This review is from the perspective of an adult doll collector and diorama builder. I am not a parent, and this review is not from or for a child's perspective.
Every time I would cruise the toy aisle, looking for new, cool Barbie items, I'd leave disappointed by Mattel's new trend of overly pink and glittery, poorly painted, helmet hair headed, cheaply made stuff. Then one day, I noticed the Liv dolls. At first, I was a bit put off by them because of their slightly larger than usual heads. However, I loved their eyes (Which most people find creepy. They are inset, not painted on. But hey, that was the same fate that big headed, doe eyed Blythe suffered and look at her now!) They grew on me each time I'd visit the toy aisle, until finally I took the plunge and bought Daniela and Sophie (and I have since bought Katie).
Their bodies are articulated, so they can actually sit properly without falling over like a drunk sorority girl (*cough*cough*BabsImlookinatyou*cough*cough*), and they can even stand on their own (with a little patience). They just feel and look better made than Barbie does. Barbie does have an articulated doll on the market currently - The Fashionista series - but again, they pale in comparison to the Liv dolls.
I am very pleased as an adult doll collector with the quality of the dolls and their accessories so far. I am very aggressive with the articulation, and I have yet to break one of the dolls. That's not to say that the will not snap like a twig if you really try, but they endure my torture and are not delicate.
There are two waves of Liv dolls - the first wave of Katie, Sophie, Daniela and Alexis come with an extra wig. The second wave come with various accessories and their pet dog. Personally, I prefer all the wave 1 dolls with the exception of Daniela. I prefer Wave 2 Daniela. She has a much cuter face and outfit, but that is just my personal preference. I wish Liv dolls existed when I was a kid! I would have saved every penny I had and bought them instead of Barbie.
The wigs are reasonably priced at $5.99 and the first wave wigs come with a wig stand. Be aware that the second wave of wigs no longer include the cool wig stands. So, if you find some of the first wave wigs on clearance (which I've started to see), I'd snap them up for that reason. The wigs are very soft and silky, unlike the glued down helmet hair of the new Barbie era (Mattel - what is up with that?) Also, unlike Barbie, if your little girl decides to give Liv a haircut, you can get her a new head of hair for $5.99! Ah, I remember my first and last Barbie hair cut. The wigs come in really cool colors like pink, purple, green, blue, blonde, platinum blonde, blonde with colored highlights and brunette with colored highlights. There are lots of choices!
The accessories and outfits are super cute and do not look cheap or slutty (and the clothes are not cheap - one outfit costs $9.99 and sometimes you can find three outfit packs for $14.99 at various stores.) Don't buy from online auctions as they price gouge. You can get Liv stuff at brick and mortar stores and online retailers for reasonable prices. It just takes a little effort.
In my opinion, I think Liv dolls are real competition to everyday Barbie. I have collected and played with Barbies most of my life, and I never thought that I'd see a line of dolls come this close to toppling the reigning queen of the doll world. While I still carry a soft spot in my heart for the ol' gal, and I do love the retro re-releases and the collector series, the mainstream Barbies and accessories have just lost that umph for me.
Bravo, SpinMaster, Bravo! Give Mattel a run for their money!Get more detail about Liv Dolls - Sophie.
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