Bratz x Mean Girls: A Lookin' Bratz Review!
Bratz x Mean Girls Gretchen Wieners, Cady Heron, Regina George, and Karen Smith
Hey Mean Girlz!
What a year it has been for Bratz fans! With breaks in between their Winter/Spring and Summer/Fall releases, Bratz finally dropped one of their major Fall releases this past October: the Bratz x Mean Girls collection. But, like with any Bratz release in recent history, the Mean Girls launch received less-than-enthused feedback from fans and consumers for unexpected reasons.
Having debuted in 2001 and experiencing some of its peak popularity in the mid-2000s, the Bratz brand makes perfect sense to base a collection off the 2004 cult classic film Mean Girls—but did this collection experience the success it truly deserved, or did fans get burned during this launch due to its inaccessibility? There are a lot of thoughts to be had about the Bratz x Mean Girls collection, and the online Bratz community has especially been vocal about what has now become a controversial release for the brand. This release may have been destined for controversy since before its launch, having been accidentally leaked by one of MGA’s licensing partners this past May and again by MGA Entertainment CEO Isaac Larian in late August. This collection had all the potential to catapult Bratz back into high status in the toy industry—truthfully, it probably still could despite the unfortunate circumstances that came with the launch.
I was fortunate enough to receive the PR kit for the Bratz x Mean Girls dolls, though I have admittedly not wanted to post much about the collab post-launch. After some time to sit with the collection and the response that MGA Entertainment has received, I want to share my own thoughts about the dolls and rollout.
Regardless of the controversy, I want to thank MGA Entertainment for gifting me the collection because it does mean a lot for me—an independent creator—to be recognized for my work. Some people may be upset that I received the set (though I feel the majority probably isn’t and it’s just some of the negative people being loud), but I do want to clarify that I did not know how this rollout was going to play out nor did I have specific launch details aside from what was shared publicly on the official Bratz social media accounts. I received the dolls in advance of their official release and posted about them before, though some have claimed that I am gloating about receiving the dolls for free, but please know that never was or will ever be my intention and it’s awful that people chose to run with that narrative.
That’s enough context. Without further ado, my review of the Bratz x Mean Girls collab is finally here! All opinions stated in this article are my own and, despite receiving the dolls from the company, this is not a paid or sponsored post. Every review I post is done out of passion for the Bratz brand. In fact, this website and a majority of what I put out on social media is fully funded by me. Now, let’s dive in!
The Packaging
Packaging and presentation are key components to me when it comes to dolls, especially with Bratz. Previous collector releases from the brand have seen unique packaging for the Bratz brand, so I was intrigued to see how MGA would package this collection as it involved a popular intellectual property (IP). Though most Bratz packaging has kept to some form of a trapezoid shape, I was pleasantly surprised that MGA opted to go with a square shape to resemble the film’s infamous “Burn Book” prop. I love when Bratz maintains its funky box shapes, but modeling the packaging after the Burn Book was the right call in this case!
Cady and Regina have the same packaging layout—the outer layer is the Burn Book with the Bratz logo at the bottom, artwork on the sides with letters that spell out “Burn Book” when you collect all three sets of dolls, and the back features additional artwork and quotes from the film. When you open the box, which has a magnetic closure, the inner binding has more artwork and quotes along with a flap resembling a ripped page that holds a sticker sheet. On the other side is the doll and accessories underneath a plastic cover with metallic versions of the Bratz and Mean Girls logos printed on them. I love the positioning of the Mean Girls logo because it resembles the original movie poster. The doll is displayed in the middle of the box, with accessories off to the sides and notecards that read iconic quotes from the film.
The Karen and Gretchen 2-Pack is different from the single Cady and Regina dolls, being double in size and opening up like a book to reveal a doll on each side. The artwork and names are directly printed on each plastic cover in the 2-Pack, a detail that I feel would have also looked nice on Cady and Regina’s boxes.
I do not have many qualms about the Bratz x Mean Girls packaging, truthfully. I absolutely love the concept and execution of the Burn Book packaging and how the boxes can be lined up for display. An added bonus is that the cardboard backing that hold the doll and accessories is removeable and there is a printed background behind it, allowing for more display options with the boxes that does not leave any damage. The plastic covers are also easily removeable, which is another plus in case in-box collectors need to fix something in the box. The boxes are just about perfect, though I do wish the artwork was more based off the 2004 style art—but, this is not a dealbreaker and the artwork is still really nice! The packaging is a perfect homage to Mean Girls and makes the collab feel extra special.
The Dolls ‘N’ Fashions
Unsurprisingly, the dolls and fashions are modeled after the actresses and costumes from Mean Girls. Each character comes with their first “On Wednesdays, we wear pink” outfit, while the second outfits vary.
Starting with Cady, she comes dressed in Damien’s oversized pink polo, baggy jeans, and a pair of classic Bratz sneakers. For her second outfit, Cady comes with her black minidress with a pink stripe as seen in the party scene of the film. A small criticism is that the dress could have been complimented with leggings like it is in the movie, but the look is still nice—especially in comparison to Cady’s first outfit. I understand including the dumpy outfit for Cady because it is unique to her character and contrasts the Plastics, but I would have preferred a different outfit that focused on the more fashionable moments from the movie. Nonetheless, the outfits are well-constructed and I do not have many issues with the quality control of the clothing pieces. Cady also comes with a colorful fabric Louis Vuitton purse with Bratz “B” and Mean Girls “MG” emblems, stars, and lips printed all over it—this is meant to resemble the knockoff LV bag that Cady wears in the film as she takes over Regina’s spot as HBIC at North Shore High.
Moving on to the Plastics, each of these character’s second outfit is their “Girl World” Halloween costume. Regina’s first outfit includes her iconic “A Little Bit Dramatic” t-shirt paired with a pink cardigan and pleather black miniskirt, with her second outfit being a Playboy-inspired bunny costume consisting of a leotard and tights paired with a bunny ear headband. Regina also comes with a LV-inspired purse similar to Cady’s with a different construction. Gretchen wears a long-sleeve pink corduroy shirt and a Burberry-esque plaid skirt and comes with an additional black pleather jumpsuit with a pink leopard cat headband, while Karen comes with a long sleeve pink top with a purple bow printed on it with a pink patterned miniskirt and comes with a flowy black top and shorts along with a mouse ear headband. Gretchen also comes with a metallic blue purse with a real-working zipper that is constructed very nicely, while Karen comes with a cute pink crossbody purse. All of the shoe sculpts are re-used from the 2000s, which is fitting as the fashions represent the mid-2000s.
All in all, I have no notes about the quality of the fashions in the Bratz x Mean Girls collection. The construction of the headbands is impressive and mimics real-life costume headbands. However, like I said about Cady’s doll, I wish the second outfits were different choices. I appreciate the risk of including the girls’ Halloween costumes, but there are other iconic looks from the movie that I feel could have been better suited for this collab, such as the looks the Plastics wear during their iconic teen movie slow-motion hallway strut before Cady takes a tumble into a trash bin—Cady and Karen’s outfits would’ve translated perfectly to Bratz form. in my opinion! Bratz has always been risky in some of its creative decisions fashion-wise and I appreciate the company replicating movie moments that aren’t considered “fashionable” compared to other looks, but I do wish that “passion for fashion” was at the forefront of this collection while still paying homage to the film.
The Faces ‘N’ Heads
Though the faceups of each Bratz x Mean Girls doll is reminiscent of previous Bratz screenings, each character technically has a new screening based off an old one. In my opinion, all of the new faceups are stunning and represent each character pretty well! Cady’s screening feels like a mix of Talking Cloe and Sasha’s screenings, sporting a fun side eye moment with a gorgeous makeup palette. Regina’s screening bears a resemblance to a few classic Bratz screenings, namely Winter Ball Beauty Cloe and Flashback Fever Cloe. Karen’s screening is most definitely inspired by Formal Funk Cloe and/or Dana, while Gretchen’s faceup reminds me a lot of Wintertime Wonderland Sasha—the doll overall reminds me of Designed By Jade, who uses the WW Sasha screening.
Although it has been confirmed plenty of times, I am happy to re-confirm that the Bratz x Mean Girls dolls use the original 2001 closed and open mouth head sculpts rather than the UV-revised sculpts. However, I am unsure if the spray or sticker method was used for the face application. I have a feeling that the sticker method may have been utilized, but the faceups look very clean and I have seldom seen face application errors with this collection aside from some messy lipliner applications.
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. I personally do not care as long as the dolls look good.
The Hair
Like every other Bratz release over the past three years, the Bratz x Mean Girls dolls have nylon hair. While I appreciate nylon hair and its versatility in styling, the quality of the nylon used on the Mean Girls dolls is subpar. Each doll is packaged with a ridiculous amount of hair gel, causing most of the dolls (at least Cady, Regina, and Karen) to have “box hair” that looks extremely messy once unboxed. Gretchen’s hair can be left in its original style if unboxed carefully, but the others definitely need to be restyled to look more presentable. Cady’s hair is a little more difficult to manage because she has metallic nylon, Regina’s hair needs to be spruced up and her bangs should be styled with caution, and Karen’s hair is extremely dry after being washed. I do not mind the simple hairstyles given to each character, but I would have loved for them to be given more layers and movie-accurate hair colors. I feel that Cady’s hair could have been a bit lighter to match Lindsay’s hair in Mean Girls and Gretchen’s hair should have been a lighter shade of brown—it would have been even better if Gretchen had a slightly olive tan skintone as well. For a more in-depth guide on treating nylon hair, check out the Lookin’ Bratz Hair Guide!
the bodies
The Bratz x Mean Girls dolls use the Collector 2018 body, which has been the standard articulated Bratz body since its debut. 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 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, and I hope MGA works on crafting new Bratz body sculpts in the future.
other features ‘N’ ACCESSORIES
Instead of an 11”x17” poster featuring character artwork like many other Bratz playline releases, the Bratz x Mean Girls collection appears to be starting a new trend for Bratz collector dolls that features a small trading card featuring artwork of each Bratz x Mean Girls character. I love the addition of these trading cards because it reminds me of classic Bratz releases that would come with trading cards! I hope this is something MGA considers adding to all future Bratz releases, along with the trapezoid peg stands that are personally my favorite stand to come from the brand. Each doll also comes with a certificate of authenticity (not pictured) that resembles a ripped notebook page. Each girl comes with a metallic pink cell phone (flip phones, of course), a pink lipstick, and the iconic Mugler-inspired star-shaped hairbrush—shades for all accessories vary. Just like many other Bratz collector releases over the past two years, each dolls comes with a dress form mannequin and stand to display their second outfits.
Some special accessories include a Kalteen bar that comes with Cady, Regina’s Burn Book, and Gretchen’s coffee cup. The Burn Book is definitely my favorite accessory because it is vital to Mean Girls lore. Something that the Bratz x Mean Girls collection lacks is jewelry. None of the dolls have pierced ears or earrings. Regina comes with a custom electroplated “R” necklace and Gretchen comes with a similar star necklace.
Where To Buy + Exclusivity
Unfortunately, the Bratz x Mean Girls dolls were exclusive to Bratz.com and several international retailers—all of which have sold out of this collection. The “super limited” exclusivity of this release has been a point of contention for many Bratz fans, with many criticizing MGA for not producing enough stock while resellers were able to use bots to hack the system and purchase more than the two-per-customer limit implemented on the site.
As I have stated before, I am not sure how many of each doll were produced nor do I have any information about potential restocks. It is disheartening as a diehard fan to know that other collectors did not have a chance to purchase this limited collection. I understand MGA’s efforts to compete with similarly structured vendors like Mattel Creations to bring limited Bratz dolls to the market, but I wish there had been more of a fair chance for people to purchase these dolls without that hassle. Mean Girls is a licensing empire for Paramount and that has only increased with the film’s twentieth anniversary this past year, so it would have made sense to release this collection in stores. Bratz x Mean Girls could have been a sell-out hit in physical retailers, especially if MGA had the opportunity to produce more with the IP like a series of Mini Bratz which could have showcased even more looks and characters from the film. I am not sure what the licensing agreement was like between MGA and Paramount, but this launch could have been so much better from a perspective of a third party. While it has generated a lot of buzz for the Bratz brand, the Mean Girls collection may go down in history as one of the worst-received launches in doll history next to some of Mattel Creations’ haphazard releases.
@lookinbratz “You’re not pretending anymore. You’re plastic. Cold, hard, shiny plastic.” Literally! 🎀 I’ve been holding off on posting the content I created in support of the Bratz x Mean Girls launch, but don’t want all my work to go to waste. 💕 As stressful and frustrating as the launch was, I hope people can still enjoy some fun fanmade content! Stay tuned for the review on the Lookin’ Bratz website and the unboxing video on my YT channel! 💜 #LookinBratz #Bratz #MeanGirls ♬ original sound - Lookin’ Bratz AKA Dom
It seems that MGA experienced the same misfortune with the recent Karol G doll release and announced a restock of this doll due to fan demand. Again, I do not know the ins-and-outs of the Bratz x Mean Girls release, but I do hope there is a chance MGA and Paramount consider relaunching this collection because it has left a bad taste in many fans’ mouths—including mine.
Overall Thoughtz
Overall, as much as I dislike the rollout for this collection, the Bratz x Mean Girls dolls are pretty solid and are near-perfect. I would have changed some of the outfit choices and hair quality along with the way the dolls were launched, but everything else is what I want from a current Bratz doll: two nice well-made outfits, fabric purses, cute accessories, and gorgeous faceups that are reminiscent but not quite the same as previous screenings. Had the launch gone smoother than it did, I feel that this would have been the brand’s most-celebrated launch as the past few years of releases have had a very mixed reception from fans. I truly hope MGA takes fan feedback into account. And, if there is a need to do exclusive Bratz.com launches, find a way to control the pesky reseller bot issue that is plaguing these launches—even if it comes down to retracting all orders with more than two dolls being shipped to the same location. I hope this launch does not tarnish the brand’s future and that upcoming launches are more accessible.
Thank you again to MGA Entertainment for gifting me this set of the Bratz x Mean Girls 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, 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! Unfortunately, my Facebook page has been hacked and will no longer be in use—if you see future posts on there, it is not from me.
Until next time…
xoxo
