Alwayz Bratz Dolls: A Lookin' Bratz Review!
Hey Angelz!
Alwayz Bratz Jade, Yasmin, Cloe, and Sasha
The time has finally come… after seven years, the Bratz have made their playline comeback with their newest line: Alwayz Bratz! And when I say playline comeback, I mean completely brand-new designs of the core four characters at the playline price point, which we haven’t seen since 2016’s Instapets. So, what’s the big deal about Bratz having new playline and why is this comeback so important? If you’re wondering that, then this is the article for you!
If you haven't kept up with Bratz news in the past few years, then here’s a brief rundown of what’s happened in the Bratz world that has led to this moment! Bratz was discontinued in 2016 after a failed reboot that started the year prior, leading the brand to go on an indefinite hiatus until Fall 2018 when the Hayden Williams-designed Bratz Collector line was released. The brand would go silent on social media for a year until its ninteenth anniversary in May 2020, just a week after the launch of none other than LookinBratz.com! The Bratz brand was focused on coming back via licensed clothing and lifestyle product collaborations with various companies before re-entering the doll market with reproductions of its debut line in May 2021 in time for the brand’s twentieth anniversary. Since then, the brand’s doll lineup has consisted primarily of reproductions (20 Yearz/Series 1 and its successors Series 2 and Series 3, Rock Angelz, Girls Nite Out, Pretty ‘N’ Punk), designer and celebrity collabs (GCDS, JimmyPaul, Cult Gaia, Mowalola, Kylie Jenner), and one-off collector dolls (Holiday Felicia, Sweet Heart Meygan, the Tweevils). 2024 seems to be ushering in a revamped era for Bratz, with its lead Spring releases consisting of Bratz Babyz reproductions and, of course, Alwayz Bratz. We had a taste of new playline with the release of Pretty ‘N’ Punk Sasha last year, but we haven’t had a full new playline collection since 2016.
Our first peek at Alwayz Bratz was in June 2023 when a Brazilian influencer received a PR package from an international MGA Entertainment office with a postcard featuring an early version of the Alwayz artwork—at this time, it was unknown what this artwork was for. Shortly after, the artwork was featured at MGA’s booth at the Las Vegas Licensing Expo. In late September, Target inventory listings confirmed that the core four would be released as part of a new collection titled “Alwayz Bratz” named after the brand’s latest short-form animated series; at New York Toy Fair later that month, updated versions of Yasmin and Cloe’s artwork were featured at one of their distributor’s booths. On Halloween, we got our first look at the actual Alwayz dolls; then, by December, the dolls slowly started making their way to Walmart stores across the United States.
A lot has led up to this moment, but that is the Bratztory behind it in a nutshell! Now, wondering what’s the tea on the Alwayz Bratz dolls? The Bratz team at MGA Entertainment was kind enough to send me the full set of the Alwayz Bratz collection! Keep reading for a detailed review on the brand-new Alwayz Bratz dolls, including tons of pictures plus details on the dolls’ fashions, faces, and accessories!
the packaging
The Alwayz Bratz packaging doesn’t stray too far from typical standard Bratz packaging, utilizing the trapezoid shape and dimensions of the brand’s core series lines. However, the Alwayz Bratz boxes stand out from the core series dolls in numerous ways. Each Alwayz Bratz box’s cardboard pieces are holographic, making them extremely reflective and flashy. Instead of having each doll showcased in clear shells that allow for a nearly 360-view of the box’s contents, the Alwayz Bratz dolls have a cardboard panel on the right side of the box that displays the character artwork. At first, I was disappointed that the character artwork wasn’t featured on the front of the box like most Bratz releases; but, I must admit that the artwork on the side of the box looks stunning and is instantly recognizable when you see it on store shelves. It also makes a really cool display piece for in-box collectors!
Like most Bratz dolls in this type of packaging, each Alwayz Bratz girl is displayed to the right of the box with the accessories displayed to the left. Some of the accessory placement is a bit strange to me, specifically in Jade’s box where her blow dryer and flat iron are displayed awkwardly below her purse while her other accessories are displayed above it; additionally, her plastic chain belt is displayed separately when I feel like it could have just been displayed on the doll itself to free up room for the hair tools. The top left of each box has the character name and their respective icon logo. Now, this is probably my biggest issue with the dolls. The font for the characters on the front of the boxes is, well… basic. I wish they’d gone for the “Dollhouse” font they typically use for the dolls, which ironically is used for their names on the back of the boxes. Bratz has such a fun typeface catalog, so it’s sad that they’re not utilizing it more with this release. I can understand if it was changed up to modernize the dolls and set them apart from their reproduction releases, but I feel like they could’ve had more fun with the font choices. I’m glad they kept their icons, though! At the bottom right is the brand’s iconic slogan “The Girls With A Passion For Fashion!” along with some legal information, and to the left is the “Alwayz Bratz” logo. Each box’s color scheme is fit to each character’s palette: Jade’s palette is red and pink, Sasha’s is orange and yellow, Cloe’s is pink and blue, and Yasmin’s is purple and yellow-orange.
On the back of each box is the character names in the iconic “Dollhouse” font, character artwork, and updated bios. Something I find interesting is that none of the boxes feature all four characters together; rather, each box is individualized to its respective character. I wasn’t a big fan of the packaging at first for reasons like artwork placement and font choice, but I have fallen more in love with it over time. While I initially thought the artwork placement should’ve been on the front, I now love that it’s on the side because it truly pops out on store shelves! I finally saw some of the dolls in Walmart and they truly stick out—in the best way possible, of course. I still would’ve preferred they used a different font for the character names, but I’ll let it slide because the overall presentation is fun. Swipe through the gallery to check out the packaging, plus you can find barcodes at the end!
the dolls ‘n’ fashions
Moving on to the main course, the Alwayz Bratz dolls themselves have garnered mixed reaction from fans. Each character is dressed to meet their current sense of fashion—essentially, each character is designed to show how they express their fashion passions in 2024. Some fans have criticized the fashions for not being “Y2K” or “2000s” enough, but that wouldn’t make sense as Bratz has never been strictly about nostalgia. While I agree that some of the fashion choices are questionable, I completely disagree that the Bratz should be dressing like it’s the early 2000s when that’s never been the brand’s goal. Bratz has always been about being on-trend or being ahead of the trends, and that’s exactly what is shown through this design lineup.
Sasha is dressed in a single long-sleeve shirt that acts almost like two shirts; one layer is like a tie-dye tank top with the word “Bratz” across the chest, with the bottom layer being a long-sleeve mesh shirt with a white collar and a white strip going down each sleeve. Sasha also comes with a pink pleather vest, as well as baggy cargo pants with real-working pockets and an orange ribbon. Sasha wears large orange platform heels that look opaque with a gold-painted “B” buckle on them. I’m not crazy about Sasha’s outfit, which I think is mostly due to the bulky vest and the bright pink used in her palette; most streetwear fashions worn by the Bratz use more muted colors, so the pink used here feels very loud and almost childish. However, I do enjoy the construction of Sasha’s pieces (sans vest) and think a more muted color palette would’ve suited her better; I would’ve loved to have seen Sasha in more light blues and oranges like her Babyz design! I love Sasha’s Coperni Swipe-inspired handbag, which has an ombre pink-transparent color that works well with her outfit.
Cloe is dressed head-to-toe in denim, pairing a denim jacket with a cropped white tank top, a denim skirt, and denim boot cuffs. The denim jacket is pretty well-made and has a small white fringe, which matches her boot cuffs. Cloe’s skirt is a two-tone denim that has the appearance of being wrapped around her waist, and is complemented by a faux pearl belt chain. I love the denim pieces, but my favorite piece in Cloe’s look is her top! The top is constructed to look like a cropped tube top, but has studded black straps that mimic the look of belts and use electroplated belt buckles. I also love the graphic on Cloe’s top, which is a pink pair of angel wings with a halo above them. Cloe wears large white platform heels that have a purple iridescent shimmer to them—they look gorgeous and it’s a shame the boot cuffs hide that shimmer! Cloe’s bag is also cute, which mimics a quilted pattern and has nicely-painted gold detailing.
Yasmin’s outfit is by far my favorite of the line as she wears a look inspired by a set from Ludovic de Saint Sernin’s SS23 “Mirage” collection. The mix of brown and purple tones go perfectly with Yasmin, mixing her typical boho-esque color palettes with a more chic designer look that—in my personal opinion—makes for a near-perfect Bratz doll. I love the purple pinstripe look for Yasmin (I mean, who doesn’t love Yasmin in a pinstripe blazer?) paired with the pleather lace-up skirt. And those large thigh-high platform boots? I love them! The pairing of purple and brown tones in the look overall are stunning on Yasmin. Some people may disagree and say this isn’t Yasmin’s style, but I find it to be a tasteful meshing of her typical boho-inspired fashions with high-end couture; it’s very regal, which is only fitting for our Pretty Princess! I also love Yasmin’s bag, which has an electroplated gold handle and perfectly fits her cell phone. More on accessories later in the article!
Jade’s upper-half of her outfit is fun, but her bottom-half throws me off a bit. Jade wears a single-piece (meaning they are not separate pieces) oversized white collar button-up layered with a long sleeve ribbed green top, which is paired with a long red flannel jacket. I wish the top pieces were separate, but I can see budget being an issue so the tops were likely made into one piece to keep costs down. But, I do love her top and red flannel—it may not be the most appealing to the naked eye, but I quite like these pairings and colors on her, they are very reminiscent of her color palette used on her debut doll. On to Jade’s bottom half, she wears pleather biker shorts paired with fishnet stockings. The biker shorts are okay, but I wish the fishnet stockings had smaller holes as they look off-putting. Packaged alongside Jade’s accessories is a chain belt, which is made of silver plastic; I wish this had been electroplated to enhance her design or just made with a real chain. The worst part of Jade’s outfit, and possibly of the entire Alwayz Bratz collection, is her shoes. Jade wears low-platform boots with red-painted details, including a heart along the front strap of each boot. Had the shoes been given a larger platform to match the rest of the Alwayz girls, they wouldn’t have looked bad aside from the random red hearts; unfortunately, the boots look awkward and stubby. While the other Alwayz Bratz can stand on their own, Jade struggles a bit as her platforms are awkwardly uneven leaving her in a forward stance when stood up. Despite her design downfalls, Jade is a stunning doll and her outfit isn’t that bad but definitely could’ve used more fine tuning. Jade’s purse is fine, which has a molded belt buckle and a faux chain across it.
THE FACES ‘N’ HEADS
Moving on to faces and face application methods, each Alwayz Bratz doll has a completely new face screening. Each screening reminds me of a previous faceup in the Bratz catalog. Cloe’s faceup reminds me of the Twiins Roxxi screening, Yasmin’s reminds me of the Wintertime Wonderland Yasmin screening mixed with her Tokyo A Go-Go screening, Jade’s faceup reminds me of a mix of the Tokyo A Go-Go Collector’s Edition screening with the Duct Tape Fashion Jade screening, and Sasha’s faceup is giving something similar to the VFiles x Bratz Vee Filez screening. I love each of these screenings, though Cloe and Jade’s are definitely my favorites of the bunch! I love Cloe’s juiced lips and makeup palette, as well as Jade’s eye shape and inner lashes. Jade’s light-brown eyebrows in contrast to her black hair is a bit strange at first glance, but not a dealbreaker. I also love the TAGG-inspired inner lashes on Yasmin’s screening and her makeup palette, which reminds me a lot of her Wanted! doll. Sasha has my least favorite screening, but it isn’t bad by any means! Sasha’s lip shape could be better, but that is my biggest critique of her faceup.
Something that is a bit confusing that I cannot understand is that, unlike nearly every Bratz release between Fall 2022 to 2023 that uses the original 2001 head sculpt, the Alwayz Bratz use the 2021 UV revised head sculpt—this was an enlarged version of the 2001 head created to help make the placement on the Fall 2021/Spring 2022 UV printed faces look better. I don’t mind the use of the 2021 revised head, but my biggest qualm about it is that it doesn’t allow for a lot of articulation in the neck. The neck articulation is very limited and leaves the dolls’ head in an awkward position, which doesn’t look the best on display or when taking photos and videos of them. My lights kept glaring in each dolls’ face in some shots, which was quite annoying and could have been resolved with better neck articulation. If you’re wondering how to tell the difference between the 2001 and 2021 heads, the 2001 heads have their copyright info closer to the doll’s back hairline while the 2021 heads have it closer to the doll's neckline. Both dolls are copyrighted with the 2001 date, so location of the copyright info is key in spotting the difference.
Even though the Alwayz dolls use the 2021 UV revised head, don’t get it twisted! The Alwayz Bratz dolls do not use the UV face application method, which is the least-preferred method as it leaves a grainy/pixelated look similar to another non-MGA fashion doll on the market. Surprisingly, it appears that Alwayz Bratz is either completely using spray or a mix of the spray and sticker method. On some variants of the Alwayz dolls, which we’ll talk about in a different section, there appears to be fully-stamped faces—however, it seems like the sprayed/”good” faces are the most common variants on the market currently. Some of the placements on the dolls seem wonky, but that is typical for any doll; this was especially common with Bratz back in the day as there are bound to be subtle differences between each mass-produced doll, so nothing new in that regard.
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 applied 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 (also referred to as the “stamp” or “tampo” 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 in 2021, which is UV printing. UV printing is a cost-effective method to apply dolls’ faces as spraying seems to be less common in the doll industry these days. Holiday Felicia, the GCDS dolls, Sweet Heart Meygan, and the JimmyPaul dolls also use the UV printing method. However, the GNO 21st Birthday Edition dolls reintroduced the spray method to the brand ever since the 2018 Collector dolls; it has been theorized that the dolls released since GNO are not completely sprayed, but rather a mix of sprayed and stamped.
the hair
Are you wondering what hair type the Alwayz Bratz dolls use? Well, the answer is nylon. Nylon is the current standard for Bratz dolls. And no, we likely won’t be seeing saran used on Bratz again—at least not in the near future as saran has become more expensive and harder to source in certain colors. Read till the end of this section for a detailed explanation on the different hair types used on Bratz dolls!
Each girl in the Alwayz Bratz collection has a unique hairstyle. Yasmin has something similar to a wolf cut, but not quite the same as a wolf cut. Yasmin wears big rounded bangs with long curls in the back; my specific Yasmin had shorter pieces on the sides that were blended in with her curls, which makes me wonder if she was going to have a hime-style bang similar to her artwork. Some Yasmin variants that have been popping up have gelled-down blunt bangs, similar to that of her stock photos. I personally love Yasmin’s hair, though I do wish she had been given a wolf cut style that resembled her artwork; in fact, I separated the shorter pieces of her hair and blended them into her bangs to mimic that style. Jade has a basic hairstyle, opting for long middle-parted hair that is tied in the back with tendrils in the front. Some fans have criticized the fact she doesn’t have bangs in this release; personally, I’m very happy about this change because I dislike when each character is tied to the same hairstyles and aesthetics. We’ve had a lot of Jade dolls with bangs over the years, and it’s nice to see them switching up! Sasha has two large twisted pigtails, which are incredibly thick when taken out and complemented with bright pink elastics. Cloe has a classic high ponytail with loose fringe locks—she comes with a denim hair scrunchie and two hair clips, but we’ll discuss accessories later in this article. I like the Alwayz Bratz hairstyles, though my only complaint is that they use a lot of gel on some of the hair and it can look messy after unboxing; this can mostly be chalked up to the fact these are mass-produced dolls and perfect hair is never guaranteed.
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 is the current standard for the Bratz brand, as is the case for most MGA doll brands since 2019. For context on some of the different hair types used on Bratz, nylon has often been confused with polypropylene, 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) released in 2021—is a great hair fiber that has always satisfied collectors, though it is prone to yellowing and breakage 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 is harder to come by in certain colors and is not as commonly used in modern doll productions due to rising prices, so nylon provides a way for consumers to have these hair colors without resorting to using low-grade polypropylene. Nylon also tends to feel really nice and oftentimes better than saran.
Stay tuned for a hair care guide video on my YouTube channel to see how I washed and styled all of my Alwayz Bratz dolls! If you are impatient and having trouble getting the factory product out of your dolls’ hair that makes it feel “crunchy”, I recommend washing it once or twice (depending on how much product is used) with dish soap then following up with a conditioner rinse; a boil wash is not necessary for nylon hair and can potentially 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.
the bodies
The Alwayz Bratz 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 had been changed starting with the Cult Gaia dolls in 2022 up until the Kylie Jenner dolls last year, but has been changed back to its original shape. You can find the hand peg comparison in the “Bodies” section of the Mowalola review. The arms and hands can be popped off for easier redressing. I have previously stated that I am not a fan of this body’s torso as it is a bit archaic and doesn’t always flatter certain fashions. I think the use of high-platform shoes sometimes helps make fashions look better on this body, but I still hope for MGA to improve the Bratz body sculpts in the future. Something positive to note is that the skintone mixing is improving a lot more with this release! The heads, bodies, and shoes match up pretty well, though I do not like how red Cloe’s undertone is.
other features ‘N’ ACCESSORIES
Each Alwayz Bratz doll comes with an 11”x17” poster of their individual character artwork, which can be found in between the cardboard backing of each box. Each doll has accessories as opposed to an additional outfit like other common Bratz releases, which is due to everchanging doll market trends. Each doll comes with a lipstick, cellphone, sunglasses, handbag, and the original oval-shaped Bratz hairbrush. Yasmin comes with a smoothie, choker, matching earrings (based off the Cult Gaia “Bloom” earrings), and a square makeup compact. I adore all of Yasmin’s jewelry, but—most of all—I love the Bratz Petz Catz reference on her cellphone screen, which features artwork of Kendall! Just in time for the Petz twentieth anniversary! Jade comes with a blowdryer, flat iron (which may be a re-used barbecue tong sculpt…), and her plastic chain belt. Sasha comes with a water bottle, an electroplated gold chain necklace, and headphones, which are a re-used sculpt from the 2016 Remix collection. Sasha’s cellphone screen shows that she is listening to the latest Bratz single “We’re The Bratz”, now streaming on all music platforms. Cloe comes with the iconic lip-shaped nail polish bottle, a round makeup compact, a denim hair scrunchie, two faux pearl hair clips, and a lovely faux pearl necklace. All of the accessories are really cute and, for the most part, good choices considering we didn’t get second outfits! I do wish we could’ve gotten a second outfit, but the doll market has changed drastically in the last year and the focus is more on accessories rather than additional fashions. At the very least, I think they are fun for imaginative play and character/world building!
THE VARIANTS
Typically, I would not dedicate an entire section to variants. But, for the Alwayz Bratz release, there have been way too many variants to keep track of. Before we dive into this topic, I want to shoutout my friend Joshua (@nu_royalty) for tracking a lot of the Alwayz variants. We may not deep-dive into all of the variants, but we’ll get into some of the more significant ones in this section!
Since Alwayz started popping up in stores, Cloe has seen the most production variations—primarily, Cloe’s face has had a lot of small changes between variants. The variant I showcase in this article is sort of the “base” variant that seems to be more commonly produced, with what appears to be a completely sprayed face. Joshua has documented several variants of Cloe, some of which can be viewed here, in which she has a completely stamped face, completely sprayed face, stamped eyes with sprayed lips, and one almost completely different faceup with new eyes. The version of Cloe with new eyes has the two inner lashes similar to Yasmin and Jade’s faceups, and it is unknown if this variant will be mass-produced or is a production sample as she has only been found on secondhand Chinese sales websites like Taobao thus far—if you don’t know, this is a hub for factory workers to sell off stolen goods or reject dolls. On packaging of one of the variants found on Taobao, there is a TikTok callout on the back of the box that advertises the Alwayz Bratz webseries; it is unknown when or if this variant will make it to stores, but I hope it does as adding a callout for the series is a smart move to get more people interested in watching.
Yasmin also has several variants, though the face variant differences are mostly subtle. Some eyes seem to be slimmer than others, while one particular variant (which may be stamped) has eyes that are closer together and less slim. A majority of Yasmin dolls found have had round bangs and tight-ish curls, but versions with straight blunt bangs and loose curls have been found recently—this version more closely resembles Yasmin’s stock photos.
Sasha and Jade do not have many variants, but rather subtle differences. A version of Sasha found on Taobao has her packaged with a different cellphone screen, featuring her streaming the Rock Angelz album rather than the “We’re The Bratz” single; it is unknown if this version will make or has made it to final production. Jade mainly has a sprayed and stamped variant amongst other subtle differences, with the latter looking a bit wonky in comparison.
So… what’s up with all these variants? I wish I had the answer. But, at the very least, I think it is common for many mass-produced dolls to have subtle or sometimes major variants. We saw it a lot during the brand’s prime years (one of many reasons I created the Lookin’ Bratz database) and it is common with MGA’s current doll lineups. With MGA’s other brands like L.O.L. Surprise! and Rainbow High, there are different production batches that are sometimes from different factories which oftentimes have sprayed and stamped variants. Bratz is no different and is likely getting the same production treatment as MGA’s other brands, which is sort of a good thing because it means they are moving up in priority for the company. Whether or not all of these variants will make it to shelves is up in the air—only time will tell! At least there are enough variants to go around that can hopefully cater to everyone’s tastes.
where to buy
If you are wondering where to buy the Alwayz Bratz dolls, they are releasing both in stores and online now! According to the announcement made by the official Bratz Instagram page, the dolls are only expected to be sold physically in Walmart stores and will be sold online at other retailers. This is disappointing as I was hoping Target would stock Alwayz because I think it would sell well there. Please note that stores not receiving Bratz releases is a retailer issue and not an MGA issue; the retailers hold the most power in what ultimately does and doesn’t go on shelves, not the company.
At the time of this article’s publication, only Yasmin, Cloe, and Jade have been found in Walmart stores with Sasha nowhere in sight and no price tag on shelves. I do not have any information on whether or not Sasha will be coming to physical Walmart stores, but it is incredibly disappointing seeing her currently left out of this release as it mirrors Sasha’s treatment back in the day. While this is an issue of retailers not ordering her, I wish MGA would fight harder to have Sasha included if this is the case with Walmart. There really is no excuse for Sasha to be excluded.
The dolls will also be sold online on Walmart.com, Target.com, Amazon.com, Bratz.com, and LOLSurprise.com—please note that the Bratz and L.O.L. Surprise! websites are MGA’s official direct-to-buy websites.
I do not have any information about where the Alwayz Bratz dolls will be sold outside of the United States nor will I be able to post about it. My best advice is to contact local retailers to see if they’ll be selling them, especially if those retailers sold any other Bratz releases in the past few years! Fans in other countries are often advised by other international fans to order directly from Amazon US and have the products imported. 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. I recently surveyed international fans across my social platforms to see where they have been able to buy Bratz dolls in recent years, so I will be compiling this information into a reference list for international fans. I am hoping to finish this list in the near future and have it posted to LookinBratz.com, but please be patient as I have hundreds of responses to sort through!
The dolls retail for $24.99 USD each; please ignore prices that are higher than this on websites like Amazon and Walmart—these websites allow third-party sellers to sell on their platforms and any prices higher than the retail price are from these sellers, not from the retailers directly. At the time this article is published, it appears that some retailers have sold out of Sasha while others have been trying to sell her for way above retail price. As a general note, retailers often try to compete with competitors’ pricing by matching or going slower. I believe that an online retailer (either Amazon or Walmart) accidentally listed Sasha for a higher price and that the other retailer picked up on it, leading to both of them listing Sasha at a significantly higher price that is not from a third-party seller. Hopefully this is fixed soon!
Also, please have patience when it comes to the Alwayz Bratz and Bratz Babyz releases! These dolls are not actually sold out at all! These are mass-produced dolls (NOT a limited release) and there are more than enough to go around. Even if some retailers are sold out currently, it is just temporary and they are highly likely to get more stock. Just have patience! As long as you do not wait more than a year to purchase the dolls, they will likely still be accessible at their retail price or lower depending on if/when sales happen.
The gorgeous side panels of the Alwayz Bratz boxes! Have you had a chance to watch the unboxing video yet—what you waiting for? ;)
Below is a list of some links for the Alwayz Bratz dolls! Please note that the Amazon listings are affiliate links.
Alwayz Bratz Yasmin: Amazon, Walmart, Target (link currently unavailable), Bratz.com, LOLSurprise.com
Alwayz Bratz Cloe: Amazon, Walmart, Target (link currently unavailable), Bratz.com, LOLSurprise.com
Alwayz Bratz Sasha: Amazon, Walmart, Target (link currently unavailable), Bratz.com, LOLSurprise.com
Alwayz Bratz Jade: Amazon, Walmart, Target (link currently unavailable), Bratz.com, LOLSurprise.com
You can also find all of the Amazon listings for the Alwayz Bratz, as well as the Bratz Babyz and other releases, in my Amazon storefront!
OVERALL THOUGHTZ
Overall, as much as there has been mixed reception to this collection, I am happy about the Alwayz Bratz dolls! Do I have some issues with design choices (both with the dolls and assets) and this release rollout? Well, yes! Are the dolls bad or poorly made? Well, no.
For a reintroduction to the playline market that isn’t reliant on reproductions, the Alwayz Bratz collection is the brand’s strongest comeback and feels like an all-around authentic Bratz line that can sit next to other notable basic fashion-centric collections like XPress It! or Passion 4 Fashion. With some adjustments, I think this would have been an even stronger collection! However, I do not think this collection is a disappointment by any means and I am thankful that we are finally being given new Bratz playline. More than anything, I am happy to see how much the brand has built up since the Rock Angelz reproductions in 2021 and has improved significantly since. The Bratz brand has beat many odds over the years and I hope it continues to re-stake its claim on the doll market.
Something I will note is that this release feels a bit disjointed as each character’s outfits are very individualistic to the point the line itself doesn’t seem cohesive. The line is meant to showcase each girl’s individual style, of course, but I have a theory as to why each doll feels so different. To me, Alwayz Bratz feels like it was created by several different designers borrowed from various brands at MGA. I see influences from L.O.L. Surprise! O.M.G. (and, at some point, some designers from the Bratz 2015 era worked on L.O.L. and eventually O.M.G.—this may explain why some of the Alwayz designs feel similar to 2015) and Rainbow High, which makes me wonder if each character’s design was conceptualized by different designers at MGA to see which one would perform better. Alwayz Bratz is for sure MGA’s way of testing the waters for more new Bratz playline, so maybe the different designs are their way of seeing who should be brought onto the brand full time—if my theory is correct, that is. Again, this is just a theory based on observations and I do not know if this is the case.
Some are upset because they are under the belief that MGA’s budget for Rainbow High, which has recently undergone a slight rebrand, was given to Bratz. I would like to clarify that this is not true and a baseless rumor. That isn’t how budgeting works at most companies, plus Rainbow High’s rebrand was planned prior to Alwayz Bratz getting the greenlight. There is room on shelves for both brands and they have always served different purposes. Regardless, this is the brand’s first foray into new playline in seven years. Taking this step is a huge risk for the company and one that is almost unexpected after all this time. Even if some people dislike the dolls or think they could’ve been better, they are undoubtedly strong and a major step in the right direction for the brand. If MGA can continue to keep it up and fans support these new releases, we could have new Bratz on shelves full-time like we did back in the day.
And, please don’t misconstrue my words, this doesn’t mean support the release if you dislike the dolls. If you dislike the dolls and don’t see a need for you to personally buy them, then don’t. I wouldn’t be recommending the dolls if I didn’t believe in them, though. This line has personally inspired me so much (especially with a lot of the content I have been working on recently) and has further reinvigorated my love for the brand, which admittedly had me feeling doubtful at some point during its twentieth anniversary year. I am incredibly happy to see Bratz back on this path and hope it leads to even bigger things for the brand!
It appears that Bratz is doing well as not only has it led to new playline, but also a semi-confirmed second season renewal of its webseries Alwayz Bratz. There is currently no information on when the second season will come out, but it has been announced that the outfits designed for the Alwayz Bratz dolls will be featured heavily in the second season whenever it is released. Alwayz Bratz has broken some boundaries for the Bratz brand, being the brand’s only webseries to go past the ten-episode mark and be renewed for a second season. I hope this leads to a full-length series (and maybe movies) at some point!
Thank you again to MGA Entertainment for gifting me this set of Alwayz Bratz dolls, and thank YOU—the reader—for reading this article about the 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 (X), YouTube, and TikTok for more scorchin’ Bratz content and news! You can also support me on Ko-fi where I will be posting exclusive content!
The year has started off strong with Alwayz Bratz and Bratz Babyz, and there’s still more to come! You can keep up-to-date with all the latest and upcoming Bratz releases with the Bratz 2024 Masterpost! Till then…
xoxo
