Sunsational!

Malibu Barbie, first released in 1971, has become one of the most iconic dolls of the entire line -- no small feat given Barbie's long history. It seems everyone has heard of her. What a lot of people don't know is that there have been many Malibu Barbies. That original line was actually called Sun Set Malibu, and throughout the 70's and early 80's the line would see regular redesigns, along with slight name changes. In 1979 it was Sun Lovin' Malibu; 1984 brought us Sun Gold Malibu. The dolls I want to talk about today are from the 1982 line, Sunsational Malibu.

From the beginning Malibu Barbie has had her friends along for the ride. Ken, Skipper, Christie, P.J. -- they were in all the lines right there next to Barbie. By 1982 Barbie was well into her Superstar phase and in this particular line she's probably the least interesting of the 11.5" dolls. Over the years Christie and P.J. -- the dolls I'm discussing today -- had seen some changes themselves, to the point that by the time Sunsational Malibu came along they were sharing the same facemold! This might seem kind of odd but the mold in question is Steffie so count me in.

Being beachwear dolls, Christie and P.J. both came in slim boxes and had a minimum of accessories. Mirrored sunglasses and a beach towel are pretty much all you get in the way of extras. Oh, they also included a booklet of then-current dolls and fashions. We all know how I am about paper ephemera. Obviously I love these booklets! I actually have a bunch of these from several different eras and will do a full post on them eventually.

Despite having the same facemold these two look completely different, and I'm not just talking about their skin tone. Christie has long, black hair in a middle part. It lands a little past halfway down her back with a thick curl. She has deep brown eyes and very light yellow eyeshadow. Her lips are a natural, muted pink; she looks like she's not wearing any lipcolor at all. Her cheeks are a blushy red, as if she's been out in the sun for a few hours. I absolutely adore this doll. I purchased her NRFB (and immediately RFB as soon as she arrived -- the horror!), so she's in excellent condition. Given her Steffie face there was never a chance I would find her anything less than beautiful, but the subtle makeup and sunkissed cheeks aren't hurting matters by any means. Her hair is thick and silky, the wave lush. Her overall vibe is eager and she seems a bit breathless somehow. In 1982 she was a "budget" doll, part of a swimwear line with few accessories. Today, especially compared to current playline Barbie, she comes across quite lux.

Like Christie I purchased P.J. NRFB then went about taking her right out of that box! She has straight, blonde hair in a sidepart. It's held in pigtails by multicolored beads and lands well past her shoulders. As I mentioned earlier she and Christie share the same facemold. P.J. is also a Steffie. Again, this alone goes a long way in putting her in my good graces. P.J. has really amazing, two-toned eyes of lavender and purple. She wears matching purple eyeshadow. Her lips are salmon while her blush is a deep-ish pink. P.J.'s skin tone is an orangey tan. Her swirling, double-colored eyes give her a heavy, ethereal feel. The high-color nature of her face makes her seem a bit whimsical.

Christie and P.J. wear contrasting one piece swimsuits. They're made of a silky, ribbed knit and framed with thick ribbon that ties behind the neck. There's also a metal snap above the rear. The only embellishment is a flower blossom applique on the bust. (Remember, less is more!) Christie's suit is golden yellow with orange-red ribbon; the applique comes in the same colors. P.J.'s suit is emerald green with mint ribbon and a similarly matching applique. The suits are made of nice materials and were manufactured well. These two came directly from their boxes so I can't say for sure, but I imagine they're pretty durable. They definitely look great!

So overall these are both fantastic dolls! I'm a huge fan of the Steffie mold and it's used well here. Both dolls wear just the right amount of makeup. There's not so much that it's overpowering but there's enough there to keep the dolls from looking plain. Christie's makeup looks very natural, almost like she's not wearing any at all. P.J. looks a little more "done up" but still very realistic for a playline doll of the 80's. These two put modern Barbie to shame, that's for sure! They are among a very small handful of 80's Barbies I own, and are two of my absolute favorites.