Here's How Ryan Gosling Got His Perfect Malibu Ken Tan
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Self-tanner was obviously involved.
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Greta Gerwig’s Barbie comes out today, July 21, and the film has singlehandedly revived the Barbiecore trend that has infiltrated fashion, beauty, and even interior design (hello, NYC’s Malibu Barbie Café). Regarding Barbie beauty for the movie, makeup for TV and film has always been a collaborative process since the time of Marilyn Monroe, makeup artist Allan Snyder, and her perfect red pout. In Ken’s (AKA Ryan Gosling) case, the actor worked closely with hair and makeup lead Ivana Primorac, the film’s creative team, and London-based tan specialist Kimberly Nkosi to create the perfect Malibu tan.
Primorac had access to every Barbie doll ever made to prepare for the film. And when it came to Ken's look, Gosling’s glam team set out to make him a carbon copy of the doll. “We tried so many different blondes and so many different versions—long hair, short hair, more tan, less tan, a chocolate tan, or a bronzed tan," she previously told Byrdie.
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If you look at any vintage Ken doll, you’ll notice his hair is almost white, contrasting his warm-toned-bordering-on-orange tan. "We got quite far into the whole process and realized that we can do quite a lot," which included using guyliner on the star since the Ken dolls all had faint smoky definition around their bright blue eyes.
As far as Gosling’s tan goes, there’s a fine line between creating a warm and ultra-tan complexion and a complexion that screams Jersey Shore. But Nkosi hit the nail on the head, using Isle of Paradise products during production. “For me, applying sunless tanner isn’t about spraying something on and hoping for the best,” Nkosi wrote in an Instagram post. “It’s about a feeling more than a look.”
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Gosling’s tan is warm, but it has faint rosy undertones that make it appear natural. As it turns out, Nkosi took every aspect into consideration, including set lighting. “When you work on set, there are so many things to take into consideration; the camera picks up every little detail and can completely change the appearance of the tan, especially under lights,” Nkosi continued. “Being mindful of this and being consistent is key to achieving a flawless tan each and every time.”
Nkosi first moisturized Gosling’s skin with Dr. Hauschka's Lemon Lemongrass Vitalizing Body Oil ($29) and then primed the surface for a tan with the Isle of Paradise Prep It Self-Tan Priming Spray ($24). After that, Nkosi used Isle of Paradise’s Self Tanning Water ($32) in shades medium and dark—Nkosi only used a smidge of shade “dark—which balanced Gosling’s undertones for filming. The final effect was a perfect Ken tan from his plastic head down to his toes.
