Bratz x Cult Gaia Collection: A Lookin' Bratz Review!

Bratz x Cult Gaia Yasmin and Cloe

Hey Angelz!

It’s been nearly a year since the Cult Gaia x Bratz clothing collection was released and Jasmin Larian announced that a doll collection would come in later 2022. The dolls were officially released in October to much fanfare, but their hype fizzled quickly in the wake of the Mowalola release. The dolls were supported with a marketing campaign that consisted of a celebrity and influencer-filled 21st birthday party for the brand, which yours truly was invited to! But was this enough to get consumers interested in this designer collaboration? Unfortunately, I fell into the Mowalola trap as well because I received the Cult Gaia and Mowalola dolls at the same time; I planned on releasing the Cult Gaia reviews earlier, but that plan fell short. But, the time has finally come to give y’all a review of the Bratz x Cult Gaia dolls! The Bratz team at MGA Entertainment was kind enough to send both Cult Gaia dolls to me and I have some thoughts to share! Keep reading for a detailed review on the Bratz x Cult Gaia dolls, including tons of pictures plus details on the dolls’ hair, faces, accessories, and more!

the packaging

The Bratz x Cult Gaia dolls elevate the brand’s classic trapezoid shape into a luxe store-like display. The Cult Gaia packaging maintains the Bratz brand’s trapezoid box introduced in 2001, while expanding the front window display to be shaped like an oval arch—this shape is commonly used in Cult Gaia’s branding, as well as their offices and stores. The sides of the boxes also use this oval arch shape to show each doll’s additional outfits and accessories. All around each box is a silver brushed metal graphic that makes all of the other assets—such as artwork and logos—pop. The beautiful character artwork, illustrated by the mega-talented Lucy Dash, compliments the packaging, and is featured on the front and back. On the front window display, a holographic text reads “thanks it’s Cult Gaia” (which was coined in a promotional video released for the clothing collab early last year); some variants read just “Cult Gaia” by itself. The front of the packaging also features the Cult Gaia x Bratz logo, with the Cult Gaia logo being Bratz-ified for the collab. The top of each box has an electroplated handle meant to mimic the Cult Gaia x Bratz bracelet released with the Holiday Felicia doll and clothing collaboration from last year. Each box has a tag with a statement from Jasmin Larian, while the back of the box features a blurb about the collaboration between the doll brand and fashion house. The second outfits are displayed on the iconic Formal Funk mannequin stands, while additional pieces, like the Certificate of Authenticity and doll stand, are in the compartment at the bottom of the package. This packaging is insanely beautiful, and all of the assets compliment each other and the contents of the packaging so well! This is one of the most impressive box designs I have seen for Bratz, and I adore how much it looks like a window display for a Cult Gaia store. You can truly tell how much love and effort went into the craftsmanship for this collaboration just by the box design alone. I will say, however, that the box is very large and may not fit in well with other boxed dolls for in-box collectors. I tend to preserve the Bratz designer packaging and it takes up a lot of space.

the dolls, fashions, ‘n’ faces

The Bratz x Cult Gaia dolls are genuinely some of the most luxe-feeling Bratz dolls I have experienced thus far. While Mowalola brought an edgy-luxe feeling to the brand, the Cult Gaia dolls bring a more elegant-luxe feeling that aligns well with the designer brand.

The fashions were designed by Cult Gaia, of course, and are based on actual Cult Gaia pieces. Cloe comes with the “Parvana” butterfly top, “Wynn” cargo pants, “Remi” platform shoes, “Pearl” bag, “Joey” feather top, “Hera” shoulder bag, and “Bloom” earrings, in addition to two pink geometric bracelets that remind me of the “Rattan” bracelets, gold and blue stone earrings that remind me of the “Sonya” earrings, a pink metal mesh skirt similar to the “Finn” cover-up skirt, and an ombre bucket hat similar to the brand’s “Kumi” bucket hats. Yasmin comes with the “Mala” top, “Alma” skort, “Irma” tote bag, “Dari” gown, “Hera” sunglasses, “Remi” platform shoes, and the iconic “Ark” bag, in addition to the “Yasmina” boots, “Brea”-esque drop earrings, and another pair of earrings that remind me of the “Bibi” earrings. Throughout each doll’s pieces, the “Cult Gaia” logo motif makes quite a few appearances such as the base of their shoes, the embroidery in Cloe’s bucket hat, and the arms of Yasmin’s sunglasses. The construction of the clothing feels like scaled-down clothing for real people, with real embroidery and materials meant to mimic the real-life pieces being used. Cloe’s skirt also uses a metal clasp, adding to the luxurious feeling of these dolls.

On a more constructive note, I do wish some of the clothing pieces, specifically Cloe’s butterfly top and bucket hat, were constructed to fit better; the top looks a bit frumpy on her, which I blame more on the structure of the current Bratz body, while the bucket hat does not fit her head at all. Do not get me wrong: these pieces are gorgeous, but the hat serves no purpose other than to make a cute display piece. Instead of the bucket hat, I wish Cloe received a second pair of shoes that would have better worked with her second outfit. I am not sure why Cloe does not have a second pair of shoes, but I do think she would have benefitted from them. Cloe’s tops are intricately tied in the back, so I have included reference pictures in the gallery. Additionally, while I love the addition of the “Ark” bag, seeing that it is one of Cult Gaia’s most notable pieces, I do wish the coloring was a bit different. Rainbow High, another MGA Entertainment doll property, released its version of the “Ark” bag with their Mini Accessories Studio blind-box sets; I prefer the coloring a bit more with the RH version.

Both of the Cult Gaia dolls have new-ish face screenings, but they may look familiar to many Bratz fans. Cloe’s screening seems to be derivative of Dance Crewz Cloe, yet seems more refined and uses the open mouth mold as opposed to the original’s closed mouth. Yasmin gives me Nighty-Nite Yasmin vibes, but is directly inspired by a repaint done by doll community member @lolliword/lwrepaints. Huge congratulations to Roman on being involved with this collaboration! It makes my heart happy when kind and talented community members get to be involved with the Bratz brand. On another note, I really love these screenings on the dolls! Some people have ragged on Cloe’s screening, but I find it to be gorgeous! I loved Dance Crewz Cloe’s screening, so Cult Gaia Cloe’s screening is definitely up my alley; I love how glamorous it looks paired with the open mouth mold. Yasmin has a very sultry screening, something I wish Bratz had more of; the Nighty-Nite collection uses some of my favorite screenings for the brand, so I love that they used something similar while making it look more mature.

In regards to face application method, the Cult Gaia dolls use the spray method. If you’ve already read my explanation on how Bratz faces are applied, feel free to skip to the next section! If not, and you’re interested in learning more, keep on reading! Nearly every Bratz doll between 2001 and 2014, except for a select few, has a face screening that was painted using the “spray” method. The spray method ensures the eyes are elongated across the face for a classic, sultry Bratz look. Between 2015 and 2016 (except for the V Files x Bratz doll), and for the Bratz 20 Yearz Special Edition dolls released last year, the “sticker” method was used to apply the dolls’ faces. The sticker method is hit-or-miss as the 20 Yearz dolls looked beautiful (in most cases), while it played a huge role in the discontinuation of the brand in 2016. A new method was introduced to the Bratz brand with the Rock Angelz reproductions last year, which is UV printing. UV printing is a more cost-effective method to apply dolls’ faces as spraying seems to be less common and more expensive in the doll industry these days. All releases after the Rock Angelz reproductions until the JimmyPaul dolls used the UV method. The Girls Nite Out 21st Birthday Edition dolls reintroduced the spray method to the brand ever since the 2018 Collector dolls. And yes, the Cult Gaia dolls use the original 2001 head mold. Some have speculated that they use the revised UV 2001 mold, but that is not the truth; this may have been theorized because of how much hair the dolls have, but they are just rooted closer to their necklines to the point where the head mold stamp is covered. More on hair in the next section!

the hair

Are you wondering what hair fiber the Bratz x Cult Gaia dolls use? The Cult Gaia dolls use premium nylon hair, which has become the new standard for Bratz. Cloe’s hair gives an old-Hollywood glamour vibe, with loose pin curls and one side being tied back. Yasmin has a classic Bratz high wrapped ponytail, with curled tendrils and painted teardrop baby hairs. I love the hairstyles used on the dolls, but especially love Cloe’s! I hope Bratz continues to experiment with hairstyles as we rarely see styles like Cloe’s. On a less positive note, the dolls’ hair looks messy out of the box and could use some fixing for display for those who care. I recommend washing the hair once (maybe twice depending on how much product is used; Yasmin’s hair uses a lot of product) with dish soap then following up with a conditioner rinse; a boil wash is not necessary for nylon hair and can sometimes damage it, but a flat iron and other heated hairstyling tools may work better for styling their hair after it has been washed and dried. For Cloe’s hair specifically: I washed it with a little dish soap, conditioned it while scrunching up the hair, detangled with a wide-toothed comb, then sprayed it with Dollfie Wig Mist (similar to hairspray) while curling with my fingers and scrunching it with my hands to maintain the shape.

Just like the face application method section, feel free to skip this portion if you’ve already read my explanations on the differences between Bratz hair types! Nylon hair appears to be a new standard for the Bratz brand, as is the case for most MGA doll brands since 2019, which is something I fully support. For context on some of the different hair types used on Bratz, nylon has often been confused with polypropylene, which is a hair fiber that was used in a majority of lines between 2008-2013 and is known for being hard to manage and prone to degrading over time, because of a name mix-up over a decade ago. Saran—which has been used on most Bratz released between 2001-2007, 2015-2018, and on most of the Bratz 20 Yearz Special Edition dolls (except for some later variants which use nylon)—is a great hair fiber that has always satisfied collectors, though it is prone to yellowing and degrading over time. Nylon is another premium hair type that can be easily restyled with heated hair tools and is less likely to degrade over time like saran and polypropylene can do. Saran hair has become more difficult to source (companies like Mattel have their own saran supply, which is how they get to use it), so nylon provides a way for consumers to have nice doll hair without resorting to using low-grade polypropylene. Nylon also tends to feel really nice and oftentimes better than saran, and is known to last decades without degrading.

TL;DR: Do not expect any upcoming Bratz or MGA releases to use saran hair. Nylon is the new standard.

I personally enjoy nylon hair and prefer it in some cases. Some fans may be hesitant to accept nylon as the new standard for Bratz dolls because it tends to “poof” up on their heads (for example, the Rock Angelz 20 Yearz Special Edition dolls are often referred to as having “helmet heads”), but it seems that the rooting technique for the most-recent Bratz dolls has significantly improved.

the bodies

The Cult Gaia dolls use the Collector 2018 body. If you don’t know already, this body is a hybrid of the original 2001 torso and legs with arms from the Movie dolls from 2007 and hands from the 2013 bodies. The hand peg shape has been changed starting with this collection, which you can see a comparison of in the “Bodies” section of the Mowalola review. The arms and hands can be popped off for easier redressing. As I stated in the “Dolls, Fashions, ‘N’ Faces” section of this article, I think some of the pieces are not flattering on this body—specifically Cloe’s “Parvana” top. However, I have come to accept that this will be the standard articulated body for the brand. But, I would still love for new body types to be introduced to the brand that better fit more fashion pieces! The skintone difference between Cloe’s head and body is very noticeable, so I hope MGA improves the color mixing for these plastics in the future.

other features and accessories

The Cult Gaia dolls come with several accessories, as well as a Certificate of Authenticity, mannequin stand, and doll stand. As mentioned previously, the mannequin stand originally came with the Formal Funk dolls in 2003. The base of the doll stand originates from Winter Ball Beauty Cloe, but has foot pegs similar to the Rock Angelz stands. This re-imagined doll stand was introduced with this collection, and I must say that it is one of the most useful stands that Bratz has come out with. I hope MGA uses this stand in future Bratz releases! In fact, I’d argue that every Bratz doll—including playline releases—should come with it.

where to buy

If you’re wondering where to buy the Bratz x Cult Gaia dolls, they are currently available at several online retailers in most countries and physical retailers in some countries! The dolls will not be sold in physical stores in most countries such as the United States, unless they are returned in-person to Target or Walmart. I am not sure where they will be sold outside of the United States nor will I be able to post about it, but my best advice is to contact local retailers to see if they’ll be selling the Cult Gaia dolls, especially if those retailers sold the 20 Yearz dolls in 2021! I will note that Australian fans have spotted the Cult Gaia dolls in-person at Myer stores, so that is one instance where the dolls are being sold in physical stores internationally. Amazon and LOLSurprise.com (MGA’s official direct-to-buy website) typically ship internationally, though may have stock issues. The dolls are not being sold on Cult Gaia’s website. International fans also have the option of checking the retailers listed on MGA Entertainment’s Where To Buy webpage or contacting their international offices for more info. The dolls retail for $60.99 USD. Check below for a list of links to some retailers selling the dolls:

overall thoughtz

Overall, I adore the Bratz x Cult Gaia dolls! Just like the rest of the Fall 2022 lineup, this collection feels like a step in the right direction for the brand. The quality, construction, and overall luxe feeling these dolls bring to the table makes me incredibly positive about the future of the Bratz brand. After some let-downs between Fall 2021 and Spring 2022, the Cult Gaia collection—as well as the other F22 collections—really bring Bratz back to their roots. Now, if only we could get just as excellent fresh and new designs for some playline Bratz.

The gorg and glam Bratz x Cult Gaia girls in their second outfits! Make sure to check out my unboxing video as well!

However, I do feel that the release for the Cult Gaia collection was not well-timed. I feel as though Cult Gaia never had a moment to shine because of the hype of the Series 2 and Girls Nite Out releases, followed by an even more-intense hype for the Mowalola release. Cult Gaia seems to have faded into the background a bit against its sister collections. I would like to go on the record and state that the Cult Gaia dolls are extremely underrated! At first glance, I can see these dolls not appealing to some. But, once you get to actually feel and experience these dolls in person, your perspective may drastically change! I was pleasantly surprised at how much I ended up loving the Cult Gaia dolls in real life, and would definitely encourage folks to consider picking up one or two. My personal favorite is Cloe, especially when dressed in her second fit!

Thank you so much to MGA Entertainment for sending the Cult Gaia dolls, as well as putting out another fabulous Bratz collection!

I hope you keep checkin’ out Lookin’ Bratz for more news and reviews in the future! Make sure to check out my YouTube unboxing video for another look at the dolls and subscribe for more Bratz videos.

Stay tuned to LookinBratz.com for more news on the Girls with a Passion for Fashion, and make sure to check out Lookin’ Bratz on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok for more scorchin’ Bratz content and news!

Curious about what else the Bratz brand has in store? 2023 doll releases are just around the corner! You can check out some of what’s expected later this year on the Bratz 2023 Masterpost!

xoxo

 
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