Doll review: Barbie Looks model 2 (curvy)
Hello and welcome to the first doll review of 2022. I haven't reviewed the dolls in over a year when I reviewed the BMR red haired boy in February 2021 so it was just in time. I used to do reviews in a row, but now I rarely do it because I almost never buy dolls. It's because I don't have much money left to spend on dolls, but there's nothing on the market lately that really gets my attention. However, a few months ago, Mattel launched the Barbie Looks line, and it was this doll that caught my attention.
For those of you who aren't a big fan of Barbie, the Looks line is a collectible line of 6 dolls released in summer 2021 (see here ). The line looks like a nod to the 2009 Barbie Basics line, but with the addition of a body made for movement and new face shapes. In the same year, 3 new dolls were released.
These dolls have a starting retail price of $20 which is a reasonable price considering the first set of movable dolls cost around $15-17. However, in Spain, these dolls are sold for 30 euros, or about $33. It is not uncommon for dolls to increase significantly in price once they reach European stores (as well as other parts of the world, but I can only speak from my experience), often doubling. However, when the 1959 BMRs arrived in Spain, they left them here for the same price as in the US and sold them for 30 euros when they cost $30. When this happened, I expected that we would continue this trend and that future Mattel releases would be at the same price. This can be done in the same way as it has already been done with BIS dolls. Confused by these pricing decisions, I created this meme. ( Edit: I want to point out that I didn't make this meme specifically about this doll, but about Mattel prices in general here. For example, Star Wars Barbies went from $100 in the US to $180 here.)
But let's just talk about pricing and start with the review itself. These New Look dolls come in these clear front white boxes. It's quite simple but elegant and I really like it. Packaging doesn't always have to be overdone, especially at this price point.
On the back of the box we see the rest of the dolls from this line. The one I have is number 2 and he's the only one with a curvy body. I apologize for the terrible photo. I didn't realize how bad some of these photos were until I started working on this post. Also, I took photos on different days, so you may notice some inaccuracies in quality, for which I apologize in advance.
First, look at this beautiful lady in the middle of nowhere.
It uses a new sculpt called Elle , created for this line. When I first saw this doll, I thought that she would use Selma 's sculpture, but she turned out to be new. Since I don't have the Selma sculpture dolls, I can't take a comparison photo to see if they look alike.
Her makeup is pretty neutral but with some metallic accents, mostly gold. For some reason, her makeup reminds me of Dolly, one of my favorite Glow Up season 3 contestants. Her signature look was a black smoky eye with a golden inner corner, which she often wears on her Instagram . However, Dolly is more dramatic, but the golden accents reminded me of her. If you're unfamiliar with the show, this is a makeup contest that airs on the BBC in the UK, but you can watch it on Netflix in other countries. Each week, contestants will be given a makeup challenge, such as editorial makeup for a magazine photo shoot or special effects for a TV show, with one contestant being eliminated each week.
See this post on Instagram
But this article is not about glow , this is a review of the doll, so let's get back to the doll. She wears a simple black jumpsuit with a back tie and silver ankle boots. This is the best photo I have where you can see her full dress. It's simple, but I feel like it could look good with the right styling. I especially like the top and I think I can use it as a guide to create a bikini or flowy dress in the future.
Here's a close-up of the slippers. I don't remember seeing them before, so maybe it's a new design.
As mentioned, use body movement as it offers a wider range of poses. The first day I photographed him, I struggled to get photos that he liked. Also, his joints were stiff, which didn't help. But when I decided to try again a few days ago, it was much easier.
Overall, I am very pleased with this doll. I think she will be a great addition to my collection as she is very different from other dolls I have had. I think this line has a great concept, I love the idea of taking the Barbie Basics concept and adding a body that is built to move. Her original retail price ($20) is really good for a fully movable doll that comes with a stand. However 30€ is a bit pricey for what it is, not outrageously expensive but a bit pricey. It was the only one in the range that I was willing to pay full price for, as well as a second wave blonde (which seems to be the only one not available in Spain). The range is otherwise good, but personally I wouldn't pay full price for any of them. I'm not saying you're wrong, it's just that it's not a priority for my personal tastes and my current budget.
I really hope that Mattel will continue to produce dolls from this line. I personally know I won't be able to buy them all, but it's nice to see more dolls that are meant to move with different body types and skin colors. I don't think they need to keep adding new sculptures, which is great too, but I would also like to see some sculptures that haven't been used in a while, like the Ana/Lara sculpture. I just hope they don't lose the ball with this line like they often do with some of their best lines.
We end the post with a small personal note. I don't think I really talked about it, but I had recurring migraines for a while. They were pretty much under control, but over the last few months (I would say a year) they have become worse and more frequent. I visited a new doctor and he put me on preventive medication to see if I could get back to normal. It has side effects, but one of the biggest is that it really destroys your focus and ability to concentrate. I'm already easily distracted and don't have the best time management skills, so I'm afraid this drug will make me as effective as a carrot. My biggest concern is that this drug is affecting my ability to post content, especially on blogs since English is not my first language, but that is already affected by the fact that I suffer from migraines so often. This is not too disturbing and should only be temporary for a few months. Just so you know, I won't be able to post regularly for a few months.
This concludes my review of this doll. Let me know what you think of this doll and the line in general. Did you get any of this? Let me know.
I don't have anything planned for my next post. I am currently trying to complete a sewing project which I hope to share very soon in her article. I also wanted to make miniature dollhouse paintings and film the process for my YouTube channel and thought I'd post the finished product here. But with everything I mentioned above, I don't want to promise anything or be too ambitious until I see how things turn out.
I hope you are all well and see you soon.
monstrous profession
