Click on the photo to read more about each doll.
I have loved Barbie ever since I was little. I made up all sorts of worlds and characters with them and still have many of my childhood dolls. I think Barbie was one of my first special interests and it never really went away. I hid my interest in Barbie as I got older- being into dolls beyond age 7 was not cool in the 90s and 00s and I was embarrassed to admit how much I loved them. Now, I am happily embracing my love of Barbie and all other dolls! Here is my collection!
In total opposition to my love for Barbie, I wasn't a fan of Bratz growing up. In true toxic 00s girl vs girl fashion, I didn't think there was room for another fashion doll in the world and thought Bratz were trying to usurp my beloved Barbie. However, in the second lockdwon of 2020, I bought a bundle of decrepit Bratz off ebay and nursed them back to health and had great fun identifying them with my girlfriend. Now I am a Bratz fan- the more fashion dolls the better! There's room for everyone!
Monster High made their debut when I was in uni and I was immediately in love with both the dolls and the cartoon. I've always been a fan of monsters, thinking they are cute, and seeing them in doll form I was so excited! Deuce was my favourite at once- gorgons are one of my favourite monsters- but at the time he was only available in the two pack, which I couldn't afford on my student budget. I was so happy to get a Deuce years later. I ended up with lots of clothes from buying cheap bundles, so redressing them in colour coordinated outfits is my favourite thing.
In some ways, Novi Stars feel like the doll I've been waiting for my whole childhood. Alien girls with colourful hair and skin are something I always spent lots of time drawing and creating characters of, so I was so excited when I first saw them! Before they soared in price, a friend of mine was getting rid of all of hers, so she sold them to me for a great deal! I also got a couple of cheap ones on ebay. Unfortunately Novi Stars plastic can be quite fragile, and one of mine broke when I posed her on my shelf. I took this oppurtunity however to hybrid a couple of them onto Monster High bodies and now I love them more than ever! I think this way they give the vibe of aliens trying to pass as regular human girls, which is pretty relatable.
In the second lockdown of 2020, my girlfriend and I became obsessed with L.O.L Surprise and, with nothing much else to do, amassed rather a collection. Upon first discovering them, we loved the bigger O.M.G dolls but hated the smaller B.Bs. Well, that lasted about 2 days. The more we looked at them online, the cooler we thought they were until we just had to have some. I think it's their strong stylisation, the fun colour palletes, the novelty of the surprise and all the tiny little accessories- they're just so fun!
Made by Mermaidgrey and TroubleInTheMessageCentre