Photos by Magnita
Headsculpt: Tia is one of the characters from The Barbie Diaries series of 12" dolls, and she has been given a very cute, sweet headsculpt by Mattel Toys. In looking at the Tia headsculpt, I wondered if there was any celebrity that looked like Tia. Could Beyonce Knowles have inspired Tia's sculptor? Halle Berry? Mariah Carey? Ananda Lewis? Or perhaps it was just pure imagination? Either way, the face of Tia combines an idealized beauty with the traditional look of innocence that Barbie is well known for. One thing that seems to be a trademark of this series is that the dolls have very large eyes compared to the regular Barbie line. The new dolls' eyes also seem to be applied by stickers instead of being painted-on. The sticker-eyes tend to reflect light off the stickers, and they are a bit strange and less realistic to look at for those of us who are used to painted eyes.
Outfit: Tia has a really cute light blue "Ultra Chic" jacket, a colorful blue blouse, a jeans mini-skirt with faux gold chains, white ankle socks with light blue trim, and light blue pumps. The mini-skirt looks great, the gold chain links are so tiny that it just goes to show how far Mattel has advanced the art of 1:6 scale fashion.
Gear: Tia includes a cute little charm in the shape of a tiara with a blue inlay that I attached to the chain on the mini-skirt when taking these photos. The charm has a working link so that it can be attached to a child's bracelet or to a Barbie bag or outfit. The blue purse also has a gold tiara embossed on it. Tia also has a folding RAZR cellphone and a make-up compact and brush.
Market: Tia is currently available at retail stores that carry Barbie. Tia ranges in price from $9.99-$12.99.
Overall: Tia is a cute doll with a nice outfit and gear at an excellent price. Tia is a wholesome addition to any Barbie collection.
Grade: A
