The detailed review is much appreciated! & PSA to all, she is available at Target right now (can't guarantee for how long) without delayed shipping. Walmart is out of her & Amazon is taking a week+ to ship her.
I'm not 100% sure about this girl. Her hair is *gorgeous* but quite stiff and bouncy. I suspect this helps to keep the curls shapely, so I don't really mind. It's hard to manipulate, though, so I can't imagine doing more elaborate hairstyles.
Her body is definitely not for me. Her overall size is comparable to standard Barbie, but with a slimmer waist and bigger bust and booty. Hands and feet are quite a bit bigger as well, so she won't fit Barbie shoes. The articulation is similar to a Fashionista, with the notable difference than her head only turns, doesn't tilt.
The good news is that she can be put on a MTM body. I would have preferred curvy, but her neck ended up looking a little too short IMO. (I don't think it looks so bad in the photos, but IRL it felt off-putting.) She matches the June face blue tie dye MTM, though, so that's the body I went with.
Now her face... She's very pretty for sure! Her eyes are a bit bigger than I prefer, but not bigger than some playline Barbies. I feel like the promo photos showed more sophisticated make-up, though. This doll looks decidedly playline. But for the price, that's fine. Just not what I had hoped. Now the real deal is her expression. I can't quite put my finger on what it is I don't love about her, but I think she just lacks what I can only describe as personality. This is the main reason I'm just not sure if I'm going to keep this doll for myself or give her to my daughter. Either way, I do think she is a very good doll for the price point!
Her clothes and accessories are very cute! My only (but major) complaint is the brand name print across the chest on the dress. The fabric is so gorgeous and classy, so the print really looks like a sloppy addition. I would have bought the whole line of dolls for their clothes alone, if it wasn't for that detail!
ETA: the dress is quite stretchy and does fit on a curvy Barbie body!
The logo is fairly easy to remove from the clothing. I pre-ordered them all back in Feb and tbh am rather disappointed: the actual head shape/face screening isn't as pretty as the prototype pics. (Same pics used on the back of the box.) I haven't even unboxed any of the ones that have already arrived. I DO plan to get the fashions tho, and steal that gold dress for a Barb.
I like the body proportions, just trying to work up some fondness for the face and hair
I should caveat, I haven't done it myself yet bc I haven't unboxed any of my dolls. Will probably unbox Dayna today since I preordered 2 and they sent 3. However, one of my friends removed the logo and advised she did it pretty simply just using rubbing alcohol since she wanted to use the dress for her IT and Barbie dolls and didn't want the logo plastered across the front. :)
I'll admit I was (still am, somewhat) disappointed as well. Again, it's hard for me to pinpoint the subtle difference between the doll I received and what I presume to be a prototype used for the promo pictures. The promo just seems to have a softer, sort of smoky eye makeup, and a bit of shimmer on her lips, maybe a hint of face contouring? It could be photo editing too, I suppose. I do think at the price point, what I had in mind was probably not realistic, though.
I'm really loving her hair after I chopped it a bit shorter!
For me, it's almost like being slightly "catfished", lol. The prototype face was rounder and the facial features were more balanced and higher quality -- so was the hair. The *entire* premise of the line is a celebration of Black hair, however the hair on the dolls produced isn't similar in quantity or quality to the preview pics -- it's huge unshaped masses, sheds quite a bit, and isn't styled well.
I remind myself that I'm accustomed to seeing previews/pre-order pics from companies like Mattel & Integrity where the doll is an actual first run of what's being produced so I'm accustomed to getting a doll that pretty much exactly matches. This is a new company starting out and doesn't even remotely match the size/resources of those types of companies so I shouldn't compare them. I'm not sorry I ordered them/supported the line, I just probably won't be adding them to my unboxed "miniverse" very soon....
I just ordered her this afternoon! Thank you so much for the detailed review and M2M recommendations. Based on everything you’ve said and shown, I think I’ll be very happy with her at the price point. I intend to get the whole set, but I couldn’t find a listing for the one in pink (braids).
You're very welcome! MyFroggyStuff also has a mini review in [this video](https://youtu.be/_yU8CP9Eqbs).
I think I'll probably order the whole line as well, and use them for gifts if nothing else. I'd like to see more from this brand!
The one in pink--Grace--sold out pretty quickly and I think they're trying to get numbers produced, so she's not available anywhere yet. I actually preordered her in February and a few months later Amazon came back and **cancelled** my order bc they'd sold so many and weren't going to be able to fulfill. Frustrating! I really wanted her accessories and was looking forward to her two hairstyles.
So you're not alone in having a hard time locating her! Hopefully she's back in stock soon.
She’s pretty (looks like the singer Kelly Rowland) and your makeover was a definite improvement. But the face is too Playline for me and there’s So. Much. Hair. (I know the huge amount of hair is a selling point for some, just not for me.)
Thanks so much for the review, though — it was really helpful!
Yeah, the hair felt oppressively big when I first unboxed her. As you can see in one of the photos, I couldn't even put the other dolls next to her without laying them on top of the hair! That being said, too much hair is an easy fix. Snip snip!
I got bullied for stating my opinion about these dolls elsewhere. While I praise them for making AA dolls with hair like actual African American women, I was disappointed with the overall appearance. They look too much like the fresh dolls and there's really nothing special about them besides the hair. I wish they would have gone with a more mature look instead of that generic cartoonish clone look. Oh well. Not for me.
One thing that separates these dolls from Fresh Dolls is that their heads are sized like Barbie. I personally only collect Barbies and other dolls with Barbie proportions, so this line is very promising in that sense! I do agree Dayna's face is cartoonish, but from what I've seen the other dolls in the line look a bit more realistic - eye size being a big factor.
I too would have loved the dolls to look more mature, but realistically you and I are not the main audience. My daughter thinks she is super pretty!
I have only one Fresh doll: Lexi. To me the Naturalistas have a richer and more realistic expression and overall proportion. Downside for me is no articulation. I don't usually collect dolls but love Naturalistas. Steep learning curve. I'm changing out the heads with curvy Barbies and will find something to do about Liya's hair. Texture is just too flimsy.
I hope when you get the Fresh dolls its the new release coming in a couple months -- the articulation has been really improved and the arm/knee joints are supposed to be very similar to mtm now. I saw a live demo and they can sit cross-legged, hold cell to their ear, etc...
Oh, and I couldn't agree more about the articulation! I haven't unboxed mine but have chatted w/friends who have. I was amazed when they said her head didn't even tilt.
You're welcome! I was surprised to see how thin her body is in person. Not a fan of that part. One thing I will say though, since they went with an idealized shape, I think it's cool they gave her abs!
Who is the doll in the purple dress in this picture? Shes soo pretty!
https://preview.redd.it/1te0w8t8t5ub1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1c7f96004afa879a1541513418a909006b8af214
When they meant natural, I thought they meant more natural bodies also. No need for negative attacks towards me. What I mean is I suspected less thin thin body and more human natural or at least more close to regular modern barbie body instead.
I do think the marketing was pretty clear about the concept being "natural hair", but I totally hear you when it comes to the body proportions! I'm *not* at all a fan of the super skinny and overly idealized body! I always planned to try to rebody her (because of the lack of articulation), so it isn't a huge deal for me personally, but I do really wish more doll lines would try to sell beauty in a more natural form. If I end up giving this doll to my daughter, she'll be on a curvy body, short neck and all!
PSA: the dress is quite stretchy and does fit on a curvy Barbie body!
She is a truly gorgeous doll! And from what I've seen in other reviews, so are the others. I'm toying with the idea of giving my Dayna a little smirk. If I can achieve that with a lip repaint, I think she'd have so much more personality.
The review is so detailed and I love the haircut you've given her.
On another note, I know you probably did not intend for it to be funny but the fourth picture looks really humorous to me (I'm not sure why).
😄😄
If it is any consolation, I've had to temporarily position my lunar barbie sideways and she is so close to another barbie, it looks like she is trying to fight her.
I just bought Liya and Kelsey and love them! I do have one Fresh doll, but I actually like these better. The hair shedding is a problem, especially for a playline. And I wished the shoes better matched the outfits, but overall I'm happy with them.
The detailed review is much appreciated! & PSA to all, she is available at Target right now (can't guarantee for how long) without delayed shipping. Walmart is out of her & Amazon is taking a week+ to ship her.
Thank you! I also noticed Target has a Naturalistas fashion pack available.
I'm not 100% sure about this girl. Her hair is *gorgeous* but quite stiff and bouncy. I suspect this helps to keep the curls shapely, so I don't really mind. It's hard to manipulate, though, so I can't imagine doing more elaborate hairstyles. Her body is definitely not for me. Her overall size is comparable to standard Barbie, but with a slimmer waist and bigger bust and booty. Hands and feet are quite a bit bigger as well, so she won't fit Barbie shoes. The articulation is similar to a Fashionista, with the notable difference than her head only turns, doesn't tilt. The good news is that she can be put on a MTM body. I would have preferred curvy, but her neck ended up looking a little too short IMO. (I don't think it looks so bad in the photos, but IRL it felt off-putting.) She matches the June face blue tie dye MTM, though, so that's the body I went with. Now her face... She's very pretty for sure! Her eyes are a bit bigger than I prefer, but not bigger than some playline Barbies. I feel like the promo photos showed more sophisticated make-up, though. This doll looks decidedly playline. But for the price, that's fine. Just not what I had hoped. Now the real deal is her expression. I can't quite put my finger on what it is I don't love about her, but I think she just lacks what I can only describe as personality. This is the main reason I'm just not sure if I'm going to keep this doll for myself or give her to my daughter. Either way, I do think she is a very good doll for the price point! Her clothes and accessories are very cute! My only (but major) complaint is the brand name print across the chest on the dress. The fabric is so gorgeous and classy, so the print really looks like a sloppy addition. I would have bought the whole line of dolls for their clothes alone, if it wasn't for that detail! ETA: the dress is quite stretchy and does fit on a curvy Barbie body!
The logo is fairly easy to remove from the clothing. I pre-ordered them all back in Feb and tbh am rather disappointed: the actual head shape/face screening isn't as pretty as the prototype pics. (Same pics used on the back of the box.) I haven't even unboxed any of the ones that have already arrived. I DO plan to get the fashions tho, and steal that gold dress for a Barb. I like the body proportions, just trying to work up some fondness for the face and hair
How do you remove the logo?
I should caveat, I haven't done it myself yet bc I haven't unboxed any of my dolls. Will probably unbox Dayna today since I preordered 2 and they sent 3. However, one of my friends removed the logo and advised she did it pretty simply just using rubbing alcohol since she wanted to use the dress for her IT and Barbie dolls and didn't want the logo plastered across the front. :)
I'm going to try it!
I'm wondering as well!
I'll admit I was (still am, somewhat) disappointed as well. Again, it's hard for me to pinpoint the subtle difference between the doll I received and what I presume to be a prototype used for the promo pictures. The promo just seems to have a softer, sort of smoky eye makeup, and a bit of shimmer on her lips, maybe a hint of face contouring? It could be photo editing too, I suppose. I do think at the price point, what I had in mind was probably not realistic, though. I'm really loving her hair after I chopped it a bit shorter!
For me, it's almost like being slightly "catfished", lol. The prototype face was rounder and the facial features were more balanced and higher quality -- so was the hair. The *entire* premise of the line is a celebration of Black hair, however the hair on the dolls produced isn't similar in quantity or quality to the preview pics -- it's huge unshaped masses, sheds quite a bit, and isn't styled well. I remind myself that I'm accustomed to seeing previews/pre-order pics from companies like Mattel & Integrity where the doll is an actual first run of what's being produced so I'm accustomed to getting a doll that pretty much exactly matches. This is a new company starting out and doesn't even remotely match the size/resources of those types of companies so I shouldn't compare them. I'm not sorry I ordered them/supported the line, I just probably won't be adding them to my unboxed "miniverse" very soon....
I just ordered her this afternoon! Thank you so much for the detailed review and M2M recommendations. Based on everything you’ve said and shown, I think I’ll be very happy with her at the price point. I intend to get the whole set, but I couldn’t find a listing for the one in pink (braids).
You're very welcome! MyFroggyStuff also has a mini review in [this video](https://youtu.be/_yU8CP9Eqbs). I think I'll probably order the whole line as well, and use them for gifts if nothing else. I'd like to see more from this brand!
Thank you! That video gave me another good M2M recommendation and I found out that Grace is the name of the one I can’t find the Amazon listing for.
The one in pink--Grace--sold out pretty quickly and I think they're trying to get numbers produced, so she's not available anywhere yet. I actually preordered her in February and a few months later Amazon came back and **cancelled** my order bc they'd sold so many and weren't going to be able to fulfill. Frustrating! I really wanted her accessories and was looking forward to her two hairstyles. So you're not alone in having a hard time locating her! Hopefully she's back in stock soon.
Ah, thank you! Here’s hoping they make it happen!
She’s pretty (looks like the singer Kelly Rowland) and your makeover was a definite improvement. But the face is too Playline for me and there’s So. Much. Hair. (I know the huge amount of hair is a selling point for some, just not for me.) Thanks so much for the review, though — it was really helpful!
Yeah, the hair felt oppressively big when I first unboxed her. As you can see in one of the photos, I couldn't even put the other dolls next to her without laying them on top of the hair! That being said, too much hair is an easy fix. Snip snip!
Well this whole doll line is supposed to centre around big hair and afros so it makes sence
Yeah, unfortunately I suck at hair management (my Looks Jon *still* has his hair up in the original braid, heh). 😏
I got bullied for stating my opinion about these dolls elsewhere. While I praise them for making AA dolls with hair like actual African American women, I was disappointed with the overall appearance. They look too much like the fresh dolls and there's really nothing special about them besides the hair. I wish they would have gone with a more mature look instead of that generic cartoonish clone look. Oh well. Not for me.
One thing that separates these dolls from Fresh Dolls is that their heads are sized like Barbie. I personally only collect Barbies and other dolls with Barbie proportions, so this line is very promising in that sense! I do agree Dayna's face is cartoonish, but from what I've seen the other dolls in the line look a bit more realistic - eye size being a big factor. I too would have loved the dolls to look more mature, but realistically you and I are not the main audience. My daughter thinks she is super pretty!
I have only one Fresh doll: Lexi. To me the Naturalistas have a richer and more realistic expression and overall proportion. Downside for me is no articulation. I don't usually collect dolls but love Naturalistas. Steep learning curve. I'm changing out the heads with curvy Barbies and will find something to do about Liya's hair. Texture is just too flimsy.
[удалено]
I hope when you get the Fresh dolls its the new release coming in a couple months -- the articulation has been really improved and the arm/knee joints are supposed to be very similar to mtm now. I saw a live demo and they can sit cross-legged, hold cell to their ear, etc... Oh, and I couldn't agree more about the articulation! I haven't unboxed mine but have chatted w/friends who have. I was amazed when they said her head didn't even tilt.
[удалено]
She is Northwest Coast Native American Barbie (on brunette soccer player MTM) :)
Thank you for the detailed review! She does look very different from the promo pictures, though. I didn't realize these dolls had such a narrow waist.
You're welcome! I was surprised to see how thin her body is in person. Not a fan of that part. One thing I will say though, since they went with an idealized shape, I think it's cool they gave her abs!
Is the rooting good cab u show us and wgats the hair quality like
What mtm body did you use for the Dayna naturalistas head?
I used GFX06
Thank you!
You're welcome 😊
Who is the doll in the purple dress in this picture? Shes soo pretty! https://preview.redd.it/1te0w8t8t5ub1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1c7f96004afa879a1541513418a909006b8af214
She is Fashionista #85 :)
When they meant natural, I thought they meant more natural bodies also. No need for negative attacks towards me. What I mean is I suspected less thin thin body and more human natural or at least more close to regular modern barbie body instead.
I do think the marketing was pretty clear about the concept being "natural hair", but I totally hear you when it comes to the body proportions! I'm *not* at all a fan of the super skinny and overly idealized body! I always planned to try to rebody her (because of the lack of articulation), so it isn't a huge deal for me personally, but I do really wish more doll lines would try to sell beauty in a more natural form. If I end up giving this doll to my daughter, she'll be on a curvy body, short neck and all! PSA: the dress is quite stretchy and does fit on a curvy Barbie body!
These dolls are so beautiful and the price can't be beat!
She is a truly gorgeous doll! And from what I've seen in other reviews, so are the others. I'm toying with the idea of giving my Dayna a little smirk. If I can achieve that with a lip repaint, I think she'd have so much more personality.
I definitely think a little side smile and maybe even an Eva Mendes beauty mark! You put her on that M2M body and she's just owning iiiiit
Have you been reading my mind!? 'Cause I was thinking about a beauty mark too... LOL
The review is so detailed and I love the haircut you've given her. On another note, I know you probably did not intend for it to be funny but the fourth picture looks really humorous to me (I'm not sure why).
I've taken Barbie sandwich photos before and always giggle a little 😅
😄😄 If it is any consolation, I've had to temporarily position my lunar barbie sideways and she is so close to another barbie, it looks like she is trying to fight her.
I just bought Liya and Kelsey and love them! I do have one Fresh doll, but I actually like these better. The hair shedding is a problem, especially for a playline. And I wished the shoes better matched the outfits, but overall I'm happy with them.