Barbarella started the way many beauty ventures do: in 2009, inside an apartment spare room with a spray tan machine and a point of view. Co-founders Ashlinn Cassidy and Brittany Mooney built their early reputation on sunless tanning before moving into a brick-and-mortar space in 2012. Today, the operation runs out of St-Henri with a team of more than twenty technicians offering hair, nails, facials, waxing, makeup, and lash services alongside the tans that put them on the map.

The approach is structured and standards-driven, with an emphasis on training and professional development within the team. Services range from customized airbrush tanning and Dermalogica-based facials to multiple hair extension methods and detailed nail work.