Barbie Life in the City Lyla - Updated 11.25.22

Barbie Life in the City Lyla comes with a headset, album, album cover, laptop, and puppy.

After seeing Lyla's prototype photos on Facebook, I knew I wanted her. Target.com was the place to go to purchase. I waited a couple of days before completing the order because I am a sucker for free shipping, and it took me that length of time to recall something I needed that I could order with Lyla.

Why I am willing to purchase something extra to qualify for free shipping when I know full well that I am falling for the free-shipping hook is a question I can readily answer. I literally want to avoid shipping at all costs. Retailers know they will increase profits from customers who take advantage of the minimum purchase offer to qualify for free shipping. But oh well... I get the doll and other items I "need," so I'm not complaining. 

Lyla wears a graphic T-shirt (a boombox on a bed of roses). The T-shirt is paired with red/yellow/and black check leggings. Black Army-style boots, a silver-studded headband, and a matching silver bracelet complete her look. In addition to the accessories mentioned in the first caption, Lyla also has a blue backpack.

Lyla arrived swiftly. She's not out of the package yet, but I've taken some initial photos to share along with a few headshot comparisons between Lyla and other dolls whose facial structure is similar (the chiseled jawline, in particular). 

Lyla's Army-style boots are visible in this photo captured from the side of the package.

Her brown puppy and a portion of her blue backpack are visible in this photo.

Head Shot Comparisons

Lyla and Claudette have a similar jawline. Claudette's cheekbones appear more defined, but this appearance might be caused by the different angles of their heads in these combined photos. Their nose and lip shapes differ.

Just to be sure of the differences, Lyla posed with another doll that uses the Claudette sculpt, BMR1959 Barbie GNC46. The differences noted above between the two head sculpts are again noted.

Lyla and Pazette's chiseled jawlines are similar; however, Lyla's face, nose, and lips are fuller.

.

Lyla is compared with Daya (Cheerful Check). Daya's face is fuller, but Lyla's nose and lips are fuller than Daya's. Daya's sculpt usually has an open smile with teeth.

This comparison was taken just to prove that Lyla doesn't look anything like Elle (Barbie Looks #2). These two use two different head sculpts.

Lyla reminds me of so many dolls, but I've concluded that she is a new sculpt with a personality all her own. I will free her soon.

06/30/22 Addendum

At the request of Black Angel, I've added an additional photo comparison below.

Lyla and Zig and Zag (Fashionista #57) compare head sculpts.

06/30/22 To:  Black Angel

While the corners of their mouths curl up the same, I believe the top lips have a different shape. Lyla's top lip has a more outward protrusion than ZiZi's. Lyla's nose is also fuller. The eyes have a different shape. They are different dolls. ZiZi's head has a copyright of 2016. I am told that Lyla's head copyright is 2021. I'll confirm this after I remove her from the box. Thank you for reading the post and for your inquisitive comment. 

7/22/22 To Anonymous, who wanted to know the "head numbers," Lyla's head and back are marked as follows:

Head: ©2021 MATTEL 

Upper Back in silver print: HGX52 / R121 

Lower Back in raised letters: ©2017 Mattel / 1186 MJ, 1, NL / MADE IN INDONESIA

11/25/22

Per request of an anonymous comment on 11/24/22, the following photo is a Lyla and Simone comparison. 

Lyla and Simone comparison photo

Lyla and Simone do not share the same head sculpt. The shapes of their noses and mouths differ. The corners of Lyla's lips are upturned while Simone's are not. Lyla's nose is slightly broader than Simone's. The tip of Simone's nose is thinner. 

Simone's head and body marks are as follows:

Head: ©2021 MATTEL
Lower Back: ©2018 Mattel / 1186 MJ, 1, NL / HBX93 (gold letters) / R091 (gold letters)

In the video at the following link, the YouTuber provides a Lyla and Simone comparison.

https://youtu.be/CgbVAPxdoqA?t=1101

©Black Doll Collecting/dbg

There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.

__________

Thank you for reading. Comments that are not spam are appreciated. Spam comments will not be published, so don't waste your time. To contact me directly regarding dolls or any of my posts, please use the contact form on the right of the home page, which is visible in "web view." A link to web viewing should be visible at the bottom of this page.

If you're not already a subscriber, visit, "like" and follow the Black Doll Collecting Facebook page or bookmark the Black Doll Collecting home page and visit on Tuesdays and Thursdays when typically new posts are published.

Check out what I am selling here. 
Check out my eBay listings here.
Please follow my sister blog Ebony-Essence of Dolls in Black.
*New*Visit/Follow DeeBeeGee's Virtual Black Doll Museum
Donate here to support this blog. Thank you!

Integrity's Dree Hill and Tobias Alford Meet

Tobias lays eyes on Dree Hill for the first time and eagerly awaits her release from the box.

Tobias had to get dressed before he could meet the new lady in town, Dree Hill.  (Dree is part of the 2015 Integrity Toys Cinematic Convention Color Infusion Style Lab.)

Tobias Alford looks dapper in his borrowed pieces from others.

Using on-hand clothing and shoes, I managed to create something suitable for Tobias to wear.  His gray turtleneck and houndstooth jacket were borrowed from Fashion Madness T. J.  T. J.'s denim jeans were too short for Tobias.  A pair of Old Joe Infirmary-tagged black jeans have to do for now. To give the OJI jeans a little more length, I used a hot iron to crease them.  While creating the center crease, I held the hot iron firmly on the jeans as I pulled the jeans at the waist from underneath the firm pressure of the iron.  While still warm from iron heat, after creating the crease, I stretched the fabric even further by holding the waist area in one hand, the end of the pant legs in the other as I pulled each end.  This did not add very much length but enough was added for the hem to now cover his ankles.  Tobias' black loafers were borrowed from an unknown Ken fashion.

A Closer Look at Dree

Dree Hill has a sultry vibe reminiscent of Marilyn Monroe and the more contemporary reality TV star, Evelyn Lozada.

The lovely Dree has a tan complexion, hazel eyes with applied eyelashes, and blonde hair with flipped ends.  She has a beauty mark above her left upper lip.  Dree stands a full 12 inches tall and is articulated at the waist, elbows, wrists, and knees.  Sold nude, an extra pair of hands was attached to the side panel of the box.

The shape of the extra hands is not very different from her attached pair.

Height and complexion comparison between Dree and Pazette (the 2013 Holiday Barbie)

Dree Gets Dressed and Meets Her Man

Integrity Toys (IT) Rebel Desire fashion

I purchased the Rebel Desire IT 2015 Cinematic Convention-exclusive fashion for Dree, which consists of a black fitted blouse with outer buttons and hook and eye inner closure, black pencil skirt, black pumps, two silver bangles, silver dangle hoop earrings, and a lavender baseball-style jacket.

Minus the lavender jacket, Dree is dressed in the Rebel Desire ensemble with blouse untucked.

Looking quite stylish, Dree took this close-up (blouse is still untucked).

Blouse is tucked in creating the intended look.

The lavender baseball-style jacket completes the ensemble.

With all the attention Dree was getting, Janay became a little envious.  To put her at ease, she was invited to participate in the photo shoot.  (Not to worry, Janay, you remain my favorite IT Color Infusion doll.)

Finally, Tobias and Dree have made a connection.  I sense an intense amount of chemistry between the two.

Close up of the lovely couple.

Post Contributors

I would like to thank Janay, Tobias, and Pazette for extending a very warm welcome to Dree.

After the photo shoot, Dree and Tobias remained in the studio for a lengthy period of time getting to know one another better.


dbg

Quick and Unusual Afternoon Post - Pazette's Redress (Actually 2013 Holiday Barbie)

2013 Holiday Barbie preparing for a well-deserved redress

2013 Holiday Barbie was one of my doll Christmas gifts from a a friend.  I wanted this doll because of the Pazette head sculpt, which was first used on Stephen Burrow's doll of the same name (in ebony complexion).  My plan was to give her an immediate redress.  Plan completed.

Cardboard was used to line the skirt of 2013 Holiday Barbie's dress.  Tsk, tsk, tsk.

During the deboxing process, I was shocked to discover the cardboard Mattel tacked underneath the front of the skirt.  I call this cutting corners to the extreme.  They probably feel most "collectors" will keep the dolls boxed and will never know. 

Color Infusion Janay "allowed" Pazette to borrow her tribal chevron-print dress.  She is wearing shoes from a Barbie fashion purchased from Target prior to the holidays.  (See next photo.)

The clutch she holds was made for Janay earlier this year.  (Yes, Janay allowed Pazette to borrow that, too.)  Her earrings are her own, but they will be replaced soon.

Pazette models the tribal chevron-print dress made by Shasha.

I think she looks lovely in her borrowed things (not as lovely as Janay), but lovely enough.  

A possible additional plan is to upgrade her ModelMuse body to an articulated one.  I have not made a final decision on whether or not I will follow through with this, but more redressing will definitely be done.


dbg