In The Scenarioreporter Kirbie Johnson takes readers behind the scenes of the buzziest movies and TV shows to disclose how the very best wigs, computer graphics makeup, and more are created. For this edition, Johnson chats with the team behind the immediately legendary beauty looks within the 2023 Barbie movie. (And yes, there are some minor spoilers ahead.)

Barbie has taken the world by storm — just in case you’ve missed the whirlwind, worldwide press tour or the $150 million marketing budget promoting the film. On the time of writing this, the movie has made $470 million globallyas a sea of pink descended upon theaters in late July. And while there are many reasons to like the film, the eye to detail paid to the wonder looks (on the Barbies, the Kens, the Allan) is, in fact, what really drew team Allure in. We spoke with the experts who crafted the hair and makeup looks in Barbie to learn exactly what went into bringing the beloved dolls to life.

Why Ryan Gosling’s Ken Is Platinum Blonde

When the primary image of Gosling as Ken was released in 2022, many were critical: He didn’t appear to be the standard Ken doll, whose hair is not platinum blonde. Barbie’s boyfriend typically has a golden or brunette head of hair, however the platinum blonde was specifically chosen for this cinematic version of Ken for a number of reasons. For one thing, it’s so unnaturally light that it adds to the illusion that Gosling is literally playing a toy doll, not a human based on a toy’s likeness.