Sunday, January 12, 2014

All Ten Hearts For Hearts Girls Dolls :D

Okay, here I go again, stubbornly doing a completely different post than the ones I advertised. :}  Don't worry...those posts are still in the works and will be appearing on the blog within the next couple of weeks. :)

As the title states, we officially have all ten of the Hearts for Hearts Girls dolls produced so far. :)  I've been meaning to do a photo shoot of all of the girls together for a while, and this week I finally got around to it. :)

Before I get into that, though, I wanted to pass along a bit of news.  The official Hearts For Hearts Girls Website has been taken down, so if you want to get more information about the Hearts for Hearts Girls, you need to go to the Playmates Toys (playmatestoys.com) website and click on "Our Brands".  Click on "Hearts For Hearts Girls" and you'll end up HERE, at the new Hearts For Hearts Girls website.

Most of the games, pictures, and information from the original website are still there.  It's been a while since I've visited the original site, so I'm not sure how much is missing.  I know they've definitely condensed a bit.  One of the things I miss the most is the "contact us" page from the original site.  I had personally contacted the "Heartmaster" several times for information and customer service, and had been pleased with their quick and personal service.

I tried using the former contact email, but it is no longer in service. :(  There is a "contact us" option for Playmates Toys with instructions for inquiries about the Hearts For Hearts Girls, so it sounds like that is our option for customer service now.  Click HERE to visit the contact page at Playmatestoys.com (you'll have to scroll down a bit to get to the email address for the Hearts For Hearts Girls).

I'm sure that many of you have been as curious as I am about future releases from this line.  So far, there has been no word.  Someone on the Hearts For Hearts Girls Facebook page asked about new dolls, and the official answer was that we won't have any information on them until the Toy Fair next month.  (Just like this time last year, I'm once again wishing I would suddenly be blessed with a large sum of money so I could attend. :}  Maybe one of these years I'll make it!!)

It would be wonderful to see this line continue and expand.  I'm a little concerned by the lack of availability that the dolls have had this past year and am hoping it will not hurt the company in the long run.  These are still, hands down, the best inexpensive play dolls out there as far as hair quality.  I love recommending them to family and friends.

Well, I suppose that's enough chatter on my part.  Let's get on with the post!!  

Here are all ten of the Hearts For Hearts Girls dolls produced so far. :)

As you can see from the above picture, none of the girls are in their original outfits.  I thought it would be fun to dress them up a bit for the photo shoot. :)  In the past, I've done several reviews of the dolls with their original outfits and accessories.  You can find all of those on my Doll and Toy Reviews page, under the "Dolls of Other Sizes" category. :)

Here's a closer look at all of the girls:

For those of you who are new to the brand, the Hearts for Hearts Girls were first released in 2011.  The initial release had six dolls:

Lilian from Belarus 

Dell from the USA (Appalachian Mountains)

Consuelo from Mexico

Rahel from Ethiopia

Nahji from India

Tipi from Laos

In 2012, two more dolls were released:

Lauryce from the USA (New Orleans)

Zelia from Brazil

And last year, in 2013, two additional dolls were introduced to the line:

Shola from Afganistan

Mosi from the USA (Native American)

Since I had the opportunity to photograph all ten of the dolls at the same time, I thought it would be fun to compare them in some different ways. :)

First, we'll compare them by hair, skin, and eye color.

Dark hair, brown eyes, dark skin

Dark hair, brown eyes, medium skin

The other five were pretty much in their own categories:

Blonde hair, blue eyes, light skin; Brown hair, blue eyes (with a touch of green, if we're going to be completely specific), ;) and light skin

Dark hair, amber eyes, medium skin; Blonde hair, amber eyes, medium skin; Auburn hair, brown eyes, light skin. 

Here they are grouped by eye color alone:

Blue-eyed girls

Amber eyes

Brown eyes

In these next few photos, I grouped them by hair color:

Black hair (Mosi's does have slight brown highlights, but it is definitely darker than the dark brown-haired dolls)

Dark brown hair

Auburn to regular brown

Blonde

Ever since the second wave of these dolls, I've been very curious to see which of them (if any) have the same face molds.  I was able to observe all of them very closely while doing the photo shoot, and I'm pretty sure I've figured out all of the identical molds.  A little disclaimer here, though.  These are all based on my observations and have not been officially confirmed by the Hearts For Hearts Girls company. ;)  If you see an error in my evaluation, feel free to leave it in the comments. :)

I decided it would be useful to take pictures of them from the front and in profile to better compare the similarities.  In some of the profile pictures, the camera decided to focus on the hair or a hair accessory instead of the profile itself, so I apologize in advance for that. :}

So here, as far as I can tell, are the dolls with matching face molds:

Zelia and Nahji



As far as I can tell, Tipi is the only one with her face mold...



...as is Lilian.  



Rahel and Lauryce appear to have the same mold.



So do Shola and Dell.



Now we come to the duo I'm 99.9% sure about. :}  I've gone back and forth on these two, but I'm pretty sure that Mosi and Consuelo are the same mold as well.  The only two things that make me doubt myself are that Mosi's nose seem ever so slightly different and her jaw structure seems a little different.  Of course, I think Consuelo's head might be tilted slightly higher in this picture. ;)

Their profiles look pretty similar, too...but are they exactly the same?  What do you think?

I hope you enjoyed this detailed look at one of our very favorite play doll lines around here. :)  My daughters and I all enjoy the Hearts For Hearts Girls.  They have beautiful faces and great-quality hair (especially compared to the other play dolls in the same price range).  Their smaller size and lighter weight make them a great choice for young doll lovers (Little Gal never has to ask me to help carry her Lilian doll, but when she takes an 18 inch doll out with her, it gets too heavy for her after a while).  

The other thing I love about the Hearts for Hearts Girls is that it gives my girls an opportunity to think about other little girls just like them living in countries far away.  The dolls can be a great conversation starter about the many children in the world who have never heard about Jesus and His love for them, or about the fact that even if we have different skin, hair or eye color, we're all the same on the inside.  And while what's on the inside is most important, I also love using dolls from different countries and cultures to show my girls that there are many different types of physical beauty.  I want my girls to be able to see the beauty in a person no matter what their skin color, hair color, or eye color.  Most importantly of all, though, I want them to learn to see past that beauty (or lack thereof) and see a person for their inner beauty...for what they are on the inside.  

As with any doll or toy out there, we have run into a few issues with ours.  One of the most prominent problems we've had is with the eyes on several of our dolls.  Oldest Gal's Consuelo has eyes that are almost completely purple now instead of brown.

Oldest Gal and I also decided that they look kind of cool, like Consuelo is a super hero with x-ray vision or something. ;)

I was noticing today that my Zelia's left eye is just starting to get a purple tinge on one side.  It's hard to capture on film, but it's there.

In the past, I'd only heard about problems with brown eyes, but Oldest Gal's Dell has started to have issues with her eyes, too.  They used to be the green-blue color, and now are turning into more of a brilliant, sapphire blue.  What's kind of cool is the way the eyes are turning, each eye is the exact opposite of the other.  It's actually kind of nifty looking. ;)  

Oldest Gal can't bear to replace her dolls, even if they have issues like this, so she will forever have a purple-eyed Consuelo and brilliant-blue-eyed Dell.  However, I do know from experience that the Hearts For Hearts Girls company is willing to replace dolls with defective eyes.  You have to send in your doll with the eye problem, and then they will send you a new one.  Even though the customer service is now through Playmates Toys instead of directly through the Hearts For Hearts Girls, I would assume the policy would be the same.

Other more minor issues have included looser limbs on the newer dolls.  The limbs aren't loose, just looser than they were with the first releases.  But hey, the American Girl company is apparently doing the same thing, so it's everywhere! ;)

I've also noticed that a couple of my newer dolls have bodies that are a bit darker in coloring than their heads and limbs.  It doesn't really bother me, but I wanted to mention that in case it would be an issue for one of my readers.  

Overall, though, the problems have been fairly minor and we've been incredibly pleased with these dolls.  I would give them a 5 out of 5 (since the eye problem is something that can be resolved) and would highly recommend them to anyone looking for an inexpensive yet good quality play doll. :)

So, now that you've seen them all, which of the ten is your favorite? ;)

My personal Hearts For Hearts Girls (the others belong to my daughters and one belongs to Mimi; we also have a few duplicates).  I really enjoy these cuties! :)

36 comments:

Juliet XD said...

I have Consuelo, but that's the only one I have. Zelia, Shola, and Laurence are probably my favorites. What does bother me is how some of bangs are cut funny, like how Mosi's are very short and blunt. Zelia's are cute, though :)
Thanks for the review,
Juliet

Cachetas said...

Hi!!! **hyperventilating * *
Sorry it's just been so long since there was ANY talk about the h4h girls!!!
So a couple things:
One, I have the same dealio with the purple eye syndrome. My Consuelo has it, (I don't really mind) but I was just curious as to why that happens? My girls aren't in the sun a whole lot or anything of that sort.
Also, did your Lauryce have a strong smell? Mine did, and the smell was just pouring out of the box at first. After she was out for a couple of days it wasn't quite a big-in-your-face thing, but the smell was still lingering. I can't really describe it, but it made me feel really nauseous. I washed her hair, which seemed to be the main source, and that seemed to help alot. Did you have the same issues?
I just also wanted to put out there that I think that it's cool that hearts for hearts girls have a lot of different cultures and diversity and I think it's pretty awesome that you use the h4h girls to help your daughters learn about inner beauty and about how beauty comes in lots of different colors.;)
Also, I want to say great job on the wardrobe choices for the photoshoot! The color pallette used for each girl was perfectly on the dot for their coloring. The vivid purple for Tippi brought out her smile, and the angelic white brought out Mosi's innocence.
Thanks for listning to my rambling...
Have a sunny day!
Love, Cachetas

Nina said...

Dell is my favorite. She looks exactly like me! I'm hoping to get her soon; she makes a great sister or cousin for my AG's!

On a side note, I saw Wicked yesterday! It was so amazing! It wasn't the Idina Menzel version, but the CD I got was! I absolutely loved it! Just thought I'd share my adventures with another Broadway Buff;)

BlackKitty said...

I think Tipi is my favourite. I like Nahji's eyes the most based on your pictures. It's such a shame the eyes change colour so quickly, they are gorgeous.

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

It's interesting, Juliet. This is actually my second Mosi (comparison post to come!). ;) The first one I ordered from Amazon.com, and I had a really hard time bonding with her. Her bangs were cut even shorter than this Mosi's, and her hair, while it still felt very soft, looked like it had gel in it, instead of having nice, smooth curls. I saw this Mosi at my local Target and fell in love. So while I agree that her bangs are short and blunt, they actually feel long to me in comparison to my last Mosi, which I'll be listing on eBay sometime this week. :)

Glad you enjoyed the review.

Hi Cachetas, nice to hear from you again. :) I'm sorry it's been so long since I've done anything with these girls.

When I asked the customer service representative about the eye issue, she explained that it was due to a bad batch of glue, which explains why not all dolls have the problem. Sun may affect it, but it definitely isn't the a major factor, because my Zelia has been in a drawer for the last 6 months. :}

Hmm, I don't remember my Lauryce being smelly when I first opened her. I'm sorry you had that issue. :(

I love using any means necessary to teach my girls about what's important. It's always super fun when I get to use dolls to do so. ;)

I'm glad you enjoyed their outfits. I worked really hard to choose dresses that would complement their complexions. :)

Hope you have a wonderful day yourself. ;)

Hi Nina! I have a soft spot for Dell too. :) She's the only doll I've ever found so far that has an almost identical eye color to Oldest Gal and me (before the eyes started changing, that is). ;) I think mine are a little more gray-green than blue-green, though.

How exciting that you got to see Wicked! :) I've only seen a few clips on YouTube. I love live theatre, though.:)

Hi BlackKitty. :) Tipi is beautiful, I agree, and Nahji's eyes are lovely.

The eye issue is a disappointment, and I can see how it would discourage people from trying the dolls. Out of the twelve dolls we have, only two have had major issues (and one is just starting), and we would have the option to replace them if Oldest Gal could bear to part with her darlings. ;) I'm thankful that only a few have had problems, though.

Willow said...

Oh my goodness! My Perrine's {Rahel} eye is turning purple too! I wonder what causes it.
Love the lovely post! I can' wait to add the rest of these lovely dolls to my collection!

Freja said...

My wishlist is long, but Dell have a speciel place in my heart.
I cant buy them in my country, but a chat friend is working on getting Dell for me.

Your Mosi is verry pretty
I decided not to get Mosi because in most of the pictures I have seen of her - her bangs look bad.
Your sweet Mosi, make me wonder if i should give her a chance.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for sharing all your detailed pictures! I love H4H dolls, though I technically haven't bought one yet (a couple of my sisters have them, though). They have some of the most amazing doll eyes I've ever seen, and I love the fact that they're so diverse.
I hadn't heard about the color-changing eye problems :(-- though purple eyes could be kinda cool :D. Would you post a picture of Consuelo's purple eyes? I'm curious to see just how purple they are.
Thank you again!

--Kate :)

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

So sorry to hear about Perrine/Rahel, Willow. :( I would definitely recommend contacting Playmates toys about getting her replaced. I think I'll probably wait on my Zelia for now until it's more noticeable, just in case.

Glad you enjoyed the post. :)

Freja, I'm so sorry you can't get these dolls in your country. I hope you get your Dell soon! :)

If you do decide to go for Mosi, I would recommend getting a picture of the actual doll first. As I mentioned in an earlier comment, my first Mosi had the really short chopped bangs and hair that wasn't as nice (I ordered her sight unseen from Amazon.com). This Mosi was at my local Target and I absolutely fell in love with her. :) So if you have someone pick up a Mosi for you, make sure it's one you like, if that's possible. :)

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

So sorry to hear about Perrine/Rahel, Willow. :( I would definitely recommend contacting Playmates toys about getting her replaced. I think I'll probably wait on my Zelia for now until it's more noticeable, just in case.

Glad you enjoyed the post. :)

Freja, I'm so sorry you can't get these dolls in your country. I hope you get your Dell soon! :)

If you do decide to go for Mosi, I would recommend getting a picture of the actual doll first. As I mentioned in an earlier comment, my first Mosi had the really short chopped bangs and hair that wasn't as nice (I ordered her sight unseen from Amazon.com). This Mosi was at my local Target and I absolutely fell in love with her. :) So if you have someone pick up a Mosi for you, make sure it's one you like, if that's possible. :)

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Hi Kate! Glad you enjoyed the post. :)

The purple eyes do look kind of cool. Oldest Gal and I decided that Consuelo must be a superhero or something. ;)

I'll try to get a picture of her eyes up for you. :)

Eileen said...

I have Nahji, and her eyes started turning purple. They are sending me a new Nahji and I didn't have to return my doll. If I wasn't giving one to a friend, I would probably customize the old one.

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Thanks for letting us know, Eileen. :) It's nice to know they are still replacing the defective dolls.

Unknown said...

I like Dell and Shola the best. Dell because she has my skin, eye, and hair combination, and Shola because she looks like Malala Yousafzai, who is awesome (I'm in the process of reading her auto-biography).

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Dell and Shola are both really cute. :) Shola also reminds me of Kajol Devgan, the Bollywood actress. :)

Anonymous said...

My method of buying dolls (and teddybears) is the following: I compare 1 to 2, decide which one I like less, put that one away,pick up nr. 3, decide which one I like less, etc. To me this works better than picking the most lovely, because, after all, they are all lovely. This way I can go through all the dolls in the shop (imagine a Christmasfair stall with me going through all 45 teddy's, which look all the same to the seller, I finally decide, go on through the fair, pass the stall again and the owner is comparing teddy's to choose the loveliest one for his granddaughter, grin). Sometimes the eyes of a doll are set in a little narrower, or more looking up, so it does pay off to select carefully. That is why I always buy hands on.
Secondly, maybe you have tried this already, turn the colour of the prictures comparing your dolls on the screen to only shades of grey (so called black and white prictures) That way you will not be influenced by eyecolor or rosy cheeks.
I love your site and have picked up many little tricks and tips.Reina

Tilde said...

I like Tipi and Dell, but I like Lilian's story!

I can't find the diaries on the new website, can you? :(

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Thanks so much for sharing, Reina. :) Those are some great suggestions for picking out new dolls (or teddy bears). :)

Tilde, I didn't see the diaries on the website. I may be wrong, but I don't remember them being there before.

I actually haven't even read most of the stories. Several of the dolls were purchased secondhand, and for most of them my daughters and I just made up our own stories about them. :}

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Thanks so much for sharing, Reina. :) Those are some great suggestions for picking out new dolls (or teddy bears). :)

Tilde, I didn't see the diaries on the website. I may be wrong, but I don't remember them being there before.

I actually haven't even read most of the stories. Several of the dolls were purchased secondhand, and for most of them my daughters and I just made up our own stories about them. :}

Anonymous said...

What a great post! I love the comparison pictures! I understand I am a little late but I came across your post only today. I have 6 of the dolls. I wasn't aware that the eyes can change color over time, now I am a little worried, though it's good to know in advance what to expect. For how long did you have the dolls before they started changing color? To me it looks like Lillian and Shola share the same face mold, they are just painted differently. I might be mistaken, it's hard to tell.
Ella

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Hi Ella! So glad you enjoyed the post. :)

In our case, the color change showed up about six months or so after we got the dolls. Not all of the doll's eyes change, and the company is really good about exchanging them if they do (they have excellent customer service).

You know, it does kind of look like Lillian might be the same as Shola and Dell. I thought her eyes were different...or maybe Shola and Lillian are the ones that are the same and Dell is the one that's different. I'll have to compare them side by side again and check. As you said, it's super hard to tell, even when they're right next to each other. :}

Thanks for stopping by!

a.wyatt said...

never see anyone with RAHEL omg she is my fave.My daughter and I have afros and I want her to embrace it.

I wish they would use an African American as a U.S ambassador and add to the line.
Considering doing Blythe style customs on thrifted H4H dolls just to see more diversity.

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Rahel is absolutely adorable! :) Her hair has held up considerably well, too, considering that she was played with quite extensively by my girls. I was worried that her curls would become a matted mess. :}

I hope to see more diversity in the upcoming H4H releases as well. We're now up to four dolls from the US. It would be great to see some different countries included and even more skin tones/hair types. :)

Unknown said...

I have Dell and Lilan. They are so pretty! The whole reason I even bought them is because of their eyes ♡♡♡ They are amazing and I had to get them. The next one for me to get is probably Rahel because her hair is beautiful! I'm Native American and African American so I have curly hair like hers. I look more like Mosi with my baby face though :P

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Rahel is a beautiful doll, and her hair is surprisingly easy to manage as long as you don't try to style it too much. :) I hope you find her soon! :)

Unknown said...

Where did you get such pretty clothes for your dolls? We have had a very hard time finding clothes and patterns for clothes to fit H2H dolls!

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Hi Unknown! :) Most of the clothes in these pictures were either thrift store finds or were hand-me-downs. The pink dress Consuelo is wearing is a Dora the Explorer dress from one of the bigger dolls (so is Tipi's).

Almost all of the other dresses are from the Gymboree "Gymbelles" dolls. You do have to be careful, because not all of them fit them well. I also don't know if the newer dolls have removable clothing like the older ones. You can see one dress on eBay that I know fits for sure HERE (we have this particular dress).

Also, check out my "Doll and Toy Reviews" page at the top of my blog and look under the "Dolls of Other Sizes" category for specific posts on clothing options for the Hearts For Hearts Girls.

I hope this helps! :)

lovemydesignergenes said...

I love the h4h dolls also. I made a few free patterns for them on my pinterest page (look under Vanessa Knutsen).

Your article on face molds quite informative!

Ps right now I'm working on a regency Jane Austen dress for H4h dolls. Will put on Pinterest soon!

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Hi lovemydesignergenes! Thanks for stopping by. It's always fun to meet other Hearts For Hearts Girls fans. :)

Thanks for the info on the patterns. I'll have to check those out.

And a regency dress sounds wonderful! I'm a huge Jane Austen nut. ;) I can't wait to see what you come up with! :)

Kathleen said...

Dell and Shola for sure have the same face mold (I'm suspicious that Lillian also has it); Rahel, Surjan, Tipi and Lauryce have the same also, they just really make it look different around the eyes, and the lips are painted as varying degrees of fullness. (that sounds weird); and it definitely looks like Consuelo, and Mosi have the same mold to me. Nah and Zelia also look right to me. :)
I'm very confused as to what Nyesha has, though.

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Thanks for the tips, Kathleen. I have to look at everyone up close again. ;)

I guess it's about time to do an updated version of this post with Surjan and Nyesha. :)

Kathleen said...

You're welcome. :) I'm the kind of person whose really into who has the same face molds and identification of dolls and such, so I kind of had to, haha.

:) We got Nyesha yesterday, and she definitly doesn't have the same mold as Shola, Rahel, Dell, Surjan, or Tipi.

a.wyatt said...

HEY HAS ANYONE SEEN A NYESHA OR NAHJI ?NO MORE IN MY AREA,AND I AM WILLING TO REIMBURSE COST AND SHIPPING.I HAVE DONE THIS TO ACQUIRE 2 OF MY DAUGHTERS DOLLS VIA MOMS ON THE FB PAGE....PLEASE EMAIL AMIRA.WYATT@GMAIL.COM

Kathleen said...

a.wyatt
I can't email, but there is one Nyesha in Mesa, Arizona. I can't remember the exact store, so I'll have my mom check. :) She's a gorgeous doll!

Hannah-
I've done some more checking, and I'm now second guessing myself. Sigh.
Part of this is repeat:
I think that Shola, Dell, and Lillian have the same mold;
and Tipi, Surjan, Rahel, Lauryce, and Nyesha have the same mold.

From pictures (these are the only two me or my friend don't have) Consuelo and Mosi appear to have the same mold as Shola/Dell/Lillian.

Zelia and Lauryce seem to have similar molds, though Lauryce seems to have a flatter, wider nose, while Zelia's seems to be more raised and a bit thinner.

Nahji is currently in a box (waiting for my sister to get home to open her, eeee!) and from seeing her in that, she appears at first glance to have Shola/Dell/Lillian's face mold, though there are bigger cheeks involved in hers. IT does look very much like she shares with Zelia.

So, as far as I can tell, this is what I think:
Mold #1
Dell
Lillian
Consuelo
Mosi
Shola

Mold #2
Tipi
Rahel
Lauryce
Surjan
Nyehsa

Mold #3
Nahji
Zelia


Sorry for the long comment! We just got Nahji, and for her birthday my friend just got all the ones we don't have (aka Lillian, Lauryce, and Zelia - totally jealous) don't have except Mosi and Consuelo, so we've been trying to figure this all out. :)

Shan said...

Found this blog very helpful as my Mosi's eyes are now a stunning violet but Consuelo (who was displayed away from any direct sunlight) still ha brown a few days ago, but my Zelia has a violet left eye and a right eye divided in half on a 45 degree angle with the mostly top half now violet, but the other half brown. She also was kept out of the sun!

Barbara said...

I appear to have come late to the Hearts 4 Hearts dolls. I bought three of mine through Pixie Faire when they were selling them. I got Rahel, Rahji and Dell that way and managed to find Lilian on Ebay. I call her Lily. She is my husbands favorite of all my dolls which I'm glad because I was really pushing it when I bought her. He had mentioned I had enough children to dress and take care of and since I make most of my dolls clothes, he was sure I would not have enough time to adequately clothe them all if I added yet one more.