Barbie takes on a whole new look with the adventurous "Princess Liana" -- the character she plays in the movie "Barbie and the Diamond Castle." This singing Barbie comes with a dress that "magically" transforms from "plain" to "fancy" and has the trademark long, blonde hair that little girls love to brush. With her jeweled purple tiara, this Barbie is sure to delight aspiring princesses age 3 and up--whether or not they've seen the movie.
"Princess Liana" Barbie has beautiful blonde hair topped with a tiara. View larger. |
Her dress flips from plain to fancy with the turn of a knob. |
 | What We Think
Fun Factor: 
Durability: 
(what this means)
The Good: Sparkly dress, jeweled tiara, and light-up pendant turn this Barbie into a true princess
The Bad: Barbie's dress can't be removed
In a Nutshell: Little princesses everywhere will love playing with her | At a Glance
Ages: 3 and up
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Sparkly yet Sturdy Your little girl can play with this Barbie right out of the box. Parents might need to show younger kids how to flip Barbie's dress over with the turn of a knob (the instructions tell you how). You might also need to point out the tiny button that makes Barbie sing a song from "Barbie and the Diamond Castle," but once they know where it is, even little ones will be able to find it quickly.
The stiff material of Barbie's purple, pink, and orange sparkly dress will stand up well to lots of play. Her matching purple, high-heeled shoes, on the other hand, could get easily lost or swallowed. Parents should help with the delicate operation of cutting Barbie's tiara free from the plastic that binds it to Barbie's head. Afterall, every princess likes to take off her crown once in a while!
A Barbie with Bling
This Barbie has a lot of bling -- from the dress that makes a "bringg" sound when it flips from "plain" to "fancy," to the pendant that lights up during this same operation. Barbie's fancy dress, with a sparkling pink bodice and layers of shimmering orange gauze over pink "silk," will dazzle every girl. Plus, it looks just like the dress that Princess Liana wears in the movie.
Your child will also love being able to remove Barbie's purple tiara with its orange jewel and the purple shoes that perfectly match her dress. If your child has the "Princess Alexa" doll (also based on a character from the movie), the two dolls can sing a special duet together while holding hands. And, of course, how could you forget Barbie's hair? Long, silky, and lustrous, girls will love brushing it with the heart-shaped gold brush that's included.
A Princess from Head to Toe
We appreciated the whole princess-like package -- the tiara, the sparkly dress, the light-up pendant. Everyone child dreams of being royalty and we think think this singing Barbie will hit just the right note with your own would-be princesses. It would be nice if you could remove her princess dress for those days when Barbie wants a more casual look, but that isn't the case here. We like the hairstyle that Princess Liana sports (with two sections of hair knotted together at the nape of her neck), but we worry that younger girls might accidentally muss it with inadvertent brushing and end up with a bad-hair day for Barbie. These minor criticisms aside, we think this Barbie will be a hit with little girls even if they haven't seen the movie "Barbie and the Diamond Castle." If they have seen it, they'll love their Princess Liana Barbie even more!
What's in the Box
Singing"Princess Liana" Barbie with two-in-one dress and light-up pendant, shoes, tiara, and hairbrush.
DVD ~ Gino Nichele
by Mary Man-Kong
