Y2K Kids, Remember This Palmolive Fashion Girl Shampoo?

At around 11 years old, Julia Barretto became the face of the Fashion Girl campaign. Television screens often aired her commercial, in which she wore a billowy pink top with bedazzled straps. Her most striking accessory, beyond her smile, was her long, silky hair.

The Straight & Sparkle shampoo—formulated as a conditioner-in-one—featured extracts of rose bloom and vitamin C, promising hair that’s “straighter, so sparkly, so totally me,” as Julia Barretto exclaimed. It was positioned as the “hippest shampoo for you,” one that would make its user “a big hit, too.”

According to an information card released by Palmolive Naturals at the time, the Fashion Girl line was “perfect for young girls who want to always look nice, hip, and sparkly!” It also introduced Julia as “the new face for a new generation of fashionable ‘tweens’.”

Palmolive Naturals also launched the Long & Soft variant, distinguished by its vibrant purple hue and a formula enriched with sunflower and fruit extracts. Julia Barretto returned in a similarly buoyant commercial, this time in a drop-waist dress layered with a ¾-sleeved cardigan.

Her “hair chika” was simple: “To get into the hippest hair trends, you gotta keep your hair long and soft.” The message leaned into self-expression, spotlighting how young girls could wear their hair—curled, braided, swept, or left flowing—as a reflection of personal style.

Together with her fellow Fashion Girls Princess, Barbie, and Andie, Julia filled out a digital slambook where followers could get to know them better.

Proving that being stylish is rooted in the heart, she left answers that would naturally inspire girls like her. “I like everything about being a girl,” sixth-grader Julia wrote. “It’s very unique.” She also had responses about her love for learning, spending time with her family, and aiming for more—values that still resonate with the now-29-year-old actress.

Years after her first campaign, Julia became a true Palmolive Naturals muse. In 2013, the brand released a short sit-down interview with her in which she narrated her hair story.

She looked back on the Fashion Girl experience, saying, “I was super excited when I did my first-ever commercial for Palmolive Fashion Girl. I still remember I was with my super kikay friends, and we had lots of fun.”

Not a stranger to public scrutiny, she spoke about how there are “happy moments, but it gets a little bit sad also.” She added, “Every time I’d be feeling down, and then somebody would compliment my hair, that would actually cheer me up instantly.”

That same year, Julia Barretto also shot her first Preview cover—an early milestone that was featured in the video.

Since then, she has become a consistent face in the story of Palmolive Naturals, having introduced the iconic finger-comb motion, starred alongside KC Concepcion to announce the new era of the brand, and sang the line “check na check” with her sister Claudia Barretto, among many other commercials.

While Palmolive Naturals Fashion Girl shampoo may feel like a relic of the past, it remains widely available today. On TikTok, users have been revisiting the product, recalling its distinctive scent and how it made everyday routines feel unexpectedly indulgent.

Some have also shared memories of pleading with their mothers to buy a bottle during grocery trips—small moments that underscore just how formative the product was for a generation.

Palmolive Naturals has since clarified that the line was never discontinued. While it may no longer come in the exact packaging that OG Fashion Girls remember, it remains available—now in a version that has simply evolved with its audience.

The shampoo is still infused with Rose Bloom extract with its signature, long-lasting scent, keeping the promise of “straighter hair that sparkles.”

The Palmolive Naturals Fashion Girl shampoo retails for P128. It's also available in bundles of four for P512.