My first new doll for 2023 is from ...Rainbow High. I've been looking at these dolls a lot; they are everywhere. It's only been the latest series, though, that have induced me to actually buy one. The fact that this doll was on sale for $15.00 absolutely did not hurt, either. Meet Mila Berrymore.
I'm not going to do a proper review with this doll. For one thing, there are pictures all over the Internet of these dolls. For another, in the outfit that she is wearing, she can't sit down, and can barely lift her arms. However, I wanted to see in her second outfit, the one she is wearing now, so much, that I took her first outfit off right out of the box, and put her in this one. Yes, with most of the Rainbow High doll series, the dolls come with a complete second outfit, including shoes. It looks like the newest Rainbow High line that will be released soon, will only have one outfit, but lots of accessories.
Her boots are gorgeous, but they are *work* to put on. There's no slit, zipper, nothing. You just have to slowly work the boots up her legs.
Her hair is mostly soft, except for the ends, which are crunchy. It has some lovely shades in it. And dang, her eyelashes are long!
Her head doesn't have a lot of range of movement. Also, it seems to be tilted back a little too far, and it doesn't go forward.
Here's her second outfit. RH are the same height as Barbie, but with their larger heads, and bigger proportioned, curvy bodies, Rainbow High dolls can use heavier fabrics, and include a lot more details.
To me, the dress that she is wearing, looks like something that would work in a Riverdance production. I don't like her name very much, so I want to change it to something Irish, but I haven't found anything that really seems right to me yet.
I do have my eye on some other dolls from the line, but at the moment the next dolls that I would like to get are from Shadow High. It's a rival high school to Rainbow High, and the dolls are mostly in blacks, whites and grays, including skin tone. It may sound weird, but they look cute to me. I will share any new ones that I buy, of course.
Since this doll is new, I'm also adding her to my collection tally. I haven't done a My Collection post in almost a year!
Total dolls: 83
Hi Barb! These dolls have been tempting me, but so far I've resisted. One of the dolls that I like the most is also from this wave, Jewel Richie, the vitiligo one. Also, Heather Grayson from the Shadow High line has been calling my name.
ReplyDeleteI think this doll is very pretty, I love that berry colors and deep reds. Her fashions aren't my favorite I've seen from this line, but I still appreciate how detailed they are, and the fact that Barbie dolls could use them makes them even better. It makes you wonder if Mattel could start making more detailed fashions for Barbie dolls, at least for some lines. Right now, the only Barbie dolls that seem to wear detailed fashions cost hundreds of dollars, and these dolls are playline.
Overall, I enjoyed reading your thoughts on this doll and the RH line, even though you don't consider this a proper review. Looking forward to seeing what other dolls you get next.
Heather Grayson is on my list, but I think I like Nicole Steel from that series the best. When last I looked, Mattel seemed to have this thing with big-name human fashion creators, which ends up with higher priced items. I wonder if they're trying to be like a "budget" Integrity line? However, they really can't afford to lose their place in the playline world, so they'd better up their game.
DeleteI guess my idea of a real review comes from all the reviewers who show the dolls naked, all their articulation, and so on. Since I know a lot of my current readers don't have these dolls, I at least wanted to show an idea of what to expect from one.
Yes, the dolls are really appealing! I thought a lot about whether to start a new doll line, but in the end, I decided that it was worth it. I have seen others talk about the medieval appearance, and I agree with what you say about fashion influences, but I see the dance effect too. Not for the competition dresses, which usually are covered in Celtic knotwork, but for professional dancers. Maybe it's the effect of the block pieces all over the dress.
ReplyDeleteNo, there aren't any separate fashions, although there are blind boxes with shoes and purses, and maybe other accessories? MGA seems to be phasing out the second outfit with their newest series, probably for price reasons, so maybe they will offer separate outfits instead. I will share any new Shadow High dolls as soon as I get them! :)
Nice choice Barb! I do like these dolls, but I am not getting into another different collection this year, I just want to sort out the ones I have. I love her boots, are the ones she is wearing made of fabric? I agree with Linda about her looking a little Gothic, but when I looked at the second pair of boots I thought Steampunk! I guess she's a girl with her own ideas of fashion. :)
ReplyDeleteI shall look forward to seeing who you choose from the Shadow High range.
Big hugs,
X
I'm in the process of trying to thin out my Barbie collection; other than that I'm pretty happy with my dolls, so I guess I felt free to start something new. :) Her boots are a soft faux leather that feels pretty nice. I guess I could see her boots as steampunk, but I think the whole outfit is rocker chick, or maybe punk chick. The series that this doll was in has some really nice fashions.
DeleteI saw some Shadow High dolls clearanced at Walmart. You might check there.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Tammy!
DeleteOh, this one is definitely on my wish list. Congrats! She is lovely, the outfits have lots of details and she is in one of my fav colors!
ReplyDeleteThank you! Yes, I'm very happy about how nice her outfits are.
DeleteCongratulations on your new arrival. I haven't fallen down this rabbit hole yet....not sure if I will...I've never seen them cheap enough to warrant it, but if I do, who knows?!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Serenata. You have such a lovely collection of all different kinds of dolls, that another wouldn't hurt, right? ;)
DeleteHI, Barb! I might have seen the black-gray-white Shadow High dolls in a Turn 7 store. I think the price was $15 a doll set. I prefer smaller heads, but the outfits and styling of these dolls is eye-catching. If they sell the fashions separately, I might get them for my curvy Barbies. Hmmm ... wonder if their fashions would fit the Barbies? I know I always poach stuff for Barbies - facepalm. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of a Turn 7 store, but $15 is a great price for those. I used to only like smaller heads, but then I got into Pullip, and even Ever After High has larger heads proportionally. I'll check and see how my RH girl's clothes work with a curvy Barbie. I'm glad to see you around again.
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