Review of Hearts For Hearts Doll Lauryce From New Orleans, Louisiana

PRODUCT DETAILS:
UPC:  043377151373
Brand:  Hearts For Hearts
Produced:  2012
Company:  Playmates Toys
Made in China
Warnings:  Not for children under 3 years due to choking hazard.















Web address:  hearts4heartsgirls.com
Recommended for:  Children 6 years or older
Doll Name:  Lauryce
Doll Size:  15 inches (38 cm)
Hair Color:  Blonde
Eye Color:  Light Hazel
Package includes:  1 fifteen inch doll dressed in a purple white polka-dot bandana, silver heart shaped earrings, dress, underwear, four multi-colored bangles, silver heart bracelet, pink shoes.  Package also comes with a bracelet, a comb with an extra rubber band, a booklet, and a code to access the kid-friendly web site that has games.
Doll movement:  Head can move side to side and nod up and down, arms rotate in sockets, elbows don't bend, legs go up and down, knees don't bend.  Eyes do not close and have painted on eyelashes.  Doll can stand on her own and sit down as long as she is propped against something or hands are put behind her.
Doll Composition:  Vinyl.  Eyes may be glass.
Doll Biography:  Lauryce is from New Orleans, Louisiana in the United States.  When she was four years old, Hurricane Katrina devastated much of New Orleans.  Lauryce's home was damaged, but her family was fortunate to have a home to come back to.  Lauryce is an animal lover who owns a cat named Sookie, a bunny named Pearl, and a dog Named Rowley.  Lauryce is Creole.  Her father is a high school history teacher and her mother is an artist.  The hurricane inspired the family to help others.  Lauryce and her best friend are active in helping the local animal shelter.  Her parents sponsor two Haitian children.
Carried by:  Target, Toys R Us, Amazon, Ebay
Price:  $25.99 (at Target), $27.99 (at Toys R Us)
Additional information:  Each purchase of a Hearts4hearts doll includes a donation to World Vision which helps children all over the world by education, water and hygiene, microenterprise, community development, and disaster relief.

In 2010, I had fallen in love with Hearts4hearts doll Tipi from Laos.  I got her for Halloween that year.  I planned to get Rahel from Ethiopia, but I lost my chance to get her.  Each year, Hearts4hearts releases new dolls...but unlike Journey girls, it isn't the same dolls.  Now that I know this, I might make them more of a priority.  It can be difficult to get all of them.  They tend to sell out online, and the stores don't always carry all the dolls.  Target had been the only chain to carry them, but recently Toys R Us has started to carry them too.  Of course, it is always possible to find them on places like ebay and Amazon, though you may have to pay much more for them.

I didn't realize the company had put out more dolls until a Facebook friend had shown a picture of her niece's favorite doll.  I hadn't heard of Lauryce, but I knew she was a Hearts4hearts doll.  They have a rather unique appearance...mainly due to the speckled eyes which can sometimes give them a creepy stare.  I was aware of the dolls that had been put out in 2010 with Tipi:  Dell, Lilian, Rahel, Nahji, and Consuelo.  Lauryce isn't even the most recent reproduction, having been put out in 2012.  In addition, there is now Mosi and Zelia.  Not pictured on the back of Lauryce's box is Shola, who I assume was put out later.

I love cultural dolls, though I have to admit I had some ambivalence about dolls associated with a charity.  On one hand, you can feel good about your purchase because part of it will go to help those in need.  On the other hand, sometimes those dolls--particularly when they stare at you with those speckled eyes of theirs--can make you feel guilty.  I feel like they are saying, "While you are sitting there playing Star Wars Monopoly, the girl that I'm based on is starving in some filthy ghetto, probably being raped."  The biographies that come with these girls is never that gruesome or horrific, but the six o'clock news can always contribute to the old imagination.

I fell in love with Lauryce.  She is beautiful, particularly out of the box.  Some of the dolls, as I've said, can be creepy because of the unusual eyes...but Lauryce is not.  She captures the flair that New Orleans is known for.  Her hair has a coarse appearance, though it isn't coarse in texture.  It is crimped, which is beautiful...though it may be easy to comb out.  If this happens, it may also look frizzy.  I know that with Rahel, they advised using a fine comb and not brushing the doll's hair.  This advice may apply to this doll as well.

The details are wonderful, from the colorful bandanna wrapped around her head to the jewelry she wears.  These dolls are smaller than the Journey Girls.  They are fifteen inches (38 cm).  This may make finding clothes for them difficult (or making them), but Hearts4Hearts also has fashion accessories.  The dolls are roughly the same size to each other, so they could wear each other's clothes probably (though I noticed that Lauryce's arms are a little longer than Tipi's).  However, their size may be ideal for little ones.

The dolls are a perfect way to introduce your child to other cultures.  The box has an inner map that points out where the doll lives.  Sometimes they share stories from the girl's culture (like Tipi), and usually they talk about the challenges each girl faces in her life.  Aside from teaching your child about other countries and other cultures, it also introduces the concept of charity.

Hearts for Hearts Tipi from Laos when I first got her in 2010.  Notice the color of her eyes.

Hearts for Hearts Tipi from Laos in 2014.  Notice how her eyes have changed color.

The dolls are well-made.  However, I have noticed some problems with them that people should note before purchasing them (particularly if you have to pay a lot of money for them).  One, some of them...their hair might get messed up over time.  My Tipi doll has wonderful hair still, even though she is now four years old.  Lauryce, though, may not hold up as well because her hair is dryer and because of how it is styled.  The speckled eyes...I don't know whether they are glass, but they change color over time.  I know that in the old days, when dolls had glass eyes, they often got milky cataracts over time.  These dolls don't get cataracts (or at least, my Tipi hasn't developed them).  However, the eye color will change.  Tipi started out with brown eyes.  Four years later, as shown in the photos above, her eyes have turned purple.  Another problem is that they tend to get a grayish tint to their skin over time.  On Tipi, it isn't that noticeable.  However, I have seen some used Rahel's...and on her the skin is creepy.  She looks like a zombie.

However, I have to say that I do love these dolls...even though some of them can creep me out.  I'll probably try to collect as many as I can.  The little flaws may matter to some people.  I would urge parents to consider them if they have young children.  Sometimes you can scare your child to death with such things.  I remember when my mom bought me a crawling doll (that made mechanical noises) and a life size doll (who also had glass eyes that were fluorescent in the dark).  I went to bed in terror every night that they were going to eat me.  However, others may overlook these imperfections and fall in love with these dolls...finding a special place in their heart for them. <3