Beautifully soft, white layers with flowing rivers of purple, pink and blue, and some glitter thrown in to make it that bit extra—we’re obviously talking about Starbucks' latest unicorn Frappuccino.
You might be forgiven for thinking the above description paints the picture of a mythical creature, and not in-fact a technicolor drink from Starbucks which accounts for 21% of your daily carbohydrate allowance, but you’d be wrong. Sparkle fever in the form of a unicorn obsession has been permeating both social media and brand campaigns this year, and the coffee giant is only the latest big name to jump on-board the glitter train. But what is the deal with all this unicorn crap (actually a thing now)?
Before we explain just why everyone is going so nutso about an imaginary horse with a spiral horn, let’s just take a look at all the crazy ways this unicorn mania has infiltrated into popular culture.
Animal-themed trends tend to quickly infiltrate the baking-sphere because you can be so creative with decoration. From birthday cakes to cookies and beyond, the unicorn obsession knows no culinary bounds. Just take a quick look on Pinterest to satisfy all your unicorn cravings!
Image: Pinterest
Image: Pinterest
Image: Pinterest
Oh yes, unicorn cosmetics are a thing. Tarte Cosmetics have just released a limited-edition brush set that has unicorn fans going batsh*t.
Image: Tarte Cosmetics
Wet n Wild have released a limited-edition Unicorn Glow Summer Collection complete with rainbow highlighter and Unicorn tear lipstick. Madness? Kind of, but we’re into it. The best thing? You can shop the collection at Ulta starting May 21st.
Image: Wet n Wild
And don’t even get us started on unicorn nails. Instagram is full of sparkly nail art like this magical set from the Super Rad Nail Sisters.
Image: @superradnailsisters
If you haven’t somehow encountered this sparkly heart attack in a cup on your social media or in the news, then you must be living in 2016, because Starbucks’ latest pop culture venture is being talked about just about everywhere. Despite the fact that it reportedly tastes like ‘sour birthday cake’, people just can’t seem to get enough of it. We take our hats off to you Starbucks.
Image: Starbucks
ASOS, clever things that they are, were quick to jump on the mythical bandwagon, with unicorn t-shirts, jewelry, PJs and even a pair of kooky slippers.
Image: ASOS
Image: ASOS
If you thought that was where it ended, Pinterest proves once again that people can make a trend into anything. Enter the crotcheted unicorn baby clothing…
Image: Pinterest
Etsy is also a veritable goldmine for everything unicorn.
Image: Etsy
Last, but certainly not least, we have colorful unicorn hair which is massive on Instagram. Goodness only knows what all that dye does to your hair, but it can’t be any worse than popular bleaching, surely? You do you, girl.
Image: @vikiscissorhands, @eggstoree, @leysahairandmakeup
It’s actually pretty simple when you think about it. Unicorns are the epitome of individualism. An unattainable uniqueness that almost everyone, not just millennials, strive for. The body positivity movement in particular seems to have a strong infinity for everything unicorn and encourages us to accept who we are, even if it’s a little different from the norm.
In addition, one quick look at the news is all it takes to tumble down into a depression these days, so it’s no wonder that something which brings joy and laughter is rising in popularity—unicorn poop is the balm which soothes our tired souls and covers them in glitter. It’s playful, it’s childish, and it’s exactly what we all need right now. 🦄🦄🦄
