A beautiful rare doll – Puma Barbie

Well- i am looking for my own Christmas present right now and here is a doll who I would love to add to my collection. 

African American Barbie dressed in Puma branded
She’s a 90s girl

She may have gone out of my price range but let’s have a look at Puma Barbie anyway.  I will add her to my blog about Where to Buy Beautiful black dolls online.  She is a Black Label Barbiedoll with the hugely popular Made to Move body.  Look at how she poses with her hands on hips!

The designer is Carlyle Nuera who did many of the BMR1959 dolls.  The facial sculpt is Selma. and the hair is streaked pink and in two big braids.  

The shoes are black and pink suede Pumas that will delight anyone who enjoys miniaturisation.  Is that a word?

Pink and black Puma sneakers on Barbie
Detail!

I am linking to her page on the Barbie website so you can learn all you need to know about her and about the other urban, afrocentric dolls by Carlyle Nuera.  I have to stop and smile here.  Do people still think Barbie is blonde and blue eyed.  Mattel mixes plastic in many shades!

Puma Barbie with hands on hips shows off her Puma ensemble
Owning the look

The affiliate link is below.  I might pick this doll up un ebay but if Jeff Bezos (he owns Amazon) said I could have anything I wanted from Amazon, I’d click on the link!

Gabriella’s black dolls on the Late Late Toy Show

Gabriella came out swinging  to the Late Late Toy Show stage.  She approached Ryan Tubridy on her pogo stick, played with her dolls and styling head and then tried to teach the host some dance moves.  In between the pogo stick and dane moves she made a little piece of history.

For the first time ever the late Late Toy how had an entire section devoted to black hair.  With wigged dolls and styling heads surrounded by black Barbies the table of toys reflected black Irish girls.   Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Jean King were the collector dolls and a scatter of Fashionistas covered the table.

Black girl surrounded by black dolls
what I really like…

Gabriella showed off her “I’m a Girly” doll explaining how she had dressed the doll with boots borrowed from another doll and a skirt made by her nanny.  I will add the brand to my ongoing blog about Where to Buy Beautiful black dolls online.

 

Kayla was the doll that Gabriella described as being like her.  She said “What I really like most about her is that she has a skirt like me and she has hair like me.” Boom!

The Late Late Toy Show is an Irish institution.  For one night in the year the chat shows takes a break from the issues of the day to showcase toys in the run up to Christmas.  The show is watched globally and her moment is history did not go unnoticed.

Hairdorables dolls are Big Hair, Don’t Care Besties

fashion doll in a box that turns into a fashion runway
Kali comes in many sizes!

In the run up to Christmas I am doing micro blogs about delightful  black dolls.  I have a long blog about Where to buy beautiful black dolls online and I am trying to keep up with all the new dolls coming out for the Christmas or Holidays season.

Today I am adding, here comes the title, Hairdorables Hairmazing Kali Fashion Doll.  These girls have as their slogan “Big Hair,  Don’t Care”.  I will link to the book by the same name by the amazing writer Crystal Swain Bates .   They are close in size to Barbie.  This review by Lulu’s Toy Revue is useful.

The dolls are a set of six tween besties and are hitting what I see as, all the doll trends – they are very poseable, they have surprise accessories, they are a multiracial girl gang and they take hair very seriously.  Their slogan is a respectful nod to afro hair and all its possibilities.

My affiliate link is below.

L.O.L. Surprise! O.M.G. Fashion Dolls win TOTY- why? I’ll tell ya.

I needed to see why these dolls beat the Fresh Dolls to be Toy of the Year 2020

I kind of missed these dolls as I collect Barbie and I am still not sure what height these dolls are and whether dolls like Honeylicious (below) can share her hip-hop inspired fashions with Barbie.  (Yes, sharing is fine.)

A doll next to her packaging
Surprises! – and lots of them

I have an unboxing video.   A few words and pictures cannot do justice to this set of toys. 

Black doll with long braids with fashions and accessories
she has stuff!

In my day Bratz were the big thing – a multicultural set of dolls who made Barbie look fuddy-duddy with their hardcore make up and endless accessories and fashions.  At the time, Barbie was being criticized for being to adult or whatever it was.  While Barbie tried to be sensible the Bratz dolls whizzed past her in a whoosh of lurid make-up and mini skirts.  MGA saw the from a child’s viewpoint.  A little girl won’t body shame her dolly.  Did we have that phrase back then.

In my eyes MGA has done it again and given little girls exactly what they want.  Bold characters, outrageous fashions and endless accessories.  If you remember lucky bags, (when I was a kid in Ireland lucky bags were paper bags with little surprises inside – sweets , whistle, plastic comb – that kind of thing).  Then imagine a set of lucky bags full of items for your dolls. 

Here they are called “blind bags” meaning that you cannot see what is inside until you open them.  The design and sculpting of the accessories is exceptional.  I do not own one (yet) and I think that the dolls are also packaged blind.  Be prepared is all I will say.

Words fail me so I am linking to a video.  The dolls in this set are in a band and Lady Gaga is referenced.  Beyonce’s influence is visible.  But the fun just goes on and on. Each girl has a mini-me baby sister.

I am doing a long blog about Where to Buy Beautiful Black Dolls and I can see that these dolls have a mix of skin shades and hair textures.  I still would have liked to see the Fresh Dolls win TOTY.

I have three affiliate links below. So many dolls! My choices were based on hair play.

Black male doll -Malik- is one of Oprah Winfrey’s Favorite Things 2020

Dollpreneur Dr Lisa posted a joyous film on Instagram saying how she had gotten a huge surprise.

black maled doll with long braids and casual clothes
a software developer – nice

Oprah Winfrey has added The Fresh Dolls to her list of Oprah’s Favorite Things 2020

A gang of male and female dolls appear in the category of gifts For the Family. When I clicked the link it brought me to the Instagram superstar Malik. Dr Lisa’s female dolls are in the Barbie mode but her black, male dolls are exceptional; sexy, handsome men who have inspired many an insta love story.  Malik has played the parts of buddy hubby and boyfriend in many a photo story.

articulated black male doll in a box
Malek caught Oprah’s eye

For me Malik will always be the man who tried to chat up Chantelle on a storyline by @msgal1965 – but Chantelle stayed loyal to her boyfriend, also a Fresh Squad gent.

I already had Malik’s pic on my blog about where to buy beautiful black dolls .  Tomorrow I will add Dr Lisa’s story to that blog.

Queens of Africa dolls are a Nigerian toy phenomenon

African fashion doll with modern clothes and natural afro hair
Nneka

I already mentioned this Nigerian success story in my blog about where to buy beautiful black dolls online.  I am very happy to see the collection of dolls on Amazon.  As well as having African skin and hair these ladies have Barbie sized fashions in West African fabrics  and accessories .   If you are trying to #mixupthetoybox these girls, Wuraola Nneka (pictured) and Azeezah are a good alternative and accompaniment to Barbie dolls.

Queens of Africa

Cave Club Fernessa does her bit for black and lime hair

It looks like no expense was spared on this Netflix animation about a delightfully diverse set of prehistoric friends. Mattel have created a beautiful set of representative 10 inch dollies. the dolls are fully jointed and poseable.

cave girl doll

The hair is lush and comes with accessories for hair play. The beautifully sculpted and witty accessories will thrill little girls. The group feels properly diverse. These dolls deserve to be the Christmas 2020 memory-making dollies. here is Fernessa..  As an contributor to BlackHair mag I am pleased to see the respect for black hair in this dolly’s design.  Just look at her pre-historic afro pick.

dollwith hair extensions and eccessories
Prehistoric 10 inch dollies

Barbie little sister Chelsea doll is the cutest Christmas gift with flamingo and kitten

A new black doll.  Barbie’s little sister Chelsea is a cute black doll for girls aged 3 to 7.

prettty black girl doll with flamingo on he head?
Why don’t YOU have a flamingo on your head

Mattel produces heroines and role model dolls all the time but this sweet dool is just having fun with the flamingo hair ornament.  Little girls will love this one.   My affiliate link for US buyers is below.

My blog on where to buy beautiful black dolls is here

Halloween – Disney Zombies 2 Willa Lykensen protects her tribe

I am adding this doll as my Halloween doll – different countries mark the day when the souls of the dead are within our reach- before going over to the other side. 

teenage doll with long black curly hair
A singing, dancing werewolf – protects her pack

There are many ways to mark this time – All Souls Day, Day of the Dead, Ancestors Day.  But hey, when this go wrong this Werewolf Willa doll is the dolls to bring out of the toy box.  What would Willa say to Covid?

There will be limited Halloween Trick or Treating in 2020.  Time to stay safe indoors with your singing dancing Zombie. I will add Willa Lykensen to my blog about Where to Buy Black Dolls Online have put my affiliate link below- shop locally if you can.

Barbie’s sister Dreamtopia Chelsea is the cutest little black fairy doll

I wish there was a Bekki the Fairy doll.

black little girl  fairy doll
Dreamtopia Chelsea pretends to be Bekki

Dolls for black girls have come along way. Collectors of black dolls find a lot to love in the huge range of black Barbies. Mattel has made a big contribution to the world of multicultural diverse and representative dolls. In my blog about Where to buy beautiful black dolls online I am hoping to draw attention to less well known black dolls.

In the meantime I am always looking out for DREAMTOPIA Chelsea dolls. This is an affiliate link.  That means that if anyone uses this link to buy Chelsea I get a micro-payment,