Felicity has been asking for a styling head for a while, she watches her teenage sister doing her own hair and makeup and wants to emulate that. I must admit I’ve been reluctant to buy one, not because I mind her playing with makeup but I’m put off how they look. Our local salon has a styling head close to the window and so often when I walk past at night, it catches my eye at the wrong angle and makes me jump, I wasn’t keen on the idea of having that in my house.
This is where I’m a Girly came in and offered the chance to review one of their styling heads, I thought it’d be a lovely opportunity for Felicity to get her hands on one so jumped at the chance.
Lola arrived and to say I was pleasantly surprised is an understatement, I was super impressed – Felicity, of course, was delighted! As a part of any review process, I sit with the children as they unpack the toy so I can take photos, get a feel of the toy and play with them. As we did this with Lola I became more and more impressed by how well the details to each part of this doll had been thought through and then created. This doll is nothing like the one that makes me jump on the dog walk, she looks really good and has been finished to a high standard.
I’m a Girly is a company from Switzerland whose aim is to produce high-quality toys; to do so they work with a panel of Kids4Kids aged 9-15 years to ensure they’re creating something that appeals to them and matches their style. Lola is the second doll from the I’m a Stylist collection the first being Lucy; they’re both 33cm high and come with earrings, hair accessories, self-adhesive face gems and magnetic lashes. Lola is a special edition with purple hair, blue eyes and a sequined top.
The company made the decision not to include makeup with the doll for those families that prefer their children don’t play with it which I think is a really good way to keep the doll inclusive for those with sensitive skin and allergies. If you do want to add makeup, powder is best and we were really impressed by how well it applied and normal it looks on the matt texture of the doll which is made from 100% vinyl. With make-up not being the main focus to the doll, the accessories that have been included have been really well thought through, they’re unique, attractive, useful and except for the magnetic lashes can be worn by your child as well as used on the doll.
The face gems are a brilliant addition which really stands out, they can be applied and easily removed and if carefully returned to the original backing reused although we’re not sure quite how long the adhesive lasts we’re impressed they’re not single-use only. The magnetic lashes are an extra which I believe shows the input from the children themselves, they elevate this styling head giving it a much more mature feel and I believe an appeal to older children that really want to practice creating styled looks and not just play with dolls. The doll already has beautiful thick lashes surrounding her lovely bright blue eyes which with these can be enhanced further still instantly.
The hair on this doll is incredible and feels superior to any doll’s we’ve owned in the past – it’s thick, full shiny and doesn’t tangle easily. The purple is made of many different colours so it is not flat but silver-streaked and really on-trend. The hair is not attached to the doll but instead a removable wig so it can actually be cut as well as styled! Replacement wigs can be bought in a variety of colours and these too are a beautiful array of colours – we’re already very tempted by the blue wig which has fabulous purple highlights.
The wigs are separately packaged in a sturdy box and come with their own stand a really great idea for keeping them neat and in good condition between uses. The packaging is, in fact, another thing to impress me about this doll. It was all created to be as minimally wasteful as possible, using 100% recyclable materials; the large box for the doll is an attractive purple with a holographic finish, it’s sturdy and has velcro closures so it may be turned into storage for your doll and her accessories. Felicity has kept the doll inside this and the spare wig within its box too, she’s added some of her own accessories and having it stored like this makes it easy for her to get out and play with and put away again quickly.
This doll is a truly beautiful toy, a really up to date version of a classic which has been made to last and evolve with the additional accessories that can be added. Having 4 children who have owned and discarded a lot of toys this is exactly the sort of quality toy I’m looking to invest in when selecting Christmas and birthday presents. The doll is suggested for ages 8 and over and at the bottom of this age range, I believe Felicity will enjoy years of play and creativity with Lola.
For more information on the I’m a Girly range of products and accessories visit the website www.imagirly.com dolls are also available for sale at Hamleys London, Regent Street.