrupy but also has a sharpness. When I say sharpness, it's like an artificial smelling bubblegummy tuberose but maybe a bit fruitier (I must be clear, this is not tuberose itself, I'm just trying to convey the impression these tart aromachemicals give). I wonder if it's the 'orange' notes. A marshmallow vibe is definitely grounding it. If I smell the perfume too closely after spraying, it sharply hits me in the back of my nose. In summer, I don't mind this, but I wouldn't be surprised if it bothered me in cooler months. This opening is what shows the fragrance's low price point the most - it can be harsh in a way that Oriana is not, for example. The more it dries down, the more the harshness softens and the sweet orange blossom-marshmallow blooms. The scent bubble is fantastic from this. At this stage it is similar to Oriana. It lasts well on me, longer than most of my collection does, and the scent bubble lasts for hours! Compared to Oriana (tested in store) - this is the closest fragrance imo, way closer than LDBS. Barbie is more bubblegummy/fruitier. Compared to LDBS (tested in store) - I wouldn't say it's super close to LDBS, but they are definitely in the same 'genre' of marshmallowy orange blossoms. If you like LDBS, you will likely like this more bubblegummy rendition. I feel there is more neroli here too. LDBS felt a lot softer to me and the tester bottle I used was a LOT weaker (although I would hear it would get stronger with aging). Compared to Prada Candy Kiss (owned) - I've not seen this comparison yet, but with owning both I see similarities and take the same opinion as I do with LDBS. They're the same genre of perfumes, if you like one you will probably like the other. There is a marshmallowy orange blossom aspect of Prada Candy Kiss, but it is more musky, soft and vanillic than Barbie. Candy Kiss has no bubblegum/fruitiness either. I find myself reaching for Barbie in the daytime and Candy Kiss at nighttime. I will say this is an excellent perfume for the RRP and I will cherish wearing it. But it isn't worth paying resell prices. If you missed out, I would wait to see if they bring it back. Sand Desert at Sunset sold like hot cakes too when it was first released and restocks were fleeting. But now it seems to be restocked and readily available in 2 sizes. If they don't bring it back, or you want one sooner, I really suggest Ansaam Gold as an alternative. If you wanted a girlier bottle, you could even decant it into a refillable bottle (which was my original plan to dupe Oriana before Barbie came out). From what I've seen, Ansaam Gold seems to be closer to Oriana than Barbie. But if you do get a chance to buy Barbie AT RETAIL PRICE, then I would say it is an excellent choice too!

I missed the launch and had to pay resell prices to own this but as a Barbie collector I couldn’t be without it, despite knowing there are cheaper LDBS dupes out there. I finally own both the Edp and Edt and here is how they compare: Barbie EDT : Light, fluffy floral marshmallow. Smells like a pink peep marshmallow covered in sugar crystals. The florals are noticeable upon first spray but the scent quickly settles down to its sweet fluffy vanilla base. Lasts about 4 hours and projects about an arms length. After the 4th hour it becomes like a skin scent and while I can smell myself I think others wouldn’t be able to unless they hugged me or stood really close. Barbie EDP : The opening is bright but fades quickly. The florals are much more noticeable, I smell the rose and orange blossom sitting on top of the vanilla and tonka. The middle is richer than the EDT version but the base smells the same. The perfume projects more than the EDT but isn’t suffocating and lasts about 5-6 hours. I never actually had LDBS but I’ve definitely smelled this DNA on other people before so it must be a popular scent that’s probably easy to duplicate. I mainly bought it for the Barbie branding but ended up loving the scent! Final thoughts : if you’re a Barbie collector I don’t blame you for wanting this bottle in particular. Both the Edp and Edt are good! I suggest just getting a few bottles of the edt instead of paying over $100 on the perfume from a reseller. However if it’s the actual scent you’re going after and looking for an affordable price, just get a LDBS dupe like from Dossier or Oakcha!

Oh.my.god. This is SO good. Like I wasn't expecting it to be this good but it is. The scent? Nostalgic. When I first sprayed it I was reminded of childhood. There is a whiff of something not unlike what it smells like when you take a brand new Barbie out of the box. The initial citrus vanilla, plasticky top note quickly gives way to development. And boy is it good. A warm cloud of tonka-neroli reaches your nose everytime you move. It LASTS. Especially on hair and clothes. I am really shocked that a perfume with so few ingredients and from Zara smells so complex, deep, invigorates the senses, improves mood. This is a perfume nearly for everyone. It would suit a young girl, even a tween. It would suit a mature lady. Instant mood booster, a sunray in a bottle, sweet but clean. The vibe is sunny, unpretentious, uplifitng, yummy, feminine, cute but not cutesy. I love it and will consider getting a backup on it.

This is such an amazing perfume! It’s light fluffy marshmallows, sugar and vanilla. It’s super sweet and powdery, not cloying and super feminine. It’s definitely how I imagine a Barbie smells, it’s even a bit reminiscing of how barbies smell when you get them out of the box. It leans on the younger side. However I am in my early 30s and I’m still enjoying it so much. It’s very long lasting, I can smell it on my self all day, and it sticks to clothing like crazy! Two days later I can still smell it. For me it’s super similar to love don’t be shy by Killian. However, I must admit that if I had to choose between the two, I would keep the Barbie one. Overall an amazing perfume, I’m saddened this is a limited release and that it’s already sold out in most places. I’ll treasure my bottle for as long as it lasts.