The combined smell of every item in the above photo was nothing short of nauseating. It was sugary and faux-fruity, suggestive of nothing that could be easily found in nature. But that’s basically the point of Barbiecore, the trend that’s sweeping runways and Instagram.
Barbiecore has largely existed as a fashion trend so far, and has trickled into interior design. The concept is pretty straightforward: Think like the beloved Mattel doll and ensconce yourself (or your home) in bright pink. The next, obvious evolution of Barbiecore may well be thoroughly pink food. So off to the grocery store we go.
To build the perfect Barbiecore pantry, I gave myself some parameters. First—like Barbie herself—I didn’t want anything to be natural. That meant no salmon, no hams, no Pink Lady apples. I also didn’t want the pink coloring to come from any natural sources, like dried, pulverized strawberries or beets. And lastly, pink packaging would not be enough. The food product itself has to be pink. Ideally by way of something like Red 40.
Of course, I had the most luck with sweets: cookies, candies, and so forth. I tried to throw in something savory by way of those rainbow Goldfish crackers, but what looked pink on the package was far more red in reality. (Turns out they’re colored with beet and other vegetable extracts.) What I found were the following seven products, perfect for an Instagrammable Barbiecore snack spread that’s just for looks—because a 1965 Slumber Party Barbie came with a tiny diet book with a single suggestion: “Don’t eat!”
