Naturally Perfect Dolls was an independent doll brand that was started by a husband and wife. The company began with great vision.
The idea was to create dolls of various ethnicities. This was unique, as most doll brands are primarily Caucasian, unfortunately.
However, the promising venture did not pan out, ultimately. Luckily there are other dolls of this sort still available today.
The Naturally Perfect Dolls
These figurines are 18 inches. There are 4 models: Angelica, Camyn, Brielle, and Kennedy. These dolls have lovely medium to dark shades of skin, beautiful eyes, and dark natural hair that is thick and curly.
The dolls sold for $84.99 apiece -a steep price, but one that many considered worthy. However, a lot of people did not ultimately receive their dolls, sadly.
Why Naturally Perfect Dolls Came to Be
Naturally Perfect Dolls came into being when two parents realized that their child was insecure and unhappy.
Their names were Jason and Angelica Sweeting. Their daughter said that she felt she could not be pretty because she was not blonde and pale.
Her parents said that they were devastated by this confession. This was what spurred them to create Naturally Perfect Dolls.
These dolls have dark hair, dark skin, and dark eyes -made to suit various ethnicities, ideally.
Naturally Perfect Dolls came to life in 2015. The Sweetings managed to raise $84,000, as well as 1,300+ backers on Kickstarters initially.
Naturally Perfect Dolls Was on Shark Tank Successfully
In 2017, the Sweetings managed to get on Shark Tank. This is a popular show where a panel of 5 judges decides whether or not to support a business venture. The Sweetings showed up in episode twelve, season 8, in January.
On the show, Jason said that naturally, dolls wanted to change the beauty standard, one doll at a time. This, while focusing on individualism and diversity. He stated that everyone has their differences. He continued that those differences shouldn’t be ignored, but rather accepted and celebrated, ideally.
4 of the judges said no. One judge stated that the competition was too fierce, while another said that their plans were too shaky. This was shown to be good foresight, ultimately.
However, the 5th judge, Daymond John, decided to support the Sweetings and their company. He agreed to invest $200,000. This in return for a 30% stake in the company. He also secured the promise of 10% to charity.
The result? Naturally Perfect Dolls sold out their entire inventory.
The End of Naturally Perfect Dolls
From this auspicious beginning, Naturally Perfect Dolls began to go downhill.
First, their website was shut down, due to issues with Trademark.
Next, it came out that Daymond John had lost faith and withdrawn. This, of course, lost the company $200,000 in seed money. Things did not improve from there.
Soon, Naturally Perfect Dolls were not sending out orders as they should be. 800 or more people ended up both without refunds, or dolls for Christmas.
The reason was unclear. The Sweetings sent out apologies. They said that the Chinese New Year was to blame for the shipping delay.
In the end, the dolls never showed up. Kids and parents alike were very unhappy. They sent out complaints, to no avail. Naturally Perfect Dolls ceased to be.
While some consider Naturally Perfect Dolls a scam, others hold that the Sweetings merely lacked business sense. They did not effectively manage the company.
So, it was a nice idea, but a sad story.
Compare These Alternatives to Naturally Perfect Dolls
There are other multicultural dolls available today, fortunately! Heart for Heart Girls and Queens of Africa are the best of these. There is also a black doll option from Barbie.
Heart For Heart Girls
Heart For Heart Girls says that their mission is to encourage others to celebrate diversity.
They want to motivate girls to make a positive change in their lives and the community.
For each of these dolls sold, Heart for Heart Girls donates $1 world vision and their humanitarian programs in the respective doll’s country.
Heart for Heart Girls offers 10 doll options, each of a unique ethnicity.
These are:
- Consuello
- Dell
- Lauryce
- Mosi
- Nahji
- Nyesha
- Rahel
- Shola
- Tipa
- Zelia
Each doll comes with a distinctive appearance, background, and story.
At $40, these are some of the most costly multicultural dolls out there. Still, they are only half of the Naturally Perfect Dolls asking price. This is considered a fantastic deal by many.
Queens of Africa
Queens of Africa states that they have created black dolls, with sub-Saran heritage.
They share these facial features and skin tone. They feature authentic African American hairstyles, and these possess volume and natural beauty.
Queens of Africa has 3 unique figures available. These are:
- Nneka
- Azeeza
- Wuraola, which has limited availability
These dolls sell at $10-$12 dollars, roughly -a great deal less the Naturally Perfect Dolls. From Queens of Africa, the price is right, certainly.
Barbie Fashionistas 59 Pink Halter Floral Skirt Doll
Honestly, Barbie is seriously lacking when it comes to ethnicity variety. They do have a couple of dolls of color available.
One of these is Barbie Fashionistas 59 Pink Halter Floral Skirt Doll. This comes with a vibrant dress, bangle earring accessories, and hair in a gorgeous, natural afro style.
The Barbie Fashionista 59 Pink Halter Floral Skirt Doll is marked at $25 online. This beats Naturally Perfect Dolls out pretty easily, at less than half the price.
As you can see, what happened to Naturally Perfect Dolls is a complicated story. There is still debate over whether they meant well, or poorly.
Most likely, the Sweetings simply managed the company inefficiently.
While this was bad news for customers at the time, the good news is that there are other quality, dependable multicultural doll companies out there today. You may also be interested in our guide on FurReal Friends Star Lily Unicorn Review