An In-Depth Review of Las Reinas by Paola Reina

We are always on the look out for dolls of quality. As we already stock much of Paola Reina's Gorjuss line and also their Las Amigas line, we keep looking at all the other products they make. They make a series of baby dolls and we may look into that in the future, but adult collecting and customizing is where Bbeauty Doll's main focus lies and so we were excited to learn about the Las Reinas line that Paola Reina has created.

Lidia

Las Amigas (the 13" Paola Reina doll line) has a number of doll choices in non-articulated and articulated options. There are a lot of them, but we found that the same molds get used over and over and just the hair, eye color, or sometimes only the outfit changes so we carry a select number of the dolls that we believe have the cutest options and most desirable collectability. Las Reinas has 6 available dolls in the 23" size range as follows:

Alma - Alma is Sandra with blonde hair and a different outfit

Maru - Maru is Sandra with a different outfit

Lidia - Lidia and Rose share the same face mold, oval face and angled chin

Rose - Rose is the same as Lidia with different hair, freckles, and eye color

Olga - Olga is a unique face shape but has the same lips as Sandra

Sandra - Has a round face almost Cabbage Patch shaped

Sandra

All dolls are vinyl with stationary eyes and delicate real lashes (just on the top) and articulated with pin joints at the elbows and knees. They have twist heads, hands, and feet that rotate up to 360 degrees, although you don't need to do that for most pose variety. They depict a child between 8 and 12 in our guestimate, some molds can look older depending on how they are dressed and styled.

Las Reinas Dolls by Paola Reina Actual Measurements (In Person):

Height: 23" or 58cm

Head circumference with hair: 15"

Bust: 12"

Waist: 12"

Hip: 14"

Leg Length: 11" (to joint)

Sleeve Length: 6.5" (shoulder to wrist)

Arm Length: 9" (shoulder to tip of finger)

Neck to waist: 4"

Waist to floor: 14"

Wrist: 3.5"

Bicep: 5"

Forearm: 4.5"

Thigh: 7.5"

Calf: 6.25"

Shoe sole: 3.25"L x 1.75"Widest point at toes   x 1.25" smallest point at heel

Shoe Size:

83mm x 45mm

American Girl shoes do not fit, My Twinn shoes are too long

Clothing:

My Twinn bodies are a lot wider even though they are of similar size almost like the difference between American Girl and Gotz Happy Kidz. However, they can actually wear some of American Girl Clothes as their body measurements are similar to American Girl. Because their arms are wide spread compared to American Girl, they can only wear clothes that velcro/separate all the way down such as American Girl t-shirts. Dresses can also work if the opening in the back is long enough. Their arms are slightly thicker than American Girl so t-shirts fit because they stretch, or sleeves that have extra room and are blousy. Short sleeves work the best. Elastic based skirts also fit although knee length skirts appear as mini skirts at thigh level because of their long torso and height, and shirts are a bit mid-driff. Still they are a viable option if finding clothes is more difficult and you don't sew.

Our Review of this Doll:

It's nice to see a doll of quality in this size range and articulated. We've seen much higher pricing for larger articulated dolls, and they make a great base doll for customizing as well. When looking at the longevity of a doll, the more generic and unattractive dolls are always the first to get discarded and the ones that can't be repaired after they've been "loved" and used are second to go. Not all collectors and parents can "restring" so this jointed doll might be easier long term to keep up. The mobility on the doll is really fun as it's got a lot of twists and turns and bends to play around with.

Mobility:

• The doll's head twists side to side but not up or down and does not tilt.  

• The arm twists up and down at the shoulder, has an elbow joint allowing the doll to bend up

• The wrists twist 360 degrees allowing palm up, a wave, reaching out for a hug, etc.

• The knees have a knee joint allowing the knee to bend for a sitting position or posing with the knee bent.  Note when the leg lifts the knee's gravity slightly bends so it doesn't do a straight leg in the air very well.  It's more of a bent leg in the air.

• The leg has 360 degrees twisting capability, paired with the knee joint and arm mobility, a variety of poses can be achieved.

• The foot twists 360 degrees allowing the toes to face forward or turned out at different angles,  It can rotate completely around, but most motions will be to the left or right for leg poses.

What we love about this doll:

The doll slides easily in and out of it's box, which is nice if you want to look at the doll up close without fully removing it.  It's held by elastics on hooks to easily unhook to release the doll, and can be re-attached fairly easily to the neck and legs. As soon as you slide her out, a delightful smell of vanilla encompasses which makes the doll feel upscale already.  But not only that, the hair is incredibly silky and soft which is a happy delight from the dolls available in this size from other brands.  The joints operate very smoothly and the mobility you get from the doll is amazing.  This makes playtime with this doll incredibly fun and interactive and posing her in different ways makes her more lifelike. This doll is approximately 2.5lbs in her packaging, so not incredibly heavy (American Girl dolls are similar in weight in box). Asthetically some may not like the look of the joint peg on the elbows and knees, but we like this feature because it means no re-stringing needed and simple repairs as the doll gets loved and used over time.  The clothing is well made and substantial and it's leagues above dolls sold in today's stores in terms of quality and longevity.

What we don't love:

The outfits that come with the dolls are high quality and good designs, except for Olga which I think just doesn't show her potential and makes her look dated. Paola Reina offers very little manufactured options in terms of clothing and shoes that I would actually buy, so it's up to the suppliers such as Bbeauty Dolls to create some viable options to really make these dolls come alive, but when a doll is good such as this one, it's worth it to support. The underwear is an open knit fabric, and given that all the clothes that come with the doll have velcro, it easily snags when undressing. The box is the last (see Packaging) below.

Olga

Packaging: 

The doll comes in a branded Paola Reina brown craft box with a slide out insert that easily lets you see the doll without completely removing from the packaging.  The box has a front large window to see the doll through the plastic and is bound inside by the neck, waist, and feet by elastic and hooks that let you easily release the doll and re-attach if you want her stored in the box and not moving.  We would not call this a collector box, it looks economical, and while it is sturdy we wouldn't recommend placing heavy objects on top.  It was likely designed to be thrown away after opening the doll.  The box has the Paola Reina logo on the top of the box, at the front, and warning labels at the back in several languages. Las Reinas dolls will be carefully packaged inside an outer shipping box to protect them during transit.

Customizing:

If you love customizing dolls, this doll has so much potential from a stock doll to transforming into an artist painted doll or a one of a kind piece.  The sculpting on the face and body leaves room for painting nails and blushing as well as doing a full face-up.  The articulation is a great feature on this doll which artists appreciate.  Just like the Las Amigas dolls that Paola Reina makes in a smaller size, these dolls are customized in much the same way and can accommodate upgrades like glass eyes, different lashes, and handmade clothing to appeal to those who love OOAK dolls.- Not recommended for children under 3 years. Contains small parts likely to be swallowed or inhaled. Absolutely appropriate for adult collecting or children 3 and up!