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Post by Leila on Aug 4, 2010 12:53:13 GMT -5
I got these awhile back and have been too lazy busy to review them yet, but I didn't have any problems with them. In fact, I was relieved because I got the glasses to stay on my custom boy (Molly's wire glasses don't stay on him; they fall off with no long hair to be lodged in). They haven't seemed flimsy to me, but I suppose I should take another look.
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Post by Leila on Jan 29, 2009 21:38:33 GMT -5
I would definitely give this dress an A+, and recommend it highly over Mia's performance dress. The one flaw I have to note is that the skirt snags VERY easily, even against tights. The skirt is soft and sort of flouncy, kind of like a cloud, and is made of extremely delicate material. If a thread catches onto her tights, you have to pull it to adjust the skirt, and the thread usually snags. This dress has to be treated with a lot of care. On the happy side, however, the bodice part of the dress is not prone to snagging at all because of the velvety material, which is why I prefer it over the green dress.
The embroidery is a perfect sky blue color, and really pretty. Like I said before, the skirt is really flouncy and I can just imagine a girl skating in it, with the skirt bouncing as she jumped. I also really love the sleeves of the dress! They're a shiny, kind of sheer material, but more opaque than you would expect. The ends of the sleeves are velour just like the bodice, and it's a really nice look. The headband completes the outfit perfectly. I never use the comb because I just don't care for it (in all honesty, I think it looks kind of ridiculous), but the headband works just fine on its own. I was really glad to see it was a separate piece.
Aside from the comb, the piece I don't like is the pair of tights. The tights are way too glittery to look realistic, and you can feel the shiny material woven into them, which makes them kind of rough. I prefer pairing the dress with the regular flesh-toned tights from Mia's performance outfit.
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Post by Leila on Jan 29, 2009 21:32:57 GMT -5
I can't believe I haven't reviewed Mia yet! Mia is one of my favorite dolls. (I still can't choose between her and #25, but Mia was my favorite for several months before #25 arrived!) I love the hazel eyes and the unique freckle pattern. The layered hair and the zigzag part can become really frustrating when you're trying to do braids and certain other styles, but I would never trade it for anything. The hair is a really nice strawberry blonde color, although it looks red in certain lights/pictures. She has the same decal eyes as JLY#21, and they are absolutely my favorite eyes! They're gorgeous, and look just right with Mia's hair color and freckles. I have not noticed that my Mia is any chubbier than any of my other dolls (she is kinda fat, but in truth, all AGs are...). Honestly, half the money I paid for her, I was paying to get my hands on her adorable meet outfit. I just love it! As Keri noted, the jersey skirt she comes in is very hard to get off. There is no velcro, and very little or no elastic in the waistband. I found that you CAN do it, even on a PM girl, if you wiggle it just right, but it can be a pain. I absolutely love Mia's meet shoes! The purple laces make it really unique. Also, I like the elastic "laces", because lacing up dolly shoes can become very irritating. As for her shirt, I loved it so much I ended up buying it in a girl's size for myself. I haven't had any problems with the decals coming off, and I just adore the thumbholes. A+ for Mia! She's really pretty, looks good in almost every outfit, is very unique compared to other dolls, and is just all-around awesome. One last plus for Mia is that her books are very well-written, and I really enjoyed reading and re-reading them. Probably my favorite GOTY books!
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Post by Leila on Jan 29, 2009 21:29:20 GMT -5
Grades for each piece: Skirt: A-. The skirt is very versatile, but also a bit too short and indecent for a ten-year-old. Also VERY tight on PM girls (you can get it on, but it's a tight fit, and the velcro could pop open any time). Sweater: B. I didn't hate it as much as I thought I would, but it's not the cutest piece, and it doesn't look so great without the gloves. Also, the area in the shoulder is stitched to sort of bunch up, which is really annoying. Gloves: B. They're completely useless without the sweater, and I think both the elastic loop on the glove and the button on the sweater are prone to pop off with enough play. Also, while wearing these gloves, dolls can't raise their arms, or part of the arm is exposed. Hat: B+. Nothing special. Looks a little dumb on a doll if you don't put it on right, but it is pretty adorable if you know what you're doing. It's a very soft material, and I am a little afraid of it pilling or getting damaged some other way. Jersey: A+! I love the jersey. The material is just like a real jersey, and I actually like the feminine fit of it on the dolls. I'm not sure I would have liked it as much if it were looser. My one problem with it is that it says "American Girl" on it, which really takes away from the realism. Legwarmers: C. Practically no use. If you can manage to squeeze them onto a doll's legs, I can almost guarantee you that you will decide you hate the look and tug them back off again. The bow is elastic, which isn't so great, and mine just snapped without even being played with. And the pom-poms are far too cutesy for my tastes. I think the outfit could have done perfectly fine without the leg warmers, or maybe with a pair of tights substituted. Hockey stick and puck: A for these, too. I mostly bought the set for the hockey items. The hockey stick will fit into a doll's hand, and will stay if you position it right. I'm not sure the scaling is accurate (for the puck or the stick), and the pink and the AG logos definitely aren't, but I'm still so happy to see what is generally considered to be a male sport being brought to my dolls.
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Post by Leila on Jan 29, 2009 21:24:33 GMT -5
I agree with Whitney about the price grade. I wouldn't go so far as to give the price an F, but definitely a C-. I think a much fairer price for the set would have been $20 (or even $24, if AG wanted to be up to their usual price mark-ups).
But the items are so adorable! I really like having things to make doll rooms look more "homey," so the posters, trophy, and ribbons are really great. The posters are a heavy quality paper, and they're glossy, so scotch tape can be put on and peeled off without damaging the poster. The stickers I found useless, and I don't intend to put them on any AG furniture, because I doubt they're as reusable as the posters are.
Obviously, the best parts are the blanket and those adorable little plushies! The blanket is rather thin, but not quite as bad as I expected from pictures. It's sort of a felt material, and I love the shade of purple. And I just love, love, LOVE those adorable little animals! They're both really soft and cuddly, and fit perfectly in a doll's hand. They're the cutest accessories AG has ever made (and yes, I will stand by that forever).
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Post by Leila on Jan 29, 2009 21:17:53 GMT -5
This isn't my favorite Mia outfit. I'd give it an A-, though, because all of Mia's things are pretty cute.
The shirt is the best, and goes really well with plain jeans. It's a lot like the skating fan tshirts I see little girls wearing at the ice rink, so it's very realistic. I don't really care for the gray pants, but I never like sweatpants on dolls. I don't think the pants really look good with anything else.
The little extras are what really make this set. I use the mittens and the headband all the time with various other outfits, and the scarf is just adorable!
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Post by Leila on Jan 29, 2009 21:13:50 GMT -5
I would have to give the set a B+. I'd like to give it an A, but I bought the case so I would no longer have free floating doll hair accessories in my purse, and the case didn't quite meet my expectations. While it is cute, the handle is prone to snapping (or tearing, actually, since it's just paper), and I had to reinforce it with scotch tape. Also, if you're not careful, opening the case the wrong way will cause all the rubber bands, etc., to spill out. My other problem is that the hair brush compartment only fits the standard AG-sized brush, and not the slightly bigger doll brushes bought at most online retailers. I do love this set, though, despite all my griping. The tiara is definitely the best piece, and goes very well with Mia's silver skate dress. The hair clips are small, but I love the star shape. The blue elastics are really simple and go with most outfits, the perfect size, and I find myself using them a lot. They aren't very durable, though - one of mine snapped while I was taking it out of someone's hair. And the U-pins and clear elastics are so useful, I can't even describe my gratitude...I wish they sold these as replacement parts! Oh, and only one word can describe that mini book: cute, cute, CUTE!
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Post by Leila on Jan 7, 2009 20:45:52 GMT -5
B+
This set is really adorable, but I'm not convinced it's worth the $30 price tag. Like Kris said, the tank top and hoodie aren't versatile at all because of the decals. I suppose you could peel them off if you really wanted to. You can't take the writing off the visor, though - it's embroidered on. I don't like the visor much, anyway. To get a good firm grip on the doll's head, you have to position the visor in a way that completely covers the eyes. The jacket/hoodie is also rather flimsy and feels kind of like a windbreaker.
The terry shorts are cute - the team logo on them isn't so specific that the shorts couldn't be used for anything else. The shorts are a little too short in my opinion, but I guess it's okay for wearing to a pool or while laying around at home. I plan on using the shorts and tank top by themselves as a pair of pajamas or loungewear. They look like good summer pajamas.
I won't bother reviewing the sandals because there's not much to say. I suppose they are realistic (I've seen people wear foam sandals to the pool), but not really much special.
The IM-me is my absolutely favorite piece. It's only about an inch long - really tiny, but really cute. A kid could easily lose it, but it is a great accessory. There's even a non-working power switch and USB hub on the side. The IM-me fits perfectly in the pocket of the nylon jacket. It also comes with a little dock, which is cute, but about as useful as Mia's iPod dock.
This outfit would get an A from me if they just did one of the following: removed the team logo from two of the four garments it's on, or lower the price to around $26.
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Post by Leila on Jan 7, 2009 20:35:40 GMT -5
Sonali gets an A+ from me, and I'd give her a higher ranking if possible. I am absolutely in love with her.
Her face mold is beautiful, and looks a lot like an eleven-year-old Indian-American girl I know. Her nose is wider and flatter than other dolls, a little like Addy's. Her lips have the pronounced curve of Josefina's, but it doesn't give off the chipmunk look. The coloring on her lips is a dark sort of wine color. It's really pretty. Her eyelashes are gorgeous, too. They're curved a little at the end. This is probably my favorite face mold next to Jess's now.
I don't know if this is just my Sonali, but she seems a little chubbier than other dolls. I haven't had any issue with clothes fitting her, but I thought I'd mention it.
She has some of the prettiest hair I've ever seen! It's smooth and extremely curly. She comes with the pamphlet on caring for straight-haired dolls, but I still use hair picks when dealing with her curls, because there's so many. Someone I know said it looks like a darker version of #24's wig, but I think it's a little curlier. The wig is very thick - I've styled her hair a few times, and haven't seen the wigcap show on any style yet.
As for her meet outfit, it's pretty cute. I can certainly imagine a ten-year-old wearing an outfit like this. Her jumper is knitted, and separate from the t-shirt, as has been mentioned above. The buttons are real and come undone, which pleasantly surprised me. I really like the t-shirt, too. It would look really nice with plain jeans. It's hard to get a good picture of the shirt's actual color, but the fourth picture down posted by curiouser is pretty accurate. It looks a lot paler in most pictures, but it's actually a lime color. The jeans have cuffed bottoms (they're capris), with elastic at the bottom of the legholes. It's a cute style, I have to admit, although I wouldn't wear it. There is no snap or velcro on the pants - just a stretchy elastic band in the waist. I can imagine this would cause problems getting the pants onto a PM doll. I also don't care for the embroidery on the jeans (I'm sick of embroidered flowers on everything AG makes), although it is well-done. The ballet flats are adorable, and much better made than they looked on the website. The material isn't plastic-y at all. The detail on the strap is really nice, and the shoes look good for mixing and matching.
In my opinion, Sonali is one of the most unique dolls made by AG. I just love her.
Pictures to be added later.
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Post by Leila on Dec 27, 2008 1:20:59 GMT -5
I bought the outfit when it was one sale for $14 and I'm glad I didn't pay any more for it. It's beautiful, but the shoes are just horrifying to get on. I couldn't figure them out at all until I read this thread very carefully.
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Post by Leila on Dec 22, 2008 14:42:22 GMT -5
I LOVE these, they look perfect on my Emily doll. I really like the unique tortoiseshell patterns. As much as I love these, though I'd have to give them a B+, because the screw came out of one of the sides and became unusable, forcing me to buy a new pair. I don't know if this a common problem, but I thought I'd mention it.
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Post by Leila on Dec 22, 2008 7:07:33 GMT -5
A+! This outfit is the best mix and match set I have ever come across. The shirt looks really good with jeans (although it is made of a kind of flimsy material). The jacket is just ADORABLE!!! I love the buttons. And the skirt is one of the few skirts I like on dolls. It's definitely a good piece for a punk doll. The skirt is also really soft and fuzzy. It looks like it might be susceptible to pill after several years, but I love the soft material so much. As far as I'm concerned, if you have a modern doll, you should be REQUIRED to get this outfit. One more thing: the hair clips aren't that great. For awhile, I was in love with them because of the realistic barrette look of them and the soft coral color. ...And then I tried to put them on a doll. The barrettes will barely hold ten strands of hair. I tried to wedge in some more of Mia's hair, and the clasp bent a little.
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Post by Leila on Dec 22, 2008 7:01:09 GMT -5
I would pretty much give this outfit a D. If that. For the life of me, I cannot get the hoodie onto a doll. Not a Mattel doll, not a PM doll. And without the hoodie dress, the outfit isn't worth anything.
The only pluses are the underwear, which are a cute color, and the headband, which looks good by itself. But that's not much of a reason to buy the outfit for the $26 it costs without a JLY doll.
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Post by Leila on Dec 22, 2008 6:56:14 GMT -5
For awhile I regretted buying the hoodie because I could not get it on ANY doll, so it was a waste. Then I magically figured it out, and fell in love. It looks adorable on Mia (and everyone else, too!). This is going to become one of my new favorite pieces. It's the perfect cut for a Mattel doll (which is mostly what I have) and the perfect color (a light periwinkle). A+ If you're trying to put the sweatshirt on, you have to put on the hood first. Quirked has an interesting idea about taking off the doll's head, but I change my dolls so frequently and in the weirdest places, so I don't think I'd do that. PS: How adorable is that little kangaroo pocket in the front?! I cannot stop gushing over it. :
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Post by Leila on Dec 22, 2008 6:46:36 GMT -5
The material doesn't seem "flimsy" to me, it seems more airy. It's really light and the perfect PJs to wear during the summer. The pajamas just look beautiful on all the dolls. The slippers are a bit of a pain, but they don't seem to slip off much on my Mia. The only problem I have with them is that it's hard to stand her up in them because there's no defined foot area of the slipper.
I love a lot of the little things on the outfit, too. I thought I wouldn't like the flower decals, but they're so cute! And the top is a really nice piece (it would work well as a layering piece for every day wear). The lace at the top of the bodice and the small cut at the bottom are both charming. The only thing I dislike about the top is that it's a little too low-cut for a ten-year-old. And I do kind of wish the ribbon had been made of a different material than the rest of the shirt. That's the one place I dislike the delicate fabric.
Edit: BTW, I don't think they look too much like Jess's PJs. The pants are a more gaucho style, very loose and airy. As for the tank top...well, let's just say the Jess appears to have much more modesty than Mia.
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Post by Leila on Dec 22, 2008 6:26:15 GMT -5
The robe ONLY looks good with Samantha's nightgown, and as far as I'm concerned, it's ridiculously priced. I mean, really, $42 for a sleep set? For an 18" tall person?! Also, the booties are cute, but impossible to stand a doll up in. They're unbalanced on the bottom and slippery because they're just knitted slippers. They also slip off pretty easy.
I do love the robe, though, as an addition to Sam's nightgown. It's very soft and satiny...I'd love one for myself, I have to say. I give the set a solid B.
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Post by Leila on Dec 22, 2008 6:23:03 GMT -5
The boots don't seem tight at all on my dolls. I find them very easy to get on. I also had a button pop off, and I lost the pearl, so I am scared of another falling off. But other than that, I can't find much to complain about. They're really cute!
Grade: A
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Post by Leila on Dec 22, 2008 6:19:39 GMT -5
The one downside of this dress, in my opinion, is the Velcro. The Velcro on the dress is VERY strong, and will snag both the taffeta and the tights. The stockings are actually much thinner than I expected; they're delicate and dressy, not like Samantha's practical meet tights.
Aside from that, I LOVE this outfit. My favorite part is actually the hairbow - it looks great on Samantha with this dress and lots of others. I have the current version, and the color is gorgeous. It's not really cranberry colored, though, more like red wine-colored. I think I'm also one of the only people who prefer the floral pattern over the heart pattern. It's very delicate-looking.
I'll give this an A- for the flimsy tights and the Velcro issue.
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Post by Leila on Dec 22, 2008 6:11:53 GMT -5
I would only give the set a C. The fur is cute and soft, but the muff frustrates me to no end. I absolutely cannot get it on a doll and have it stay for more than a few seconds. I tried the suggestion above of rubber banding it, but that didn't work for me either. As for the hat, I'd like it a lot more if it laid more flat, like in the stock photo, instead of puffing up and making the doll look like a gigantic mushroom.
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Post by Leila on Dec 17, 2008 0:31:27 GMT -5
I actually splurged and bought the one from AGP because I couldn't stand the blue and silver pattern on the standard one. I think I will be using it enough to make it worth it, though. I have to carry two dolls and a buttload of clothes with me once a week, and the tote is good enough to use that often. The storage compartment, although it may have drawbacks, is really roomy and seems awfully handy. But for everyday use, I don't think I'd recommend it. I'm not wild about the price tag either.
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Post by Leila on Dec 16, 2008 15:57:44 GMT -5
I just got this in the mail, and it seems really hard to get two dolls in there. It only works if you put on doll on top of the other.
I couldn't find the tote in the reviews board, so I was wondering if anyone else has the tote and knows any sort of "trick" to fit the dolls better.
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Post by Leila on Dec 1, 2008 0:56:14 GMT -5
I was a little disappointed with these. They are really nice quality compared to other brands, and Mia was getting sick of her performance skates, but still, I'm not sure they're worth the $14. I suppose if you want her whole collection or don't want to wait until the current backorder date for the white skates, you should get them, but I don't like them that much.
The colors are a little sickening. I think it would have been really cool if AG had made white figure skates for Mia and a pair of regular, black hockey skates. Why purple?! It's just as bad as the JLY 2-in-1 skate outfit skates. (As a figure skater, the inaccuracy offends me, and as a female, the gender stereotype that girls would only wear hockey skates if they were sparkly offends me even more.) Someone posted above that the colors aren't "sugary" except in pictures, but I think that's the exact word I'd use to describe the colors.
Some of the reviews made it sound really simple to pull the little elastic band off the top two hooks, and it was, but it was a severe pain to get them back on! I spent a good five minutes trying to wrestle the "laces" back into the hook. The other problem I have with them is that the guards always slip off the skate blade. (Explanation for this is, one-piece guards like that have to have a plastic ring to keep them on skates, or they just fall off.)
The two pluses are that the skates look really good as hockey skates, even if they're the wrong color. And I really love the shoebox packaging for them!
Overall? I'd give them a B. I bought them because I'm a figure skater and had to have all skating-related pieces of Mia's collection, and because I wanted a pair of skates for some of my other dolls. But if I could only have one pair, I'd absolutely go with the white ones.
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Post by Leila on Nov 29, 2008 14:33:06 GMT -5
With the reviews in this thread, I was going to pass up this outfit, but when I saw it in person, I just had to get it. It did take me a few minutes to figure out how the espadrille shoes worked, but once it did, they were fairly easy to get on. I just love the scarf - it looks cute with pretty much everything, and goes really well over a ponytail! It does look like it could easily be misplaced by a little kid, though.
I'm not too fond of the sheerness of the shirt, but like Keri said, it looks decent on light-skinned dolls. The skirt is also a decent length, and the fact that it's layered (there's a layer of white fabric under the pink skirt also helps. I didn't get the barrettes for the outfit, but I did get the purse, and I have to say I love it. Mine doesn't really seem that stiff, and it could easily hold a stuffed animal or a water bottle. It also slips over the doll's wrist and stays there pretty well (at least when it's empty; I'm not sure of how it will fare under weight).
I'd give the outfit an A-.
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Post by Leila on Oct 26, 2008 22:23:54 GMT -5
B. I bought her to look like a certain singer, and she did fit the mold, but her wig just drove me insane. It's impossible to style and is always a mess. I gave #27 to my sister, and when I get the cash or see a cheap one, I'm getting #22. She's practically identical, but with a much nicer wig. Also, I no longer like #27's earrings in light of the new ear piercing service available.
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Post by Leila on Oct 26, 2008 22:20:15 GMT -5
I really like the style of this halter top. It's nicer than the usual Velcro in back style of most AG tops. Her sandals are also great - I like them a lot better than Kailey's for sure! Looking at Jess, you'd imagine orange looking bad on her, but it looks great. I give it an A minus, only because the high waistline of the skirt bugs me. I always have to tug the halter top down a little bit to cover it, and Jess ends up flashing cleavage.
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Post by Leila on Oct 26, 2008 22:17:06 GMT -5
I love my Mia very much, but Jess has to come in as a close second for best LE. Her hair is just so gorgeous! I love brushing it and leaving it down, because the waves are so pretty. Her face mold is also my favorite - I used to like the #4/Ivy mold better, but Jess is even prettier. Also, her meet outfit is adorable and looks great on her (and a lot of my other dolls too!). She definitely gets an A+ from me - I can't find anything about her I don't like!
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Post by Leila on Oct 23, 2008 19:55:11 GMT -5
I just got a Felicity doll, and I admit, I'm disappointed. I think I'd be a lot happier with a redhead Lissie, but it's so hard to tell from the pictures on eBay. I have to admit though, she is beautiful. Because of her pincurls, she's one historical I can't bear to turn modern. I love her wig style so much, even though it isn't the color I was hoping for. And her eyes...wow. I thought Mia had the nicest green eyes, but Felicity's might be better. A minus for her. I used to hate Felicity and Elizabeth, but since I got mine yesterday, I've fallen in love with her.
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Post by Leila on Oct 17, 2008 20:34:00 GMT -5
A+! I received several outfits in the mail this week, and this is absolutely my favorite. The dark green hues of the shirt look just perfect with Mia's eye color, with and without the jumper. It's great as a separate piece.
The lacing on the jumper is beautiful, I love the plum color of it. It's also versatile. I have several long-sleeved tees that would look great with the jumper. It is a little tight, especially on Mia dolls, because they're sort of chubby, but the Velcro does still close. The other cool things about it are the pinstripes, which make it a more interesting piece, and the slight slant to the straps, which is just plain cute.
The shoes aren't the best, but they do go well with this particular outfit. They close in the back with Velcro, so they're nice and easy to get on. The stitching adds some color diversity, so that's nice. The heels on the boots are a little annoying, but my dolls can still stand up in them without too much trouble.
The hair clips that came with it are my new favorite hair accessory. They're small and probably pretty easy to lose, but they're great for pinning tiny ribbons of hair up. The coloring matches the outfit perfectly, but it could go with anything. And it works even on dolls with short hair.
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Post by Leila on Oct 17, 2008 20:26:26 GMT -5
C+
If you're only going to get one of Mia's dresses, get the silver one. This one isn't that great a value for your money. The material is very shiny and pretty, but almost flimsy. The Velcro (which is placed very poorly) will snag it very quickly. I do like the embroidery, but the fake flowers are overdone. I do love the tights, because they're so realistic, and the skirt and neck draping on the dress is pretty. The hair scrunchie is cute but not as useful as the headband that comes with the other dress.
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Post by Leila on Oct 17, 2008 20:20:49 GMT -5
A
Definitely overpriced, but the cutest accessory set I've ever seen! I love the concept of the doll iPod, but the design is rather low quality, and the "song" it plays is horribly high-pitched and annoying. The headphones look realistic, but they don't conform to Mia's head very well.
The skates are very realistic and equal quality. They really aren't that hard to get on, if you know what you're doing. The skate bag and guards are also realistic and cute touches. Definitely an A for this set.
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