tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30316057281605526412024-03-16T13:02:38.213+00:00Monkfish's dolly rambleBrutally honest reviews on toys, because who wants to grow up?Purple_monkfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023284779817354246noreply@blogger.comBlogger279125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3031605728160552641.post-60278687019876390762024-02-07T15:53:00.000+00:002024-02-07T15:53:17.774+00:00Style Bae by Just Play<p> I always enjoy a bloody weird doll line and this one is pretty weird. </p><p>take a paper doll, make it plastic, and inexplicably give it a 3d head despite everything else being 2d and flat.</p><p>profit?</p><p>well, let's have a look shall we?</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p>So, Style Bae is a line of "paper doll" style toys which isn't exactly a new idea. Paper doll stick on fashions have come and gone over the decades, though this one stands out because the head is a regular looking doll head. </p><p>which of course had most doll collectors scratching our heads in confusion. </p><p>Why? What? Who thought that made any sort of sense? </p><p>And at a fairly high price point (£19:99) were Justplay shooting themselves in the foot from the offset? </p><p>Well, </p><p>the line clearly didn't do well because only weeks after launch Amazon clearanced the two characters they'd gotten in to £10. £10 is low enough for my curiosity to get the better of me so I bought one.</p><p>at the time the only two available were Kenzie, the kinda punky brunette with pink streaks, and Dylan, the blonde blue eyed preppy girl. </p><p>It looks like Smyths got the other blonde in, but the black doll is, as usual for the UK, completely MIA. -_- </p><p>Is this the retailers fault? Or is it Justplay pulling an MGA and segregating the darkest skinned character to a case all of her own? </p><p>I don't know.</p><p>I don't much care.</p><p>I only care that YET AGAIN the black doll is the one absent from our shelves. </p><p>I'm tired of that shit. </p><p><br /></p><p>anyhoo</p><p>I got Kenzie, who was the one who's fashions most interested me anyway. </p><p>So let's take a look at this bizarre mashup of a doll.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvT7Mqvd9r6fhD_lEllyWV0UuAZ6MdY27H8J9GTYjFS_Mk-jSPC3W43Tq4wscD6aRMbqj1B3OYVm2gT63cF_NNYnVDOPNF8zl-r0PP0tsZGR2EXy8MkL_e0wzJ72VtR6uVOkYNd8VzG-Nko549XzOU9wBBypOavsNIg1mt6tMq9l9Eoah-pv-YMLSAj0C5/s2536/20240102_152815.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2192" data-original-width="2536" height="554" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvT7Mqvd9r6fhD_lEllyWV0UuAZ6MdY27H8J9GTYjFS_Mk-jSPC3W43Tq4wscD6aRMbqj1B3OYVm2gT63cF_NNYnVDOPNF8zl-r0PP0tsZGR2EXy8MkL_e0wzJ72VtR6uVOkYNd8VzG-Nko549XzOU9wBBypOavsNIg1mt6tMq9l9Eoah-pv-YMLSAj0C5/w640-h554/20240102_152815.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>The box is very large and certainly feels pretty deluxe. But i'm honestly not convinced it NEEDED to be this big considering 90% of the contents is flat sticker sheets. </p><p>The tagline for this doll ine is "fashions that stick" which feels... very lackluster. Could they not come up with something more interesting? </p><p>The box also boasts 850 combinations which I think is bullshit. I'll have a look at the maths a little later. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIJTaMipuBryyE4rvWTSdfeJ9BJLLRWwqaDXI257Br0tQwQWtJAAg5-VCZqU2penag5wXzmzSz3C13AfcYyJrs5ctCwWl2VGfR7jItn_88_sTaaX0haMhX5O0UXb7ggTIiYeJztrkIvWZnOQp-TpM6Lm-K93yyWDfEUGrWuFQUOhmfWYL9rcc1ktnDx04v/s2773/20240102_152819.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2773" data-original-width="2385" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIJTaMipuBryyE4rvWTSdfeJ9BJLLRWwqaDXI257Br0tQwQWtJAAg5-VCZqU2penag5wXzmzSz3C13AfcYyJrs5ctCwWl2VGfR7jItn_88_sTaaX0haMhX5O0UXb7ggTIiYeJztrkIvWZnOQp-TpM6Lm-K93yyWDfEUGrWuFQUOhmfWYL9rcc1ktnDx04v/w550-h640/20240102_152819.jpg" width="550" /></a></div><p></p><p>The bit I, and a lot of people were most curious about though was the "reusable stickers". Now, i fully expected these to be those plastic slide decals that only stick to shiny surfaces. I had a set of dinosaur ones when I was a kid, you stuck the dinos on the laminated backdrop. I loved that thing, but the dinos weren't themselves sticky. They weren't "stickers". This claims stickers, so how does that work and how durable are they? Stickers aren't exactly something that screams "reusable". they are usually pretty single use. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE7PLQWc19aT0NjDBdWIsTOtSnVLWkONf87Hw1vNQY4DJ4T5_xc3y7iqiK8vUsa0QiHZ5v3uExGwFycTTs1Ba6PvSLLXVxI2gTrCoZ0S3ZROHLy1nUaWVOH2iExkPns1xesAiAF9U7vwh_HhzW_5nZPG2004oSYiftXSd8XZTFCP6i7fXGRnMxkrM25Ia6/s2689/20240102_152825.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2297" data-original-width="2689" height="546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE7PLQWc19aT0NjDBdWIsTOtSnVLWkONf87Hw1vNQY4DJ4T5_xc3y7iqiK8vUsa0QiHZ5v3uExGwFycTTs1Ba6PvSLLXVxI2gTrCoZ0S3ZROHLy1nUaWVOH2iExkPns1xesAiAF9U7vwh_HhzW_5nZPG2004oSYiftXSd8XZTFCP6i7fXGRnMxkrM25Ia6/w640-h546/20240102_152825.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>The back of the box boasts 7 complete outfits. It also tells me that Kenzie's style is "pop punk star".</p><p>Whatever that means. Is she Avril Lavigne? That pictured outfit is kinda giving me vibes. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCXmCDuAlNWhg0oACOL_oiBXOtubCaQGf1aZ0deFYQrPw4irQ60OFlvihhJV_SwiGPcOkX_B06UAQc0ho_APPi2ORQvFsObweAUEccjus4oEhc5_6PdZOXGJqL1fisgXCAx2KI-DIFyGv6HZBF6aqjmAQS-7604sIs_yP3Q8HFTQup35Jf_ZAHNcd9x2Ko/s3056/20240102_152904.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3056" data-original-width="844" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCXmCDuAlNWhg0oACOL_oiBXOtubCaQGf1aZ0deFYQrPw4irQ60OFlvihhJV_SwiGPcOkX_B06UAQc0ho_APPi2ORQvFsObweAUEccjus4oEhc5_6PdZOXGJqL1fisgXCAx2KI-DIFyGv6HZBF6aqjmAQS-7604sIs_yP3Q8HFTQup35Jf_ZAHNcd9x2Ko/w176-h640/20240102_152904.jpg" width="176" /></a></div><br /><p>The side of the box has this lovely image of Kenzie which is so very different to her doll. Her head is small rather than huge and bulbous for a start. The pose is quite awkward and stiff feeling, but it's a decent piece. I just kinda wish they'd tried to emulate the proportions of the doll itself. I feel like doll art should LOOK like the doll you know? </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirUzm8Y08lo3rngJ1_Zsi7tehHffTwIp7elNEgX0k_iiz0ZhteC2GawtnWTR0x9XtqnF2SMFPGNuuwxmigedrlBwAgjN4JH8aNN0_S8JMMWnalI2hEnsrGqlVNZZjcoF2AatfYzAuhw-yu9bk0akbx88vBalG5ev6bfA66V3X0PDzioIlF0XOUyjXDk9Zj/s2504/20240102_153128.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2415" data-original-width="2504" height="618" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirUzm8Y08lo3rngJ1_Zsi7tehHffTwIp7elNEgX0k_iiz0ZhteC2GawtnWTR0x9XtqnF2SMFPGNuuwxmigedrlBwAgjN4JH8aNN0_S8JMMWnalI2hEnsrGqlVNZZjcoF2AatfYzAuhw-yu9bk0akbx88vBalG5ev6bfA66V3X0PDzioIlF0XOUyjXDk9Zj/w640-h618/20240102_153128.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>Curiously, the doll isn't actually boxed wearing one of her sticker outfits. it's just a piece of cardboard laid over the top of the plastic body.</p><p>This shows how oversized the box really is though. The doll takes up only half the box with the other half being a lot of empty space to hold a few things. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcBhsSKmQS12AhG_7MtGJNdzs9k2AXw3GCGr7d_YkrC2WhyphenhypheniEh6_qSfqPMV1DByKawLPfu0cbVcOFDme68b4YGDCElsvhD87ISQuCQUYYZTd2ZeZ8QfBhvCyx1bRdqNEfsF8qly0zCpajMrhClsNz1WbF8UZ5t_CzC-H2dfD3rxd-8HOozeCNNNbJko7Ke/s3404/20240102_153156.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3404" data-original-width="2052" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcBhsSKmQS12AhG_7MtGJNdzs9k2AXw3GCGr7d_YkrC2WhyphenhypheniEh6_qSfqPMV1DByKawLPfu0cbVcOFDme68b4YGDCElsvhD87ISQuCQUYYZTd2ZeZ8QfBhvCyx1bRdqNEfsF8qly0zCpajMrhClsNz1WbF8UZ5t_CzC-H2dfD3rxd-8HOozeCNNNbJko7Ke/w386-h640/20240102_153156.jpg" width="386" /></a></div><p></p><p>All that's in the other side under the leaflet are some pieces for her "clothing rack", the sticker sheets themselves and a little mystery bag. They really could have made these boxes a good 1/3 smaller and still fit everything in there. <br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1O9c4YWp2_69sYT-spHaPvsI7Qbz4cjkmYIB6zTliRUlbsPQoDplUMc9SRarfgUmFnhYHJ7i0NLPZkaVZGP8DlEbNs7_-mOTcmfdjVXaWY65ernsd5GWHdzQ0hxECsO5xEM1jXaKhiWzbSjEzY1ZdSSjO8AWMjpdFJkNDAbveV3JLMjpTG7TGAdqOqH8G/s3742/20240102_153132.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3742" data-original-width="1806" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1O9c4YWp2_69sYT-spHaPvsI7Qbz4cjkmYIB6zTliRUlbsPQoDplUMc9SRarfgUmFnhYHJ7i0NLPZkaVZGP8DlEbNs7_-mOTcmfdjVXaWY65ernsd5GWHdzQ0hxECsO5xEM1jXaKhiWzbSjEzY1ZdSSjO8AWMjpdFJkNDAbveV3JLMjpTG7TGAdqOqH8G/w308-h640/20240102_153132.jpg" width="308" /></a></div><p></p><p>The doll herself has a completely flat body made of shiny plastic and a regular, albeit kinda bulbous doll head with very soft rooted hair. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_taSUbrkmCLI8MOP6RVyQg0v7yZI1rhS4ubGUEuG6jd_J2iChyphenhyphenXflkbOAEeeVRCeXsSeAwY2DA3PdItAyW0bE2kpgqXSApEbdNv1fd_wpcrK_K1ydRO2xD16rNffrvxpCeKYMxYHbH6m6q4aeC6JWa5wqw3BHSkH4tsXI25QUgsGNfxl_dOdXlblx2_45/s2147/20240102_153139.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2147" data-original-width="1849" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_taSUbrkmCLI8MOP6RVyQg0v7yZI1rhS4ubGUEuG6jd_J2iChyphenhyphenXflkbOAEeeVRCeXsSeAwY2DA3PdItAyW0bE2kpgqXSApEbdNv1fd_wpcrK_K1ydRO2xD16rNffrvxpCeKYMxYHbH6m6q4aeC6JWa5wqw3BHSkH4tsXI25QUgsGNfxl_dOdXlblx2_45/w552-h640/20240102_153139.jpg" width="552" /></a></div><p></p><p>She has glitter eyeshadow which I would usually hate but it's actually pretty decently applied and doesn't have that horribly gritty sand-like texture a lot of glitter on dolls have. It's thicker on one eye than the other but aside from hat her face looks to be pretty evenly applied. </p><p>Another curious feature is that the eye shines in her eyes aren't white. The dots near her pupil are, but the oval shaped ones are pink?? that's very odd. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGi1gJRj9W0bMQNnPl1j5uJekxJWW5iuDKlDzvCJQk2M1W998PKUZ5N77-K9liY4CO0ZGo2GPdoTGcO_Zv4-cRlNsB-h0m1-TgPqQ9PvNfB9ZpRv2_q7CRmGMbD2BxzTdq8QSIDPF_n6gZUujGoeaKRULF-Z3k0ca02rJMo4E-fmlyOb-ocMfzMv4tCs-Y/s2656/20240102_153144.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2656" data-original-width="2617" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGi1gJRj9W0bMQNnPl1j5uJekxJWW5iuDKlDzvCJQk2M1W998PKUZ5N77-K9liY4CO0ZGo2GPdoTGcO_Zv4-cRlNsB-h0m1-TgPqQ9PvNfB9ZpRv2_q7CRmGMbD2BxzTdq8QSIDPF_n6gZUujGoeaKRULF-Z3k0ca02rJMo4E-fmlyOb-ocMfzMv4tCs-Y/w630-h640/20240102_153144.jpg" width="630" /></a></div><p></p><p>The instructions aren't particularly detailed, but they do tell me there's a little scraper thing to help remove the stickers if I need it. That's a nice addition for people who don't have decent fingernails or weaker fingers. I mean I didn't end up using it, but it's nice to know they considered it. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyRS7e-bDuGp4bECH7685owFj4Hln6xH7YmRwgt-568cypUktecTlJXa3PZlcQImymxPU6DcReHAc6qvWw8wkwHnIXhCpAGSPTHRoTL-nwhdqIrGrGt9DjZXKtwWMCwV87vv3OxbNkq2ePZYew_hCv5yaMHQ4e1JcxiLbMXaLupEfuxX03RLXI5AUby7Lx/s3057/20240102_153644.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2733" data-original-width="3057" height="572" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyRS7e-bDuGp4bECH7685owFj4Hln6xH7YmRwgt-568cypUktecTlJXa3PZlcQImymxPU6DcReHAc6qvWw8wkwHnIXhCpAGSPTHRoTL-nwhdqIrGrGt9DjZXKtwWMCwV87vv3OxbNkq2ePZYew_hCv5yaMHQ4e1JcxiLbMXaLupEfuxX03RLXI5AUby7Lx/w640-h572/20240102_153644.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>Everything that's in the box. </p><p>see what I mean about the box being crazy oversized? </p><p>So she comes with a little bag of her sticker sheets which have a coat hanger hook at the top to hang then on the clothing rail.</p><p>the silver pieces are the clothing rail itself which is a bit flimsy but serves its purpose. </p><p>then we have a pink stand base the doll's feet slot into. </p><p>a pink brush</p><p>and the "mystery baaaaaag" </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRRG8U1u-7MmKqz0McJTbFdpeYsADHmi2y95WxO7NyGpTlYQAdugm_35-lMLj-8fv5HbXWIzPYxsP4eGIIZPYaptxlJHgEEg8t8SThfuNWP2vxnSAW74gdiGJZgy8LdhCZF8o8fDnAAFXY2wvykXVZ0wIVlZ44AoSp5FtF9NwqWaNxrZrqgOKECFYP7rw_/s3435/20240102_154937.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3435" data-original-width="1679" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRRG8U1u-7MmKqz0McJTbFdpeYsADHmi2y95WxO7NyGpTlYQAdugm_35-lMLj-8fv5HbXWIzPYxsP4eGIIZPYaptxlJHgEEg8t8SThfuNWP2vxnSAW74gdiGJZgy8LdhCZF8o8fDnAAFXY2wvykXVZ0wIVlZ44AoSp5FtF9NwqWaNxrZrqgOKECFYP7rw_/w312-h640/20240102_154937.jpg" width="312" /></a></div><p></p><p>The mystery bag contains the following:</p><p>A pair of headphones</p><p>two different hair barrette pairs.</p><p>some elastic bands</p><p>a pair of pink earrings</p><p>a pink necklace</p><p>a pink choker or... maybe it's a bracelet?<br /></p><p>a silver watch<br /></p><p>the scraper tool</p><p>a pink belt</p><p>and finally, a pink phone... thing. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRApxgVWCl9hWaX_eHvg3EozOVsQyjVJh_C_54fz_tOwA1Ds9BZ_lg5OW2gAx8m0-gvEMtDk9VcdpcE9rdkDiVZPCzud2nAk8LP7cEn4Khs43QQMuLXO92BAcXNesZQ-wLTYcD2LVRQ3wetZnrHJt_jvDcvUt8PEy5aJydyCANXaa6SrnEcVkdXb6WARtx/s2778/20240102_155120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1101" data-original-width="2778" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRApxgVWCl9hWaX_eHvg3EozOVsQyjVJh_C_54fz_tOwA1Ds9BZ_lg5OW2gAx8m0-gvEMtDk9VcdpcE9rdkDiVZPCzud2nAk8LP7cEn4Khs43QQMuLXO92BAcXNesZQ-wLTYcD2LVRQ3wetZnrHJt_jvDcvUt8PEy5aJydyCANXaa6SrnEcVkdXb6WARtx/w640-h254/20240102_155120.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>I had to ram the barrettes into the brush to get them to sit in a position you could SEE their designs.</p><p>the pink ones are a giant safety pin while the silver ones just say "Bae".<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtdVXIxfB6kwCX5aI2UL7_QSdQ4rx9Ab3JMopGzE0ViXPSQ182MZKETK9D6DooVbTjqZxVe2YYTPFNLOfgT0IzYyoQ7yfdYzSOdEIglJbGRzmxPPxFFibpi0ro4bkeSEs6jjezmp385RO4FK7ethYOAO62mwN62F5nkoRx2tiLnyXNgGZgIqXD42ele8OI/s1369/20240102_155209.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1090" data-original-width="1369" height="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtdVXIxfB6kwCX5aI2UL7_QSdQ4rx9Ab3JMopGzE0ViXPSQ182MZKETK9D6DooVbTjqZxVe2YYTPFNLOfgT0IzYyoQ7yfdYzSOdEIglJbGRzmxPPxFFibpi0ro4bkeSEs6jjezmp385RO4FK7ethYOAO62mwN62F5nkoRx2tiLnyXNgGZgIqXD42ele8OI/w640-h510/20240102_155209.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>The pink earrings also say "BAE" while the silver earrings the doll was wearing in the box are little heart shaped padlocks. Cute. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAqmHavReFidnSij5XOQiLa_gWBQ2Nffz4F9TpoiYoBvrMBfgsB7zvcepzuedTQBBDxHdjmOs62MFQ44qZJxjI4tEsXVLqE39yt5av-9Dum6598QmcB-RhBb3CHL9yQBeGxJLSoROJAoZ5F_mPW5FF5ZnWFLY5D3BF_-EM8BlRY7LBWDQ4Va4xs9DGXejU/s2292/20240102_155323.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2292" data-original-width="1668" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAqmHavReFidnSij5XOQiLa_gWBQ2Nffz4F9TpoiYoBvrMBfgsB7zvcepzuedTQBBDxHdjmOs62MFQ44qZJxjI4tEsXVLqE39yt5av-9Dum6598QmcB-RhBb3CHL9yQBeGxJLSoROJAoZ5F_mPW5FF5ZnWFLY5D3BF_-EM8BlRY7LBWDQ4Va4xs9DGXejU/w466-h640/20240102_155323.jpg" width="466" /></a></div><p></p><p>Her jewellery features a pink necklace thing with a heart shaped padlock, a choker or bracelet or something with a bead effect and a big B in the middle. A heart choker and a silver watch with some other bracelets attached. </p><p>The necklace is flat and has hooks so it's not really useable for other dolls but the other pieces sure are.</p><p>The belts have this same problem, they're flat. So you can't really use them elsewhere. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig3H9FDJVDvUPHQVNlc2oHn7vOslRT-AcjMVq-js6yrg033eOsrgFn4R_JK6KoV5IgCbIJatmV0DJkxfhtgof1rMDhVR5ZTpCPV2skrmVxsasEdnSm2vCwIXOy0MIz4ff_YcUUt-ys-Sq8rfIHX856IZXyz0conltLSDZdcC3zQxX9ak1LJzEi95NWm3-y/s2284/20240102_155335.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1620" data-original-width="2284" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig3H9FDJVDvUPHQVNlc2oHn7vOslRT-AcjMVq-js6yrg033eOsrgFn4R_JK6KoV5IgCbIJatmV0DJkxfhtgof1rMDhVR5ZTpCPV2skrmVxsasEdnSm2vCwIXOy0MIz4ff_YcUUt-ys-Sq8rfIHX856IZXyz0conltLSDZdcC3zQxX9ak1LJzEi95NWm3-y/w640-h454/20240102_155335.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>I admit it took me WAY too long to work out what the hell this was. It's a big chunky rectangle with a huge loop handle on the back. I was all "wtf is this?" til it finally clicked. It's a PHONE CASE! </p><p>But it's so chunky and ill defined it just looks like a giant lozenge. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6x5hEqrWTNfa-8gCV1mbhdnLkt5kd3RJkHSyTiPLrNMbvql-wldGq7lxgbrZ6a4dhyphenhyphenGFjzVLiM6Za-eVuRvXOuAYzmBWJM2yfRF1u7leATNf7AEVcfpeisxPs51siHMtVBlvmQbm7YkmTWTUsbjLvjEL9rzL6vq2totc1IyEABbEvkMDIPuMM5t5w91ka/s2730/20240102_155515.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2730" data-original-width="2528" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6x5hEqrWTNfa-8gCV1mbhdnLkt5kd3RJkHSyTiPLrNMbvql-wldGq7lxgbrZ6a4dhyphenhyphenGFjzVLiM6Za-eVuRvXOuAYzmBWJM2yfRF1u7leATNf7AEVcfpeisxPs51siHMtVBlvmQbm7YkmTWTUsbjLvjEL9rzL6vq2totc1IyEABbEvkMDIPuMM5t5w91ka/w592-h640/20240102_155515.jpg" width="592" /></a></div><p></p><p>There are 7 Sticker sheets with a full outfit on each. Each features a top, skirt or trousers, a pair of shoes, a phone case decal and then two random extra stickers who's purpose I cannot work out. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN523eeL9QFO06Oi6JkKSWRWBdNoIy3aNsgDdbSHiVTsXQKF_nHfE5b4N8CLc8j8mAROFxJAC1SZMTKLnbqV9kEiQr6OC9ObnZ8nppVH8cqNI8kjYtMHc0QpMdu9nxZE3hG4DrMlYsk2wnlroSCE5xAc7A58-DGYSqf-lW7bxaYw6bC0A3SXfdBFxX_EqA/s4000/20240102_155525.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN523eeL9QFO06Oi6JkKSWRWBdNoIy3aNsgDdbSHiVTsXQKF_nHfE5b4N8CLc8j8mAROFxJAC1SZMTKLnbqV9kEiQr6OC9ObnZ8nppVH8cqNI8kjYtMHc0QpMdu9nxZE3hG4DrMlYsk2wnlroSCE5xAc7A58-DGYSqf-lW7bxaYw6bC0A3SXfdBFxX_EqA/w480-h640/20240102_155525.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>The outfits delight me though. These are the sorts of things i'd wear as a teenager. I look at these and can go "omg! I had a top/skirt like that!" lol. </p><p>This one is a long cargo skirt with strappy platforms and a yellow tee over a fishnet top. Very 2002 Camden Town. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuAlzw8eDzdc5nB2-Xmu8qc5qIgaF3gcNZXXXqa1etkV7N2OwNMQe8-9HJ382I0Y0MPCddNYksqxXCkMmyg20epz1SzhyphenhyphenQOX_6I6zf4GU0Tjzp-UMhFzPQcl7c_spSHRGjHun2nk8_xhrS9Opx0hjtF28-xDsOx20_9X72cmhrRmS0yjfJXWixFcolApNb/s4000/20240102_155528.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuAlzw8eDzdc5nB2-Xmu8qc5qIgaF3gcNZXXXqa1etkV7N2OwNMQe8-9HJ382I0Y0MPCddNYksqxXCkMmyg20epz1SzhyphenhyphenQOX_6I6zf4GU0Tjzp-UMhFzPQcl7c_spSHRGjHun2nk8_xhrS9Opx0hjtF28-xDsOx20_9X72cmhrRmS0yjfJXWixFcolApNb/w480-h640/20240102_155528.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>This one is a really cute plaid skirt in three different colours with straps and a pocket with with a sleeveless blouse and tie, arm warmers, chunky boots and boot covers. Ahh boot covers. I had a pair of black fluffy ones which I wore over my Swear Amazons. Damn I miss my Swear Amazons. I wore those things to destruction. </p><p>Swear still exists but their shoes are now like £200 and made to order so I can't just go into the store and try a pair on. I won't buy shoes I can't try on, I don't have the cashflow to take that sort of risk. But damn I miss those massive boots. *sigh* <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBeyUquPXSwEpyHSn0rYszN2WfObkFtuq3s8RX09QmF9Xpuv8Zz7K31lmYGGryH6XbnAyQxMEoeSLwo3R7-K5AyOQgBApsA4HboOSNO1PhYgKxQ-ajJTR-2-T29EBIoKoFnfrHFQpBjspYT4IBXDZWoJXAxQZzl-b0s6gkgaJXKXOdZ2fXPebUfPSbu1q4/s4000/20240102_155531.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBeyUquPXSwEpyHSn0rYszN2WfObkFtuq3s8RX09QmF9Xpuv8Zz7K31lmYGGryH6XbnAyQxMEoeSLwo3R7-K5AyOQgBApsA4HboOSNO1PhYgKxQ-ajJTR-2-T29EBIoKoFnfrHFQpBjspYT4IBXDZWoJXAxQZzl-b0s6gkgaJXKXOdZ2fXPebUfPSbu1q4/w480-h640/20240102_155531.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>This one is a bit less nostalgic. It's a racer style jacket over a crop top with a denim skirt and very high boots. Aside from the boots this one doesn't ping my "oh for my college years" memories. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhikibe64ZDa-hXduaFxyD76vLCCWFSmKNOmqCDw_Tb5_4dfNAQX3J0ybHCVbTo5dvadqnHRZvwGB7obKXRdJENXiXwKHTZS_it8YxETWNwNLIXa60v9dfy4jaEnSyZQ8ilf7HBIQCLT07Rq9gts5yGLWhzJupD2NdXU-znCWDc4Oko8l6VPetLNl2Ejq2T/s4000/20240102_155534.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhikibe64ZDa-hXduaFxyD76vLCCWFSmKNOmqCDw_Tb5_4dfNAQX3J0ybHCVbTo5dvadqnHRZvwGB7obKXRdJENXiXwKHTZS_it8YxETWNwNLIXa60v9dfy4jaEnSyZQ8ilf7HBIQCLT07Rq9gts5yGLWhzJupD2NdXU-znCWDc4Oko8l6VPetLNl2Ejq2T/w480-h640/20240102_155534.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>The flame shirt lol. There was a period where flames were the big thing. </p><p>the skirt looks to be vinyl or leather? </p><p>I had a pair of boots like these, though they were ankle length. I also had stripey socks like these. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCgxL27F6ZaXOHGT-x_jaW47ih46Ynt_gxwnNqDCNZ4fLjRJ2phXduO2c6enOjneygqHoKCAO_JFqBpmQqJZkz4_Ljt9TBDLgUrH1lmn9DzCk02UVxl_2U3VjeutPOvBbf3xaEL4anIacXIAmvIlylpFwDi4j-fi5xEIPhr4XqIZwxmYvVsBNK7fnnnMcs/s4000/20240102_155537.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCgxL27F6ZaXOHGT-x_jaW47ih46Ynt_gxwnNqDCNZ4fLjRJ2phXduO2c6enOjneygqHoKCAO_JFqBpmQqJZkz4_Ljt9TBDLgUrH1lmn9DzCk02UVxl_2U3VjeutPOvBbf3xaEL4anIacXIAmvIlylpFwDi4j-fi5xEIPhr4XqIZwxmYvVsBNK7fnnnMcs/w480-h640/20240102_155537.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>I would love these sneakers. </p><p>Now what's kinda cool about this one is that the holes in the jeans are actually transparent pieces of the sticker, so the legs will actually show through the holes. That's very cool because most of the time you'd expect there to be a flesh tone under that, which would restrict it to only being able to be used with the doll who's skintone matches (a bit like a lot of Bratz shoes) but by making it transparent, ALL the 4 dolls can wear these pieces. Neat. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ9xvKu-7gBdxezSnUNLXdbdGYGI530lGWlCWyJBzOIORriiKKK3iY3w8lZ-_zQ6SVuNctdpPEqQrL5fnuUllm2VIZOigOGLqs5Dy1Q4s9X4wMkqGkn_dnI8SDDeDTd2dbhITx6dvT93im6YFe78M9p-Hwy4UfwFLFZ1YtJBQtms6QFpxt_TDgBwnzJR0l/s4000/20240102_155540.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ9xvKu-7gBdxezSnUNLXdbdGYGI530lGWlCWyJBzOIORriiKKK3iY3w8lZ-_zQ6SVuNctdpPEqQrL5fnuUllm2VIZOigOGLqs5Dy1Q4s9X4wMkqGkn_dnI8SDDeDTd2dbhITx6dvT93im6YFe78M9p-Hwy4UfwFLFZ1YtJBQtms6QFpxt_TDgBwnzJR0l/w480-h640/20240102_155540.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>There's the outfit from the box! Only the shoes are different. For whatever reason. These ones have fluffy boot covers! <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtggHYk03HQQAuRcWiImWnwA6U0PiYtEcCNd_7qyly2ad_9NdN_CeC7Mcy100b_RfijTAh21eL2TB_PWRiQB0Eo78G_r7kpodiL4aq_ubeY0Rxc4MRrVTxGjbPtQRIb0KLPETWD5A59hQeosrB3fuhTzkJ47OOCJQIJa3N0WHF9D3muVwMxUKGdBVfJFnt/s4000/20240102_155543.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtggHYk03HQQAuRcWiImWnwA6U0PiYtEcCNd_7qyly2ad_9NdN_CeC7Mcy100b_RfijTAh21eL2TB_PWRiQB0Eo78G_r7kpodiL4aq_ubeY0Rxc4MRrVTxGjbPtQRIb0KLPETWD5A59hQeosrB3fuhTzkJ47OOCJQIJa3N0WHF9D3muVwMxUKGdBVfJFnt/w480-h640/20240102_155543.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p>The final outfit for some reason has a textural fur element. It looks like all the dolls have ONE piece in their collection that has this and I don't fully understand why. I don't think it adds anything, I mean if anything it stands out and looks a bit messy to me. </p><p>this one is a vinyl or leather jacket with inexplicably furry sleeves. The fur is glued onto the sticker sheet and is kinda rough. It's not particularly soft to touch, it sheds like crazy and the rough edges irritate me on a tactile level. DO NOT LIKE. </p><p>the rest of the outfit is cute though. A little plaid skirt, mismatched socks and pink platform boots. </p><p>I'm not sure if the fur can be removed. I picked at it but the glue held pretty solidly so I didn't want to push the issue. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7zDnwnXyDtbN3cGG6PL-1xIYktQrfWuVf8HyOpEbqjkV2OpHtURmBZSaUVM5VVIAvYVAat7BpCfG63lJkuNzyMwYn94jTVmQZjdR226CBgCYlaFFHNSSZIjd5BbSEOy4SlB3_nZLBkCsPZxyRQ-1zuSbS9P1Mvd_QFm4KTMAoZBRhHNk2ghpwFMHGAGuw/s3337/20240102_154816.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3337" data-original-width="1720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7zDnwnXyDtbN3cGG6PL-1xIYktQrfWuVf8HyOpEbqjkV2OpHtURmBZSaUVM5VVIAvYVAat7BpCfG63lJkuNzyMwYn94jTVmQZjdR226CBgCYlaFFHNSSZIjd5BbSEOy4SlB3_nZLBkCsPZxyRQ-1zuSbS9P1Mvd_QFm4KTMAoZBRhHNk2ghpwFMHGAGuw/w330-h640/20240102_154816.jpg" width="330" /></a></div><p></p><p>The stickers themselves peel off their backing easily and then they just stick onto the doll as you'd expect. They're made of some sort of quite tough vinyl which means they aren't included to roll or fold on themselves but they also are very difficult to tear (I tried lol) They feel pretty robust actually. </p><p>as for the stickiness, they're surprisingly sticky but not in the way stickers usually are. It's hard to explain but they aren't slide decals which aren't sticky at all, but they also aren't typical "stickers" in that they don't really stick to a lot of things that well.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiB5XvUNsRvjzQj9dVkAhTgLDVDFXl7O4YDiJqLxWfIsOmquMgtBRmAPLErLQe_-6lGvgOPawnM8qZxAwdr7hG3fo1ZJo2x44bm1WSAI5o6Mam1I-s5xDV6XAiRPV9rdVdRszPP5LOYqdAExbsldORyGUQ4vXGDCiCkwoCiSdGrFkQbEoLa2h34O5594UQ/s1744/20240102_160044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1744" data-original-width="1450" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiB5XvUNsRvjzQj9dVkAhTgLDVDFXl7O4YDiJqLxWfIsOmquMgtBRmAPLErLQe_-6lGvgOPawnM8qZxAwdr7hG3fo1ZJo2x44bm1WSAI5o6Mam1I-s5xDV6XAiRPV9rdVdRszPP5LOYqdAExbsldORyGUQ4vXGDCiCkwoCiSdGrFkQbEoLa2h34O5594UQ/w532-h640/20240102_160044.jpg" width="532" /></a></div><p></p><p>for example, they don't stick very well to the doll's head but stick very nicely to her shiny plastic body.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8QZ86PG89bUpDvEb3H2HFs-YkOuKMdFzJUdplrFguIktps9jY6OGRmDFJve9U-ECVTdXiHG9BccZRc1dXwdgdxy5XQghDshwPIIA3hIXNI8A6p_iBxiTnT5iN7mfVGfHbi7EwPh6HkXePMwTFAIFp-BHrR8eiVuc01Q6xdgxP9Kbk8Z9xgziQJwI8ZhFE/s1908/20240102_160138.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="1588" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8QZ86PG89bUpDvEb3H2HFs-YkOuKMdFzJUdplrFguIktps9jY6OGRmDFJve9U-ECVTdXiHG9BccZRc1dXwdgdxy5XQghDshwPIIA3hIXNI8A6p_iBxiTnT5iN7mfVGfHbi7EwPh6HkXePMwTFAIFp-BHrR8eiVuc01Q6xdgxP9Kbk8Z9xgziQJwI8ZhFE/w532-h640/20240102_160138.jpg" width="532" /></a></div><p></p><p>They stick to paper but they don't stay on. If you peel the edge the whole sticker comes right on off without any residue. I don't think they'd stay on paper long term, a little jostling and they'd fall right off. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggAHATrDWhUM1g33NpnL3oP-Hf8CzI0sq0Ea0I3a6me3xaym2BFdP2HHe8IMf97L_dAGAPQQsAN86UXdK8K_feQ2fa5LlHwHFejeCQmtaX22gyX9M_tQwoJhj8hMBJgEw-qkHBX2s0oi98YfShN-Codccah7Hk2vHbrdK1QUnty8vOhS41jfQBtIzywDb_/s1673/20240102_160322.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1555" data-original-width="1673" height="594" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggAHATrDWhUM1g33NpnL3oP-Hf8CzI0sq0Ea0I3a6me3xaym2BFdP2HHe8IMf97L_dAGAPQQsAN86UXdK8K_feQ2fa5LlHwHFejeCQmtaX22gyX9M_tQwoJhj8hMBJgEw-qkHBX2s0oi98YfShN-Codccah7Hk2vHbrdK1QUnty8vOhS41jfQBtIzywDb_/w640-h594/20240102_160322.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>They also don't stick that well to skin. It sticks, but only in a very gentle way. As soon as I move my hand or touch the sticker it'll peel right off again. </p><p>I'm very curious as to what the adhesive these use actually IS. It has the qualities of a slide decal in that it sticks best to shiny surfaces, but also has the quality of a sticker in that the back IS sticky and it kinda sticks to non shiny surfaces, just not very strongly. </p><p>What also surprised me is that despite sticking these stickers on just about anything I could find, afterwards they were no less sticky. </p><p>So I get the impression that the stick on these will last quite a while. Which was, ultimately, my biggest worry with the idea of "stickers" for a paper doll style figure. <br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOKvcO_rD67Sls3HiItAf08H-F61yOsuIRVHKRAwKydYc0YXTctsQ2NwGrA0ueYJIHkHFDcjmd2Hk7Opywyi8PviL8KNLBhjGqQv3-wYZyTl79RhXCNOVN-JPuGSrnCduqcLs6rQRepUqMLpBkoqvELOKDfJ6dUw9e0_ZzUdfBO0ccjMWn242PvfXPcvto/s2744/20240102_154821.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2744" data-original-width="2226" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOKvcO_rD67Sls3HiItAf08H-F61yOsuIRVHKRAwKydYc0YXTctsQ2NwGrA0ueYJIHkHFDcjmd2Hk7Opywyi8PviL8KNLBhjGqQv3-wYZyTl79RhXCNOVN-JPuGSrnCduqcLs6rQRepUqMLpBkoqvELOKDfJ6dUw9e0_ZzUdfBO0ccjMWn242PvfXPcvto/w520-h640/20240102_154821.jpg" width="520" /></a></div><br /><p>Those transparent bits I mentioned earlier btw. This is super cool and i'm way more impressed by it than I think I should be lol. </p><p>the stickers also stick well to one another, which is useful for overlapping things like the boots and pants. But like with the doll body and the sticker sheets, the pieces all unstick without much effort. You just peel from the edge and they come right off. </p><p>I'm not convinced the 3d elements add anything here. The two belts are both really chunky and hook around the waist but I feel like a sticker belt would have looked better honestly. </p><p>I mean, why not? The pieces all stick to one another and they're made of pretty tough material, so even a very thin piece shouldn't tear easily. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiMjng82lqnAlnyGuT-o0rjLVbrKaLhvN0sJ80imoWnQzTHhLo5VaOg4vG0RWEpjvKsvrujEZ_TK58pRWfd6SAja0YI6Dkxazsaf_1MmRZbSootgdkjZzqjzfBmqkzAV26f5005JVg9VUO1qfJchoND43vz61K56yh5srqkxK5lW1FIw9DCbunlwK0aM7h/s3389/20240102_160420.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3389" data-original-width="1439" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiMjng82lqnAlnyGuT-o0rjLVbrKaLhvN0sJ80imoWnQzTHhLo5VaOg4vG0RWEpjvKsvrujEZ_TK58pRWfd6SAja0YI6Dkxazsaf_1MmRZbSootgdkjZzqjzfBmqkzAV26f5005JVg9VUO1qfJchoND43vz61K56yh5srqkxK5lW1FIw9DCbunlwK0aM7h/w272-h640/20240102_160420.jpg" width="272" /></a></div><p></p><p>That said, the real rooted hair mixed with the stickers is a PAIN IN THE ARSE. It sheds all over the place and gets very easily stuck to the stickers. </p><p>also as an aside, the back of the flag plastic body is solidly red for some reason. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhApyqvesBMoljU1Iqa2mrBEmXagzniPAGaX1hTvYP0vkdX3BCAY1cDzQhPTmz9U5gqirEU5FhFUt7kjWahjw5TeoV7QLYrsJPvl6TPHIsnPWJUx4IW6u2sBcCaW0JvCedTvtSsvHko_s7gSzVuOwV795cyK5HAnRx_oXUl513ron2K1NshI-hHZUzODL5M/s3536/20240102_160617.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3536" data-original-width="2073" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhApyqvesBMoljU1Iqa2mrBEmXagzniPAGaX1hTvYP0vkdX3BCAY1cDzQhPTmz9U5gqirEU5FhFUt7kjWahjw5TeoV7QLYrsJPvl6TPHIsnPWJUx4IW6u2sBcCaW0JvCedTvtSsvHko_s7gSzVuOwV795cyK5HAnRx_oXUl513ron2K1NshI-hHZUzODL5M/w376-h640/20240102_160617.jpg" width="376" /></a></div><p></p><p>She also came with sunglasses, they fall off a lot. </p><p>She has a painted bra and panties that say "bae" on the bands. I wonder if the other girls have a different style of underwear or if they're all just different colours. </p><p>She also has a molded belly button which is a bit random given how little detail there is in anything else. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipvOTj9TmcLR3yInQNH5YKyeYvR6EJQ5toUGIiMSv6hrek_pxGv45oC1V24t2huR2SU4_0PZoi5VFoRuUfxK3jJ_0zhyphenhyphene2jkuFMZ7Yvn1nJqXNHEGdYpG7_l25LFpb75NI_eeGK-kU1XobfPC3B_Vd_arwlxk7lTbgV_QfR_X4QIyqcpEqR77P7p5vdSJh/s2760/20240102_160402.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2760" data-original-width="2400" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipvOTj9TmcLR3yInQNH5YKyeYvR6EJQ5toUGIiMSv6hrek_pxGv45oC1V24t2huR2SU4_0PZoi5VFoRuUfxK3jJ_0zhyphenhyphene2jkuFMZ7Yvn1nJqXNHEGdYpG7_l25LFpb75NI_eeGK-kU1XobfPC3B_Vd_arwlxk7lTbgV_QfR_X4QIyqcpEqR77P7p5vdSJh/w556-h640/20240102_160402.jpg" width="556" /></a></div><p></p><p>The clothes rack is very light and flimsy but the sticker sheets all attach well to it and it does at least give you something to put them on. It feels a bit high compared to the doll but i'm not entirely sure how high a clothing rail like this actually WOULD be. The ones in stores always seem to be shorter than a person so... I dunno. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi3gAUctnAUMWohdGQcCGY3iux-wkAI6LHQ8SFKVZBJnhfKH751AYF2-ghoc5mweG8HoEB94kyR0dTvguB4_QAnC2-zol807AlezF25l1MyHeAy6aT6YBzR9-gKd-sL83JHoZMyg8CJ-HJ8MPZl5ILhDCPWbTosBDzOInIVTKzNQdS1iIycXThmEpF5D-4/s4000/20240102_160026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi3gAUctnAUMWohdGQcCGY3iux-wkAI6LHQ8SFKVZBJnhfKH751AYF2-ghoc5mweG8HoEB94kyR0dTvguB4_QAnC2-zol807AlezF25l1MyHeAy6aT6YBzR9-gKd-sL83JHoZMyg8CJ-HJ8MPZl5ILhDCPWbTosBDzOInIVTKzNQdS1iIycXThmEpF5D-4/w480-h640/20240102_160026.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>Also regarding the sticker sheets, while there is a very faint outline engraved into each sheet showing where each piece is supposed to be, you can stick the pieces back on anywhere you like. The whole piece is made of the same shiny coated paper stuff. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-8K4pmffl0yZLu22FAizYbLI8iUEywW1gT-jTdGVsWWCOZQ-d1_VMH_TwAUkPqTsDDMqAsyfosW8LH_T7VkaEWXSvJytfC97RPs-Fjug4iyblXnWTFRjL4ItOaFjnYEUxQv7RFSnZaKcLusku7uszOxXv8QxUbMcZasBY43XN1Z_cRDdwhxkuWUGpsEcA/s1731/20240102_160116.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1436" data-original-width="1731" height="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-8K4pmffl0yZLu22FAizYbLI8iUEywW1gT-jTdGVsWWCOZQ-d1_VMH_TwAUkPqTsDDMqAsyfosW8LH_T7VkaEWXSvJytfC97RPs-Fjug4iyblXnWTFRjL4ItOaFjnYEUxQv7RFSnZaKcLusku7uszOxXv8QxUbMcZasBY43XN1Z_cRDdwhxkuWUGpsEcA/w640-h530/20240102_160116.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>I still don't understand the extra stickers though. WHAT ARE THESE FOR!?? </p><p>I considered maybe they could be put on the tee shirts to change up the logos and teeechnically they can, but they're oversized and only two of the outfits Kenzie comes with even has a shirt that isn't layered under something else. The flame tee and the yellow "bae" lip shirt. </p><p>Neither of these look good with these stickers on, not least because the stickers all have a fairly wide white border around the graphic. </p><p>I feel like if that was their purpose they'd have been printed transparent like the rips in the jeans were. </p><p>So what CAN they go on? </p><p>they're too big to use as patches for any of the trousers or skirts either. </p><p>and too large for the phone case.</p><p>so are they just to bulk out the piece count? </p><p>what do I stick them on? The box? Myself? The doll's arse? </p><p>Given the stickers don't stick that securely to paper I cannot see these being good for decorating your school books or anything. They'd stick fairly well to the fridge or my computer but why would I do that? </p><p>Honestly I feel like this would have worked better if they were smaller and designed to be customisable patches for the outfits. Heck, if she came with a bag you could have made them small enough to decorate THAT. </p><p>It's actually kinda odd she doesn't have a bag actually. Those are usually a doll staple. </p><p>and it's not like she has pockets for her phone.</p><p>lol. </p><p>Each of the 7 sheets comes with 2 random extra stickers, so that's 14 "i don't know what i'm meant to do with these" stickers. A waste of materials that could have been used to make an extra outfit. </p><p>I also think it would have been really cool if the outfit pieces were more separated because the way they're designed you CAN overlap them. So why not embrace that and give us a top with a jacket that can be put over the top, a fishnet top you can put under any shirt, socks you can pair with any shoes? </p><p>but this is, to be fair, the limited way most paper dolls are made. With premade complete pieces. Still... </p><p>While i'm fairly impressed with how robust the stickers feel and the design of the outfits themselves, I still think a flat doll with a 3d head looks strange and her hair gets in they way of the gimmick in a manner that's quite frustrating. </p><p>A flat plastic head and hair would have solved that problem. Heck, you could have given her a few different hairstyles that you could "clip" onto her scalp.</p><p>Anyway, my plan from the start was the rebody this head onto something 3d. </p><p>so I did some digging and found that one of the Made to Move Barbie dolls was supposed to be a good match. I went ahead and ordered the Barbie at a discount from some clearance store. </p><p>I had planned to try to use the packaging to make a flat head for the body but I think the box might have gotten thrown out so oops? </p><p>Not sure what to do with the body in that case. I mean, I can see the mixing and matching of outfit pieces being quite fun to some people but without a head it's a bit macabre.</p><p>Anyway, as it turned out, the Barbie body didn't quite match Kenzie's tanned skintone but oh well. It's close enough. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM1J2rgmxXY8Ygwi7EtyUaUI2ayBPfU4NcypGcdzlJ-uC5lm7Q7eXvObIt0m4egHXE7umOIz5R0vaTuMacq8T68RZhZVTnPmoHzmGVCwr5LCIt8loZXMWCT_-QXNkJGIp6gAH77NeH6nc8u-uw5DdhhLOz7HLihsdWhEMI5efqWSxO7TqFiVvDQXqhgs9u/s2369/20240207_152950.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2369" data-original-width="1810" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM1J2rgmxXY8Ygwi7EtyUaUI2ayBPfU4NcypGcdzlJ-uC5lm7Q7eXvObIt0m4egHXE7umOIz5R0vaTuMacq8T68RZhZVTnPmoHzmGVCwr5LCIt8loZXMWCT_-QXNkJGIp6gAH77NeH6nc8u-uw5DdhhLOz7HLihsdWhEMI5efqWSxO7TqFiVvDQXqhgs9u/w488-h640/20240207_152950.jpg" width="488" /></a></div><br /> Kenzie is a touch darker and more saturated a tan than the Barbie, but apparently the Barbie's vary wildly from batch to batch these days. Consistency isn't a Mattel priority clearly. <p></p><p>The head was very easy to pop off, it's held on with a knob and you just need to heat it up a bit to make it a little easier to yank. Similarly, I didn't have to cut or mod anything to get the head onto the Barbie body, I just had to heat it good and squishy and be a bit forceful. </p><p>She can look up but not down and she hasn't got much head tilt sadly, but she had zero tilt on the original flat body so even a teensy bit is an improvement. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoYf7XV5Fi8sXpAxw6G_eJktTN3UmcCDu0x8kfcEptRmKPV_jHOK5qxL7zt5WG9KWW0DgY57_ORx0LX-Aoc5csB9S4Ma_5Ytgzvjh1X4u77NK_DN485yS8srYH1Cpm6091YW2W3H0u6sjIsmKB_aQhEx53Z6FJg7vtjTVXWpDsGh9ptq0gQypU5Iqf7EqD/s3523/20240207_152945.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3523" data-original-width="1663" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoYf7XV5Fi8sXpAxw6G_eJktTN3UmcCDu0x8kfcEptRmKPV_jHOK5qxL7zt5WG9KWW0DgY57_ORx0LX-Aoc5csB9S4Ma_5Ytgzvjh1X4u77NK_DN485yS8srYH1Cpm6091YW2W3H0u6sjIsmKB_aQhEx53Z6FJg7vtjTVXWpDsGh9ptq0gQypU5Iqf7EqD/w302-h640/20240207_152945.jpg" width="302" /></a></div><br /><p>The body I used is the green top Yoga body:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/t3QAAOSwa~tk0hou/s-l1200.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="355" height="800" src="https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/t3QAAOSwa~tk0hou/s-l1200.webp" width="355" /></a></div><p></p><p>But as I said, it's not a great match. </p><p>I then dressed her using the green top from the original Barbie, a Sindy hoodie, a skirt from my stash which i've never ided, some rainbow high socks and some Karma's World sneakers. </p><p>Barbie has tiny little hoof feet which means you can ram them into quite a few different sorts of shoes if you're willing to bulk the foot out with socks or something. I do this a lot because I freaking HATE Barbie's tiny hoof feet. They're so disproportionate, especially on bigger headed dolls which need larger feet to balance them out aesthetically. </p><p>I managed to use Kenzie's original necklaces with some elastic bands. The choker fits fine but the necklace if you recall was quite flat and designed to hook around a flat body. It is however very soft plastic so with some elastic bands I managed to force it to shape around the new body and band it into place. </p><p>Her bag was stolen from a Ken. </p><p>I really like her now. Yes, the mismatch of skin tones bothers me a bit and I wish it was a closer match, but at the same time, a lot of dolls I have come out the damn factory with mismatched heads and body tones. </p><p>I also like the proportions of the Barbie body with the bulbous Style Bae head. I considered smaller bodies like Ever After High because her head is a similar sort of size to those heads (and similarly round) but I didn't have any on hand and decided I preferred a more My Scene-like aesthetic anyway. </p><p>Her head is definitely a lot bigger than My Scene of course. It's bigger than Monster High too. And very rounded. Ever After High is the closest similarity I can think of, but I think even then it's a bit larger. Bratz-like size maybe? <br /></p><p>The hair is really soft and very thick but Kenzie at least, doesn't have a proper part line which made styling it a little awkward. Only the very front is parted, the rest isn't. </p><p>Her face paint is done decently. It's simple, but it's crisp and clear and without smears or errors. The only issue is that the glitter is applied after and on top of the lashes, so that can cover them up completely. I ended up painting in the ones that were covered up.</p><p>As a paper doll her rooted hair gets in the way and the large 3d head and random 3d outfit elements feel out of place. However the sticker element is done well and i'm quite impressed with how tough the stickers are and how well they retain their stick. </p><p>I can see child me having quite a lot of fun with those stickers. But I do think the hair getting in the way would have driven me nuts even back then.</p><p>I love the style of the outfits too. I wish they came in fabric versions because I would dress so many dolls in those sorts of clothes.</p><p> I do think these things are massively overpriced at full price. The retail price on these is a hefty £19:99 which I think is excessive for a flat doll with no joints and some stickers. But at £10 it was a fun bit of time playing with all the combinations. </p><p>I don't think i'll use the flat body again though. I'd rather make my own paper doll honestly. But YMMV on that. </p><p>I do really enjoy my new hybrid doll though. She's got a sweet face and her hair is extremely pleasant to run my fingers through. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p> <br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Purple_monkfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023284779817354246noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3031605728160552641.post-37387290124601140322023-12-28T19:33:00.000+00:002023-12-28T19:33:00.436+00:00Monster High G3 - Venus McFlytrap<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoHHp2SAN4IQVQxGqPkYVmIAPPWML0_3icUjz5S_hmdX8rCECxCtOdoekRz2kICk8yZ09krCa64Lv_H-M-VL2IhgpV-9zG3nQnHaQQkbZXoVnHM_ZuTq7bnm3FyjL2A883_4mHHYVzt9Aikz_5WpGXTY1ShqRRdA279NVbWBRr44_OuuXTvLfJUdc6dp7V/s2981/20231228_153115.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2981" data-original-width="2466" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoHHp2SAN4IQVQxGqPkYVmIAPPWML0_3icUjz5S_hmdX8rCECxCtOdoekRz2kICk8yZ09krCa64Lv_H-M-VL2IhgpV-9zG3nQnHaQQkbZXoVnHM_ZuTq7bnm3FyjL2A883_4mHHYVzt9Aikz_5WpGXTY1ShqRRdA279NVbWBRr44_OuuXTvLfJUdc6dp7V/w530-h640/20231228_153115.jpg" width="530" /></a></div> <p></p><p>I'll admit it, I freaking LOVE IT when the UK actually gets new dolls early. </p><p>we usually get them late or not at all so it makes a nice change. And seeing America wait for once is satisfying okay? Sorry guys but it feels vindicating to see you getting impatient. </p><p>Anyway, Smyths got Venus in early which was a great christmas surprise. </p><p>to put it into perspective, smyths also JUST got Ghoulia, Toralei and the Neon Frights dolls. We haven't gotten the fearidescent dolls at all from what I can tell and several of the multipacks are still MIA. </p><p>So it was nice to see a new doll. </p><p>My father bought her for me along with Neon Frights Ghoulia who i'll talk about in a later blog post. I have... thoughts lol. </p><p>But let's look at Venus!</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYBHbQl1entiUJdQez6CKjPA4N9786yUAtyB1NJ3FXkYk29puOPADAoIDj_9fcaTPwYlikRumILfs5dwZXYnah5j2qjzjkmoZY6lu-Fd07i9uVVDULAvTFS28sZukjIGXX0zAFZo3xL9wvMAha00DcE_d7sberOgu1s9Nn8lzEf7cNFI8FmBvKlG5Pgmli/s1942/20231228_153319.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYBHbQl1entiUJdQez6CKjPA4N9786yUAtyB1NJ3FXkYk29puOPADAoIDj_9fcaTPwYlikRumILfs5dwZXYnah5j2qjzjkmoZY6lu-Fd07i9uVVDULAvTFS28sZukjIGXX0zAFZo3xL9wvMAha00DcE_d7sberOgu1s9Nn8lzEf7cNFI8FmBvKlG5Pgmli/s1942/20231228_153319.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Klb4SuDONcdmbZTNDkfd27NWUSU0Gi4RTqq_o3zyHdu7J4wSIMAnKut9DLVyQIKEQXqoF09m30KD3qPnOH56lWiNDqh6-pEY1PmsguRfCOX_RL1W7CMkTGdLoxvRFuapWGmT0z-OLPSKhKPuZ_ji7t56nokplIspHARxuBqIAIGKlVcZ3UCUTTHgAeXt/s4000/20231228_153208.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2146" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Klb4SuDONcdmbZTNDkfd27NWUSU0Gi4RTqq_o3zyHdu7J4wSIMAnKut9DLVyQIKEQXqoF09m30KD3qPnOH56lWiNDqh6-pEY1PmsguRfCOX_RL1W7CMkTGdLoxvRFuapWGmT0z-OLPSKhKPuZ_ji7t56nokplIspHARxuBqIAIGKlVcZ3UCUTTHgAeXt/w344-h640/20231228_153208.jpg" width="344" /> </a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The new art is nice, it's consistent across the lines and pretty true to the designs of the doll. I'm glad Mattel settled on an artist and went with a crisper colouring style. That coloured pencil thing was not working. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Can I just say though, I HATE her pet. I hate him so much. <br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzHg_li5Gy94-QmfGlxPCToPccKhaGjfw41No39z1_S7EHy0XUt-ZaLuTWiUp89N1f7qIqbJzYqSFMntxp8Hw9mM6F-PtqYmYVrTRNIYUMhA4PJw7DmkVabgzN9giwpprmwjWuUaoP-oZFXXpPSXHRyoDrhWVaJ5hIZmcWNgpqbqmJMn21PGhJ8jkVynoG/s3000/20231228_153311.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2484" data-original-width="3000" height="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzHg_li5Gy94-QmfGlxPCToPccKhaGjfw41No39z1_S7EHy0XUt-ZaLuTWiUp89N1f7qIqbJzYqSFMntxp8Hw9mM6F-PtqYmYVrTRNIYUMhA4PJw7DmkVabgzN9giwpprmwjWuUaoP-oZFXXpPSXHRyoDrhWVaJ5hIZmcWNgpqbqmJMn21PGhJ8jkVynoG/w640-h530/20231228_153311.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>this THING is an abomination. Chewlian was a plant, this is a freaking dog/cat thing wearing a costume. I loathe it. It's big grin disgusts me. I want to carve it's gross little face out and resculpt a mouth or something. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuOqwadUcVz3QrlakWAGJxdKK3r92dTeltDKXuhHVBkf9X-HkNR8gNd4kOXfsoRgd5ZaDBF0c-qR3IEOHqOJYgk0mft5NwmVVDq1txjqXnBMFlS-1ZgA-6cnXRp6kNGD17llb4JSssW9rJAi6p2NaXTtDuX9l6vNjYP6E5h53GsRF5QhciyJUtvWJTsVUj/s3738/20231228_153302.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuOqwadUcVz3QrlakWAGJxdKK3r92dTeltDKXuhHVBkf9X-HkNR8gNd4kOXfsoRgd5ZaDBF0c-qR3IEOHqOJYgk0mft5NwmVVDq1txjqXnBMFlS-1ZgA-6cnXRp6kNGD17llb4JSssW9rJAi6p2NaXTtDuX9l6vNjYP6E5h53GsRF5QhciyJUtvWJTsVUj/s3738/20231228_153302.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDgB_kPYSWYqnHqMBdl6WChccAfbZuSM-xUW3ZoguJADsLVZUkwmFregg98UUvbPhQNDb-cd4PTtOnrh02GsM7VEFtt1-qUmG_yfLlbDNDkuj7g27jBrAg3W56A-ertoKs7yTcj5EqRRZGzs96vEKiNP2yhiN2HoEgnzI5x6eDOZzLidWwUmLiYByDQds1/s2898/20231228_153201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2811" data-original-width="2898" height="620" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDgB_kPYSWYqnHqMBdl6WChccAfbZuSM-xUW3ZoguJADsLVZUkwmFregg98UUvbPhQNDb-cd4PTtOnrh02GsM7VEFtt1-qUmG_yfLlbDNDkuj7g27jBrAg3W56A-ertoKs7yTcj5EqRRZGzs96vEKiNP2yhiN2HoEgnzI5x6eDOZzLidWwUmLiYByDQds1/w640-h620/20231228_153201.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div>I feel like the "bios" are getting lazier and lazier. Maybe it's because they're doing the international boxes but monster type and accessories is so pointless, why even bother with this? <p></p><p>I wonder what Venus' new character is going to be like because nothing about her style screams "down to earth" and her g1 doll was an eco punk and rather activist in her whole "save the earth" stuff. Of course, with Mattel being Mattel that's probably a little hypocritical of them to have a character talking about pollution and microplastics and shit. </p><p>I mean the doll herself was packaged in plastic with more plastic holding her in and with multiple plastic logo elements as part of the box. </p><p>the box is for sure not environmentally friendly. To recycle it i'd need to pull every element of it apart to separate the card from the plastic and i'm not convinced all the plastic IS recyclable anyway. </p><p>Mattel, like may big corporations, is passing the buck on trying to reduce waste by making the consumer do all the actual work. </p><p>I am however glad the boxes are no longer taped shut. They're just tabbed shut like the original g1 monster high boxes. </p><p>of course, those were predominantly card with just a small plastic window. These new boxes are 60% plastic with sharp plastic tabs holding them shut. </p><p>What i'm saying is, that's probably why Venus' eco activism is likely to be a bit toned down in g3. Mattel don't have the balls to call themselves out. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTDdRqYhJZA5QGPUh_oxDRVsGV-iPyjnjeW6-7FUOa6jVbXym1zC-p2-yZxrdmP6JMDp6w54S9GA8QFZQg9RLVPJ4f3mbfTkcmfe-COW9ngFAPFUe1N3Fo3gB4Nu14sER4l4HI1x6uYApc1bP5XajlqJtzXLYEIJtLgEh9HqdhVPhGds7ij2HRMLLHW7bt/s3660/20231228_153146.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3660" data-original-width="680" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTDdRqYhJZA5QGPUh_oxDRVsGV-iPyjnjeW6-7FUOa6jVbXym1zC-p2-yZxrdmP6JMDp6w54S9GA8QFZQg9RLVPJ4f3mbfTkcmfe-COW9ngFAPFUe1N3Fo3gB4Nu14sER4l4HI1x6uYApc1bP5XajlqJtzXLYEIJtLgEh9HqdhVPhGds7ij2HRMLLHW7bt/w118-h640/20231228_153146.jpg" width="118" /></a></div><br />the side of the box features the usual iconographs. Mostly images of Venus' belongings. Though we also get a fanged set of lips, a fanged flower, a tree sign and a heart shaped earth. <br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnVQ02UBQdFfTn2HwQwgyT5xSR-ry9_guwZ-f1Ta5Wpc9m4tteF_pPKxnZyvf6_6KK04mMY3V-rw3Twk7BvZWMlQspI2FNKPZB21yfJRA53xEIkPpmXbhr2Bfi8AYAgzSNit75a03WKkZpx1sos1OuCadhnS2UaaGvZLQBVCpcemqg4MhkvTdWZOEpdeyj/s1942/20231228_153319.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnVQ02UBQdFfTn2HwQwgyT5xSR-ry9_guwZ-f1Ta5Wpc9m4tteF_pPKxnZyvf6_6KK04mMY3V-rw3Twk7BvZWMlQspI2FNKPZB21yfJRA53xEIkPpmXbhr2Bfi8AYAgzSNit75a03WKkZpx1sos1OuCadhnS2UaaGvZLQBVCpcemqg4MhkvTdWZOEpdeyj/s1942/20231228_153319.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYXzA6Dtrn82kCugZSoxdIq76j41N6hyphenhyphenVADDgOyks1rq9VlF5np0WnEDfbRCUR8gx-Ue-aFYxunt_0ppwGucARaZdvpJEqEd6cMB7844-XIIZwoYwfcPaFhOLAcwiN3cGIK5GEXbSpPZzOv9urLfRY-O85jnzpOzrs2TWefInY_7dTUv2xmyKM_o8aAlyW/s3738/20231228_153302.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3738" data-original-width="1271" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYXzA6Dtrn82kCugZSoxdIq76j41N6hyphenhyphenVADDgOyks1rq9VlF5np0WnEDfbRCUR8gx-Ue-aFYxunt_0ppwGucARaZdvpJEqEd6cMB7844-XIIZwoYwfcPaFhOLAcwiN3cGIK5GEXbSpPZzOv9urLfRY-O85jnzpOzrs2TWefInY_7dTUv2xmyKM_o8aAlyW/w218-h640/20231228_153302.jpg" width="218" /> </a></div></div><p>She also comes with the now standard "bundle of plastic bullshit". </p><p>she has a little folder, her phone, some candy, a water bottle and a spritzer bottle that the "bio" on her box tells me is "hair hydrator". I preferred to believe it was to spray her whole body, being as she's a plant and all. Also, in the summer that's exactly what I do with a plant mister/spritzer bottle lol. It's the only way I can keep cool. </p><p>It is however an addition that, along with her features, help to absolutely confirm that Venus is now Black coded. Of course we'll still get people who, like they did with Honey Swamp, will argue she's "just green" *sigh* but come on. <br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoYB0H0O4iTRIO2uR7m8ANcdg5ppsXd-LxyUlzzH9G-QFkjqcjv-7wA_DQpLtCkNbBjdPJHi8xtw9heCQ9-HfBwf444KUkGVLHBIQmDzvSXOOClK1Ec4JZnlaQImlhTXX_KahzFeYuj9XtbvwHnULE2RgOXYqHYIPqz4wz_H2REK4dCzmsbANjemGzDdnX/s3493/20231228_160405.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1742" data-original-width="3493" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoYB0H0O4iTRIO2uR7m8ANcdg5ppsXd-LxyUlzzH9G-QFkjqcjv-7wA_DQpLtCkNbBjdPJHi8xtw9heCQ9-HfBwf444KUkGVLHBIQmDzvSXOOClK1Ec4JZnlaQImlhTXX_KahzFeYuj9XtbvwHnULE2RgOXYqHYIPqz4wz_H2REK4dCzmsbANjemGzDdnX/w640-h320/20231228_160405.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p> <br />Anyway, here's all her plastic shit. </p><p>The hydrator bottle interestingly has a picture of Venus on it. Does she make and distribute/sell her own hair tonic?</p><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB3GDErg952zcyl66UdRS8yubAq7497ADtMypi0H0OHSRFWFRdY6Gp8wzCu_7Riq0P0H3MZy4ON3esY_6TE7RId5F3lz6MyS9WWzJDENhK3PFmwQhYRtK2wL4dOSjbxBNQCn4bgwy-0KgfMevgvmv2EAKpugV65xiQ13_PimQkY43x4anXrpEy0ggsT1ch/s1810/20231228_160517.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1810" data-original-width="1603" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB3GDErg952zcyl66UdRS8yubAq7497ADtMypi0H0OHSRFWFRdY6Gp8wzCu_7Riq0P0H3MZy4ON3esY_6TE7RId5F3lz6MyS9WWzJDENhK3PFmwQhYRtK2wL4dOSjbxBNQCn4bgwy-0KgfMevgvmv2EAKpugV65xiQ13_PimQkY43x4anXrpEy0ggsT1ch/w566-h640/20231228_160517.jpg" width="566" /></a></div><p></p><p>The "Bootany" folder is designed like the old trapper keeper folders of the original doll boxes. We don't really get folders like this in the UK commonly, most folders you see in schools are ring binders or envelope style. You see the button ones every so often but i've never seen one just like the monster high style which seems to be very familiar to American collectors. </p><p>Go figure. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1hLXoJNKdCpAlA3-w6eRimRCrIrTZU3RxqaXm_wf0caFH5x5JFSYoFJMT8vDn8DY5qVvctBVmUBarw6-ew4II6mAHZX1ZJg5qilfG5cCqFdu1J7_3QlV4J-mkxdbhbWbZpyPpxSdBz8gEsdq-9WoTuj1HRixEYrQVaMceqmWhrgoOKc4PapjexvWNfn-6/s1871/20231228_160509.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1871" data-original-width="1809" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1hLXoJNKdCpAlA3-w6eRimRCrIrTZU3RxqaXm_wf0caFH5x5JFSYoFJMT8vDn8DY5qVvctBVmUBarw6-ew4II6mAHZX1ZJg5qilfG5cCqFdu1J7_3QlV4J-mkxdbhbWbZpyPpxSdBz8gEsdq-9WoTuj1HRixEYrQVaMceqmWhrgoOKc4PapjexvWNfn-6/w618-h640/20231228_160509.jpg" width="618" /></a></div><p></p><p>The whole thing does open, though it's stiff and difficult to do so. Inside there's a single plastic moulded page with scratches across it that you can see in the "collection of plastic shit" photo. </p><p>Did Venus get pissy and gouge up her own notes? </p><p>girl, it's not very eco to waste paper like that! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxwHqrOLTgz5iJgkTTGEpEXlUZSlyf4CTvFoJvyoEut1vJh3fEGDqKhex8qkNlfYVqqVu555KdQ_t84lJ4KQPypXQHjtmGiOQRKPEZSN_HHcYNOFUbRqx7p9vQcVIxtleyHASuUKnrnG5TrlAbsXVVzViUVm8hpUh3w5KD9DdgFx84U2ZREBOZOgr9mXON/s1469/20231228_160458.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1047" data-original-width="1469" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxwHqrOLTgz5iJgkTTGEpEXlUZSlyf4CTvFoJvyoEut1vJh3fEGDqKhex8qkNlfYVqqVu555KdQ_t84lJ4KQPypXQHjtmGiOQRKPEZSN_HHcYNOFUbRqx7p9vQcVIxtleyHASuUKnrnG5TrlAbsXVVzViUVm8hpUh3w5KD9DdgFx84U2ZREBOZOgr9mXON/w640-h456/20231228_160458.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>I don't know what her candy thing is supposed to be. It says "bites" so it could be anything from chocolate or candy to a brownie to one of those protein bars. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgtC6oTRnnIp_EwD2Zn2fiIohYNjKGuA8Ga5xsl8V7j70zUmLFGYEbac2hsZTG_eLKTvLMZupXasL-ExQXarDLzOfLGSVhCiWEj90MyraVowcLr7aC9E3oNsPD9coEc0m8SP7A95TgtXqRjvR9KyXGNZ4GFYAoxsth1H3pbCw6qeiNGOi2pnittQfZGxGP/s1683/20231228_160447.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1683" data-original-width="1377" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgtC6oTRnnIp_EwD2Zn2fiIohYNjKGuA8Ga5xsl8V7j70zUmLFGYEbac2hsZTG_eLKTvLMZupXasL-ExQXarDLzOfLGSVhCiWEj90MyraVowcLr7aC9E3oNsPD9coEc0m8SP7A95TgtXqRjvR9KyXGNZ4GFYAoxsth1H3pbCw6qeiNGOi2pnittQfZGxGP/w524-h640/20231228_160447.jpg" width="524" /></a></div><p></p><p>Her phone case is all vines and fangs on the front with the usual pixelated shit resolution image on the phone screen. Venus' apps include a blue heart, a flytrap (plant id app maybe?), and a recyling app of some sort. </p><p>The thumb ring is a little big for her so it slips out of her hand a little too easily without elastic bands holding it in place. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVtRa-mkh_OoFjCv7lAPog3UJ4eoVCmldMvUSxabyGsk7l25XIdCjzxhiHWLhceIV-LAwdqQJ3k477PttakTcN93_rzWCnOKd6csLVzmeU2PuVIPsHS0UPSSXIFLREEQzfRQEIQPFfqSf_xc7n8JeW6TLf7ib-ENn7HEJt7R8dCeYIfkzOMlUUff-VQEhq/s1622/20231228_160441.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1622" data-original-width="1289" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVtRa-mkh_OoFjCv7lAPog3UJ4eoVCmldMvUSxabyGsk7l25XIdCjzxhiHWLhceIV-LAwdqQJ3k477PttakTcN93_rzWCnOKd6csLVzmeU2PuVIPsHS0UPSSXIFLREEQzfRQEIQPFfqSf_xc7n8JeW6TLf7ib-ENn7HEJt7R8dCeYIfkzOMlUUff-VQEhq/w508-h640/20231228_160441.jpg" width="508" /></a></div><p></p><p>The back of the case has a flytrap. Chewlian, is that you? REAL Chewlian, not that cat imposter. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMrRLI6vx5fUGSZOVm2kqjT4QuXTS7cIszEbfi1Fu4XZGufrTpNgZmVkkbJOVmI1Mj40Dl3wwvTjh6Uk2q5iyceslIdNrdGm1RR4CrceYultYAJjodXYEjGc7Ov5lFOLUi99THriANRdK0p-ZNGh0EaUMN2HCqDycURrrPF3XwjNcKNlU1mWKQS00jnP93/s2301/20231228_160429.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2301" data-original-width="1946" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMrRLI6vx5fUGSZOVm2kqjT4QuXTS7cIszEbfi1Fu4XZGufrTpNgZmVkkbJOVmI1Mj40Dl3wwvTjh6Uk2q5iyceslIdNrdGm1RR4CrceYultYAJjodXYEjGc7Ov5lFOLUi99THriANRdK0p-ZNGh0EaUMN2HCqDycURrrPF3XwjNcKNlU1mWKQS00jnP93/w542-h640/20231228_160429.jpg" width="542" /></a></div><p></p><p>Her two bottles. The water bottle appears to have a watering can style spout lol. And there's that heart shaped earth again. </p><p>Do you think it's an "air up" bottle? The strawberries suggest flavoured water but the shape of the lid makes me think of those air up bottles with the "scented air" gimmick. </p><p>Whatever the case, BOTH bottles had terribly applied stickers. The water bottle's was too low and part of the bottom of the sticker was hanging underneath the bottle. I had to unpeel it and restick it before it tore. </p><p>The hydrator bottle was even worse with a massive fold in the sticker and a tear. I reapplied it as best I could. Thankfully they're both super sticky and leave a residue on the bottle when you gently peel them, so you can stick them back correctly if you're gentle. </p><p>The lids of both of these comes off but neither bottle is fillable. </p><p>She also came with a pair of tiny sunglasses which I completely forgot about/failed to notice until I was editing photos of the packaging and saw them. </p><p>they're the same colour as the backing card and they're really small so they sort of just blended in. <br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5FwcAP3aeOQ0lKwVagpUmULgUd_0DYwjhuOYfX-q9kZGRMVSjKbjJnyTUuk_4hBAtLpSNiT3cdXy39DGbvzF3k4BIS0VIgolhgyQSW4nHneIemjCELb8rEfowmSqVH_V7DfyV_nLeG1udyjwWxSrtMCLIT3yF7zEsX5nor1S1zeen5LkICW7gpGtDUZWO/s2285/20231228_160535.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5FwcAP3aeOQ0lKwVagpUmULgUd_0DYwjhuOYfX-q9kZGRMVSjKbjJnyTUuk_4hBAtLpSNiT3cdXy39DGbvzF3k4BIS0VIgolhgyQSW4nHneIemjCELb8rEfowmSqVH_V7DfyV_nLeG1udyjwWxSrtMCLIT3yF7zEsX5nor1S1zeen5LkICW7gpGtDUZWO/s2285/20231228_160535.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3yL5wGGxPBwYtjt7F_EOCPQ2o2O9G7Ma_YFb6oGyudplaN9PtjdJACpON4Ve7SGyRX1rOuc9szELtPfoa_nLcUx_Ky2Zs-QbDdkcSiYlGDbohJKY3b-7tVUNQUrwGJCWZ3pkkctZGvbdG8lvtAZEMf2_TIG6ZesZTXQNpe1KJU8ouz9fzL4cGKWG1ynei/s2469/20231228_160526.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2469" data-original-width="1697" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3yL5wGGxPBwYtjt7F_EOCPQ2o2O9G7Ma_YFb6oGyudplaN9PtjdJACpON4Ve7SGyRX1rOuc9szELtPfoa_nLcUx_Ky2Zs-QbDdkcSiYlGDbohJKY3b-7tVUNQUrwGJCWZ3pkkctZGvbdG8lvtAZEMf2_TIG6ZesZTXQNpe1KJU8ouz9fzL4cGKWG1ynei/w440-h640/20231228_160526.jpg" width="440" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div><br /></div><br /> Imposter Chewlian is horrifying. <p></p><p>Who did this? Who's idea was this? </p><p>I've said before that the g2 and g3 Monster High dolls all suffered from needless "kitten/puppy ification" and Chewlian is one of the most egregious examples of this. </p><p>Mattel is really out there saying "let's suck all diversity out of pets and make them all kittens/puppies. Kids love that shit."</p><p>-_- </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgentO0U9-37_Ca8uk99iEUnh-Hp_WCfP7rImlzTrbWUSCR2K0UEnBlBW1mnK2xD7mDZv96RUrqlCyb7zH3P2ELRdULB46bR_BOPUwZsjB_BNq1aSX2yvg2Vf_XMkV3iVV9skDIyFLdTtKc2e7hgPmg9yNny2W4YWx7KwnlEBtc4xZOgCBWQBr2G0-EU1jj/s2285/20231228_160535.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2086" data-original-width="2285" height="584" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgentO0U9-37_Ca8uk99iEUnh-Hp_WCfP7rImlzTrbWUSCR2K0UEnBlBW1mnK2xD7mDZv96RUrqlCyb7zH3P2ELRdULB46bR_BOPUwZsjB_BNq1aSX2yvg2Vf_XMkV3iVV9skDIyFLdTtKc2e7hgPmg9yNny2W4YWx7KwnlEBtc4xZOgCBWQBr2G0-EU1jj/w640-h584/20231228_160535.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /> This monstrosity comes out of the pot, revealing a horribly fleshy plant body. Pretty sure this thing is supposed to be a cat.... a cat plant... <p></p><p>wearing a flytrap hood.</p><p>what the fuck?</p><p>I'm gonna be real, I wouldn't hate it so much if the fly trap mouth was actually the thing's real mouth and not some novelty hat. Take the cat face out of the middle there, add in a tongue and a few more teeth to the bottom and it could be a funky screwed up flytrap headed kitty. </p><p>but as it stands, this thing is just horrible looking. It looks like a cat crawled inside Chewlian and is now wearing his corpse like a suit.<br /></p><p>That grin. The side glancing eyes. The face inside a mouth which itself has a mouth.</p><p>I HATE IT and I hate whoever designed this thing. </p><p>You should feel bad whoever you are. </p><p>Real Chewlian was cute in a silly goofy plant way. I want him back damnit. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKjE85NJEj18vK1cwff2qyYclRIjz9jAZodE3Xex41gcT5AmN5dRAMeumsjLiBtuj10kwNXJ7bP2Kr7jTTEvLZ8WhIfIJyWJm8zX5BRpRCSMXy6qT8orhLZ6HqA7zK54kheEc6lUVS3uoTfbDoGaAtGxCMu-LyJ3qQz7DFeLlaasttdUhwRrXUZT8xNA_k/s2851/20231228_160744.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2851" data-original-width="2050" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKjE85NJEj18vK1cwff2qyYclRIjz9jAZodE3Xex41gcT5AmN5dRAMeumsjLiBtuj10kwNXJ7bP2Kr7jTTEvLZ8WhIfIJyWJm8zX5BRpRCSMXy6qT8orhLZ6HqA7zK54kheEc6lUVS3uoTfbDoGaAtGxCMu-LyJ3qQz7DFeLlaasttdUhwRrXUZT8xNA_k/w460-h640/20231228_160744.jpg" width="460" /></a></div><p></p><p>Venus' "bag" is also of questionable design. Initially I thought maybe it was meant to be worn like an Usherette's tray but nope, the straps are shaped to only go over her shoulders one way. So it's supposed to be worn like a backpack.</p><p>and okay yes, it does fit all her shit in. Or you can put imposter Chewlian in it. But all the stuff falls out easily and realistically as soon as she moved she'd lose all her stuff. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwfkckgGZaBkSHunhbsnjFqF4QiU0FWBWZtOm8wer-iQof6jJ_iJhhuHSDVIafXnkLJFUCWM45Jgg7A2L0R6CtaVt_QMM3__66S606sdvyfUQJTwF-sXPlbQJfVGZ0Mbm2-o3nxQ4RWamJ5snr5CRVQmRQKIDh_DW04biU09SAjdvrbK5vAnYfoTkU8N2p/s3677/20231228_161339.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3677" data-original-width="1869" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwfkckgGZaBkSHunhbsnjFqF4QiU0FWBWZtOm8wer-iQof6jJ_iJhhuHSDVIafXnkLJFUCWM45Jgg7A2L0R6CtaVt_QMM3__66S606sdvyfUQJTwF-sXPlbQJfVGZ0Mbm2-o3nxQ4RWamJ5snr5CRVQmRQKIDh_DW04biU09SAjdvrbK5vAnYfoTkU8N2p/w326-h640/20231228_161339.jpg" width="326" /></a></div><p></p><p>What even IS this design? <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJKFzQzg5aoCaTgBfKqXMiK2tULjU1wH2Icpnb72os6tCGAOBgrxRonSn0HZB8abFG0SloWOpX8lDYMiuAgGzG_fTZkrUQxBDVnNiwR2wxVUjqanrTXishyphenhyphenGnplbZYnaOenndqRjWXqUWIZdcm8X-Vvkk9pG4v6wev3jqB2JqNpIIHUKvQhuEdDyyZQ6G7/s2607/20231228_161344.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2607" data-original-width="2315" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJKFzQzg5aoCaTgBfKqXMiK2tULjU1wH2Icpnb72os6tCGAOBgrxRonSn0HZB8abFG0SloWOpX8lDYMiuAgGzG_fTZkrUQxBDVnNiwR2wxVUjqanrTXishyphenhyphenGnplbZYnaOenndqRjWXqUWIZdcm8X-Vvkk9pG4v6wev3jqB2JqNpIIHUKvQhuEdDyyZQ6G7/w568-h640/20231228_161344.jpg" width="568" /></a></div><br /><p>I don't understand! </p><p>Why does she have an ass basket? </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWpJbjBIAjZxs92-8ZSO-BHygjg70Mea2vuasla_kB1kHm8czvr-ihlrk5u4IEFWaCsrcPSDaZNtOeACGUEe9zv0oymfeVn9foL6bcRljlZSM6LcpfgaHjzsPqp-jddMfGpJGwQi1ZTHPkrVwrVW9_7kvX9eHhZmxzgg9o45fYV0usZ2q4PHbp2uv_n9Fc/s1942/20231228_153319.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1942" data-original-width="1795" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWpJbjBIAjZxs92-8ZSO-BHygjg70Mea2vuasla_kB1kHm8czvr-ihlrk5u4IEFWaCsrcPSDaZNtOeACGUEe9zv0oymfeVn9foL6bcRljlZSM6LcpfgaHjzsPqp-jddMfGpJGwQi1ZTHPkrVwrVW9_7kvX9eHhZmxzgg9o45fYV0usZ2q4PHbp2uv_n9Fc/w592-h640/20231228_153319.jpg" width="592" /></a></div><br /><p>Okay okay, enough of that. let's actually look at the doll. </p><p><br /></p><p>Venus is bright green with pink lips, pink, orangeish pink and yellow eye makeup that pulls in flytrap shapes, green eyebrows and pink and green microbraided hair. She even has little painted baby hairs. </p><p>Her eyes are brown with a little thorny tendril and leaf for the eye shine. These thematic eye shines are a cute touch g3 has brought in. I think a few g1 and 2 dolls had them but they weren't common to see. Now they're a recurring feature. It's fun. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiscIOobBN2n5Ag8Dp1IOImpFHeAufB25rFr8QQfPHdjMzQIq8Bc28aiz4WqpQtfI0-fMr2uW7vyHZhW2p5QyQPRLuP2uxkRgx1w3epInPNZ321GT8piKbamuTqtoYMF-WR0giqUQGZV_t5kuEmWllg7Xc9ToCKibxg91cAr_m8V6VPdRQmKs2YRAgv61AY/s3364/20231228_153538.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3364" data-original-width="1817" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiscIOobBN2n5Ag8Dp1IOImpFHeAufB25rFr8QQfPHdjMzQIq8Bc28aiz4WqpQtfI0-fMr2uW7vyHZhW2p5QyQPRLuP2uxkRgx1w3epInPNZ321GT8piKbamuTqtoYMF-WR0giqUQGZV_t5kuEmWllg7Xc9ToCKibxg91cAr_m8V6VPdRQmKs2YRAgv61AY/w346-h640/20231228_153538.jpg" width="346" /></a></div><p></p><p>Venus has kept her punkish alternative fashion style, though she's giving more "music festival" vibes to me now. </p><p>Mine had misrooted hair at the back. A couple of strands of the braid were rooted into two holes forming a big loop. I managed to tease them out of one of the holes but yeah, it's something to be aware of. Check your girl over and gently tease out any loops you find. </p><p>Her braids are slightly curled which makes them springy, which is fun. However it doesn't look like the ends are in any way secured. Usually a company would burn or glue the ends of braids to stop them unravelling. Mattel of course are too lazy and cheap for that sort of thing so even just out of her box several braids are already starting to unravel at the ends. I might have to massage a little pva into the ends in a vain attempt to hold them together. I'm not entirely sure precisely what will help. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8LS5hUF2C9-rT-PjM1jlVvZMpfZnPwiOYfjOYO0ZtilMsa8930t_idlJvdAqX3CZo4IQGjem7pflu0CBp2L5LxvF5L_ukerVNMzUA-I5fL9vEKCvsBm_1SIkigvnIoeWhWokXyusxks-iZbzVhU9gX04VioPTWGnBbEGMs6k3AEO1fYnWHFNAECYg-jcs/s2170/20231228_153545.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2170" data-original-width="1847" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8LS5hUF2C9-rT-PjM1jlVvZMpfZnPwiOYfjOYO0ZtilMsa8930t_idlJvdAqX3CZo4IQGjem7pflu0CBp2L5LxvF5L_ukerVNMzUA-I5fL9vEKCvsBm_1SIkigvnIoeWhWokXyusxks-iZbzVhU9gX04VioPTWGnBbEGMs6k3AEO1fYnWHFNAECYg-jcs/w544-h640/20231228_153545.jpg" width="544" /></a></div><p></p><p>Her outfit consists of a bright striped mesh undershirt with a short tee over the top. The shorter tee is made from some sort of shiny synthetic which gives it a sheen. The collar and hem are finished with contrasting green thread. The sleeves are not. But because it's a synthetic I doubt it'll fray. </p><p>Again, another thing that doesn't feel overly "eco" for Venus here. </p><p>She then has a pair of "denim" shorts which are made of that thin textured synthetic feeling "faux denim" Mattel likes to use. It looks pretty decent and even feels okay when on the doll but once you remove the garment the thin fragility of the material becomes apparent. It has a texture looks like the weave you'd see on real denim from a distance, but it's clear this material is not denim. It's not even cotton. It's very plasticky feeling and stiff despite being paper thin. It's printed fabric, so the blue is only on the outside. On the inside you can see it's just white with an angled grain which is presumably to minimize fraying on those unfinished edges. <br /></p><p>It works for the scale, but at the same time we have low weight actual denim out there. But Mattel LOVE their plastic printed fabric, they use it for everything. </p><p>Still, at least her mesh top is actually made of stretchy mesh. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBk-0XckL0PZCLv4rIjQaD2-GfsADqtfRT1ZJrmbWsfqKAAo8frfcaQYzRop7kd-_3N2rSoICiLxSYI5wW1JbpPu-F6Y_obdAv95ImvYMHKxeeDl2GVJPKjLh67zHYoRqsQvqO6INwgPQBBDvUN9vN64aYvhJJUW-oRJgTNMiJwWs4gTht86kZ0VMFVfta/s2749/20231228_153550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2749" data-original-width="1785" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBk-0XckL0PZCLv4rIjQaD2-GfsADqtfRT1ZJrmbWsfqKAAo8frfcaQYzRop7kd-_3N2rSoICiLxSYI5wW1JbpPu-F6Y_obdAv95ImvYMHKxeeDl2GVJPKjLh67zHYoRqsQvqO6INwgPQBBDvUN9vN64aYvhJJUW-oRJgTNMiJwWs4gTht86kZ0VMFVfta/w416-h640/20231228_153550.jpg" width="416" /></a></div><p></p><p>Her mismatched socks are actually not socks at all but legwarmers, a little like Bratz "socks". they're just a tube with no feet. I kinda get why, the toes of socks on dolls always tear from putting shoes on plus they add extra bulk that makes putting the shoes on difficult. Leg warmer style "socks" gives the look, without that difficulty. </p><p>But I was surprised because previously Mattel have always opted for full socks. </p><p>Her shoes are made to look like stone or concrete planters, though I couldn't tell you why they gradiate into pink. It looks like spray paint so maybe that was the intention? Spray paint on concrete feels like a Venus sort of thing. </p><p>The boots themselves have a chunky zip down the side and are full of decorative holes. The heel is covered in vines, there are teeth at the front and the whole shoe has vines twirling around them.</p><p>these vines are a separate piece too, they're held in place with elastic bands which isn't ideal but without them they stick out at odd angles and slide around. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwI6bWSJgDE32HD9U-yNQKj3tjQI6iVNZwU0fv0MYTefWC9FUYpkqmZBWEHGHcrwu1HZ0PU7MiCpFhneqgTbJaDaW8KImibtpEEeXukRTCExtmH2mqCYv0sgHNQtZU7cadUU6Y1WZHfwhed8d8Lo72C1wGln8xwKhpbsAoYfhcr2cKEg59mx-AegxPJlgI/s1218/20231228_154632.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1218" data-original-width="818" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwI6bWSJgDE32HD9U-yNQKj3tjQI6iVNZwU0fv0MYTefWC9FUYpkqmZBWEHGHcrwu1HZ0PU7MiCpFhneqgTbJaDaW8KImibtpEEeXukRTCExtmH2mqCYv0sgHNQtZU7cadUU6Y1WZHfwhed8d8Lo72C1wGln8xwKhpbsAoYfhcr2cKEg59mx-AegxPJlgI/w430-h640/20231228_154632.jpg" width="430" /></a></div><br /><p>The soles of her shoes have roots. Even unpainted there's an uncomfortable fleshiness to this I feel. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8wXcxdZAbBZJhpBpbjSAtpUsfv-B-V_6sj-R5eVzq0bLVJTFZ7d7bfL8KjTWCh4gXa6IFSa7lEyB5KZOC0Hkmswh4MrGJelEjECdx1TVYPx-qv0J1r2sOmB6NjrNxN6cxcs7n5VIxIhQPTWJEjWT4stLnEsNWqR3tWaTHnii5ig8MhCTIEaDQN4rfhLTd/s3368/20231228_153607.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3368" data-original-width="2502" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8wXcxdZAbBZJhpBpbjSAtpUsfv-B-V_6sj-R5eVzq0bLVJTFZ7d7bfL8KjTWCh4gXa6IFSa7lEyB5KZOC0Hkmswh4MrGJelEjECdx1TVYPx-qv0J1r2sOmB6NjrNxN6cxcs7n5VIxIhQPTWJEjWT4stLnEsNWqR3tWaTHnii5ig8MhCTIEaDQN4rfhLTd/w476-h640/20231228_153607.jpg" width="476" /></a></div><p></p><p>Venus has lost her half shaved head in favor of a molded cornrow style which is quite similar to the Mattel DC Superhero girls Bumblebee doll. It's a fun variation on Venus's half shaved look and it's more durable than flocking. I don't mind this. It's painted neatly, the sculpting is good and for such a small area of her head it's a good solution. Actual cornrows at this scale would be difficult and get messy fast while flocking has it's own set of problems. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDczG1jcmQpbwn0xi2JRRkX1-1YJMYiTG89sKd6MkhlZZCHur4I6-vdrHdENp5Yr46gtaj7dk5qfSH1_O8meol5qGhLEsUNnsgRVjUTmu8kyZhTnMAGmnW7-GDGCCWZfk0XZ-WM5ySW9mRUsRdkLm9rB2NPgK9UVEl17WLY1tSR82m6DfKi9pLVzz3s4qd/s2136/20231228_155217.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2136" data-original-width="1707" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDczG1jcmQpbwn0xi2JRRkX1-1YJMYiTG89sKd6MkhlZZCHur4I6-vdrHdENp5Yr46gtaj7dk5qfSH1_O8meol5qGhLEsUNnsgRVjUTmu8kyZhTnMAGmnW7-GDGCCWZfk0XZ-WM5ySW9mRUsRdkLm9rB2NPgK9UVEl17WLY1tSR82m6DfKi9pLVzz3s4qd/w512-h640/20231228_155217.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Venus has her leaf shaped ears but has lost her excessive piercings. Now she just has one earring in each ear, a spiked hoop made of twining vines with a fanged flower at one end. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLHHkqbGTGHuY7YgvprEbPsUlgzwta2buran3gmdpsckMsvxuP0fa3mg_228DNo1XdRivSPDOMw1Gdn3hMSsqSD5LwFojU3p5iawdYLV6kEDoF2-9QjJ51_BGEjO5i8mVQtaq_vnAHB9pezkVBE_ySmJBKIlPjDEXCna9oyAFQnWC-BkzCTiDkoYfLxqod/s3449/20231228_154231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3449" data-original-width="2057" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLHHkqbGTGHuY7YgvprEbPsUlgzwta2buran3gmdpsckMsvxuP0fa3mg_228DNo1XdRivSPDOMw1Gdn3hMSsqSD5LwFojU3p5iawdYLV6kEDoF2-9QjJ51_BGEjO5i8mVQtaq_vnAHB9pezkVBE_ySmJBKIlPjDEXCna9oyAFQnWC-BkzCTiDkoYfLxqod/w382-h640/20231228_154231.jpg" width="382" /></a></div><p></p><p>Venus is tall, not as tall as Abbey mind, but still taller than most of the g3 dolls. </p><p>I wondered if she was maybe using a modified version of Frankie's body, and while the torso and arms look very similar, her legs seem just a touch chunkier.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQwQn9Q6GZGEQC9W-HqRhV1GmTW_JTa-2OhRm6BN0wEjNEQo3po2Oz2YcJJqII7xaA1OcxT-g2r9rEcV3hyiuhm-fXAy0ZjXF9txtz2DEQKrbaYQQaxUcffJ5bMsSrV9Bve1C3haWCg_dwihDzuG7T0go5X39CCPl-1EAggihyphenhyphenczdO8O5-H4ci73QeRImI/s2873/20231228_154443.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2873" data-original-width="1637" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQwQn9Q6GZGEQC9W-HqRhV1GmTW_JTa-2OhRm6BN0wEjNEQo3po2Oz2YcJJqII7xaA1OcxT-g2r9rEcV3hyiuhm-fXAy0ZjXF9txtz2DEQKrbaYQQaxUcffJ5bMsSrV9Bve1C3haWCg_dwihDzuG7T0go5X39CCPl-1EAggihyphenhyphenczdO8O5-H4ci73QeRImI/w364-h640/20231228_154443.jpg" width="364" /></a></div><p> </p><p>I might just be going mad but I swear her thighs are a bit thicker. <br /></p><p>she also has a longer neck than Frankie, which makes her a hair taller. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvIm6OKuitf-LxT726OVuLeDj0jnUh-Zpo-AsDw2DPg96sWyO_JC-T1p4OxavHAFKYeqK5e2Tttsb9-TRg17xTSXPnmWLedZtrt6BM8bSCodaGckonpPlR5T_w1yRqDmp0M687UEATdno64-dhd_53laH0Rii9ntXijz-_O6gxzmWusCswcw34Xv6lJH1F/s2722/20231228_154242.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2722" data-original-width="1665" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvIm6OKuitf-LxT726OVuLeDj0jnUh-Zpo-AsDw2DPg96sWyO_JC-T1p4OxavHAFKYeqK5e2Tttsb9-TRg17xTSXPnmWLedZtrt6BM8bSCodaGckonpPlR5T_w1yRqDmp0M687UEATdno64-dhd_53laH0Rii9ntXijz-_O6gxzmWusCswcw34Xv6lJH1F/w392-h640/20231228_154242.jpg" width="392" /></a></div><p></p><p>Her body is interesting. Her legs have swirling vines molded into them and her feet have a distinct cabbage-ness to them. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGzyWPb8HuNq2rb1UeNYmSxsajhlUtvRP2HHTXKUAcNSPUzAs30zVSA0FrmEni_MoAZOwbgNc5Ghs_06riW3CVNj4G09z9iE4DNAw8he_AM5cUPt3wAwcO_rzV_h_FkCwEHzaGQprUXyVrEBHHL160cSrZ27HCqYLYPoHfRMIg_D2ej0A5ZOlFeVTOnUyL/s1347/20231228_154258.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1347" data-original-width="933" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGzyWPb8HuNq2rb1UeNYmSxsajhlUtvRP2HHTXKUAcNSPUzAs30zVSA0FrmEni_MoAZOwbgNc5Ghs_06riW3CVNj4G09z9iE4DNAw8he_AM5cUPt3wAwcO_rzV_h_FkCwEHzaGQprUXyVrEBHHL160cSrZ27HCqYLYPoHfRMIg_D2ej0A5ZOlFeVTOnUyL/w444-h640/20231228_154258.jpg" width="444" /></a></div><p>She has however lost her cabbage hands. </p><p>A pity. </p><p>her hands are now the standard monster high claws. </p><p>In fact, strangely enough ONLY her legs have any sculpted vines. </p><p>go figure. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2DsTCmL3rqjL4Z0Aopl7wQGWg1cF9cuUFaSkM4IeaTrQM1UBfnOpMtmm_cfmA0Q4g7FEfxqJ99aMqZmRTpScFjjQp2nRAU6Ma3gLWImjvYwss6yGEUoONge-OEojki90aUsMlxlqHq1WkEKhBo-igvCPPGgJKcyJC1L84HKnXUBe5QFCkhduqvVphxBl9/s4000/20231228_154623.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2818" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2DsTCmL3rqjL4Z0Aopl7wQGWg1cF9cuUFaSkM4IeaTrQM1UBfnOpMtmm_cfmA0Q4g7FEfxqJ99aMqZmRTpScFjjQp2nRAU6Ma3gLWImjvYwss6yGEUoONge-OEojki90aUsMlxlqHq1WkEKhBo-igvCPPGgJKcyJC1L84HKnXUBe5QFCkhduqvVphxBl9/w450-h640/20231228_154623.jpg" width="450" /></a></div><p></p><p>Her outfit is all separate pieces which i'm always happy to see. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0IU6gVSYwCGk5w_O-dwgUrqxVT_r-vQMoRbz3T3vjG-xvXZw7P2jKUVXRvrd-ygXr3mgIxP51cnUTfYYa6-ZTixsfj_8PKDRkvw4RNm610uPFMAXfC0Bh-9y8LXaWt3J1v2VW5MVMR-IwUM21dH2LsSMrMXaYKJjHrcCopJJwtdcHcBl-HvwMYze7wmZD/s2934/20231228_154729.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2934" data-original-width="2327" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0IU6gVSYwCGk5w_O-dwgUrqxVT_r-vQMoRbz3T3vjG-xvXZw7P2jKUVXRvrd-ygXr3mgIxP51cnUTfYYa6-ZTixsfj_8PKDRkvw4RNm610uPFMAXfC0Bh-9y8LXaWt3J1v2VW5MVMR-IwUM21dH2LsSMrMXaYKJjHrcCopJJwtdcHcBl-HvwMYze7wmZD/w508-h640/20231228_154729.jpg" width="508" /></a></div><p></p><p>Her belt looks to be made of linked chains with thorns winding around them. It has little green flowers hanging off it. </p><p> Her necklace looks like thorns but the silver gives a certain degree of barbed wire as well. It has a little flower too, but it's silver. <br /></p><p>her hair decoration is venus flytraps with those same fanged flowers. </p><p>they do KINDA look like actual flytrap flowers, though flytrap flowers are usually white not pink. But they're simple five petaled star shaped flowers with clear veining which is what you're seeing here. </p><p>that said, flytraps, like all carnivorous plants, don't grow flowers near their traps. They send them up on a very long stalk that stands waaaaay above the traps as they don't want to eat their pollinators. </p><p>Then again, Venus Flytraps also don't have thorns so... yeah. </p><p>Venus is like a bramble flytrap hybrid here lol. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlBY_UAsE7CJubTxWTrxgBAJHRi5m5Pw68yU4fyeUBjJmVrtC4LponR_NO2Wedp2c7ZC_DNcz_3vlNd348obQQSpjSCi6xlx13U90Ci7kqvZqb3W0i6EFnOtydybJDKyza-Y8YSbnXxOs8016WCXtuAu9yuXuxOMCiL8_jnLnpWEYHU-TLkJP8cHJpr-KB/s2200/20231228_154736.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2200" data-original-width="2110" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlBY_UAsE7CJubTxWTrxgBAJHRi5m5Pw68yU4fyeUBjJmVrtC4LponR_NO2Wedp2c7ZC_DNcz_3vlNd348obQQSpjSCi6xlx13U90Ci7kqvZqb3W0i6EFnOtydybJDKyza-Y8YSbnXxOs8016WCXtuAu9yuXuxOMCiL8_jnLnpWEYHU-TLkJP8cHJpr-KB/w614-h640/20231228_154736.jpg" width="614" /></a></div><p></p><p>Her shorts have a printed vine pattern with a heart and a peace symbol hidden in the tangle. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOZyRbQYuLCghbVkK_BLA3YxXI2loTDBMoemD-iyE0XSbvRJ0q7RoYeXBdZ-WB7zY1XHWRAOI4MFzUzqBsr_p9bkytI0otrLuqkXo1vP-9_o-z2Fe4rm9oOXBLkhvss9ZRY-cWja8HtV4IoF-Bv3OD6xEm1f26TlpjaOeOdRF6iQegGySUla0JmrqWB3wz/s2515/20231228_154741.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2252" data-original-width="2515" height="574" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOZyRbQYuLCghbVkK_BLA3YxXI2loTDBMoemD-iyE0XSbvRJ0q7RoYeXBdZ-WB7zY1XHWRAOI4MFzUzqBsr_p9bkytI0otrLuqkXo1vP-9_o-z2Fe4rm9oOXBLkhvss9ZRY-cWja8HtV4IoF-Bv3OD6xEm1f26TlpjaOeOdRF6iQegGySUla0JmrqWB3wz/w640-h574/20231228_154741.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>Her mesh top has twining thorn vines in purple and pink against an acid green. It's a cool effect that looks almost like tie dye.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwtZKN85U42yfGk8w0QhYG1X-aR8lyFtHh_sEUOEvU8qVrl2qz0TCKoJwuSOk1H8xwRM-L1MIPbeM2IuD56UA5JgEF4JMW6KMqP8_0ehTLMO7dq1cxuH6O9Ng-0C509KpiGdcDcEyvkO8W6qwKsSUN_vMF1nIOeX_PQw0JiFeiuOM2WI0hrMpZY4RmMaay/s2377/20231228_154757.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2088" data-original-width="2377" height="562" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwtZKN85U42yfGk8w0QhYG1X-aR8lyFtHh_sEUOEvU8qVrl2qz0TCKoJwuSOk1H8xwRM-L1MIPbeM2IuD56UA5JgEF4JMW6KMqP8_0ehTLMO7dq1cxuH6O9Ng-0C509KpiGdcDcEyvkO8W6qwKsSUN_vMF1nIOeX_PQw0JiFeiuOM2WI0hrMpZY4RmMaay/w640-h562/20231228_154757.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>and her over shirt has magenta spatters with a neon green or yellow colour surrounding the word "nature" with little stars. It looks like a band or brand shirt honestly. The style is very "band" to me. </p><p>Nature definitely sounds like a potential band name. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZKNSHN3X8bP_QL_Vhah-9VOXS43wFAuukAUueh-zv8a9_oQPeytA1gQPfmX9KcKBfkxc-dTirtdCV9IoVR8nM4IthmVunt4gLN6kXCQeQYXiosvC2dc12uzm01xXJkKPLCjg7YxavLSCuW7UiRPzHWLGrKZ2rJONN_dxxKD5YOSoGfIzrxEC16CqBfF9W/s3906/20231228_161709.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3906" data-original-width="2217" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZKNSHN3X8bP_QL_Vhah-9VOXS43wFAuukAUueh-zv8a9_oQPeytA1gQPfmX9KcKBfkxc-dTirtdCV9IoVR8nM4IthmVunt4gLN6kXCQeQYXiosvC2dc12uzm01xXJkKPLCjg7YxavLSCuW7UiRPzHWLGrKZ2rJONN_dxxKD5YOSoGfIzrxEC16CqBfF9W/w364-h640/20231228_161709.jpg" width="364" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Alongside her g1 doll Venus is practically unrecognizable. She's been given an absolutely enormous resign, even down to a completely new face. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">previous g3 dolls, while having new sculpts, have all retained elements of their original sculpts, from nose shape to jaw shape. Feeling like a revision of the old sculpts rather than a whole new one. Venus on the other hand is a complete redesign.<br /></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT9pJcj6IKRe9tA1QVbh64GpLqu8ggNoAwYqsLX4RWQRkUP49P0Fj2V9xsBdRuZBieFjn4AB37Ed8fcIVyQWDs_9nA98db4ud3T0ZNCb8eNRnptf7Zn_s24qzfkhuqnfYexix64y0Cd-DggZ9sdzrsy2Hw7po_Rnwg4k44P4BzhvU0L3HwCdGU9m0wKWs3/s2643/20231228_161633.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1773" data-original-width="2643" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT9pJcj6IKRe9tA1QVbh64GpLqu8ggNoAwYqsLX4RWQRkUP49P0Fj2V9xsBdRuZBieFjn4AB37Ed8fcIVyQWDs_9nA98db4ud3T0ZNCb8eNRnptf7Zn_s24qzfkhuqnfYexix64y0Cd-DggZ9sdzrsy2Hw7po_Rnwg4k44P4BzhvU0L3HwCdGU9m0wKWs3/w640-h430/20231228_161633.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>Like many g3 dolls, her skin tone has changed. She's now a more vivid green which is honestly more realistically plant-like than g1's soft pastel. Like all g3 dolls, Venus has jugged ears which allow you to see them from the front (a feature I really enjoy) and she has the same fangs as her g1 doll but that's about where it all ends. </p><p>G1 venus had half shaved hair in dull green and watermelon pink. G3's hair is grass green and hot pink and in half cornrows with the rest microbraided. </p><p>G1 Venus has blue eyes. G3's eyes are brown. </p><p>G1 Venus has a fairly narrow nose with a bulbous tip while g3 Venus has a broad nose. </p><p>They do both have the same squared off chin and leaf ears though. </p><p>but WOW they're different. </p><p>I always liked g1 Venus but g3 has so much more personality. Like many of the G3 dolls, I find that alongside G1 they tend to look far more characterful and cartoonish which I enjoy very much. </p><p>Venus is a really colourful doll and I am digging her new look. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDDjHNpd0YDoMqus5xMZT8UOkmlFHZXgo7adLiPZv3VDRGyK7TfM_JBrjiG_rvQ_I7-l7AeFii8iC0ozJOOWseAV8jhe8-DSLHRtzi1B49u0OIXQ4BSjFD9rz2OiZkF6p8pXJIk7TWmqcVGJKtk2dn4ebQGx0lSL-TrTZMf1Xkbt_OYOzwOUo-pZLKy4BM/s3134/20231228_161354.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3134" data-original-width="1368" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDDjHNpd0YDoMqus5xMZT8UOkmlFHZXgo7adLiPZv3VDRGyK7TfM_JBrjiG_rvQ_I7-l7AeFii8iC0ozJOOWseAV8jhe8-DSLHRtzi1B49u0OIXQ4BSjFD9rz2OiZkF6p8pXJIk7TWmqcVGJKtk2dn4ebQGx0lSL-TrTZMf1Xkbt_OYOzwOUo-pZLKy4BM/w280-h640/20231228_161354.jpg" width="280" /></a></div><p><br />I did tie my girl's hair up in a high side pony to keep it out of her face, but also to give it the volume her artwork depicted. </p><p>I'm delighted by her. Yes I have my gripes, and I LOATHE Imposter Chewlian with a burning passion, but Mattel did a pretty good job with Venus' design. I'm very pleased to have her in my collection. </p><p>I give her a solid<b> 9 terrifying cats wearing the flayed flesh of their predecessor out of 10</b>. <br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /><br /></p>Purple_monkfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023284779817354246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3031605728160552641.post-75919719955872825502023-12-19T23:56:00.000+00:002023-12-19T23:56:39.120+00:00And now for something different. - Stuff I bought this month.<p> Yes I still have more Sindy stuff to get to, but i'm taking a break for christmas.</p><p>but that doesn't mean I don't have some things I want to ramble on about. </p><p>I may not have energy for full box openings or massive amounts of historical research but I CAN buy bundles I shouldn't. Lol. </p><p>So let's get into it</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p><br /></p><p>Usually I try to have a bit of a "buying stuff embargo" in December, what with christmas looming but it's a different matter when it comes to secondhand deals. A few bundles came to my attention that ended up being really reasonably priced (probably lots of other people on dolly embargo) and I kinda impulse splurged. </p><p>ho hum. </p><p>So, what'd I break out the wallet for? </p><p>Well let's start with the Monster High stuff.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWyXoFnrlg3alFARFpO58acG69CfQ3o_sZUHIuXMBPGW7mxvK2chDEN6SuH8djQFMrTcJuQqz_TuTNNVcYd2oqCZS4CBmZSfpU6oXghVBO3AQyGI3pkuv3UTR_pEIMz0zjLTQRO094iy6BWRaYNBsuJszTWNtWZwzrOVTq2O5L4fN17KLOAasW2IhDinc8/s800/mhbundle.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWyXoFnrlg3alFARFpO58acG69CfQ3o_sZUHIuXMBPGW7mxvK2chDEN6SuH8djQFMrTcJuQqz_TuTNNVcYd2oqCZS4CBmZSfpU6oXghVBO3AQyGI3pkuv3UTR_pEIMz0zjLTQRO094iy6BWRaYNBsuJszTWNtWZwzrOVTq2O5L4fN17KLOAasW2IhDinc8/w640-h480/mhbundle.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seller photo<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>So this popped up on Vinted for a low BIN and I was intrigued. </p><p>We have a Novi Star, A bratz doll and a lot of Monster High in various states. </p><p>I've been on the lookout for Mouscedes for cheap, as well as ghouls night out Clawdeen and Ghoulia who i used to own and regret selling. Also Zombie Shake Meowlody, I liked the Zombie shake line and wouldn't mind the werecats. </p><p>there was no real indication of the state of these dolls, I just had to study the few photos which didn't really tell me a lot. I knew a few were missing hands, but how many? Only time would tell. </p><p>they arrived pretty promptly in a MASSIVE box thanks to the playsets. </p><p>I learned that the DJ booth plays music if you attach an mp3 player or just your pc but the speakers SUCK and the sound is really tinny. To be fair it was more than I expected the thing to do but I feel like more playset would have been better than shit speakers. </p><p>As a playset it's VERY minimal. There's a booth, some speakers (not present in this one) and a backdrop.</p><p>For how bulky the thing is it's really remarkably limited. </p><p>still, middle kiddo stole it anyway. I loves playsets.</p><p>The pet playset is also incomplete but I don't really understand it anyway. It does have a fun little foot stool thing that does a magic drawer trick which is cool. Kiddo also stole that.</p><p>The CAM playset is also missing all the accessories and I have the full version somewhere anyway but eh. There were extra random clothes in the drawer so that's something.</p><p>the scooter is 1/4 scale and made for Our Generation dolls I think. It's really cute and very realistic. </p><p>But the dolls are the real interesting bit.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSAcfECFrY5gZU7sv_mLSgC6gNGsnaN6yoe46Juf6YSXC5OTqIsCWSMmL2tTkn9uCT2GNLuBOtoLWVGqcUVfOb_sjDuHdNJ5BQkgx1MQX6g7kOcJ5tsn8GwhIvxida5_S-SiQaO9wFy_M38nZn4PsqY4skUlE7cUx6257Yno2sRHNnCqoILhOKu1eg7j9l/s4000/IMG_20231211_170845.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSAcfECFrY5gZU7sv_mLSgC6gNGsnaN6yoe46Juf6YSXC5OTqIsCWSMmL2tTkn9uCT2GNLuBOtoLWVGqcUVfOb_sjDuHdNJ5BQkgx1MQX6g7kOcJ5tsn8GwhIvxida5_S-SiQaO9wFy_M38nZn4PsqY4skUlE7cUx6257Yno2sRHNnCqoILhOKu1eg7j9l/w480-h640/IMG_20231211_170845.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p>These three are missing parts. </p><p>Neighthan has lost a hand. </p><p>Wheelin' Werecats Meowlody has lost both hands and one forearm along with her tail. </p><p>Sweet 1600 (rerelease) Frankie has lost an arm. </p><p>the girls both have glue head, ew. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNSbOnVXzWJU2pIMm7rfHuTpsYXfcMe-nX6A-n0O3EXvSHlG09ousAfzX_pX4GQL5Xg6ZIFtX1_cpGcyzKEyWgsWIa8eYSHkv9tUZiYPNOONtLkFtz6a4CnqCh6pDlWr1ibxtswDjOQVOvVa4vvA9wlE7Alk7vBmH6cxd8Y8tHtDf11XHH17Mn_AAEbpLt/s4000/IMG_20231211_171027.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNSbOnVXzWJU2pIMm7rfHuTpsYXfcMe-nX6A-n0O3EXvSHlG09ousAfzX_pX4GQL5Xg6ZIFtX1_cpGcyzKEyWgsWIa8eYSHkv9tUZiYPNOONtLkFtz6a4CnqCh6pDlWr1ibxtswDjOQVOvVa4vvA9wlE7Alk7vBmH6cxd8Y8tHtDf11XHH17Mn_AAEbpLt/w480-h640/IMG_20231211_171027.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>The Novi Star has also lost an arm. Their arms come off very very easily. </p><p>Also the goo in her legs has dried out. </p><p>That said, she'd work amazing as a hybrid on a new body. She matches Venus' skintone very well but I already have a Novi/MH Hybrid and don't really need another. </p><p>I do love her little hair bow. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvD0qX72iZPbRDRm3_EbaUyFnlH40FPxWrA6xcSNs0qUhpeRzK7DWzIGwWD0zzAuzuADqDt7bup7VrVFpgeYsEamXtDgYvjmdYRvTjFTlR19aBeiMylcgQLpCLJpNoDa6qL2Bf4wTYl4orfTxUFG-JqjL6TxIuVmEsz8_Ot4TWy85P679P4iJz5K6ShHJC/s3172/IMG_20231211_170929.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2701" data-original-width="3172" height="544" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvD0qX72iZPbRDRm3_EbaUyFnlH40FPxWrA6xcSNs0qUhpeRzK7DWzIGwWD0zzAuzuADqDt7bup7VrVFpgeYsEamXtDgYvjmdYRvTjFTlR19aBeiMylcgQLpCLJpNoDa6qL2Bf4wTYl4orfTxUFG-JqjL6TxIuVmEsz8_Ot4TWy85P679P4iJz5K6ShHJC/w640-h544/IMG_20231211_170929.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Ghouls Night Out Venus is a doll I already own. She's a fun doll. </p><p>Zombie Shake Rochelle I also already own. this one has lost her wings. </p><p>Scaris Catrine needed a little glue head treatment but scrubbed up nicely. She's not complete but she does have her tail. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr-4Y-UoUb4oYCT_bPuWlroK1796Fc_l1bCboQYEf_8eru0fCFAZIMj9jUOcZRpnci8xLlvl4lQqBVeSoNEKes2e2Zm1mFonosAuZeJYyt2b9p_QjrcVcXzgUACQpqeRwoYDaFPAtBQcXBywRL9h9hhi3P77hK5nP3k7IiazqUPEzlMP35kN9vJqF32PPC/s4000/20231212_154153.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr-4Y-UoUb4oYCT_bPuWlroK1796Fc_l1bCboQYEf_8eru0fCFAZIMj9jUOcZRpnci8xLlvl4lQqBVeSoNEKes2e2Zm1mFonosAuZeJYyt2b9p_QjrcVcXzgUACQpqeRwoYDaFPAtBQcXBywRL9h9hhi3P77hK5nP3k7IiazqUPEzlMP35kN9vJqF32PPC/w480-h640/20231212_154153.jpg" width="480" /></a></div> <p></p><p>13 Wishes Abbey did actually have her dress but I stole it for another doll. Ahem. I never liked this Abbey. The tinsel and the more yellow blonde hair coupled with the yellow eyeshadow and gold accessories never quite worked for me. The "ice" motif doesn't work when it's gold, her crown doesn't look like ice, it looks like dribbly gold. I know gold was a big thing with the 13 wishes line but as Abbey was a store exclusive and sold separate to the main line I do think they could have gotten away with silver to keep her theme. </p><p>Deuce came with a different bundle, we'll get to that. He's the one who originally came with Gil in a two pack, which I can't remember the name of. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVJQ7_YbSYL6BQeY4xo_GS4nXYsA6eqvnHmwnCYIKrzxAPnKMWkCaX0LBKLACIfTqjvR2WQzNMOlpWkm96uExV-V3rYuUo8SiCUl_ejEnhpiKTkFZJf2szoe7QcasBG78e5cs6icvK3t7Tl8bIQUe57TBaYaHV92bCWRSHktTKu_APuY2hSrXL8Np_vw-H/s4000/20231212_154133.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVJQ7_YbSYL6BQeY4xo_GS4nXYsA6eqvnHmwnCYIKrzxAPnKMWkCaX0LBKLACIfTqjvR2WQzNMOlpWkm96uExV-V3rYuUo8SiCUl_ejEnhpiKTkFZJf2szoe7QcasBG78e5cs6icvK3t7Tl8bIQUe57TBaYaHV92bCWRSHktTKu_APuY2hSrXL8Np_vw-H/w480-h640/20231212_154133.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>Ghouls Rule Clawdeen is a doll i've always been a bit on the fence about. Parts of her design I think are really cool but other bits just feel muddled. She suffers badly from tinsel which frazzles and makes her hair look ratty. The way her makeup swirls into her eyebrows looks a bit odd too. </p><p>In the case of this one, she's clearly been VERY played with. She's wearing Abbey's wrist cuffs here and all the blue foil has come off her dress. </p><p>I cannot get her shoes off. They're far too tight. </p><p>She only had one hand and it was that horrible little baby hand they used for a few Cleo dolls. A sculpt I HATE. She is however a very close match to Boo York Clawdeen so for now has her hands. </p><p>But I don't know I want to keep this doll. I appreciate her very ott makeup and her wig inspired hair but she hasn't aged well. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNnLddoi7rJImVmewdWbnJLqMWCXRYrz9T_IO6Dpo80WvBc5qrbGkkNEX7iu4-hNwmd2e126Gmya0qHR3_naEPjcUZJCJ-CUwu5aVope0YV_b9wRlBTld0GPERP9xPkWF7yhLq8X8vKUJMrUvlUsOvelp1fTrY-6ie48cB__fYBvDt7qS2OTsQ8vglVgqb/s4000/20231212_154143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNnLddoi7rJImVmewdWbnJLqMWCXRYrz9T_IO6Dpo80WvBc5qrbGkkNEX7iu4-hNwmd2e126Gmya0qHR3_naEPjcUZJCJ-CUwu5aVope0YV_b9wRlBTld0GPERP9xPkWF7yhLq8X8vKUJMrUvlUsOvelp1fTrY-6ie48cB__fYBvDt7qS2OTsQ8vglVgqb/w480-h640/20231212_154143.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>Speaking of Boo York Clawdeen, she had glue head and needed treating. I didn't bother going all out for the dolls I knew I wasn't keeping though, they just got a cursory destickification. </p><p>I already own a boo york Clawdeen and this one has wonky eyes anyway. I don't like the simmery skintone they gave the dolls here because it washes Clawdeen out and makes her several shades paler than her usual dolls (Cleo suffers this too) <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfFxrbOTvUH2djFkRkRdqFrUFoECUd_cGX61Cy1HoK_kVI5jqjwEawYcih1bUPoOBiZ35KXPR8EIPdqm7zWs5ezfsJ5wp2Bb1PMhEhiFtUhxvpgyzTyaa6HONrshtbsYvfP13r026A87eO8yFW-i6SUzsKcMfAkZ5W07mlB6oW6yyajHUyM1_JNu3Gurw9/s2624/20231212_154354.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2624" data-original-width="2395" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfFxrbOTvUH2djFkRkRdqFrUFoECUd_cGX61Cy1HoK_kVI5jqjwEawYcih1bUPoOBiZ35KXPR8EIPdqm7zWs5ezfsJ5wp2Bb1PMhEhiFtUhxvpgyzTyaa6HONrshtbsYvfP13r026A87eO8yFW-i6SUzsKcMfAkZ5W07mlB6oW6yyajHUyM1_JNu3Gurw9/w584-h640/20231212_154354.jpg" width="584" /></a></div><p></p><p>the seller photo didn't include Purrsephony so she was a surprise. </p><p>Anyway, these are the tentative "keep" dolls along with a couple who were getting glue treatment at the time of this photo. </p><p>Zombie Shake Venus is a doll that when she was released I didn't much like. I thought she was "too much" but over the years i've warmed to her. This one isn't complete and has marks on her face I can't get off but I don't mind too much. </p><p>Zombie Shake Meowlody and Purrsephony have lost a few bits and pieces but are mostly complete which is cool. I have ONE tail but not the other. Go figure. </p><p>Mouscedes has lost her tail and did come with her gala outfit but I hate her gala outfit a great deal so she's not wearing it. </p><p>And 13 wishes (dj) Spectra who it turned out had her underdress as well as her overdress thing. </p><p>I like the black accessories on her. I don't know what the boots are, I think they're Draculaura's, they have little hearts on them. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVF0ibyyQurBJA4TGu_5114JClbn4Oa8dMAaZrPK5F2W1tyrdgphJkNMQJ9QLnwUQj9cJ8a1Qxh7UArx7Xa04WXfLn0MjWOMFIbuzuOHKDHjN5GNfXgbM22_RogkvDrizLlEHlIkBReDlZnu7JoRRNUow4fj2rcWDSr_4iDEvRV20Q40_CFmNB9ZUZbSEe/s4000/20231218_151423.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVF0ibyyQurBJA4TGu_5114JClbn4Oa8dMAaZrPK5F2W1tyrdgphJkNMQJ9QLnwUQj9cJ8a1Qxh7UArx7Xa04WXfLn0MjWOMFIbuzuOHKDHjN5GNfXgbM22_RogkvDrizLlEHlIkBReDlZnu7JoRRNUow4fj2rcWDSr_4iDEvRV20Q40_CFmNB9ZUZbSEe/w480-h640/20231218_151423.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>Mouscedes is another doll I used to own but sold and kinda regretted. The thing is, I didn't much like either of her outfits and her mirrored eyes bugged the shit out of me. She always felt like a cute sculpt that was missing the opportunity to shine. </p><p>My first task with this girl, after stripping her out of her unflattering gala dress, was to fix her eyes. She was designed with her eyes as mirror images of one another, meaning she was looking in two different directions. I assume this was an attempt to imitate the whole "rat/mouse eyes on the sides of their head" thing but she's anthropomorphic so that makes no sense anyway. </p><p>So I repainted one eye to have the shines coming from the same direction which is HOW LIGHT SOURCES WORK MATTEL! It helps focus her eyes and makes her look significantly less derpy. </p><p>then I repainted her eyebrows because her arched brows didn't work for me. </p><p>Finally her lips being the same colour as her eyes, her nose and her ear inners meant it all kinda washed out and I wanted to give her slightly more downcast lips anyway so I painted them a slightly darker shade of pink. This makes her lips pop more I think, and really helps the buck teeth stand out. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKHuWeBqq8FxG5aL7mDtVfBL1yzjLhN3r3-YSlf6u5uxQk-2lIpfFOT6vg5Q0BkZ-r51PIN1QKgFoGVQfunUF_9F_jL3t9Z6I4IRQIUb0ctPupk5IvLuKj1YdzFQnCRwHnw9mej7IgxEcmfrnrUe_-_OgElYyrC3SSZOJc_xHPbqt28vwY4DgqrfYC-ViY/s4000/20231218_151435.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKHuWeBqq8FxG5aL7mDtVfBL1yzjLhN3r3-YSlf6u5uxQk-2lIpfFOT6vg5Q0BkZ-r51PIN1QKgFoGVQfunUF_9F_jL3t9Z6I4IRQIUb0ctPupk5IvLuKj1YdzFQnCRwHnw9mej7IgxEcmfrnrUe_-_OgElYyrC3SSZOJc_xHPbqt28vwY4DgqrfYC-ViY/w480-h640/20231218_151435.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p>She's adorable now. </p><p>Finding her an outfit was a challenge. The little sister body is quite a bit shorter in the torso than regular monster high which means most mh stuff looks frumpy and sack-like. Bratz stuff is often too mature as well as being too short in the crotch/hips and I was running out of tiny clothes to try.</p><p>I settled on this Pinkie Cooper dress (with the massive disproportionate flower cut off) with Lagoona leggings underneath and a Bratz vest to pull it all together. </p><p>The big sparkly bow felt appropriate too. </p><p>I feel like she's got a bit of a young pop star thing going on now. </p><p>But yeah, she's a difficult doll to style and dress.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUGl_YYJwrmU1RB6wBAC92VmRKBB_uIjeLB90gRcf2f1TNVCIXRiiSrg5b7L5PHlMK0UIJtSUKzZ8wu6MtJfF4_EuIS1PoRSa7RAngdTMSG3bFNoqFUqeI1wNGWBkNqMZ2B84BTQyFs9N65IQCf4vDxO3V0fZY7-xg_F61DSWAQ6vzae3VMZ-h002nJLQo/s4000/IMG_20231218_155810.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUGl_YYJwrmU1RB6wBAC92VmRKBB_uIjeLB90gRcf2f1TNVCIXRiiSrg5b7L5PHlMK0UIJtSUKzZ8wu6MtJfF4_EuIS1PoRSa7RAngdTMSG3bFNoqFUqeI1wNGWBkNqMZ2B84BTQyFs9N65IQCf4vDxO3V0fZY7-xg_F61DSWAQ6vzae3VMZ-h002nJLQo/w480-h640/IMG_20231218_155810.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /> My final two "keep" dolls are Ghouls Night Out Clawdeen and Ghoulia. <p></p><p>I used to own these two dolls. I can't remember when or why I sold them but i've always regretted letting Clawdeen go.</p><p>Both of them are beautiful. They're incomplete but I don't much care. Also the foil has come off Clawdeen's dress but again, whatever. </p><p>I'm just pleased to have them back in my collection. </p><p>Both needed quite a lot of degluing which took a while. Ghoulia's head was rock hard and Clawdeen's hair was very sticky. There's still a little tackiness to Ghoulia's scalp but it's only very slight and it's where her hair is pulled into the ponytail so helps keep it sleek anyway. </p><p>I've removed so much glue at this point so i'll take slight tackiness. Degluing is really tedious and it hurts my hands squeezing that shit out of their heads. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4W8dZ3kKZ2XQo7UjrV2xt5bWk58j9XPkzTjMqx5vSGKg6Y7aHji3PAERDjR0rqNGT6rpPsbadVmooH3YyX75D9e2RGjlwIRJCgLW5j-6N-XqGQqDgYeOyvhs7pg5FOancYck8xYDv0_lPehnuGzFatTcu_MylshhD0mOt9QOd3hNOslJLELKfG4N_ocJ8/s4000/IMG_20231218_160620.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4W8dZ3kKZ2XQo7UjrV2xt5bWk58j9XPkzTjMqx5vSGKg6Y7aHji3PAERDjR0rqNGT6rpPsbadVmooH3YyX75D9e2RGjlwIRJCgLW5j-6N-XqGQqDgYeOyvhs7pg5FOancYck8xYDv0_lPehnuGzFatTcu_MylshhD0mOt9QOd3hNOslJLELKfG4N_ocJ8/w480-h640/IMG_20231218_160620.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p>the last two dolls were a Bratz Yasmin and a Ever After High doll with horrific hair. </p><p>The EAH doll is Holly O'Hair and I believe she's a hair play doll. But the amount of glue in there had turned her head into a sticky disgusting mess. It was horrible. It took days of repeat washing and cif treatments and scraping the inside of her head to make a dent in the disgustingness. </p><p>As it stands, almost all of the visible glue is now gone, but her scalp is still tacky regardless. Unfortunately this also means her hair has nothing to grip now so she sheds badly and lost a couple of plugs during her final brush through. I had to reroot them which wasn't ideal. </p><p>Thing is, she's not even a good doll so i'm not sure why I bothered. It became a bit of a stubborn thing at the end. Like "I WILL fix this doll" even though she's shit. </p><p>She's on a body without articulated arms and a moulded on bodice which is really quite detailed but all just purple plastic. </p><p>I dunno, she's boring. I don't much like the EAH head sculpts, I dislike budget bodies with moulded on clothing like this and her damn hair is SYILL slightly sticky. ARGHHHH. </p><p>damnit Holly. </p><p>She's in the "fuck off outta here" box now. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg46SzJT4TGGNax04VatZwNAgUtsFXD0RFR7irAtFvmw-gSNcNn9EXbK3bouIv3S8KOUtm52AcX2oTNiMUdLtLl0rEchgeOxewDuzTIv_NxuEjbJe8SLDIBwF3jQR2wWsZUS79rs3g2iGY2RM8YjARUZmNAWv8Qd4XDACbdRVNZmZvhH9_7EO1yeuh-KJaG/s2850/20231219_141206.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2850" data-original-width="1688" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg46SzJT4TGGNax04VatZwNAgUtsFXD0RFR7irAtFvmw-gSNcNn9EXbK3bouIv3S8KOUtm52AcX2oTNiMUdLtLl0rEchgeOxewDuzTIv_NxuEjbJe8SLDIBwF3jQR2wWsZUS79rs3g2iGY2RM8YjARUZmNAWv8Qd4XDACbdRVNZmZvhH9_7EO1yeuh-KJaG/w380-h640/20231219_141206.jpg" width="380" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p>Yasmin on the other hand needs help. She's a 2010 era Bratz which means she has awful hair. It's frizzy dry cheap nylon and while conditioning and boiling it helped a bit and it's now soft, it's still really frazzled looking. <br /></p><p>She's Neon Runway Yasmin, with the white hair variant (the other one had purple hair). I like the white hair against her tanned skin, I think it's quite pretty. </p><p>She donated her vest to Mouscedes and really that vest is the only really cool part of her outfit. The silver dress is very thin and has holes in it from the packaging tabs and the leggings are just leggings. Boring pink leggings. Useful, but boring. </p><p>I DO like the 2010 era faces though. I think those smokey eyes are really beautiful. So I will try to fix her hair. </p><p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcE7W0_-PPXZ1d9m5hR-HX4c7dkPCEomyw-qaR3gMh8GnYXs4KvqDxIPT89vyGrO4QP0DOD6sdVTfGxEdncHtsAA79BGjMOefGy8YJUabKo9WaiXb5nPcSUkTpUyM_d7uf_c2w4WTx3SF-7_WFOFiQ6FgQGOVhdYqZTDEiKrzr6AVGnlBzTmf0B5_o4P6N/s1600/mhheads.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcE7W0_-PPXZ1d9m5hR-HX4c7dkPCEomyw-qaR3gMh8GnYXs4KvqDxIPT89vyGrO4QP0DOD6sdVTfGxEdncHtsAA79BGjMOefGy8YJUabKo9WaiXb5nPcSUkTpUyM_d7uf_c2w4WTx3SF-7_WFOFiQ6FgQGOVhdYqZTDEiKrzr6AVGnlBzTmf0B5_o4P6N/w480-h640/mhheads.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seller photo<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /></p><p> Another bundle that caught my eye was this curious little collection of heads. </p><p>We have FCA Lagoona, a doll i've always appreciated from afar because her glue head is notorious. There's a pair of fully white haired Frankies, several misrooted Operettas and perhaps most curious, a Loves Not Dead Ghoulia with her hair in the correct beehive style of her prototype rather than the silly tight rolled sausage her release doll got. </p><p>Hmmmm. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxNe5MgHTrB-c_qUo4MlM7tlroHcFIQCLP4HFHA8sIV8EXjMDO9iLKTi63O7zXYL_2IE-t1WuBuGdic1KmnMsiajHEEdKZsFjLzFkfG0qTJqA_MRfETdpqK4X1lSZu8ctZjplTwEN0ulNJq18APVofA_DlpRAweMbYdVPib2YJRnwX9jNRSM9UmZQJAL5F/s4000/20231218_150639.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxNe5MgHTrB-c_qUo4MlM7tlroHcFIQCLP4HFHA8sIV8EXjMDO9iLKTi63O7zXYL_2IE-t1WuBuGdic1KmnMsiajHEEdKZsFjLzFkfG0qTJqA_MRfETdpqK4X1lSZu8ctZjplTwEN0ulNJq18APVofA_DlpRAweMbYdVPib2YJRnwX9jNRSM9UmZQJAL5F/w480-h640/20231218_150639.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>This Freaky Fusion Frankie is odd because her head is tiny and really hard. She's rooted with light blonde hair with no black streaks and her makeup is immaculate. But as I said, her head is HARD and small as if it's been acetone shrunk. But acetone shrinking would strip the face paint... <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDciMEiDY-9rnJ9alic0lz0mALv73u216nW6sqZUMN_kTag0im_MuKE_Z0vQ16l5MRg7MipgT6lKSt8DEHzy71BGTUq5Spvz9rxpofQCM_l0s7Z0ecorIDbzT5-RD9o9OKJlQH_jZ9Gotdcs6PFPi1Kv4HGtQO1OvzVzfyEYHVSHSJwxSPDJIWRAqk7ag5/s4000/20231218_150715.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDciMEiDY-9rnJ9alic0lz0mALv73u216nW6sqZUMN_kTag0im_MuKE_Z0vQ16l5MRg7MipgT6lKSt8DEHzy71BGTUq5Spvz9rxpofQCM_l0s7Z0ecorIDbzT5-RD9o9OKJlQH_jZ9Gotdcs6PFPi1Kv4HGtQO1OvzVzfyEYHVSHSJwxSPDJIWRAqk7ag5/w480-h640/20231218_150715.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>Alongside a regular Frankie head you can see how small her head is. It's about 2/3 of the size at most. It's super weird. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8z0-e7OX0IsaYoSIpvSBClfeirFM3jyMseawSl_K9n9e6e6Z7ERgcOOAsyG1PR8Cq5BVobWzsZOw3YpEFBSz6LrX-xwc7V8tXNsRAN9gXKWaeWo5ian7hEq9T-B5YjkgrrrZgRdp7LZX9x-gvvbq5Pq1zvi1PA5Trt28-IWzTc3-G9TUr00IgrHWWrYgE/s2453/20231218_150818.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1258" data-original-width="2453" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8z0-e7OX0IsaYoSIpvSBClfeirFM3jyMseawSl_K9n9e6e6Z7ERgcOOAsyG1PR8Cq5BVobWzsZOw3YpEFBSz6LrX-xwc7V8tXNsRAN9gXKWaeWo5ian7hEq9T-B5YjkgrrrZgRdp7LZX9x-gvvbq5Pq1zvi1PA5Trt28-IWzTc3-G9TUr00IgrHWWrYgE/w640-h328/20231218_150818.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>We also have signature Lagoona with fairly common slight eye wonk. A slightly wonky Getting Ghostly Twyla who's had her hair stripped (she has a tiny head too but I think Twyla just has a small head) and Frights Camera Action Viperine with her snakes removed. There's still glue residue at the back of her head so i'm assuming she had them at some point. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimh_EEhxsWQIjaYcjc5v-sHs2gyY5jeHawUhrmcLHKdBRTWGa2Jatcf2YzvHS6ZKUc-gb6pl8Oaa08F1YzQL3lLJI4FeqlwRU_wo48W6vuWmblMjeTOuaHDEIObl15VWO3DOkXy91HgeVRxhZB2OEeCxPjyqCo1JUSRT5GINfn2IgQt_izXhdBGBkGwI5K/s3027/20231218_150839.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2001" data-original-width="3027" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimh_EEhxsWQIjaYcjc5v-sHs2gyY5jeHawUhrmcLHKdBRTWGa2Jatcf2YzvHS6ZKUc-gb6pl8Oaa08F1YzQL3lLJI4FeqlwRU_wo48W6vuWmblMjeTOuaHDEIObl15VWO3DOkXy91HgeVRxhZB2OEeCxPjyqCo1JUSRT5GINfn2IgQt_izXhdBGBkGwI5K/w640-h424/20231218_150839.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>An unfinished Operetta with solidly black hair. Judging by her rooting pattern I think this is Black Carpet/FCA Operetta but they rooted the back black as well. Her hair is really soft and has a lovely curl to it. </p><p>Abbey's lips have been carved for some reason. It's not a good job and it's left quite a lot of gouges and looks weird. What's interesting about this Abbey however is that her hair is almost entirely blonde with only ONE purple streak toward the back. </p><p>I assume both these dolls are Ali Express/Tao Bao factory reject heads. </p><p>Faceless Oppy replaces the Bloodgood head from the sales photo. Odd. She's substantially more interesting than Bloodgood. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI-CU3w9aQHn4E1EP3z4d3FIaQInoyjP3oxC3GLJ_3g6mTwtNYZ4lacjsUEWwUudVVNVk6MuPszyGao-4tm6UXjl2cLJpE1ZsfmMT9gdzD8y3xGIki0t0HTuVIA2v7I_qv1i9-JGAlusEgS5aOWRMUjZmKLPR21u16P4x8RCRqSxu68fA4JyUOpXZrFVWH/s2675/20231218_150926.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2675" data-original-width="2140" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI-CU3w9aQHn4E1EP3z4d3FIaQInoyjP3oxC3GLJ_3g6mTwtNYZ4lacjsUEWwUudVVNVk6MuPszyGao-4tm6UXjl2cLJpE1ZsfmMT9gdzD8y3xGIki0t0HTuVIA2v7I_qv1i9-JGAlusEgS5aOWRMUjZmKLPR21u16P4x8RCRqSxu68fA4JyUOpXZrFVWH/w512-h640/20231218_150926.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><p></p><p>Another presumed reject head is this Operetta. She has Frights Camera Action's makeup but her eyes are missing a layer of blue and her hair is all red. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfSVqgc3rclS9MeNeRF1jR_0cWcu8oedEmlVA5pFaj2tHf5nPrbWgtGrg-NQ_r1pW7f5PbBmb99olvO1q3pBr3yGvxFSu3sUTUXl7nWUrlOl_7zEdyo6X69zuYUMmdvzrkMLsuXazi2JKxLJ0313aaOZgDbo8G0suMUKLWMH_V3cd3ZFbELOANEZOB1zLi/s2251/20231218_151002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1472" data-original-width="2251" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfSVqgc3rclS9MeNeRF1jR_0cWcu8oedEmlVA5pFaj2tHf5nPrbWgtGrg-NQ_r1pW7f5PbBmb99olvO1q3pBr3yGvxFSu3sUTUXl7nWUrlOl_7zEdyo6X69zuYUMmdvzrkMLsuXazi2JKxLJ0313aaOZgDbo8G0suMUKLWMH_V3cd3ZFbELOANEZOB1zLi/w640-h418/20231218_151002.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>Here she is alongside a regular Operetta to show what I mean about her eyes. Instead of blue she has yellow which makes her eyes look grey. I think it's quite pretty actually. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyO95O1svmXDqxLMkRm6uZSeIE8t99Znm55HW442dN1SfMDhCrNaknothTrItRAz0u6CPvlXWk0Hgc-NM1EHGO5WkSTj-tA3P7rJHD3aDglfRlI0ijnhFUpjZOz9VasskGSB0GhyL3cGlf0LjsDFKpaWi2jbKOs_asdLuVnGovjFFnTDHiCwgovs_6fI8e/s3565/20231218_151043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1514" data-original-width="3565" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyO95O1svmXDqxLMkRm6uZSeIE8t99Znm55HW442dN1SfMDhCrNaknothTrItRAz0u6CPvlXWk0Hgc-NM1EHGO5WkSTj-tA3P7rJHD3aDglfRlI0ijnhFUpjZOz9VasskGSB0GhyL3cGlf0LjsDFKpaWi2jbKOs_asdLuVnGovjFFnTDHiCwgovs_6fI8e/w640-h272/20231218_151043.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>there's a lot of Operetta's in this bundle. </p><p>First is Dot Dead Gorgeous. Her hair looks to be rooted correctly, but it's not styled. She should have a ponytail with a big rolled fringe. <br /></p><p>Second doll is I think maybe Picture Day? Her hair is missing black streaks and I don't think the front is rooted correctly. Picture Day has a weird Something About Mary quiff going on. This one has a center part with shorter chunks at the front which frame her face. The rest looks to be rooted to be a ponytail which follows with Picture Day. <br /></p><p>Third is signature Operetta. Again her hair looks to be rooted correctly but hasn't been styled. </p><p>Then we have what I think is Diener Operetta from the store exclusive Diener playset with Draculaura. Her lips feel too small or narrow or something but her hair is correct. Despite the photo, she actually has quite dark brows. I don't know why they photograph yellow here. <br /></p><p>Finally we have Freaky Fusion Operetta.She hasn't got her black streak down the middle and her hair is actually center parted. Again this doesn't feel correct. </p><p>So we have two with incorrect hair and three with correct hair. I can't see any obvious defects in any of them either so if they're factory rejects I don't know why. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif6izY4R5WctHVc15hdHd8MktcJYLdpZciEgFfWRQ6xGEt8_0HtXWB9Qwtazq-FMvcAF79FSchfcnMApXkCNjCOM7QKKyxD-qGlMV4lUpgI6kkCC43-oLNvmruY45HCdvasMtstpfm_bL9AK-k3j6-LV5HRWL7DQgAJf46YWUQBMos5ps8ANawhpLmsUhZ/s3424/20231218_151304.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3424" data-original-width="2177" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif6izY4R5WctHVc15hdHd8MktcJYLdpZciEgFfWRQ6xGEt8_0HtXWB9Qwtazq-FMvcAF79FSchfcnMApXkCNjCOM7QKKyxD-qGlMV4lUpgI6kkCC43-oLNvmruY45HCdvasMtstpfm_bL9AK-k3j6-LV5HRWL7DQgAJf46YWUQBMos5ps8ANawhpLmsUhZ/w406-h640/20231218_151304.jpg" width="406" /></a></div><p></p><p>I gave these three heads bodies. </p><p>Ghoulia is using a very messy CAM body I need to remove the paint from. </p><p>Lagoona has a body I had in my box who is missing a hand. </p><p>Frankie stole sweet 1600's body and gained a Draculaura arm. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3lnmFl4KKhLoYZ9ICM7rpeC-_ppT0k1zaJ4zIQ4LCWuJtjBmokenFcjLzsOe-1_3ec7NKwmymS_YLGB-NvjZzrTHx7zh5m1RKyWIv04lNCjMhzBKb2Na8V5sZ9EKuPzAvQcIt-W8OUKZA2ThFGloDaR7kET-N57xysWnnMSn79hyphenhyphenS_Z-4Qxllc1upqnxi/s2273/20231218_151319.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2273" data-original-width="1848" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3lnmFl4KKhLoYZ9ICM7rpeC-_ppT0k1zaJ4zIQ4LCWuJtjBmokenFcjLzsOe-1_3ec7NKwmymS_YLGB-NvjZzrTHx7zh5m1RKyWIv04lNCjMhzBKb2Na8V5sZ9EKuPzAvQcIt-W8OUKZA2ThFGloDaR7kET-N57xysWnnMSn79hyphenhyphenS_Z-4Qxllc1upqnxi/w325-h400/20231218_151319.jpg" width="325" /></a></div><p></p><p>I think this is Ghoul Spirit Frankie. What's interesting there is I always HATED Ghoul Spirit Frankie and I always assumed it was her pink makeup making her look like she had an eye infection but I think it's actually the horrible grey bangs they gave her. </p><p>I did alter this one's paint. I added a little pale blue to the underneath of her eye to break up the pinkness. </p><p>Her hair is pale blonde with some occasional darker blonde streaks. It's also quite short and unevenly cut. </p><p>I need to add some more plugs to thicken it up at the scalp but I really love this doll's look. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmACwBRHJIrlGvRxjMUm_5nBDRy2c2NlqIGEnSeX0BnJFcuu3pg3OFjZkiB5n3MfKSj8E9WZUL9ssPBc1u4IqPHc94TfFKb6VHWLnje8Fs1Mr_2wgWDSx-vfYxxyDDQzX9PdYhphrO_jfD2JmBn1P5NslKbhNJZLefhaRZMriDQdbzyhk1RYj34KwEcjfO/s2324/20231218_151332.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2324" data-original-width="1607" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmACwBRHJIrlGvRxjMUm_5nBDRy2c2NlqIGEnSeX0BnJFcuu3pg3OFjZkiB5n3MfKSj8E9WZUL9ssPBc1u4IqPHc94TfFKb6VHWLnje8Fs1Mr_2wgWDSx-vfYxxyDDQzX9PdYhphrO_jfD2JmBn1P5NslKbhNJZLefhaRZMriDQdbzyhk1RYj34KwEcjfO/w442-h640/20231218_151332.jpg" width="442" /></a></div><p></p><p>Damn 1st wave Lagoona is a pain in the arse to photograph. She almost always has wonky eyes which aren't so noticable in real life but are painfully clear in photographs. </p><p>That said, this Frights Camera Action Lagoona has quite nice hair. It's tacky at the scalp yes, but the curls are beautiful and the rest of her hair is nice and soft. </p><p>Her eyeshadow looks to be more orange than a lot of images I can find of this doll so uh... I dunno. </p><p>I'm gonna have to see if I can find her outfit pieces. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2_ZapM02EQ1mEHt008-ywNPCOEpcunSrgasy8iciDbdd-P8EJdwOoCu1KpZLNc3ze35eaONPFnXH7Ge4r62k1Xk5Ctr7rHFhedBuwzx0icBh3kb9wMM3XmkNttl1PBzIoWViR_TajDmyG8JmJlHf6VJhZEH0SYi_ZUI5JgbMMzFrZ5EJQsh1fl8I8THIt/s2990/20231218_151339.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2990" data-original-width="1712" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2_ZapM02EQ1mEHt008-ywNPCOEpcunSrgasy8iciDbdd-P8EJdwOoCu1KpZLNc3ze35eaONPFnXH7Ge4r62k1Xk5Ctr7rHFhedBuwzx0icBh3kb9wMM3XmkNttl1PBzIoWViR_TajDmyG8JmJlHf6VJhZEH0SYi_ZUI5JgbMMzFrZ5EJQsh1fl8I8THIt/w366-h640/20231218_151339.jpg" width="366" /></a></div><br /><p>Loves Not Dead Ghoulia is a pretty doll. I have one with her hair rinsed out. Her factory style was an abomination, seriously. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/daMAAOSwbSJkeKnA/s-l1200.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/daMAAOSwbSJkeKnA/s-l1200.webp" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Look at this shit! This was an ebay seller photo I found. Look at that fucking MESS! </p><p>that's not a beehive, that's a sausage!</p><p>This particular head has had her hair relaxed a little and pulled into a proper beehive style. it's FULL of product but this style would need a ton of gel to keep it up. There's no hairbands or anything, it's just gel. </p><p>the little red splotches in her eyes coupled with her dark blue hair make this doll a particularly distinctive one. </p><p>I'm not sure I can justify keeping this one, but i'm going to try to clean this body up for her at the very least. </p><p>So that's the Monster High dolls... for now. </p><p>the next lot were a little more random.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_DnmYaJGx9ruhnEDVF3BvPqdfugwjqKYDeDndSHy3tEKXRWZqNhD36i1X5nFHyCJo3cqp_QSEJhOR_RfAO-fEHvuYwZ3-zDvvJpk9N87nnoDX6RPe3YaYl68XFVs3-xI3ajlQgrdLMkb-k0y6sHeLUPgzPGMitfaA-aTCneao73XV7m8Osor_6tpFABFd/s2937/IMG_20231211_175813.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2220" data-original-width="2937" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_DnmYaJGx9ruhnEDVF3BvPqdfugwjqKYDeDndSHy3tEKXRWZqNhD36i1X5nFHyCJo3cqp_QSEJhOR_RfAO-fEHvuYwZ3-zDvvJpk9N87nnoDX6RPe3YaYl68XFVs3-xI3ajlQgrdLMkb-k0y6sHeLUPgzPGMitfaA-aTCneao73XV7m8Osor_6tpFABFd/w640-h484/IMG_20231211_175813.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>the poor boy dolls were, with the exception of one bratz boy in this image, listed on ebay with the description "I don't like boy dolls". </p><p>well thankfully I do. </p><p>so cheers seller for the bargain.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5jaejTXhZ1u8BVg3YR4ndVZ8Aa9BRnv_f5uBxh7TYlFkcMaZrEEgppAR_HX8pk7Ql1vnbwUnSbiM6REvczON5ri4ZDQCAXNdNUtgy8VPbDGv7Ufyk38pj_NBObjAd6q9eBxf_iL0CWEE2T0re7Y6pTLUJHz0r6nXi8R7nf8UbBv7gN_5sWOcItRuqmGXG/s2458/20231219_141251.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2458" data-original-width="2203" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5jaejTXhZ1u8BVg3YR4ndVZ8Aa9BRnv_f5uBxh7TYlFkcMaZrEEgppAR_HX8pk7Ql1vnbwUnSbiM6REvczON5ri4ZDQCAXNdNUtgy8VPbDGv7Ufyk38pj_NBObjAd6q9eBxf_iL0CWEE2T0re7Y6pTLUJHz0r6nXi8R7nf8UbBv7gN_5sWOcItRuqmGXG/w574-h640/20231219_141251.jpg" width="574" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>I recognized this one immediately. He's Modern Circle Ken. <br /></p><p>Modern Circle was an interesting line, released in 2003. Mattel used old Barbie sculpts from the 60s and 70s for this line but gave them modern looks and funky coloured hair. </p><p>Ken is honestly the least interesting of the lot but he's still interesting. He uses the repro 60s Ken sculpt and has a vintage-esk faceup with lopsided brows, simple blue eyes and very geometric freckles. I think his lips are too dark, they look like lipstick. </p><p>His hair is mostly black with yellow streaks and rooted in that way a lot of Ken dolls of this era were, that is, in a manner that makes their hair stand up like a troll doll. </p><p>He uses the 1970s Young Sweethearts body which Mattel used a fair bit any time they wanted an articulated Ken. I think the My Scene boys use this body even. It's lanky and tall and is jointed at the waist, the elbows and the knees. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigsLYuN8aB64MbbFYEGwlUJ6w_5BykVJlrN2ftmt87Ogv8-6bKNHmgbDebE3lWbS8c5e0iotxO9N43lljDaQC1KYZ36tD-pkbMZlvu0WJvzq1LbsKD35mBfzeAZXYqdCdW9gaohneyDN1-c-jQ62GZJkRkVhz7VdWSjYvacn3MwoUTQTr8I_CsM3QUUMoT/s3130/20231219_141245.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3130" data-original-width="1422" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigsLYuN8aB64MbbFYEGwlUJ6w_5BykVJlrN2ftmt87Ogv8-6bKNHmgbDebE3lWbS8c5e0iotxO9N43lljDaQC1KYZ36tD-pkbMZlvu0WJvzq1LbsKD35mBfzeAZXYqdCdW9gaohneyDN1-c-jQ62GZJkRkVhz7VdWSjYvacn3MwoUTQTr8I_CsM3QUUMoT/w290-h640/20231219_141245.jpg" width="290" /></a></div><p></p><p>The Young Sweethearts body is awkward to dress because the waist is quite skinny while the shoulders are broad. He's a bit oddly shaped really. But I did what I could with my limited Ken clothing supply. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8y2Pyt4rVf1FUX5lM9IOy1PahchU66KHm3ZYCR123TcsyLg4WKdXEsc43OPt2Rui1ICFuKDdNAYnSLpUJ-ztrwnfrAl43-mfrczVi3V0xU7hE4UKFnAjBmJiuCtVR_jFcP8Noy3feB92WYApAJ2zmTVkkNQ9W_4FivK-X41C-syHl6gfJf-AwwgBDdR6k/s2316/20231219_141349.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2316" data-original-width="2237" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8y2Pyt4rVf1FUX5lM9IOy1PahchU66KHm3ZYCR123TcsyLg4WKdXEsc43OPt2Rui1ICFuKDdNAYnSLpUJ-ztrwnfrAl43-mfrczVi3V0xU7hE4UKFnAjBmJiuCtVR_jFcP8Noy3feB92WYApAJ2zmTVkkNQ9W_4FivK-X41C-syHl6gfJf-AwwgBDdR6k/w618-h640/20231219_141349.jpg" width="618" /></a></div><br /><p>the other boy is also a Ken, though he uses the Max Steel body (a totally different toy line lol). This is Jude Deveraux "The Raider" Ken from a two pack with Barbie. The set was based on a romance novel by Jude Deveraux and from what i can establish, she wrote a lot of historical romance stories. </p><p>My boy came nude and because he uses this buff action figure body he's not easy to find clothing for. I should imagine Action Man stuff would fit, but that's pretty limited. In fact, that's the jacket he has on here while the shirt is from some generic similar soldier doll. </p><p>I'm yet to find him pants (lol)</p><p>He's a really interesting doll with an intense smoulder and unusual features like stubble and long rooted hair. </p><p>I'm quite impressed by him actually. He's not a doll I knew existed previously. </p><p><br /></p><p>Also in the bundle were the Monster High Deuce who I pictured earlier, and a few Bratz Boyz. </p><p>Two were damaged, one was a boy I already own. The other two however were boyz I didn't happen to have already. </p><p>I love Bratz boyz so i'm always happy to add more to my collection. </p><p>So I happily added Step Out Koby and Winter Wonderland Cade to my crew. </p><p>The final boy to join was Rodeo Wayne, who a friend from the US sent me alongside repro Sasha. </p><p>I have a Rodeo Wayne, but mine is still in his box. It's cool to have a deboxed one to play with without feeling heavy guilt about opening a rare doll. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><br />Purple_monkfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023284779817354246noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3031605728160552641.post-76435704346734832232023-11-13T22:28:00.002+00:002023-11-13T22:28:14.904+00:00Happy Birthday Sindy (Part 4) - Hasbro and beyond. <p>It took me a while, but i'm finally back to Sindy. It only took me what, like a month of procrastinating? </p><p>So let's just dive in to the Hasbro era shall we? </p><p>One of the most divisive of the Sindy eras, I have a soft spot for the 87/88 Sindys particularly. </p><p>Lets get to it.</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p>So back in 1986 Pedigree was in trouble. Their parent company had gone under and they were close to the end themselves. American company Hasbro swept in with a deal to take over the license for Sindy and got straight to work on redesigning her yet again. </p><p>Sindy wouldn't go down with the sinking ship of Line Brothers and their subsidiaries. </p><p></p><p>From what I understand of it, Hasbro set up a UK office to deal with their new doll line. They had relative autonomy, designing and researching but ultimately the big boss back in the States had the final say, particularly on big expenses like new sculpts or tooling. </p><p>Sindy may have been owned by an American company, but she was still being designed and marketed by British employees. </p><p>What's interesting to me about the acquisition of Sindy by Hasbro is how much money they look to have invested into her relaunch. </p><p>They invested money in advertising from Easter to Christmas, pushing their new brand hard to the UK audience. <br /></p><p>The 1987 catalogue features 8 different doll lines comprising 17 Sindy dolls and 1 Paul (back for the first time since the late 60s.) Alongside these dolls there's also 15 different mix and match separates in different colourways (39 different individual fashion packs by my count), 6 accessory packs (hats, glasses, belts, handbags), 6 shoe packs, A fashion boutique playset, 3 fashions for Paul, 6 lingerie sets, 4 evening wear fashion packs, 6 sport themed fashion packs, 2 budget fashion packs, a house and multiple furniture sets to fill it, a horse and a bright pink range rover. That's an enormous amount of stuff all at once and Hasbro really seemed to have a lot of confidence that the investment would pay off. <br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMu6yqtS_oN9xr1dy3VcwGprrge5pWXXDzFZ24Gqlom4FlJQMy0N3ZuYlNq4UMaT2_qnDcVK1qnKusYcEimnXVHzLbC6meeOLRYEF7Ju9Z1t4v38Jr4NpMiljCrDfXVSMEZ2GFARzQ4XkTRbbf3qe8yiOGIB0rjAWE3G_MGG7LEZCofw8UeYrSWL-bl2ME/s4000/20231106_143346.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMu6yqtS_oN9xr1dy3VcwGprrge5pWXXDzFZ24Gqlom4FlJQMy0N3ZuYlNq4UMaT2_qnDcVK1qnKusYcEimnXVHzLbC6meeOLRYEF7Ju9Z1t4v38Jr4NpMiljCrDfXVSMEZ2GFARzQ4XkTRbbf3qe8yiOGIB0rjAWE3G_MGG7LEZCofw8UeYrSWL-bl2ME/w640-h480/20231106_143346.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>The new Hasbro Sindys were remodelled with totally new heads. They kept some of the bobble headed-ness of the original dolls and the big eyes but lost the side glance, the rooted lashes and the hamster cheeks. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9rOXB1l_fR5Qc4hL8O4Q5zh1ewQysk0TKJj7lTERFp2dqjVgH4Jiah5E2s8L4OFdbJ-kIaBvjP-osesU-WKkQWFi1aUKVBzyLgMTZqgFRqbhGlzgeBSNJalowo88K2u7SNIPgM7IEiNnBD8F9kcy0ab7cVxdQT-rbf1KlsND4UhGv2R5_QoBL5Aor_7-T/s4000/20231106_144142.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9rOXB1l_fR5Qc4hL8O4Q5zh1ewQysk0TKJj7lTERFp2dqjVgH4Jiah5E2s8L4OFdbJ-kIaBvjP-osesU-WKkQWFi1aUKVBzyLgMTZqgFRqbhGlzgeBSNJalowo88K2u7SNIPgM7IEiNnBD8F9kcy0ab7cVxdQT-rbf1KlsND4UhGv2R5_QoBL5Aor_7-T/w480-h640/20231106_144142.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>Hasbro's 87 Sindy came in blonde hair only and three skin tones. Pale, slightly tanned, and very brown. </p><p>She also had two eye colours. Most had purple eyes but a select few had blue. </p><p>There were also three different body types used. </p><p>Hasbro reused the Pedigree body sculpts for these girls. The ballerina/active dolls used the 80s ballerina body while the standard doll used the "Smirky" body with rubbery limbs from the year prior. Finally the "budget" dolls used the budget "smirky" body from 86 as well. </p><p>The "budget" body, like the 86 budget dolls has no waist joint and hard unbending legs. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8pjNhJ-2sYMS6mNgMHj7MnYC91TBDOnTilbhAuDImwKsO4fv-baLExwcdTyiUHRj0ADDBVnn3t-WPgL6OSa81w3VveRqIMG5vdEXEOLOlx-AJ0f_w_4Fq9dVvOaPYJoa01ENDll-J2cpQdSvwWvWhY-AaHT03W1_E53-0r8edDshAqY48LcKCsKouP4cI/s4000/20231106_144203.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8pjNhJ-2sYMS6mNgMHj7MnYC91TBDOnTilbhAuDImwKsO4fv-baLExwcdTyiUHRj0ADDBVnn3t-WPgL6OSa81w3VveRqIMG5vdEXEOLOlx-AJ0f_w_4Fq9dVvOaPYJoa01ENDll-J2cpQdSvwWvWhY-AaHT03W1_E53-0r8edDshAqY48LcKCsKouP4cI/w480-h640/20231106_144203.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>You can tell the "smirky" body apart from earlier pedigree bodies due to the more detailed collar bone and sculpted abs. It's hard to see in photographs but this girl's got a really toned belly lol. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8p0PxHAFDHcrHFbzS_QN_DvtMzde8Dzy0m78WazPD_cdV_YQ996OP-E7CrecfL1_mij8PLkwSven7FWrB1e64vXhsgCXtPf0C1XSOhAe2sxStdLZudnsZQe5XilMFVmATKlYf2guKM0m8Do09j9aSR4fQPKZ5sSoxXPjBCaV2GcjuB6klgbU-lUJgzvjy/s4000/20231106_145835.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8p0PxHAFDHcrHFbzS_QN_DvtMzde8Dzy0m78WazPD_cdV_YQ996OP-E7CrecfL1_mij8PLkwSven7FWrB1e64vXhsgCXtPf0C1XSOhAe2sxStdLZudnsZQe5XilMFVmATKlYf2guKM0m8Do09j9aSR4fQPKZ5sSoxXPjBCaV2GcjuB6klgbU-lUJgzvjy/w480-h640/20231106_145835.jpg" width="480" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Because these girls use the same body as the prior year the dolls can share clothing and shoes which was a really good idea from Hasbro there. <br /></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqlmT1uhG_Ax77uCB0I7EZ7LBpdMYdayYLBus9zGLyDamIZW7ZVAi0_MzAQusIP287z2ORIyRZuiD_Z-4fw85abjcPnumzebwCaHbAR6pLsz9kbl9xjWfaABiyuDY5ityfRExIFX5FTP10v-6b4L6PtZNrSwtoLUs4srqEvsFthNpyiAWKAbnEzQ6WUHhF/s4000/20231106_145857.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqlmT1uhG_Ax77uCB0I7EZ7LBpdMYdayYLBus9zGLyDamIZW7ZVAi0_MzAQusIP287z2ORIyRZuiD_Z-4fw85abjcPnumzebwCaHbAR6pLsz9kbl9xjWfaABiyuDY5ityfRExIFX5FTP10v-6b4L6PtZNrSwtoLUs4srqEvsFthNpyiAWKAbnEzQ6WUHhF/w480-h640/20231106_145857.jpg" width="480" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">They can also share bodies <_< lol. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Smirky Sindy had a smaller neck knob than earlier Pedigree dolls however, so any older heads, including the 1985 ones are too loose on the neck and wobble about badly. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">You can also swap the arms and legs around with older Pedigree dolls which is quite useful for restoration as Hasbro girls are VERY common and usually quite cheap to purchase. The active and standard bodies use the same legs and arms as the Pedigree dolls so you can harvest these girls for parts if you're so inclined. Ahem. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP1_nBb1SAQRDjUhyphenhyphenkhfAoESPQZzHr_wSHx7eiu0I03mZbB8Q7BgjOqt5JZqLe-I5KbN3YVKOQXLxVXk9Jn59-j0UGbwmPFW6CQvgzWAvkywNiIeuBIT1xbfJPGZP_IJnOo-7NicuVi2KeqniYtCU8MECssU-Ae3o0z0-5ETLQiyXJf8RhpEuMYBnPeD2a/s4000/20231106_150844.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP1_nBb1SAQRDjUhyphenhyphenkhfAoESPQZzHr_wSHx7eiu0I03mZbB8Q7BgjOqt5JZqLe-I5KbN3YVKOQXLxVXk9Jn59-j0UGbwmPFW6CQvgzWAvkywNiIeuBIT1xbfJPGZP_IJnOo-7NicuVi2KeqniYtCU8MECssU-Ae3o0z0-5ETLQiyXJf8RhpEuMYBnPeD2a/w480-h640/20231106_150844.jpg" width="480" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In only 2 years Sindy is unrecognizable.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSUCIsojw4MiUR_MVZEZo0cqjCg7SfNsU1IyMkECKn5kaHB_rBGjDfDFCVa8621nXY-Xmqosf8tQsgksfLsQI_JnknZOGuXR4hHD-u569Ia57pQjmbKzzl3rM_npdg6P3CrLJ08a279Kn6RjbEf5ad7gTtwH1iq3OPAvwMbwhiyHnZIXyTcYxCKKQZtCVn/s4000/20231106_144704.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSUCIsojw4MiUR_MVZEZo0cqjCg7SfNsU1IyMkECKn5kaHB_rBGjDfDFCVa8621nXY-Xmqosf8tQsgksfLsQI_JnknZOGuXR4hHD-u569Ia57pQjmbKzzl3rM_npdg6P3CrLJ08a279Kn6RjbEf5ad7gTtwH1iq3OPAvwMbwhiyHnZIXyTcYxCKKQZtCVn/w480-h640/20231106_144704.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>One of the really cool things about these 87/88 girls is the quality of their fashions. This girl is the iconic City Girl: Match N Set peach variant. I have the purple one as well but this girl was the first one I grabbed. </p><p>Both of these girls came on the active/ballerina body and came with a layered outfit designed for mixing and matching like all the rest of the City Girl line. </p><p>Her base layer features a pair of leggings (trousers in the case of her purple sister) and a baggy tee with a high collar, all cinched around the middle with a belt. </p><p>the belt is made of some sort of plastic rather than ribbon however, which makes it honestly quite difficult to use. It's also prone to tearing. I feel like a ribbon would have been substantially better here.</p><p>Everything else is soft cotton and fastens with plastic poppers or has elastic. <br /></p><p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgByJu8VuE97CCqJA228JcfwRXvb_esN3vLeJMgxzqGvQhUyS5Is9fDm6BSwHrieMDdOyHMe4IibmCZ4pOGXkHyeu9ar5tFbt7uSq-fZSpBRwU5Juy0qBiB-j_ShezOvCo2Ku9arFOG3TQJDxD5jAawGDevIaR6nubBdWyq_ckFo8W5IZ9sGH4LZczpg6Qq/s4000/20231106_145012.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgByJu8VuE97CCqJA228JcfwRXvb_esN3vLeJMgxzqGvQhUyS5Is9fDm6BSwHrieMDdOyHMe4IibmCZ4pOGXkHyeu9ar5tFbt7uSq-fZSpBRwU5Juy0qBiB-j_ShezOvCo2Ku9arFOG3TQJDxD5jAawGDevIaR6nubBdWyq_ckFo8W5IZ9sGH4LZczpg6Qq/w480-h640/20231106_145012.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>Over this Sindy gets a patterned jacket with wide lapels (this pattern was reused for some of the fashion packs for more mixing and matching), a long skirt (a soft cotton circle skirt for purple, a pleated heavier cotton for peach), some ankle socks and (not pictured because I dont know where they are) a pair of little slip on shoes and a beret. </p><p>Most Hasbro dolls also had earrings, which curiously are often glued to the doll. They can be pretty fragile unfortunately. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8vNLh8JtSAU5D4LApu1W62zpheqiwKZaJKI4hKT-liG6B8qINjBmabzswBdahARIqwTfYlM2OkcXc7RXCPl_JyiVWuJZhhz1sfpOeZ2cX1VpdLMEqh9oKmvWyTR9XX_cPEzmkv7nquUXbtbIw64qwdCtsnNknencRIubVwtNBdavifYR_zbNa3RKMe-3S/s4000/20231106_145204.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8vNLh8JtSAU5D4LApu1W62zpheqiwKZaJKI4hKT-liG6B8qINjBmabzswBdahARIqwTfYlM2OkcXc7RXCPl_JyiVWuJZhhz1sfpOeZ2cX1VpdLMEqh9oKmvWyTR9XX_cPEzmkv7nquUXbtbIw64qwdCtsnNknencRIubVwtNBdavifYR_zbNa3RKMe-3S/w480-h640/20231106_145204.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>These two girls are the brown skin and blue eyed versions which are usually fairly easy to identify as only a couple of lines used this combo. 1988 Club Disney who used the budget body (shoeless doll here) and 1988 Supercool Sindy who had a standard body. </p><p>Supercool here is wearing bits of the City girl original outfit and fashion pack. </p><p>Club Disney is wearing a Skipper outfit which interestingly enough, actually fits pretty well. Barbie stuff from this era doesn't fit well, it's too wide in the shoulders, too big in the bust and too narrow in the waist. Modern Barbie however fits okay. </p><p>The City Girl mix and match fashions came as individual pieces in most cases. You'd buy a jacket, or a skirt, or a top. The selection was massive and expanded on again in 1988 giving you a whopping 90 different packs overall to add to your collection!!! And that's JUST the "fashion mixers" there were also the full fashion packs released over those two years. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvrQ56LMpYjU6JAciuwDpNRCoB1A1UhIbnum95XsDX102NqAdwyUqyKDuyPyuBCQqMTyD185O5WGFg615rad4eiQV0SFllz6rRSXPP9yApYY0V8cXgtfq9S87DPTfT0rWEtJoSSrE7QgoKNdYxHvEzuiAJN6Dw55nNxCPyS6MHKBkdIz5oftvhs_U6OUSX/s4000/20231106_145428.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvrQ56LMpYjU6JAciuwDpNRCoB1A1UhIbnum95XsDX102NqAdwyUqyKDuyPyuBCQqMTyD185O5WGFg615rad4eiQV0SFllz6rRSXPP9yApYY0V8cXgtfq9S87DPTfT0rWEtJoSSrE7QgoKNdYxHvEzuiAJN6Dw55nNxCPyS6MHKBkdIz5oftvhs_U6OUSX/w480-h640/20231106_145428.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>Sindy here for example is wearing one of the fashion mixer skirts from 1988 (called "ra ra skirt" in the catalogue. Though I always thought those were shorter... go figure. ) </p><p>This abstract splotchy patterned fabric came in several colourways and was repeated through the whole line, which allowed for you to match things if you so desired. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaFOUXXmNvP0O4vYpOHSd-nVI_Du_53GsPs3VFBAI14XElIxaMZt6G8amz5LAykh-4dtLY2RqZ438Epkcc3T37e4snfSFvT-HZUgeJD0IyiAAwf5b5AC6NWIPdSeE9bZ-2nPmZ_STM9FDEHQkS3NpRXtKacbhlowZ7redvQJ6egqd6q03sk-d2oEkZDp0p/s4000/20231106_145546.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaFOUXXmNvP0O4vYpOHSd-nVI_Du_53GsPs3VFBAI14XElIxaMZt6G8amz5LAykh-4dtLY2RqZ438Epkcc3T37e4snfSFvT-HZUgeJD0IyiAAwf5b5AC6NWIPdSeE9bZ-2nPmZ_STM9FDEHQkS3NpRXtKacbhlowZ7redvQJ6egqd6q03sk-d2oEkZDp0p/w480-h640/20231106_145546.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>For example, this cardigan. Which incidentally, has real pockets which is just delightful. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCK7jA0XCeam6dwiDoEhbYzH0VcaUMh_Rq34FCYXZjd6xTkCDPjK82gu_Z-u0nUbJ-H6Zxdz6LYC5LKvM1H2zjXa_H7SRnOYizwFKrzpg9KE9ycFweZk7GkZnaLG1qICYRnLynS5xo8LFM16FotwRmRd6XUL_KxQs8Z0H-eEketnGIk_3t7CLxAlhNrisE/s4000/20231106_145712.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCK7jA0XCeam6dwiDoEhbYzH0VcaUMh_Rq34FCYXZjd6xTkCDPjK82gu_Z-u0nUbJ-H6Zxdz6LYC5LKvM1H2zjXa_H7SRnOYizwFKrzpg9KE9ycFweZk7GkZnaLG1qICYRnLynS5xo8LFM16FotwRmRd6XUL_KxQs8Z0H-eEketnGIk_3t7CLxAlhNrisE/w480-h640/20231106_145712.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>You could even add a coat or, as the catalogue calls them, a "hooded jacket". This particular one is from 1987 but the same style was used in 88 as well, with different colourways. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY5Mh_2qEvPT_g4-mRC3Wr8NIs0K6kWR2UI73BVUxmgBjLta0X_mg4bi93mx1ymwrILdCTIbyb4QzOmLZL6UQP5CLDQEDjXfyRl4Pw7cq9cHyM4LsMEcWKcNOuLizhClKxpzytBpT1IrbDOJBo7GrmchcrOs6eHdU8ADwcbUWOg6NwTwE4XD1xDzSlpzQp/s4000/20231106_145744.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY5Mh_2qEvPT_g4-mRC3Wr8NIs0K6kWR2UI73BVUxmgBjLta0X_mg4bi93mx1ymwrILdCTIbyb4QzOmLZL6UQP5CLDQEDjXfyRl4Pw7cq9cHyM4LsMEcWKcNOuLizhClKxpzytBpT1IrbDOJBo7GrmchcrOs6eHdU8ADwcbUWOg6NwTwE4XD1xDzSlpzQp/w480-h640/20231106_145744.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p><br />I adore these fashions. They're really nicely made, brightly coloured and such a time capsule of the period's fashion trends.</p><p>Clashing patterns, longer length skirts, baggy tops and belts to cinch them in around the middle are so very late 80s and I love it. </p><p></p><p>Unfortunately, despite Hasbro's enthusiastic attempt to relaunch Sindy, this particular model only lasted 2 years. </p><p>1988 saw 7 new dolls added to the lineup, a kitchen cafe playset, a dresser/hutch for the dining room, 8 more full fashion packs, the afformentioned fashion mixers (over 50 different garments) and a couple of new Paul dolls (Sindy's "friend" as the catalogue claims. Lol.) </p><p>But having failed to gain as much of a foothold as they're hoped and with Hasbro eyeing the international market, 1989 saw another redesign for Sindy. perhaps her most major transformation since the 70s. <br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBmvOE6ri-LX8WeDQojGF03zITjoRWDJheXhoGUhmXCw5VUMjMcPpxM0wgxkQj-mEQ1fN4OtoXGtkb1ECGiMRcvzE5yJzNiCBm09z-TLFqjPaBThmie5nRWz-hnddlbZyCODf2RA7ngmzEEoUKzzAUg-cBnFLbEyWYwe8Nvif591BjQ4xjKzelplMmmWfP/s4000/20231106_150957.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBmvOE6ri-LX8WeDQojGF03zITjoRWDJheXhoGUhmXCw5VUMjMcPpxM0wgxkQj-mEQ1fN4OtoXGtkb1ECGiMRcvzE5yJzNiCBm09z-TLFqjPaBThmie5nRWz-hnddlbZyCODf2RA7ngmzEEoUKzzAUg-cBnFLbEyWYwe8Nvif591BjQ4xjKzelplMmmWfP/w480-h640/20231106_150957.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p>Okay so this is Rainbow Sindy who's technically from 1992 but I don't own many of this era of Hasbros and the point here is the face and body sculpt. </p><p>1989 saw Sindy ditch her shorter body and rubbery limbs to become more Barbie-like in stature. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJQp_SUnJ303T_VM8EJjRci9iRrqC9r9qQZpRI0IsvzASZVQaqLxgZS3RR3o68iHoUwykXcXZrq6NVXfJXfh9DUXjiR52GsXTPtj7cGFVGZmGbso2WbB4FwyOuK77ZNGnxcFsmGoEd3b2JzSoi3Nqr2Tmfh3tumCmaFW4UqdOdjchCLG_smBBLqdekLoI/s4000/20231106_151918.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJQp_SUnJ303T_VM8EJjRci9iRrqC9r9qQZpRI0IsvzASZVQaqLxgZS3RR3o68iHoUwykXcXZrq6NVXfJXfh9DUXjiR52GsXTPtj7cGFVGZmGbso2WbB4FwyOuK77ZNGnxcFsmGoEd3b2JzSoi3Nqr2Tmfh3tumCmaFW4UqdOdjchCLG_smBBLqdekLoI/w480-h640/20231106_151918.jpg" width="480" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">She gained height, her waist got cinched in to extreme proportions, her limbs became slimmer, her neck longer, her head smaller and gone was the ball joint, replaced instead with the more fragile toggle system Mattel had been using. </div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjPUM4UDwnZCTGhrTot3p2V5Ia8YnnJlG55qYaP-EAkQZ1tEml9aNBt2_QoXwee7XGnvDlW0EJXrbDC7yYBkqKFCImD4Ch-_E2p1NAsp0IZpDV_9YTl12khyphenhyphen1pZXCi_sT-t-2VK_Y5Ubslx_rmleHiTZPsW3nbQeSbMlC4v2KrxNNXEco4amzlZlLdoeGu/s4000/20231106_151006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjPUM4UDwnZCTGhrTot3p2V5Ia8YnnJlG55qYaP-EAkQZ1tEml9aNBt2_QoXwee7XGnvDlW0EJXrbDC7yYBkqKFCImD4Ch-_E2p1NAsp0IZpDV_9YTl12khyphenhyphen1pZXCi_sT-t-2VK_Y5Ubslx_rmleHiTZPsW3nbQeSbMlC4v2KrxNNXEco4amzlZlLdoeGu/w480-h640/20231106_151006.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>Sindy's new face sculpt was.... something.</p><p>Initially she had blue eyes, but we'll get to that. </p><p>Sindy's eyes are similar to her 87 and 88 dolls, large, round, forward facing with spiky painted lashes and a paler bottom lash line. She now has an open mouth smile like a lot of dolls of the time, a california tan (not exactly possible in ol' blighty by maybe it's out of a bottle) and a snub nose that's always brought to mind a pug in my mine. (is that mean? that's probably mean)</p><p>I've never liked this face sculpt. I think it's goofy looking. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoTyBR-1lgicnZC7ew4K7ulqHSovI3gKx4t07nv5nwEl73RPe8TfJymUSk-qiLM-7h2FgYz_nAh6dXS85COPAs_0HiV-jb1mPhxS-qH7TNZdNYuBovZhYmZu0GNtJLG1L5nOkCkC0BrE1u-sEIblI-fPcDN11_GBcVWUepL2PscwuDVDEiPcqEgDgQwPEq/s4000/20231106_151431.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoTyBR-1lgicnZC7ew4K7ulqHSovI3gKx4t07nv5nwEl73RPe8TfJymUSk-qiLM-7h2FgYz_nAh6dXS85COPAs_0HiV-jb1mPhxS-qH7TNZdNYuBovZhYmZu0GNtJLG1L5nOkCkC0BrE1u-sEIblI-fPcDN11_GBcVWUepL2PscwuDVDEiPcqEgDgQwPEq/w640-h480/20231106_151431.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>Mattel was ALSO not a fan of this face sculpt, accusing Hasbro of copying Barbie and trying to confuse consumers. </p><p>and I mean, they have a point. Even to this day people confuse Sindy dolls for Barbies because of their similar face and body shape. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2AZazQYYQt_6tl_AZUsrnCgTIt_ROAC5QBS1VVyhpykQGRx-iq4zgarGdzMTafJ0M4jtSIFDmRJwLRiq4WLPemNxGPw8l-eiQXrL2eHPGe6WVpI8ivCKr2uu0qMNohut87gd8pE6Qryy-n8flKiOMzvua391CvkGRYZSwho6HSLjBq8TBoTZt5TMUZajI/s4000/20231106_151656.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2AZazQYYQt_6tl_AZUsrnCgTIt_ROAC5QBS1VVyhpykQGRx-iq4zgarGdzMTafJ0M4jtSIFDmRJwLRiq4WLPemNxGPw8l-eiQXrL2eHPGe6WVpI8ivCKr2uu0qMNohut87gd8pE6Qryy-n8flKiOMzvua391CvkGRYZSwho6HSLjBq8TBoTZt5TMUZajI/w480-h640/20231106_151656.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>Judges agreed that Mattel had a point here and the lawsuit dragged on til the end of 1992 (the year Rainbow Sindy here was released) when an agreement was finally reached. Presented with 5 different potential head sculpts, Mattel's CEO was requested to select one they felt Sindy could use. A new head was selected, and Sindy had yet another makeover. </p><p>Prior to that, the rumour at least has always been that Sindy was given purple eyes in an attempt to appease Mattel.</p><p>now, what's strange about that is that 87/88 Sindy had purple eyes. Why? Who the hell knows. She just DID. But then several of the 89 and 90 sindys have purple eyes, some even have green eyes so.... uh... </p><p>Maybe Hasbro just liked Purple eyes?<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI8nPeAiCh1ucEK604RT0d71nexe6W4OrMwvHiLj6wxFXYbJjFToLMQIlhUwoncDcrlx_2N0jv_LUxAwX80Kl5lCaQtk0HAWNdIPGLEmHUO1bqGvR-QVHtMhzatWGvu7hr_RnFsfWduK2WMlRPQ7OdCrVOvhyphenhyphenx-GOhEOwyUpqWJ8jf9MPjOauADOW4EBDK/s4000/20231106_151724.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI8nPeAiCh1ucEK604RT0d71nexe6W4OrMwvHiLj6wxFXYbJjFToLMQIlhUwoncDcrlx_2N0jv_LUxAwX80Kl5lCaQtk0HAWNdIPGLEmHUO1bqGvR-QVHtMhzatWGvu7hr_RnFsfWduK2WMlRPQ7OdCrVOvhyphenhyphenx-GOhEOwyUpqWJ8jf9MPjOauADOW4EBDK/w480-h640/20231106_151724.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>She kept the body shape though, which I find interesting as this body shape is ALSO an issue in how often the two dolls are confused. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOgwZeH2v-RKpp0nkD71hCvIunIuSRz_wIqU9HYoc7HjPtIy-NS8u5lroCx0aIj4MS79NSXfUY4GU9G0m9MR7L9TArKmS1s6OY-qjIgbF0Akl7qYxpOBjsgq4mT8Fc5C-_ubj0n41HFFCWiXkigB4Hp7sdT8LHCqU5WqM-BHiiOQ7epezRE3KEsbfdUZZ0/s4000/20231106_151738.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOgwZeH2v-RKpp0nkD71hCvIunIuSRz_wIqU9HYoc7HjPtIy-NS8u5lroCx0aIj4MS79NSXfUY4GU9G0m9MR7L9TArKmS1s6OY-qjIgbF0Akl7qYxpOBjsgq4mT8Fc5C-_ubj0n41HFFCWiXkigB4Hp7sdT8LHCqU5WqM-BHiiOQ7epezRE3KEsbfdUZZ0/w480-h640/20231106_151738.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>Sindy has a teensy tiny "hasbro inc" on her lower back. So if you're ever in doubt, check here. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu-5Br7IQxzsmYKtpowsvnAqAreDBe77qldZ1NUUMlLsxunbIqicmvMu99VnnWpjnpArLkB6ujyjoNHmqSLYvTOy4t7HcVmxXWuFPBO8ai8HeDoEEW5JJ3Nl6BX6g0EhNY_gVAu25OcRY6O7p4ZJ3gpV3EPEBxZcdJfkdn3KCxbyELrz-XL4fDqsIUl_-_/s4000/20231106_151830.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu-5Br7IQxzsmYKtpowsvnAqAreDBe77qldZ1NUUMlLsxunbIqicmvMu99VnnWpjnpArLkB6ujyjoNHmqSLYvTOy4t7HcVmxXWuFPBO8ai8HeDoEEW5JJ3Nl6BX6g0EhNY_gVAu25OcRY6O7p4ZJ3gpV3EPEBxZcdJfkdn3KCxbyELrz-XL4fDqsIUl_-_/w480-h640/20231106_151830.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>The new Sindy had the same sized feet as the older dolls, but they were designed for heels rather than the flats Sindy traditionally sported. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjPzQohkc0QmZAiJuF1FDyrn6bIYVoRCy1qOqeoHMELM3_oMR6Og7_oeuTlBeHsaYkh-F2kiQ5IVSYjiwtwVUXCvZMFFAdBvMtq23FMepKK0bh1Sc0G2piO_pkrTvfJIC60lsG8zF03jFzAXTbeVEZ-kO3PVTnFBtZCq9GfYBW_c7nfEdeZYRfzpeN9YSX/s4000/20231106_151936.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjPzQohkc0QmZAiJuF1FDyrn6bIYVoRCy1qOqeoHMELM3_oMR6Og7_oeuTlBeHsaYkh-F2kiQ5IVSYjiwtwVUXCvZMFFAdBvMtq23FMepKK0bh1Sc0G2piO_pkrTvfJIC60lsG8zF03jFzAXTbeVEZ-kO3PVTnFBtZCq9GfYBW_c7nfEdeZYRfzpeN9YSX/w480-h640/20231106_151936.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>Interestingly, they were still less high heeled than the BEACH DOLL (Club Disney) from the year before. Wtf?</p><p>Hasbro Sindy, despite being very similar to Barbie, was never able to share outfits easily with her American rival. Sindy's waist was wider, her bust smaller and her feet substantially larger. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyyvE8E5UcYnWptv0hme97dib5LiNrzmUdVRfFD5y2EXY32bjj2MzYAEzJnTvSILt3t5ZQJxAn15jEFQNblkYA7z-9t-d5q5nVPxQPBx1cG8cBR-hc5Vcpeeu9Y2p-31938l32-Sb73OFtL6rMJ6Bzsi-jQgMerXvqsKne4PWLcB-oVys7lP9tTUSoU9qZ/s4000/20231106_152224.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyyvE8E5UcYnWptv0hme97dib5LiNrzmUdVRfFD5y2EXY32bjj2MzYAEzJnTvSILt3t5ZQJxAn15jEFQNblkYA7z-9t-d5q5nVPxQPBx1cG8cBR-hc5Vcpeeu9Y2p-31938l32-Sb73OFtL6rMJ6Bzsi-jQgMerXvqsKne4PWLcB-oVys7lP9tTUSoU9qZ/w480-h640/20231106_152224.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>However, the 89 body was also slimmer than the dolls from just a year prior which made backwards compatibility less than ideal. While she COULD wear the clothes, they gape oddly around her shoulders (her arms are a lot skinnier remember) and her waist (which is more cinched). In the case of this outfit, which fits the 88 dolls pretty well, the top kept slipping down off her shoulders and the skirt was baggy around the waist despite the layering of the thick top underneath. </p><p>So yeah... not great. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ocwLl6Y1Cm_j_dbtoCfse8AQSvC1SXdG4gzv7q7QLmVs2LcqIkpdS3dbn9B9mZCVfKjGBEv5szXX-bE-RX_18mj_cxKICb1i8YJX-ydDYeHC_0gWMk31o7J2RdYYtay_lyTWvAceboW0dvI2wjwF3yl1fqQQdfONQe-Mbb-h1NYnEGQN0xdzaa_dEDSm/s2864/20231106_153058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2864" data-original-width="2648" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ocwLl6Y1Cm_j_dbtoCfse8AQSvC1SXdG4gzv7q7QLmVs2LcqIkpdS3dbn9B9mZCVfKjGBEv5szXX-bE-RX_18mj_cxKICb1i8YJX-ydDYeHC_0gWMk31o7J2RdYYtay_lyTWvAceboW0dvI2wjwF3yl1fqQQdfONQe-Mbb-h1NYnEGQN0xdzaa_dEDSm/w592-h640/20231106_153058.jpg" width="592" /></a></div><br /><p>For an awful lot of collectors, this is NOT Sindy. </p><p>She's too Americanised, too Barbie-like and lacks the charm that drew them to Sindy in the first place. </p><p>to others, this is the Sindy of their childhood. </p><p>in fact, my first Sindy was a 1991 Tennis Star Sindy. She was a gift from a classmate for my birthday. </p><p>I remember preferring her more proportionate feet to Barbie's little hooves but being endlessly frustrated the two couldn't share clothing. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1tY0iTlx393_SkjzdBwGGJRvgQqiGGQyw7lN_81dArRp0OiCZAjk8fMIS_jAQDKxfoRc2W3GOQnF68tbdz2nchf9Mf1Ypy3VD_lPTFpo8B6_oFcvbbzhcmvavMzyy1u-gSllyZtHG5gYFeqrt4DRdgYf0Gd8XwLtPsKoqCi6cLeuS9vXMbmxdAvvqHXbc/s2850/20231106_153152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2439" data-original-width="2850" height="548" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1tY0iTlx393_SkjzdBwGGJRvgQqiGGQyw7lN_81dArRp0OiCZAjk8fMIS_jAQDKxfoRc2W3GOQnF68tbdz2nchf9Mf1Ypy3VD_lPTFpo8B6_oFcvbbzhcmvavMzyy1u-gSllyZtHG5gYFeqrt4DRdgYf0Gd8XwLtPsKoqCi6cLeuS9vXMbmxdAvvqHXbc/w640-h548/20231106_153152.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>1993/1994 saw the phasing out of the old controversial head sculpt and the phasing in of the new Mattel okayed one. </p><p>Sindy lost her dimples, getting a softer smile. She got a new nose too. Her jaw is, i think slightly wider as well. </p><p>Overall I feel like the newer head is substantially softer looking and I vastly prefer her. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXxiL9HXd8hUZR6ZAx4wIOXix0CcrPdSV5XpftbYZ7OXceXYza6-TgBFMh47jjqM_zthsgAbTmwMJysJGwoxNO0yn2s6y0P0lwLNlRzJYHS1RllcdOxDGX5X65mjphKuNE72Q6iugZsgvohWbunqR0s8nDYdUfhXbStTQ69s2Y0r6Z7UF9gCINsOnDV4vh/s3202/20231106_153459.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXxiL9HXd8hUZR6ZAx4wIOXix0CcrPdSV5XpftbYZ7OXceXYza6-TgBFMh47jjqM_zthsgAbTmwMJysJGwoxNO0yn2s6y0P0lwLNlRzJYHS1RllcdOxDGX5X65mjphKuNE72Q6iugZsgvohWbunqR0s8nDYdUfhXbStTQ69s2Y0r6Z7UF9gCINsOnDV4vh/s3202/20231106_153459.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Gxur3MLhihNwmLdd-Nj7TBaekgw4U0679ES4LrnNHPJM6Z6BFy7Cf_qD_v_U395tjg32PoRMpSq-1lvyKsUpOyP_yx2D5uwok6-BasP_QWuwvHxIZ6Gk6p0g6NhSoRUcK4KQb_WWshxxlC5NSBIwg-rRjUS9e14RFTf4uQyQ6Y8c2iP7pHf5OyzVVm3g/s2427/20231106_153402.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2427" data-original-width="2100" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Gxur3MLhihNwmLdd-Nj7TBaekgw4U0679ES4LrnNHPJM6Z6BFy7Cf_qD_v_U395tjg32PoRMpSq-1lvyKsUpOyP_yx2D5uwok6-BasP_QWuwvHxIZ6Gk6p0g6NhSoRUcK4KQb_WWshxxlC5NSBIwg-rRjUS9e14RFTf4uQyQ6Y8c2iP7pHf5OyzVVm3g/s320/20231106_153402.jpg" width="277" /></a></div></div><p>For most of her run Hasbro Sindy only came in Blonde, Blonde or Blonde, but in 1994 we got a couple of brunettes at last. </p><p>Wild Hair Sindy, Surprise Jeans and Monte Carlo all came with a blonde and a brunette variant. (the brunettes tend to have green eyes as opposed to the common purple eyes with the blondes)<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjJa_GfhVgz9iyujs9cjev5cjyFVrusWQF6kS2x7a3yzOR7fNBzTKMpEsl2No4gxlvfJ4vP-vs27Pj8UA2zhcAqYVC7eh_zqppwLrZsX-y1H_9srpUv5509m_fmqotyPDJUE-WNGHMSIJBN5CQhB_ClhDzipzSqxMiEmJ3Yg1Ve0YhyQodrOxY4m_giCNR/s3731/20231106_153453.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3731" data-original-width="2153" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjJa_GfhVgz9iyujs9cjev5cjyFVrusWQF6kS2x7a3yzOR7fNBzTKMpEsl2No4gxlvfJ4vP-vs27Pj8UA2zhcAqYVC7eh_zqppwLrZsX-y1H_9srpUv5509m_fmqotyPDJUE-WNGHMSIJBN5CQhB_ClhDzipzSqxMiEmJ3Yg1Ve0YhyQodrOxY4m_giCNR/w370-h640/20231106_153453.jpg" width="370" /></a></div><p></p><p>A year later we also got Crimp and Bead Sindy who came again in a blonde and brunette variant. </p><p>Paradise Sindy was also available in both hair colours.</p><p>No redheaded Hasbro Sindys were ever made unfortunately. Though I suppose with that tan.... </p><p>Ahem. </p><p>A pity though. I always liked redheaded Sindy dolls. </p><p>One issue I have with the Hasbro bodies is they tend to disintergrate over time. The jointed bodies break at the knee joints while the regular ones are prone to seeing their leg pegs disintergrating. This is happening to several of my Hasbros, they're dropping limbs all over the place. </p><p>And it's curious because none of my Barbies of the same era do that, nor do any of the older Sindy dolls. Whatever Hasbro made these dolls from, it's crumbling after 30 years and that's a real pity. </p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmUrrUqxyMHE5jcGPjkDhiSBC0itpH3bvXgTCF9Z-R4sMMfXCrtHN3FKsVc9H4KYFZP1bMIzbX4Dkb2CZlGFO6VypSkidLOvPBTSk0hdD9vZiNIXknIrvfZaS0Rn0f2w1kl2v2kFg_4Q5sZbLRyj84zIOILKDNfFYOa7aii2ztrMbvwQPr8A_o4SnockyY/s4000/20231106_153218.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmUrrUqxyMHE5jcGPjkDhiSBC0itpH3bvXgTCF9Z-R4sMMfXCrtHN3FKsVc9H4KYFZP1bMIzbX4Dkb2CZlGFO6VypSkidLOvPBTSk0hdD9vZiNIXknIrvfZaS0Rn0f2w1kl2v2kFg_4Q5sZbLRyj84zIOILKDNfFYOa7aii2ztrMbvwQPr8A_o4SnockyY/w640-h480/20231106_153218.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>Alongside Barbie the newer Hasbro girl is recognizable, however despite this, she's STILL confused for a Barbie doll. </p><p>But Mattel made their agreement, and so Sindy got to plod along in Barbie's shadow. </p><p>And this she very much did. Unable to compete with Barbie even in her native UK, by 1998 Hasbro were ready to surrender and hand over the rights to someone else. </p><p>I can't find much info about the exact specifics here, but whatever the case, in 1999 British company Vivid Imaginations took over Sindy's license from Pedigree (who yeah, still exist. Somehow) and started producing dolls. </p><p>Sindy was, for now at least, back in the hands of a British company. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhziZTzzqqkONK7kBrdtUxpn4jhc6sWpEIFJxIXtuHp6oHXNRy9H-rm6SEkXhlLF0ya_7pBOYcnpcB-UOLbpdsF4eSlWMfwmSk9Uq8EnxBkLvc80r5p9osKGxMigy3JcExLFaWGfd-olDHDdJ0LXzyaY1irBqhWo3LiWRvT5LBSdiFV1flkS-39wZ-Bxg4d/s4000/20231106_154013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhziZTzzqqkONK7kBrdtUxpn4jhc6sWpEIFJxIXtuHp6oHXNRy9H-rm6SEkXhlLF0ya_7pBOYcnpcB-UOLbpdsF4eSlWMfwmSk9Uq8EnxBkLvc80r5p9osKGxMigy3JcExLFaWGfd-olDHDdJ0LXzyaY1irBqhWo3LiWRvT5LBSdiFV1flkS-39wZ-Bxg4d/w640-h480/20231106_154013.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>Vivid's dolls look to use Hasbro's molds, but I can't be totally sure of this. </p><p>certainly they are VERY similar. </p><p>Vivid's dolls are always blonde and usually blue eyed (some look to have purple eyes). They also have rock hard heads with no markings.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH5el_SQi1OY2tTIMAlEX5TJoZab2b1t1QyHTciHeprodPbxFetprIwHv8aAL0_XLcIFNWu4itw-OWLNmBUSqDc0yzKgVPzfM8OWLu-fYNxSSWbFekPioVW4zwAjX0wniwWeVV9dOh0ysqW0V38jfQhIjYXL94BJuatwSuqX4WA8kF72iCNzrfm93A64HW/s4000/20231106_153924.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4k_u7s4RoRDEgAZfKkd-L93oM7misWpqyMUayESppz6zNosH090Lv81Z-FESxvr9Ftfv23bzb-ZUgOWOb7j1W_XxBBmav1mBVNn7V2If5nyKxk3q_sfJ1aqyOKLOklU9xBR1ARvoTybEpGbN-0z2ZSC1usW0sQwJ2d5sEnckPHrWq_MfpGhg5CjnUOAVg/s3317/20231106_153857.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3317" data-original-width="2023" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4k_u7s4RoRDEgAZfKkd-L93oM7misWpqyMUayESppz6zNosH090Lv81Z-FESxvr9Ftfv23bzb-ZUgOWOb7j1W_XxBBmav1mBVNn7V2If5nyKxk3q_sfJ1aqyOKLOklU9xBR1ARvoTybEpGbN-0z2ZSC1usW0sQwJ2d5sEnckPHrWq_MfpGhg5CjnUOAVg/w390-h640/20231106_153857.jpg" width="390" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="color: black;">The
bodies are VERY similar to the Hasbro bodies, to the point where I
think they just modified the Hasbro sculpts or reused their molds. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Vivid's dolls lack a waist joint and have painted panties, they're also made of a more matte plastic but otherwise they're pretty similar to the Hasbros. <br /></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH5el_SQi1OY2tTIMAlEX5TJoZab2b1t1QyHTciHeprodPbxFetprIwHv8aAL0_XLcIFNWu4itw-OWLNmBUSqDc0yzKgVPzfM8OWLu-fYNxSSWbFekPioVW4zwAjX0wniwWeVV9dOh0ysqW0V38jfQhIjYXL94BJuatwSuqX4WA8kF72iCNzrfm93A64HW/s4000/20231106_153924.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH5el_SQi1OY2tTIMAlEX5TJoZab2b1t1QyHTciHeprodPbxFetprIwHv8aAL0_XLcIFNWu4itw-OWLNmBUSqDc0yzKgVPzfM8OWLu-fYNxSSWbFekPioVW4zwAjX0wniwWeVV9dOh0ysqW0V38jfQhIjYXL94BJuatwSuqX4WA8kF72iCNzrfm93A64HW/w480-h640/20231106_153924.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>Vivid's dolls are marked "sindy" on the back while Hasbro's just say "hasbro inc". </p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPWHkurUnoI3uLkNpnKGOauY2HZhek_1CpiS6_QzAX46IFC47IaSNc_D8r2iPKz3a8jl8wW7fvqUy-B-33OkRujAoh0vHIghBDWp0T8Dw6agkKV-aF79WLtOlfzzfV-BEqJdNrn-EkZ9rEPL3P9LcEUt69NwKmi2ZUEEMJ0W32L1TB97XhGIHpPy-0HB6e/s3530/20231106_153721.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2319" data-original-width="3530" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPWHkurUnoI3uLkNpnKGOauY2HZhek_1CpiS6_QzAX46IFC47IaSNc_D8r2iPKz3a8jl8wW7fvqUy-B-33OkRujAoh0vHIghBDWp0T8Dw6agkKV-aF79WLtOlfzzfV-BEqJdNrn-EkZ9rEPL3P9LcEUt69NwKmi2ZUEEMJ0W32L1TB97XhGIHpPy-0HB6e/w640-h420/20231106_153721.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>Vivid seems to have had two skin tones for the most part. A sort of slightly tanned one and a paler one. </p><p>I think the Vivid dolls are quite a bit prettier than the Hasbros and I think it's to do with the darker lip colour a lot of them have and the smaller eyes. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju5hQwY92b7QaG8wViKq-PURztXxXklJkAtRKh2bGEC3J0xxHIlPVDJJyJmL3_bEp-V79pJU_RICniFbP8Zq7ZlwvSKE9MZb22JaBtWkzj8bcCNV5R1mhumnVwvDVcAD0GEpoaBfwHKnHZWOfgSmihzA-QebzIb24rERSfyi9YgRbOnvg7fJvlAUJqa8DZ/s3219/20231106_153713.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3219" data-original-width="1953" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju5hQwY92b7QaG8wViKq-PURztXxXklJkAtRKh2bGEC3J0xxHIlPVDJJyJmL3_bEp-V79pJU_RICniFbP8Zq7ZlwvSKE9MZb22JaBtWkzj8bcCNV5R1mhumnVwvDVcAD0GEpoaBfwHKnHZWOfgSmihzA-QebzIb24rERSfyi9YgRbOnvg7fJvlAUJqa8DZ/w388-h640/20231106_153713.jpg" width="388" /></a></div><p></p><p>Like the Hasbro girls, the vivid girls can mostly wear modern Barbie stuff (though it's loose around their tiny little waists) </p><p>Unfortunately, an awful lot of the Vivid dolls are very gimmicky or princessy. </p><p>The doll with the shorter hair here is Sabrina (the teenaged witch) which was a bizarre crossover. Not exactly British huh? </p><p>The other girl I think might be Birthday Pet Surprise. </p><p>The Vivid dolls tend to wear a lot of pink and i'm gonna be honest here, a lot of their outfits feel quite cheap. </p><p>Vivid also produced a Fairy Princess Sindy to tie in with the movie of the same name. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTQ4NDM3MDMwNV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwOTI0NDYyMQ@@._V1_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="335" height="475" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTQ4NDM3MDMwNV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwOTI0NDYyMQ@@._V1_.jpg" width="335" /></a></div><br /> the art style is legitimately terrifying.<p></p><p>There's a review of this abomination that I found <a href="https://badprincessmovies.com/2018/09/23/sindy-the-fairy-princess-2003/">here</a> if you're interested.</p><p>I hate it so much. </p><p>Anyway, we got a doll for this movie and Vivid went all out giving her a whole new unique head sculpt for... some reason.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2aa7zkp_VkD3Takuk-F9MBLuHuzEjsxlABP9XbfS_NJS_pEvy7qYIx1ixRyoDOatMhpzLooeDee6MhG_Pb5yGDM1EgWjvqInuantIeVRX-JYT_sCABMjI8HUh-vJd1Uox77njSRbq7UG6OSfIS1FETbsTJM4LvPw291_SAsAGuui_nIle5x4CteSePmpW/s3072/20231106_154435.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="2373" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2aa7zkp_VkD3Takuk-F9MBLuHuzEjsxlABP9XbfS_NJS_pEvy7qYIx1ixRyoDOatMhpzLooeDee6MhG_Pb5yGDM1EgWjvqInuantIeVRX-JYT_sCABMjI8HUh-vJd1Uox77njSRbq7UG6OSfIS1FETbsTJM4LvPw291_SAsAGuui_nIle5x4CteSePmpW/w494-h640/20231106_154435.jpg" width="494" /></a></div><p></p><p>She's actually pretty cute, though she has wretched hair. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxHBPLOum-ojsArkubEyXUI8DmrvrAZjUYAkKXjdX799T_gx_v4GUcLjRjeLz00E6fshVoGiPa-Q3oa7qLyh8WfHrlSAXRkw35Rk_I1y2j6blkXash_lWoO8_6mYYWfighkFPmMy44Y9BPRUyVdmThQGdfNHCrQz4vnD734E1PhquXYWp5Xwv2C2r2ESPt/s3160/20231106_154454.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3160" data-original-width="2718" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxHBPLOum-ojsArkubEyXUI8DmrvrAZjUYAkKXjdX799T_gx_v4GUcLjRjeLz00E6fshVoGiPa-Q3oa7qLyh8WfHrlSAXRkw35Rk_I1y2j6blkXash_lWoO8_6mYYWfighkFPmMy44Y9BPRUyVdmThQGdfNHCrQz4vnD734E1PhquXYWp5Xwv2C2r2ESPt/w550-h640/20231106_154454.jpg" width="550" /></a></div><p></p><p>She uses the same body as the other vivid dolls and originally would have come in a shitty pink princess dress with crappy wings sewn to the back of it. </p><p>bletch. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHF8K2B-1Sn8Bk8rMDuFnlqRGiBnS7vCC8LzJYrnrCoWUR7QYkjdrnsKlIwKf_S23jxwJLr4fNma8C4IjXRrNyCr3O7jcrXgXGXCm8OqOW7waKiAGXLcjjOodLX3_7wbQsXDF9ruDFivPWvlbxXZp5TZOMlzJt29N2A2caweVbynxr-iCOozJvFZhywo3d/s4000/20231106_154524.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHF8K2B-1Sn8Bk8rMDuFnlqRGiBnS7vCC8LzJYrnrCoWUR7QYkjdrnsKlIwKf_S23jxwJLr4fNma8C4IjXRrNyCr3O7jcrXgXGXCm8OqOW7waKiAGXLcjjOodLX3_7wbQsXDF9ruDFivPWvlbxXZp5TZOMlzJt29N2A2caweVbynxr-iCOozJvFZhywo3d/w480-h640/20231106_154524.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p> </p><p>She arguably looks more "sindy" than the hasbro or other vivids do. Like all the other vivid dolls, her head is rock hard though. </p><p>Vivid made quite a few dolls in their short time with the license. <br /></p><p>During this time Sindy also got a new "friend". A guy named Robbie and random babies were added, though it's unclear if they're the "little sister" like Barbie or actually her children. </p><p>Hasbro's Imani (or rather, Olmec's Imani, licensed to Hasbro) seems to have been transformed into Mel for Vivid as well. I'm certain they're the same sculpts. </p><p>I wonder if Hasbro just handed over all the stuff as part of the deal, or if Vivid took over the factories or something. </p><p>goodness knows. </p><p>Sindy was outsourced to other manufacturers throughout Hasbro and Vivid's times. Funskool handled the Indian market for example, while Giochi Preziosi handled parts of Europe. Hasbro even appear to have acquired the Ceppi Ratti Tanya doll factory (An Italian fashion doll) and produced Sindy dolls using the Tanya molds for the Greek market. </p><p>Honestly it all gets pretty convoluted pretty fast. </p><p>Anyway, </p><p>Vivid produced Sindy until 2001. <br /></p><p>During that time we got some frankly bizarre crossovers from Sabrina to Digimon, but also some very quintessentially British lines. These include "Manchester United Sindy", Children in Need Sindy (with her very own plush Pudsey) and RSPCA Animal Hospital Sindy (anyone remember that show? lol)</p><p>We also got a lot of babies, mermaids, princesses and fairies because of course we did.</p><p>according to the 2000 catalogue Vivid's big strategy was to keep prices down, they wanted most of their lines to be under £10 making them a "budget" alternative to Barbie. </p><p>this certainly explains the cheaper feeling outfits. </p><p>their tagline to retailers was "when you're number 2 you try harder" which I think is quite amusing. </p><p>But they just couldn't compete and so Sindy once more was handed back to Pedigree to license out to another company and try again.</p><p>the next attempt came in 2003 from the enthusiastic New Moons. </p><p>Their tactic involved another complete rehaul, Sindy would no longer be a young woman but a 15 year old girl who wore tracksuits and trainers (that's sneakers to those outside the uk). </p><p>She was also now 6.5 inches tall. </p><p>New Moons were so certain of their new direction that they committed to a 10 year plan. They produced stationary and accessories for kids under the brand and invested in a huge amount of advertising and PR. </p><p>Babi A Fi has a wonderful rundown of the random products released for this relaunch <a href="https://www.babiafi.co.uk/2016/07/new-moons-sindy.html" target="_blank">here</a></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_lvyqnyUaPscCb6r_QRMBG7EeWepPA9ZF9g9geN9eAkfRM_nWVvDhQh7r15XJNu_LcsKQe_fwbuYfSFP-qjVkdyrgoVWlr-Viynkz4j0AFObY-rIx2AIDxX62dg8gmW3Xg6Lm12SVUIJfzCzozhzDbPaHcYu3LRSIW_68xZabF0cwxdr98pafbN3IYjD_/s2685/20231106_154805.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2685" data-original-width="2457" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_lvyqnyUaPscCb6r_QRMBG7EeWepPA9ZF9g9geN9eAkfRM_nWVvDhQh7r15XJNu_LcsKQe_fwbuYfSFP-qjVkdyrgoVWlr-Viynkz4j0AFObY-rIx2AIDxX62dg8gmW3Xg6Lm12SVUIJfzCzozhzDbPaHcYu3LRSIW_68xZabF0cwxdr98pafbN3IYjD_/w586-h640/20231106_154805.jpg" width="586" /></a></div><br /> Initially Sindy was just available in this dinky lil' half size, but for the 2004-5 season they also produced 10 inch tall dolls. <p></p><p>One of the big oddities about the New Moons sindy dolls is their distribution model. It looks like the vast majority were store exclusives, only available in retailers of assorted homewear or footstuffs, rather than toy stores. M&S, Woolworths and Safeway are not places I would think as a first port of call for a new doll line. </p><p>At some point Chad Valley took over distribution and she ended up pretty much only sold in Woolworths. <br /></p><p>Woolworths went under in 2008 and Sindy went down with it. The license wasn't renewed and that was it for Sindy for the next few years. </p><p>The New Moons/Chad Valley Sindys are odd little things. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJR0xbuh5oze1MY62KnNr3YXLXrDEYFY00t6kCAOQx-6nLnhbWYRzodlAmA4fLT2mXFd8Jfes4Co7FExGwE8rbXDkJXB8za0Z247OLjogQPl9YgsUZMKKMRzO33HRyyndd6H7XjigNHBhKU_ZsKgN4h4z5voBweH1LVTdwdMXt0aH_6gY_WEONJz9f5nBX/s3210/20231106_154906.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3210" data-original-width="1366" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJR0xbuh5oze1MY62KnNr3YXLXrDEYFY00t6kCAOQx-6nLnhbWYRzodlAmA4fLT2mXFd8Jfes4Co7FExGwE8rbXDkJXB8za0Z247OLjogQPl9YgsUZMKKMRzO33HRyyndd6H7XjigNHBhKU_ZsKgN4h4z5voBweH1LVTdwdMXt0aH_6gY_WEONJz9f5nBX/w272-h640/20231106_154906.jpg" width="272" /></a></div><p></p><p>Their bodies are tiny little spindly things with extremely slender bodies, skinny limbs and a head that can't tilt at all and is really stiff to turn. </p><p>Their hair is generally not overly great nylon so prone to frizz and easily tangled. In the case of this girl, she also has tinselly shit in there so that only makes it even harder to brush. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbs1GkLFK3ElPU-aFaB5acbpZX9X0fw4ZDuSVtlPuL5L3TJZot6WtoYCkPqulDEpKMD0UrR2LdmtR5g8lKnmhAKEDSfh2NSFGTQJbk0L3T8oltMrUEoR1OTKDD7A3OYW1LjOS9gDNbFDVlRhfPWTB_DuxZMCbMCrvbHrBOOTa4GEzXWxbP7WBCagNQBygc/s2875/20231106_155003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2875" data-original-width="2531" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbs1GkLFK3ElPU-aFaB5acbpZX9X0fw4ZDuSVtlPuL5L3TJZot6WtoYCkPqulDEpKMD0UrR2LdmtR5g8lKnmhAKEDSfh2NSFGTQJbk0L3T8oltMrUEoR1OTKDD7A3OYW1LjOS9gDNbFDVlRhfPWTB_DuxZMCbMCrvbHrBOOTa4GEzXWxbP7WBCagNQBygc/w564-h640/20231106_155003.jpg" width="564" /></a></div><p></p><p>She's shockingly pale (that's probably fairly accurate for Britain lol) and despite standing a similar height to the 80s Sindy, she's substantially more slender. </p><p>I really don't think any 15 year old girl has a figure like this New Moons. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_W6DMvmIfee4of0iaW5Bxab1gvdoTp2QQRnDjbrsu1xFr9EVTSduvgd6027XRawtlVop0sxTDj8K-RKj00vvQhju0iPYbT9eOou67tDsz63P7_9SNh9a8Bo86DDFmEORupSjkV9klEOi_4IR5SlrqlXgMl3Q5tlk-NJsq5jnwPDoUXbQuxlj3zA8cgFCz/s3812/20231106_155125.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3812" data-original-width="1743" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_W6DMvmIfee4of0iaW5Bxab1gvdoTp2QQRnDjbrsu1xFr9EVTSduvgd6027XRawtlVop0sxTDj8K-RKj00vvQhju0iPYbT9eOou67tDsz63P7_9SNh9a8Bo86DDFmEORupSjkV9klEOi_4IR5SlrqlXgMl3Q5tlk-NJsq5jnwPDoUXbQuxlj3zA8cgFCz/w292-h640/20231106_155125.jpg" width="292" /></a></div><p></p><p>Because she's so skinny she cannot fit barbie or sindy clothing. It all hangs off her tiny little frame. This is frustrating because almost all of these dolls came wearing an excess of pink or tracksuit-like outfits which are NOT my cup of tea at all. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNNezT1vWVrQmQBveptJ18m8Ri_TJOZIElQQ6CC8w5wlYFyZdrTE4bUg2lwtFmxzZaRgrKWVAfPHdDNskfgC46Z6W5_Zvmt2VK636u5_H2QRC1Cpjld8fUf9Z8pF6AtCfGjTzZkfHUwocwTVqr0VY0iJNczmZ0l5KEOPDbm8kXbGlAhsjnW_hzNQnfwlgk/s3638/20231106_155602.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2395" data-original-width="3638" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNNezT1vWVrQmQBveptJ18m8Ri_TJOZIElQQ6CC8w5wlYFyZdrTE4bUg2lwtFmxzZaRgrKWVAfPHdDNskfgC46Z6W5_Zvmt2VK636u5_H2QRC1Cpjld8fUf9Z8pF6AtCfGjTzZkfHUwocwTVqr0VY0iJNczmZ0l5KEOPDbm8kXbGlAhsjnW_hzNQnfwlgk/w640-h422/20231106_155602.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>Sindy came with three different face variations. The first, who i "lovingly" refer to as "corpse sindy" due to how dead she looks came from a 2 pack with one of her friends (the new moons release decided instead of giving us blonde and brunette sindys, they'd give us a whole cast of friends for Sindy to have. They're basically the same just with different hair and eye and skin tones. Kinda like Bratz there <_< >_> hehe) Anyway, she's "winter Sleigh fun" and came with a second doll and a sled. Several of the dolls had this strange small eyed paint job which looks off to me. Her eyes are too widely spaced and too small for such a big round head imo. Makes her look like those Tree Change Bratz or something. <br /></p><p>The second doll in I don't actually know which doll she is. They made a LOT of dolls for those few years and there doesn't appear to be any catalogue or anything to compare to. This face is softer and closer to the small 6 inch counterpart with a painted open mouth smile and wider larger eyes. </p><p>Finally we have "Turkish Sindy", this particular face style appears to have only been used for dolls sold in Turkey which is... a whole thing. Apparently there's a big market for Sindy in Turkey for some reason, but that doesn't explain why they got these dolls and the uk for the most part didn't. </p><p>dead stock with these faces HAVE been found on ebay uk, suggesting that perhaps they were very very end of New Moon/Chad Valley's run with the license. Perhaps they couldn't find a UK retailer to take them or they just never made it to shelves with Woolworths collapsing. </p><p>whatever the case, this face is my favourite. It's substantially cuter and quite reminiscent of the Vivid Imaginations Fairy Princess. </p><p>There were also two body types. The one I already showed you, and the gummy monstrosity. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXOnqvwpnioogDfZ_OpZiLLz7Pfy64ZpCHU9ys_BkIHjuZ5uMyzybGcRt2KyKOYyBkc_gXUC8bsEXdn99TcZzZibyCzf2o7PZSatHeskfbD9TuBb-hxNnVHYTfk-IZ4k7WXb_PnhJIozbkg0TZcuMD72-hiC5VBEdoEEQet7qE-arev2H9XdPnoiqyFUe8/s3933/20231106_155655.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3933" data-original-width="1818" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXOnqvwpnioogDfZ_OpZiLLz7Pfy64ZpCHU9ys_BkIHjuZ5uMyzybGcRt2KyKOYyBkc_gXUC8bsEXdn99TcZzZibyCzf2o7PZSatHeskfbD9TuBb-hxNnVHYTfk-IZ4k7WXb_PnhJIozbkg0TZcuMD72-hiC5VBEdoEEQet7qE-arev2H9XdPnoiqyFUe8/w296-h640/20231106_155655.jpg" width="296" /></a></div><p></p><p>This body makes me profoundly uncomfortable. I think it's the seamless nature of it, it just triggers some major squick when I look at it. </p><p>It's entirely soft gummy feeling vinyl with wires inside. She has internal joints at the knees and elbows but you can also bend anywhere else with a little more pressure. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH2RPvZsdpFLrNOnNlSGc2i6zqbGkDsOMpsC9tO4I4sD0J-mvvE4TWIRNPSxjBaTn1jB2sM6JNF_PqXXH7kKW6xRYNADrte2SB6LMRpjtIhNZFNJ2cMG-LfXHtSJjn6IWpy9aOYzBHKuTnBxUoA_AuiWHcDZsaSUWmRqItbiKGT-nv12cTsh6IHj6Z6sxk/s3568/20231106_155733.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2046" data-original-width="3568" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH2RPvZsdpFLrNOnNlSGc2i6zqbGkDsOMpsC9tO4I4sD0J-mvvE4TWIRNPSxjBaTn1jB2sM6JNF_PqXXH7kKW6xRYNADrte2SB6LMRpjtIhNZFNJ2cMG-LfXHtSJjn6IWpy9aOYzBHKuTnBxUoA_AuiWHcDZsaSUWmRqItbiKGT-nv12cTsh6IHj6Z6sxk/w640-h366/20231106_155733.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>So yes, she's very very poseable, but it feels so gross to manipulate this body. It feels like skin or something and it's just... eugh. </p><p>it also attracts dust like mad and makes dressing her really difficult because her whole body CLINGS to fabric. Pulling clothing onto her is like trying to get stockings/leggings onto clicky legged dolls, it sucks. </p><p>DO NOT LIKE. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIakEGj7nZ1OOa6unO55RpQ8mPBx-GlSsJt1kLfE2eDGI186sM-dhJO_PdJ30jJu1Rx7DqCwf6058pacKAdox7P9e6_M8nEPtBk2ZGj0COc-1NVVG3jHSQBseajDhm9LgdvFutOi3cJN237mtmS2vROUfSqdXbzQ2u4YsAb06ciEkvo9ollrBMTJSW5Bv8/s3774/20231106_155954.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3774" data-original-width="1798" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIakEGj7nZ1OOa6unO55RpQ8mPBx-GlSsJt1kLfE2eDGI186sM-dhJO_PdJ30jJu1Rx7DqCwf6058pacKAdox7P9e6_M8nEPtBk2ZGj0COc-1NVVG3jHSQBseajDhm9LgdvFutOi3cJN237mtmS2vROUfSqdXbzQ2u4YsAb06ciEkvo9ollrBMTJSW5Bv8/w304-h640/20231106_155954.jpg" width="304" /></a></div><p></p><p>The tiny doll is a lot cuter. She has what seems to be the same sculpt, but dinky and little. She also seems to have better quality hair than her larger sisters which is strange. </p><p>This one I think is wearing lil Bratz jeans which gives an idea of how dinky they are. </p><p>the original clothes these small dolls came in are NOT to my taste generally at all. I have heard a lot of Sindy collectors refer to the New Moons girl as "chav sindy" which is kinda mean. I mean granted, she did seem to get an awful lot of pink tracksuits, but she also got a lot of shapeless jeans and ugly pink jackets too. </p><p>Why do doll companies ram pink down kid's throats? I often wonder if a lot of little girls only like pink BECAUSE they associate it with toys. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip_LFW-vJ0qw_6OtWYMH1vjKhVcNHhdFnEoTjnECiPK20oCZmr15rHAK-9thfB6dSRhwjMEnwKhGmFpZNXF8i-8FTPcQ8muZ1BJjFht-6uPdrkEZW3G-6lOOdvtEZNcM3drSvlwDvC9b2jcOxY9e9YneK9RgEUR5LAB_b7tr_CcKguUly4pdJL6sW-me2a/s3068/20231106_160044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3068" data-original-width="1431" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip_LFW-vJ0qw_6OtWYMH1vjKhVcNHhdFnEoTjnECiPK20oCZmr15rHAK-9thfB6dSRhwjMEnwKhGmFpZNXF8i-8FTPcQ8muZ1BJjFht-6uPdrkEZW3G-6lOOdvtEZNcM3drSvlwDvC9b2jcOxY9e9YneK9RgEUR5LAB_b7tr_CcKguUly4pdJL6sW-me2a/w298-h640/20231106_160044.jpg" width="298" /></a></div><br /><p>Her body is like the bigger dolls. Extremely skinny and yet simultaneously quite mature. </p><p>this body does NOT read regular 15 year old girl at all. She's more like a bloody model!</p><p>She came primarily wearing sneakers/trainers and had minimal makeup. Like the bigger dolls she also had several friends. </p><p>The tiny dolls apparently were released first, with the bigger ones coming later. A strange choice to make Sindy 6 inches tall, but i've heard the makers of Lottie state that they made her small because their target market were younger kids with smaller hands. So perhaps the same rationale was used here. </p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih3LuCcmVneAy_DhJRpDnVM5B71DQeEP6oaSKCL1Ymh2YtD6uqPoc4hg_hUAYOLOPxTWxN0_ChEoGLjPtbeuZOc3dqP2H4do1GRaWAi3cUlWw607dp0n3xX2vFViVFUXGefFBwIvycdm9Ngx529gqoG4R-CxmGsgjEr5HviipW8wQmvrYi1WqiEM-bgytM/s4000/20231106_160534.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih3LuCcmVneAy_DhJRpDnVM5B71DQeEP6oaSKCL1Ymh2YtD6uqPoc4hg_hUAYOLOPxTWxN0_ChEoGLjPtbeuZOc3dqP2H4do1GRaWAi3cUlWw607dp0n3xX2vFViVFUXGefFBwIvycdm9Ngx529gqoG4R-CxmGsgjEr5HviipW8wQmvrYi1WqiEM-bgytM/w640-h480/20231106_160534.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />It's wild to think that these are ALL Sindy dolls isn't it? <p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeXQepImVSXDV_BtYRXX6UMJOTVzc2GB7ITmzXreskwYNGI7_pgNvzZstTn-inD1_aLNVhqyneCCRUyuvCJJgFGbsP_ztZcAt-xiYaCPikvD9jJrasPzFqzYBFyiuQePkxmRJEOsnifplnXpuDs3mJ8_BgbTNDIR1r6VxOTVpqVYZoMl6exknOlVPZ5wSw/s3474/20231106_154639.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3474" data-original-width="1485" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeXQepImVSXDV_BtYRXX6UMJOTVzc2GB7ITmzXreskwYNGI7_pgNvzZstTn-inD1_aLNVhqyneCCRUyuvCJJgFGbsP_ztZcAt-xiYaCPikvD9jJrasPzFqzYBFyiuQePkxmRJEOsnifplnXpuDs3mJ8_BgbTNDIR1r6VxOTVpqVYZoMl6exknOlVPZ5wSw/w274-h640/20231106_154639.jpg" width="274" /></a></div><p></p><p>Also using the Chad Valley/New Moons bodies were the Hachette part works dolls from 2006 or 2007. For those who don't know who Hachette are, they're a publishing company who specialize in part works. Those magazines that come with one piece of a model or whatever and you have to collect several hundred and spend way more than the thing is probably worth to complete it. </p><p>For Sindy the part works was short lived and actually not as exploitative. It came with a very brief magazine and a doll wearing a reproduction of one of Sindy's iconic vintage looks. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoL1JFkTUuZKJPcSOCQ5s3OXiNvs2tALequtvnOzrarZDApHIH8yx97wrruFVQE-N-_3n1VtPq-9AftkBjFJ497WVPnM1Oz7wz5ekF7ekrYcHsxN9qwU8LT7us9eagJ6MgBI-hPZx3Q_o8_fq0do_GWtksEGL0J6BnpKnD4i0eDxE4-hxfQyHjUEkVJqxu/s3368/20231106_154644.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3368" data-original-width="2127" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoL1JFkTUuZKJPcSOCQ5s3OXiNvs2tALequtvnOzrarZDApHIH8yx97wrruFVQE-N-_3n1VtPq-9AftkBjFJ497WVPnM1Oz7wz5ekF7ekrYcHsxN9qwU8LT7us9eagJ6MgBI-hPZx3Q_o8_fq0do_GWtksEGL0J6BnpKnD4i0eDxE4-hxfQyHjUEkVJqxu/w404-h640/20231106_154644.jpg" width="404" /></a></div><p></p><p>An attempt was made to replicate the original Sindy look for her hard head, but the spindly body meant the reproduced outfits were far too small for an actual vintage doll to wear. </p><p>this particular doll is NOT actually a Hachette part works doll, she's a British Airways doll who used the same base doll. She's also not on her original body, she's on a Liv body because I hated how limiting that tiny skinny body was. </p><p>Anyway, the Hatchette dolls only lasted for 4 issues before the magazine folded. That meant 4 dolls, with the first, a blonde wearing a replica of the 1970s Sunsuit costing £2:99. </p><p>As an aside, I really wouldn't have called the Sunsuit outfit "iconic". It's not an overly common outfit for a start and certainly not one most people would immediately think of when thinking about Sindy. </p><p>Whatever. </p><p>Issue 2 featured another blonde, this time wearing the fancy white gown known as "royal occassion". This time the cost was £6:99</p><p></p><p>Issue 3 was a brunette nurse and issue 4 was a redhead wearing the absolutely definitely iconic purple and check dress the 1968 boxed dolls came in (the outfit itself is called Fashion Girl) </p><p>Now what is odd is that the issue 2 doll, the blonde in the royal occassion dress, is the one I have seen less than any of the others. I find that bizarre honestly. Usually the later issues of a part works would be harder to find so i'm not sure what happened there. </p><p> Meanwhile, using these same moulds, in 2007 we also got British Airways dolls in reproduction 60s and 70s air hostess uniforms. (I can't find any clarification about which came first, the part works or the BA dolls so uh.... I dunno.) <br /></p><p>There were 4 different outfits and each came in a blonde or brunette varient. These were supposedly sold via the in flight magazines and were around £12 each. </p><p>A lot of them ended up on ebay in the 2010s and I picked up all of mine for silly cheap. Most of them ditched their outfits and bodies, but i'm not entirely sure where they all ARE right now. I have a lot of boxes of Sindy dolls. </p><p>several years earlier in 2003 New Moons had produced another Sindy (again using that strange skinny little body) for British Airways. She was £10. I am.. honestly not sure why I didn't take a photo of mine, she was literally sitting next to me during all this so... uh... sorry?</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://assets.isu.pub/document-structure/220607123442-c65a7d743aa22fe690bf1a21d19a31a3/v1/21508dd318eafd7dfb871d46c0a032a8.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="502" data-original-width="283" height="502" src="https://assets.isu.pub/document-structure/220607123442-c65a7d743aa22fe690bf1a21d19a31a3/v1/21508dd318eafd7dfb871d46c0a032a8.jpeg" width="283" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">She looks like this. I'm fairly sure that's the playline chad valley/new moons head, just with a different and more mature screening. <br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv1LrnAEf0Rr25emetwic7nrNm47fTamU-y2DCWe6KGNrIfFC554wEeAMx3kQUbnH5N1JymX4dZ8aSNDGdW-FkUswx4RIeWj0258rXSy9uDbAqJaGl0w3z6fezqtb_O8nYqGZT8PvDsHLrjdML8fwTQpWHr6rAZM0WpWe7s5ra2rMP83SRI32OUKy-H9zp/s2406/20231106_154657.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1841" data-original-width="2406" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv1LrnAEf0Rr25emetwic7nrNm47fTamU-y2DCWe6KGNrIfFC554wEeAMx3kQUbnH5N1JymX4dZ8aSNDGdW-FkUswx4RIeWj0258rXSy9uDbAqJaGl0w3z6fezqtb_O8nYqGZT8PvDsHLrjdML8fwTQpWHr6rAZM0WpWe7s5ra2rMP83SRI32OUKy-H9zp/w640-h490/20231106_154657.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /> Anyway, this particular BA girl is one of the 1960s girls and her hair came in a bob. <p></p><p>You can see alongside the 80s doll how much they tried to emulate the look but didn't quite manage it. </p><p>These dolls also have absolutely no ability to tilt their heads in my experience, which I feel is really limiting as a teensy little tilt of the head helps give so much personality to a doll's pose. </p><p></p><br /><p>I did intend to continue talking about the dolls that came after this but i'm tired so i'll leave it here for now. I'll get to the rest at some point. </p><p>there's BIG gaps in the Sindy timeline after this point. We have the 2014 Tonner line, the 2016 Tesco dolls and finally the 2020 Kid Kreation dolls. <br /></p><p>I do appologise for how slow I am getting these blogs done. I'm finding it exhausting and painful to sit and take the photos and my attention span is getting increasingly bad from the ongoing fatigue. When I have a spurt of energy I want to use it doing something practical like chores or leaving the house, because those energy spurts are becoming so rare. It sucks honestly. Because I love dolls and I love sharing my dolls with the internet.</p><p>I have so many boxes of dolls to just OPEN let alone review and I keep thinking "today is the day!" and then it doesn't happen. *sigh* </p><p>perhaps in the new year. </p><p>perhaps.</p><p>but until next time, whenever that may be, take care everyone. <br /></p>Purple_monkfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023284779817354246noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3031605728160552641.post-12356035424061458372023-09-28T16:09:00.003+01:002023-09-28T16:09:50.947+01:00Happy Birthday Sindy pt3 (the 80s)<p>Before we start, i'm sorry about the quality of the photos. My back was still absolutely killing me and it made me a bit rushed to get off the floor before I did more damage. </p><p>But we've reached the 1980s at last! </p><p>The 80s are perhaps the most chaotic of Sindy's decades, ending ultimately with the near demise of Pedigree toys and the acquisition of Sindy by American company Hasbro. </p><p>So let's get into it!</p><p>The 1980s, Sindy's problem years. <br /></p><span><a name='more'></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUQRYqmXvtR5TTib6ddCFMVzOPttT0WAbTjN2c9psiPLx72Ix5xS9w_47SLpCsUAJkfQ4gkLqt4oiP7pK8xJjc6ujqqYGlqSRvpvsI4xPiEPpqaNcZewYCe_N0t4iyX7KyHgQA9yo4OYvfJFCA2Z5UDozuIOpOjHs47Lnl0dtBImw48ZwHVyNMr8kFRc1y/s3737/20230912_151325.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1843" data-original-width="3737" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUQRYqmXvtR5TTib6ddCFMVzOPttT0WAbTjN2c9psiPLx72Ix5xS9w_47SLpCsUAJkfQ4gkLqt4oiP7pK8xJjc6ujqqYGlqSRvpvsI4xPiEPpqaNcZewYCe_N0t4iyX7KyHgQA9yo4OYvfJFCA2Z5UDozuIOpOjHs47Lnl0dtBImw48ZwHVyNMr8kFRc1y/w640-h316/20230912_151325.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>80s (and late 70s) Sindy dolls are, generally speaking, the easiest dolls to find on the secondhand market. They're identified by their generally larger, softer heads which have less blush than the 70s dolls. </p><p>But they were a pretty diverse bunch regardless. </p><p><b><u>The 1980s</u></b></p><p>1980 saw the release of a new "funtime" Sindy, another blonde on a basic body as well as another release of the now ubiquitous Ballerina and the horrifying Sweet Dreams Sindy who for some reason just WOULD NOT DIE. She must have sold well for Pedigree to keep making her, that or they just were determined to traumatize as many kids as possible. </p><p>We also got "styling Sindy", also known as "zombie sindy" or "ghost face sindy" due to her unfortunate complexion. See, Pedigree must have screwed up their vinyl mix AGAIN resulting in a doll who's head, over time, turned from pink to a horribly sickly greenish white. YIKES. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WgC8hiH3wSA/XVPjNwp89LI/AAAAAAAATl4/1JPM9zFI4gMJAXA8vinmrl_YCQvm3KFNwCLcBGAs/s1440/s-l1600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WgC8hiH3wSA/XVPjNwp89LI/AAAAAAAATl4/1JPM9zFI4gMJAXA8vinmrl_YCQvm3KFNwCLcBGAs/w480-h640/s-l1600.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>Of course, it didn't impact JUST Styling Sindy, but a few of their other releases as well. Like this poor Ballerina. </p><p>Early 80s Sindys are a mixed bag and whether or not they have the ghastly vinyl bleach is pretty arbitrary but particular lines are more prone to it. Styling Sindy being the most infamous. Some of them seem to have been made with properly mixed vinyl, but a large percentage have turned to ghouls. </p><p>poor dolls. </p><p>The first couple of years of the 80s focused mainly it seems on clothes and accessories, the doll releases are predominantly rereleases of previous dolls or basic dolls in quite simple outfits. </p><p>She got a camper van, a pool, an entire bathroom set (including the toilet she had to hold her bladder for until 76) all now in a "lovely" shade of yellow and brown. Ahh the 80s, the era taste forgot. </p><p>She also got a giant hair drier thing like the ones they had in hair salons. Did people genuinely have these in their homes? it's bizarre. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk8cmsEoLXYdbUEVNvcocbTojD0ROX4lXRYDHt__ng5hpXN8eK3GdT9BJYPkk6zBzSJJDlLXm-JjcHI4s55YDvS9D0yzHpllniP4YKtGBRegeeTrIZ5RUyeE95tEpz7wGXlMVyjIc2yorgXzEwT57npzsX6hJuWcDfFSJ9E6zQyisUsz6tDWBLne0AQVYY/s2700/20230912_151348.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="2462" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk8cmsEoLXYdbUEVNvcocbTojD0ROX4lXRYDHt__ng5hpXN8eK3GdT9BJYPkk6zBzSJJDlLXm-JjcHI4s55YDvS9D0yzHpllniP4YKtGBRegeeTrIZ5RUyeE95tEpz7wGXlMVyjIc2yorgXzEwT57npzsX6hJuWcDfFSJ9E6zQyisUsz6tDWBLne0AQVYY/w584-h640/20230912_151348.jpg" width="584" /></a></div><p></p><p>1982's ballerina has two variations, but it's never been clear WHY. Was this another vinyl shrinkage fuck up or a conscious decision? Whatever the case, the Hong Kong ballerinas, and several of the other releases from the same factory have significantly smaller heads than the other dolls and they are ROCK HARD. </p><p>These pretty girls are referred to as "sad face" Sindy dolls because they look more sulky than usual.</p><p>Apparently at this point Sindy was being made in Hong Kong, China and the UK, but I can't find any specifics on that. Certainly by the 80s British manufacture was starting to become very rare. Sindy had been being cast overseas for decades at this point, with just finishing touches made in the UK so they could still claim she was "british made". The same was done with the NZ dolls in the 60s and 70s. So long as they were cobbled together in a factory in NZ it didn't matter where those bits were actually made, they could claim "nz made" and get sweet tax rebates and shit. </p><p>*eyeroll* <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb1driUU-PQReyHaeLCmFTnrskwVd6zqSTiLvBddjtXk8ZHkNXkfb_QveUuHtUPdzysJIzulBnvR2hoA4WNN3dZOtDX1SFSBCAMXsnMfW9Me_Qn8tdIp7iY3JiRYFaX7WKHdtHP-Djii_XYU_9FCy67K2WkZHB6dfMhNbJOt4vN4VebpHPHgEHYmPt3JhN/s2874/20230912_151517.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2874" data-original-width="1070" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb1driUU-PQReyHaeLCmFTnrskwVd6zqSTiLvBddjtXk8ZHkNXkfb_QveUuHtUPdzysJIzulBnvR2hoA4WNN3dZOtDX1SFSBCAMXsnMfW9Me_Qn8tdIp7iY3JiRYFaX7WKHdtHP-Djii_XYU_9FCy67K2WkZHB6dfMhNbJOt4vN4VebpHPHgEHYmPt3JhN/w238-h640/20230912_151517.jpg" width="238" /></a></div><p></p><p>Anyway, 82's Ballerina Sindy now has hinged hands so they don't fall off after a short amount of play. It's rare to find an 80s ballerina missing her hands, while a vast majority of 70s ballerinas have lost theirs. </p><p>These hinged hands also now allow the doll to bend her wrists rather than just rotate them. Bonus! </p><p>This ballerina is really floppy due to her elastic perishing and I haven't got the tools to restring her right now. It's fiddly and it hurts my fingers anyway. But that's why her limbs all look like they aren't fitting their sockets. She's too loose. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoT-TT7o5UMkSsW2Z2lRJDE1Q-M3KlAkOvo6IuGoM2Z_l1YRxZQkP_wBwcDOM8F5N8Cp-T5OXHfyz6lsUpUv1R5NL6olr7olRHEZiZ7-iFrGJ2AB8lVP44u_22EmPv2hJXaaZxT9gDaccpN9W9An163DDlZseIdFJhyphenhyphenY1N4GMWtrpfERuIg2YMfOngkb85/s3603/20230912_151644.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3603" data-original-width="2479" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoT-TT7o5UMkSsW2Z2lRJDE1Q-M3KlAkOvo6IuGoM2Z_l1YRxZQkP_wBwcDOM8F5N8Cp-T5OXHfyz6lsUpUv1R5NL6olr7olRHEZiZ7-iFrGJ2AB8lVP44u_22EmPv2hJXaaZxT9gDaccpN9W9An163DDlZseIdFJhyphenhyphenY1N4GMWtrpfERuIg2YMfOngkb85/w440-h640/20230912_151644.jpg" width="440" /></a></div><p></p><p>Ballerinas no longer use the double cup waist that was still being randomly used in the 70s ballerinas alongside the standard waist. The double cup has been totally phased out at this point. A pity I think, because it did give the doll that little bit more mobility but I assume they had good reason. </p><p>the 80s dolls feature the same rubbery arms with wire inside for posing and the same wired legs with posing ankles as the late 70s ballerinas. A LOT of dolls have broken ankles, they weren't overly robust sadly. </p><p>The change between the high blush 70s heads and the rather plain 80s heads is striking though. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV4ArEylwbduG1NYtzFjmDQQXm5PB2byHBwxz_UKYVNQ_Az7NcSKLMupe4cQ31TCZooPSo8uzDQ7IB6tL1BOGH1HBzFw1otodQrAzkHk7SSX3gakzxRuVNF3hEw5CosAealymENoqCggZoqTj5gOX7zBIPPJq0X7rSPugKuetFr-6kWWjx-S-NBPQYwxyk/s4000/20230912_151653.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV4ArEylwbduG1NYtzFjmDQQXm5PB2byHBwxz_UKYVNQ_Az7NcSKLMupe4cQ31TCZooPSo8uzDQ7IB6tL1BOGH1HBzFw1otodQrAzkHk7SSX3gakzxRuVNF3hEw5CosAealymENoqCggZoqTj5gOX7zBIPPJq0X7rSPugKuetFr-6kWWjx-S-NBPQYwxyk/w640-h480/20230912_151653.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>70s ballerina looks kinda pissed while 82 looks just a bit concerned. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYpIrtcLujP0hlIb6u1EDT0m1CBNqZZXV27iVM0HG6HMj6MMHbhi0pBG9Yr1rAem811zUPqxNhQch_Zx0CJ5xD_H_7VTENNSHgdUVaG7blvfcNc6h-YXfs287QEl1GJK8jQSb1jlktwdn1PW6rhF3JD3zvmtLlYbp16zmAMncFYLblo1QJKAH5SfiGK0b/s3282/20230912_152118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3282" data-original-width="2312" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYpIrtcLujP0hlIb6u1EDT0m1CBNqZZXV27iVM0HG6HMj6MMHbhi0pBG9Yr1rAem811zUPqxNhQch_Zx0CJ5xD_H_7VTENNSHgdUVaG7blvfcNc6h-YXfs287QEl1GJK8jQSb1jlktwdn1PW6rhF3JD3zvmtLlYbp16zmAMncFYLblo1QJKAH5SfiGK0b/w450-h640/20230912_152118.jpg" width="450" /></a></div><br /><p>The double cup waist I think adds height to the 70s girl, and coupled with 82's shrunken head, it makes the height difference quite obvious. </p><p>super weird. </p><p>I really do wonder if they fucked up their shrinkage again. What is up with the Hong Kong factory and vinyl mixtures? </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgEknaBOTxMb698ow2MR-wDA2Xme60tjfccDl5MQBKkz4f3kWFKZxpcL_3Vgd-pBbSs8qn1Nyb85SZswy0AUEqW8fs-2BxmFwmfar8gtn5KbfiK98hMt5sGGVvsb25ZzssskHz46IX5hCaxbTj1qcrbFaizvUoDGV8ldUyayFeQyFj1v5FZ7tzU7AblMUH/s3518/20230912_152202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3518" data-original-width="1431" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgEknaBOTxMb698ow2MR-wDA2Xme60tjfccDl5MQBKkz4f3kWFKZxpcL_3Vgd-pBbSs8qn1Nyb85SZswy0AUEqW8fs-2BxmFwmfar8gtn5KbfiK98hMt5sGGVvsb25ZzssskHz46IX5hCaxbTj1qcrbFaizvUoDGV8ldUyayFeQyFj1v5FZ7tzU7AblMUH/w260-h640/20230912_152202.jpg" width="260" /></a></div><p></p><p>One fun thing about the 80s dolls is the hair style variety. Previous Sindy dolls have generally stuck to one or two hairstyles, the chignon of the ballerina, the curled ponytail of the basic dolls, the flip curl of the older dolls, the 60s bobs.... </p><p>One of the most extreme variations was the "Diana" cut seen here. Sunshine Sindy, Holiday Girl, Party girl (in brunette) and Pop Singer all sported this short style supposedly inspired by the Princess of Wales. </p><p>Some have better surviving hair than others. Holiday and Sunshine are unfortunately quite prone to frizz like this. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpCSbf5nq6qhViTDCYWME6LQjWBhNHcWu5_X-QZL5jBwSKhDgm58eQYusHfMcMNxu737tjw-2NTEjfoESl_Q5zxxPeCOhyphenhyphenkDG7iv7HbRHvxn7uni_4zhjtT9MlMR3YRDpwMTG-FRNgLJZoRCeN_lmppQE84qadzIVtNgWS8Fd9eQLvkEs7mCPSJdKRUiHv/s2698/20230912_152208.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2698" data-original-width="2542" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpCSbf5nq6qhViTDCYWME6LQjWBhNHcWu5_X-QZL5jBwSKhDgm58eQYusHfMcMNxu737tjw-2NTEjfoESl_Q5zxxPeCOhyphenhyphenkDG7iv7HbRHvxn7uni_4zhjtT9MlMR3YRDpwMTG-FRNgLJZoRCeN_lmppQE84qadzIVtNgWS8Fd9eQLvkEs7mCPSJdKRUiHv/w602-h640/20230912_152208.jpg" width="602" /></a></div><p></p><p>It's also maybe worth mentioning that the 80s dolls generally have significantly less makeup than earlier dolls. Not only is their blush more subtle and pink rather than red, they also tend to have pale pink or coral coloured lips instead of the old bright red. </p><p>I have to assume this was simply the fashion of the time. Or perhaps Pedigree were simply trying to appease conservative parents. </p><p>Whatever the case, I find it interesting how comparatively neutral 80s Sindy's makeup is, opting for more of a "nude" look. </p><p>Sunshine, Holiday and Pop singer all only came in blonde. Party Girl was the only brunette made with short hair. There was no redhead. By the 80s the redheads were becoming increasingly difficult to find, excluded for most lines completely. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw9IUiOebCC-nSQj-FwiJYuAjtml_ngMeJb1oy4J4wsrIsi6rcZHyMSkCJRXdupmq8cnXXohq6yj-IImXkRiKkSgcav22WB6xGLT9u88yEsChiHuoiy-y-RcGlBm35AvzeEHG8jQGrv4ts6RwkZNPiih-TWyAhq2xYkZg_x_qydNe_eZc3eNWnHBzihqTO/s3724/20230912_152234.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3724" data-original-width="2186" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw9IUiOebCC-nSQj-FwiJYuAjtml_ngMeJb1oy4J4wsrIsi6rcZHyMSkCJRXdupmq8cnXXohq6yj-IImXkRiKkSgcav22WB6xGLT9u88yEsChiHuoiy-y-RcGlBm35AvzeEHG8jQGrv4ts6RwkZNPiih-TWyAhq2xYkZg_x_qydNe_eZc3eNWnHBzihqTO/w376-h640/20230912_152234.jpg" width="376" /></a></div><p></p><p>1984 gave us Star Dance Sindy, a girl with puffy curled pigtails who came wearing the ever popular 80s aerobics gear. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhop-fzy5dnG05v89l-v9tDCnpOT9Rm5dbBCbCzUwWoefIjmhC5v4ZcR8XYW7SdFQCGyIh1LgUhJoLxMm7xrKb-i8_hsPon_q9p-NrkVSq97O48TgYEQVCB2q4HT-Oj9vSWah-RFiO9eUoAqZJL0URllus3-2_hE3wCoMZ_bV9tIosacQmVxxCG8iovGuog/s3000/20230912_152253.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2291" data-original-width="3000" height="488" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhop-fzy5dnG05v89l-v9tDCnpOT9Rm5dbBCbCzUwWoefIjmhC5v4ZcR8XYW7SdFQCGyIh1LgUhJoLxMm7xrKb-i8_hsPon_q9p-NrkVSq97O48TgYEQVCB2q4HT-Oj9vSWah-RFiO9eUoAqZJL0URllus3-2_hE3wCoMZ_bV9tIosacQmVxxCG8iovGuog/w640-h488/20230912_152253.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>We'd had a pigtails doll before but I don't own one that isn't...weird (i'll show you in a moment) so I hadn't included her. The pigtails dolls are rooted with a part line that runs all the way to the nape of their neck and they're a pain in the arse to restore if some little dear decided to comb the parting out. -_- </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKexSlb6U0aX_ggShvybSzRFB3BAQyCJlDPfJpIkqM_rURuOzzqSAPAVqge9zYsCk7nzeiVuUatWMS2Hak0IPIlNTMQBxMZaPX_eqnv6SKVO4yDKiY9rWnukjEMzBRrS2aVTtsUnW3BLP2Yv2UqZgenTEfK8YmJZDOSnIY9BzAEvhAseC3lDRVTgEEOTX0/s4000/20230912_152305.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKexSlb6U0aX_ggShvybSzRFB3BAQyCJlDPfJpIkqM_rURuOzzqSAPAVqge9zYsCk7nzeiVuUatWMS2Hak0IPIlNTMQBxMZaPX_eqnv6SKVO4yDKiY9rWnukjEMzBRrS2aVTtsUnW3BLP2Yv2UqZgenTEfK8YmJZDOSnIY9BzAEvhAseC3lDRVTgEEOTX0/w480-h640/20230912_152305.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>Sindy dolls of the 70s and 80s are quite sparsely rooted, as you can see from this girl's hairline. Pedigree were pinching pennies I think. The ballerinas are particularly bald as their hair is designed to be in ONE specific style and NO OTHER. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzIVPx_6VIwCtgwRBFGxtirlBBT1_oWhIeLE63U2hfI_8gydTjHZnmAXRGMH-ZmRVoMt1LJ86_Tj0Erfc-bQWPzA8-paQMnCOpG12N14URuWbwz48x7_IHZSGskSvcrs5ixb0XpSX9ElnJEQUWY1ZVb5o9hXrv_Uyt4r7z0Q4fqeh-JWXRJ1W1NiYSMHQm/s4000/20230912_152334.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzIVPx_6VIwCtgwRBFGxtirlBBT1_oWhIeLE63U2hfI_8gydTjHZnmAXRGMH-ZmRVoMt1LJ86_Tj0Erfc-bQWPzA8-paQMnCOpG12N14URuWbwz48x7_IHZSGskSvcrs5ixb0XpSX9ElnJEQUWY1ZVb5o9hXrv_Uyt4r7z0Q4fqeh-JWXRJ1W1NiYSMHQm/w480-h640/20230912_152334.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>I mentioned my "odd" other pigtails girl. We don't actually know who she is because her hair is rooted super strange and others have dolls with the same pattern. She may be some budget uncatalogued release for a specific store or something. </p><p>But these short pigtails are the style of the 1979 Funtime and Keep Fit dolls. We're fairly sure this specific girl is neither though, because her hair is rooted into her EARS rather than behind them. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEisgkkA9znaGaheepgSE0i9dKfPyyH6xtzggL9xu_8q8bvkfqfGIQjxG97iU3fv7QWFkhyTc-QIM9nXiR9z8N_4StIOZaNSsrPi3Vusi29VxCUCoGNkNrwBMSFYdvM6i4hUyOchQHd0ngYCgY1xNkJdyk_MVpUBhbKStDHSt4DVvJPF5INAhVIPYj2txg=s640" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="358" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEisgkkA9znaGaheepgSE0i9dKfPyyH6xtzggL9xu_8q8bvkfqfGIQjxG97iU3fv7QWFkhyTc-QIM9nXiR9z8N_4StIOZaNSsrPi3Vusi29VxCUCoGNkNrwBMSFYdvM6i4hUyOchQHd0ngYCgY1xNkJdyk_MVpUBhbKStDHSt4DVvJPF5INAhVIPYj2txg=w358-h640" width="358" /></a></div><p>Wtf Pedigree? </p><p>And yeah it's easy to just say "oh, that's a factory error" but no. I asked other Sindy people and multiple shared their own hairy ear girls! </p><p>So what the fuck!?? <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL2YVetbcUuU1qWq2d2nIBiWlJIkZJbI7vBsL7PyaakDAisjeEk-QE_2KpSIeQ57PVXEBHktGb5khjQjSRVLkIIHC7Da_WGXvqxnuXGeslN5Ev-Et71it2fay127oB_l7jLoe9zXF7M6RNKjxO3-uOfxx_hOh5nOYdrPtawtgn9fx4ww4Lks7i_I2cSP62/s4000/20230912_152402.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL2YVetbcUuU1qWq2d2nIBiWlJIkZJbI7vBsL7PyaakDAisjeEk-QE_2KpSIeQ57PVXEBHktGb5khjQjSRVLkIIHC7Da_WGXvqxnuXGeslN5Ev-Et71it2fay127oB_l7jLoe9zXF7M6RNKjxO3-uOfxx_hOh5nOYdrPtawtgn9fx4ww4Lks7i_I2cSP62/w480-h640/20230912_152402.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>84 also gave us Masquerade Sindy, who came in a fancy long cream gown and held a mask and fan. Well... I say "held", more "a mask and fan came with her and you could ram them onto her hand and hope for the best"</p><p>Suffice to say, the mask and especially the fan are hard to find these days.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZegyi1msK49cEzbu1onZEtnooFShW5q0t_fgbh1mspiVP914VBgxgCzql5z9JPbWox0TzbSIRcW6kNtMy54Yf_o8_xWKRuCwX1j7kb_Vh3g_NQCGrbfZv13LH_axH_AOxlEyhwcsgQBpWtLYhekbl8w1ok15YsBosfBHeqd46K0ZiGWrffXMf7zlhqHoW/s3417/20230912_152407.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3417" data-original-width="1367" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZegyi1msK49cEzbu1onZEtnooFShW5q0t_fgbh1mspiVP914VBgxgCzql5z9JPbWox0TzbSIRcW6kNtMy54Yf_o8_xWKRuCwX1j7kb_Vh3g_NQCGrbfZv13LH_axH_AOxlEyhwcsgQBpWtLYhekbl8w1ok15YsBosfBHeqd46K0ZiGWrffXMf7zlhqHoW/w256-h640/20230912_152407.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><p></p><p>Masquerade has unique hair, it's extremely curly and tied into a high updo that's slightly to one side of her head. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifM7L045AmnW3VOt9wmslWuQfewzqsN5ZG160AddhiajFF29zU5wXI9wpLAK82fpNtEfjYeUIg3ToNWP83MicAbmt5l2TmD63He30NKuegmHJ9wC9DO5iTZcZsWIXXNvVccrREerW-Dvu9NboP3L24xt3zstI45a2StiK2TZQWAsjpRCmzl9-M9vo54Wa8/s2930/20230912_152417.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2930" data-original-width="2189" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifM7L045AmnW3VOt9wmslWuQfewzqsN5ZG160AddhiajFF29zU5wXI9wpLAK82fpNtEfjYeUIg3ToNWP83MicAbmt5l2TmD63He30NKuegmHJ9wC9DO5iTZcZsWIXXNvVccrREerW-Dvu9NboP3L24xt3zstI45a2StiK2TZQWAsjpRCmzl9-M9vo54Wa8/w478-h640/20230912_152417.jpg" width="478" /></a></div><p> </p><p>Look at those curls!</p><p><br /></p><p>She's also unusual in that she's one of the few Sindy dolls to come with pierced ears. Masquerade would have originally had red plastic gem earrings but it sounds like they broke quite easily. </p><p>She also is one of the few 80s dolls available in all three traditional hair colours. Blonde, brunette and auburn. This one is auburn, which honestly is more like a light brown. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0a5Cdoh9sCq8k1-WO2o11jtltllURgR44W_tNMTiwoMn7dYsMvpJyJHuzY2EQcCymNM0W6EQ1ZmK9Pp9JJEPmAQpZHJplz2gXnAlkX54m3eW5Kt-50zgXWRpce4_qjzPriysx81fgV-B4aqASiEhdr3x20ZTchnBgvfFTvOq6CFeOuBvnmZc5QcvxTRms/s3478/20230912_152425.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3478" data-original-width="1696" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0a5Cdoh9sCq8k1-WO2o11jtltllURgR44W_tNMTiwoMn7dYsMvpJyJHuzY2EQcCymNM0W6EQ1ZmK9Pp9JJEPmAQpZHJplz2gXnAlkX54m3eW5Kt-50zgXWRpce4_qjzPriysx81fgV-B4aqASiEhdr3x20ZTchnBgvfFTvOq6CFeOuBvnmZc5QcvxTRms/w312-h640/20230912_152425.jpg" width="312" /></a></div><p></p><p>Speaking of unusual hair colours however, we have 1985's Space Fantasy. </p><p>She came in a silver and pink gown which seems not to have aged well. Often you see them where the silver foil is starting to decay. Which is a pity. </p><p>Space Fantasy has a very pale head compared to her body, they all look to be like this. I don't know why. Probably Pedigree fucking up their vinyl again right? </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTd93Q-6zW0fBMPakx7Is7OyvQg2SNlHf6umgbldVYzGSnWJlWT11_NOhwZrdhhi-NPJFbh3o2fm4khviCELyeeK8brV8gWDW59hBr0Pti9w1MuRycGoJjCpOr3uEAsYvvhgz5s8BAwzeIix-27xPamNygiGXctm_BXGW0vZguYL5yZyQz3d7v4vV12bPP/s2843/20230912_152431.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2843" data-original-width="2050" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTd93Q-6zW0fBMPakx7Is7OyvQg2SNlHf6umgbldVYzGSnWJlWT11_NOhwZrdhhi-NPJFbh3o2fm4khviCELyeeK8brV8gWDW59hBr0Pti9w1MuRycGoJjCpOr3uEAsYvvhgz5s8BAwzeIix-27xPamNygiGXctm_BXGW0vZguYL5yZyQz3d7v4vV12bPP/w462-h640/20230912_152431.jpg" width="462" /></a></div><p>She has very red lips which is very unusual for this era and her hair is rooted in this dramatic widows peak pattern. </p><p>Her pale pink hair is worn in a high ponytail. </p><p>She's a distinctive doll. Pedigree didn't really attempt any fantasy coloured hair beyond this one doll and a 1986 colour change doll, which is a pity because Sindy rocks fantasy hair colours. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgZfp2a4alZcr36IXnCwwodfdj36_XfYEw02Yo9cmKF90x2eUCTPzllK4RIG0zYCA74LkCac8e0i6vfKTorSr2VZSWBt_RF0CuzXX2FLjV15AY8ouZ3eUhn0YREZASzIWWnNVC0Mjtr-ewXH_78XsJ8Yf8zf6Q9ourk7WzXGQRt96PU_ElN7y7PmHjq9UC/s3043/20230912_152448.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3043" data-original-width="1614" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgZfp2a4alZcr36IXnCwwodfdj36_XfYEw02Yo9cmKF90x2eUCTPzllK4RIG0zYCA74LkCac8e0i6vfKTorSr2VZSWBt_RF0CuzXX2FLjV15AY8ouZ3eUhn0YREZASzIWWnNVC0Mjtr-ewXH_78XsJ8Yf8zf6Q9ourk7WzXGQRt96PU_ElN7y7PmHjq9UC/w340-h640/20230912_152448.jpg" width="340" /></a></div><p></p><p>Star Light Sindy is one of my few dolls wearing her original clothing. Sadly most of my girls have come to me nude. </p><p>Star Light came in blonde or brunette and interestingly, my first Sindy I purchased when I first got into dolls was a blonde Star Light. This one was a birthday present from my mother and sister. So I have a soft spot for Star Light Sindy.</p><p>The Brunette girl came in a green jumpsuit made of this strange foil material. Blonde came in a red version. <br /></p><p>Like Space Fantasy she has bright red lips. It looks like bright lips were back in vogue for 85. </p><p>Her hair is crimped and styled into a side ponytail. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfWHqsdKxzocloLmJGll1GIWZr25vPTmZg_uDgjhrYQ1g9tJEu4joVgZLrHzxWU7eRtaj0ia3uq3mgB-USbVUYl9UBepfTgin_InkRQkfBuSK5uusb92t58iehrRY-DSTNO8AorrPVYdvdXIB_HSIw7KxiZwo-GSeGf3GiAugFtHD_YVBoQHmd37BcDlla/s4000/20230912_152515.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfWHqsdKxzocloLmJGll1GIWZr25vPTmZg_uDgjhrYQ1g9tJEu4joVgZLrHzxWU7eRtaj0ia3uq3mgB-USbVUYl9UBepfTgin_InkRQkfBuSK5uusb92t58iehrRY-DSTNO8AorrPVYdvdXIB_HSIw7KxiZwo-GSeGf3GiAugFtHD_YVBoQHmd37BcDlla/w480-h640/20230912_152515.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>You can see how the foil material just doesn't age that well. While this one is holding up fairly well for a 38 year old garment, it IS showing a lot of creases and cracks in the foil layer. </p><p>She would have originally had little green heels but they're quite hard to find. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOx-n0vjT6zNZ-mz2tAq6_a0qTiOuO9De27RxPhfvk9M7tTwUM3f9R77ZhaU-rnmx1zdFhyoQRdx1ns2ia9EfCsFbHv5trP87Cj1WnxNYAf3GmC_gBTBD8rjbS6eoSh8IJ9ehvhgmN7McZRSkLpVIuDXsS-zFHlqNN4X7cUUEkKvB80IDkW3pq5FwRu2S9/s3301/20230912_152543.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3301" data-original-width="1679" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOx-n0vjT6zNZ-mz2tAq6_a0qTiOuO9De27RxPhfvk9M7tTwUM3f9R77ZhaU-rnmx1zdFhyoQRdx1ns2ia9EfCsFbHv5trP87Cj1WnxNYAf3GmC_gBTBD8rjbS6eoSh8IJ9ehvhgmN7McZRSkLpVIuDXsS-zFHlqNN4X7cUUEkKvB80IDkW3pq5FwRu2S9/w326-h640/20230912_152543.jpg" width="326" /></a></div><p></p><p>Premiere Sindy was another 85 release. She has a really lovely face, again with the red lips and very dark eyebrows. </p><p>Her hair is unusual, it's an ash blonde colour and a very wispy thin fiber that doesn't feel like any of the other doll's. </p><p>I wonder if it's kanekellon or something, but i'm not good with doll hair. </p><p>Whatever the case, it's so wispy and cottonwool like that you can see her scalp quite easily through it. Poor girl. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWK0PVW3yjCDZZTG3ZBtIHyFuKjGm6Ic791nzDvMmh2WaVgB0-uBtt37rGh3Jq0Q-yDPCEbp8Uq3-zhIIGKVdh19vY6U8rdA9oJ2FuZ8TY_5wSFAyMu6JkFGO24YztM0IgoukKvVaNfs2WjQAFhBBZKcVGHY0qgrHE8DzhBKb5I4DzzZTH93fcvHE2Tv9N/s2736/20230912_152548.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="2624" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWK0PVW3yjCDZZTG3ZBtIHyFuKjGm6Ic791nzDvMmh2WaVgB0-uBtt37rGh3Jq0Q-yDPCEbp8Uq3-zhIIGKVdh19vY6U8rdA9oJ2FuZ8TY_5wSFAyMu6JkFGO24YztM0IgoukKvVaNfs2WjQAFhBBZKcVGHY0qgrHE8DzhBKb5I4DzzZTH93fcvHE2Tv9N/w614-h640/20230912_152548.jpg" width="614" /></a></div><p></p><p>Her hair is soft, just really thin. It would have originally been in tousled curls but it's more just tousled these days.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5SHQkN3yG6fYZaJGNOxvUF-i3izsh-psVH8eabFiCw72ljPA59Y1W6b7eEbztAAm9s9U72bKHvOqV-5ZSZ-6damrKUNiTQ7qxLhD6UjKLZre3Jma0nBErRjr7118Ym6GvJp6HmzhzF8i4AE8_Qjc0doCdEEMXBJu0JzHhXMtUeTQMwoEXnlw_axFURZws/s2523/20230912_152600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2222" data-original-width="2523" height="564" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5SHQkN3yG6fYZaJGNOxvUF-i3izsh-psVH8eabFiCw72ljPA59Y1W6b7eEbztAAm9s9U72bKHvOqV-5ZSZ-6damrKUNiTQ7qxLhD6UjKLZre3Jma0nBErRjr7118Ym6GvJp6HmzhzF8i4AE8_Qjc0doCdEEMXBJu0JzHhXMtUeTQMwoEXnlw_axFURZws/w640-h564/20230912_152600.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>She's the other 80s Sindy that came with earrings. It looks from catalogue photos that they were long drop earrings which no doubt broke easily too. </p><p>I start to understand why Pedigree only made two dolls with earrings. They kept choosing designs that couldn't stand up to play. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWnyeJzjR8cna2PQcYB8ZOB-ZoggfuTGataFWnjCejXd_SpDkSLJAs5xa77TgdN74Rn91LAF2dOt1oCWRT2_IHwKzl2haSmv5eJZRDV80FYPBebaiMq798RKRLVYYm65eV9BPpzS7SikZXYg76nm_5yptiEuoHFll5ny7jEQEiq_TzRs77pxx22REZtf1Z/s3731/20230912_152640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3731" data-original-width="1433" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWnyeJzjR8cna2PQcYB8ZOB-ZoggfuTGataFWnjCejXd_SpDkSLJAs5xa77TgdN74Rn91LAF2dOt1oCWRT2_IHwKzl2haSmv5eJZRDV80FYPBebaiMq798RKRLVYYm65eV9BPpzS7SikZXYg76nm_5yptiEuoHFll5ny7jEQEiq_TzRs77pxx22REZtf1Z/w246-h640/20230912_152640.jpg" width="246" /></a></div><p></p><p>Now it wouldnt be the 80s without some sort of gimmick doll would it? </p><p>Pedigree decided to resurrect (poorly) the old hair growing mechanic from dolls like Tressy in the 60s and 70s. It was a gimmick that really never quite went away, with dolls like Dolly Surprise just adding a motor to "improve" things. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikmgfZdKpEbEcdcElwx6MyHOWlcNCInmimmXl-dR0jNgayHggvxT3BFGX_wocVjrPsChDaQpjh-IXaZJjSdc51ERfy4aRIWp8Rs5n77O21IRu3FvrBSlWfWu8ZafHYsS2W4d6D0exY7jcPDHJTgduQ38TaGpuVU1DY7rtgx8TylKNla4ufS330RomsmtZk/s2392/20230912_152644.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2305" data-original-width="2392" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikmgfZdKpEbEcdcElwx6MyHOWlcNCInmimmXl-dR0jNgayHggvxT3BFGX_wocVjrPsChDaQpjh-IXaZJjSdc51ERfy4aRIWp8Rs5n77O21IRu3FvrBSlWfWu8ZafHYsS2W4d6D0exY7jcPDHJTgduQ38TaGpuVU1DY7rtgx8TylKNla4ufS330RomsmtZk/s320/20230912_152644.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>in the case of "Cut n style" Sindy, Pedigree really took the idea and then half arsed it. </p><p>She has no actual mechanism, no winder, nothing. </p><p>Like other dolls of this sort her hair comes out of a hole in the top of her head and is fed back into her hollow body cavity, but without a winding mechanism every time you try to brush it it pulls the hair switch longer. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV6tOg_BSeeVXeMXGFWO4Q31OSU5AFNX4x4fd1FOCaKGIJ2Gysa7pHn_MSjBWIsLefWipYFC0zOIiop1reuKTyMH6DIRlAyp2lS9TvoHXE22Aje2BRdKD2DiKJk1kbJrDnH8NymnyPdkuGf41x-8KocrFWC8B9CCsT97N0BorVxsn6thiwJPu4unAbvB3p/s3987/20230912_152749.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3987" data-original-width="1805" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV6tOg_BSeeVXeMXGFWO4Q31OSU5AFNX4x4fd1FOCaKGIJ2Gysa7pHn_MSjBWIsLefWipYFC0zOIiop1reuKTyMH6DIRlAyp2lS9TvoHXE22Aje2BRdKD2DiKJk1kbJrDnH8NymnyPdkuGf41x-8KocrFWC8B9CCsT97N0BorVxsn6thiwJPu4unAbvB3p/w290-h640/20230912_152749.jpg" width="290" /></a></div><p></p><p>Cut n Style has a unique body that's hollow to accommodate her hair. The hair "cartridges" (as pedigree called them) were really just a baggie that held a braided length of hair you could feed through her head hole. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbvrzGKv0whJBRPPfwRVWzprvRWycZYDjshnPhB1sXQQvhxPmkEUrlJbJ1LznpgktAU6r1mTBp7Hc43CAlwr4nDJcmL_dMX0NKCWHxj0T_soBFatqcWtIRo8fTvBOINAfMbmdOWJoQ1FzXOeHf2Ekhj4MAkMDbSRHp5IZVfF0WB8R0XB35yU43Cg2YTOVv/s3758/20230912_152820.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3758" data-original-width="1915" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbvrzGKv0whJBRPPfwRVWzprvRWycZYDjshnPhB1sXQQvhxPmkEUrlJbJ1LznpgktAU6r1mTBp7Hc43CAlwr4nDJcmL_dMX0NKCWHxj0T_soBFatqcWtIRo8fTvBOINAfMbmdOWJoQ1FzXOeHf2Ekhj4MAkMDbSRHp5IZVfF0WB8R0XB35yU43Cg2YTOVv/w326-h640/20230912_152820.jpg" width="326" /></a></div><p></p><p>Her back piece... lid.. thing... doesn't really stay in place well which is I suspect why so many of these dolls are missing theirs. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgINmY4iUsj11U3pErU0IEeAs3Wf2X62KUHz73F9E2-7mRfBF8Um-rH5Iik-58Y0bytEBOxnM1JdkzgbUqw0ODLpJaXYhyphenhyphenEQLmuF5Qs2WmewjeHNBlYCQDtYKa9yftr0uJCP2JMum03nmEA0DrQLK5stWtJazkqbyf635PqxL_LbdFM-Hz5hfnYAX8xZfVK/s3307/20230912_153007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3307" data-original-width="1398" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgINmY4iUsj11U3pErU0IEeAs3Wf2X62KUHz73F9E2-7mRfBF8Um-rH5Iik-58Y0bytEBOxnM1JdkzgbUqw0ODLpJaXYhyphenhyphenEQLmuF5Qs2WmewjeHNBlYCQDtYKa9yftr0uJCP2JMum03nmEA0DrQLK5stWtJazkqbyf635PqxL_LbdFM-Hz5hfnYAX8xZfVK/w270-h640/20230912_153007.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><p></p><p>The body being hollow means no waist joint, which results in a very unique body that's wider in the waist and a little more realistic looking. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP53eux5tg_WZmwrqzFguOS_JdfRqz_GTMPe7GMvyg8GFhZf-E8EefHY2fW02iL3XhpivmOiZxtJTpMocPsyqnSksm4Ybl1GX6f7h9JcuP-iJnmT9m6TcAxcvhatmEbnC3az1tD-CAbUlq2gYpuHzfIBu-yfSth9gQ4KfkeNqhdefuCoeXvGsEf8ZvEIJC/s3141/20230912_153109.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3141" data-original-width="2094" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP53eux5tg_WZmwrqzFguOS_JdfRqz_GTMPe7GMvyg8GFhZf-E8EefHY2fW02iL3XhpivmOiZxtJTpMocPsyqnSksm4Ybl1GX6f7h9JcuP-iJnmT9m6TcAxcvhatmEbnC3az1tD-CAbUlq2gYpuHzfIBu-yfSth9gQ4KfkeNqhdefuCoeXvGsEf8ZvEIJC/w426-h640/20230912_153109.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><p></p><p>She uses the same limbs as a standard doll, but with this unique torso which makes her a little wider in waist but narrower in the hips. Strange. <br /></p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA-MgnFaTNZh725xQFjFh5X7gjAo9yI4NUXYT40SUeoz4NMnBHFMbsbfuDThcH_E6aGENYPTI_bp7QsiwTg85B2vhMwJnbUYdef8L6WpD0K0H0SH-QY4beVFR4Lr6SXJw7VfoaWnQeSl65CjOvqv0oZY__e_BKw6KJJmvCkWOZ7BFEPMicaZaCwE2O9XPg/s2685/20230912_153144.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1964" data-original-width="2685" height="469" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA-MgnFaTNZh725xQFjFh5X7gjAo9yI4NUXYT40SUeoz4NMnBHFMbsbfuDThcH_E6aGENYPTI_bp7QsiwTg85B2vhMwJnbUYdef8L6WpD0K0H0SH-QY4beVFR4Lr6SXJw7VfoaWnQeSl65CjOvqv0oZY__e_BKw6KJJmvCkWOZ7BFEPMicaZaCwE2O9XPg/w640-h469/20230912_153144.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>A lot of Sindy torsos have a hole in their neck knob but Cut N Style has a distinctively large hole for the hair to feed through. </p><p>As the name suggests, this girl was designed so kids could happily cut the doll's hair over and over again. Pedigree even sold spare hair cartridges you could mail away for. </p><p>She was successful enough that she got two releases. Cut N Style and Dazzling Sindy, who came packaged in a fashion pack outfit. </p><p>This may explain why there's two different hair fibers for the same doll. I own two of these dolls who are identically except one has paler blonde soft hair while the other has very yellow blonde coarse hair. </p><p>No idea which is which though, or if it's just a factory variation thing. <br /></p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH9iBOnbXPFuK4Bll_GwgBt9hOA78hU2NtZCBLeR0M-G4BqsutjMBS5d704FJYVyT5EDorwebrSGBwMUieh4zO3Kettlf4TV6gvJ5BNSmqtJTQqJT0Fx5onqafZ43vXmKFTk_KIrJz8CCRmOmTfZsSS_KI0IULEzKncwOE8WN8dwIS2MnrGUSKc3LQLtfm/s2549/20230912_153630.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2549" data-original-width="2549" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH9iBOnbXPFuK4Bll_GwgBt9hOA78hU2NtZCBLeR0M-G4BqsutjMBS5d704FJYVyT5EDorwebrSGBwMUieh4zO3Kettlf4TV6gvJ5BNSmqtJTQqJT0Fx5onqafZ43vXmKFTk_KIrJz8CCRmOmTfZsSS_KI0IULEzKncwOE8WN8dwIS2MnrGUSKc3LQLtfm/w640-h640/20230912_153630.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>Her hair is a pain in the arse to style, it likes to stick out everywhere and I have never figured out a way to hide her bald patch so she has to always wear a headscarf or bow. </p><p>but now we reach the "troubled" years for Sindy. 1985 was the last year a lot of Sindy collectors consider Sindy was really "Sindy". Big changes were about to hit, and they were about the hit HARD. </p><p>Sales were down, Pedigree was struggling and competition with American behemoth Barbie was making things extra difficult. </p><p>Pedigree needed to do something, and it needed to be big.</p><p>So they got together and came up with a whole new look for Sindy. <br /></p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSPxwdxT7dfGbqkCG-EeVwxoBPqr4rBFhI-PC8HcjXEOTF1Spe-sGpJpJo4bM1yUbVRmbG0CWg5eFPayiwdDjTCEKC9kPa-D4YeelVWQic0rt2a14xMkvR7Uo9DC94vu_kb-gbmSFMxj_gX23KcZAVWF30EOhbj451t-BKIWfN-GUhqsDZVSrpCSNDQxd3/s3212/20230912_153903.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3212" data-original-width="2002" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSPxwdxT7dfGbqkCG-EeVwxoBPqr4rBFhI-PC8HcjXEOTF1Spe-sGpJpJo4bM1yUbVRmbG0CWg5eFPayiwdDjTCEKC9kPa-D4YeelVWQic0rt2a14xMkvR7Uo9DC94vu_kb-gbmSFMxj_gX23KcZAVWF30EOhbj451t-BKIWfN-GUhqsDZVSrpCSNDQxd3/w398-h640/20230912_153903.jpg" width="398" /></a></div><p></p><p>And thus the collector named "Smirky" Sindy was born in 1986. </p><p>Gone was the baby face, the rooted lashes, the downcast mouth and general sulkiness. Now we had a doll with a moulded smile which unfortunately, thanks to her narrow painted lips, made her smirk look a little forced. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEganJU8SzO4SCnsyKGk0WmVwb8C-BJHK4CkTt8smviWEuNM1rtnCvMsQdTgrQbnq5kObyA4Y1852iYSFTUi-4yzrM5XUn7oBREwFGFZb5iWvlyQy1i4qVzkpg5dCGBllVV0iq6SKlhRjhm8FA2e07HamClGihIXI2mIUoIZAGKXtiZEwkCwFBIJz_dJOA38/s2774/20230912_153917.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2774" data-original-width="2113" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEganJU8SzO4SCnsyKGk0WmVwb8C-BJHK4CkTt8smviWEuNM1rtnCvMsQdTgrQbnq5kObyA4Y1852iYSFTUi-4yzrM5XUn7oBREwFGFZb5iWvlyQy1i4qVzkpg5dCGBllVV0iq6SKlhRjhm8FA2e07HamClGihIXI2mIUoIZAGKXtiZEwkCwFBIJz_dJOA38/w488-h640/20230912_153917.jpg" width="488" /></a></div><p></p><p>Poor Smirky was given moulded duck lips and a massive forehead which wasn't overly flattering. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj3Ifspg1ogeVJR1hDQqvpcWGX9D0BJpj0dMOkBQ2FWB_6OydzR01KmgFqxMI3ANieYWGGIsO-7cDel3_NWHUVxcAIvaPbeWf4lcb8F4-ZyvLphqqllqcbHYtARrLHfAdkaS-hwOGz-a6esbvr-y_xJDhlt_UTx5JjW752bpyqqXNap2J-znSQErJ1EQJ3/s3430/20230912_153954.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3430" data-original-width="1531" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj3Ifspg1ogeVJR1hDQqvpcWGX9D0BJpj0dMOkBQ2FWB_6OydzR01KmgFqxMI3ANieYWGGIsO-7cDel3_NWHUVxcAIvaPbeWf4lcb8F4-ZyvLphqqllqcbHYtARrLHfAdkaS-hwOGz-a6esbvr-y_xJDhlt_UTx5JjW752bpyqqXNap2J-znSQErJ1EQJ3/w286-h640/20230912_153954.jpg" width="286" /></a></div><p></p><p>Smirky Sindy had lightweight flyaway hair that came predominantly in this one shade of pale blonde. Her lips were orangey red, her eyes side glancing with a smudge of blue eyeshadow. Her body was near identical to previous years. </p><p>This particular girl is suffering from some sun yellowing on her torso. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAuZoGHOhMlf49BNrmJjISSdRLXzG3hwWzQc2nOnrEOuw_thSfC71f-eUY2vW7yuPGfBRiBaraS65j6G0e84YMoPoDq3tAbGlArm5T5DbjXVDEDjCax6nCwpL0TQjz22pFsFNZzt0KnpbvOZbrcP8V-uPkk4dKIOt0vxIGlRzOWJt1bYgIxel9tDel_Wwl/s2442/20230912_154042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1760" data-original-width="2442" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAuZoGHOhMlf49BNrmJjISSdRLXzG3hwWzQc2nOnrEOuw_thSfC71f-eUY2vW7yuPGfBRiBaraS65j6G0e84YMoPoDq3tAbGlArm5T5DbjXVDEDjCax6nCwpL0TQjz22pFsFNZzt0KnpbvOZbrcP8V-uPkk4dKIOt0vxIGlRzOWJt1bYgIxel9tDel_Wwl/w640-h462/20230912_154042.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>I say the bodies were "near" identical because the neck knobs are different. Smirky Sindy has a smaller neck knob and a narrower neck than earlier Sindy dolls. So while you can ram a smirky head onto an older body, an older head wobbles on the smirky body.</p><p>the limbs all look to be identical however. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqpZy5XrKCAXIjqRJjmm-4mMkEog3KfOk4fpECpu2w7s4qR6fyGGd-VB2OTOyAnJW0sfYhV3rdXHvYZdhyphenhyphen4YOtwqBZgfrJZ6jqAmOhOE7QRs-Z0ne0yjFQkXPwQ2TNbi5VR8iGazZ2OylOt-p7gZdcceouUQ-5eYDMKmUMX4qUa2A04vZzRGxaxPGnLuug/s3263/20230912_153851.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3263" data-original-width="2506" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqpZy5XrKCAXIjqRJjmm-4mMkEog3KfOk4fpECpu2w7s4qR6fyGGd-VB2OTOyAnJW0sfYhV3rdXHvYZdhyphenhyphen4YOtwqBZgfrJZ6jqAmOhOE7QRs-Z0ne0yjFQkXPwQ2TNbi5VR8iGazZ2OylOt-p7gZdcceouUQ-5eYDMKmUMX4qUa2A04vZzRGxaxPGnLuug/w492-h640/20230912_153851.jpg" width="492" /></a></div><br /><p>Smirky Sindy bodies seem to be particularly susceptible to yellowing. </p><p>While most of these dolls came in blonde blonde or blonde, a couple of lines offered brunettes. </p><p>Disco Magic (Brunette pictured here) even went so far as to bring back the traditional 3 colours of brunette, blonde and auburn with different outfits for each. </p><p>Sadly the Disco Magic outfits predominantly used a shiny foil material that doesn't survive. </p><p>They also used a different hair fiber than the other smirkys, one that has a tendency to turn into frizzy dry wool over the years. Damn. </p><p>We also got a gimmicky hair colour change doll who had brown hair that turned blue when you applied cold water. Her hair change gimmick hasn't survived so nowadays you usually find her with her hair "stuck" in either a blue state, some in between state, or more rarely as the original light brown. <br /></p><p>The 1986 reboot of Sindy looks to have had a lot of money pumped into it. They advertised like mad, created a whole new logo and box design and released quite a number of dolls with this new look. </p><p>But 1986 was a big year for dolls and competition was about to get ferocious. </p><p>Hasbro launched Jem, causing Mattel to hurriedly launch Barbie and the Rockers to beat their rivals to the punch. Barbie was already overtaking Sindy in sales and with the launch of a new doll line from Hasbro as well, poor Sindy was struggling. </p><p>At some point this year it looks like Pedigree, struggling to keep their heads above water and with finances in trouble, accepted a deal from Hasbro. </p><p>Initially the rumour was that Hasbro was looking to buy out the whole company, but in the end they only purchased the rights for Sindy herself. Clearly someone high up saw the potential of the British fashion doll to put the money into acquiring her, but this did mean Sindy was no longer British owned. </p><p>Hasbro's relaunch came only a year later in 1987, marking an end to Pedigree's era after 23 years. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGmRetvn9ZXJKpmdPK3bY5XLLOzmeIlzoQ_ZE-PVDHEY_RFEaOOC3VihDjnHIwxwyrvTMbZLZPFt0dhI_2917mcSrOK9mfZCq_dk7P3TFTlfENEEQoRmuj7fik2N8J8ZXw6SXeRH-Z43jIogS8gANbfZ5ZfVPy9UelFH4At9nuqdkyWZQuNENJKd1Ej1hq/s3574/20230912_154726.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1572" data-original-width="3574" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGmRetvn9ZXJKpmdPK3bY5XLLOzmeIlzoQ_ZE-PVDHEY_RFEaOOC3VihDjnHIwxwyrvTMbZLZPFt0dhI_2917mcSrOK9mfZCq_dk7P3TFTlfENEEQoRmuj7fik2N8J8ZXw6SXeRH-Z43jIogS8gANbfZ5ZfVPy9UelFH4At9nuqdkyWZQuNENJKd1Ej1hq/w640-h282/20230912_154726.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>I wonder if Sindy has an identity crisis after all these changes.... <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKMg3pSY3cGJSUkpaA5JchVVlq96Bpk7Bc6JGZ5bcFfe5Qe_coW_Qfb_Ho8LvQoTTqLNb-fZUSTnGPT2937x4Hwb-MhkWQ4EgFxpDIQ7BMDXCE56IvsIi8cfp0LZKPK44ntWS9-UmErHFJYJ5BNy-eLWzeRJXJjdTbkmfCzG9JpG1Qpzxyq7sZnKlOV4zn/s3619/20230912_154750.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3619" data-original-width="2240" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKMg3pSY3cGJSUkpaA5JchVVlq96Bpk7Bc6JGZ5bcFfe5Qe_coW_Qfb_Ho8LvQoTTqLNb-fZUSTnGPT2937x4Hwb-MhkWQ4EgFxpDIQ7BMDXCE56IvsIi8cfp0LZKPK44ntWS9-UmErHFJYJ5BNy-eLWzeRJXJjdTbkmfCzG9JpG1Qpzxyq7sZnKlOV4zn/w396-h640/20230912_154750.jpg" width="396" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Now a new era begins for Sindy as she sees out the decade with chaos, turbulance and lawsuits. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'll cover the Hasbro years in the next installment. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But for now, that's it for Pedigree Sindy. A British icon from 1963-1986. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">don't worry though, she'll be back. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">She ALWAYS comes back bwhahahahaha.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <br /></div><b><u></u></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><u> </u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><u> </u></b> <br /></div>Purple_monkfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023284779817354246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3031605728160552641.post-43329614081964064102023-09-17T16:47:00.001+01:002023-09-17T16:47:19.828+01:00Happy Birthday Sindy pt 2<p> Appologies for the delay. We had a massive heat wave which made doing anything extra hard, then I put my back out. </p><p>So it's been a "fun" few weeks. *sigh* </p><p>Anyway, this time we're tackling the 70s. Now, the 70s era is the one with the most pricey dolls, they're the ones most people seem to remember fondly and as a result have the biggest collector market. And i get it, they have gorgeous high colour faces, but it's annoying when you're poor and stingy like I am hahah.</p><p>That means there's several dolls missing from my timeline here, and i'm unlikely to obtain them any time soon as prices keep just going up and up and up. </p><p>Booo!</p><p>Maybe i'll get lucky some day.</p><p>But hey, let's get into this.</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p><b><u>The 70s</u></b><br /></p><p>Last time we covered 1963-1970, Sindy's "early years" which saw a lot of changes to her design as Pedigree tinkered with the idea. </p><p>But there was still a lot of changes to come.</p><p>Unlike Barbie who used the same body from 1959 to 1999 with only minor alterations, Sindy took a lot longer to hit her stride and gain some consistency in her design. When most people think of Sindy they think of the 70s and 80s dolls, not those early years. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdvhOJhnJzunJDFZSmZbhS4BalTj7JMl3M2TCrbKkFSdjgJTVWdk16tYJnBxOHSag5WP7XEEnc9-yAkgwoiT0rlqg1piwhkYBiFYKy1VtSwWXDCxxMXswtNs4vJvlFEDXNwn0LLyX2uIbm631w_MkSFTdAfVa6dVKjwmpHlRfhFm-nRUaIIBdSw6Sj57wA/s3236/20230904_192327.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3236" data-original-width="2252" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdvhOJhnJzunJDFZSmZbhS4BalTj7JMl3M2TCrbKkFSdjgJTVWdk16tYJnBxOHSag5WP7XEEnc9-yAkgwoiT0rlqg1piwhkYBiFYKy1VtSwWXDCxxMXswtNs4vJvlFEDXNwn0LLyX2uIbm631w_MkSFTdAfVa6dVKjwmpHlRfhFm-nRUaIIBdSw6Sj57wA/w446-h640/20230904_192327.jpg" width="446" /></a></div><p></p><p> But we're not quite there yet. </p><p>1971 saw the introduction of "Trendy girl", the first step in Sindy's more iconic look. This doll ditched the fragile integral neck situation in favor of a ball and socket. The head now can be removed and put back on again without breaking anything and the doll can now tilt her head. </p><p>this connector is far far more robust, with the neck and ball being part of the torso and made of hard plastic. </p><p>Their hands are now also of firmer vinyl and less prone to broken fingers which is another big bonus. </p><p>the head is also completely new. Smaller than previously, she has rooted lashes that are shorter than the previous year's centerpart girl and her hard head means the lashes tend to stay in place rather than slipping back into her head with play. </p><p>Unfortunately, while there's a lot of improvements made here, Pedigree are still using the fragile crappy hair from the previous few years which dries out and turns wooly over time. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmiG1wa4ggnNfcFXOqXTpfJlB8pP2Hsd0GQ1vI5Yh91AarCYCRib5R4rxKZftNPQy2-cAj_eYvC1GZQN33Y2a3_e5iU3Qg-5bSRUyODEtqKQNfOJLrJISc8wsnkWbVOs3kfA7nHvmZ8IJP5djdQBNwLZecwaOuOCxKCvkaWD-nqpZq91BhP-nacMzeS3aL/s3102/20230904_192442.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3102" data-original-width="2364" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmiG1wa4ggnNfcFXOqXTpfJlB8pP2Hsd0GQ1vI5Yh91AarCYCRib5R4rxKZftNPQy2-cAj_eYvC1GZQN33Y2a3_e5iU3Qg-5bSRUyODEtqKQNfOJLrJISc8wsnkWbVOs3kfA7nHvmZ8IJP5djdQBNwLZecwaOuOCxKCvkaWD-nqpZq91BhP-nacMzeS3aL/w488-h640/20230904_192442.jpg" width="488" /></a></div><br />The torso looks to be predominantly the same as the center and side part body, just with the new neck. Her hips are narrower but I believe that's more due to the shape of her legs and how they fix into the body. The arms look the same as well. <p></p><p>Trendy Girls are one of the popular Sindys, and i'm fortunate to have one because i've never been able to justify their price on the secondhand market. Mine came from a charity shop, she was like £1 or something. Absolute lucky bargain find and it makes her quite precious to me. She even has the much rarer "titan" (read: reddish) hair colour. </p><p>Apparently Trendy came with a huge number of hair colours, 2 blondes, 2 reddish tones and 2 brunettes. <br /><br />From what i've been able to glean, Pedigree were bought out by a new company around this time as well (Conglomerate "Dunbee-combex-marx") which resulted in a bit of a cash injection into their brands. Pedigree's parent company, Line Brothers, collapsed in 1971 taking all the subsidiaries with it. Thankfully, Sindy's value was such that other British manufacturers were keen to add her to their portfolio. <br /></p><p>Sindy even won "toy of the year" with this model. Go Sindy! </p><p>Trendy Girl was made for a good 4 years, which isn't bad at all. </p><p>Looking into Dunbee-Combex-Marx takes you down a little rabbit hole. Marx themselves some American collectors might recognise, they're the company Sindy was sold under the label of in the USA in the late 70s. </p><p>Dunbee-Combex themselves were a merger of two companies and only absorbed Marx's British side initially in 1967. Marx US continued to operate independently til the founder retired in 1972, selling the company to, of all things, Quaker Oats. </p><p>Does anyone else find it bewildering that Quaker Oats owned several toy companies at one point? They ALSO owned Fisher Price until 1991 which is just.. .wtf? </p><p>Quaker couldn't make the Marx thing work for them, so they sold on the company which was grabbed up by Dunbee-Combex in 1976, reuniting the two halves of the company. This is likely why Sindy didn't reach the US til the late 70s, the purchase of the US side of Marx gave D-C-M a foothold into a previously untapped market. </p><br /><p>Anyway, i'm getting ahead of myself. </p><p>Can you tell I find all this history really interesting? Lol. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikpcWAMoJ6m0UtdDvEDq8N3JsdTLCTSysqMeD4fzM0c2qBAxAyHLykrrWsE71sImiWgqGBF7cJ9WLJTk-ArIb9zpExaY8iub1yK-Zc4BZY-ZmpBaScXV2Gp5OIUVjqIhBGZhsbc4sepFjvHvSOPsRLPTJBPWlh8v-WzbIt8hiXh7q34fMOCIecl6Z1Jn_u/s3348/20230904_192733.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2136" data-original-width="3348" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikpcWAMoJ6m0UtdDvEDq8N3JsdTLCTSysqMeD4fzM0c2qBAxAyHLykrrWsE71sImiWgqGBF7cJ9WLJTk-ArIb9zpExaY8iub1yK-Zc4BZY-ZmpBaScXV2Gp5OIUVjqIhBGZhsbc4sepFjvHvSOPsRLPTJBPWlh8v-WzbIt8hiXh7q34fMOCIecl6Z1Jn_u/w640-h408/20230904_192733.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br />The Line Brothers Era has ended, but Pedigree still exists and their girl Sindy is still selling like mad. <p></p><p>The next "revolution" for Sindy's design are commonly referred to as "gauntlet" dolls due to the design of their arms. I don't own one because they're crazy expensive. </p><p>So instead here's a photo from an auction:<br /></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie4lwfBzdQyTbzSN_KpPVdTFLYMAF_q6NlO42YfUmo5GlcZ-mcu9cdfyWTcAS-SQWFsRHpprEMza8ADEYynCQ1W_xdsj2oVPkvNpcy4H_jUg3dDm8cHkdKWztfc8JKR_7vpQ9Et04bADwJxUbkJr7UedlEJPHSh0Va73Uv2kxcubqulk8KkjSUXrUIy0NH/s499/Screenshot%202023-09-17%20at%2014-42-34%20Pedigree%20Lovely%20Lively%20Gauntlet%20Sindy%20vintage%20auburn%20doll.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="473" data-original-width="499" height="606" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie4lwfBzdQyTbzSN_KpPVdTFLYMAF_q6NlO42YfUmo5GlcZ-mcu9cdfyWTcAS-SQWFsRHpprEMza8ADEYynCQ1W_xdsj2oVPkvNpcy4H_jUg3dDm8cHkdKWztfc8JKR_7vpQ9Et04bADwJxUbkJr7UedlEJPHSh0Va73Uv2kxcubqulk8KkjSUXrUIy0NH/w640-h606/Screenshot%202023-09-17%20at%2014-42-34%20Pedigree%20Lovely%20Lively%20Gauntlet%20Sindy%20vintage%20auburn%20doll.png" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>Gauntlet was typically sold as "lovely Lively" and frustratingly, I DO own a Lovely Lively Sindy... she's just NOT a Gauntlet because Pedigree is just like that. </p><p>Gauntlet has a completely new body, she's extremely skinny with an "active" style body that's elasticated through the torso and again through the arms giving her a fair bit of mobility. She has clicky knees but I don't believe her hips are elastic. I can't find any confirmation of this but I can also find no photos of her with her legs splayed outward so I have to assume it's not something she can do. </p><p> Her hair seems to survive a little better than Trendy's, but i'm not sure why.<br /></p><p>I also don't own the next doll along, the "chubby leg" funtime. But I DO have a "skinny leg" one. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5e1Th5wX2cORzmcpg85MPzjXAHVYVgH7YDU50k5N2t4b0BweZmpya8vdOlbiTOwvEGZp2YH4wYaF1SCFXguC53Qf-NFH5yI8CNhrwUJvIvX18nFBgGtMXJA_flUZNeTIsrqfmi-Us0eHra1N-u9-0AX8Ol1lHc2djxiJpFXagRbfuvvVj8VznqdwV9Whw/s2944/20230904_192958.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2944" data-original-width="2094" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5e1Th5wX2cORzmcpg85MPzjXAHVYVgH7YDU50k5N2t4b0BweZmpya8vdOlbiTOwvEGZp2YH4wYaF1SCFXguC53Qf-NFH5yI8CNhrwUJvIvX18nFBgGtMXJA_flUZNeTIsrqfmi-Us0eHra1N-u9-0AX8Ol1lHc2djxiJpFXagRbfuvvVj8VznqdwV9Whw/w456-h640/20230904_192958.jpg" width="456" /></a></div><p></p><p>1974's "Funtime" Sindy is pretty similar to the previous year's, but with new legs. The "chubby leg" girl uses Trendy Girl legs which are lovely and shapely, while the "skinny leg" girl has these little twig legs. </p><p>"Chubby leg" didn't have a twisting waist either apparently, meaning her whole torso is one piece like the early 60s dolls. Curious. </p><p>74 Funtime however has a waist joint again. </p><p>Her body is slimmer than previous dolls and looking far more like the body Pedigree will use from this point on. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVykFDegiP1K5X4yf7awrpxfHu8Y4PAB7io1kfdNu59OjZ1i3IhfoQB2_OBrpgfpsoTQ8lFYlabyd-guTAPr7JAbbHgCsQl_1nyTEgz8lMyjNx0Z3ojOS-CucuG7f4kEhLM30DsC1dbpk1st9Q5qGOzJWWXWRsyxWOh2-GWMIYk_5xt8VFbOjDcc_Eja68/s2769/20230904_193023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1976" data-original-width="2769" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVykFDegiP1K5X4yf7awrpxfHu8Y4PAB7io1kfdNu59OjZ1i3IhfoQB2_OBrpgfpsoTQ8lFYlabyd-guTAPr7JAbbHgCsQl_1nyTEgz8lMyjNx0Z3ojOS-CucuG7f4kEhLM30DsC1dbpk1st9Q5qGOzJWWXWRsyxWOh2-GWMIYk_5xt8VFbOjDcc_Eja68/w640-h456/20230904_193023.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>Gone are the wide splayed hands in favor of slender highly detailed hands made of hard plastic. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAhqwEFAC0yR9TNi2q4hMATs_eDiOVZHclc-eOWLxtER62oup7XJ6YOvrbMCK3BiLGyf0cZXhJgW_o_TFalRe5KPBr1HeoJK5KRITYahc_WODppE9hQZNtmocYc8k68TcgWQ19lc3cT3THKMN05oae8VE301M5PZzdWVXoJfM-HDvS1c2m9M6Qy1Yy4RwC/s2644/20230904_193055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2109" data-original-width="2644" height="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAhqwEFAC0yR9TNi2q4hMATs_eDiOVZHclc-eOWLxtER62oup7XJ6YOvrbMCK3BiLGyf0cZXhJgW_o_TFalRe5KPBr1HeoJK5KRITYahc_WODppE9hQZNtmocYc8k68TcgWQ19lc3cT3THKMN05oae8VE301M5PZzdWVXoJfM-HDvS1c2m9M6Qy1Yy4RwC/w640-h510/20230904_193055.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>She may have gained more detailed hands, but she's also lost her toes! The new Sindy feet have the faintest hint of toes rather than the sculpted toes of previous dolls. </p><p>Her legs DO NOT bend, they're extremely hard like her arms. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRayY_ycN7Of-U2OHJ4_QZm8VMZGpwjolj-NHWaTXuqRSlwhA01RZtIzSNfVa42w-6z7lnak3E3O-3q6BVlyXa-UL3D9XPeetsrGFeoRUe8uEmfmwTEM5bYcJjIlw9eP3q9cDKGnvRIv_ZMo4mrhlLnBw3vz6EJ1fX8LwChSfPJJsne0JATLGdfkuMMAsr/s3019/20230904_193126.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3019" data-original-width="2034" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRayY_ycN7Of-U2OHJ4_QZm8VMZGpwjolj-NHWaTXuqRSlwhA01RZtIzSNfVa42w-6z7lnak3E3O-3q6BVlyXa-UL3D9XPeetsrGFeoRUe8uEmfmwTEM5bYcJjIlw9eP3q9cDKGnvRIv_ZMo4mrhlLnBw3vz6EJ1fX8LwChSfPJJsne0JATLGdfkuMMAsr/w432-h640/20230904_193126.jpg" width="432" /></a></div><br /><p>She also has very narrow hips and like... no arse. Poor Sindy's lost all the junk in her trunk right here. </p><p>Like previous dolls, her hair is dry and prone to going wooly. </p><p>"Funtime" Sindy was the "basic" Sindy for the 70s and was available only in blonde because uh... I dunno, the 70s was big on blonde hair and fuck all the other hair colours? </p><p>This is the point where "blondification" starts to become quite prevalant in doll lines. While Sindy had previously been available in at least 3 hair colours with a relatively decent distribution of each, the 70s saw a lot of releases that were ONLY available in blonde and a lot more blonde dolls in general produced over the brunettes and redheads. </p><p>in fact, redheaded 70s and 80s dolls are ridiculously rare. They didn't seem to make many of them at all. </p><p>Thankfully the brunettes are still fairly easy to find, but there really does seem to be a disproportionate predominance of blonde Sindys out there. Hmmm. <br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi-LzV61IRX59W61uJQnQSHQynwiFyT4MxW5-kou4DURzxGeXNDC-x5t7xntUEYdjHYDw3SShJI9aS8T63ydxGMZPQWbE_SqPLBeNRJcPKuYm46Ey7Gsco1hRhZQT1QtZ1KADPJWL80uKGha2QvmB8DI-mm04X70yzZbJbkBLbBQKDvJGt_DLsL8fNH7Fm/s4000/20230904_192847.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi-LzV61IRX59W61uJQnQSHQynwiFyT4MxW5-kou4DURzxGeXNDC-x5t7xntUEYdjHYDw3SShJI9aS8T63ydxGMZPQWbE_SqPLBeNRJcPKuYm46Ey7Gsco1hRhZQT1QtZ1KADPJWL80uKGha2QvmB8DI-mm04X70yzZbJbkBLbBQKDvJGt_DLsL8fNH7Fm/w640-h480/20230904_192847.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>I have a second early 70s girl that is similar to Funtime but not QUITE the same and i've honestly got no idea who she is.She has much shinier glossier hair though, they did eventually move back to using decent hair rather than this wooly shit. <br /><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipeQo0aK8F4CaH_NXc57gKVbwtOHnbuFLaqbI_SrD8IoLbj_GD6xB8tjaVDiV5I4cUO35xQBb6VKuws5i-xuGFVxxvPTFIJvALnyUapI3D5CPDNV79nVwpqJalDGTDMdfFy0PC5EjVtWbwPUzKCK3xyfbTFRavh3TI_jQs32HDCZU_i82Wb6hFymVJ5woH/s3244/20230904_192832.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1655" data-original-width="3244" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipeQo0aK8F4CaH_NXc57gKVbwtOHnbuFLaqbI_SrD8IoLbj_GD6xB8tjaVDiV5I4cUO35xQBb6VKuws5i-xuGFVxxvPTFIJvALnyUapI3D5CPDNV79nVwpqJalDGTDMdfFy0PC5EjVtWbwPUzKCK3xyfbTFRavh3TI_jQs32HDCZU_i82Wb6hFymVJ5woH/w640-h326/20230904_192832.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">And so we're diving into 1975 and honestly Sindy's almost unrecognisable compared to where she started. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixTD0pmF1SNCcfmYvQA10IhILWGpmVZl4qFVPxwsL1mczw3QpW0si1yZHsYd-DAzJs8kEGy-FVbxLV0rauywSzN07jwLjqF1bILxgvxjUSQWUGvv_y35uddHRb2jH3EuhaBb1PWsXoxr_qJR_oFMpFQB2LzesHpVtADQUyd246p0SQHF2IAcIk09nAO5jW/s3032/20230904_193559.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3032" data-original-width="2157" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixTD0pmF1SNCcfmYvQA10IhILWGpmVZl4qFVPxwsL1mczw3QpW0si1yZHsYd-DAzJs8kEGy-FVbxLV0rauywSzN07jwLjqF1bILxgvxjUSQWUGvv_y35uddHRb2jH3EuhaBb1PWsXoxr_qJR_oFMpFQB2LzesHpVtADQUyd246p0SQHF2IAcIk09nAO5jW/w456-h640/20230904_193559.jpg" width="456" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Things get pretty muddled at this point because Pedigree liked to use up older parts and also released so many minor variations that keeping track of it all is pretty impossible. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Skinny legs here is probably a Funtime, but whether she's earlier than the previous funtime or not I cannot say. Her markings don't help me at all. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">She has a warped leg as you can see. The hard vinyl unfortunately has a tendency to do this and it doesn't want to straighten out again even if you heat it up and try to coax it. I can get it to straighten kinda, but as it cools it'll always slip back into this warped position. Poor doll. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Next to her is one of the "active" bodied dolls. This is my Lovely Lovely (non gauntlet version). Now instead of the gauntlet hands these dolls are sold with the new style "ballerina" arms, commonly referred to as "rivet" Sindys due to the design of their shoulders. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Her hips now have elastic and small cup pieces of hard plastic that literally screw into the vinyl leg. These cup pieces create the ball joint for the hips, which allows for a very wide range of motion. <br /></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh80CJ9EgkUnhfwVCXJGkaIK7JXjXavlkA_ro-vwDIAlp6eGId92w8UkcVWdZSuVOl2P5MJ9xD-GvDAlx0KEVQlcJmD0eopSN3zRTqvIUWjTZAhed4J8jp-jNwgdEe1kqg0mil62JZS4yTYGTnUMjVkGePSn9hzLAE1pwmoDULwPenTQOMIanhHg-t1vJRY/s3230/20230904_194604.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1720" data-original-width="3230" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh80CJ9EgkUnhfwVCXJGkaIK7JXjXavlkA_ro-vwDIAlp6eGId92w8UkcVWdZSuVOl2P5MJ9xD-GvDAlx0KEVQlcJmD0eopSN3zRTqvIUWjTZAhed4J8jp-jNwgdEe1kqg0mil62JZS4yTYGTnUMjVkGePSn9hzLAE1pwmoDULwPenTQOMIanhHg-t1vJRY/w640-h340/20230904_194604.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>As 1977 "Weekender" demonstrates. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBYli6uIcaTnw1l80hl-4nkweB-d3cVp2kD-eZ982p6fr3rTZ4vMzQLwNQmNJQgDCZLuS5hcq1yna1kx8s4etX_LkSy3S3tbK0Xg0fEMCqQcQNeadDHY6P3ipv7MKcA5UPBauhfM5CXSJf821PSpBQIQCiOsXC7SKBQwVzge6pV-6eTWlTWqxQvC52JWdP/s2942/20230904_193916.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2779" data-original-width="2942" height="604" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBYli6uIcaTnw1l80hl-4nkweB-d3cVp2kD-eZ982p6fr3rTZ4vMzQLwNQmNJQgDCZLuS5hcq1yna1kx8s4etX_LkSy3S3tbK0Xg0fEMCqQcQNeadDHY6P3ipv7MKcA5UPBauhfM5CXSJf821PSpBQIQCiOsXC7SKBQwVzge6pV-6eTWlTWqxQvC52JWdP/w640-h604/20230904_193916.jpg" width="640" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1974 saw our first "active" sindy, a Ballerina (as most of the "actives" were). All of these girls are post that, because as I mentioned, Pedigree liked to use up any parts they had laying around just like they had in the 60s. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Those old habits evidentally die hard.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So the brunette here has the "double cup" waist of the original Ballerina, but later arms without the rivet shoulders. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There's actually three different sorts of Ballerina arm. The rivet type and the early non rivets use the same type of hand connection shown below: <br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVXGkpLPzbGCsGh7RYjBpRdKrof2741t54PVuA7zeF1FA_7NeZYcHDMEVAYLdPDiLuFve3A-gE8fXRwMths2M1YIglj64KTotnRoMFzv_eIP6g3UIEwdGvRGESO2_MgAcb_7GWYaFJsxdGLOs_-Cc03vb8xND8KEwAVwTwBHM5ECQ6ZNeMq7HwyDDAc3nK/s2523/20230904_194136.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1219" data-original-width="2523" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVXGkpLPzbGCsGh7RYjBpRdKrof2741t54PVuA7zeF1FA_7NeZYcHDMEVAYLdPDiLuFve3A-gE8fXRwMths2M1YIglj64KTotnRoMFzv_eIP6g3UIEwdGvRGESO2_MgAcb_7GWYaFJsxdGLOs_-Cc03vb8xND8KEwAVwTwBHM5ECQ6ZNeMq7HwyDDAc3nK/w640-h310/20230904_194136.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>They aren't hinged, they're just on a little ball meaning they can swivel but not bend. They often break off and what you see here is a reproduction hand made by the extremely talented <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/SevenTurquoise">SevenTurquoise </a>on Etsy. </p><p>This is currently the only way to obtain replacement hands for these old dolls, so many of the originals are lost to time, vaccuum cleaners and dogs. </p><p>Meanwhile the later ballerina arms have a hinged wrist which ages substantially better. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoFDJdCdyDoJ5K23mGitPs-F9gFiRtiIoRwS3a2jF5Q8cH3LfiSSOQEIJKI6fGEhVdFz7oLzrq3XCgj8g2BG60ESjxitZ-mSYhkxhMbK1PzYgO_joQclkZ2OKYDt9ECNxfUYCOeW3gOOdF3dzOulkj9wimuOTW_u9ke-2Fca21SksR-VNIbaa2BprRA96g/s3706/20230904_193931.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2637" data-original-width="3706" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoFDJdCdyDoJ5K23mGitPs-F9gFiRtiIoRwS3a2jF5Q8cH3LfiSSOQEIJKI6fGEhVdFz7oLzrq3XCgj8g2BG60ESjxitZ-mSYhkxhMbK1PzYgO_joQclkZ2OKYDt9ECNxfUYCOeW3gOOdF3dzOulkj9wimuOTW_u9ke-2Fca21SksR-VNIbaa2BprRA96g/w640-h456/20230904_193931.jpg" width="640" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The "double cup" waist was an interesting idea. It added an extra little cup shaped piece into the waist to allow for even more mobility. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Ballerina Sindy dolls are elastic strung from neck to waist, shoulder to shoulder and hip to hip. This means they're often quite floppy but when the elastic is good and tight they are quite mobile. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZxPNtwq9JPM3r25b8j6-zx4B0IP3EA-L499ADFcUtcz6ZwL6lIGNy9k_5rQGi6NT51J99t1OwMXlzx7nHUfnnWIpWnmlARrWPlcM_rKHsU9lYvo9dnzHsGn2fInFD38KjQ6FVy4iyAPA9sm22r7279SLgwi1Gsr7n8lLa0Qdfa0gn86CIXPQ3CDcg22ft/s3143/20230904_194006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3143" data-original-width="1892" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZxPNtwq9JPM3r25b8j6-zx4B0IP3EA-L499ADFcUtcz6ZwL6lIGNy9k_5rQGi6NT51J99t1OwMXlzx7nHUfnnWIpWnmlARrWPlcM_rKHsU9lYvo9dnzHsGn2fInFD38KjQ6FVy4iyAPA9sm22r7279SLgwi1Gsr7n8lLa0Qdfa0gn86CIXPQ3CDcg22ft/w386-h640/20230904_194006.jpg" width="386" /></a></div><p></p><p>This particular Ballerina has bendy rubbery arms but also has bending ankles. The bending ankles came in 1975, the previous few ballerinas lacking them and using standard bendy knee legs instead. </p><p>But here's what makes this girl a bit odd.</p><p>See, 1975 Ballerinas had rivet arms, but she doesn't. The non rivet arms came in 1977. Pedigree used up older bodies, older heads, older limbs... basically whatever fit they'd cobble together. Which can make dating these dolls a little tricky. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKPJ2nslCQNMJKxGK0vfxk3-7yBVSSlyP55F3xUphYIOmyQmrWWgbfd4U-rlQMccj6okPlkog7Oaj-g4nttpEbxurglyD2ig7h7NCgheQhJe8I9drpA7jCDk5aNnjq5ztrE3QKhGY1sItOJWMbEkKwz44ciFirfhy4UROxvnBYUjhHnZpJBbUOx3wVkjdC/s2778/20230904_194048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2359" data-original-width="2778" height="544" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKPJ2nslCQNMJKxGK0vfxk3-7yBVSSlyP55F3xUphYIOmyQmrWWgbfd4U-rlQMccj6okPlkog7Oaj-g4nttpEbxurglyD2ig7h7NCgheQhJe8I9drpA7jCDk5aNnjq5ztrE3QKhGY1sItOJWMbEkKwz44ciFirfhy4UROxvnBYUjhHnZpJBbUOx3wVkjdC/w640-h544/20230904_194048.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>The double cup waist allows this Sindy to have some really great mobility though. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAIH7quJMhMs1Graat4PoHKlQsVIQD3dHIUZK8iRIII_3wwO5LJjuGacwc_A6iYHHrs9NFT6RZffRUbJIDbXO3v603qNBHz823pjJnN9aRtF0HGeuGTnLrc66LSBttPmayMQROx7zATYQvBb_STpwsvZJzDzEupqKj6805mTRvHgHScdPokrQRP37UPkup/s4000/20230904_193924.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAIH7quJMhMs1Graat4PoHKlQsVIQD3dHIUZK8iRIII_3wwO5LJjuGacwc_A6iYHHrs9NFT6RZffRUbJIDbXO3v603qNBHz823pjJnN9aRtF0HGeuGTnLrc66LSBttPmayMQROx7zATYQvBb_STpwsvZJzDzEupqKj6805mTRvHgHScdPokrQRP37UPkup/w640-h480/20230904_193924.jpg" width="640" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAIH7quJMhMs1Graat4PoHKlQsVIQD3dHIUZK8iRIII_3wwO5LJjuGacwc_A6iYHHrs9NFT6RZffRUbJIDbXO3v603qNBHz823pjJnN9aRtF0HGeuGTnLrc66LSBttPmayMQROx7zATYQvBb_STpwsvZJzDzEupqKj6805mTRvHgHScdPokrQRP37UPkup/s4000/20230904_193924.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div></div><p>Meanwhile the blonde has the rivet arms, but a standard active waist and the legs without bending ankles. Also notice how she has no neck joint like the other ballerina? Yeah, this is I THINK the "Lovely Lively" body, which uses ballerina arms and a torso that's a hybrid between the ballerina's elasticated waist (as opposed to the twist waist of standard dolls) and the normal body. <br /></p><p>so yeah....</p><p>The other blonde has non rivet arms, non bending ankles and uses the "Lovely Lively" torso too.</p><p>I think that means they're 1976 Lovely Livelys? I don't bloody know. They have different heads too. </p><p>Pedigree man... they don't make things easy. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD7T-DtwOvbsgpk4kt99g6WJ_bKB26neB15zWxdhbn1gVSP0wIz5nlqga3Rzx8oSzzudOjOZRT7eHPERDRBve4hW8UdgUBUx8vBd9aTg4K1yT8zCKRqMFchtUCpPXTpZuPyERe1NLcv6iL_gbYqkRb3ElRiDV-aKZmOUoVgch52eXGOxWfe8DaWt7BekLk/s3387/20230904_193653.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1961" data-original-width="3387" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD7T-DtwOvbsgpk4kt99g6WJ_bKB26neB15zWxdhbn1gVSP0wIz5nlqga3Rzx8oSzzudOjOZRT7eHPERDRBve4hW8UdgUBUx8vBd9aTg4K1yT8zCKRqMFchtUCpPXTpZuPyERe1NLcv6iL_gbYqkRb3ElRiDV-aKZmOUoVgch52eXGOxWfe8DaWt7BekLk/w640-h370/20230904_193653.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><br />She can't pose nearly as well, she just looks like she's flailing. The waist joint doesn't really move much at all and because of the elastic it tends to snap back to straight anyway. her legs also don't bend as much. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfNHAy0YnwjzOIs2MtQ6Btzqg4030Fb3zncpqP9ZtKa5ZAyZssh2nkVOp8_FnmGT5M0sPY07X8Pvgo4_V2ZrY3vSJmGSEzx5nSOe6F8MjeQKtLPGOOigVBnJJRTzGmff3thgF20e_QcWw-mEI707881GZSs8uBSc5ZHB9IkbgU9zzh5qKHiiQu_Glek8y-/s2700/20230904_194520.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="2150" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfNHAy0YnwjzOIs2MtQ6Btzqg4030Fb3zncpqP9ZtKa5ZAyZssh2nkVOp8_FnmGT5M0sPY07X8Pvgo4_V2ZrY3vSJmGSEzx5nSOe6F8MjeQKtLPGOOigVBnJJRTzGmff3thgF20e_QcWw-mEI707881GZSs8uBSc5ZHB9IkbgU9zzh5qKHiiQu_Glek8y-/w510-h640/20230904_194520.jpg" width="510" /></a></div><p></p><p>by 1976 we now have a pretty standard shape for Sindy. In fact, this torso and limb shape would be used until 1986 with only minor tweaks to the active parts. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEcq_Q3O0HDJMMYnfMR8Y6icOys3XfqPErQhhwH5o18_4tdCw7HbenRcjp2oisao2N2QK3hVvrRbszLQJPoYX8TYSODUquiqCPxV5Rz_HVpGh2Rog-UpA0SaBVk4u9NZ-adDq5OTlzA5qCm4-tOHtCqJuU7xJMzrWvM9elRhZZX02OdWJPyCxXccC4Bmpj/s3168/20230904_195325.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3168" data-original-width="1994" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEcq_Q3O0HDJMMYnfMR8Y6icOys3XfqPErQhhwH5o18_4tdCw7HbenRcjp2oisao2N2QK3hVvrRbszLQJPoYX8TYSODUquiqCPxV5Rz_HVpGh2Rog-UpA0SaBVk4u9NZ-adDq5OTlzA5qCm4-tOHtCqJuU7xJMzrWvM9elRhZZX02OdWJPyCxXccC4Bmpj/w402-h640/20230904_195325.jpg" width="402" /></a></div><p></p><p>Both of these dolls are called "weekender" which I find rather delightful. 1977 girl also showcases one of the unusual late 70s exclusive hair colours. For whatever reason, while most Sindys of this era are a somewhat platinum blonde and a lot of releases come in ONLY blonde, some of the dolls came with a variety of quite unusual tones. This one is referred to as "bronze" or sometimes "whiskey" and it's a sort of dull brownish coppery colour. There's nothing quite like it, in fact speaking to <a href="https://www.thedollhairemporium.co.uk/etsy-shop">The Doll Hair Emporium</a>, there's no currently available doll hair that exactly matches this strange tone. Which is a pain because my girl is missing a few plugs and could do with some replacement hair. </p><p>The other unusual colours are an ash blonde which looks almost grey and what's described as "firey red"which I think is actually more of an auburn sort of tone. I couldn't find any images unfortunately.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLQBOmuztDYPpSuTFMNAHMtjBsYavcz9OUzQ_8L-u67-stfkXPjcB18kPKUcJu81eCUGRq7wPuFy-C7n23ZSC5AQAwClZjc7626yKmFpc35fh-tMemtSpG7xZDj0cz0KM8C73WK19MpODuqPabTzvMKqxYrl1jRqIxq6ahG843_fkEGDN1ATabJqgkyWvM/s3674/20230904_195137.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1967" data-original-width="3674" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLQBOmuztDYPpSuTFMNAHMtjBsYavcz9OUzQ_8L-u67-stfkXPjcB18kPKUcJu81eCUGRq7wPuFy-C7n23ZSC5AQAwClZjc7626yKmFpc35fh-tMemtSpG7xZDj0cz0KM8C73WK19MpODuqPabTzvMKqxYrl1jRqIxq6ahG843_fkEGDN1ATabJqgkyWvM/w640-h342/20230904_195137.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><br />The 70s has pretty much settled at this point on a look for Sindy. And we're finally seeing a return of Saran hair which ages a lot better than whatever the hell the late 60s and early 70s girls used. </p><p>The harder heads of the 70s girls also mean they tend to keep their rooted lashes a lot better than later dolls and tend to also retain a lot of colour to their cheeks which are often over blushed. </p><p>I couldn't find my 1976 Funtime, but the only big difference with her is that she has short hair.</p><p>As I mentioned earlier, Marx US was incorperated into Pedigree's parent company in 1976 and in 1978 "Marx Sindy" was released in North America. </p><p>She came in blonde only (SIGH) and was released alongside a black doll named Gayle (who really is the exact same doll, just in darker vinyl). Another doll I would love to own but refuse to pay the going rate. Because OOF she's painfully expensive. </p><p>They pushed a lot out quite fast, focusing more on furniture and "scene setters" than dolls, tapping an area of the market Mattel still hadn't quite yet embraced with their Barbie line. Sindy always had more furniture than Barbie lol, take that Babs! <br /></p><p>Unfortunately the American Sindy didn't last long as the parent company D-C-M went bankrupt in 1980. <br /></p><p>Meanwhile over in the UK 1978 saw someone lose their mind at Pedigree with the release of... this poor girl:</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrrmVNEhYAIOhFpjDYo7lwZPTVuiGxwGwmjvoypu2O1UI95LEBCmJh2GFY1gRFEt0QdOhM9nvyf1cLZuw3XKYypLqdwxkOMcAeBndWGzp7FpjehTw12oVxYDjrMAJBWknHGBwCGtpM7ccMTkwJ4aklk2YKVGTkHKimZgeaq7R9uHA75ygYl48jw6_YAJQJ/s3276/20230912_145738.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3276" data-original-width="1375" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrrmVNEhYAIOhFpjDYo7lwZPTVuiGxwGwmjvoypu2O1UI95LEBCmJh2GFY1gRFEt0QdOhM9nvyf1cLZuw3XKYypLqdwxkOMcAeBndWGzp7FpjehTw12oVxYDjrMAJBWknHGBwCGtpM7ccMTkwJ4aklk2YKVGTkHKimZgeaq7R9uHA75ygYl48jw6_YAJQJ/w268-h640/20230912_145738.jpg" width="268" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />THIS is "Sweet Dreams" Sindy, and I feel she's far more likely to haunt your nightmares. <p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4olX26ekx8XuP7fsvPB3XfVH-6Pau8cOO8OYBOWsEe2OiNt0it9O450P67DYV-nFvCTgiSAQb_Ki9w0nGxtDzQR7F6QUQPyNH2oDXigtcG4X1qxkyfMjJCZiIfTjgjXdb5tAxpRCvjSS-n3BW1h3qwJd6evPdJ94jMKYiMbcY6Gnp303ZHJ_3MqoSIelt/s2457/20230912_145607.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2457" data-original-width="1759" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4olX26ekx8XuP7fsvPB3XfVH-6Pau8cOO8OYBOWsEe2OiNt0it9O450P67DYV-nFvCTgiSAQb_Ki9w0nGxtDzQR7F6QUQPyNH2oDXigtcG4X1qxkyfMjJCZiIfTjgjXdb5tAxpRCvjSS-n3BW1h3qwJd6evPdJ94jMKYiMbcY6Gnp303ZHJ_3MqoSIelt/w458-h640/20230912_145607.jpg" width="458" /></a></div><br /><br />She's got a sleep eye mechanism which means her eyes are inset and uh... wobble.... giving her a rather disturbing look. Her lack of painted lashes certainly doesn't help matters. She just looks "off". Her head is soft and squishy and her lashes a strange rectangle that juts out unnaturally from the eye. <br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTOyVNH9A-Qh-Pm2_J7YAEeFo-cPN_ZqJ-X7LbNV45up7krBkhF8EcGWoy3CShjh8AwAEKYrze-XJudP07Ija8VGDfH_PP9ij-zxeiZRSP4EMzJ7aUUUhnUG8x4qiZYQelzqgNnLG6VQ4txaCx7ThjHqGez6_dDQ-9SizhN5-xiiYAG0zEX6hKYjVVl4qf/s1855/20230912_145653.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1855" data-original-width="1403" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTOyVNH9A-Qh-Pm2_J7YAEeFo-cPN_ZqJ-X7LbNV45up7krBkhF8EcGWoy3CShjh8AwAEKYrze-XJudP07Ija8VGDfH_PP9ij-zxeiZRSP4EMzJ7aUUUhnUG8x4qiZYQelzqgNnLG6VQ4txaCx7ThjHqGez6_dDQ-9SizhN5-xiiYAG0zEX6hKYjVVl4qf/w484-h640/20230912_145653.jpg" width="484" /></a></div><p></p><p>Like a baby doll, when she's layed down her eyes close. Or well... they don't really. They half close, leaving little bits of blue to glare into your soul. </p><p>They also get stuck a lot, resulting in more nightmare fuel. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Dyh-YVKIeOIXxkXuzPpuzohflE_WMbAqB1mMJW7_TxDKKNHopzFL7bHjlJb-dHb5rBND6YgFNWa0nKnu42CzwjDv7HzjFkcemksapRkC7w6_IA6J71iHy2eDxWVX5m1ipZ0XvPLqnvc36w2U817BQ7dua0es7uanj2m_iGM5RCCAXDqpfHzXQvBfKsKP/s2199/20230912_145640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2133" data-original-width="2199" height="620" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Dyh-YVKIeOIXxkXuzPpuzohflE_WMbAqB1mMJW7_TxDKKNHopzFL7bHjlJb-dHb5rBND6YgFNWa0nKnu42CzwjDv7HzjFkcemksapRkC7w6_IA6J71iHy2eDxWVX5m1ipZ0XvPLqnvc36w2U817BQ7dua0es7uanj2m_iGM5RCCAXDqpfHzXQvBfKsKP/w640-h620/20230912_145640.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>The mechanism for these eyes are held in with big bulging tumours. The actual eye itself is a painted plastic piece set into a weighted metal cradle. These are then inserted into these vinyl "pouches" moulded into her head. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXm5f4WxJYgF_b636d_-a0FcpTkcLAwxoILV8aI1xs-yIzKxqtkd9k1rMYZy2U5-rLv07aMZLrSy7W5G1X1S5K_v5lQ7iZNZhGjgKmzqaaZC3qFmCj03pjtLNvQlf0CdX3MhMD0T1WpimxFc75fJovQAOUcx4ecuHJV5qNtSyqORLhiT-SFEwKrjzfzZ8i/s2068/20230912_145628.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1880" data-original-width="2068" height="582" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXm5f4WxJYgF_b636d_-a0FcpTkcLAwxoILV8aI1xs-yIzKxqtkd9k1rMYZy2U5-rLv07aMZLrSy7W5G1X1S5K_v5lQ7iZNZhGjgKmzqaaZC3qFmCj03pjtLNvQlf0CdX3MhMD0T1WpimxFc75fJovQAOUcx4ecuHJV5qNtSyqORLhiT-SFEwKrjzfzZ8i/w640-h582/20230912_145628.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>to accomidate this, her neck knob had to be modified. This means that Sweet Dreams Sindy has a unique head connector. Now, a normal neck knob WILL fit, and in my experience, doesn't do much to change the ability of the damn eyes to move (or not, as they usually decide to stick regardless) and a regular head fits on this knob just fine so i'm not really sure why they bothered. Whatever the case, Sweet Dreams was, bizarrely enough, sold for a couple of years. Who the fuck was buying this abomination!? </p><p>I've often wondered if she'd have been less terrifying with proper inset eyes rather than these strange wobbly painted things but let's be real here, she's always going to be a bloody strange looking doll. </p><p>For some reason the european release actually had painted lashes, because someone saw some sense before they unleashed this thing outside the UK. </p><p>It doesn't help much, but it's something. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr8FXYPcgBH93CLVPx9DHzJfs2ECeOgFHEnUJHgNcX3v0_KUQ3y8Jr4OOp9wdgcHQBFJN6Qhw7gqp4ZC3ptfii3RLhPDM2bUU4Tu_ERHGvLTx4I5lZnOfQyLcRnJC0JiDtjjyGIYc6SmErNCZx6n-2Nq86nG3pd96nND1rnVQOJsfTEvk0EYTIBGhkYqc2/s4000/20230912_150105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1680" data-original-width="4000" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr8FXYPcgBH93CLVPx9DHzJfs2ECeOgFHEnUJHgNcX3v0_KUQ3y8Jr4OOp9wdgcHQBFJN6Qhw7gqp4ZC3ptfii3RLhPDM2bUU4Tu_ERHGvLTx4I5lZnOfQyLcRnJC0JiDtjjyGIYc6SmErNCZx6n-2Nq86nG3pd96nND1rnVQOJsfTEvk0EYTIBGhkYqc2/w640-h268/20230912_150105.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>this year saw at least one change to the standard body. Her arms are now squishy, with a flatter and less defined hand. <br /></p><p>1979 saw a new head too but of course, Pedigree used old stock too. </p><p>this new head is wider, squishier and marked "2nd gen". She tends to have less makeup than earlier dolls, no heavy blush and soft pink or pale coral lips. She's also more pink toned and often paler than the earlier 70s girls. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyp5AZzKmWKL0JIgX_xTZZVzFtXBnAljvH3Uplea_X96IF_b3qSjDbfKgKtpm8VFAkr3_GnJvt7Bxdw6l45PBSQvH-ex8QeXOE9FnHrYjBa3l1ukS3pl6JXzTuT70PYauJvik1c-MqdpTlP-pxcZaxmgpqP1NvHkWCh_Qx3ZPeIc0DiKD97eHWQwdS6l9J/s3466/20230912_145757.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3466" data-original-width="1535" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyp5AZzKmWKL0JIgX_xTZZVzFtXBnAljvH3Uplea_X96IF_b3qSjDbfKgKtpm8VFAkr3_GnJvt7Bxdw6l45PBSQvH-ex8QeXOE9FnHrYjBa3l1ukS3pl6JXzTuT70PYauJvik1c-MqdpTlP-pxcZaxmgpqP1NvHkWCh_Qx3ZPeIc0DiKD97eHWQwdS6l9J/w284-h640/20230912_145757.jpg" width="284" /></a></div><p>This particular girl has had a hair cut. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOpElsENcB6M-_eJDpsvbjaASJM3sVsaLMFviOxu7LCz2gjazKswfUxpzctKCg9gKPzLmYaggh9RwMKwMWNLWiwjc-z4TFuw27z--Y44vYNFhNJGOZrScH1j7cUlReXDK7IJC8SyE5Ecolbqsrvlqw9VQVn4wneow5dx4z3RQD6vEsUFeN8kyQF_k938FS/s3007/20230912_145859.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3007" data-original-width="1324" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOpElsENcB6M-_eJDpsvbjaASJM3sVsaLMFviOxu7LCz2gjazKswfUxpzctKCg9gKPzLmYaggh9RwMKwMWNLWiwjc-z4TFuw27z--Y44vYNFhNJGOZrScH1j7cUlReXDK7IJC8SyE5Ecolbqsrvlqw9VQVn4wneow5dx4z3RQD6vEsUFeN8kyQF_k938FS/w282-h640/20230912_145859.jpg" width="282" /></a></div><br /><p>Now, one big problem I have at this point is that this is where my heat wave and painkiller fog kick in and I can't for the life of me remember which Sindy this one IS.</p><p>I think she's a 79 or 80 "basic" but i'm just not sure anymore. </p><p>You can see that her legs don't quite fit into the hip sockets while if you scroll up, the earlier dolls sit flush. I'm not sure why this is. But it's a characteristic of the later dolls and it's a bit random. </p><p>The new arms on the other hand, sit a lot better without a little "lip" at the shoulder. </p><p>Go figure. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgz5fBSxgEbWFm1zAv1R77bbOVw789j7cU2uNlVBFHoXrCtykcnDE37yumw6x8PteXkQ-asa4CsWRkmOyXADLCPr-c6Tj2eQPmqMexJg6WlodVBfrRfV2hUAiPN4ZfhtVqgsckcK67VxqzLZ-lYt7-h7eSfo6pSJYxRfj13caOyPb_pQo6ha4Mw3DUdz5e/s3054/20230912_150246.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3054" data-original-width="2179" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgz5fBSxgEbWFm1zAv1R77bbOVw789j7cU2uNlVBFHoXrCtykcnDE37yumw6x8PteXkQ-asa4CsWRkmOyXADLCPr-c6Tj2eQPmqMexJg6WlodVBfrRfV2hUAiPN4ZfhtVqgsckcK67VxqzLZ-lYt7-h7eSfo6pSJYxRfj13caOyPb_pQo6ha4Mw3DUdz5e/w456-h640/20230912_150246.jpg" width="456" /></a></div><br /><p>the fact I took this photo makes me think she's gotta be 79 or 80 to round out the decade. </p><p>A huge transformation in her 16-17 years don't you think? </p><p>I will say though, one fun thing about this is that despite being such clearly different body shapes and styles, these two dolls can still for the most part share clothing pieces. Yes, 60s stuff is a bit big on 70s sindy, particularly around the waist, but it's doable. Likewise they can mostly share shoes. Again, 60s shoes are wider but not by too much. I've gotten 60s doll feet into later sindy shoes without issue so yeah... </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDYhrrIa8Xt3qopCnJAYFNLsQwqgh-mS1kOnX3kAcPUX7USIl6GNoy-mV42TUiz8s8KmkrQzLbZMbirFE_O-tdwopBx8sW7_wyQoHog4q6t4ZxsYefeAKzNpT4z1DsukwqbCyNc-a4Mws8KmqZjlh5-yrpUTtqVHt1jMjhUCsxcjXS5uUR-hmwxgBDMNdY/s3316/20230904_191726.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3316" data-original-width="1428" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDYhrrIa8Xt3qopCnJAYFNLsQwqgh-mS1kOnX3kAcPUX7USIl6GNoy-mV42TUiz8s8KmkrQzLbZMbirFE_O-tdwopBx8sW7_wyQoHog4q6t4ZxsYefeAKzNpT4z1DsukwqbCyNc-a4Mws8KmqZjlh5-yrpUTtqVHt1jMjhUCsxcjXS5uUR-hmwxgBDMNdY/w173-h400/20230904_191726.jpg" width="173" /></a></div><br /> 1969-70 Sindy in a 1981 dress. (incidentally, the same dress the 1978 Marx Sindy was sold in) <br /><p></p><p>it's a bit tight around the waist but it works. </p><p>I really do need more vintage sindy clothes <_< heh.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Sindy "if I win the lotto" wishlist- 70s edition: </b></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Gauntlet Sindy</li><li>Chubby leg Funtime</li><li>Gayle <br /></li><li>more clothes! Bwhahaha. </li></ul><p> </p><p>Next time we'll tackle the 80s, which gets a little turbulant. <br /></p><p>Hopefully i'll be in less pain by then. Oof. <br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Purple_monkfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023284779817354246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3031605728160552641.post-28344315281354055982023-09-06T12:26:00.000+01:002023-09-06T12:26:10.976+01:00Happy birthday Sindy!<p> September 6th (apparently) marks Sindy's 60th birthday, so obviously as a big Sindy fan I had to mark the occassion somehow. </p><p>Especially considering pedigree themselves can't be trusted to do anything. </p><p>For instance, for Sindy's 50th Pedigree made a big song and dance about how there were "exciting things" coming. We got some cute artwork and a website teasing said artwork, but nothing else. In fact, all Pedigree DID do was release some bedspreads and calendars.... in Turkey.</p><p>So forgive me if i'm not optimistic this time will be any different. </p><p>But let's not let saltiness put a damper on our girl's celebration. </p><p>I decided to get my dolls out and do a little time line/retrospective sort of thing, and in the process figure out precisely which dolls i'm missing from my collection so I can have a nice strict wishlist. (how long do you think that'll last? HAH) </p><p>this is gonna take a while... we have got 60 years to get through after all. </p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a> <p></p><p><b><u>Tammy, Sindy's inspiration:</u></b> <br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDBWXWsLN8rXuVtn2EE9usQ72tFTlM1qyJ3dEYZlKZ8aaAM5sBM6KS1AwybNSVykwEeAIg_oQavvtPFUA_C_Lngqu3e49Z7qgiaTI1qZwRg3nhmamXx1iMg3Lp_c-nq5GrXe3lQbFHbDzUE1hjxN_UsBX7OwFciDxb3ZfRD15hbzOPJl6VC3CPCKqmkI5s/s3055/20230904_190328.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3055" data-original-width="1225" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDBWXWsLN8rXuVtn2EE9usQ72tFTlM1qyJ3dEYZlKZ8aaAM5sBM6KS1AwybNSVykwEeAIg_oQavvtPFUA_C_Lngqu3e49Z7qgiaTI1qZwRg3nhmamXx1iMg3Lp_c-nq5GrXe3lQbFHbDzUE1hjxN_UsBX7OwFciDxb3ZfRD15hbzOPJl6VC3CPCKqmkI5s/w256-h640/20230904_190328.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><p></p><p>So in the beginning there was a doll named Tammy. "The doll you love to dress". She was made by Ideal, an American company. </p><p>The story goes that Pedigree were looking at maybe licensing Barbie to distribute her in the UK, but before they entered into agreements with Mattel they did a survey of British mothers to see if there was a market. For whatever reason they gave them a selection of different dolls to pick from and the winner was Tammy who mother's preferred for her sweet girl next door appearance. So Pedigree went to Ideal and came to an agreement. They couldnt' use the name, but they could use the tagline. </p><p>And thus Sindy was born. With an S for trademark reasons. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNWwiNLYFfUTYH7XjOVi4mCqBllMlZEYd6S1vprJI-bTCPXbfYatLwuQycVZm2MF4dy_s3oanUOyTL4eNHeJiubytLhNYqxiQgQH51wOOccTw8va7vb6BJa2GLI_CXvsVvyHHpG36gXwxvM3wzfv415gNzwMZkkW6AS52Rf7InbqUO3-mYCUGDHtMLijAP/s2677/20230904_190335.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="2677" height="574" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNWwiNLYFfUTYH7XjOVi4mCqBllMlZEYd6S1vprJI-bTCPXbfYatLwuQycVZm2MF4dy_s3oanUOyTL4eNHeJiubytLhNYqxiQgQH51wOOccTw8va7vb6BJa2GLI_CXvsVvyHHpG36gXwxvM3wzfv415gNzwMZkkW6AS52Rf7InbqUO3-mYCUGDHtMLijAP/w640-h574/20230904_190335.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /> Isn't she sweet? <p></p><p>Tammy is very difficult to find here in the UK. My girl came all the way from the US. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgImBIwQ1M8EcA2ksaBHJsOVXMH2AtxuN0fk5SxzoCYn5kzm0YeYMmFienFk4k5UtKib-GGWT0JVKqLuN3Ry167GDwRdkj0zt4soPTPXQWr68JdE9MRyICV58Eebg9C9pIrXjqO0LxNPK7v-p_qBsJ8i8LVn_oJ-ofTiVWUXxY7pAjTfTrIrIIyaVwqqXu2/s3583/20230904_190354.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3583" data-original-width="2205" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgImBIwQ1M8EcA2ksaBHJsOVXMH2AtxuN0fk5SxzoCYn5kzm0YeYMmFienFk4k5UtKib-GGWT0JVKqLuN3Ry167GDwRdkj0zt4soPTPXQWr68JdE9MRyICV58Eebg9C9pIrXjqO0LxNPK7v-p_qBsJ8i8LVn_oJ-ofTiVWUXxY7pAjTfTrIrIIyaVwqqXu2/w394-h640/20230904_190354.jpg" width="394" /></a></div><p></p><p>Sindy and Tammy look very very alike. They have very similarly shaped bodies and very similarly shaped faces, but i've never been able to find any information either way about whether the deal with Ideal also included the molds or if they sculpted her using Tammy as a reference. </p><p>I feel like Sindy has a slightly wider jaw so maybe the latter? </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhycH5WKKbp4NVIWokd3z1_C3OXJ38jlmrOa8ZPlU_VG6tWw42LMqkv7KcCKYyyKKUrAzTfzj1tRMZ7B8KN6EWIsfuUHpeACIl4g3zubI3ei4h3djcczxagRHbN0yYDNb4AMF03gzlaWklOJK_gd6if7VA8FcNmY5hA4B8cUOi57YO09CYDl3nHLGiW4DAS/s4000/20230904_190405.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhycH5WKKbp4NVIWokd3z1_C3OXJ38jlmrOa8ZPlU_VG6tWw42LMqkv7KcCKYyyKKUrAzTfzj1tRMZ7B8KN6EWIsfuUHpeACIl4g3zubI3ei4h3djcczxagRHbN0yYDNb4AMF03gzlaWklOJK_gd6if7VA8FcNmY5hA4B8cUOi57YO09CYDl3nHLGiW4DAS/w640-h480/20230904_190405.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>Both dolls feature large side glancing eyes. Tammy's are grey, Sindy's are blue. Both have lovely red lips and came with different hair colours, much like Barbie did at the time. </p><p><b><u>The Swinging 60s: </u></b><br /></p><p>In the case of Sindy she came in chestnut as featured here, a yellow blonde and a very very dark almost black brown. </p><p>Her hair tends to be a little dry after all these years and her lip colour tends to fade to a sickly orange or disappear almost completely. </p><p>This girl is from 1963, commonly referred to as "made in England" or "MIE" Sindy because that's what her markings say. </p><p>Her legs are hollow plastic, as is her body while her arms are a softer vinyl like her head. She has a tendency to lose fingers due to her widely splayed soft squishy hands. <br /></p><p>Sindy came wearing an outfit called "weekenders" which features a red white and blue striped jumper, blue jeans, white sneakers and a red elastic headband. </p><p>Variations of this outfit exist as pedigree changed up their materials. The older style is a printed cotton fabric while later versions of the top the stripes are woven. Likewise her jeans have either printed on stitching or real stitching with the real yellow stitching being the older. </p><p>Like a lot of old doll clothes, the button fastener on the jeans goes to the front, not the back, like a real human fly. This is something I have seen confuse a lot of people, because doll clothes from the late 70s onward tend to have fasteners exclusively at the back where they won't be seen. 60s and early 70s doll clothes however were constructed a lot more like human clothes. Some old Ken trousers even have working zippers! </p><p>DO NOT wash this shirt. It runs... badly. </p><p>Sindy was revealed to the world on September 6th, in a short tv advert. <a href="https://www.oursindymuseum.com/">Our Sindy Museum</a> in fact claims she was the first UK toy to be advertised on tv which is a pretty lofty achievement. She was a huge success for Pedigree who worked like hell to keep up with the demand, which may explain some of the iffy quality control I often joke about. </p><p>I can't find a clear confirmation of how much she cost. One catalogue lists Weekender Sindy at 25/3, another at 24/11. The tv ad didn't help me at all. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_eOSx_Cy2A">You can watch it here</a> but be warned, that damn song is an ear worm. </p><p>The Sindy Bazaar leaflet that Sindy came with lists her price at 22/6 so yeah... confusing. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGSywLT13TwoSQH8Xr8qbNeG_jFM5cF7ugTZc9vxDNe9-CiwxjWKgWeIh3Vv2MBTgxbxjrzgDgwHyw3TrKi4-alTHaeTZDu1abhKphB9CE1Mm3w3CCl-XjbncnBBMUyQQHQkRdfBtg-myrPgE1H4hYfRbIMuTuLJruHaTvDKhv6k9ln3CS0cYkgt5Y2lkz/s489/Screenshot%202023-09-05%20at%2023-31-58%201960s%20UK%20Sindy%20Dolls%20Catalogue_%20Brochure%20Plate%20Stock%20Photo%20-%20Alamy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="489" data-original-width="370" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGSywLT13TwoSQH8Xr8qbNeG_jFM5cF7ugTZc9vxDNe9-CiwxjWKgWeIh3Vv2MBTgxbxjrzgDgwHyw3TrKi4-alTHaeTZDu1abhKphB9CE1Mm3w3CCl-XjbncnBBMUyQQHQkRdfBtg-myrPgE1H4hYfRbIMuTuLJruHaTvDKhv6k9ln3CS0cYkgt5Y2lkz/w484-h640/Screenshot%202023-09-05%20at%2023-31-58%201960s%20UK%20Sindy%20Dolls%20Catalogue_%20Brochure%20Plate%20Stock%20Photo%20-%20Alamy.png" width="484" /></a></div><br /><p>Now my "Old Money" isn't great, but I think that's shillings and pence. Why the hell British money is done so bizarrely back then i'll never understand. But post decimalization prices from the 1973 Argos catalogue list Sindy's RRP as £1:75. That was a fair bit of money back in the 60s and 70s, equating to somewhere between £20-30 in today's money. It's in a way, reassuring to see that the prices we pay nowadays aren't too different to what they were back then. </p><p>And yet, despite the hefty price tag, Sindy sold very very well. </p><p>I also love her description according to the leaflet she came with.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinzijfCWL7Qbuu2YseSp8mIBH7hRCPV0Db6v7UiVM-g5pGjcAMpsVAqLOBJ5jjEWlkmnpcoNLFUr5j-7focjLYsht8tB6Q5PTC8RN6Kc0pW0Y_CRxtcoPdFSNc6kMOXPtvjRGsBGrRZt8vkZUsfUM5jIoeE75cbj4sb8hTymxCFVRtxZCwx-DkoAynATCR/s591/PIC01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="497" data-original-width="591" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinzijfCWL7Qbuu2YseSp8mIBH7hRCPV0Db6v7UiVM-g5pGjcAMpsVAqLOBJ5jjEWlkmnpcoNLFUr5j-7focjLYsht8tB6Q5PTC8RN6Kc0pW0Y_CRxtcoPdFSNc6kMOXPtvjRGsBGrRZt8vkZUsfUM5jIoeE75cbj4sb8hTymxCFVRtxZCwx-DkoAynATCR/w640-h538/PIC01.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>What does "free, swinging, grown-up girl" MEAN? </p><p>Gotta love 60s slang. Or more specifically, old men trying to sound hip to the kids by using the slang of the time lol. </p><p>"up-to-date as the morning". Oh god, I love it. <br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEWFdywxvNMcnvWcbeeOaleLhz9dTPtzve-QPZ7Dhfq-hIQddeMuJ1FakLsqDCYeg8nUC7X1Ln4pSysxrGH8SYuCfTVwV0BaJdDryZ74BOeKLnKXiKGbajqMfPLrlLHKOgDD8RWLOaPW1mUZQYbBhqRymbGSDJ2IEth_7fZeDDYEqPW8gyPTnqTlmNsUp5/s4000/20230904_190456.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEWFdywxvNMcnvWcbeeOaleLhz9dTPtzve-QPZ7Dhfq-hIQddeMuJ1FakLsqDCYeg8nUC7X1Ln4pSysxrGH8SYuCfTVwV0BaJdDryZ74BOeKLnKXiKGbajqMfPLrlLHKOgDD8RWLOaPW1mUZQYbBhqRymbGSDJ2IEth_7fZeDDYEqPW8gyPTnqTlmNsUp5/w640-h480/20230904_190456.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>in 1965 Pedigree changed things up by giving Sindy rubbery limbs with wires inside so she could pose. It... kinda works. But it does put a lot of stress on the soft vinyl and it doesn't look all that natural. </p><p>She also came wearing Weekenders, and any differences in face really comes down to the hand painted nature of these dolls. One of the things I really love about old dolls is how you can see the brush strokes, particularly in their eyebrows and lashes. That obvious human touch just really appeals to me, but it also results in a lot of variation. No two Sindy dolls from this era look exactly alike and I enjoy that a lot. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ-NJq5FLz0zMOytdcRBB-gBgcyxHL7LBsZuv-8o6q7rGMkztF4gaWf9PNlN749JKDC5oqN9EbV45-63BFgwyHAt2JbJXC2ObKSPknTCymAPy4k8yxQDAlz6l0g0OwHqmDCK3zqpDNXAs-oe2SIZj2Cn36M3qCHKh-VHybawjNgj4QkPSr6gCMBbm9L2z9/s4000/20230904_190446.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ-NJq5FLz0zMOytdcRBB-gBgcyxHL7LBsZuv-8o6q7rGMkztF4gaWf9PNlN749JKDC5oqN9EbV45-63BFgwyHAt2JbJXC2ObKSPknTCymAPy4k8yxQDAlz6l0g0OwHqmDCK3zqpDNXAs-oe2SIZj2Cn36M3qCHKh-VHybawjNgj4QkPSr6gCMBbm9L2z9/w480-h640/20230904_190446.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>Tammy sadly ceased production in 1966, unable to compete in the competitive Barbie dominated US market.</p><p>Sindy however, had become the best selling doll in the UK and was only getting stronger. </p><p> <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRjykNSoYKjl9GlJMCNjVmZnOQu_dnKkIwV2PHJhjOkB_Vusub3Y7xHnVBgXz4z2o4XCcbq6C07ijweo8yemA_WBup3ZiZJcZ4GkArD56rgwzLXByuriQk2Q0o6DY0W7yU56Pk1M2zi-biyAAUDmjEndXEvOBPv0PwHa_d9dCZq4kT-IIONnQNjGu0hUAb/s1869/20230904_190533.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1304" data-original-width="1869" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRjykNSoYKjl9GlJMCNjVmZnOQu_dnKkIwV2PHJhjOkB_Vusub3Y7xHnVBgXz4z2o4XCcbq6C07ijweo8yemA_WBup3ZiZJcZ4GkArD56rgwzLXByuriQk2Q0o6DY0W7yU56Pk1M2zi-biyAAUDmjEndXEvOBPv0PwHa_d9dCZq4kT-IIONnQNjGu0hUAb/w640-h446/20230904_190533.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigSvT_AQHmy1cm3tyi62m84gPlgvDReflj3TFQamkM9gXIpcQj9rCX98jgiZew-EWRYxDdkpHsnfvnIfYUj3q0-vSD-2QR8e2EmbZXScmNoi0x-Ja7qNrneA9H73mQRrUhKEvLMmXjYPG8clhl9jg4AsJ0HXcaC83582WDDUTgYLgn8C6C_-iJvXosWSE_/s1868/20230904_190519.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1548" data-original-width="1868" height="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigSvT_AQHmy1cm3tyi62m84gPlgvDReflj3TFQamkM9gXIpcQj9rCX98jgiZew-EWRYxDdkpHsnfvnIfYUj3q0-vSD-2QR8e2EmbZXScmNoi0x-Ja7qNrneA9H73mQRrUhKEvLMmXjYPG8clhl9jg4AsJ0HXcaC83582WDDUTgYLgn8C6C_-iJvXosWSE_/w640-h530/20230904_190519.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <p></p><p>While Tammy's run had ended, 1966 saw another new Sindy. </p><p>This is "Made in Hong Kong" or "MIHK" Sindy. Pedigree had shifted production away from the UK and to Hong Kong like many companies at the time. Cheaper labour and easier access to things like the fabric markets and such were likely a large motivator. </p><p>Hong Kong Sindy has more hair than the previous dolls, a large bubble cut that falls around her face like a halo. </p><p>like the previous dolls she came in the three hair colours. Her limbs bend like 65 Sindy's and she generally uses the same body shape including those large splayed hands. </p><p>For some reason the MIHK dolls are harder to find than the MIE ones, but I don't know why. Certainly they're more expensive and as a result I only have the one. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC41ymd4RMfzjM66UIa1iPWp2tN6NButQRT83mp5prp9NmJD7cO-l2YVkUgxKx1VOoHfmaOc2_3OoUZgJY09YbWXQT1yUBSJ14h5mUjTHciTZKva2A5a6KMKLGglgYKC0i1ztIegsSJv6QAtQhd8BJy46vaDkCt58cL05KaavJ5aNKJUO0bDmsw2bphULZ/s1505/20230904_190634.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1358" data-original-width="1505" height="578" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC41ymd4RMfzjM66UIa1iPWp2tN6NButQRT83mp5prp9NmJD7cO-l2YVkUgxKx1VOoHfmaOc2_3OoUZgJY09YbWXQT1yUBSJ14h5mUjTHciTZKva2A5a6KMKLGglgYKC0i1ztIegsSJv6QAtQhd8BJy46vaDkCt58cL05KaavJ5aNKJUO0bDmsw2bphULZ/w640-h578/20230904_190634.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>However, </p><p>that move to the Hong Kong factory was not, it appears, without some teething issues. </p><p>These are "Mini" Sindys, so named because well... yeah... </p><p>the story goes (and take it with a pinch of salt because I don't know the veracity of it) that the new factory got their mixture wrong which resulted in the soft vinyl parts shrinking more than expected. They also went rock hard as they shrunk, something that also, incidentally, happens to "acetone shrunk" doll heads which is a big reason why this all sounds very plausible to me. Vinyl goes hard as it shrinks, the more it shrinks, the harder it gets and mini Sindys have heads like ROCKS as well as arms and legs that are similarly shriveled and cement-like. It's likely these mini dolls were made with a mix that had too little plasticiser (which is what makes the plastic squishy and soft) in it and that's why they shrank too much.</p><p>Of course, to prove this we'd need to actually experiment with vinyl mixes. I'd love to see someone who had the materials do it though, if nothing else to see how quickly the stuff shrinks and hardens up.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp7cgQaWD3BQb9wAVLw44Rw_1hilzdVA4kD2gK5im0FZ7uQ-sxgmS0wAxbklndBpnqL8FfhCDc5Dw9BfHt1pl72rUhx1JuN8-cJtVnLpb5RgQj8GA_rY5vYkuU3ja6IDK19WClR5PL2ID7eNaXm8a8jZtVGhXyt-z7L2LHM-Pa5aNKOffE_XSNy7GIdq68/s1962/20230904_190828.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1962" data-original-width="1196" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp7cgQaWD3BQb9wAVLw44Rw_1hilzdVA4kD2gK5im0FZ7uQ-sxgmS0wAxbklndBpnqL8FfhCDc5Dw9BfHt1pl72rUhx1JuN8-cJtVnLpb5RgQj8GA_rY5vYkuU3ja6IDK19WClR5PL2ID7eNaXm8a8jZtVGhXyt-z7L2LHM-Pa5aNKOffE_XSNy7GIdq68/w390-h640/20230904_190828.jpg" width="390" /></a></div><p></p><p>The torsos are made of hard injection molded plastic, and so remain unaffected by this screw up. As you can see here, the bodies are the same, but all the limbs and the head are significantly smaller. </p><p>This also means none of the parts fit their sockets. The legs and arms have gaps and the head wobbles in its seating. </p><p>However, one side effect of this is that these dolls have incredibly bright faces and their paint tends to remain far more intact than their squishy headed sisters. They are very very pretty. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9rV7XoLQY1jr3k3lm0nzvsK9zFMVk_iCfsWVelra3dDMmpIbQVvv_GiZrbalmji3XbnWMu6jJVLfYHstelH9ScI7NrNaX3SpgJyxsEhilUJvX35Q-xk0r0fLjdnuE2e5qx1s9FWFhuZxbQn2QzWfzdPYk4idkTu-5qQnTDNQasjYGpkF_gs-QbNWmJbEd/s1527/20230904_190916.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1397" data-original-width="1527" height="586" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9rV7XoLQY1jr3k3lm0nzvsK9zFMVk_iCfsWVelra3dDMmpIbQVvv_GiZrbalmji3XbnWMu6jJVLfYHstelH9ScI7NrNaX3SpgJyxsEhilUJvX35Q-xk0r0fLjdnuE2e5qx1s9FWFhuZxbQn2QzWfzdPYk4idkTu-5qQnTDNQasjYGpkF_gs-QbNWmJbEd/w640-h586/20230904_190916.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Now of course, Pedigree were left with a batch of dolls that were all wrong and didn't fit any of the clothes they had ready for them. So what were they to do? </p><p>why, alter the clothes to be smaller, that's what! Or you know... just stick her in clothes too big and hope nobody notices. They did that too. <br /></p><p>I've never seen a boxed Mini, so i'm not sure if they also managed to make teensy shoes but I do know that standard Sindy shoes do NOT fit her dinky little feet. </p><p>Curiously, mini Sindy comes in two variations. The MIE style with the shorter bob and MIHK with the puffy bubble cut.</p><p>I don't know why this is. </p><p>The Hong Kong ones are more common, presumably because they're the ones that they were SUPPOSED to be making. I wonder if the few MIE ones i've seen over the years were some sort of transitional doll as they moved over to the Hong Kong factories. </p><p>Whatever the case, Mini Sindys are one of the many oddities we got from Pedigree. </p><p>And the weirdness only gets more inexplicable. </p><p> </p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>(*insert photos here*) </b><br /></p><p> </p><p>Pedigree had a tendency to use up old stock, which results in a fair few "frankensteined" dolls who use parts from previous years. Usually though, they at least MATCH right and left limbs.</p><p>But I suppose sometimes you just want to clock off early and have stopped giving a fuck.</p><p>Now I know what some of you are thinking. "How can you be sure she came like this?" and the truth is, I can't. But having recently attempted to replace a Sindy leg, I can tell you that doing so without damaging the torso is really difficult and even when these dolls were new and not as brittle, I don't think you could do it without a lot of know how and having the knack. I doubt many parents had "the knack" and any collector I seriously doubt would select limbs that are SO mismatched. </p><p>it's quite possible that this girl didn't look as strange when she was boxed up. We don't know how long the shrinkage of the vinyl parts took to happen after all. There's every chance that these limbs looked about the same size when they were attached and the several decades have made the shrinkage more obvious. </p><p>Which is also true of the mini sindys but my counter to the theory that they looked normal when they left the factory is their face paint. Look again at the photos of mini compared to regular Sindy, her head is about half the size. Now, if you painted that head like normal and then it shrank you'd expect to see that impact the paint, either causing it to peel or wrinkle or if nothing else, no longer fitting the sculpt surely? But the paint on the minis is PERFECT. Which makes me think the shrinkage happened early enough in the production line that by the time they got to painting and dressing (also remember some minis have altered clothing to fit them, with thread that matches the factory thread exactly suggesting it was done by them and not a parent at a later date) they'd already shrunk. </p><p>it's possible that when they were put together they weren't and the shrinkage happened at some point as they went through the different stations but while mini Sindy at least generally has matching limbs and at least LOOKS fairly normal (beyond her seriously wobbly head), FrankenSindy doesn't. </p><p>so did she really leave the factory like this? Did they notice? Why was she never returned as defective? If this was done later in her life, WHY?<br /></p><p>We'll never know this particular doll's story, but honestly I love her anyway. My poor asymmetrical girl. </p><p>One day i'll make her a wedge/platform shoe so she can actually stand up. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaM2xHbkI_YuuXL75xqTfodbn58B0UOM1X0gQE2VXheDTlBJQ4OOw5jYA8uy-SZ-LgCT2jw1xvIgClgeP0Qv8FT3YLdmGx3uOIzHxM7OwnaSPxokpZzqfyjDfLXZlDG9nM0r35jgdktDXHBvqVH1pp4bn83QtXqg4zwlOQBtn55cotRsE0Y7vaeNNrWfKo/s3859/20230904_191227.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2283" data-original-width="3859" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaM2xHbkI_YuuXL75xqTfodbn58B0UOM1X0gQE2VXheDTlBJQ4OOw5jYA8uy-SZ-LgCT2jw1xvIgClgeP0Qv8FT3YLdmGx3uOIzHxM7OwnaSPxokpZzqfyjDfLXZlDG9nM0r35jgdktDXHBvqVH1pp4bn83QtXqg4zwlOQBtn55cotRsE0Y7vaeNNrWfKo/w640-h378/20230904_191227.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>As the 60s drew to a close we saw one more change to Sindy, and this was a big one. 1968 saw the release of "New Look Sindy", often referred to as "side part Sindy" due to her hairstyle.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVQRJUPJRJIF5lpszh37wGj1IIWPdEwv3U7rD6_prvWG-eTa-MRSRmCkhUHKNM0TXR-jnGI3Oj3D8bUEtgjNsghqUSSfkwcvBtja-R0avAiXZ-gc2TdAt4ethbmqELqLit25Sxfsh0tlANOl27B7P3KsiQr2iXoTh0qNObpDGW2rx6EOAF5deuiRikHqhY/s3422/20230904_191244.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3422" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVQRJUPJRJIF5lpszh37wGj1IIWPdEwv3U7rD6_prvWG-eTa-MRSRmCkhUHKNM0TXR-jnGI3Oj3D8bUEtgjNsghqUSSfkwcvBtja-R0avAiXZ-gc2TdAt4ethbmqELqLit25Sxfsh0tlANOl27B7P3KsiQr2iXoTh0qNObpDGW2rx6EOAF5deuiRikHqhY/w562-h640/20230904_191244.jpg" width="562" /></a></div><p></p><p>This girl had a very similar face but now included rooted (actually just a strip slotted into a slit) spiky lashes (which tend to fall out because they're not actually secured in the slits very well) and longer hair rooted in a "flip" style. </p><p>These dolls tend to suffer the worst for wooly hair. The longer style is far less forgiving than the bobs of the earlier dolls for a start, but Pedigree also appear to have changed what they were using for the hair. This stuff ends up brittle, dry and frizzy. </p><p>Compare her to MIHK's hair which is still shiny and fairly smooth. Poor Side Part has hair like cotton wool. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG78iEbkymRNPMm1LQQzvlYPPGjEDxLJkpC3IItoLOA_1iLxXVyWI9_Yq5hugPtPEbKk4oX3r_duG0r45Pnh4bc-tCr4tkFy7jrrt1D2-TRYTfyuVZKUcHnGkHkm_pJg8dyl8sXcxbDLwFiVW3sCEuAynWG5TWFFkVh28f59_8Ht7hYzSGHgEXH-qal90T/s3619/20230904_191339.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3619" data-original-width="1613" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG78iEbkymRNPMm1LQQzvlYPPGjEDxLJkpC3IItoLOA_1iLxXVyWI9_Yq5hugPtPEbKk4oX3r_duG0r45Pnh4bc-tCr4tkFy7jrrt1D2-TRYTfyuVZKUcHnGkHkm_pJg8dyl8sXcxbDLwFiVW3sCEuAynWG5TWFFkVh28f59_8Ht7hYzSGHgEXH-qal90T/w286-h640/20230904_191339.jpg" width="286" /></a></div><p></p><p>Sindy also got a new body. The arms and legs look about the same, but she has a new torso with a waist joint. Her new torso also features a more cinched in waist than previously, giving her a more wasp-like figure. </p><p>She came in several different hair colours just like previous versions. We had a yellow blonde, a chestnut (auburn) shade and a dark near black but now also got platinum blonde too. </p><p>In fact, quite a lot of these dolls appear to be platinum blonde. I've seen more in this colour over the years than any other. </p><p>We got a platinum blonde "hong kong" girl the year before, the very rare and hard to find doll referred to by collectors as "Marilyn" because her short white blonde hair is reminiscent of the actress. Like "new look" sindy, she also suffers from wooly frizz. She's also prone to fading, her face often turning white. Oh dear. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRW6jCZj1P8QOAc-21F6EDWwc3tRKpmgwjWBWPuF0X88l9RXKnq5pvxavwmlcACbMaO9YE1MntdRCj0MLyPKD0cHj1AiY3La1uFIrE8I0TxufGTRVsv3CebtVoignRcS5zx7yZgEII9CAM9lkPA0jPWuaOkaDi9ZTt7lqs7iqHnuajhFnt0cGAIm8iEP76/s768/68bCofts1-768x587.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="587" data-original-width="768" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRW6jCZj1P8QOAc-21F6EDWwc3tRKpmgwjWBWPuF0X88l9RXKnq5pvxavwmlcACbMaO9YE1MntdRCj0MLyPKD0cHj1AiY3La1uFIrE8I0TxufGTRVsv3CebtVoignRcS5zx7yZgEII9CAM9lkPA0jPWuaOkaDi9ZTt7lqs7iqHnuajhFnt0cGAIm8iEP76/w640-h490/68bCofts1-768x587.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1968 catalogue. Special thanks to TLSM for this archive of old pamphlets<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>"New Look" Sindy was sold in one of four outfits. I've seen three of these but I don't know that i've ever seen "Beach time girl". </p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/236x/a8/46/a6/a846a67f5d86e1e2e98a5972583c181e--warm-blonde-blonde-brunette.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="236" data-original-width="236" height="400" src="https://i.pinimg.com/236x/a8/46/a6/a846a67f5d86e1e2e98a5972583c181e--warm-blonde-blonde-brunette.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image source unknown. From BBC article<br /></td></tr></tbody></table> </p><p>I always liked that purple dress.<br /></p><p>She also came with a charm bracelet. You could get extra charms via mail aways or with some of Sindy's friends (which were often also mail away deals). Sindy often is seen wearing this bracelet like a necklace as it's quite small, being designed for a young child's wrist and all. </p><p>This particular catalogue above is curious because it lists Sindy as being manufactured by "rovex industries" rather than Pedigree. Looking into it, Rovex was, by the sounds of it, another part of Line Brothers, the parent company of Pedigree. "Rovex" were their plastics manufacturer. I wonder why they cited Rovex rather than Pedigree. Very odd. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioBapqtfgO0KO8G6PnGppljUhUbnpura7nRg2bLhkcRCkSz6K1O4suNG-CJbLEPiItLTxnyU5_PwPDJUrWb7ZXZTF89KcfBo5loy5k5rn7fKJS46ajuZ-h-OhxSvdBgBheUPjVi6vDZssCJib3CfjudY_8djlr_X6SLVAK2uMuT-_bQc50Ccbyg407437l/s4000/20230904_191554.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioBapqtfgO0KO8G6PnGppljUhUbnpura7nRg2bLhkcRCkSz6K1O4suNG-CJbLEPiItLTxnyU5_PwPDJUrWb7ZXZTF89KcfBo5loy5k5rn7fKJS46ajuZ-h-OhxSvdBgBheUPjVi6vDZssCJib3CfjudY_8djlr_X6SLVAK2uMuT-_bQc50Ccbyg407437l/w480-h640/20230904_191554.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p>1970 saw a minor change for Sindy. Her hair parting moved to a center part.</p><p>She's otherwise identical to the 1968 "Side part". </p><p>As is the case with all these old girls, there's a lot of variation in limbs. Some have bending limbs, some don't. Sometimes they'll have one wired limb and one not. Pedigree didn't seem to really pay that much attention there. Lol. </p><p>Because these girls are a little slimmer in the waist than the previous girls they can fit into later Sindy fashions a lot better. Centerpart here for example is wearing a dress from 1978 which is a little tight in the arms but otherwise fine. </p><p>on the flip side, some of the trousers and skirts from the earlier dolls can be a little ill fitting in the waist on "new look" Sindy. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBt-xX5-zqBbTNDZ8Fp2OaPr60kHUZyDPPtHv4dyO9drMyY6FtZ0RV88fSd2UzdMtMzzDW0fbsY6nvJK6m9QVQqtocaf27x3TmFYieLQ5xsnZBaMYKZz8K_R-bv0bQv1l594ze-Zag5MY5mHgMkjnyg2wPAlEnxvECa9sRtNm2DglbdGxygs9NOTOnpx56/s4000/20230904_191629.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBt-xX5-zqBbTNDZ8Fp2OaPr60kHUZyDPPtHv4dyO9drMyY6FtZ0RV88fSd2UzdMtMzzDW0fbsY6nvJK6m9QVQqtocaf27x3TmFYieLQ5xsnZBaMYKZz8K_R-bv0bQv1l594ze-Zag5MY5mHgMkjnyg2wPAlEnxvECa9sRtNm2DglbdGxygs9NOTOnpx56/w640-h480/20230904_191629.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>in just 7 years Sindy has seen several changes and refinements. As well as dolls Pedigree had also pushed out a lot of fashion packs ranging from deluxe sets with accessories, budget mix and match pieces, shoe packs and even house work sets with aprons and cleaning supplies. </p><p>She also got her very own car, a very swish red convertible as well as a huge amount of furniture.<br /></p><p>She had a horse, she had a moped, she even had her own record. As in, a real album with music on it by Cliff Warwick and the Dollybeats. You can listen to this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ly1-Bw5pYk">here</a>. The old radio accent, oh my god. The actual song itself. I am dying. </p><p>I'm not convinced Cliff Warwick is actually a real person either. But who the hell knows. I can't find any info on the artists behind this promotional stuff so um. Certainly Pedigree pumped quite a bit of money into promotion for the first few years and it's a shame the actual real artists didn't get credit. I suppose that's how it goes though. <br /></p><p>Moving on from that madness.... (like seriously, WHY? Why a record? Why an audio drama? I'm so confused! In fact, isn't this the same song from the ad? Different lyrics but.... I think i'm going mad.) <br /></p><p>Sindy had a piano, a tent, a bathtub and shower, though she'd have to wait til 1976 for a toilet. </p><p><a href="https://thelittlesindymuseum.com">TLSM</a> has a fantastic collection of vintage Sindy catalogue images to browse. </p><p>But I have to share this one</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCEW_DSXe52-7djS_rJfJy6U6eXHXHHQ9afQwDlBVomxTD7Ohv5E5gktRThUUN0v3xGdtbS5uqeEvFR6V_qNOFLq7tUDiCuFfyywdrIB3UqXJntt58KRAvEpjiuDTg5hTXfo9CRq-zZjZCK2Ljxwl3TrKeGBZ09xT5KAIK0GkZyLsYbo1Tl_l5TXMbxek3/s270/Screenshot%202023-09-06%20at%2011-45-26%201968%20Scensetters%20%E2%80%93%20The%20Little%20Sindy%20Museum.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="184" data-original-width="270" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCEW_DSXe52-7djS_rJfJy6U6eXHXHHQ9afQwDlBVomxTD7Ohv5E5gktRThUUN0v3xGdtbS5uqeEvFR6V_qNOFLq7tUDiCuFfyywdrIB3UqXJntt58KRAvEpjiuDTg5hTXfo9CRq-zZjZCK2Ljxwl3TrKeGBZ09xT5KAIK0GkZyLsYbo1Tl_l5TXMbxek3/w640-h436/Screenshot%202023-09-06%20at%2011-45-26%201968%20Scensetters%20%E2%80%93%20The%20Little%20Sindy%20Museum.png" width="640" /></a></div><p>What the fuck is she bathing IN? Slime? Gatorade? Nuclear waste? </p><p>also, how did she get her dressing gown BEHIND the tub? </p><p>What are you doing girl!? </p><p>This image is just... there's so much to unpack here. </p><p>The bathmat that's half IN the Gatorade, the arm that's defying the wall's existence, the dressing gown behind the bath, the random alcove, the lack of taps, the floating coat hanger, the non euclidean angles of the room itself, the inexplicable chunk of tile behind her head that seems to serve zero purpose, how SMALL the tub is compared to her, her slenderman proportions, the slime itself.... </p><p>I think I might love this image. It's terrible and I can't stop looking at it and finding more wrong. </p><p>It's wonderful. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhb-PC94jnoelS7EQR1SRqqXOCM6d2ZKzEQN4NIhoTXHq0nhIZnelnbXXZlXBnJCRbGrGgmP8A5Psrgxse-50ICIt3ZKiJMjAWPzXMMTZAozwTJ5jXlq0LYdc84lUDw1yilR8nv6bIQf2cHHpwLwbZDXDvlY7nO1kXpk3l1bLVm4XEPOYDchCVLPKQQbw9/s3443/20230904_191726.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3443" data-original-width="2383" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhb-PC94jnoelS7EQR1SRqqXOCM6d2ZKzEQN4NIhoTXHq0nhIZnelnbXXZlXBnJCRbGrGgmP8A5Psrgxse-50ICIt3ZKiJMjAWPzXMMTZAozwTJ5jXlq0LYdc84lUDw1yilR8nv6bIQf2cHHpwLwbZDXDvlY7nO1kXpk3l1bLVm4XEPOYDchCVLPKQQbw9/w442-h640/20230904_191726.jpg" width="442" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1963 - 1970<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Closing out the decade Sindy had cemented herself as the best selling doll in the UK. </p><p>She had been given several friends and family members as well, but few of them survived into the 70s when Sindy struck out solo. <br /></p><p>We'll move on to the 70s next time. As I said, there's a lot to cover and i'm not the expert. I'll share photos, any interesting stuff I find and of course all important links for your enjoyment (there's at least one more record, fair warning bwhahahaha). </p><p>For now, Happy 60th Birthday Sindy. <br /></p>Purple_monkfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023284779817354246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3031605728160552641.post-90108506742783442752023-08-28T18:55:00.003+01:002023-08-28T18:55:53.519+01:0060 year old TLC dolls<p> Now one thing regular readers may know about me is that I love me a bargain. A second thing is that I can seldom resist a doll in need. </p><p>with that in mind, these two purchases make a lot of sense I think. </p><p>Let's take a look. </p><p><br /></p><span><a name='more'></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmjQNfS_yuy-IQZYHKzgHJ3sZ3sN9ZTEkBNJWeXZi53vREd84ril5SjKnovVHh3DEcV5Y1xmL8hQbVHHVGX4cketovWdJs8QqGjQiqwFIXat-Yb46uNrP_Yq7LrSntQ40iJ-jQRbx6346pQimDIrwuOf7kppgVPx8KZKY7-2OZTpxsuZfXsV3oNmO9U4Tt/s1600/s2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmjQNfS_yuy-IQZYHKzgHJ3sZ3sN9ZTEkBNJWeXZi53vREd84ril5SjKnovVHh3DEcV5Y1xmL8hQbVHHVGX4cketovWdJs8QqGjQiqwFIXat-Yb46uNrP_Yq7LrSntQ40iJ-jQRbx6346pQimDIrwuOf7kppgVPx8KZKY7-2OZTpxsuZfXsV3oNmO9U4Tt/w640-h640/s2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>The first bundle was a very random assortment of dolls, mostly from the 60s and 70s. </p><p>I felt bad for battered up Paul in the middle there. </p><p>For those unaware, Paul was Sindy's boyfriend. He was released in 1965 but this particular one is a mini Paul from 1967. The poor guy has clearly had a rough time of it but for the price I took a punt thinking "I can probably fix him right?" </p><p>The other dolls are two Rexard dolls, a Dam Troll who's discoloured a bit but is still really adorable, some sort of dollhouse mini, a kitch "moody cutie", A Japanese made Mexican doll named Pedro and a very small plastic baby doll in a gorgeous crocheted dress. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHG1iSNf7AioBkgOc5eks5ag--jS8rwHu2EUjFCRWPsP6p3KqG15BvMQ2a_ypF_rLlmb8XGH0z1RLx8C9BKEMjv5nHs02PK7sPb31v2rByKfiFtD_FP2374A02R_6m3g9Pvq41oVCwCI2s6myesgEomQkcRbniyG6O0bCsp1pfyeyF1_gcvjkO5mR-bu2_/s2993/20230714_132334.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2993" data-original-width="1267" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHG1iSNf7AioBkgOc5eks5ag--jS8rwHu2EUjFCRWPsP6p3KqG15BvMQ2a_ypF_rLlmb8XGH0z1RLx8C9BKEMjv5nHs02PK7sPb31v2rByKfiFtD_FP2374A02R_6m3g9Pvq41oVCwCI2s6myesgEomQkcRbniyG6O0bCsp1pfyeyF1_gcvjkO5mR-bu2_/w270-h640/20230714_132334.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><p></p><p>Paul on arrival looking pretty worse for wear. I was wary of what might be lurking under those old discoloured bandages but he felt intact. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Lzi9o2y2bOL2bYl9RnanIvgeprTfgV9ICMJZp5-d4aQXKra6TsbkCGyz3iIOW3cBzqSUreoLcn9YD5e43hgJGnE3UKbQAC5AGslgrsOnti5D6nsmGwX33cHORItAnxMvXmWcBmBIxvZKygyTV0ecieMLiJkQGyvir_AJOW6XVdU1otVUKCoKJgsZ1lec/s3042/20230714_132338.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3042" data-original-width="2142" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Lzi9o2y2bOL2bYl9RnanIvgeprTfgV9ICMJZp5-d4aQXKra6TsbkCGyz3iIOW3cBzqSUreoLcn9YD5e43hgJGnE3UKbQAC5AGslgrsOnti5D6nsmGwX33cHORItAnxMvXmWcBmBIxvZKygyTV0ecieMLiJkQGyvir_AJOW6XVdU1otVUKCoKJgsZ1lec/w450-h640/20230714_132338.jpg" width="450" /></a></div><p></p><p>The poor guy is covered in scratches, paint and pen. His bandages are held on with an old plaster/bandaid. Thankfully unused. but still, ew. </p><p>His head is rock hard and one arm is loose which is in keeping with him being a mini doll. The story goes that the factory fucked up their mixture when they made the soft vinyl parts and they shrank more than expected and hardened up. The end result is a doll with a small rock hard head and often similarly rock hard arms none of which fit into the body correctly. Wobbly heads are a defining feature of these dolls but Pedigree had a waste nothing policy so they sold them anyway. What's not entirely clear is where in the process the factory realised they'd screwed up. But these dolls were still sent out to stores. One thing they do have going for them, despite their wonkiness, is that they tend to retain very very bright colouration and high blush. </p><p>Under all the grime Paul is VERY bright and his paint looks intact under all that. </p><p>time to unwrap this mummy. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAWLTI_t0EhDDXbI16wVSW6Y81c4FblljY-BKPF-Dix3lR24eiI-9iqUCydM7wCv8Qtyab85bnd6ufF_cHpqpRjGwuFGaVLtkH7lLk1Vvrob9SLc4IVt_T9uBUuoEVmxTkp-Ev89j1sIuwxwW2TD6TVkOfZBiXWVf1kWnX5f0BJRuu81Ag29YiNPf1rwrS/s3560/20230714_132407.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3560" data-original-width="1419" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAWLTI_t0EhDDXbI16wVSW6Y81c4FblljY-BKPF-Dix3lR24eiI-9iqUCydM7wCv8Qtyab85bnd6ufF_cHpqpRjGwuFGaVLtkH7lLk1Vvrob9SLc4IVt_T9uBUuoEVmxTkp-Ev89j1sIuwxwW2TD6TVkOfZBiXWVf1kWnX5f0BJRuu81Ag29YiNPf1rwrS/w256-h640/20230714_132407.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><p></p><p>Under the bandages there's more scuffs and scratches and more paint. Red splatters mostly. </p><p>On his leg there's some sort of black residue. It's not paint, least, I don't think it's pain. It actually feels like it's charred. I wondered if the leg itself had been burned but the black charred stuff came off with a bit of elbow grease and left no trace on the plastic itself so uh... not a clue. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Q57cpDqWwUxlmBdL4Yjbr4WZVB3VtMuwr3QZBfNhd7GhZfjthT6TSvnuQ6DWkNvHuDhs1MRahxJMBEoPO1_ZyWHOQSukDobaa0xJnriovDNTKNn4KXH8rDdJMUelPJ01YDfowL0772j5ZzHBpo-pypGeDDO_AL8cEudbB0se5tOGoorU5SWh-FmCWINe/s3827/20230714_132412.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3827" data-original-width="1848" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Q57cpDqWwUxlmBdL4Yjbr4WZVB3VtMuwr3QZBfNhd7GhZfjthT6TSvnuQ6DWkNvHuDhs1MRahxJMBEoPO1_ZyWHOQSukDobaa0xJnriovDNTKNn4KXH8rDdJMUelPJ01YDfowL0772j5ZzHBpo-pypGeDDO_AL8cEudbB0se5tOGoorU5SWh-FmCWINe/w310-h640/20230714_132412.jpg" width="310" /></a></div><p></p><p>And some pretty intense scratch marks on his back. Has he been fighting bears!? what the hell? </p><p>I'm amused that someone painted in his butt crack. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1m2HMxDxWJO57kXHz4kPteY_5hPN1RDyRSYHTm4H2hFShVL_HYj6yQy9zXNwawf_KAN4f5QUctzM-atiOlVrtlyw_D13fz0qzdw8UCivVaG7N8N_6S_mpODRdtiTbbiAqhsdcORqppY-oHrjbmvWcFHLwhgvB7qJezlUvydPECfYiRzQHHmAzT0MrHXn8/s2962/20230714_140846.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2962" data-original-width="2017" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1m2HMxDxWJO57kXHz4kPteY_5hPN1RDyRSYHTm4H2hFShVL_HYj6yQy9zXNwawf_KAN4f5QUctzM-atiOlVrtlyw_D13fz0qzdw8UCivVaG7N8N_6S_mpODRdtiTbbiAqhsdcORqppY-oHrjbmvWcFHLwhgvB7qJezlUvydPECfYiRzQHHmAzT0MrHXn8/w436-h640/20230714_140846.jpg" width="436" /></a></div><p></p><p>He got a good scrub with soapy water followed by nail polish remover and a magic eraser. I had to resort to using a metal file to pick the worst of the paint off as it refused to shift otherwise. </p><p>so a lot of scraping and scrubbing later and he's looking a lot better. The blue marks are pen which looks to have leeched into the plastic. One arm is still stained and I can't get the red from between his toes. </p><p>I wonder if the pen marks came first and were painted over in an attempt to make it look intentional. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwHkXx840_AkgQe3FrD4tJvNiXps_5WtpiNo-GqXmTaQy2ZP1cfdc8yuhTIlgRfyL2Ggdu-pAqZwV5rDiKH-v3iKAyTct5hUNvqMbGI2ZvwZjgYnRKTnL7xdbEFtbO4we_aKm_MQqxXzpb0sTvlAQJqCWM5BlENGi59dqWz9j06hHDw2t3ZPNbRKkT1DzD/s3144/20230714_140853.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3144" data-original-width="1322" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwHkXx840_AkgQe3FrD4tJvNiXps_5WtpiNo-GqXmTaQy2ZP1cfdc8yuhTIlgRfyL2Ggdu-pAqZwV5rDiKH-v3iKAyTct5hUNvqMbGI2ZvwZjgYnRKTnL7xdbEFtbO4we_aKm_MQqxXzpb0sTvlAQJqCWM5BlENGi59dqWz9j06hHDw2t3ZPNbRKkT1DzD/w270-h640/20230714_140853.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><p></p><p>But his back scrubbed up great! Even his butt lol. </p><p>So now begins the destaining process. I use zit cream on these vintage dolls because it's what other collectors reccomend for flesh toned dolls. I'm aware there's some controversy about the use of it in general but it seems to specifically be use on coloured plastics like my little pony that causes issues of bleaching. Do NOT use zit cream on my little ponies and be wary of using it on similar fantasy toned vinyls and soft plastics. </p><p>But i've been told that it's fine for dolls like Sindy and Barbie and i've used it previously with no ill effects. </p><p>time will I suppose tell if that was a mistake. </p><p>So anyway, first comes weeks in the airing cupboard as the English summer was AWOL and i've found in the past the heat of the airing cupboard tends to work pretty well. </p><p>After several weeks of checking on him, reapplying cream to the areas that needed it and putting him back in the cupboard wrapped in clingfilm I finally got him to a point where only the very edges of his mouth and a faint mark from his nose were still present. </p><p>the sun finally came out so yesterday he got new cream applied, wrapped up and stuck outside for 24 hours. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG0lCKpGgMkwH78QoVzf1szB67iSZR4WX3gsU7ZsBXGyGtyvrzFSTRo0Q5uh-T4anlzL5noC37ephbkUaBsU3P4vrMO4LBrWd7PNMBfbFXnwhTqC_95sdXDSGcOPtTIRpqB6pGW6EKSJrTcPJg9H7gAFvOxoGdcBNWVAPrQ4uOFBfqaXU0M15qHvT0Z2ak/s3140/IMG_20230823_140807.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3140" data-original-width="2420" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG0lCKpGgMkwH78QoVzf1szB67iSZR4WX3gsU7ZsBXGyGtyvrzFSTRo0Q5uh-T4anlzL5noC37ephbkUaBsU3P4vrMO4LBrWd7PNMBfbFXnwhTqC_95sdXDSGcOPtTIRpqB6pGW6EKSJrTcPJg9H7gAFvOxoGdcBNWVAPrQ4uOFBfqaXU0M15qHvT0Z2ak/w494-h640/IMG_20230823_140807.jpg" width="494" /></a></div><p></p><p>The UV seems to have done the trick removing the very last bits of staining. There's still the tiniest shadow at the corners of his mouth but it looks like intentional shading rather than staining. </p><p>He's a very clearly played with doll, covered in scuffs and scratches but I think that adds to a vintage doll's charm honestly. </p><p>One arm doesn't seat properly in the socket and the other still has some red staining but that'll be covered by clothes so it doesn't matter. <br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN53wqo6Xkka79fEIWGid6iLzQClCFyg9_2bX81wT3cbzSWhk5f09vaUCu5bANqZDATceuFzEGC9dltIPk6okcD-nfxl9mAK-V4GXlaPXyHaeG5ZZmEfJiy_CEc6eCQxkxCmZlpeis-Yj6zJNJs8UnPMghJjqKtlmZaA1th__OotfllyoaYH2I_3IJHD6b/s2993/20230714_132334.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2993" data-original-width="1267" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN53wqo6Xkka79fEIWGid6iLzQClCFyg9_2bX81wT3cbzSWhk5f09vaUCu5bANqZDATceuFzEGC9dltIPk6okcD-nfxl9mAK-V4GXlaPXyHaeG5ZZmEfJiy_CEc6eCQxkxCmZlpeis-Yj6zJNJs8UnPMghJjqKtlmZaA1th__OotfllyoaYH2I_3IJHD6b/w270-h640/20230714_132334.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP1jlv5-MQjT0WlzjVqXmmlRX7SJYZJGf3xW-a0CH0cXn7esoohzLWsKM5RwUfeZXlxuzQond4UkWjxSlbQCxZ_UUU_jDov1dWIgC4vxBCuDhO6dXABQ9TxRt66iAgrDFcFvk2rqmE5RtiS9d4zaLa6eP4WuKpzRuHEvsCdpLLONswaeLINLUoAWNvgRwo/s3340/IMG_20230823_140755.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3340" data-original-width="1379" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP1jlv5-MQjT0WlzjVqXmmlRX7SJYZJGf3xW-a0CH0cXn7esoohzLWsKM5RwUfeZXlxuzQond4UkWjxSlbQCxZ_UUU_jDov1dWIgC4vxBCuDhO6dXABQ9TxRt66iAgrDFcFvk2rqmE5RtiS9d4zaLa6eP4WuKpzRuHEvsCdpLLONswaeLINLUoAWNvgRwo/w264-h640/IMG_20230823_140755.jpg" width="264" /> </a><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Quite frankly, i'm amazed this is the same doll. He scrubbed up so well! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Now it's time to find him some clothes. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjt0nC682-mwB6-PfwRYLDsunADjjBsH23xK80gEmY6uwsEtNfLaslyuECWOYHIANWJlAtmZNbNsgszpJ9nXnrXumSTlvmzBWxyaB3HyGjQraYiMFgduI1ZPI5_M1vKRW2SHCnortnsvYwGM4wXxFdeX____6XMi6IWCkYeO_DL8tvtIclhLUFxqVR4ngA/s2935/20230823_133456.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2935" data-original-width="2014" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjt0nC682-mwB6-PfwRYLDsunADjjBsH23xK80gEmY6uwsEtNfLaslyuECWOYHIANWJlAtmZNbNsgszpJ9nXnrXumSTlvmzBWxyaB3HyGjQraYiMFgduI1ZPI5_M1vKRW2SHCnortnsvYwGM4wXxFdeX____6XMi6IWCkYeO_DL8tvtIclhLUFxqVR4ngA/w440-h640/20230823_133456.jpg" width="440" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I purchased a bundle of 60s Paul clothes and shoes alongside a regular sized Paul because i never have enough clothing for my boy dolls. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This Paul needs a bit of tlc as well, he's a little grubby but this does highlight the massive size difference between the regular and "mini" dolls. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZvP1opiARVfFp73rgfleW2Ry5KWtPV5P2EgdaX2AewlGKFxx7LWygOZi-3jydg27NVGAUTcb04Kw4ooCK2v2r1LpDu4YsSHpa6eIncIHr6r_duyodLG33MPtvLzZl37d-Itax7XC_8k2jQdZFKPYQykpB4JoHgOVgcZ79eQqa3-RXbl0dGzj_2TmjRAXx/s3326/20230823_133503.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3326" data-original-width="1868" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZvP1opiARVfFp73rgfleW2Ry5KWtPV5P2EgdaX2AewlGKFxx7LWygOZi-3jydg27NVGAUTcb04Kw4ooCK2v2r1LpDu4YsSHpa6eIncIHr6r_duyodLG33MPtvLzZl37d-Itax7XC_8k2jQdZFKPYQykpB4JoHgOVgcZ79eQqa3-RXbl0dGzj_2TmjRAXx/w360-h640/20230823_133503.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><br /> <br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">It does mean the clothes are a little oversized but oh well. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">This outfit is called Motorway Man and is one of my favourites. The coat is soft and textured, the trousers are woven and underneath he has a ribbed jersey. It looks so cozy. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">Perhaps at some point i'll find some mini Paul clothes so this tiny lil' guy can actually wear something that doesn't dwarf him, but for now i'm very pleased with how my bargain boy came out. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS2ioCAxb4j9n-OPHP2_jPSTekXqZHgMgA0s8-4nzja09fTiUSDRaEAA1ncoMGqaD_jZUTH4tGVf3umnL1WvJynmkTZdMc2TKY7Um3-8h1HW8728ji1b0CPmsfvwWmfvid-CmkAV-Q7TFntNm2wupKQhFCvggu2jLD0kt7btQ_Kg6LDaiSm5vl8geE6dG-/s1532/sindybundle.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1532" height="502" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS2ioCAxb4j9n-OPHP2_jPSTekXqZHgMgA0s8-4nzja09fTiUSDRaEAA1ncoMGqaD_jZUTH4tGVf3umnL1WvJynmkTZdMc2TKY7Um3-8h1HW8728ji1b0CPmsfvwWmfvid-CmkAV-Q7TFntNm2wupKQhFCvggu2jLD0kt7btQ_Kg6LDaiSm5vl8geE6dG-/w640-h502/sindybundle.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">can you see what caught my attention here? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">the little 60s sindy peeking out between the barbies of course!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">She was listed as a clone, but I know my Sindy dolls pretty well at this point. That's a legitimate Sindy. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">I was told she had a broken leg and green staining to her face but for the price she was worth it to see if I could give her a new lease of life. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiFZWm9P06j6sn34bb8lNUi3QTzldRXGnYX1l9HmeoF3PGtK47N78xVbtFcWg_Qm1uQ2a4jVD1NyJhWjppTgDtstfYoo0f8zfUCrdjHWSjjI5WvKOT1FiBOXymyWKtTljICcCJiCO2Pv5ptux4i-8KbZ3Nx7xT24CluL6RQob_KFDA15m0KIUZo9hcV0h_/s4000/20230714_175114.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiFZWm9P06j6sn34bb8lNUi3QTzldRXGnYX1l9HmeoF3PGtK47N78xVbtFcWg_Qm1uQ2a4jVD1NyJhWjppTgDtstfYoo0f8zfUCrdjHWSjjI5WvKOT1FiBOXymyWKtTljICcCJiCO2Pv5ptux4i-8KbZ3Nx7xT24CluL6RQob_KFDA15m0KIUZo9hcV0h_/w480-h640/20230714_175114.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>The green stain reminds me of Barbie green ear but I suspect it's dye transfer from clothing she was stored with. <p></p><p>The old girl has lost a lot of her face colouration, which happens unfortunately. But that suspicious little expression could ONLY belong to a Pedigree Sindy. There's something about her expression I find quite endearing but also very recognizable. Something no clones can quite emulate.</p><p> <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq-kxNfci0Sfsw1i3-BFXBcjmjKpngrmdrJRalFXAQUge_AMbYs2SxOrm1TP1sOp1aFf20pVdVHGe3ByHKu468-254M4-rGrNkI91p81g9ka4kWQZ1Iz-9o7EN-Ln3i3D-_TYzuyloa0_y_g_uSiIhXz-XDFpTdpXoXDhXVR5g3wiMBArXeMDb36rNmLW7/s4000/20230714_175102.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq-kxNfci0Sfsw1i3-BFXBcjmjKpngrmdrJRalFXAQUge_AMbYs2SxOrm1TP1sOp1aFf20pVdVHGe3ByHKu468-254M4-rGrNkI91p81g9ka4kWQZ1Iz-9o7EN-Ln3i3D-_TYzuyloa0_y_g_uSiIhXz-XDFpTdpXoXDhXVR5g3wiMBArXeMDb36rNmLW7/w480-h640/20230714_175102.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>Her leg had sheared off but the piece was still present inside her body. I tried to reconstruct it with some tinted milliput but unfortunately it wasn't strong enough. Reinserting the leg caused her brittle torso to crack and gentle manipulation of the leg itself caused it to rebreak. I tried several times with more and more stabilisation but alas, the joint was just too fragile. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqXUKoOuuvwBbVd_Bee1k4TL8h1VAAAXXmxGplooWMCTmknJadgOzbuzpv5ZucRe6OHava13nbosbMH2es_FNnP6Oo_ixO1MPmY6CEPbersIjFWIj0ipZ6xSt1RRFpCpCIyi6-2mdGyvxcK9zZf2WmbRzU4MI5tH47dnH4IfaEsqKJ-CGvh4NgbOXGC5k-/s4000/20230714_175110.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqXUKoOuuvwBbVd_Bee1k4TL8h1VAAAXXmxGplooWMCTmknJadgOzbuzpv5ZucRe6OHava13nbosbMH2es_FNnP6Oo_ixO1MPmY6CEPbersIjFWIj0ipZ6xSt1RRFpCpCIyi6-2mdGyvxcK9zZf2WmbRzU4MI5tH47dnH4IfaEsqKJ-CGvh4NgbOXGC5k-/w480-h640/20230714_175110.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">I even went so far as to fill the whole hollow part of the leg with milliput to try to hold the hip piece on but no dice. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">I considered pinning it, but the plastic is very thin and brittle with age. In the end I opted to just glue the leg in and accept this old girl won't be able to bend that leg again. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">I mean ultimately as she'll spend her life standing on a shelf anyway it's no great loss for her. It's not like these old dolls can sit well anyway. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">Aside from the leg and the stain on her face she's in pretty good nick. But the question is, can I remove that stain? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">Like Paul she was banished to the airing cupboard for several weeks which began to fade the mark but it was going a lot slower than Paul. The dye is very very embedded into her soft head and i'm not totally sure i'll be able to get it all off. But if I can at least fade it to a point I can put some paint over it as foundation/concealer then i'll be happy. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaKZPdy4_zRkMnrlmxQ7NCZAkHABLepFlstigmVPARRmqL0wzhiTMmJuBGJ6JEapE7WIEJZs1XX-lMXeYeKv4C9b2LAs0c8sVNykSjZdjmxwJk6V2Fsk0Lz5GpoN-c10KTYvTrlW_2RkuFeJbsc4RNUmYs9UIkH60lTG1FWe1mqxPHcT2iwPBEjoXAhLZP/s3000/20230828_165615.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2303" data-original-width="3000" height="492" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaKZPdy4_zRkMnrlmxQ7NCZAkHABLepFlstigmVPARRmqL0wzhiTMmJuBGJ6JEapE7WIEJZs1XX-lMXeYeKv4C9b2LAs0c8sVNykSjZdjmxwJk6V2Fsk0Lz5GpoN-c10KTYvTrlW_2RkuFeJbsc4RNUmYs9UIkH60lTG1FWe1mqxPHcT2iwPBEjoXAhLZP/w640-h492/20230828_165615.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After several more days in direct sunlight the mark was fading, but so too was the pink around the blemish which concerned me. In fact, her pink skin seemed to be bleaching faster than the green and the green looked to be spreading which worried me a lot. <br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So it was time for plan B, foundation! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Now, mixing a paint that matches the skin tone of an aged doll isn't that easy because the vinyl is no longer a perfectly even colour in the first place, but I did try to get it close. The other problem is blending it so it doesn't stand out, which involved a lot of thin layers, smearing with my fingers and finally several pastel layers to blend it all. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVKgBxtUIpqUY92eWU3jnXrdaiZ1WrQv4kdX22hOHk9L1VIt30gEBw_fTT6ch7a_Sq9mDz2VBA_dtymzDeNFKZysq9FazAjkG7uv4eUR1vCpjaYX7Csp6O51TwOBO6we3_IDsVMtIyaHV89IEIiofI1ODCUgxZxv2ENabWR_12ffU25hO-uc3I-cZa9dIE/s3383/20230828_181132.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2113" data-original-width="3383" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVKgBxtUIpqUY92eWU3jnXrdaiZ1WrQv4kdX22hOHk9L1VIt30gEBw_fTT6ch7a_Sq9mDz2VBA_dtymzDeNFKZysq9FazAjkG7uv4eUR1vCpjaYX7Csp6O51TwOBO6we3_IDsVMtIyaHV89IEIiofI1ODCUgxZxv2ENabWR_12ffU25hO-uc3I-cZa9dIE/w640-h400/20230828_181132.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /> The paint and pastel looks lighter with the flash which is picking up the white particles, but in real life it actually looks like a faint shadow. It's not a perfect coverup, but it's good enough. I mean, let's be real here, this doll is 60 years old, let's cut her some slack. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I also took the opportunity to repaint her lips and reblush her cheeks as the red had long since faded from her face. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This was also a little tricky as being a very well played with doll, she has little scuffs and scratches all over her, including on her cheeks. So the pastel likes to sink into those imperfections and clump. Bah. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgabbA7gkacil4RE6w0E4qtZm5ahiNptoQLQuMtWa_X2SiikQDL7U_UI9bdlwgPlBIZPmuMq6xbqz6gR85UXoBxVFVwl0MBATBg6QVL9IBcqHtbLc0iwFUR8Q5i0hIXrTWL458sR4xlX90_F4PPrN-vab-tc32hnRBT-wUqCP37CRRraHkXXp8Hc0cmAcEy/s2677/20230828_180057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2677" data-original-width="2184" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgabbA7gkacil4RE6w0E4qtZm5ahiNptoQLQuMtWa_X2SiikQDL7U_UI9bdlwgPlBIZPmuMq6xbqz6gR85UXoBxVFVwl0MBATBg6QVL9IBcqHtbLc0iwFUR8Q5i0hIXrTWL458sR4xlX90_F4PPrN-vab-tc32hnRBT-wUqCP37CRRraHkXXp8Hc0cmAcEy/w522-h640/20230828_180057.jpg" width="522" /></a></div><p></p><p>In natural light you can barely make out her staining, which is great news. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8XscXj6wI7ADYTwzsPPgPzHxBlrVm4fARsGTr0yiqxDMaggeSsqEuQKeEBPYJllY_tfwOBGuezKl1AfUBscGm1Tzy9tBKFAw8KHn2Sb1M6OvUeaJN4dvjgge_P1aYeenjmWeWTrLSj9OUJHrWQ0RtUlXWlAv3Y5Ge11YzhKAtn9YUw2sjGoUE6nwUfKed/s2195/20230828_180050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2195" data-original-width="1623" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8XscXj6wI7ADYTwzsPPgPzHxBlrVm4fARsGTr0yiqxDMaggeSsqEuQKeEBPYJllY_tfwOBGuezKl1AfUBscGm1Tzy9tBKFAw8KHn2Sb1M6OvUeaJN4dvjgge_P1aYeenjmWeWTrLSj9OUJHrWQ0RtUlXWlAv3Y5Ge11YzhKAtn9YUw2sjGoUE6nwUfKed/w474-h640/20230828_180050.jpg" width="474" /></a></div><p></p><p>And once her hair is styled back into its little bob... whatever, the curls cover that part of her cheek anyway. Further disguising the shadow that remains. </p><p>I didn't bother repainting the fading black in her eyes and eyebrows, I rather like a bit of vintage patina to my old dolls. Gives them character. Also i'm not convinced I can replicate the tiny little brush strokes. </p><p>Besides, with her lips restored to their original bright slightly orange tinted red and blush restored to her cheeks she looks a million times better anyway. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjJ4tZARwl-bCk1yhuKUcKXeDY-ph0zIUm1_pJkoIFpSx4IDpBB4-SQH3YhRzDZ7QWrtSCwm-YPmEq01JxrrT-t_BPZ_10PI7HFrP6hSowOJqQqqlRhxT_x9YAIMOetWKX8YQT_dmr10bsEnzu1MeY2c7bLPfQV11KuQ_lxcdte3KdzyJSWK31uYI6kpbE/s3199/20230828_180025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3199" data-original-width="1261" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjJ4tZARwl-bCk1yhuKUcKXeDY-ph0zIUm1_pJkoIFpSx4IDpBB4-SQH3YhRzDZ7QWrtSCwm-YPmEq01JxrrT-t_BPZ_10PI7HFrP6hSowOJqQqqlRhxT_x9YAIMOetWKX8YQT_dmr10bsEnzu1MeY2c7bLPfQV11KuQ_lxcdte3KdzyJSWK31uYI6kpbE/w252-h640/20230828_180025.jpg" width="252" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">She got a nice old Weekender outfit to wear, complete with the little white sneakers. This is the outfit Sindy was sold in originally so they're pretty common outfits to see, though often rather grubby and play worn. This is one of the earlier versions with the pattern printed onto the fabric. The later ones are made from a knit material in red, white and blue. Unfortunately I don't have the red elastic headband that would have gone with this so I substituted it with a tri striped ribbon I had from some packaging. It matches her top beautifully. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Dressed her disproportionately short arms are all the more apparent, the poor girl. Those arms I don't think were designed with her in mind, she's quite likely a "transitional" doll cobbled together from parts they had laying around the factory. Her head is marked "made in England" but has much fuller hair than most MIE dolls. Most of the MIEs i've restored over the years have had their fringes combed back into the rest of their hair which is a pain to get back down and looking full and proper again. Most also have slightly shorter hair than this girl who's hair is surprisingly long at the back. It's a bit mullet-like honestly. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Her body is "made in hong kong" which would date the torso to at the earliest 1966, which is the point they discontinued the "made in england" heads and moved to the made in hong kong ones. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Her legs are hollow plastic, in keeping with the made in England dolls rather than the soft rubbery legs of the hong kong girls while her arms are rock hard and solid which is in keeping with the early hong kong "mini" sindy from 65 (as I mentioned with Paul, the rumour is that they screwed up their vinyl mixture and it shrank more than anticipated and went rock hard instead of remaining pliable. Resulting in dolls who's heads and limbs don't fit their hard plastic bodies) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So taking all this into account, i'd say this is a 1964 head, on a 1966 torso, with 1963 legs and 1965 "mini" arms. She's quite the frankendolly huh? But at least her paired limbs match, unlike SOME of the Sindy dolls of this era in my collection. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The liklihood is that she came out of the factory like this, Pedigree did this. They had a "use everything" mentality which was common of the UK post war, even decades later. They couldn't easily melt down the cast parts or sell them on, so they just used them. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">These dolls are often referred to as "New Zealand Sindys", the story going that in order to get around certain tax laws in NZ as long as a product was "finished" in NZ it could get certain breaks or something. So Pedigree would ship parts out to a factory in NZ to be put together. Unfortunately, often those parts weren't 100% matching and because it took so long to get the parts in (slow boat remember, it was the 60s. It took months) and because they had a quota to meet, they'd just use what they had. The result being a lot of frankendolls with mismatched pieces. However, given how many i've found within the UK that are just like this, i'd argue this phenomenon wasn't unique to the dolls being assembled in NZ and represents more of a company wide ethos. It's very unlikely all these frankendolls have come all the way back to the UK from NZ and far more likely they were sold here as well. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is a point of contention between myself and some other sindy collectors who like to suggest that mismatched parts may be a parent repairing the doll, but i'd counter that even as a seasoned doll collector, replacing the arms, legs and heads on these old dolls is REALLY difficult without doing damage. I've heard accounts of people that back in the 60s if the neck broke sometimes Pedigree would send just a new head to be fitted to the old body (hopefully with instructions on how to do so) but i've never heard the same for arms or legs. In fact most dolls with damaged parts have very obvious parent repairs with wooden dowels, screws, glue and so on. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So my feeling on the matter is that if the parts look intact and it's a 1960s doll, that's probably how she came originally. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">the liklihood of a parent being able to slot a replacement arm or leg in after removing the broken one and not making matters worse is pretty slim, the chance of multiple parents doing this and there being no evidence of such tampering? I'd say close to nil. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgctUVEB7JayWEIcC7JhTjkJhJCB2B0ipe16R05tcESAtlj-G2cnzQ695N9F_7CRQcdGsKZ85tloOPZXfGSAlXWvFQVk6treOPJHelzkehdTG7dkyIpyQi0ai68xEpVcaDQFkZyRIBeBNxgwOQSabBp_Y9Fa1A2ia0sDYnV1YbGkCGuynW4ULNDLY2TdiyP/s4000/20230714_175102.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgctUVEB7JayWEIcC7JhTjkJhJCB2B0ipe16R05tcESAtlj-G2cnzQ695N9F_7CRQcdGsKZ85tloOPZXfGSAlXWvFQVk6treOPJHelzkehdTG7dkyIpyQi0ai68xEpVcaDQFkZyRIBeBNxgwOQSabBp_Y9Fa1A2ia0sDYnV1YbGkCGuynW4ULNDLY2TdiyP/w300-h400/20230714_175102.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii5OxmBRC7WRtR1rflMhFoMK0XDckgwAVbvBuwD9nQlUvjvl4xrkDSjmAq9KEjZRMaKVuKDnETqOnofWYp_xTywZosu6WkXyuMdKYBq1Sj6dFzTXaVtQ43P00AVpRVBU8EBCWm-p6D8yTMOdnJYIs_JE_ZfPx1YvGumN4gWgr2cMyQuuelZEVkRuITpyHv/s3199/20230828_180025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3199" data-original-width="1261" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii5OxmBRC7WRtR1rflMhFoMK0XDckgwAVbvBuwD9nQlUvjvl4xrkDSjmAq9KEjZRMaKVuKDnETqOnofWYp_xTywZosu6WkXyuMdKYBq1Sj6dFzTXaVtQ43P00AVpRVBU8EBCWm-p6D8yTMOdnJYIs_JE_ZfPx1YvGumN4gWgr2cMyQuuelZEVkRuITpyHv/w158-h400/20230828_180025.jpg" width="158" /></a></div> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><p><br />Again I am amazed that this is the same doll in these two photos. No matter how many times I restore a doll, i'm always astounded by the difference some tlc and a little lipstick and blush makes. </p><p>This girl isn't perfect of course. She has a glued leg, a cracked torso and a stain lurking under that concealer but she'll display beautifully and in the end, that's what really matters. She deserves a nice peaceful retirement, she's clearly had quite the life. </p><p><br /></p><p>Now I await the arrival of some more melamine sponges so other Paul can get the intense scrub he desperately needs. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><p></p>Purple_monkfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023284779817354246noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3031605728160552641.post-53814516300186560112023-07-30T00:24:00.003+01:002023-07-30T15:22:02.167+01:00Another look at the first Monster High reboot <p> I have a tricky history with Monster High, particularly the first reboot or "gen 2" as the community has come to refer to it. Monster High was, for a long time, a sort of special interest and a source of great passion and joy for me, far too much in fact that I really over invested emotionally in little plastic people. Apparently this isn't uncommon for people with crippling depression but it's taken several years of being healthy mentally to get to a place I wanted to actually go back and reassess. </p><p>I did this recently, rebuying Silvi and Venus for cheap and my feelings about the shortfalls and successes of g2 were much the same as they were back when they first came out, albeit with less emotion behind the disappointment. </p><p>but i'm a curious sort and I had always kinda wanted signature Lagoona back then so when she popped up for sale with Frankie and Draculaura tagging along I decided it was time to take a look at the main ghouls at long last. </p><p>What did gen 2 do right? What did they do wrong? And do the first reboot's interpretation of the characters deserve the ire they get? </p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p>So, </p><p>this time we're looking at "first day at school" Frankie, Draculaura and Lagoona. </p><p>Lagoona was released after the first batch alongside Cleo and Clawdeen and by that point the reboot was already sinking fast. It means that here in the UK we saw them only briefly (if at all) in a handful of online stores before they disappeared forever and didn't even make it to a lot of regions of the world.(I've always wanted Cleo too but not enough to pay what ebay sellers are asking for her). <br /></p><p>Weirdly, least from my experience, it seems Lagoona is the more difficult to find. Go figure. </p><p>Anyway, </p><p>Frankie, Draculaura and Ari (AKA Spectra but make her a pop star) made up the very first batch of dolls for the reboot, but it gets a little muddled because 1: my memory of that period is absolutely SHOT TO HELL and 2: Mattel threw a hell of a lot of dolls out simultaneously for gen 2. </p><p>But this was supposed to be the "signature" look, the outfits they would wear in all artwork and animation, their "default" appearance so to speak. The series was called "how do you boo?" and there's two different lines that use that name, the "first day of school" line, and a budget unarticulated line released at a similar time. So uh.. yay confusion? Thanks Mattel. </p><p>I have never watched the animation, or the movie they crapped out. I had no desire to inflict that upon myself. I watched the first gen movies with a sort of "i'm not the target demographic and it's rather cringe but it's also endearing in its cringe" attitude but I couldn't summon that for the reboot media which was clearly aimed at an even younger audience and didn't even have Nerd corps' hilariously shit run animations to laugh at. Plus all the retcons were hard to stomach when they were opting for a "soft reboot" in a lot of ways but also steamrollering all their lore at the same time. Basically, the 2016 monster high reboot was a hot mess of Mattel not being able to decide what they actually wanted to do and not having the balls to actually wipe the slate clean and do a real reboot. </p><p>Anywaaaay.</p><p>You can tell I get all passionate about this still huh? But you're here for dolls, not for my hyperfixations. </p><p>Now, you're gonna hate me for this but I didn't actually take a photo of them BEFORE I started to fix them. So i'm gonna use stock images for the initial thoughts section. </p><p>Let's talk about Frankie first, being as she was the main ghoul in both g1 and g2. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPm_zRtpRtcx6jRSbUAgQDEIaOagGDZ7V4wKv8yKTGrnkkoxqI853llfd4CKg7_KFMU5GmegBZ_d-9uxNgQ7aexxhYKcpLiQqprWmjA8qpG_ra5VTy91XQNV9K5jl4Y6mD_zuIp70QC5dmU23269xaal1MtSrctJe81vu97DYhQO30fCRPhGydyt0HAGds/s900/First-Day-of-School-Frankie-Stein-1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="395" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPm_zRtpRtcx6jRSbUAgQDEIaOagGDZ7V4wKv8yKTGrnkkoxqI853llfd4CKg7_KFMU5GmegBZ_d-9uxNgQ7aexxhYKcpLiQqprWmjA8qpG_ra5VTy91XQNV9K5jl4Y6mD_zuIp70QC5dmU23269xaal1MtSrctJe81vu97DYhQO30fCRPhGydyt0HAGds/w280-h640/First-Day-of-School-Frankie-Stein-1.jpg" width="280" /></a></div><br /><p>gen 2 gave us whole new bodies for the dolls that were slightly thicker with chunkier more sturdy feeling joints, they also introduced molded "monstery features" for a lot of the older cast who had previously not had them (like hair moulded on Clawdeen's ankles and wrists and mummy wraps on Cleo's body) which was fun. Frankie however didn't get moulded on stitches except for a couple of her unarticulated dolls, which was an odd choice. </p><p>that said, she does still have her stitching, she's still green, she still has her black and white hair and mismatched eyes and unmatching brown eyebrows. She even still has neck bolts. </p><p>The G2 dolls didn't sell well as far as i'm aware. I remember seeing Frankie and Draculaura on clearance constantly and was often tempted to pick them up. I mean I quite LIKE Frankie's outfit here, it's preppy and cute and made up of multiple different fabric textures which makes the fact that it's all sewn together as one piece less obvious. </p><p>She has fabulous red lips and the same purple eyeshadow of her g1 doll, but like all of the second wave her eyes are significantly larger and more doe-like, making her look younger and also kinda blank. Some would argue this is supposed to be "cute" but the lack of any real expression leaves the doll just feeling a little.... I dunno... empty? It doesn't quite work for me, especially once you put the doll alongside g1 or g3. </p><p>Frankie's stitches have been made a little more subtle for g2, now instead of being black outlined they're a more blue tinted metallic silver with no outline. They're quite shimmery so it's not a change that really bothers me much. </p><p>the g2 body has pros and cons which i've been through before. The limbs feel good and sturdy compared to g1, but the knees are also VERY stiff and difficult to bend. The arms are easy to remove for redressing compared with g1 which always hurt my fingers, but often the arm won't then click back IN securely. Draculaura's arm keeps coming off and I don't know why. So hmmm. </p><p>Despite the stock image, Frankie's knee cannot in fact swivel that far inward. The g1 doll bodies can do that, but the stiffness of the g2 bodies mean you can barely swivel the knee at all before encountering too much resistance. If I attempt to emulate this pose I fear i'll break her whole leg off. The other problem I have with the g2 body is that often one leg is longer than the other, or sits in the hip differently and because the legs are so damn stiff and don't really move outward at the hip, readjusting them is nigh impossible. Frankie suffers this badly and ends up unable to stand even with her very chunky flat boots. One leg is too much too long. Which I mean, yeah, is hilarious for a frankenstein monster like she is, but isn't what I think Mattel intended. <br /></p><p>Frankie and Drac were both sticky when they arrived, their hair was tacky and unpleasant and I feared glue head. However, after brushing their hair out it seems to have stopped feeling sticky so perhaps it was just styling product from the factory. Their heads aren't as soft as i'd like though, so I do still worry that there's unstable gross glue in there. I'm not sure when Mattel got their shit together and stopped ruining their own toys with that crap. </p><p> <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm8NcWP_88Bh8KU9Jc97-StiwzDwL9t8KxQXIAgp61fUejsk89XjTZ5a7e_6SVqTfQh1jL_npYHhpDeDBZZOf29_oLWYNTosEh6nF2OIUv6_5pdrzcx6D-6Ye8LWvLIsMQ3dDUFTZ4ZpBEWSNWWRwh3vLtkkq3hTUHzJbvYocrxIYAs7fpHhSfnjw-BRBf/s3029/20230729_211108.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3029" data-original-width="1375" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm8NcWP_88Bh8KU9Jc97-StiwzDwL9t8KxQXIAgp61fUejsk89XjTZ5a7e_6SVqTfQh1jL_npYHhpDeDBZZOf29_oLWYNTosEh6nF2OIUv6_5pdrzcx6D-6Ye8LWvLIsMQ3dDUFTZ4ZpBEWSNWWRwh3vLtkkq3hTUHzJbvYocrxIYAs7fpHhSfnjw-BRBf/w291-h640/20230729_211108.jpg" width="291" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm8NcWP_88Bh8KU9Jc97-StiwzDwL9t8KxQXIAgp61fUejsk89XjTZ5a7e_6SVqTfQh1jL_npYHhpDeDBZZOf29_oLWYNTosEh6nF2OIUv6_5pdrzcx6D-6Ye8LWvLIsMQ3dDUFTZ4ZpBEWSNWWRwh3vLtkkq3hTUHzJbvYocrxIYAs7fpHhSfnjw-BRBf/s3029/20230729_211108.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></a><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;"><span>My actual Frankie at last. </span></div><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;"><span>I didn't get the bags with my dolls because they were secondhand. I'm not fussed, the bags look large and cumbersome anyway. </span></div><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;"><span>Anyway, Frankie's hair isn't great but it's about on par with a lot of the g1 dolls. It's soft enough, though kinda choppy at the ends and it's styled in Frankie's typical style with the little front bit tied back. I'm sure this style has a name, but I don't know it. </span></div><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;"><span>I did do some small revisions for my Frankie to get her to work better for me. For starters, I didn't like how blank and starey she was so I added the tiniest bit more black to the top of her eyes to close her lids down ever so slightly. It tones the thousand yard stare down a touch. </span></div><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;"><span>Then I tackled the other thing about her design that was bugging me. The yellow. </span></div><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;"><span>Frankie had yellow in g1 sometimes too and I never much liked it. Don't get me wrong, I really like the colour yellow, but adding too many colours into a design makes it visually cluttered and messy for me. In this particular doll's case, the yellow was present only in the tiniest stripes of her plaid, the F on her sweater, her earrings and the laces of her shoes. I like it on her sweater and the plaid, it adds a little pop but the addition of the earrings and laces felt like too much.</span></div><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;"><span>So I swapped her earrings out for some black and silver ones and repainted the laces on her shoes blue to match the rest of her outfit. </span></div><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;"><span>I think it makes a massive difference. </span></div><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxv67toWJWVgVkRTa9FvxC_GHKzO_tyQ4Bx3BVu2pAz1F1AHAmZKRqorQR6sT-r0SA7IpLT2Sy1gJqm6oOr3-S-pROYbRI22aCiCiBzlGkeBb6LKBDC-HUijZlLRlPVfr7vMKt6ePM-QgrsTwLPZVuPt4pFnCWbA6YJoFU9M322aIquDn04FDyJff41otu/s2929/20230729_210916.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1968" data-original-width="2929" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxv67toWJWVgVkRTa9FvxC_GHKzO_tyQ4Bx3BVu2pAz1F1AHAmZKRqorQR6sT-r0SA7IpLT2Sy1gJqm6oOr3-S-pROYbRI22aCiCiBzlGkeBb6LKBDC-HUijZlLRlPVfr7vMKt6ePM-QgrsTwLPZVuPt4pFnCWbA6YJoFU9M322aIquDn04FDyJff41otu/s320/20230729_210916.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><br />And while I was repainting laces I also painted the little bolt details on her boots. G2 had pretty blah shoe designs in a lot of cases, where they just lacked the intricacy of the g1 shoes which were tiny works of art, but the still had a little bit of detail on them. Detail that's lost by Mattel's refusal to even attempt to paint them. <p></p><p>Frankie's all black boots have hidden in that sea of black some pretty cool nut and bolt heels and stitches all across the shoe itself. They're quite fun. </p><p>I don't dislike g2 Frankie. I feel like she has had significantly more interesting dolls but I quite like this one's outfit even if it is a bit of a cheap copout having it all sewn together as one piece. </p><p>At least because of the sweatervest the seam where the skirt and vest meet looks like an overlap rather than just a big ol' ugly seam. The addition of the belt also helps to further conceal that which I think was a smart move. </p><p>g1 had a few dolls with badly done one pieces as well and they always piss me off. You can do it decently, Frankie here is an example of that, but quite often Mattel elect to just go "fuck it, it'll do". You'll see what I mean soon. </p><p>I do wish this Frankie had more segmented hair. I never much cared for the Frankie dolls with the extra blended together black and white streaks because it ends up making her hair just look dingy and grey. When they did chunky more defined streaks it always looked better to me.</p><p>I don't think i'd have been happy with Frankie had I paid original retail for her. She's a very large downgrade from the dolls we had become accustomed to getting. When you consider that Boo York Boo York AND Freak du Chic came out only the year before, to go from those highly detailed dolls to these for the same price point was rather a huge shock. Great Scarrier Reef was still on the shelves when the reboot hit, sitting right alongside these. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisVp03glTHAY06kcOUmZzzfU-Pd64ga2txJJvreihDcuwrZ83_rNkMSHKGb4pzBtBiDOCFtuylUjvVlSPmM2_pOLtdlhmmB4ttYmZfRA7gaamWjhGqdXAie_O_Gql5d1Jqg5fMtNTXHwNLyatgqxtmmbgiKwn8VMAoXQCvl8_gQMkepGV-Pro2fPg7J7H_/s900/First-Day-of-School-Draculaura-1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="324" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisVp03glTHAY06kcOUmZzzfU-Pd64ga2txJJvreihDcuwrZ83_rNkMSHKGb4pzBtBiDOCFtuylUjvVlSPmM2_pOLtdlhmmB4ttYmZfRA7gaamWjhGqdXAie_O_Gql5d1Jqg5fMtNTXHwNLyatgqxtmmbgiKwn8VMAoXQCvl8_gQMkepGV-Pro2fPg7J7H_/w230-h640/First-Day-of-School-Draculaura-1.jpg" width="230" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>I don't think i'm being hyperbolic when I say that g2 Draculaura remains one of the most polarizing redesigns of this reboot. I remember people recoiling and lamented at length about this. </p><p>you see, while the other characters look to have kept their original face molds, or at least something very close, Draculaura, for reasons known ONLY to Mattel, got a new face sculpt. One that sculpted her with a big ol' smile that felt more at home in Barbieland than the world of Monster High. </p><p>it always made me think of those awful smiling sculpts they did for Ever After High before they finally ran it thoroughly into the ground. Those weren't well recieved either. So i'm not sure WHY Mattel got it into their heads that a grinning sculpt was a good plan. </p><p>Draculaura went from their "safe" pink pretty girly character to "oh god she's gonna kill me in my sleep" for a lot of people and it's taken me years to adjust to this smile. </p><p>Maybe it's not so obvious in her stock photo, but it's certainly a big shift. </p><p>and baffling that ONLY Draculaura got this treatment. </p><p>I'll be honest here, i've NEVER liked this Draculaura. Her dress is frumpy looking with a really "meh" length (it's neither short nor knee length, it just sorta... is), her cravat is a big chunk of ugly plastic, her boots don't suit the rest of her look, her earrings are out of place with the blue colour and her smile... oh god... that smile. I suppose the small mercy is that it's a closed mouth smile. Open mouth smiles on dolls absolutely creep me the hell out okay? I HATE THEM.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjgJgqQ8rW1-HpblShPOJG4oEopB1ezKpZrkuwmcEvZtBWPzEMVeDEzHSyg9AMxWPpYPLrdoQuxOeb1IIX98zRlMhcLwx1kIzS3Uypyj0DFGUFgaHLUWNmaPOzg69s_BHy7-AzHmOPztCUuLoB5BzIc8s3-slG20W0yv1PdFs_NaHChVHUlBmTiVt_GQbf/s3205/20230729_211037.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3205" data-original-width="1607" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjgJgqQ8rW1-HpblShPOJG4oEopB1ezKpZrkuwmcEvZtBWPzEMVeDEzHSyg9AMxWPpYPLrdoQuxOeb1IIX98zRlMhcLwx1kIzS3Uypyj0DFGUFgaHLUWNmaPOzg69s_BHy7-AzHmOPztCUuLoB5BzIc8s3-slG20W0yv1PdFs_NaHChVHUlBmTiVt_GQbf/w320-h640/20230729_211037.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>I wanted to give Draculaura a chance here though, I really did. I've repainted one of her blank heads before and the sculpt, though odd, isn't entirely without character. </p><p>But even as I worked on her, my feelings keep flip flopping. Sometimes I think she's cute, other times I think she's awful. She's one of those dolls I simply cannot decide how I feel about. </p><p>It doesn't help that her hair SUCKS. Her fringe was saturated in product which I brushed out so that's okay, but her actual pigtails refuse to do anything other than frizz. You look at her promo image, her hair was pin straight but the doll has waves which just refuse to actually curl OR straighten and just end up in this annoying in between state. If I could find my bloody hair straighteners i'd have a go at doing something with this hair but I don't know where they've gone. Attempts to curl the hair into something more defined failed as the curl falls out as soon as you move her. </p><p>I don't know. Whatever the hell fiber they used is light and flyaway and annoying to style. </p><p>I don't like her hair okay? It's bad. </p><p>thankfully I WILL say that her actual doll has dark eyebrows and not the godawful orange looking ones of her promo doll (YIKES those are bad eyebrows) but it hardly matters because her fringe covers them anyway. </p><p>So, my attempts to rehabilitate this doll started with the same thing I did with Frankie, a tiny bit of black on the top lid just to tone down the manic stare. This helped make her smile look more friendly and less "stab you in your sleep". From some angles she even looks almost... wistful. </p><p>Next I gave her a headband/bow because she just looked unfinished without. I didn't have any pink ribbon unfortunately, I think that would have worked better but eh, you use what you have. </p><p>next I took her dress up a little. i hated what an undefined length it was, it looked frumpy to me. I couldn't make it longer, so I made it shorter. I also added a little petticoat which was a cut off skirt from a cheap clone doll. The added ruffle around the hem I think adds a little cute playfulness but also gives another texture to break things up. </p><p>I don't like this dress. I really don't. The top part is okay, it's a stretchy fabric with poladots and occassional bat wings with little ruffled cap sleeves. it's quite a cute thing. I don't hate the little peplum piece either which is a black zigzag hem piece. But the main skirt of her dress is horrible. It's made of stiff polyester that sits unevenly. It's thick, it's stiff, it has zero drape and it's not very pleasant to touch either. It rustles and it feels CHEAP. But mostly I just really hate the way it sits. Even shortened it still poofs out unevenly and just... I dunno, it looks off no matter what. At one point I considered pulling tight a running seam and turning it into a balloon skirt which would actually take advantage of the stiff polyester but i'm not sure that really works for the character. </p><p>Ultimately, if I had the fabric and the ability, I would be inclined to completely remove the skirt and replace it with something else. Perhaps a plain black or even white to emulate her original g1 skirt? But that would be a lot of work and the top part isn't really special enough imo to bother putting that much effort into salvaging it. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMniDe78WOF0dVFNmueNsNZ18qtlzshOYdV-mWZmBeyx7gxihCVfy48jowLAZVzZb_2cveBWbupKnVgexr8n22QTFO5oG40FmRPaWxKX1m0lTKMMcksbjvxms9IdUOiVo0egyoYkCpTXGZXfltMaH7FO1Hq5qNwaUTJsiWBONB31cNernEk24tyffZqsb8/s4000/20230729_211006.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMniDe78WOF0dVFNmueNsNZ18qtlzshOYdV-mWZmBeyx7gxihCVfy48jowLAZVzZb_2cveBWbupKnVgexr8n22QTFO5oG40FmRPaWxKX1m0lTKMMcksbjvxms9IdUOiVo0egyoYkCpTXGZXfltMaH7FO1Hq5qNwaUTJsiWBONB31cNernEk24tyffZqsb8/w480-h640/20230729_211006.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>Drac's skirt has tiny blue hearts in amongst the pattern but the big problem i have with the addition of the blue is again, like Frankie's yellow, visual clutter. Drac already has three colours going on in her ensemble. Black, pink and white. So the addition of blue AS WELL feels unbalanced, particularly when it comes often at the expense of one of the other colours (for example her cravat, which is only blue to tie in with her earrings which in turn are only blue to tie in with the hearts on her skirt which add nothing to the design anyway). Painting the cravat white, a colour it makes more sense to be and a colour that then ties in with her sleeves makes this piece less jarring to me. I also noticed when painting it that it has a little heart/lip pin with little fangs so I painted that (it was black originally) for another little pop of colour. </p><p>Now, I would have liked to be able to match the pink of her dress but my paint options here are very limited and none of the reds would mix into a decent pink. they'd either turn a muddy colour or peachy which was kinda pissing me off. I need to buy some pink acrylic, it's not an easy colour to mix consistantly. </p><p>Drac's earrings are little bat wings hanging from hearts. They're actually pretty cute but for whatever reason Mattel elected to make them BLUE. It made them stand out sure, but that wasn't a good thing to me. So I painted them a more reasonable colour. Pink for the heart, black for the wing. they blend into her whole look a lot better now I think. </p><p>they may blend in a little TOO well though. Ahh well. </p><p> <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPZvy5dTXdjq6lClaVlkgPRtbF2zsp_JSSnjbQ9oTNZbiyWjznQtJyTZc_uK7Z8SUEKNr40XmBzprNcmw94xn4IMKiEl1dHXFiZTE_KD2jcR58oCgzFuBYXKe6Ccr30Nd-gMiPIC4gjhsBwGVvxujdiJXV9H_-rRQgXH7UDv1gsJRstaHi8IKeLdeEoEec/s2348/20230729_211013.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2348" data-original-width="1590" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPZvy5dTXdjq6lClaVlkgPRtbF2zsp_JSSnjbQ9oTNZbiyWjznQtJyTZc_uK7Z8SUEKNr40XmBzprNcmw94xn4IMKiEl1dHXFiZTE_KD2jcR58oCgzFuBYXKe6Ccr30Nd-gMiPIC4gjhsBwGVvxujdiJXV9H_-rRQgXH7UDv1gsJRstaHi8IKeLdeEoEec/w434-h640/20230729_211013.jpg" width="434" /></a></div><br /><p>Draculaura's little boots don't suit the rest of her outfit I don't think. Or more, her dress doesn't go with her boots. </p><p>these were originally solidly pink with badly painted blue laces. It turns out they actually have some pretty cool detail on them when painted. The heels are a bat wing, there's a bat wing/cape sort of shape to the heel and toe of the boot itself and the laces have little heart charms hanging from them (least, i think they're on the laces because the laces both had a little painted line that intentionally touched each heart) and if you look at the artwork they're charms. </p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTr94-MJGoG2AAFSJIV7hWCNiWjGe4pfKc6prSl4s1cd-oMpqVUs2I73GaBAWM7jAsD34PuEi4y2LFSOyHsHMqNRhqUmB6B3V5-UJlXhrJm7LcUrtNMdLvc1lmcUBJ5cqVEJGFLT1vKnaof_UCEb1RdDXJmhpBzU6SB0H1tjL60KJAhUOvaasBM_uWJdCQ/s1152/Draculaura_-_How_Do_You_Boo_-_First_Day_of_School.1.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="639" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTr94-MJGoG2AAFSJIV7hWCNiWjGe4pfKc6prSl4s1cd-oMpqVUs2I73GaBAWM7jAsD34PuEi4y2LFSOyHsHMqNRhqUmB6B3V5-UJlXhrJm7LcUrtNMdLvc1lmcUBJ5cqVEJGFLT1vKnaof_UCEb1RdDXJmhpBzU6SB0H1tjL60KJAhUOvaasBM_uWJdCQ/w357-h640/Draculaura_-_How_Do_You_Boo_-_First_Day_of_School.1.webp" width="357" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>I think these would be ADORABLE with lacy ankle socks. </p><p>Also worth noting, the artwork not only shows that the skirt was supposed to be shorter, it was ALSO meant to be pleated.</p><p>It could have actually been cute had Mattel not cheaped out. Sigh. </p><p>and that's the overarching feeling I have for g2. "this could have been something had Mattel invested more love and money"</p><p>I still don't know if I like this doll. I do like her shoes though. I didn't think I would when they were just ugly chunks of solid pink plastic but painted I do actually quite like them and think i'd actually use them. </p><p>I might end up putting a prettier head on the body, ditching the dress and keeping the earrings and shoes. Heh. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_EWNdkW4QccpafX9U_iuot5THoP36z0Sp-kx9-ic4Szy5B51lAXuGthWNxW_FfVlOsr3T0pfQ57xDzrkGnMWxRolQ2cBnlzBLIK8Knm0gQDS-T8Y7LPB2itPeeYMNi2pnzDaOrk4lMrFhNGQfBwakw7LXYGyU_sCgJWh_nUAvBEBAedfMQ3CYOVyDIKQ1/s783/First-Day-of-School-Lagoona-Blue-1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="783" data-original-width="400" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_EWNdkW4QccpafX9U_iuot5THoP36z0Sp-kx9-ic4Szy5B51lAXuGthWNxW_FfVlOsr3T0pfQ57xDzrkGnMWxRolQ2cBnlzBLIK8Knm0gQDS-T8Y7LPB2itPeeYMNi2pnzDaOrk4lMrFhNGQfBwakw7LXYGyU_sCgJWh_nUAvBEBAedfMQ3CYOVyDIKQ1/w326-h640/First-Day-of-School-Lagoona-Blue-1.jpg" width="326" /></a></div><p>G2 Lagoona... honestly I still think she's an exceptionally pretty doll. I think Lagoona actually got off pretty light with the reboot because her original dolls already had massive eyes. Not only that, a lot of her g1 dolls were wall eyed and had blank unfocused stares.</p><p>Lagoona was part of the second wave of "first day at school" alongside Cleo and Clawdeen. They didn't get a wide distribution and like the first wave, the cost cutting measures were very obvious, especially on poor Lagoona here. </p><p>can you see that big ugly seam right in the middle of her belly? they one they didn't even TRY to disguise with a belt or a clever overlap seam? </p><p>yeah... that's what I meant when I talked about doing one piece outfits BADLY. </p><p>It draws my eye. I can't help it. All I see is that big ugly seam where her shirt should end and her shorts begin. </p><p>And it PISSES ME OFF because aside from that this outfit is actually pretty cute. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfDYn_zl7hstl1qHvSxLReLTj64C6KlRCQzVhD1zrsR8SWcXKuwxf4kZO0kr5I1FcTncMqxv39pKy8oAdRAhA0V_VsxTskY8Itd_RbtT7zz4wznAUauEmg4MmgQmdaDbAkU6ZKHA-cCYTtGKrHuWlrxnTQZzpm0DnYeYpE9vIx6tINXUDmyHgCN-aW0A9B/s3280/20230729_211121.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3280" data-original-width="1365" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfDYn_zl7hstl1qHvSxLReLTj64C6KlRCQzVhD1zrsR8SWcXKuwxf4kZO0kr5I1FcTncMqxv39pKy8oAdRAhA0V_VsxTskY8Itd_RbtT7zz4wznAUauEmg4MmgQmdaDbAkU6ZKHA-cCYTtGKrHuWlrxnTQZzpm0DnYeYpE9vIx6tINXUDmyHgCN-aW0A9B/w266-h640/20230729_211121.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><p></p><p>So of course I took matters into my own hands. </p><p>the top wasn't that difficult to unstitch from the shorts and was long enough that I could just hem it a teensy bit and have a perfectly functional top. The hooded part has a false "layer" that makes it look like it's a separate overpiece so it works well. That said, no, the hood doesn't fit. Or rather, it fits over her head but it's clear they didn't design it to do so because it stretches the collar and pulls the shoulders of her shirt upwards if she does wear the hood. It looks terrible. </p><p>For her shorts I had some black fabric nearby that I cut into a strip and sewed in as a waist band. I would have preferred a stretchy material but this was all I had and the shorts needed a waist band as they were completely lacking one. The back of this is really messy but from the front I think it looks pretty decent. </p><p>I also painted the laces on her boots. Her boots have a lot of molded detail on them but I couldn't figure out what to do with any of it so I left it the way it was. I think they're fine the way they are with just that little pop of colour contrasting the laces. </p><p>Then I tied her hair back which was easier said than done because another thing Mattel did to cut costs was root this doll very thinly and in a manner that her hair is only really designed to sit in ONE specific way without bald patches. As this is a doll who has no defined styling to her hair, rooting it so specifically feels strange as even loose it often falls out of that one specific way and you see her scalp. </p><p>if you want to root hair thinly you gotta give the doll a fixed and defined hairstyle so that the hair is KEPT in that one specific position. Doing it with a loose style is just... arghhhh. </p><p>Like the other dolls her hair isn't great anyway. It's soft enough but it's choppy and it doesn't like sitting neatly. I don't know how to describe it beyond "it doesn't sit correctly" so tying it back was an attempt to get it to look decent. (also it makes more sense for a sporty character to have her hair tied up in my mind right?)</p><p>Lagoona has no earrings, her only piece of jewellery in fact is a tiny little bracelet. I have to assume that Mattel decided the cost of her leg fins was such that they'd replace the necklace and earrings every other character got. Because they really were pinching each and every penny they could here. </p><p>What I find particularly baffling about Lagoona's outfit here is that Clawdeen and Cleo BOTH have separate pieces. Clawdeen in fact has a three piece outfit with jeans, top and jacket, plus a bracelet and necklace. Cleo gets a top and pants, headband, earrings, necklace and bracelet. </p><p>yet Lagoona gets one bracelet and a one piece ensemble that could have been two had they just sewn a tiny sliver of fabric to the top of the damn shorts. How much was that really gonna cost Mattel? Seriously? Were Lagoona's fins really that expensive an extra? </p><p>Anyway, i'm glad I at least got her outfit to look okay. My sewing isn't very neat but i'll take some sloppy seams over a big ugly one. I need LAYERS on my dolls damnit, I need that visual "texture". The lack of it makes my brain itch something chronic. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgztTRJTLrOp7vdozQONK8gaYmEojrjqd4e2MZp5VFw-UKw5UkIDGADB0lkW12AjLlJYpunw_yoc0l-qGU17cVTD2kHUC9-NHSJ5wyUZf0ihMQKnPttd_jmLmIJwdqnhPW6z7TR4mCBmYsFNmZ9WqkS-Fdh_Su0vVp33fNGUPsx4e_9SYf-W8le_JQvYBBH/s2938/20230729_210821.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2938" data-original-width="2186" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgztTRJTLrOp7vdozQONK8gaYmEojrjqd4e2MZp5VFw-UKw5UkIDGADB0lkW12AjLlJYpunw_yoc0l-qGU17cVTD2kHUC9-NHSJ5wyUZf0ihMQKnPttd_jmLmIJwdqnhPW6z7TR4mCBmYsFNmZ9WqkS-Fdh_Su0vVp33fNGUPsx4e_9SYf-W8le_JQvYBBH/w476-h640/20230729_210821.jpg" width="476" /></a></div><br /><p>Anyway, I didn't do much more with Lagoona because she didn't have any other accessories to paint.</p><p>So here are my three gen 2 girls. </p><p>I don't hate them. I really like Lagoona now i've fixed her clothing and Frankie is fine, albeit a little bland compared to g1 and g3 Frankie's. But I still just... Draculaura...why? Why did they give her a completely different face? Why did they fuck her hair so badly? Why did they give her such an ugly dress? I just... argh. The girl got utterly shafted by g2. </p><p>thankfully g3 Drac is absolutely stunning. Vindication for our girl! </p><p>But it does mean that this Drac is likely to end up cannibalized for parts. Sorry g2 Drac, but you're not sparking joy for me. You're just confusing and frustrating me. </p><p>because like I said, sometimes I look at her face and i think "oh she's sorta cute" and other times I shudder. And sure I could attempt to repaint her, but her hair still SUCKS and I don't have the energy to reroot her as well. She's not worth that sort of work to me. </p><p>what would be a lot easier and likely a lot more effective would be to find a draculaura head and clothes I DO like and stick it on this body. Because even though the stiff knee joints are kinda annoying, I DO like the g2 body over the g1. The sturdier joints make them stand better, hold poses better and they don't turn into floppy ragdolls like the g1s do. I'll take restricted knee mobility if it means their knees don't just crumple under them constantly. </p><p>Does g2 deserve the ire? Mmmm.. kinda? yeah? I mean, it came out of nowhere without a pause between which led to a very confusing situation for fans and consumers where both g1 AND g2 dolls were on the shelves together along with the media (dvds, books, comics). I feel like that was a big mistake because it didn't give fans of g1 any time to process the discontinuation of a franchise they'd known and loved for so many years, nor did it give any newcomers to the franchise any real clarity on what was canon and what wasn't. Great Scarrier Reef came out literally a few months before the reboot happened, but was that therefore canon to g2 or g1? Why did some dolls use g1 faces and others use g2 throughout 2016? (not even a case of old stock still being on shelves, they literally released multiple g1 dolls to stores while ALSO trying to reboot the franchise. talk about confusing) </p><p>On top of that the clear quality drop was obvious. Yes, the last few g1 lines had seen a drop in quality as well and no, i'm not going to claim the original dolls were "super high quality" either because they WERE clearly playline dolls. But g2 was a very obvious downgrade. The shoe sculpts became less creative and more chunky in design, the outfits were overwhelmingly colourway changes of the same dress with large emoji style graphics rather than the more subtle and creative nods of previous designs. They used worse and worse hair, the faces were far less detailed and sorta lacking any real character and more and more we saw gimmicks and static bodies and moulded clothing. </p><p>the first few g2 dolls, Shriek Wrecked for example, had promise. If you could look past the doe eyed less made up faces they were pretty detailed and somewhat fun. But things rapidly careened downhill from there. </p><p>g2 was clearly the dying gasps of a franchise that was already dying a natural death. Toys typically only last for about 5 years before they naturally die off and some new trend takes their place. Monster High had already outlived any predicted life span Mattel had expected, not to mention spawned a whole trend of its own in "colourful supernatural fashion dolls" which every other toy company scrambled to get in on. But instead of giving it a dignified death they instead elected to drag it off its death bed, slap a fresh coat of paint over its wilting body and drag it through the streets to dance for a few more bucks. </p><p>g2 was not a real reboot, it was a franchise desperately trying to eak out those last few gasps of breath. They invested only as much as they felt they had to and in a rather misdirected act, decided that instead of merrily accepting the tween market they'd unexpectedly gained, they preferred to stick with their safe familiar market, young children. But young children have short attention spans and no money of their own to spend. Unless you capture the attention of their parents, you're not going to get very far. </p><p>and g2 MH just didn't feel like it was value for money. And as a parent, price and perceived "value" is a major factor in the sort of toys I would buy my kids. </p><p>In an increasingly competitive market, taking a product that had tried and tested success and changing it so much in an attempt to court a different market was a mindbogglingly stupid move from Mattel. They HAD tweens, a notoriously difficult market to court when it comes to toys. And they decided they didn't want them, they were unfamiliar, a scary market that Mattel didn't know how to actually market TO. I've always felt like someone at Mattel high up panicked and gen 2 was less a reboot to try to save the line and more an attempt to shed the attention of an "undesirable" demographic. </p><p>Because here's the thing, those stereotypical little girls maybe played with mh, but they also played with Barbie. Mattel already HAD their market. They already HAD their parent's money. And the sort of kids who liked Monster High liked it because it wasn't like Barbie. It didn't have a focus on babies and younger siblings, it didn't have princesses and all those trappings. (and yes, I KNOW most of us who had Barbies as kids didn't play with Barbie the way Mattel THINKS we did. I KNOW it was all soap opera drama and macabre but that's not how Barbie is marketed and that's important here). Monster High had characters with lore and background, interpersonal relationships, a high school setting that felt particularly familiar to those about to move up to high school themselves. Unlike Barbie who is basically a blank slate with only a vague "she's a princess" "she's a business woman" or whatever, MH already HAD that stuff there and ready for you. You could chose to ignore the canon if you wanted to, but you were always going to be aware it was THERE. And that coloured play. </p><p>You can't really have a "favourite character" when everyone is Barbie. But Monster High encouraged that. And that in turn fostered a sense of community. "oh your favourite character is Clawdeen? Me too!""I ship these two characters together!" "I wrote fanfiction/draw fanart" etc. </p><p>unfortunately G2 did away with too much of what made MH successful in the first place. The dark aesthetic that gave "not like other girls" kids plasuable deniability that they weren't playing with a DOLL like Barbie! their dolls were COOL and DARK and GOTHY and monsters! and monsters are cool while fairy princesses aren't. </p><p>Then Mattel gave everyone a baby sibling to babysit because "little girls like babies", when the sort of kids who were playing with MH did so because they weren't LIKE those "little girls". If they wanted to play with babies they'd have baby dolls, or buy one of the many Barbie or Skipper babysitting sets.</p><p>Everything became about family instead of adventure and dumb teen drama which again, the dumb teen drama and adventure was what brought mh fans in in the first place. </p><p>put simply, the kids who played with MH did so because it didn't tick all those corporate boxes of "what little girls like". Then g2 was forced upon the world and it was chock full of all those ticked boxes, making it clear that the kids who liked g1 for being different were NOT going to find that same here. THIS was a reboot for "Little Girls" (tm) and not YOU. It made it just like so many other doll lines out there. It lost what made it distinct and alienated the people who'd made it successful by turning it into precisely what those consumers liked it for NOT being. (does that make sense?)</p><p>and part of me has always wondered if this was Mattel being really stupid, or an intentional attempt on their part to sabotage the brand so they could then blame customers for "not buying them" or something. </p><p>It's probably the first one. Stale old white men failing to understand "the kids" and falling back on tired stereotypes and outdated gender crap. </p><p>because SOME of the things g2 did made sense and addressed issues with the original dolls. The stronger joints, the easier to remove arms/hands, going back and giving the original 6 characters more "monstery" features like later g1 dolls had. These in themselves were good things! And had they done that but kept the rest of the aesthetic consistent, left the canon people had become attached to alone or expanded on it rather than retconning it and not relying so heavily on gimmick dolls, maybe g2 would have actually kept the franchise chugging along for another couple of years. instead it hastened the demise of a franchise already starting to lose momentum as their demographic aged out and other things competed for attention in the market. </p><p>we'll likely never know for sure, but i'm hoping Mattel at least learned a few lessons from g2's catastrophy. G3 isn't perfect and Mattel are making a lot of mistakes regarding their quality and penny pinching, but enough time has passed that an actual reboot at least works. That they can start again without it being so jarring and confusing. <br /></p><p>g2 overlapped g1 which did it no favors when it came to trying to tell its own story. And we ARE seeing a bit of that with the collector line dolls and their diaries but at least with them they're exclusive adult collector dolls, not literally sitting on the store shelf right next to the reboot. </p><p> G3 uses several of the good ideas G2 had, so we do at least owe G2 that. It wasn't ALL bad. </p><p>And ultimately, I still quite LIKE G2 Lagoona and Cleo. They're pretty, even if they are a bit blank starey. </p><p>And I appreciate that the dolls mostly actually stand the fuck up. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>This was a short one, i'm sorry about that. I'm trying to ease back into blogging after a long break. It wasn't an intentional break, my energy levels just took a dive off a cliff. But hopefully I can get back into my chaotic not schedule and open some of the bloody backlog of dolls I have had sitting here for months. (oops?)<br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Edit: An update because I just couldn't leave well alone. </p><p>I went to bed thinking about Drac's dress and how much I hated the skirt on it so today I went back and spent a few hours cutting it away from the bodice and seeing if I could do anything with it. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOr-Ps2_qhDSOTd1uq6rvk_DezxMIeBMXlgMp2z9O-wAZ6JKhXYcHznBWUbtDbVbSQ6f4lDolfHcw5oB8Linan_MjCUzaz9buLNhJrVnJQSBj8RuVxifPjThAHZpaY9myBWGmwu2xN8bB-WDfPnFGrwGJYQKAvzvolOZwvSSeX2ZMg5EXrHS66md_n1gFH/s3050/IMG_20230730_145704.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3050" data-original-width="1416" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOr-Ps2_qhDSOTd1uq6rvk_DezxMIeBMXlgMp2z9O-wAZ6JKhXYcHznBWUbtDbVbSQ6f4lDolfHcw5oB8Linan_MjCUzaz9buLNhJrVnJQSBj8RuVxifPjThAHZpaY9myBWGmwu2xN8bB-WDfPnFGrwGJYQKAvzvolOZwvSSeX2ZMg5EXrHS66md_n1gFH/w298-h640/IMG_20230730_145704.jpg" width="298" /></a></div><p></p><p>I'm a lot happier with this look. I cut the whole skirt off leaving the black ruffle attached to the top. Then I cut the fabric of the skirt down and sewed it into a short mini skirt. It's a little rough and my velcro sucks but the top helps keep it in place and i vastly prefer how this looks to the original shapeless situation she had going on. </p><p>I think the tighter skirt also makes her boots look more in keeping.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrRb7Is2XLUkS5bsgiLVcrFaQFAU7QCT_8M742fvBlcQG7zJFdnNuEVRBc_sk1L-CTbO4PMyDFmssEy3gKqVjVjKQqHIjj-u-PzC-mlGHF0X1B9VShm6XOJtqrnsVfY2W45Xkj0dt0Tfl9AKdMQwlzCovu8hNrIXkF1lYbUUPeHKnUr1YQonVeYwsmBcux/s2264/IMG_20230730_145855.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2264" data-original-width="2022" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrRb7Is2XLUkS5bsgiLVcrFaQFAU7QCT_8M742fvBlcQG7zJFdnNuEVRBc_sk1L-CTbO4PMyDFmssEy3gKqVjVjKQqHIjj-u-PzC-mlGHF0X1B9VShm6XOJtqrnsVfY2W45Xkj0dt0Tfl9AKdMQwlzCovu8hNrIXkF1lYbUUPeHKnUr1YQonVeYwsmBcux/w572-h640/IMG_20230730_145855.jpg" width="572" /></a></div><p></p><p>Still not sure where I stand with g2 Draculaura. She's cute enough I suppose, but compared to her G1 and G3 counterparts she's lacking a lot. </p><p>Her hair still needs work. I really need to find that straightener.<br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> <br /></p><br />Purple_monkfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023284779817354246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3031605728160552641.post-66413755777839541462023-05-27T14:36:00.001+01:002023-05-28T12:32:03.172+01:00Monster High g3 Abbey Bominable <p> In a surprise move Smyths toys randomly got their shipment of new Monster High in early. </p><p>Abbey wasn't due in til June but I was just browsing and saw she was in stock, so obviously this meant I had to order her. What can I say, i'm weak. Ahem. </p><p>Weirdly it seems Smyths is the only store that's really bothering to get new Monster High in. A lot of UK stores got the initial wave, but Smyths is the only store to have gotten any subsequent releases. It looks like the skulltimate secrets line are exclusives to them while the sleepover line, Ghoulia, Toralei, the Deuce/Frankie 2 pack and the budget dolls haven't hit the country at all. </p><p>It doesn't bode well to me. </p><p>But let's not think about Mattel's horrendous mismanagement and instead look at this new doll shall we? </p><span><a name='more'></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7X9JY4t3PtUdykhynlaYd65o5eVGn3AQX9damcGYt-u0r4S00aSB3Ch-5-QRafAJ1ZixaaUvleB3nry8HoPcHosfiFMyhSWnQAXbviGCpb4dHHCnSG1dt0V1OY1QKCp7M_vfsUBlX08dKRO1amxHNvowBcyVvVZ8iMTksocV2ghKRggjtiFbsWZdnJw/s2533/20230526_222833.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2533" data-original-width="2227" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7X9JY4t3PtUdykhynlaYd65o5eVGn3AQX9damcGYt-u0r4S00aSB3Ch-5-QRafAJ1ZixaaUvleB3nry8HoPcHosfiFMyhSWnQAXbviGCpb4dHHCnSG1dt0V1OY1QKCp7M_vfsUBlX08dKRO1amxHNvowBcyVvVZ8iMTksocV2ghKRggjtiFbsWZdnJw/w562-h640/20230526_222833.jpg" width="562" /></a></div><p></p><p>Poor Abbey is rammed rather haphazardly into the default box which is too small for her. She looks really cramped and her pose is quite uncomfortable. </p><p>Like the first wave she comes with a pet, a random "jacket" piece, a backpack, a phone, a pair of glasses and some snacks.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI3LvJxovAJY6aXSkYDnILxjjSCKWw0wNHYpIjR237NnyM_dps2UtVr1eTRmhgb4KYVELDXhGPaaNUfBRZkx6oce-Z-XMoE7Trc8zqCCWhMixh22PNpoTKexe6hVnenzNInlUdpYX65blvKn2avq11hFFBWOTQVyJb2vG2yb5enH2z0xSH_8twyPMkEw/s2700/20230526_222841.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="2280" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI3LvJxovAJY6aXSkYDnILxjjSCKWw0wNHYpIjR237NnyM_dps2UtVr1eTRmhgb4KYVELDXhGPaaNUfBRZkx6oce-Z-XMoE7Trc8zqCCWhMixh22PNpoTKexe6hVnenzNInlUdpYX65blvKn2avq11hFFBWOTQVyJb2vG2yb5enH2z0xSH_8twyPMkEw/w540-h640/20230526_222841.jpg" width="540" /></a></div><p></p><p>Her art is quite cute and really highlights her new design. Abbey now has little horns which are ADORABLE and she's curvy! WHoo! I love me a curvy doll. </p><p>This art is SO MUCH BETTER than the first wave art. It feels finished and doesn't have that odd pencilly look to it. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJszRxi8RknyT3i1gOWJodfZVo4b8pyNddxKg-TPXIvWFHlYth0LEFBv7zcNlUCfplF9hMcGSQ82TITr26Pn2sV0rtdkgNkYdFaVhcMz0zVMOsukr__CK6vgFChk3cQTVN9Sprcmm-RMTCGd2AI-W1kxnm3Cr_HPLqHQFc4TEPXESNiYiRCElXN0VgnA/s2460/20230526_222847.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2460" data-original-width="1443" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJszRxi8RknyT3i1gOWJodfZVo4b8pyNddxKg-TPXIvWFHlYth0LEFBv7zcNlUCfplF9hMcGSQ82TITr26Pn2sV0rtdkgNkYdFaVhcMz0zVMOsukr__CK6vgFChk3cQTVN9Sprcmm-RMTCGd2AI-W1kxnm3Cr_HPLqHQFc4TEPXESNiYiRCElXN0VgnA/w376-h640/20230526_222847.jpg" width="376" /></a></div><p></p><p>Her brief biography as usual tells us bugger all. She likes ice cream.... </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijffO3V85RDIML794sLXoidvBEIO7NbWc-jhkclZRzfzaQNjwWeaxfIWWXGDaaQdPoLmvrL-PekNpSXpQ639qZKdLaw_lfSpChusnarTs2K9Gdyld_pbW6jG6N8yH7OviC3a62kGEY_icJHel9cerKuD0siP4Riy0Ckepas0mHx3PIk-iR5Jpc96jB4w/s2228/20230526_223042.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1905" data-original-width="2228" height="548" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijffO3V85RDIML794sLXoidvBEIO7NbWc-jhkclZRzfzaQNjwWeaxfIWWXGDaaQdPoLmvrL-PekNpSXpQ639qZKdLaw_lfSpChusnarTs2K9Gdyld_pbW6jG6N8yH7OviC3a62kGEY_icJHel9cerKuD0siP4Riy0Ckepas0mHx3PIk-iR5Jpc96jB4w/w640-h548/20230526_223042.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>her pet's name has changed too. Her original pet was named Shiver. I wonder why they changed this. Copyright issue maybe? It's a bit odd. Particularly as it's clearly the same pet, a little wooly mammoth.<br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvKx0LjNqXFkWXPJGxE6LwLPR-SfEPLgbV9yGUO_n-V0fVRWVBWcEPytrFhL9WVSUToiUK7dWlRzpQm88yLkiImFRYBGFpE-s8R_sXejLtVK9KC6Ba7Hrebh9ZCz8ZH5NZOd-xoTWfmqiWeHh5F-ENArG8xEB7TQKgcM1c92UhI4Zlw1je3aLr8obMFQ/s2169/20230526_223035.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2169" data-original-width="1689" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvKx0LjNqXFkWXPJGxE6LwLPR-SfEPLgbV9yGUO_n-V0fVRWVBWcEPytrFhL9WVSUToiUK7dWlRzpQm88yLkiImFRYBGFpE-s8R_sXejLtVK9KC6Ba7Hrebh9ZCz8ZH5NZOd-xoTWfmqiWeHh5F-ENArG8xEB7TQKgcM1c92UhI4Zlw1je3aLr8obMFQ/w498-h640/20230526_223035.jpg" width="498" /></a></div><p></p><p>Abbey's horns are completely obscured in the box but her face paint is crisp and clean with purple brows, dark purple lips (I always love purple lips on Abbey), little snow freckles, a snowflake "beauty mark" on her cheek and aurora borealis inspired eyeshadow. </p><p>She still has her little "tusks" but now also sports a purple nose tip, presumably to make her look cold. I'm not totally convinced it works. </p><p>Unlike her original dolls she has no embedded glitter on her skin, which i'm honestly very happy about. I always HATED that glitter. It feels ick and it yellows badly. <br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiULX0vCsGIxLZk3bLpcA4xFzhgCvdAFVERVY5T5lBeAtdUocW7NRaDJleMzJhWi377z0Xc0Qv2178FmC0Y9acg8kc0enyT5Ui4TkVGf8hmu2941RnF68xQLIvC8Qz2svlhJwVMB367HtvYXk3HIFGhd1N3474dR5_JLzgkO7DoDDjMw-gYUYTn85BsjQ/s2667/20230526_223048.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2667" data-original-width="1913" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiULX0vCsGIxLZk3bLpcA4xFzhgCvdAFVERVY5T5lBeAtdUocW7NRaDJleMzJhWi377z0Xc0Qv2178FmC0Y9acg8kc0enyT5Ui4TkVGf8hmu2941RnF68xQLIvC8Qz2svlhJwVMB367HtvYXk3HIFGhd1N3474dR5_JLzgkO7DoDDjMw-gYUYTn85BsjQ/w460-h640/20230526_223048.jpg" width="460" /></a></div><p></p><p>Her snacks are a drink of some sort and two frozen treats. I'll get to them later. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg90HehpveHVNXQEgnH82u4bObmmdyVGOBu5VH64qeUzyx_7MUii11aPU6BPGMWJ2LAYDlxl5UU7CWFOxMa1iV74KlgmooDE25dVjVfeWdK8e0seXEU8LDuKSr747O2jJoKB2fzfkEXJ8CN-lXI6VrR1kCGp3iiM8ZO8AlFUHr4yZbECDbJ27UJ1OXq_w/s2385/20230526_223634.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2385" data-original-width="1209" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg90HehpveHVNXQEgnH82u4bObmmdyVGOBu5VH64qeUzyx_7MUii11aPU6BPGMWJ2LAYDlxl5UU7CWFOxMa1iV74KlgmooDE25dVjVfeWdK8e0seXEU8LDuKSr747O2jJoKB2fzfkEXJ8CN-lXI6VrR1kCGp3iiM8ZO8AlFUHr4yZbECDbJ27UJ1OXq_w/w324-h640/20230526_223634.jpg" width="324" /></a></div><p></p><p>Straight out of the box one thing is evident, Abbey is BIG. </p><p>When we first saw her promos there was a lot of speculation about whether she'd be tall and what body she might use. Well, turns out Mattel elected to make a completely new body for Abbey. She's curvy like Draculaura but also taller than Frankie. </p><p>Another thing immediately stood out as well though, and it's not a good thing. Her hair. </p><p>Her hair is a beautiful blend of colours, being predominantly a very pale icy blue with pale purple and white streaks and a few strands of tinsel at the front, however, it's Poly rather than a nice high quality nylon or saran. </p><p>for those who are thinking "so?" let me explain WHY collectors hate poly so much.</p><p>the big one you'll see people mention is that it rots. It doesn't age well and over time it brittles and breaks off at the root. Now of course, from Mattel's perspective they aren't thinking about longevity, they don't consider a doll being in decent condition in 10 years time to be a priority because they're thinking short term. "kids won't still be playing with this doll in 10 years" they'll argue. My response to that is that they're full of crap because there's a very healthy market for secondhand toys, particularly for people on low incomes or children's centers and nurseries. Some of our local nurseries/kindergartens still have toys from the 80s in their toy boxes that are going strong! </p><p>Given the concern about the environmental impact of plastics creating a toy that will knowingly deteriorate within a decade is simply adding to landfill. </p><p>But the arguably bigger issue with poly is how it looks NOW, brand new. Monster High g2 used a lot of poly as well, it's got a very specific LOOK to it. It's very shiny, very plasticky, sort of coarse and thick feeling. Each strand is thicker than it should be, which results in a lot of bulk on the doll's head. It doesn't "flow" like saran or a high quality nylon would, instead it sort of puffs up at the scalp. This is why Abbey's hair looks so big, why you can't see her horns under all that hair. Her hair is too thick because the fiber they're using is too thick. It's thick, it's stiff and it has a tendency to tangle and frizz. </p><p>Abbey gets some leeway because her hair is straight, curled poly is even worse as shown in most of Clawdeen's dolls. But it's a real shame to see Mattel do this KNOWING that poly is a fiber most people hate and one that limits the styling of the doll's hair and makes it more difficult to manage. </p><p>from a play perspective even, poly is not pleasant to brush, it's not fun to style and I don't particularly like how it feels against my fingers. Too plasticky. </p><p>I can happily run my hands through a Rainbow High doll's hair for ages, it's soft and silky and really tactile. Several of the new Monster High dolls similarly have quite tactile hair but Abbey? Oh god no. </p><p>Also, what was the point of giving her these cute little horns if you can't see them because of the bulk of her hair!? <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs0J-qT5Etf6G3nHnyCV4O_myg042B0UxYIwp-OGo2QPfTROj55DQIelr_Fe8YdUUBDerH4_2UqQAYjE4Z022mdl5lsBYGcZ_8580vD4sdwzeAGpUlkos1EwUd_5NBdLZehacPYnmFTCG6ZK7zfkfHAdTmuNGp5bZFrpadv77gp0YHP-heSsszLjenXA/s2734/20230526_223642.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2734" data-original-width="1335" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs0J-qT5Etf6G3nHnyCV4O_myg042B0UxYIwp-OGo2QPfTROj55DQIelr_Fe8YdUUBDerH4_2UqQAYjE4Z022mdl5lsBYGcZ_8580vD4sdwzeAGpUlkos1EwUd_5NBdLZehacPYnmFTCG6ZK7zfkfHAdTmuNGp5bZFrpadv77gp0YHP-heSsszLjenXA/w312-h640/20230526_223642.jpg" width="312" /></a></div><p></p><p>Abbey's hair is ankle length for some reason, and very very choppily cut at the ends. </p><p>Giving a doll this much hair but opting for such a cheap fiber just baffles me. like come on Mattel, you should know how to make a fucking doll at this point. </p><p>Apparently the person who picks the hair just picks based on colour, which raises two questions. 1: Why is the hair person that incompetent that they don't even know the differences in fibers? and 2: Why is poly even an OPTION in the first place? </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHaBruonLQXAJA9195T_0JlQE_DUyYuX1xtCfZbWNbyfP-zwrl_flKEzvaCi_NbcrmcoTfi6oropCqXtnGqT8SxUEs4XdKDwRie9_GrjuaQsG9RtSf_KUTKoPRP8vcf1ok1gfE6B69bLqMvTwYKb97w29Lydhq960001UqOV6tfEQXsbICrabM4C_-Pw/s2748/20230526_225431.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2748" data-original-width="2466" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHaBruonLQXAJA9195T_0JlQE_DUyYuX1xtCfZbWNbyfP-zwrl_flKEzvaCi_NbcrmcoTfi6oropCqXtnGqT8SxUEs4XdKDwRie9_GrjuaQsG9RtSf_KUTKoPRP8vcf1ok1gfE6B69bLqMvTwYKb97w29Lydhq960001UqOV6tfEQXsbICrabM4C_-Pw/w574-h640/20230526_225431.jpg" width="574" /></a></div><p></p><p>Anyway, Abbey's body is, as I said, a whole new sculpt. </p><p>She's a little shorter than the original "big sister" body and taller than the original Abbey who was on the standard MH body. </p><p>She's also a brighter blue but some of that may be due to the original Abbey bodies all yellowing thanks to their glitter layer. </p><p>She has the fur detailing that Clawdeen has at her wrists and ankles, which is always fun too. She also retains her clawed hands. I always liked Abbey's hands, they're fabulously monstery.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKXCJn8Hcg7DGZZsJNGw5In-6xGS0u1WRV3kJfLIcQoBPNu8zT7LY8oGWBmc6RQoFPSW7HJRvhefevNPIUMv6isilfJvk1DXmV4EIe8nnFcQbwU16502LFLUFqp-5ghwicpjJssohhpA2Q8aQXkWwWMkyWTgmmL_JLTIY4IU7S1sFotUM2oXbbCBNONg/s2061/20230526_225743.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2061" data-original-width="1910" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKXCJn8Hcg7DGZZsJNGw5In-6xGS0u1WRV3kJfLIcQoBPNu8zT7LY8oGWBmc6RQoFPSW7HJRvhefevNPIUMv6isilfJvk1DXmV4EIe8nnFcQbwU16502LFLUFqp-5ghwicpjJssohhpA2Q8aQXkWwWMkyWTgmmL_JLTIY4IU7S1sFotUM2oXbbCBNONg/w594-h640/20230526_225743.jpg" width="594" /></a></div><p></p><p>Alongside the new dolls Abbey's body looks most like a scaled up Draculaura body, though her torso seems a little shorter than Drac's and her bust is fuller. </p><p>She's taller than Frankie who previously was the tallest of the g3 gang and she practically towers over the dinky lil' Draculaura. </p><p>EVERY part of Abbey's body is bigger. Her hands, her feet, all of it. I don't believe she can share any clothing with any of the other dolls, not even shoes. </p><p>this is an interesting choice on Mattel's part. MH was always a franchise that could get away with not having cross compatibility purely because all the clothes and shoes were SO character specific in the first place. They all had their own colours and graphic patterns associated with them, which made swapping clothing awkward anyway because even though it fit, it didn't LOOK right to have the vampire wearing something with lightening bolts or the yeti with Egyptian motifs. <br /></p><p>So this decision makes sense to me. </p><p>But of course, there's still the question of "okay, so what CAN she wear then?"</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLgZrDbh547owR3l6WiQBCkQNkgLgKh_rp_FSUVVR0Xs0Vi_2yAi9IaplZ3bW9fk4Xjwb4Npp9StqpmhGEHH-9433o_eK7nBmOiIAE6pUNSb3k5oJXUMkGNaY4ilVZ877mfGAoMwd8d1gizZJuJYgm5anD732wEEDtXdRssD9E_nUXKYsqp9NP_A5B1Q/s3179/20230526_230600.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3179" data-original-width="1806" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLgZrDbh547owR3l6WiQBCkQNkgLgKh_rp_FSUVVR0Xs0Vi_2yAi9IaplZ3bW9fk4Xjwb4Npp9StqpmhGEHH-9433o_eK7nBmOiIAE6pUNSb3k5oJXUMkGNaY4ilVZ877mfGAoMwd8d1gizZJuJYgm5anD732wEEDtXdRssD9E_nUXKYsqp9NP_A5B1Q/w364-h640/20230526_230600.jpg" width="364" /></a></div><p></p><p>This Barbie dress is a little baggy in the top but it's not too bad. Fits her hips pretty well. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9XF0JEQhQtg7SzsYOGG18KoXB6Mvm5Q_IvXkVjk06kjeY3LhaKq51K_P5tkb-MHHTMfuA1xcZQVgUEv35k6pJNKf0lODZ1xC8fHxMApXRc9lBMXMVJ78cCx7-wWkqtYELINoSSQfCCK9L4o-eJKESWXWDN_Ui6qHfb_2ysEdl0OBncOgtLG-a4hR7kw/s2934/20230526_230725.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2934" data-original-width="1227" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9XF0JEQhQtg7SzsYOGG18KoXB6Mvm5Q_IvXkVjk06kjeY3LhaKq51K_P5tkb-MHHTMfuA1xcZQVgUEv35k6pJNKf0lODZ1xC8fHxMApXRc9lBMXMVJ78cCx7-wWkqtYELINoSSQfCCK9L4o-eJKESWXWDN_Ui6qHfb_2ysEdl0OBncOgtLG-a4hR7kw/w268-h640/20230526_230725.jpg" width="268" /></a></div><p></p><p>Rainbow High stuff is pretty good. The tops fit really well, however the bottoms need to be stretchy to go over her calves. So she can wear these shorts but none of the trousers/jeans I tried would fit. They're all too tight in the leg. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ODXn4y-MQNC2rE8eSbz-eaEF616PEdTSq8mos_3vMk-nXrENAtiXiceu4bt6TK1-1woR7cRkYwOLURudIXZCfbOqIGSEMhEMNOiGb5R1f22t8HeanLacd38H1o_OlpcSgLZLFc0uKOy-P292i8lJ65zJv0rev9XWzOKqErAvV0DwrdpQ5Apiu5LjTw/s2832/20230526_231502.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2832" data-original-width="1658" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ODXn4y-MQNC2rE8eSbz-eaEF616PEdTSq8mos_3vMk-nXrENAtiXiceu4bt6TK1-1woR7cRkYwOLURudIXZCfbOqIGSEMhEMNOiGb5R1f22t8HeanLacd38H1o_OlpcSgLZLFc0uKOy-P292i8lJ65zJv0rev9XWzOKqErAvV0DwrdpQ5Apiu5LjTw/w374-h640/20230526_231502.jpg" width="374" /></a> <br /></div><p>Most of the skirts work though. </p><p>Dresses don't, they're too short. Rainbow High dolls have really short torsos so with the dresses you end up with something that barely covers Abbey's butt and has a waist band under her bust rather than at her waist. It looks weird. That is, if you can even get the thing ON over her legs. <br /></p><p>Still I was surprised by how well the separates fit.</p><p>Shoes are a bigger issue as Abbey has quite large feet. Regular g3 shoes won't fit, which means Rainbow High shoes won't fit either. I didn't have anything around that looked like it would fit so she's stuck with her weird little sandals for now. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFTBQqPUtzIa8BRUtkzpmc7Z5ZYJ0XCQRMdp5ykNUwKV3VE6-uT33AiYhMJFNhM_VHVCHktAlWqi2RAX7kQVHcmSAcVF3TFNvohC59bnXqxsSaKN0_Rlr--rbCCcCmzyliqYSr5QIMG3YTxD_pkmqEC4dk4487WJwBo7O_eUXmUGDG-Gip6XvjsMYIcQ/s1887/20230526_232952.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1724" data-original-width="1887" height="584" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFTBQqPUtzIa8BRUtkzpmc7Z5ZYJ0XCQRMdp5ykNUwKV3VE6-uT33AiYhMJFNhM_VHVCHktAlWqi2RAX7kQVHcmSAcVF3TFNvohC59bnXqxsSaKN0_Rlr--rbCCcCmzyliqYSr5QIMG3YTxD_pkmqEC4dk4487WJwBo7O_eUXmUGDG-Gip6XvjsMYIcQ/w640-h584/20230526_232952.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>And they are pretty wierd. </p><p>They kinda look like slippers but also a bit like crocs? They look to have fur at the top and then a woven strap to hold them on, then there's a big chunky "ice" platform sole. </p><p>The underside of the sole has molded tread which is always fun to see. </p><p>These shoes are made of hard plastic which I worried would make them difficult to get back on but they actually go on without too much effort. Still, I would have preferred a softer plastic. I have weak fingers so having to force shoes on can be quite painful. </p><p>The two plastics effect here is quite cool. The sole is made of a semi transparent glittery plastic to make it look like ice which is quite effective. <br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEqjDJj2UGtnJCqIGyPpffsNaVcysmmeQ3C2pDbQ2rYqeBFgi3Sko3H37fTRkoUsTqd8qbM60vg42E2QKnqu2d1evuU5R5k7rnPKcAKrFTEUFk9acULtccfMUJlppJSqEIhQt18CVn2etuN1fin6NHg88ozJt5T7HvsJ99xBN4QhsDKUC2uVBoOeflNw/s2255/20230526_233618.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2255" data-original-width="1358" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEqjDJj2UGtnJCqIGyPpffsNaVcysmmeQ3C2pDbQ2rYqeBFgi3Sko3H37fTRkoUsTqd8qbM60vg42E2QKnqu2d1evuU5R5k7rnPKcAKrFTEUFk9acULtccfMUJlppJSqEIhQt18CVn2etuN1fin6NHg88ozJt5T7HvsJ99xBN4QhsDKUC2uVBoOeflNw/w386-h640/20230526_233618.jpg" width="386" /></a></div><p></p><p>I restyled Abbey's hair a little for all these photos to try to pull the bulk of it away. I tied the pieces at the front that weren't part of her two little uh... pigtail... things... back and into a ponytail hidden under the rest of the hair. </p><p>it's still quite bulky, particularly at the back, but it at least means you can see her horns a little more and it looks less messy. </p><p>She only has tinsel in the front pieces with a couple of strands across the rest which is a relief because I HATE tinsel in doll's hair. It loves to stick out in random directions and it feels gross. I'm also relieved that it's normal flat tinsel here and not that weird bobbly stuff they used for g1 Abbey which snagged a brush every time you tried to comb the hair. ARGH. <br /></p><p>Abbey's outfit is simple but it works well. Her top is a printed tee with a snowflake motif and a purple contrast stitch around the edges. The sleeves are a semi opaque sort of mesh fabric with fur cuffs. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6v244B2vyEqgA-Q0uMp1L6M3Yr_Po-i9P3V2MqlpYTS5UKvSBCjxKwzsuYA30r4sHnPEwMtCcHFGrnRAF_ocz8-1KlpDz825LdvFO10wqnXSeg6mqC_heZXrqJ3fU3iJ2R9SzsWtDKpX6YfQVX8ucbyBsCb-aDAOBJo6yFejDxjmsIijV8PH_1Mn3cA/s2902/20230526_233627.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2902" data-original-width="1889" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6v244B2vyEqgA-Q0uMp1L6M3Yr_Po-i9P3V2MqlpYTS5UKvSBCjxKwzsuYA30r4sHnPEwMtCcHFGrnRAF_ocz8-1KlpDz825LdvFO10wqnXSeg6mqC_heZXrqJ3fU3iJ2R9SzsWtDKpX6YfQVX8ucbyBsCb-aDAOBJo6yFejDxjmsIijV8PH_1Mn3cA/w416-h640/20230526_233627.jpg" width="416" /></a></div><p></p><p>Her trousers are made of some sort of foiled fabric. It's thin and a little stretchy with a silver snowflake pattern against a purple background. They have slits up to the knee which is a bold look. </p><p>Her "jacket" is a fur shrug which I couldn't get the doll to wear alongside her backpack, it's fur shrug OR backpack, you can't have both. This irks me. It annoyed me so much I just kinda tossed it aside and forgot to take a photo of it. Ho hum. <br /></p><p>but also, a fur shrug is not exactly a practical thing to wear as day to day wear. Every time you lift you arm it falls on the floor. A fur gilet or vest would have made a lot more sense here. I really can't see any high school student wearing a formal fur shrug to school. It's just weird. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi77ZXnVRd_AXs0Kv0oR7cRcK9SnwPlgVg53ZEpiq1KL8bJnu4CUXBzbGCbdqLa_vOA4XN7fdKi2DnPfFlR7AdhvqYe08BQ64R-8oG60JHQRzMiwJEWjwOYGKP2T3LFrHJFCeZOEXFw0640LlDsSR9VNtbnJvjf9j5YVmFoaG13tY5SXn5XaLuFJE7_vQ/s2116/20230526_233650.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2116" data-original-width="1683" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi77ZXnVRd_AXs0Kv0oR7cRcK9SnwPlgVg53ZEpiq1KL8bJnu4CUXBzbGCbdqLa_vOA4XN7fdKi2DnPfFlR7AdhvqYe08BQ64R-8oG60JHQRzMiwJEWjwOYGKP2T3LFrHJFCeZOEXFw0640LlDsSR9VNtbnJvjf9j5YVmFoaG13tY5SXn5XaLuFJE7_vQ/w510-h640/20230526_233650.jpg" width="510" /></a></div><br /><p>Her earrings are little pink glittery icicles. Her other ear also has an ear cuff attached which is cute. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy8f9uhFR4aOFDTEwiZVst2MC6y_xwR_YktsipIsoGkbJN82o1ZmF-4V9J3fcq-csdbVqhUY09B3dGeu8hZ0YQmBh23MueRPevboD7R113QbvgfGFkfkKYTk362qRQKO5-pdpSI3wYc2ThtwPXyLUO-A7a0lWIKxuuSW6nd7bFcqGdLXtJ1B1iiDkNfg/s2256/IMG_20230527_142559.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2256" data-original-width="1843" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy8f9uhFR4aOFDTEwiZVst2MC6y_xwR_YktsipIsoGkbJN82o1ZmF-4V9J3fcq-csdbVqhUY09B3dGeu8hZ0YQmBh23MueRPevboD7R113QbvgfGFkfkKYTk362qRQKO5-pdpSI3wYc2ThtwPXyLUO-A7a0lWIKxuuSW6nd7bFcqGdLXtJ1B1iiDkNfg/w522-h640/IMG_20230527_142559.jpg" width="522" /></a></div> <p></p><p>Her ears themselves are furred which is adorable. I love g3's ears, they're all so cute. </p><p>(you can see here how I pulled her hair back out of her face) </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYqFfxh4odfXc8ImficHYMyKPCcGC35cyHQXY4kH1Q58uG14WdPy96IrBVmel8ghxGigSY7VEzWES8c-B2Uky80rwo7a1zb28nyXSSd19fd3AQxvsrMxzzk5HUmDAvenoBngIPbWS4GVmSaUTobX_Vkyv7C_Y8DUsKAMK5ELayB-nkiJOqAXfwm2Epvg/s2867/20230526_232503.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2439" data-original-width="2867" height="544" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYqFfxh4odfXc8ImficHYMyKPCcGC35cyHQXY4kH1Q58uG14WdPy96IrBVmel8ghxGigSY7VEzWES8c-B2Uky80rwo7a1zb28nyXSSd19fd3AQxvsrMxzzk5HUmDAvenoBngIPbWS4GVmSaUTobX_Vkyv7C_Y8DUsKAMK5ELayB-nkiJOqAXfwm2Epvg/w640-h544/20230526_232503.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>on to her snacks! </p><p>So Abbey comes with three snacks like everyone else. </p><p>first she has a drink with a removable lid. The one problem with this is that the lid doesn't actually stay on very well. It looks to have horns on the cup lid, a very soft straw and an ice effect that also looks like fangs which is kinda cool. The cup itself has eyeballs floating in it. I assume it's supposed to be a boba or bubble tea and the eyeballs are instead of tapioca? Maybe? </p><p>The brown ice cream is shaped like a horned tombstone and says "death by chocolate" on it. So it's some sort of chocolate flavoured shaped icecream thing.<br /></p><p>The other thing is a bit more bewildering. It's a rectangular little box with "sno corpse" written on it (well that's morbid Mattel). Of course the wording "sno corpse" makes me think "sno cone" but it's clearly NOT a sno cone, it looks more like maybe an ice cream bar? </p><p><strike>As a Kiwi my first thought was "hey, that looks a bit like an eskimo pie!" Or the UK equivalent which would be a choc ice. Basically a rectangular block of vanilla ice cream coated in chocolate and sold in a wrapper. </strike></p><p><strike>Maybe it's a reference to some American iced treat that's not immediately recognizable to anyone outside the US? Does anyone know for sure what it's a reference to? Because i'm sort of stumped. </strike></p><p><strike>I have to admit I do find it a bit lazy that BOTH of Abbey's snacks are ice creams of some sort. </strike></p><p>AHAH! I have been informed that they're a chocolate covered candy called "sno caps". they look like what the British call "jazzies" and in Australasia are called "chocolate freckles", little chocolate disks covered in hundreds and thousands. </p><p>As an aside, I absolutely HATE jazzies, they're gross. I always felt so cheated when they were the "chocolate" given out. Like ew. Cheap crap chocolate covered in flavorless hundreds and thousands? Get outta here with your bullshit. </p><p>but yeah, an American reference the rest of the world simply WILL NOT get. Way to go Mattel. *eyeroll* <br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM0jnGNYxRgxFlEtKGdb4BKlZMCLRXDv-KyIdgqd_xECSpqEIKELmtbaVlexxwxcN6t51ogn370kxTOjYufINPRqyYJMd8mgQHmM2zksdsoN3saTTFLqG_xZOF4MqTNlV4JOX7xqMsXefpOQYqECw402mAXDgTFdRKFw-eyhx6dsEfg1_BUi2SeeZ0ag/s1760/20230526_232529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1760" data-original-width="1459" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM0jnGNYxRgxFlEtKGdb4BKlZMCLRXDv-KyIdgqd_xECSpqEIKELmtbaVlexxwxcN6t51ogn370kxTOjYufINPRqyYJMd8mgQHmM2zksdsoN3saTTFLqG_xZOF4MqTNlV4JOX7xqMsXefpOQYqECw402mAXDgTFdRKFw-eyhx6dsEfg1_BUi2SeeZ0ag/w530-h640/20230526_232529.jpg" width="530" /></a></div><p></p><p>Abbey's bag is a pink glittery snowflake. It's cute, but it's a pain in the arse to open and it hurt my fingers. </p><p>I do like that the g3 dolls come with backpacks instead of handbags, it feels substantially more in keeping with their school theme. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuffCkfF6fi0oEF2mjkBhOK_NK5_V0pa2FgJ6VPD9yagxQ-0Rnov3oHQWNxn6TFWun5gCytCv-OlZU6WkHqgHC49J4ZPT4aaKi2gWzsOMRo4oIS2XLs9ZXvO4Rkn8n60DSPOe-DYPriB2A_ILljLUvsJ4L8xX5V8sxHM_WPLzgVvFAkq6H3ah_3xG9VQ/s3015/20230526_232559.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3015" data-original-width="1759" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuffCkfF6fi0oEF2mjkBhOK_NK5_V0pa2FgJ6VPD9yagxQ-0Rnov3oHQWNxn6TFWun5gCytCv-OlZU6WkHqgHC49J4ZPT4aaKi2gWzsOMRo4oIS2XLs9ZXvO4Rkn8n60DSPOe-DYPriB2A_ILljLUvsJ4L8xX5V8sxHM_WPLzgVvFAkq6H3ah_3xG9VQ/w374-h640/20230526_232559.jpg" width="374" /></a></div><p></p><p>Abbey's bag opens on a hinge like this, but it's absolutely TINY inside. And also as I said, really difficult to open.<br /></p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg104-rmCiOUnMxUS_rgGyCXQwKYaxhEenkcQKVQl_iGYHYNh4t_O9MXmbi1ku5nkbL_uR0PNOeVs14y-DIZEwS7bJy_wl_RRYwdj6NpOO87iMybZrDc_ThgvFe63VQmpYEA40stS1S_VZUJfnc85batBglLtR29hZgmPMZlLfpcOxkPRxsOXWDlvkwzg/s3494/20230526_232747.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3494" data-original-width="2234" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg104-rmCiOUnMxUS_rgGyCXQwKYaxhEenkcQKVQl_iGYHYNh4t_O9MXmbi1ku5nkbL_uR0PNOeVs14y-DIZEwS7bJy_wl_RRYwdj6NpOO87iMybZrDc_ThgvFe63VQmpYEA40stS1S_VZUJfnc85batBglLtR29hZgmPMZlLfpcOxkPRxsOXWDlvkwzg/w410-h640/20230526_232747.jpg" width="410" /></a></div><p></p><p>Because it's so small and due to the design of the latches you can only really fit ONE thing in it. Either Abbey's phone, which just about fits....<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQXRdMWbT4uod0OJSgJGD_FacRdNS5VwzX9zu6JmmFRzNZ9Lz90N5Y4dS2lPN-JACRYShYr1MKUR38y4ORrgQcISTPNNx_Rb-El_VWsrk8LljYn-zkfoEdic2E9peXjvUcNX-fTlTHzfdixIXCGhhCN3ZjYDv8LBgpAI9S5S1BhMNoSehrxjY54Pk-4Q/s3625/20230526_232800.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3625" data-original-width="2038" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQXRdMWbT4uod0OJSgJGD_FacRdNS5VwzX9zu6JmmFRzNZ9Lz90N5Y4dS2lPN-JACRYShYr1MKUR38y4ORrgQcISTPNNx_Rb-El_VWsrk8LljYn-zkfoEdic2E9peXjvUcNX-fTlTHzfdixIXCGhhCN3ZjYDv8LBgpAI9S5S1BhMNoSehrxjY54Pk-4Q/w360-h640/20230526_232800.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><p></p><p>Or the "sno corpse" box. </p><p>The ice cream thing is too big, it will not fit. </p><p>Boo! </p><p>I like when I can ram the snacks into the bag and know they're safe in there. It keeps them with the doll so they don't get lost. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNsInGK_cKz4xTDWZP3AnWhOiVnvksk_Rrb4xU-CjnvuUJyHYRWdzyhsTxbH5KCXbb6a8ee-rAzQAtTnKzOea1QY3G-FeS-EtJYiXkKDRh6hZbr83Cfll--HXCPnU1-2o-eEbywfkegiMqCgNWU8o86PV_fCYE2S6EszM2qXVyLGNYcbRrvIOt-PGvtQ/s1283/20230526_232647.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1283" data-original-width="1143" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNsInGK_cKz4xTDWZP3AnWhOiVnvksk_Rrb4xU-CjnvuUJyHYRWdzyhsTxbH5KCXbb6a8ee-rAzQAtTnKzOea1QY3G-FeS-EtJYiXkKDRh6hZbr83Cfll--HXCPnU1-2o-eEbywfkegiMqCgNWU8o86PV_fCYE2S6EszM2qXVyLGNYcbRrvIOt-PGvtQ/w570-h640/20230526_232647.jpg" width="570" /></a></div><p></p><p>Abbey's ice cream obsession continues in her phone design. it's another horned iced treat! </p><p>It's a sort of pearly purply pink colour with glitter. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzQmbbzKPjftZFJXjD-gotDzNArdxwIs30KdNywXB7fb-wCWb8QC9PmR1zFgSZAn7uraBaK7gJFkAOsogXSz-D5eduo3khLuH499e-cqCQG0Jf8NSqIGb2hNqfVVJO8YTtWkyu76ofm98R2K53E2ioRQUXu5DVp1bG6r9K1Ft1t3HU3w_MkQz48CTOEw/s1292/20230526_232654.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1292" data-original-width="810" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzQmbbzKPjftZFJXjD-gotDzNArdxwIs30KdNywXB7fb-wCWb8QC9PmR1zFgSZAn7uraBaK7gJFkAOsogXSz-D5eduo3khLuH499e-cqCQG0Jf8NSqIGb2hNqfVVJO8YTtWkyu76ofm98R2K53E2ioRQUXu5DVp1bG6r9K1Ft1t3HU3w_MkQz48CTOEw/w402-h640/20230526_232654.jpg" width="402" /></a></div><br /><p>The front has the horns and a little swirl but it honestly makes me think more "unicorn" than it does "ice cream" and I dunno why.Maybe it's the colour and that cloud-like swirl shape. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6iGV0Jmca_6l2oRjTPHLgs8QdgMph0joHo9MSu6cp1M-sb56eQElYgFUB0PqCzstkQBwL0WMTcW1eMNnjHYXaCwDOQDKv3Bc4DEoPbsZkiKvGqy5cyB6Oze7hsyS9DxLf2vi_gs9tZSwi91w7LTArU5CFi4cbueeMB2t4S3RmAs1sxMPSJXlYWuhOsQ/s1641/20230526_232834.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1641" data-original-width="1308" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6iGV0Jmca_6l2oRjTPHLgs8QdgMph0joHo9MSu6cp1M-sb56eQElYgFUB0PqCzstkQBwL0WMTcW1eMNnjHYXaCwDOQDKv3Bc4DEoPbsZkiKvGqy5cyB6Oze7hsyS9DxLf2vi_gs9tZSwi91w7LTArU5CFi4cbueeMB2t4S3RmAs1sxMPSJXlYWuhOsQ/w510-h640/20230526_232834.jpg" width="510" /></a></div><p></p><p>Shi... I mean.. Tundra is cute enough but like all the pets has a lot of obvious seams in their construction. </p><p>She? has a pearly plastic for the hair parts while the rest is a soft purple colour with white tusks. </p><p>I find it fascinating that many of these g3 pieces aren't painted but rather constructed from multiple separate pieces of coloured plastic. Like Abbey's shoes. </p><p>Tundra's ears are like batwings which is... certainly a choice. Makes me think of Neopets, the Elephante pet has bat wing ears too heh. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://bookofages.jellyneo.net/assets/imgs/species/pages/elephante_facts.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="300" src="https://bookofages.jellyneo.net/assets/imgs/species/pages/elephante_facts.png" width="300" /></a></div><p>am I the only one who sees it?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkkQPhouj9qsjQl-byJ5uIAdnIjWNnbFwlChgp-4iyj4H_4LbA4z5nBhxCWgumXyDchz-IEcwF9oz4OGCN9DNWM0gGDXPaN3QDphEt1-c8xgMJRl8aDIft6teqhJV2YDXHJguMcWZf80rc61fP2zsRlykUqe_mSMdAr-_CymeVL_HUloCK0JCfgY8QTA/s1926/20230526_232841.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1926" data-original-width="1757" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkkQPhouj9qsjQl-byJ5uIAdnIjWNnbFwlChgp-4iyj4H_4LbA4z5nBhxCWgumXyDchz-IEcwF9oz4OGCN9DNWM0gGDXPaN3QDphEt1-c8xgMJRl8aDIft6teqhJV2YDXHJguMcWZf80rc61fP2zsRlykUqe_mSMdAr-_CymeVL_HUloCK0JCfgY8QTA/w584-h640/20230526_232841.jpg" width="584" /></a></div><br /><p>Like all the pets, Tundra's eyes are pixilated and kinda blurry. </p><p>She's cute enough though. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1B4y14DrwXctEEaAoX999HJx-LxPgKSl8QZOUESgHW22UmCEQi7N3_Z1Vj4jTLCxN_gDQpuICiYyDGkWii2RWxZnLd27QQLOwUrJgBH4ZJfEdPB8jUKXL5ebBOltTB3LKJYr8dje4r1XgnkIHwlLDTNkGkeaRXm7XHM5fuZPwK1eG8yJHfEDxfuUc-A/s3428/20230526_233610.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3428" data-original-width="1530" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1B4y14DrwXctEEaAoX999HJx-LxPgKSl8QZOUESgHW22UmCEQi7N3_Z1Vj4jTLCxN_gDQpuICiYyDGkWii2RWxZnLd27QQLOwUrJgBH4ZJfEdPB8jUKXL5ebBOltTB3LKJYr8dje4r1XgnkIHwlLDTNkGkeaRXm7XHM5fuZPwK1eG8yJHfEDxfuUc-A/w286-h640/20230526_233610.jpg" width="286" /></a></div><p></p><p>Abbey's hair is already looking bedragled after her photo shoot. *sigh* </p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS3HqIXfX5b9nAW-wKTjLfYk6f2o4ckGtyPiQhUGyKtCCyT55uqTGY5KfYUrYShbbB0MdeEpJLBps6kIwFXYpGLhgyE4pNLMR3lyXS32NIhl3dy7qpjgK5ooCoDd8I-DgyL0hA7thuvCVUYQueOirHBYXkiTQW44NBCcKMYCEV1UVCMX1_Wh6VKLee8w/s2665/IMG_20230527_142627.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2091" data-original-width="2665" height="502" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS3HqIXfX5b9nAW-wKTjLfYk6f2o4ckGtyPiQhUGyKtCCyT55uqTGY5KfYUrYShbbB0MdeEpJLBps6kIwFXYpGLhgyE4pNLMR3lyXS32NIhl3dy7qpjgK5ooCoDd8I-DgyL0hA7thuvCVUYQueOirHBYXkiTQW44NBCcKMYCEV1UVCMX1_Wh6VKLee8w/w640-h502/IMG_20230527_142627.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>I also forgot to mention her bum bag/fanny pack belt thing. It's made of semi transparent blue plastic with glitter and designed to look like ice. There's a little purple icicle charm hanging from one side of the belt. </p><p>The one problem with this piece is that it spins around as there's no belt loops or anything to keep it in place. Straight out of the box it was held in place with an elastic band wound in a figure eight around both of Abbey's legs. I reinstated this as it was the best solution. </p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuDY2lUQq6GYM3_zl7b0jZQscApqBsLOCOmbjENLK2dtRa79hTQtaUEsV0E6BPhQua8S5v4ttCzjDT6A2jWQz_zLV6zeF9gJGfUrX3yHS_SnpAYeRHnW61c_pur2Gnms0-ThtJQjj1mHr1assq9gUvDxlCJinR4N96YqrjAddnrdUo7-R6TQpcnRNZow/s2618/IMG_20230527_142701.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2563" data-original-width="2618" height="626" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuDY2lUQq6GYM3_zl7b0jZQscApqBsLOCOmbjENLK2dtRa79hTQtaUEsV0E6BPhQua8S5v4ttCzjDT6A2jWQz_zLV6zeF9gJGfUrX3yHS_SnpAYeRHnW61c_pur2Gnms0-ThtJQjj1mHr1assq9gUvDxlCJinR4N96YqrjAddnrdUo7-R6TQpcnRNZow/w640-h626/IMG_20230527_142701.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p>She also has her glasses which are also glittery. Lots of embedded sparkle in the plastics here lol. </p><p>They're kinda narrow and sit a bit low on her nose. <br /></p><p>But they do contribute to Abbey's kinda... contrasting oddness with her outfit. The mesh sleeves, the loose floaty pants, the sandals and the sunglasses along with her icecreams all scream "summer" and yet she also has all this winter iconography with snowflakes and snow and ice and fur. It's a fascinating contrast. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAo2gJ6NtM-qFeB1p6xUMNuOh9SHM4_qkApjO-8cwUjL7yjdfxUt13ax8z5yJV19T96CINg2f_0GqbyK7O4fO4T7qiS7fu4YewVGUMRy5cE3R5C5bpCqtc88VatcDALu2EsvI4RZSBTKrG0kbasxVVv4DO7oLT342bjOwp7-YWi9ic7BvogWkFys2pTw/s3187/20230526_233816.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3187" data-original-width="1401" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAo2gJ6NtM-qFeB1p6xUMNuOh9SHM4_qkApjO-8cwUjL7yjdfxUt13ax8z5yJV19T96CINg2f_0GqbyK7O4fO4T7qiS7fu4YewVGUMRy5cE3R5C5bpCqtc88VatcDALu2EsvI4RZSBTKrG0kbasxVVv4DO7oLT342bjOwp7-YWi9ic7BvogWkFys2pTw/w282-h640/20230526_233816.jpg" width="282" /></a> <br /></div><p>She is a beautiful doll, i'm even adjusting to her flushed nose. But her hair is an absolute pain in the arse. It's SO STIFF. </p><p>I do hope we get an Abbey who has a better hair fiber but i'm not going to hold my breath here. I'll be honest, i'm not entirely sure this reboot is going to last too long. The dolls themselves are gorgeous, the effort put into their designs is right up there, but Mattel being Mattel they continue to self sabotage with stupid choices like poly hair and poor distribution. </p><p>It's also perhaps worth mentioning that when i deboxed Abbey, the first thing I did was brush her hair out of her face with my fingers. This caused on whole plug right at the front to come out completely, leaving a hole. </p><p>*sigh* </p><p>I get it, these things happen, but goddamnit it Mattel. </p><p>that was though, interestingly, the only hair drop I got from her. The rest of her hair didn't even shed when I brushed it. </p><p>I wish her horns were more prominent, they're such a cool little feature. <br /></p><p>I'm not disappointed in Abbey, I do think she's beautiful, but I can't help but wish she had better hair. </p><p>They got everything else so right so WHY Mattel? WHY? It's like throwing the race when you're seconds from the finish line. </p><p>argh. </p><p>it's frustrating is what it is. </p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpmcb-xR1KRA_2eKgZCOEH-oSbdbDmInH_brk_aGoUjWxnHma9Klym3ektfEO4uzN_N3vRHaVQh9VLgtJjWK9STfBxHulW8JcJ7z_XA6b6vmgYc_p0wekoo2gtvRdjUkFl63n_TXA-ecsf7kTFi59_yh8vAUDEPrBH1w6OWSMYV8uUcfR8yUUvBnoMMw/s2958/IMG_20230527_142847.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2958" data-original-width="2201" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpmcb-xR1KRA_2eKgZCOEH-oSbdbDmInH_brk_aGoUjWxnHma9Klym3ektfEO4uzN_N3vRHaVQh9VLgtJjWK9STfBxHulW8JcJ7z_XA6b6vmgYc_p0wekoo2gtvRdjUkFl63n_TXA-ecsf7kTFi59_yh8vAUDEPrBH1w6OWSMYV8uUcfR8yUUvBnoMMw/w476-h640/IMG_20230527_142847.jpg" width="476" /></a></div><br />Look at that pretty face! She deserved better damnit. <p></p><p> </p><p><br /></p>Purple_monkfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023284779817354246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3031605728160552641.post-30372127895712054562023-04-16T17:54:00.005+01:002023-04-16T17:54:57.957+01:00Giving Monster High g2 another look.<p> Maybe i'm a glutton for punishment, but with no new Monster High hitting the UK i've been thinking back on their last failed attempt to revitalise the series. </p><p>G2 is almost universally hated by collectors, but despite that the dolls are uncommon enough that they seem to command pretty decent prices on Ebay. Something I find surprising if this generation is hated as much as online vitriol would suggest. </p><p>Now, back when g2 came out I wasn't overly impressed with the "kidification" of the franchise, making everything rather Barbie-like with the baby sisters for everyone, cheaper simpler outfits and a general polish of "this is aimed at 6 year olds not tweens" which I always felt was Mattel panicking because they didn't know how to actually market to the audience who embraced Monster High.</p><p>see, I don't think Mattel expected MH to be as successful as it was, particularly not for it to get a bunch of tweens, teens and young adults interested in dolls. From most toy company's perspectives, kids stop playing with dolls when they hit about 10, so why bother marketing stuff to anyone older than that? </p><p>but MH managed to capture something Mattel as far as I believe, couldn't quite handle. An audience of older kids, a market they hadn't factored for and one their current exec etc simply didn't know HOW to market to. They were so used to making Barbies for children, suddenly having teenagers wanting dolls when by Mattel's own words they should be "into phones and tablets" was a big deal. </p><p>Sadly, instead of embracing this new and previously mostly untapped market, Mattel panicked. </p><p>G2 as far as I have always believed was their attempt to wipe the slate clean, push out those unwanted older fans and return to their comfort zone. A toy line marketed to younger children. A nice safe market, one they knew well, one they felt most comfortable with. </p><p>g2 felt like a giant "screw you" to the majority of fans of MH simply BECAUSE it wasn't aimed at us. That was never it's point. It was a reboot designed to appeal to younger kids, not the market it currently held. </p><p>And I always felt this was short sighted of Mattel because their tween/teen market was such an untapped market otherwise and teens who collect dolls tend to become adults who collect dolls. They don't "age out" like young kids do and it meant you had this gateway franchise. Kids would age out of Barbie and Disney princesses and age INTO Monster High. <br /></p><p>Of course this is all conjecture, I have no evidence of any of this, but that was always the vibe I got from the decisions Mattel made. As g1 drew to a close it was already pushing more and more for pink, for girly, for safe child friendly things like mermaids and cats and puppies and shit. </p><p>I mean i'm honestly surprised we didn't get a horse riding line for mh the way things were going.(We DID get fairies though with g2, and babies.) </p><p> But G2 happened and initially at least, I didn't HATE it. </p><p>There were things to loathe for sure, the "everyone gets a baby sister!" thing was tiresome and tacky for example. </p><p>But there were also things I LIKED about the first g2 dolls. </p><p>They had chunkier limbs which allowed for thicker more sturdy pegs in the wrist, elbow and knees. This made for sturdier joints and more robust dolls that weren't as prone to losing a leg or breaking a wrist through regular play. </p><p>They introduced moulded "monstery details" for the original ghouls, like mummy wraps for Cleo and fur detail for Clawdeen. A design idea they continued over into G3. </p><p>But they also made some really wierd decisions. Decisions that ultimately turned me off MH as a brand for a long time. </p><p>But it's been years. I'm in a better place in terms of my mental health, i'm no longer using dolls as a crutch to keep my head above water and hyperfixating to a dangerous level. So it's time I think to step back and reassess g2 and see if it still pisses me off as much now as it did then.</p><p>Spoiler: It probably does. </p><p>But let's get retrospective shall we?</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p>So, I don't own many g2 dolls. I never had that many of them anyway but I also sold a lot of them when I went off the brand and Mattel in general. </p><p>I won't go into that whole mess, it's an embarrassing chapter in my life and was far more influenced by my poor mental health at the time than Mattel themselves.As I said, i'm a lot healthier nowadays. </p><p>Suffice to say, G2 broke me for a while. So this retrospective is as much about giving g2 another chance as it is coming to terms with and healing the negative associations I have for this group of releases. </p><p>So, I recently purchased a small bundle of dolls including two g2 dolls. Both of which I once owned. </p><p>We'll start with Silvi.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKq6ykylbgNnqXEzd5dT798mxT56WAJYZjz7uK4voV1UX7diQEwvFc4GQ1uUuSWl0tBEwrRaoQzE8hexiN-pjL7Sx5R1vWMTMnlk1HTU0d_rfOU6EOSS2GG3npPNdM_LQzVSVUwVZFk4mhLgikAOiAHSx1gEnFwuzZ1-0VwWYWS0UWzuCOmYHSIs2V4A/s2682/20230416_153322.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2682" data-original-width="1267" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKq6ykylbgNnqXEzd5dT798mxT56WAJYZjz7uK4voV1UX7diQEwvFc4GQ1uUuSWl0tBEwrRaoQzE8hexiN-pjL7Sx5R1vWMTMnlk1HTU0d_rfOU6EOSS2GG3npPNdM_LQzVSVUwVZFk4mhLgikAOiAHSx1gEnFwuzZ1-0VwWYWS0UWzuCOmYHSIs2V4A/w302-h640/20230416_153322.jpg" width="302" /></a></div><br /> My original Silvi Timberwolf I ended up selling on at a loss and I always regretted letting her go. <p></p><p>Silvi was a new character introduced with the movie "Electrified" which i'll admit I haven't seen. I haven't watched any MH media since Boo York Boo York, I stopped finding the cringe fun and instead just found it annoying. Maybe I just got old. </p><p>Whatever.</p><p>Anyway. </p><p>Electrified was a whole line that was all neon colours and crimped hair with a fabulous 80s vibe that of course I enjoyed because i'm a whore for 80s/90s neon puke. </p><p>Unfortunately, like a lot of g2, this line was riddled with QC issues and cost cutting issues. </p><p>Missing or smeared paint was common. My original Silvi had half her nose missing and this girl had misprinted fangs. </p><p>And the hair? Dear god the hair. </p><p>see, crimping doll hair dries it out, so if you're gonna crimp doll hair you need to start with a material that can withstand that without frying. Unfortunately Mattel did NOT pick a material that wouldn't burn, instead they went with the cheapest material they could. </p><p>Silvi, like all of the Electrified line uses cheap nylon. It's extremely shiny and plasticky with quite thick strands. It's not particularly soft even before the crimper got near it. Crimping it just absolutely ruins it. The fibre ends up frazzled and split, the hair itself ends up so dry and fried that it sticks out in every direction and I mean i'll give them this, it DOES look like "stuck my finger in an electrical socket" hair. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7nQTrjorTtAfYgSFegZIbkbMqAdWRdvyzdS-IVqMrUltHFLZnPfTGycJuKhr1OIO01UE_mH8tMRhH28jbQE9pO-SVlb5FXKyx-qz5VIwOE2_MNmmyQrlmWSlrItHIV05ycn047-5Oetn1uaWOYiXQsJ_SysO5I1qNWs0Ttw8Chq3sQuc-A3Pp9NrVNQ/s2556/20230416_153345.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2556" data-original-width="2162" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7nQTrjorTtAfYgSFegZIbkbMqAdWRdvyzdS-IVqMrUltHFLZnPfTGycJuKhr1OIO01UE_mH8tMRhH28jbQE9pO-SVlb5FXKyx-qz5VIwOE2_MNmmyQrlmWSlrItHIV05ycn047-5Oetn1uaWOYiXQsJ_SysO5I1qNWs0Ttw8Chq3sQuc-A3Pp9NrVNQ/w542-h640/20230416_153345.jpg" width="542" /></a></div><p>Can you FEEL the texture through the computer screen?</p><p>Yikes. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwbIsodWYRUaRwHMIInOJzpJXr84CV9UBuiUCeSDc2YqwL6mK17CkOJ78ZTgKhN7oeqN1xLrU0I2M--yVTry9rREPjAG5ZOO6dVfYnN5MlLvdnHmbwFae7_zS9K2llq2R3kmth2BhtH5Q3ZuRn2BFirWXLcYsyV2hXbxp0xH2ndouTq35DTIp8yBp8OQ/s3237/20230416_153423.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3237" data-original-width="2648" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwbIsodWYRUaRwHMIInOJzpJXr84CV9UBuiUCeSDc2YqwL6mK17CkOJ78ZTgKhN7oeqN1xLrU0I2M--yVTry9rREPjAG5ZOO6dVfYnN5MlLvdnHmbwFae7_zS9K2llq2R3kmth2BhtH5Q3ZuRn2BFirWXLcYsyV2hXbxp0xH2ndouTq35DTIp8yBp8OQ/w524-h640/20230416_153423.jpg" width="524" /></a></div><p></p><p>Now, I have quite a few dolls with crimped hair because I have quite a few 80s and 90s dolls in my collection and it was really popular back then. All of them have soft hair. What crimping is SUPPOSED to do is add texture and it'll add a bit of volume making the hair more poofy but it should still be soft, brushable and sit down. </p><p>Here is a Rainbow High doll for comparison. Now Rainbow High dolls tend to use a very high quality hair fiber called "kiwi", which I believe is a sort of nylon. It's very very soft but it doesn't hold a curl that well. In Mara's case here, her hair is crimped but the Kiwi doesn't really WANT to be crimped so it doesn't hold the texture that well. </p><p>however, despite her hair having been crimped, something that's done with heat, her hair remains soft and it lays down rather that sticking up like a troll doll. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYtySktT6MEd0jv_EsN8-522FxcIF4NdIEJ3giknDxqLvrJvJTaVEPd8ntaTX92V7JmWQbWYYpdqcpC_Vt15fVfh7ZTyhBeVFBgkBp8jjiOdBEc9YIKqkIGxipx7uY9IB3DKRDkXHANbFe3IzigZ4S9ZX7qS6JhOq1u9TCRaHzAsRxJ-F5Al8H0bMX-w/s3265/20230416_153457.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="2177" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYtySktT6MEd0jv_EsN8-522FxcIF4NdIEJ3giknDxqLvrJvJTaVEPd8ntaTX92V7JmWQbWYYpdqcpC_Vt15fVfh7ZTyhBeVFBgkBp8jjiOdBEc9YIKqkIGxipx7uY9IB3DKRDkXHANbFe3IzigZ4S9ZX7qS6JhOq1u9TCRaHzAsRxJ-F5Al8H0bMX-w/w426-h640/20230416_153457.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><p>From the front you can probably see the difference more obviously. </p><p>Both dolls have similar hairstyles with a high ponytail. Mara's hair falls naturally while Silvi's has to be pulled downward and finger combed into something resembling a ponytail, otherwise it'll stick directly upright. </p><p>the closest texture I can think of would be perhaps the afro hair of a few of my black dolls, but those still have softness even while their hair is defying gravity. Silvi's hair is NOT soft, it feels crispy. In fact, it reminds me a lot of the time I boil washed a 70s Sarah Louise doll and watched in horror as the hair shrank up on itself. The end result was a very similar crispy, dry feeling fiber and that right there is heat damage. I'm fairly certain this hair is actually ruined because the nylon they used wasn't heat safe or they used too much heat. It's shrunk up on itself, dried out and started to split along each strand. <br /></p><p>Mattel's cost cutting insistance resulted in a whole line of dolls who's hair is so unpleasant to touch and impossible to style that it sort of ruins their whole point. The crimping, which was supposed to be a feature, instead becomes their biggest problem. </p><p>What's especially frustrating is that the movie has another design for Silvi that doesn't feature the static shock hair. But we never got a doll of that version. </p><p>A real pity because she has a really pretty face and I love that we finally got another werewolf character that wasn't related to Clawdeen. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJMrWp7834NWrAMZXUOQfRA1pKJ-5gtfpFKA7R0wcqZ-UMlbtMDs1E8agGrwvRzwFrje7kosTB-YNBezAG0BRQ5YSqTWvdzC_eDfsUIM4AQ-c94mgR58ap4iizMZkCx9cpxx9yn2qUQ9a6OHchWjQZbIev9G-1WcO7CWkkcLOeoGv-S-vnjGlu74j5WA/s2622/20230416_153328.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2622" data-original-width="2248" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJMrWp7834NWrAMZXUOQfRA1pKJ-5gtfpFKA7R0wcqZ-UMlbtMDs1E8agGrwvRzwFrje7kosTB-YNBezAG0BRQ5YSqTWvdzC_eDfsUIM4AQ-c94mgR58ap4iizMZkCx9cpxx9yn2qUQ9a6OHchWjQZbIev9G-1WcO7CWkkcLOeoGv-S-vnjGlu74j5WA/w548-h640/20230416_153328.jpg" width="548" /></a></div><br /><p>So I gotta address the elephant in the room here. </p><p>NO, this is NOT Silvi's factory paint. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguCtPYJcQOALAv8xG3F8kqZfTRel4r3HPx4Na3gvDICLm9Ps_HpJZYHn1gmOl0Tp7iT6vtub2H6TgjCgf18FWrw-jeSwIsyPIui3rG2ovLpenNsiWHIqBD0Hwg24mG5BqsSCwrdYE4DfhOZWTv8OI2Sdh-2hyVcSI80cSBh5b7tSXs7784rhbkf3Nsbg/s640/P1160546.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="554" data-original-width="640" height="554" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguCtPYJcQOALAv8xG3F8kqZfTRel4r3HPx4Na3gvDICLm9Ps_HpJZYHn1gmOl0Tp7iT6vtub2H6TgjCgf18FWrw-jeSwIsyPIui3rG2ovLpenNsiWHIqBD0Hwg24mG5BqsSCwrdYE4DfhOZWTv8OI2Sdh-2hyVcSI80cSBh5b7tSXs7784rhbkf3Nsbg/w640-h554/P1160546.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>this is my original Silvi to show you what she looked like straight out of her box. </p><p>My new girl has lost an earring (the reason for which is actually becasue the ear holes were too close to the edge of her ear so the earring tore out. You can see one of the holes is torn and the other is so close to the edge that i'm reluctant to put much more than a stud into it) but also had badly errored fangs so I was going to have to repaint her lips anyway. I elected for a darker pink to better match her pink hair streak. While I was at it I also decided to line her eyes to emulate the g1 style a little more (not that all g1 dolls have black around their iris either but eh) and to make her look a little more focused. </p><p>I also simplified her eye paint in the same purple and blue colours, because I felt like the radial lines made it look a bit messy and they were uneven and badly painted anyway. </p><p>You can see that my new girl has errored eyelashes too. </p><p>as I said earlier, the qc on these g2 dolls was horrible. Almost all of them had some form of paint defect. </p><p>I vastly prefer my overpainted Silvi. I think she looks more focused and softer. Something about the paint work of the factory doll gives her a slightly unhinged stare into the distance that coupled with her little smile makes me slightly uncomfortable. </p><p>With a little overpaint she's really cute and i'm glad to have her back in my collection even if her hair is horrible. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwKAThpPUcwxUUr2tlzwPmvKTERJRxolL_AsTu_G4BZUgFW6hbLibQxE08MgM9H5EUe2dOqP5YhcKBzRhwZmyBEWTRxHnw6CzdjgSrIql37iks-oOCrIhvCNe-BoKKWYyO2h5MCoBTG6CITIiVs0jOaC6OZI3e8Gs6srJxR2hxxQZ1LGggutidjvG9LQ/s1601/20230416_153715.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1425" data-original-width="1601" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwKAThpPUcwxUUr2tlzwPmvKTERJRxolL_AsTu_G4BZUgFW6hbLibQxE08MgM9H5EUe2dOqP5YhcKBzRhwZmyBEWTRxHnw6CzdjgSrIql37iks-oOCrIhvCNe-BoKKWYyO2h5MCoBTG6CITIiVs0jOaC6OZI3e8Gs6srJxR2hxxQZ1LGggutidjvG9LQ/w640-h570/20230416_153715.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Now as I mentioned, one of the things I liked about g2 was how much more robust the doll bodies felt. </p><p>as you can see here, Silvi's elbow peg is substantially chunkier than g1 Abbey's. The g3 dolls have even chunkier pegs which make their joints even sturdier. </p><p>Unfortunately, after a couple of good lines, Mattel's cost cutting started to get intollerable. </p><p>The first few g2 releases weren't bad. The signature dolls had cheaper and subtantially "safer" outfits than the mini skirts of their original g1 days, but they had okay hair and the quality of their clothes was fine for what it was. Shriek Wrecked was pretty decent again with decent hair and actually fairly nice outfit pieces. </p><p>Electrified was where things started to fall fast. </p><p>and it was only going to get worse. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaLrPXoter-VWnisIeSCAANtHN30hN1xTjxieVZjnFvdkPgn3oEf3sN1x-G_uXr09GSnbQYn4axocEh03qEUBNr1kQw7STYqStSjTLmrIJWn7gEXJjXuE4kGYmJ3dHIVaDCUlyACs5-BpqTNs61Fd_ZlfwMqIoyeizWizcleJJbgn0fCk1xLAOZxVemQ/s3272/20230416_154111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3272" data-original-width="1329" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaLrPXoter-VWnisIeSCAANtHN30hN1xTjxieVZjnFvdkPgn3oEf3sN1x-G_uXr09GSnbQYn4axocEh03qEUBNr1kQw7STYqStSjTLmrIJWn7gEXJjXuE4kGYmJ3dHIVaDCUlyACs5-BpqTNs61Fd_ZlfwMqIoyeizWizcleJJbgn0fCk1xLAOZxVemQ/w260-h640/20230416_154111.jpg" width="260" /></a></div><br /><p>Garden/Party ghouls was... a line... </p><p>actually i'll be honest, I quite like the Rochelle and Abbey, they're both really pretty dolls imo. </p><p>but Venus? </p><p>this right here is the doll that broke me when it came to MH, the doll that made me question whether I wanted to give Mattel any money again.</p><p>sound over dramatic? Probably. But oh god this doll. </p><p>We'll start with the good shall we?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhimauMJ99yCDwBB8039O9-5vP3x2gjFlF57vIYGaRcxEL9VrOpJ-Djuewezs23RwQgsmWPF-JUTydUFAJO_fOFhaHdYfEukZX8CETx-2h0DNmRDI3YyTn6oXFTyPZBhys-zgCNSyPZMELQHtCMPcpZGJwopHdaW7M6eUbfIyBkXcVaokcCeOvs-jbvJg/s2083/20230416_153856.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2083" data-original-width="2074" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhimauMJ99yCDwBB8039O9-5vP3x2gjFlF57vIYGaRcxEL9VrOpJ-Djuewezs23RwQgsmWPF-JUTydUFAJO_fOFhaHdYfEukZX8CETx-2h0DNmRDI3YyTn6oXFTyPZBhys-zgCNSyPZMELQHtCMPcpZGJwopHdaW7M6eUbfIyBkXcVaokcCeOvs-jbvJg/w638-h640/20230416_153856.jpg" width="638" /></a></div><p></p><p>She has a very very pretty face.</p><p>Now, like my Silvi, I DID do some tweaks here. Unlike Silvi, Venus didn't really have any major errors. Her eyes are slightly wonky maybe, but it's not that noticable unless I am really nitpicking. </p><p>But I felt like her unlined eyes felt a little too unfocused. G1 Venus doesn't have black around her iris either, but her eyes are a deeper brighter blue. G2 Venus has very very pale blue eyes, they're almost grey in fact. So I put a little black around the iris to better highlight them which has the interesting effect of making them look bluer.</p><p>huh... wierd. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzbvJqFPLGOX-yGt8nmDICQfqz63fTjraVYvoGun5AeYIzqBiQJG7tcWBrkT4w0MGcjAT7TUt5QrzBRtK3YpfyyuL2eBbDSxCryRLeuGbZB0ZZ9wIBol-2YqxMnDNETuEgWHGjdTbaMxImAc25F7yTgPKoaFAD3hsQ-BYR8af0_AIEHRnXKbL4bZCSfg/s640/P1170082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="540" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzbvJqFPLGOX-yGt8nmDICQfqz63fTjraVYvoGun5AeYIzqBiQJG7tcWBrkT4w0MGcjAT7TUt5QrzBRtK3YpfyyuL2eBbDSxCryRLeuGbZB0ZZ9wIBol-2YqxMnDNETuEgWHGjdTbaMxImAc25F7yTgPKoaFAD3hsQ-BYR8af0_AIEHRnXKbL4bZCSfg/w540-h640/P1170082.JPG" width="540" /></a></div><br /><p>this was my original Garden/Party Ghoul Venus to show you her eyes. </p><p>She would have originally had a headband but my new one has lost hers along with most of her accessories.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioHAZsi4c1sDz-JauSwwh2niUgdVYkRf-r1g8V6yKX7C3wzqh4Q3zetaHjFoOKfN-Te3xbyq5iYAARPTTwQqKUFHsrKezZEltgUO9fZd-sMj-u3_nXBCTcwETbhOb7Ytx5k__fon73qBTvqh-mnmxnhDAsWMK914WnWdE4XrZqOklit28D_TgfDCmWfA/s2136/20230416_153909.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1722" data-original-width="2136" height="516" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioHAZsi4c1sDz-JauSwwh2niUgdVYkRf-r1g8V6yKX7C3wzqh4Q3zetaHjFoOKfN-Te3xbyq5iYAARPTTwQqKUFHsrKezZEltgUO9fZd-sMj-u3_nXBCTcwETbhOb7Ytx5k__fon73qBTvqh-mnmxnhDAsWMK914WnWdE4XrZqOklit28D_TgfDCmWfA/w640-h516/20230416_153909.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /> Her hair is lovely and soft, but like my original is super choppy and all different lengths which is bizarre. <p></p><p>My new girl also has flocking issues where her flock doesn't actually fill the molded area it's supposed to. </p><p>Ho hum. G2's qc issues continue. </p><p>I really liked that g2 Venus had darker green in her hair. It's a more emerald green rather than the kinda mossy green of g1 and i think it's really pretty. Though a lot more watermelon with the pink lol. </p><p>Now Venus's outfit is dumb with a wierd double waist band on her dress but I don't HATE it with the same passion I did back in 2017. I feel like with g3 Draculaura's "cape" as an extra layer and with a jacket or something it could be styled to work. You just gotta hide one of the waist bands. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3nJFCwfZh3017TxjTNNy2Fb0Tt29eQsez0xyxweRb9rR4EJzsKi77zYHMPxUSImh41rsh5EGcKqHSxszpj7RUu6A3nZSg631BPKxvddkSI1FWCbat37YNLoBKzyegPFztoqZUUtciVyVf0-MyqXkITZeQ5JyWwEK_qPflyMrB_GH8tFtJ40YTUs19_A/s1726/20230416_153927.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1022" data-original-width="1726" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3nJFCwfZh3017TxjTNNy2Fb0Tt29eQsez0xyxweRb9rR4EJzsKi77zYHMPxUSImh41rsh5EGcKqHSxszpj7RUu6A3nZSg631BPKxvddkSI1FWCbat37YNLoBKzyegPFztoqZUUtciVyVf0-MyqXkITZeQ5JyWwEK_qPflyMrB_GH8tFtJ40YTUs19_A/w640-h378/20230416_153927.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>but let's talk about the REAL issue here. </p><p>an issue that would from this point forward plague g2. </p><p>the gappy bodies.</p><p>Now, when I first saw this I thought it was a factory error. "no way could they engineer that" I thought. </p><p>I was a fool. </p><p>No, they intentionally did this. Gappy joints that don't actually fit one another. The theory is they did this to save plastic and thus save money.</p><p>they also at this point removed the ability to take the arms or hands off, which meant they had to shrink the hands down and stop having such lovely expressive gestures. </p><p>My biggest issue with these joints isn't that they look hideous though, it's that they actively undermine the durability and poseability of the doll. Her wrists are particularly bad. They're stiff and awkard to move, they take quite a bit of effort to twist and there's clear strain to her right hand (not pictured) where the hand and peg are starting to part ways due to the strain. </p><p>all the force of the joint is on the peg and where it connects into the hand, whereas the older dolls that is reinforced by the socket itself. Here, it has nothing to brace against. The elbow has the same issue, there's nothing to brace the force against. While the pegs are thick, they still are taking far more strain than they were designed to take. These gappy joints also result in very stiff movement for the doll. The wrists are hard to move as I mentioned and the elbows are substantially stiffer and more awkward than Silvi's. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC67FrFQB5TK6aE1jc-3Oc19kZoPi5k9VTdpA9jn_V976HzNG42ySvyvxcd04kNF3WJGCIr_-E5p82q29tZoJSTM7tgn9aVkKokfvE1qOWbT2gHXaJurZQl0S5v3HVHyYf0y75KXnubJGye2eqZA6itQJEyqS-vCCnzHYzMwZFzQusT_kCKdtYuVxlBg/s2137/20230416_153939.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2137" data-original-width="1094" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC67FrFQB5TK6aE1jc-3Oc19kZoPi5k9VTdpA9jn_V976HzNG42ySvyvxcd04kNF3WJGCIr_-E5p82q29tZoJSTM7tgn9aVkKokfvE1qOWbT2gHXaJurZQl0S5v3HVHyYf0y75KXnubJGye2eqZA6itQJEyqS-vCCnzHYzMwZFzQusT_kCKdtYuVxlBg/w328-h640/20230416_153939.jpg" width="328" /></a></div><p></p><p>These badly designed joints continue into her legs with the knee joint having the same problem as the elbows. The peg doesn't fit into the socket, so it has nothing to brace against when you bend it. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkM_AOXt57C42yTEcVlFK2tpaQbPjvwckgDlFibI1bhCZCaWYdIvxu9SmM9QmGTC2Kb3k0-g8tJP3-ElMxAtUuVSLGFohJqyzPKMZjrAIj4SxGE0xvOBpWXBPW3rCOo_MqV0NpI4V2pCS9qlaJxhJxzYpdaTAsBfwhlFfghSYDm0C_AuxTjq-mwUGb0w/s2980/20230416_154005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2092" data-original-width="2980" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkM_AOXt57C42yTEcVlFK2tpaQbPjvwckgDlFibI1bhCZCaWYdIvxu9SmM9QmGTC2Kb3k0-g8tJP3-ElMxAtUuVSLGFohJqyzPKMZjrAIj4SxGE0xvOBpWXBPW3rCOo_MqV0NpI4V2pCS9qlaJxhJxzYpdaTAsBfwhlFfghSYDm0C_AuxTjq-mwUGb0w/w640-h450/20230416_154005.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>this is NOT a healthy knee joint. </p><p>And like the elbows it results in really stiff difficult movement with the added "fun" of literally feeling like the whole lower leg is going to pop out at any moment. </p><p>Bending Venus' knees is a really awful experience because every time I think i'm going to break her. </p><p>Mattel took a decently engineered body that actively IMPROVED upon the g1 design and went "how can we best fuck this up?" and then did that.</p><p>They decided that not only aesthetics but actual functionality no longer mattered, what mattered was saving a few pennies on a tiny little bit of plastic. </p><p>And from this point ALL the g2 dolls got these bodies. </p><p>How much did it cost I wonder for Mattel to switch over from already engineered and existing bodies to their new shit ones? And how much did that little bit less plastic really save overall?</p><p>It's also worth pointing out that this line came with a LOAD of extra plastic shit in the form of little flowers you could mix and match into their belts and shoes. So if the intention was to reduce the amount of plastic WHY would you then make loads of little plastic flowers and shit?</p><p>These gappy bodies are horrendous. They represent Mattel at their most money grubbing. Actively sabotaging the playability of their product to save a few pennies. A great big "fuck you" to their customers right there. </p><p>While the original g2 dolls felt like a doll a child could actually play with, the gappy body g2 dolls are in my mind actively defective. </p><p>they also never made it clear that the hands weren't designed to come off and when every other monster high doll had removable hands, even dolls within the same LINE (rochelle and abbey both have ungappy removable hand bodies) it was just asking for these dolls to get broken by someone pulling on the hand. </p><p>incidentally, that IS something I did with my original one to see what would happen. I pulled, hard... and her hand tore off the peg. </p><p>Yeah... </p><p>I wonder how many of these dolls are out there with missing hands or broken legs.... </p><p>and it's baffling because they already had perfectly good bodies from the earlier g2 releases. They had those moulds, they had them right there! </p><p>The gappy bodies were the last straw for me.</p><p>But here's the thing. Even back in 2017 I thought g2 Venus was very very pretty. But her body was unforgivable. </p><p>I returned mine to the store (yes, after I tore her hand off. What?) which is the first time i've ever actually done that. usually with defective dolls I just make do and try to fix them but Venus was unsalvageable. </p><p>My new Venus has those same issues of course and they still piss me off, but at least now she's not a brand new doll and buying her wasn't supporting the contempt of Mattel for their customer base and their betrayal of the idea of making a toy that was actually functional as a goddamn toy. </p><p>The unarticulated dolls had a place, they were fine. I mean I didn't much like them but i'd have LOVED that option when my eldest was young so that he could have had his own dolls that were tougher and more able to withstand the play of a very young child. </p><p>but the gappy bodies helped nobody. There was no niche they were filling. They were entirely cynical cost cutting at the expense of the product. </p><p>And I think that's why they offended me so much and continue to do so. </p><p>And i've considered whether it'd be worth rebodying Venus' head onto a g1 body but ultimately? I feel like hanging onto her as she is has merit. She will stand as my benchmark for shitty design. An example of corperate bullshit that actively sabotages their own brand. </p><p>She's a great example of what was wrong with g2, though she doesn't fully represent why it failed. G2 failed not just for the bad bodies and crap qc but for a whole host of reasons. It alienated it's existing fanbase for no real reason beyond someone high up in Mattel decided they didn't WANT those sorts of people buying their dolls. It introduced a lot of Barbie tropes and cliches which previously MH had avoided and was part of the reason people LIKED MH in the first place (because it wasn't Barbie!). It relied heavily on pop culture as seen through the lens of 60 year old white men and 12 months out of date (the emojii dolls for example) and cheap outfits cut to the exact same pattern just in different colours rather than distinct costumes for each character. It churned out a huge amount of cheap dolls with mostly plastic outfits, molded outfits or cheap gimmicks that nobody asked for. </p><p>and ultimately it utterly failed at its job. It didn't appeal to the kids Mattel wanted and it actively turned away the tweens that HAD been buying the dolls previously. </p><p>Now, g2 wasn't all bad. As I said, it did introduce some good ideas. The molded monstery details that g3 has continued with, the introduction of a couple of new characters like Silvi and Moanica who used their own head sculpts and had their own styles. Some cool new shoes even. (Venus' boots are insanely detailed) </p><p>I actually LIKE the original g2 bodies more than the g1 bodies because the joints feel more secure and they stand more reliably as they have stronger knees and hips. </p><p>but after Garden/Party ghouls... yeah. </p><p>The releases after Party Ghouls included a two pack of Draculaura and Twyla wearing outfits with peanut butter and jelly patterns which was... certainly a choice. </p><p>A ballerina line... you know, because "little girls like ballet"</p><p>and a line featuring outfits with comic book slogans printed all over them. </p><p>We also got molded on swimsuit dolls, a whole line of gimmicky "transforming" dolls with wing things, and MORE baby sisters. </p><p>so yeah... </p><p>g2 quickly wound down and was dead by 2018. It managed perhaps 18 months, limping on til Mattel finally accepted nobody wanted their plastic tat anymore. </p><p>Nobody mourned the passing of g2. </p><p>And honestly? I'm not sure we should have. It was a cynical reboot from the start, designed not to reinvigorate interest but more to get rid of undesirable fans in favour of Mattel's comfort zone. </p><p>And it was so frustrating because yes, g1 sales were slumping, but that's quite normal for a line that old. But it also held onto a market of far more reliable customers, customers who wouldn't "age out" of the brand. Tweens would become teens who liked dolls and if you managed that right, you could keep them as adults who liked dolls too. the original MH dolls appealed to children yes, but they ALSO appealed to tweens and teens who had otherwise grown out of dolls and were looking for something a bit more edgy to capture their interest. </p><p>that MH managed to hold such a broad market for so long was a testament to how good it WAS, but instead of embracing that Mattel pivoted away violently. </p><p>G3, though it's been woefully mismanaged, at least does seem to understand MH's appeal. We have the playline dolls aimed at kids but also designed in such a way that they're appealing to older folk too. But we also have collector line dolls for all those adults who have expendable income. We have g1 style dolls and classic horror movie tie in dolls. We have a company who at least at some level are finally embracing a diverse audience and trying to cater to it.</p><p>Now of course, they aren't doing it WELL. The overpricing of their collector dolls and the absolute pigs ear of their production of those is a whole thing. Their baffling inability to distribute dolls properly not only globally but within the us itself is a symptom of something else going on within the company i'm sure and the confusing nature of having g1's canon opperating alongside g3s is a bit... wierd. </p><p>But that said, this is a huge improvement in attitude over g2 which really did feel like it was specifically designed to alienate old fans and attempt to court a much younger audience that Mattel felt more comfortable marketing to. (and I suspect part of that is because 6 year olds are less discerning customers and don't have the ability to complain anyway, so you can cheap out more.)</p><p>Looking back at g2 just highlights how good g3 actually IS. </p><p>I may not love every choice Mattel made with it, but the dolls at least feel like they were designed with care and consideration for their playability. </p><p>that said, Mattel's cost cutting STILL plagues g3. Clawdeen has awful hair, several outfit pieces are really cheaply made and look bad. But it's so minor compared to the glaring issues of g2 dolls like Venus with her mis-engineered body or Silvi with her absolutely destroyed hair.</p><p> Mattel's cost cutting this time hasn't resulted in dolls that are defective straight out of the box. A problem that plagued g2. </p><p>Time has certainly mellowed me to g2's flaws, but my complaints from 2017 still stand. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjINjIOBqPti9kek52Amlp0E7HqGcGA3kG1pjU8yGfrNDGx-n8cGbb4b2a4w6ghejwgAUwz4SmI07RynxCXMPcZWvrYO3nGdAcGOE1chmpMRCa5sWUZMDL0lP5I5bS6eC6oc0wTY5Q3nJVSL1VkOgqEXRGf9aZE1mO1jQitw4Zyrf6Ab6RQUcUe49g35A/s2415/20230416_154321.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2415" data-original-width="1731" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjINjIOBqPti9kek52Amlp0E7HqGcGA3kG1pjU8yGfrNDGx-n8cGbb4b2a4w6ghejwgAUwz4SmI07RynxCXMPcZWvrYO3nGdAcGOE1chmpMRCa5sWUZMDL0lP5I5bS6eC6oc0wTY5Q3nJVSL1VkOgqEXRGf9aZE1mO1jQitw4Zyrf6Ab6RQUcUe49g35A/w458-h640/20230416_154321.jpg" width="458" /></a></div><br /><p>I also got G1 Geek Shriek Abbey who has a gorgeous face but I haven't found her a decent outfit yet. </p><p>I don't regret adding Silvi and Venus back into my collection, but that doesn't mean they are deeply flawed dolls. <br /></p><p><br /></p>Purple_monkfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023284779817354246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3031605728160552641.post-32134787552382859832023-04-04T00:07:00.001+01:002023-04-04T00:07:55.659+01:00Monster High Howliday dolls<p> Mattel's releases of Monster High are... pretty random honestly. We've got G3 which has mostly just not hit anywhere outside the USA (We in the UK have gotten the core 5 but NOTHING else. We're like 5 lines behind at this point and it's ridiculous!), the overpriced "haunt couture" dolls available only from Mattel which sell out stupid fast and their "howliday" dolls which like g3, simply are not being stocked in regular stores outside the USA.</p><p>Suffice to say, it's getting pretty damn frustrating being a Monster High fan who doesn't live in the USA right now. I thought we were past those days of toy companies forgetting that a whole planet was out there beyond American shores and yet, here we are again. Second class consumers who's money Mattel apparently neither want or need. -_- </p><p>Meanwhile MGA is, for the most part, actually managing global releases. Here in the UK we've missed two Rainbow High releases (slumber party and the band group) but have gotten every other one and more importantly, get them within weeks of the USA rather than 4 months later. I don't understand what is going on with Mattel and their distribution right now. They aren't just ignoring other countries, they're screwing up distribution within the US as well. So many of their Monster High releases particularly have had really spotty distribution, not hitting whole regions at all and there's honestly no excuse for it. In this day and age it shouldn't be this bad and i'm honestly starting to wonder if this is some form of self sabotage on Mattel's part. I mean it's bizarre, it really is. They cry about how MGA is beating them in doll sales but it's like... guys, maybe if your product was actually making it TO SHELVES that wouldn't be such an issue.</p><p>The fact is that in many places MGA products are the only big mainstream option because Mattel's apparently forgotten how to distribute product. </p><p>Anyway, this is not really the point of this review. I just wanted to get it off my chest. </p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a> <p></p><p>Today we're looking at the Howliday Monster High dolls, which from what I can establish are a low price point "collector" doll line more on par with Barbie Looks or BMR. You know, basically playline, but with an inflated price tag. </p><p>And Mattel's spotty distribution is relevant here because both the Howliday edition sets haven't been readily available outside the USA. </p><p>Draculaura had really wierd stocking in the states too where she kept dropping in and out of stock and selling out in minutes every time she DID restock. I get the impression that the first few restocks at least, Mattel didn't send many cases. Why? God knows. Mattel's ability to actually sell toys seems to be rapidly abandoning them. </p><p>Anyway, </p><p>I preordered Draculaura from the ONE UK stockist who actually got them in, a third party small independent who of course wasn't buying in bulk so wasn't getting a sweet discount from Mattel. Small independents often pay literal retail for their product, which is why they're so much more expensive to buy from. The profit margin just isn't there otherwise. </p><p>Anyway, I also had a friend in the USA who found me a Howliday Draculaura at retail and shipped her to me. </p><p>I was going to cancel my UK order but it shipped the same day I was told "oh we have stock in the US!" by the friend.</p><p>DOH. </p><p>But it's fine, I sold on one of them so didn't really lose any money on it. </p><p>Howliday Draculaura retails for $42:99 USD and in the UK was about £60 from a third party. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvIyGwA0gDV0NXMhUzqHo1IIjbD-56oOcgPVMzNst02XSpk3y2qP3GVpU0exDfkWtiPpvnp96Y186T8QWAVGLFpcsbLgpF4NJRypiEp91vhVJChkNx6u2-Lamp06Ygut3KKAii5Kp_-7NfQuPJOhMDzUwSQj-RLwATVfjV04n4XsxEVoOSodkfDzIBYA/s3695/20230330_132350.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3695" data-original-width="2984" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvIyGwA0gDV0NXMhUzqHo1IIjbD-56oOcgPVMzNst02XSpk3y2qP3GVpU0exDfkWtiPpvnp96Y186T8QWAVGLFpcsbLgpF4NJRypiEp91vhVJChkNx6u2-Lamp06Ygut3KKAii5Kp_-7NfQuPJOhMDzUwSQj-RLwATVfjV04n4XsxEVoOSodkfDzIBYA/w516-h640/20230330_132350.jpg" width="516" /></a></div><p></p><p>Draculaura's box is fine, I mean, it's a box. I like the spiderweb snowflakes though, those are fun. </p><p>Why is Draculaura the doll chosen for "winter edition" you ask? Not a clue. People like Draculaura? Though I mean, that said, while characters like Abby would have been more obvious at the same time it's nice to see them go with a less obvious one just for a bit of a change of pace. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw_VcfdNaik-DHVUMR2hA58pxJcNgnBcXtDPNhHGgV7T4sKeDx0hllk_Q6LQfv2721M7v1FBFHc-xnclbXWP4cnoeLa2RbpwsDjnlYTC0X1MSiqW05EJnEZ46QRN7Rs8YR4Tpxod1OyN6FOAdlTKCF82kjOo0Uu2ylvnpOu6a6JszcCEjob0EWAycnug/s3026/20230330_132428.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3026" data-original-width="2853" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw_VcfdNaik-DHVUMR2hA58pxJcNgnBcXtDPNhHGgV7T4sKeDx0hllk_Q6LQfv2721M7v1FBFHc-xnclbXWP4cnoeLa2RbpwsDjnlYTC0X1MSiqW05EJnEZ46QRN7Rs8YR4Tpxod1OyN6FOAdlTKCF82kjOo0Uu2ylvnpOu6a6JszcCEjob0EWAycnug/w604-h640/20230330_132428.jpg" width="604" /></a></div><p></p><p>The back of the box is really boring. It's just photos of the doll and some words. No artwork or anything. I mean yeah it's servicable sure, but it's boring. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaQ2XE8VBKkyHBk6EdQ5U0qePi1XUozuZPhVuqmHOD1qjLAKumszrJFs1ONKq6P1oorQ1d1LqWEANjxHNpHlGkxVo2qUrAuG9444RAvgHpaXQPI1Rf0SvFjfEi2krmn90b_oZUzJYkEM38TCds_otBUsGTfhb7S5Dhs5orJw4JGU3-BKmg_zcM8txOlg/s2560/20230330_132432.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="2114" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaQ2XE8VBKkyHBk6EdQ5U0qePi1XUozuZPhVuqmHOD1qjLAKumszrJFs1ONKq6P1oorQ1d1LqWEANjxHNpHlGkxVo2qUrAuG9444RAvgHpaXQPI1Rf0SvFjfEi2krmn90b_oZUzJYkEM38TCds_otBUsGTfhb7S5Dhs5orJw4JGU3-BKmg_zcM8txOlg/w528-h640/20230330_132432.jpg" width="528" /></a></div><p></p><p>The blurb is in multiple languages and just describes the outfit, it feels like they just copy/pasted the listing description. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ryPjClFUSMsLFvzOlVoAWIDMcYJStP8aBN9jPdnB6VWMv0Vi7KTMlIt7j15fIoq3Akl6X1PauA55aQr5DTg2v0BDo0tsKtv7XDATz4B5zphmLz0muiF-N5EfJd2W1-9slrGmV8XY2nHMQxRQpW0UupDCNsZ1TLy48vV9nXpm2aVgthcg3hLo8if--g/s3160/20230330_132728.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3160" data-original-width="2292" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ryPjClFUSMsLFvzOlVoAWIDMcYJStP8aBN9jPdnB6VWMv0Vi7KTMlIt7j15fIoq3Akl6X1PauA55aQr5DTg2v0BDo0tsKtv7XDATz4B5zphmLz0muiF-N5EfJd2W1-9slrGmV8XY2nHMQxRQpW0UupDCNsZ1TLy48vV9nXpm2aVgthcg3hLo8if--g/w464-h640/20230330_132728.jpg" width="464" /></a></div><p></p><p>Pink and black is such a good combination. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Gm7gBEmo70leQlXQmzhQX2AUgBwLml6u1gMtV2vX1c7HRTw1Y2HMBB2f9_53OBe_UWjw5QRoreVOubLoZng0WKK_NP5mo4JYgE6rJdEjczmhacdPmSr15-Nvmn1MKAyO1MZw67p0iNB32sr7fm9o3DazfOCoye6CKJyQRA6McnhgQMNEFpy9F0R-6A/s2702/20230330_133846.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2702" data-original-width="2692" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Gm7gBEmo70leQlXQmzhQX2AUgBwLml6u1gMtV2vX1c7HRTw1Y2HMBB2f9_53OBe_UWjw5QRoreVOubLoZng0WKK_NP5mo4JYgE6rJdEjczmhacdPmSr15-Nvmn1MKAyO1MZw67p0iNB32sr7fm9o3DazfOCoye6CKJyQRA6McnhgQMNEFpy9F0R-6A/w638-h640/20230330_133846.jpg" width="638" /></a></div><p></p><p>Deboxing was a bit of a pain in the arse because Mattel decided FOUR plastic staples in the head was a good idea. WHY? And her lace coat.. jacket.. thing was tabbed like.. everywhere. Eugh. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr1JVn8v2Q2ZupW75RmP7CM2wfn87qKbTyPCC6r783YZhdIFjGPtTOnCdxHMjsTW1LQQQVg_BbtnuV8l0gTLKgia688YGP0vE7rtojpCUR9QabMJJCILKkZFQeLUEfKtFzhPILB3OMuemv7jMPVRPJ2ZhhFX67pBUNfbRdcfXPR0GB5G30a4-G76w6pQ/s3999/20230330_133851.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="3999" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr1JVn8v2Q2ZupW75RmP7CM2wfn87qKbTyPCC6r783YZhdIFjGPtTOnCdxHMjsTW1LQQQVg_BbtnuV8l0gTLKgia688YGP0vE7rtojpCUR9QabMJJCILKkZFQeLUEfKtFzhPILB3OMuemv7jMPVRPJ2ZhhFX67pBUNfbRdcfXPR0GB5G30a4-G76w6pQ/w640-h480/20230330_133851.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>Like the BMR dolls the certificate of authenticity is just a printed piece of regular paper. No shiny stuff, no fancy thick paper, no it's literally just something you could print on your home printer. Mattel certificates are dumb, I fail to see their purpose. What, is there a big problem with bootleg collector Barbies and Monster High dolls? <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih39eutuR52n9ZB1aF8TA9Y84VVFlF6Lw5FapfNsp_XKc4_tYRIUbkpuWc3uQKLzXdWo6P-ANRE9pOV3rEu4YpmElUmyTZWml3XWIJqCxT_9SOK5Es9MbXH7a6iuJ00m699cFIN5HGejrxyW_JsLaUdejmsbprWroEftlEWRrgW7j4EE9oVarvPWwupQ/s2059/20230330_133959.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1831" data-original-width="2059" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih39eutuR52n9ZB1aF8TA9Y84VVFlF6Lw5FapfNsp_XKc4_tYRIUbkpuWc3uQKLzXdWo6P-ANRE9pOV3rEu4YpmElUmyTZWml3XWIJqCxT_9SOK5Es9MbXH7a6iuJ00m699cFIN5HGejrxyW_JsLaUdejmsbprWroEftlEWRrgW7j4EE9oVarvPWwupQ/w640-h570/20230330_133959.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>Draculaura's makeup is unusual with a spiderweb over her heart birthmark and angled dark purple eyehadow with a sort of... uh... beige? eyeshadow above that with a pink highlight. </p><p>She has blushed cheeks and soft pink lips. </p><p>I admire Mattel's restraint in not giving her a load of glitter everywhere, because let's be honest here, nothing about this makeup screams "winter time". That's not a complaint, just an observation. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIW6_kLepVKfZRLMVQK65kY7XaM3HNWXinj6x7Tle1jplr57RVofuoRizUEwOjYiSM92ExzlAxgQ9Vnu0qUSCExvfmTJGkqAOej0jhd7uZYnVECgiQyV4Ar9hcP1b91O4zedEWYQHYE5Xchjp-jO0QGKsv_BjaxlVI0NLzrUNETmsVn7jLmevfcEXreg/s3956/20230330_134049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3956" data-original-width="2002" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIW6_kLepVKfZRLMVQK65kY7XaM3HNWXinj6x7Tle1jplr57RVofuoRizUEwOjYiSM92ExzlAxgQ9Vnu0qUSCExvfmTJGkqAOej0jhd7uZYnVECgiQyV4Ar9hcP1b91O4zedEWYQHYE5Xchjp-jO0QGKsv_BjaxlVI0NLzrUNETmsVn7jLmevfcEXreg/w324-h640/20230330_134049.jpg" width="324" /></a></div><p></p><p>Her hair is mostly pink, which is again unusual for Draculaura. It's streaked with thick black streaks that are far more distinctive at the front, forming very crisp stripes in her bangs. Her hair is styled in a high ponytail and falls to ankle length, it's probably longer than the doll is tall when untied which is impressive and certainly feels deluxe. </p><p>Her hair is lovely and soft, but it's prone to static and rather messily cut at the bottom. </p><p>She has a black snowflake headpiece but I didn't try to remove it, fearing i'd never get it back on if I did. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-3BJVYSHYIDAYJtiuhV8Mb8Wac7ovBdiga_W_fK8IoV4LybhULW4GS1mRT9kEb8CdCJ9kSQu_FIGrX53X-DTfV7ZvXrdHSLNK7Qlv6Z1Wv9xRbBvUszbO36EKvRTcnpLvS5uXlXzW0MuYnFAEGypCIbhUAsrcn1dvZlERnBJpvhoWv0ftaIk7v3pmfg/s3999/20230330_134130.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3999" data-original-width="2434" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-3BJVYSHYIDAYJtiuhV8Mb8Wac7ovBdiga_W_fK8IoV4LybhULW4GS1mRT9kEb8CdCJ9kSQu_FIGrX53X-DTfV7ZvXrdHSLNK7Qlv6Z1Wv9xRbBvUszbO36EKvRTcnpLvS5uXlXzW0MuYnFAEGypCIbhUAsrcn1dvZlERnBJpvhoWv0ftaIk7v3pmfg/w390-h640/20230330_134130.jpg" width="390" /></a></div><p></p><p>Draculaura's outfit isn't overly complex, but it manages to pull off a pretty damn fancy look all together. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbfi-WZoLpytAofrHj3kimobXY85pb7uTil0oONP2dM7czUx40Pvt-9j8e-bsPyGJHrYycLNTHlyNX0o6uUbALrU7ozOFG-bS_p3qBpLl7IurRYhpksARFYQbZWQdDq1Wvb_oupvxTmSxG7MMQhdWpF1-ZU0CtcSpbTJpc3yxk1zbWIYjV5wcRzKNJjQ/s3158/20230330_134136.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3158" data-original-width="2041" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbfi-WZoLpytAofrHj3kimobXY85pb7uTil0oONP2dM7czUx40Pvt-9j8e-bsPyGJHrYycLNTHlyNX0o6uUbALrU7ozOFG-bS_p3qBpLl7IurRYhpksARFYQbZWQdDq1Wvb_oupvxTmSxG7MMQhdWpF1-ZU0CtcSpbTJpc3yxk1zbWIYjV5wcRzKNJjQ/w414-h640/20230330_134136.jpg" width="414" /></a></div><p></p><p>Her outfit consists of a pink mini dress with a lace coat/jacket worn over the top and finished off with a fancy necklace that covers her whole chest and a chunky belt. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGdPTYBC1DiQfhsvrjHg6LTeNaaKMMyAXhL918m6z3icNNKU-9fxfjRgGeFlEBsAY5MsYktaaxla-tV_ML6FDWRXSCJdTwse4oadTHgpmKtu6y9Om-iV8bpxvYbmyOMPhE-BDeAtX7eXZeteCvCZlQkC3a7OdN1qZROFzP5WSdKcGE6n9M-a8ZyCDdgw/s3814/20230330_134344.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3814" data-original-width="1969" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGdPTYBC1DiQfhsvrjHg6LTeNaaKMMyAXhL918m6z3icNNKU-9fxfjRgGeFlEBsAY5MsYktaaxla-tV_ML6FDWRXSCJdTwse4oadTHgpmKtu6y9Om-iV8bpxvYbmyOMPhE-BDeAtX7eXZeteCvCZlQkC3a7OdN1qZROFzP5WSdKcGE6n9M-a8ZyCDdgw/w330-h640/20230330_134344.jpg" width="330" /></a></div><p></p><p>The coat/jacket doesn't fasten at all, it's cinched with the belt piece. </p><p>It's a gorgeous item made from a somewhat coarse feeling lace mesh... net? I don't know materials okay! It has embossed snowflakes and sparkle in the fabric and these absolutely incredible puff sleeves. The "skirt" part of the coat is flared like a bustle which gives it a ballgown sort of look despite her main dress literally being a simple mini dress. I love this coat/jacket thing, it's fabulous. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbxZln0pbew63a6zOmoc0fY8VHjqeYt6o3DlaCDWH7yzIiCOQ0XQFSAE96qhhao8lsNa2hnQm8bwZz4EyfGggVQrnoYiO2CdEYGNAjfWfMHzGcj-pUHtjZnARf0QegaUoCXGTtZviFVFdbxwtSyX2JknKiqSEQlwuwns1th7M_OUYWROsUdzzpEK1aXg/s3959/20230330_134515.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2819" data-original-width="3959" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbxZln0pbew63a6zOmoc0fY8VHjqeYt6o3DlaCDWH7yzIiCOQ0XQFSAE96qhhao8lsNa2hnQm8bwZz4EyfGggVQrnoYiO2CdEYGNAjfWfMHzGcj-pUHtjZnARf0QegaUoCXGTtZviFVFdbxwtSyX2JknKiqSEQlwuwns1th7M_OUYWROsUdzzpEK1aXg/w640-h456/20230330_134515.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>As I said, her outfit isn't hugely complex, this is literally the whole ensemble, but combined it works so well. </p><p>Her black and white striped arm warmers have a little loop of elastic that goes around her finger to hold them in place and they give me major Tim Burton vibes. Or that Sweet Screams Monster High line. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCptkgqo7dxZAxShNlKkWxdAhxCMkoQY7Ci6JMORCOb9OCpXnX3H2CU0r8T7rkPyy89oxZD8LYcjPzSnDsLwdBfsk9S1EOk6FJKLpIuPcwzMix6dhj5n1kFspqTgn93mg6WABztwnHQqfK3UNyr49ngqAc1bBEZFX-M24-YD9N0ta_yaQLGwTD0rrbcw/s1985/20230330_134526.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1789" data-original-width="1985" height="576" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCptkgqo7dxZAxShNlKkWxdAhxCMkoQY7Ci6JMORCOb9OCpXnX3H2CU0r8T7rkPyy89oxZD8LYcjPzSnDsLwdBfsk9S1EOk6FJKLpIuPcwzMix6dhj5n1kFspqTgn93mg6WABztwnHQqfK3UNyr49ngqAc1bBEZFX-M24-YD9N0ta_yaQLGwTD0rrbcw/w640-h576/20230330_134526.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>The necklace piece is large and has an ornate sort of wrought iron look to it. I can see Rochelle wearing something like this too. </p><p>It's hard plastic and quite awkward to get onto the doll as the neck piece is fairly rigid. It also requires elastic bands to stop it from twisting and moving around. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCusdYNtuDM_x6Hxz7mkO9O8MZL9CV9FvF5VWRAiEJAgKWl0ve9COK3LtMXsviXa6Tr2f_MCB70WpfOaquexg_xLjJnIlUUQ4ycBgYCk4KP3PJsBRYGuUBGITd7MPN0R4xC1IZC_qMtPJzjjVz-HAYQ0zcb4KgT_YUVbIEtSEuZLZ0p1eyp0UJc6YpgQ/s2423/20230330_134534.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2423" data-original-width="1446" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCusdYNtuDM_x6Hxz7mkO9O8MZL9CV9FvF5VWRAiEJAgKWl0ve9COK3LtMXsviXa6Tr2f_MCB70WpfOaquexg_xLjJnIlUUQ4ycBgYCk4KP3PJsBRYGuUBGITd7MPN0R4xC1IZC_qMtPJzjjVz-HAYQ0zcb4KgT_YUVbIEtSEuZLZ0p1eyp0UJc6YpgQ/w382-h640/20230330_134534.jpg" width="382" /></a></div><p></p><p>Her shoes are short boots with embedded silver glitter with an embossed snowflake pattern up them. The pattern is hard to make out with the black and glitter and i'm not sure really adds anything, but eh. </p><p>The heels are ice or rock and on my doll one of the shoes has a heavily distorted heel from the packaging. </p><p>They're not too awful to get off, i'm glad Mattel have learned their lesson about really hard plastic shoes like the first wave Monster High shoes. Those things were just painful to try to get on and off and often took the doll's whole damn leg with them. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPAZTvj8V1ogEGqeYhKsAHZn_jRvjcYgLBCLF9-ycf0JJMGqtRdKUS6XWvwA2sjDTjfwPx8UvR8iqiEiA_xIBpWC9OOFnzA96yn-tuQhyCHCFJUfjQ1Vc1jN30nxPv0psaWNufF8QG1I5m3d2LQEVWQD2J9RsraAWhEqMXI9rlsrdbM9tv_0jEhCNdxg/s1948/20230330_134555.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="1948" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPAZTvj8V1ogEGqeYhKsAHZn_jRvjcYgLBCLF9-ycf0JJMGqtRdKUS6XWvwA2sjDTjfwPx8UvR8iqiEiA_xIBpWC9OOFnzA96yn-tuQhyCHCFJUfjQ1Vc1jN30nxPv0psaWNufF8QG1I5m3d2LQEVWQD2J9RsraAWhEqMXI9rlsrdbM9tv_0jEhCNdxg/w640-h504/20230330_134555.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>Her belt is also black with embedded glitter, but unlike her shoes it's made of quite firm vinyl. It's stiff and awkward to fasten. </p><p>The belt has a pink "rhinestone" effect buckle that's surprisingly matte and it's molded with drippy dribbles that I don't fully understand. Is it.. melting? <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMyFOprUyblg74mcff-X5yv36JBh9dAgbJlM2sejuVjsHKt9ghhvMhHKvHkaK69VXD24J-5sRthH571vhLBZomQzi5tZjZ21Niyu7NR9UQ07OY4hj8vM3T7ToHmuuEF5T5sT8vICH1Wj42fjZxR7pm1WPftAkIXnSSbQbcuJD7yoCmfbUbiwZuM4P4PQ/s2131/20230330_134609.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1360" data-original-width="2131" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMyFOprUyblg74mcff-X5yv36JBh9dAgbJlM2sejuVjsHKt9ghhvMhHKvHkaK69VXD24J-5sRthH571vhLBZomQzi5tZjZ21Niyu7NR9UQ07OY4hj8vM3T7ToHmuuEF5T5sT8vICH1Wj42fjZxR7pm1WPftAkIXnSSbQbcuJD7yoCmfbUbiwZuM4P4PQ/w640-h408/20230330_134609.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>The earrings don't match... which is... really odd. They're different shades of pink right? I'm not going insane, they're different shades of pink. </p><p>They're designed as dangly pink uh... baubles? with a bat perched on top of each. <br /></p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt7WpYDqYRSTkJ3UGGGXWKVG7IIdRI-8XcSMyhBkO4AqP40mxVU9xS5KeLc0X_r3nKCeeOXvK-r1lyV02G4chf4T9ZoqleOUwZlGFiGnncTSyRLlrPMHGWAO9XBIeeetuNSLh3Nm8oZzfh8cEBib1DQcbWxuQzFZToSoe3wWunpTQPlZt0IVlfEQ7f8g/s3053/20230330_134828.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3053" data-original-width="1258" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt7WpYDqYRSTkJ3UGGGXWKVG7IIdRI-8XcSMyhBkO4AqP40mxVU9xS5KeLc0X_r3nKCeeOXvK-r1lyV02G4chf4T9ZoqleOUwZlGFiGnncTSyRLlrPMHGWAO9XBIeeetuNSLh3Nm8oZzfh8cEBib1DQcbWxuQzFZToSoe3wWunpTQPlZt0IVlfEQ7f8g/w264-h640/20230330_134828.jpg" width="264" /></a></div><p></p><p>Her dress is made from a shiny polyester fabric, it's all pink, this photo just reacted wierd with my flash. </p><p>The spiderweb pattern is, quite strangely, painted on with a textured fabric paint. It's not printed on, it's raised from the fabric. Which is unexpected. That feels like way more work than just printing the fabric. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicYpUWEsixwnG0QkKX2oqHbjzeFZREjy_m9EMyWI6lPaFZi_n8jCMUniwppUmXpka50WwT7GLDtWsRgIyQUui67mZxNPh1qthYgkxpgEu6PQMCfrg8pQlOa2imz0y-f0VFMjr1WprG0ilZFD3DZvsd39Ef7qxZEuMMIcL721ksVKmwrnd_Ob4nDo43ag/s3124/20230330_134839.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3124" data-original-width="1732" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicYpUWEsixwnG0QkKX2oqHbjzeFZREjy_m9EMyWI6lPaFZi_n8jCMUniwppUmXpka50WwT7GLDtWsRgIyQUui67mZxNPh1qthYgkxpgEu6PQMCfrg8pQlOa2imz0y-f0VFMjr1WprG0ilZFD3DZvsd39Ef7qxZEuMMIcL721ksVKmwrnd_Ob4nDo43ag/w354-h640/20230330_134839.jpg" width="354" /></a></div><p></p><p>But being Mattel, the print doesn't extend to the back of the dress. Ahh, a return of the half print dress. Great.-_- </p><p> thankfully you'll never see this budget cutting measure thanks to her gorgeous coat.</p><p>I guess that was their logic there. </p><p>But still really wierd that the front of the dress appears to be painted on. That's really bizarre. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMxiCy67qlijYXyP0xDJP4uMVD28As7V2D1Hp27XfFhSLfUSRYhuGRboHMAt-Lgr6nBo4l0lXt1tOJ9QDmvCsm7fzFLrEAn8jSs6VnFfLvXfXrDxgZsnm9IrBkE5dhq1XdcpdJR2SP2yBW0pksCZb-OhZ18xjdVXairCmyDo4QD1D2ovZ7t-3IVsTJxg/s3708/20230330_134710.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3708" data-original-width="2670" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMxiCy67qlijYXyP0xDJP4uMVD28As7V2D1Hp27XfFhSLfUSRYhuGRboHMAt-Lgr6nBo4l0lXt1tOJ9QDmvCsm7fzFLrEAn8jSs6VnFfLvXfXrDxgZsnm9IrBkE5dhq1XdcpdJR2SP2yBW0pksCZb-OhZ18xjdVXairCmyDo4QD1D2ovZ7t-3IVsTJxg/w460-h640/20230330_134710.jpg" width="460" /></a></div><p></p><p>Now remember I mentioned one of the boots had a distorted heel? Well that's not the only thing the packaging has warped. One of Draculaura's legs is bent in such a way that it can't actually fully straighten and skews outward instead of straight. This is the result of packaging forcing her knee joint into an unnatural position for the sake of "box pose!"</p><p>I can't fix this, her leg is forever warped like this. But thankfully it doesn't screw up her balance too badly once she has her boots on. </p><p>It is frustrating though. I wish companies would stop packaging dolls with their legs and arms in wierd "dynamic" poses because it only results in issues like this. Her box pose isn't even that dynamic, it's literally just one slightly bent leg but it still messed up her knee. *sigh* All that issue for no real gain. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghKZ7UuCPnjrAutVwTVc6Zll2AOvlxEA-LMUT9fowq3ICLpL1uOSq6GyBegU9T6jcbSHT1zPuA4qirHp-DngY9F5pPerdQsC1GiMldE_cZNBPP-cgYZVuBzUlYdwym3uFNkaq29ynaoZCeDlNkRmrLAMGzRjChqxKI1YBXGrtf03DMx5iRkcVBS5Rk9g/s3517/20230330_135649.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3517" data-original-width="2005" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghKZ7UuCPnjrAutVwTVc6Zll2AOvlxEA-LMUT9fowq3ICLpL1uOSq6GyBegU9T6jcbSHT1zPuA4qirHp-DngY9F5pPerdQsC1GiMldE_cZNBPP-cgYZVuBzUlYdwym3uFNkaq29ynaoZCeDlNkRmrLAMGzRjChqxKI1YBXGrtf03DMx5iRkcVBS5Rk9g/w364-h640/20230330_135649.jpg" width="364" /></a></div><p></p><p>Redressed, even without her little arm warmers she looks amazing. No, I wouldn't call this outfit "wintery", it's anything but with those bare legs and that thin lacey jacket, but it is pretty gothy. </p><p>I'm going to believe that she's actually going to some winter ball and will be indoors in a nice warm location all night so doesn't NEED a thick coat or stockings.</p><p>this is though, literally as straight as that leg will go. It cannot straighten up, the hinge is distorted. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifysGSe2IH2L6SOC16fYKveIM-Q-WdP8P3UklvDWUD2CNKl6DolzlDY10uZ-jJISgE9RFFDdpYOQUHfkB1NeqeNLP7ogYy6sd7WO-AY9XXq2Wf3-zuac4fZtbq5JrdgpNp52ysA-iqXS2HG541bVysI4gCBCQDG9w1MdQm0eptVO6ps0Gc-CMmNI2rbQ/s2802/20230330_135804.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2802" data-original-width="1655" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifysGSe2IH2L6SOC16fYKveIM-Q-WdP8P3UklvDWUD2CNKl6DolzlDY10uZ-jJISgE9RFFDdpYOQUHfkB1NeqeNLP7ogYy6sd7WO-AY9XXq2Wf3-zuac4fZtbq5JrdgpNp52ysA-iqXS2HG541bVysI4gCBCQDG9w1MdQm0eptVO6ps0Gc-CMmNI2rbQ/w378-h640/20230330_135804.jpg" width="378" /></a></div><p></p><p>She's so pretty though, I forgive her dodgy leg. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZkqbgjLzfjo_BEBX9s9JZZos7HfvZ6Lb2iuIBL6F8GhPxE21n8IXec-Y8cG5Xvq2PDGb_df46zLIltZHAODMzxt0C4RZatLWDWauG5wyycY4-fBDG8_LAuoHVEVazeaU11TqYbiofnjRSdjNSuNTcY-nFJ7WSxkGTfU_Vl3m5sPFqJhNWSNO0DpzOYA/s2809/20230330_135824.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2809" data-original-width="1478" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZkqbgjLzfjo_BEBX9s9JZZos7HfvZ6Lb2iuIBL6F8GhPxE21n8IXec-Y8cG5Xvq2PDGb_df46zLIltZHAODMzxt0C4RZatLWDWauG5wyycY4-fBDG8_LAuoHVEVazeaU11TqYbiofnjRSdjNSuNTcY-nFJ7WSxkGTfU_Vl3m5sPFqJhNWSNO0DpzOYA/w336-h640/20230330_135824.jpg" width="336" /></a></div><br /><p>Yeah, she's hugely overpriced here in the UK, but for her US price point i'd say she's probably just about worth that. </p><p>She feels like high end playline, which her price point reflects. <br /></p><p>Oh, her stand is sparkly black too. So that's neat. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQwA7Bd8-SxNFCNovuDONIw-IrH_B3KWbyQIOqARq2L6MBgifkYNaIKE1O4eYzZ1oE2___H7O68pGbv0VMW1aEAg7UthvGDm0yAgYyUUqLpaEep9ZViMEdnqs5Wlvoyd6g0uJMLZHgp5J2rxY8WNvJibmoUBPyeso2xJxOItINAW30AP63NbaGjvyLmg/s2982/20230330_132243.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1829" data-original-width="2982" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQwA7Bd8-SxNFCNovuDONIw-IrH_B3KWbyQIOqARq2L6MBgifkYNaIKE1O4eYzZ1oE2___H7O68pGbv0VMW1aEAg7UthvGDm0yAgYyUUqLpaEep9ZViMEdnqs5Wlvoyd6g0uJMLZHgp5J2rxY8WNvJibmoUBPyeso2xJxOItINAW30AP63NbaGjvyLmg/w640-h392/20230330_132243.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>The second Howliday edition is a two pack for Valentines day featuring the OG couple, Deuce and Cleo. This set retails for $60 USD and around £60-70 here in the UK. Unlike Draculaura, this set is actually not that hard to find. A lot of independent online toy retailers got it in and Mattel's own UK site has them for sale. I got mine off Ebay for £40, which feels like a significantly more reasonable price. <br /></p><p>As an aside, i'm finding it confusing how G3 is mixing up the couples so Cleo and Deuce aren't even a thing now but also that the diaries that Haunt Couture (which is supposed to be a continuation of G1) state that Cleo and Deuce have broken up. So... are the Howliday dolls ALSO a separate canon? </p><p>I mean I admit I was hoping that this set would come with a diary or something to explain, but nope. </p><p>Cleo and Deuce are now Shrodingers couple, are they together? Aren't they? Who the fuck knows!</p><p>I acknowledge that these Howliday sets are supposed to be aimed at those familiar with G1 rather than G3, but I still think it's really confusing to have both available in stores and on shelves next to one another. I feel like it's just messy and confusing for consumers you know?The fact g3 and g1 aren't compatable in any of their clothing or shoes just adds to the messiness as well as the baffling thing of having the same characters but looking completely different. I dunno, I just feel like Mattel maybe don't have full confidence in g3 so are hedging their bets by making both available, and in doing so are muddying the water too much and failing to get brand consistancy. </p><p>Anyway, </p><p>The two pack is controversial. Why you ask? Well as I said, Mattel seem to be aiming the Howliday dolls at those familiar with G1, who are predominantly teen or adult collectors at this point. </p><p>And Draculaura set the tone everyone expected for the line. Darker, a little more edgy, playline quality but not designed with the sensibilities and taste of a 6 year old in mind. </p><p>Then the two pack was released and it was.... quite a departure from that precident that Draculaura set.</p><p>You'll see what I mean as we go through this.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9x1J-_SkkE3oSSQSGwHONWJ5dC8PTjkugLlu81K39AdJXlDBjeQe5oBryFyuQkMi6G_g7MmvAoe7Kdxk_EzoOmH2kiyMDGGt1Sm_2oOc1V0lKMweKdb48BT34xqOKHhkZghSfvSnum6F_v2B8a4sn_8ZsJ6j66MgqJmZ4FxK8dJVqGRdJPiNLklop-A/s1662/20230330_132300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1662" data-original-width="1553" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9x1J-_SkkE3oSSQSGwHONWJ5dC8PTjkugLlu81K39AdJXlDBjeQe5oBryFyuQkMi6G_g7MmvAoe7Kdxk_EzoOmH2kiyMDGGt1Sm_2oOc1V0lKMweKdb48BT34xqOKHhkZghSfvSnum6F_v2B8a4sn_8ZsJ6j66MgqJmZ4FxK8dJVqGRdJPiNLklop-A/w598-h640/20230330_132300.jpg" width="598" /></a></div><p></p><p>I'll give it one this, the box is really attractive. It's a wide square shape with two snakes twined together into a heart shape. Adorable. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBRiP5dJ2d3yza5P2YFQin3PQAHSCQwdPjV5ksMOrvQ3SCTYjJ0yckiYQ8R95YuxOxhmmIujEicvbPVNKU7uCT_DNhMPdrZ7PMq2Ls5vcGwq0ZBXT1kTxj3XUtUfDMCdS9ctguCda47UUmAc8G1hr5haPc9yajABuhYdJ50gN81LJjKhaa2CoVsK5OEg/s3152/20230330_132403.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3152" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBRiP5dJ2d3yza5P2YFQin3PQAHSCQwdPjV5ksMOrvQ3SCTYjJ0yckiYQ8R95YuxOxhmmIujEicvbPVNKU7uCT_DNhMPdrZ7PMq2Ls5vcGwq0ZBXT1kTxj3XUtUfDMCdS9ctguCda47UUmAc8G1hr5haPc9yajABuhYdJ50gN81LJjKhaa2CoVsK5OEg/w610-h640/20230330_132403.jpg" width="610" /></a></div><p></p><p>The back of the box is boring like Draculaura's box was, just a lot of text and a photo of the dolls. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUM0JTvcHGEOkIkUWxZqOywfZwpBaucZebHhKRuWv4075PFpT2hIYHcU7EkKTSvYr91g_CxAnQW0ma_aBZD6b6B8StX3gR3ed3ywJmE0tAWRBOEhaIF8my2RgHlF3uV4SPBNsGuV1BEmKzben4OyNmYHHSfuPQsqD8_6inUw42e7FLnkR-ZToLR4szsQ/s2595/20230330_132415.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2595" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUM0JTvcHGEOkIkUWxZqOywfZwpBaucZebHhKRuWv4075PFpT2hIYHcU7EkKTSvYr91g_CxAnQW0ma_aBZD6b6B8StX3gR3ed3ywJmE0tAWRBOEhaIF8my2RgHlF3uV4SPBNsGuV1BEmKzben4OyNmYHHSfuPQsqD8_6inUw42e7FLnkR-ZToLR4szsQ/w640-h336/20230330_132415.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>And the description does nothing to explain how and why they're suddenly a couple again. Did Mattel just forget? </p><p>Honestly Deuce puts up with so much crap from Cleo in canon. </p><p>It's kinda cute that the chocolates are apparently for him. I admit I assumed they were another gift FOR Cleo, not from her. So that's nice. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgog7FRkNnRxVVOKvz-Dryd_rUm-7BPN1M3EgAu2tZYdSHzFk_cNcWWQC2pL8B98H-9H8UMPK2OL53lp2ignRUn1C7oaNeQ-dMcePdVi9kqNi1cS4TArD1k1jwF_b12HepnaqNjA-Mb-kdIwRnAxpPbkry89vqmLFpJvjEZWEbH9jOPr5UOvFkUUnmktQ/s2064/20230330_140228.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2064" data-original-width="2046" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgog7FRkNnRxVVOKvz-Dryd_rUm-7BPN1M3EgAu2tZYdSHzFk_cNcWWQC2pL8B98H-9H8UMPK2OL53lp2ignRUn1C7oaNeQ-dMcePdVi9kqNi1cS4TArD1k1jwF_b12HepnaqNjA-Mb-kdIwRnAxpPbkry89vqmLFpJvjEZWEbH9jOPr5UOvFkUUnmktQ/w634-h640/20230330_140228.jpg" width="634" /></a></div><p></p><p>(sorry blurry)</p><p>The box is very large and doesn't actually have a lot in it. The stands are shoved at the bottom and both cardboard hearts are just cardboard with nothing on the other side which I found a little disappointing. I'd have loved the "be my creepy valentine" one to have something written on the other side, it'd be cute if it was an actual valentine you know? </p><p>Anyway,</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_vZKuqmyRZ4S_rmKeX1ElTnipxTmmketoUrafpLQjnM7k1qT0jvfNdV322uK1L8tuI78FYBWwjtgw2QTC_RbNX17KqYwLUWvLt2hwzg6-jv4hd6UfeXSRMZvz9-62BDiMuALJQeyBAdhmo7ra5xU9ND0PQ535loqhYdgUlGGbIL5GRTRpf1n3SaeyMg/s3506/20230330_140241.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3506" data-original-width="2123" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_vZKuqmyRZ4S_rmKeX1ElTnipxTmmketoUrafpLQjnM7k1qT0jvfNdV322uK1L8tuI78FYBWwjtgw2QTC_RbNX17KqYwLUWvLt2hwzg6-jv4hd6UfeXSRMZvz9-62BDiMuALJQeyBAdhmo7ra5xU9ND0PQ535loqhYdgUlGGbIL5GRTRpf1n3SaeyMg/w388-h640/20230330_140241.jpg" width="388" /></a></div><br /><p>Deuce has his typical sticking up snake hair, again... I do wish Mattel would change it up there, like come on guys! there's so much you could do, snake man bun, snake ponytail, snake mullet, snakes slicked back, snakes slicked forward.... but nope, we either get floppy to one side snake-hawk or snakes upright snake-hawk. </p><p>BORED. </p><p>He's packaged without his glasses on which makes no sense from a canon perspective, but does mean he doesn't get glasses dents on his face so I appreciate it. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZU5kWvqKLiIRu80HfVqjBv7p6BzOkf637q7hs66lFtRmrHxusPA_3Z_N-Os3W6qffFL5i6nvBYZIZZXzu2XQBa5ABW5oCH5nrDe8pJPhkh6LQX7t1Tc2xHzEZS2hgpYo_xn_e9ucLP7TviNDZH-_kZTnFLqK8-0yPHcHVjKGA7IhZBS9XaBlVfz15Nw/s2720/20230330_140236.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2705" data-original-width="2720" height="636" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZU5kWvqKLiIRu80HfVqjBv7p6BzOkf637q7hs66lFtRmrHxusPA_3Z_N-Os3W6qffFL5i6nvBYZIZZXzu2XQBa5ABW5oCH5nrDe8pJPhkh6LQX7t1Tc2xHzEZS2hgpYo_xn_e9ucLP7TviNDZH-_kZTnFLqK8-0yPHcHVjKGA7IhZBS9XaBlVfz15Nw/w640-h636/20230330_140236.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>Cleo has unusual side glancing eyes which I think we've only seen once before in her SDCC two pack with Ghoulia. </p><p>Her hair is cut with asymetrical bangs but otherwise just straight and long. I know some people HATE this hair cut but I don't mind it. My favourite Cleo, School's out, also has the asymetrical bangs. </p><p>Her eyes are fish shaped lol. A do prefer this way of doing her eyes to the wide wrapping around her skull style most g1 Cleo's had. </p><p>Her cheek "gem" is a heart for this edition. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcZ-NWOSomo7j7U9_FLX7hiixqiNjp1MRHjtSC997NjJtdB4KVMNc388XuqXsQxRU4j9T2pHM6JCNPnSDKzFl88J2oCJaXLGFErqh9wnmW9WSHJ4WfRiCFMR6IxSJ63aFDiaEEqFpezM8_XgKnrWgwvQxX8AgoIEp9S75J79Tm3m_ugTgRWlF3jIvMpA/s1744/20230330_140245.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1542" data-original-width="1744" height="566" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcZ-NWOSomo7j7U9_FLX7hiixqiNjp1MRHjtSC997NjJtdB4KVMNc388XuqXsQxRU4j9T2pHM6JCNPnSDKzFl88J2oCJaXLGFErqh9wnmW9WSHJ4WfRiCFMR6IxSJ63aFDiaEEqFpezM8_XgKnrWgwvQxX8AgoIEp9S75J79Tm3m_ugTgRWlF3jIvMpA/w640-h566/20230330_140245.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>The snake hearts are very cute. Why couldn't they incorperate them more rather than the emojis? <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb064_gqBh3VcxUEugeJz2HnZzF6nFXnMFZiYa7bHlkpeQKBDMcEnQxyM6nINJUSDkseMlT03z-UcaJlnkT1Uj2Cv7SOawUAEo3zJ-EsFbddBNZWxEh-gyT0U0nQ9Pw9rScDWcu9jMluH40-x7sj1jUxTT1EPfbUIw2bHQJ2Z05JuwwkAmL736sNsj2A/s1975/20230330_140248.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1724" data-original-width="1975" height="558" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb064_gqBh3VcxUEugeJz2HnZzF6nFXnMFZiYa7bHlkpeQKBDMcEnQxyM6nINJUSDkseMlT03z-UcaJlnkT1Uj2Cv7SOawUAEo3zJ-EsFbddBNZWxEh-gyT0U0nQ9Pw9rScDWcu9jMluH40-x7sj1jUxTT1EPfbUIw2bHQJ2Z05JuwwkAmL736sNsj2A/w640-h558/20230330_140248.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>The very empty chocolate box. Three chocolates? What a rip off!<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrmyhXea5Y3WFl1xDgYG7yAfx0uibIdqRDSYkbV-0PoaD_LY0YdTKsmkdC8S0-yOHtOvwkA5gm7Hq7pg1CtTfu9ax2hL2jBlA84zV-swqgb69-gDWJKNqDXrKz71m7uNncs-n6xJME736YT_hy1v3_FdI946HVxB6wFRU5NISe3_BN3wUZDxwAfqn3Cw/s2039/20230330_140254.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2039" data-original-width="1956" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrmyhXea5Y3WFl1xDgYG7yAfx0uibIdqRDSYkbV-0PoaD_LY0YdTKsmkdC8S0-yOHtOvwkA5gm7Hq7pg1CtTfu9ax2hL2jBlA84zV-swqgb69-gDWJKNqDXrKz71m7uNncs-n6xJME736YT_hy1v3_FdI946HVxB6wFRU5NISe3_BN3wUZDxwAfqn3Cw/w614-h640/20230330_140254.jpg" width="614" /></a></div><p></p><p>A fanged rose for Cleo. </p><p>So now we get to the "controversy" part. I didn't bother taking photos of either doll in their default outfit because I can't stand their default looks. I bought the set knowing full well I was redressing these dolls ASAP just like most everyone else. </p><p>Because here's the thing, Cleo is a beautiful doll with distinctive face painting and unique hair, but her outfit is so childish that it makes her look cheap and not like the princess she's supposed to be. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVadMvSO1C-RmZJnINCTu2vKeFpn74TS9Kh1GFrxFIh2D87rRQM6qiy-fnRPlcZO4-QaShVGWVXzobPQuFoaCA8FGS6mOK1CeqFsJpD-UlA1mD162rVDUKiWczV4PXiUKdSAYPMyZumqbH1rKdhzUsL6FjPUvzqK3xXRlBnIjWAxFy1rHULVitH-tBkA/s3328/20230330_140900.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3328" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVadMvSO1C-RmZJnINCTu2vKeFpn74TS9Kh1GFrxFIh2D87rRQM6qiy-fnRPlcZO4-QaShVGWVXzobPQuFoaCA8FGS6mOK1CeqFsJpD-UlA1mD162rVDUKiWczV4PXiUKdSAYPMyZumqbH1rKdhzUsL6FjPUvzqK3xXRlBnIjWAxFy1rHULVitH-tBkA/w576-h640/20230330_140900.jpg" width="576" /></a></div><p></p><p>The thing is, the dress itself isn't actually badly made. It's the fabric that's the problem. Those big colourful emoji skullettes are so kiddy, they aren't something you'd expect to see on an elegant mermaid dress. it's like having a fancy ballgown covered in smiley faces. </p><p>it also suggests that the skullettes exist in universe, rather than just being an icon for the marketing of each doll. Which is... really wierd. </p><p>it also suggests Cleo had this fabric specifically made with her and Deuce's personal insignias.</p><p>basically the more you think about it, the less sense it makes. </p><p>but mostly it just looks BAD. </p><p>The dress is a mermaid style which people online have expressed frustration and boredom with as well. Mattel seem to be addicted to this style of dress. </p><p>As an aside, the hearts are actually metallic inclusions, foil printed I think on top of the fabric.</p><p>the material itself is some sort of shiny polyester but it's fairly thick and the dress itself has a whole petticoat sewn in.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_wHvertJ2cBNNLDkXISYY2P7SaCUFsbp2aeF226_uKpQ16SCUIPa0k4RIbEAaPd6XQrc8lIs6c9cbX35IUhDhc60QbJJqflmi38H8srj2OWt9AOUhiTAexieEj4JJ5ZV52dCPMFxXoYV3B8RHNGlq_5hU6p1GRdz4gv8jkSzkUkq5TUKMdhEcheIuaQ/s3219/20230330_140919.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3219" data-original-width="2055" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_wHvertJ2cBNNLDkXISYY2P7SaCUFsbp2aeF226_uKpQ16SCUIPa0k4RIbEAaPd6XQrc8lIs6c9cbX35IUhDhc60QbJJqflmi38H8srj2OWt9AOUhiTAexieEj4JJ5ZV52dCPMFxXoYV3B8RHNGlq_5hU6p1GRdz4gv8jkSzkUkq5TUKMdhEcheIuaQ/w408-h640/20230330_140919.jpg" width="408" /></a></div><p></p><p>Which is for some reason bright pink.</p><p>Cleo's never had pink in her colour pallette previously has she? And yet this doll has a lot of random pink parts which feels jarring and out of character. </p><p>I mean yeah, I get it, pink because love hearts and valentines day right? but wouldn't red work just as well and still tie in with the "ancient egypt" motifs?</p><p>Along with the dress Cleo also comes with metalised pink heart earrings which look like they've been stolen from Draculaura's jewellery box, a gold snake corset thing, some kick ass heels, a small gold bracelet and some semi opaque mummy wrap pieces for her arm and leg. </p><p>These pieces are all well made, they just don't neccisarily go together. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjATv3z5QgKTosgmWR8tlskdezSgWMB4yyYULzExuGigOdS_Mt6LyK5PAUWEy6ec7oVI0Za7Ocet1uXNhAcrDcetI-WbNc_-5hQLAMFDPpVXBXHBwRVKJtOsbhD91CWAMY-zCI7yM2bQaVGsRb5_hIWKzCICE7DDwqU28nwrKGacLT_Pac0b9c2oWavVA/s2454/20230330_143937.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2454" data-original-width="1627" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjATv3z5QgKTosgmWR8tlskdezSgWMB4yyYULzExuGigOdS_Mt6LyK5PAUWEy6ec7oVI0Za7Ocet1uXNhAcrDcetI-WbNc_-5hQLAMFDPpVXBXHBwRVKJtOsbhD91CWAMY-zCI7yM2bQaVGsRb5_hIWKzCICE7DDwqU28nwrKGacLT_Pac0b9c2oWavVA/w424-h640/20230330_143937.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><p></p><p>Her shoes are fabulous. They're a sort of blue/teal colour and slightly irridescent while the heel is a gold coiled snake. From the front they look quite simple but that heel is *chef's kiss*<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj86DzQ8H3zpNNdtdKS1mX_qs1hbWaDM8aSAgl4akDPRu-kLsJnGS_dg8DzvOaIftfRQwAyDZfgwZqQhSh42oIypKF8g8DbdbxkaeNt-cYU4Or4ErwLK9v3cRnv9ePXayT5lgSjV8rfpR0opZi9l3uG2X1gt-vNizvBZzsLRJ92CewEqY7cwX3l6-0XeQ/s2721/20230330_144015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2721" data-original-width="1294" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj86DzQ8H3zpNNdtdKS1mX_qs1hbWaDM8aSAgl4akDPRu-kLsJnGS_dg8DzvOaIftfRQwAyDZfgwZqQhSh42oIypKF8g8DbdbxkaeNt-cYU4Or4ErwLK9v3cRnv9ePXayT5lgSjV8rfpR0opZi9l3uG2X1gt-vNizvBZzsLRJ92CewEqY7cwX3l6-0XeQ/w304-h640/20230330_144015.jpg" width="304" /></a></div><p>Her bag on the other hand is a resounding sad trombone noise. </p><p>Not only is it boring, being just a simple heart shape, it also has those stupid skullette emojis on it. </p><p>They had that adorable heart snake design on the box but they didn't use it here!?? Insulting. </p><p>and even if they felt like it was "too many snakes", surely they could have "Egypt-ed" up this bag somewhat. You could do like a heart ankh or something. Literally any bloody thing other than an uncreative heart with some skullettes rammed on it.</p><p>It's completely blank on the other side and the molded strap makes it annoying to get the doll to wear anyway. It doesn't open or anything, it's just a solid lump of gold bullshit. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgquaMjO_9LoyyMj8ebl8ng7vbb_Pr0MsKzL6oH6PU9V9FqaqdYrCwSQWY-zkXjKi-tPZprG1QQenjrjeBEE4gdkwzgwS2jcslTYf2Kc6CoiquyMVbJEDccTBMwcJh5gu1sDgzzx_8UcXz_Bq-YBjeOFLh8y-QMCVx1K3S8O24arvEWKtzIQCCVk5MUHw/s3025/20230330_143914.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3025" data-original-width="1305" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgquaMjO_9LoyyMj8ebl8ng7vbb_Pr0MsKzL6oH6PU9V9FqaqdYrCwSQWY-zkXjKi-tPZprG1QQenjrjeBEE4gdkwzgwS2jcslTYf2Kc6CoiquyMVbJEDccTBMwcJh5gu1sDgzzx_8UcXz_Bq-YBjeOFLh8y-QMCVx1K3S8O24arvEWKtzIQCCVk5MUHw/w276-h640/20230330_143914.jpg" width="276" /></a></div><p></p><p>I have very very few Monster High clothes these days, which it a pity as Cleo deserves something better. She has such a stunning face. </p><p>So she got this cobbled together from my "stuff I have" box. </p><p>I wonder how she'd look in Frights Camera Action's dress, because that dress is so damn pretty. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikBWfevKdUJmFO_zF9F6ID0Ebc_aAjiGbIoqaaIUuKufLK9xGtKREug2DglDJ44mDEbAz_u4yS_7oa0-SOSQzi2LcvNqDDXdtkt5rOug0T3tkB24pfYcsdyTBluAo53ZGY_X184ivnV6UvK4D9qhkfM__Fg1gv6Fx7DdRsHnV0eLZUQiBEvpSGT8N62A/s2891/20230330_143923.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2891" data-original-width="1410" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikBWfevKdUJmFO_zF9F6ID0Ebc_aAjiGbIoqaaIUuKufLK9xGtKREug2DglDJ44mDEbAz_u4yS_7oa0-SOSQzi2LcvNqDDXdtkt5rOug0T3tkB24pfYcsdyTBluAo53ZGY_X184ivnV6UvK4D9qhkfM__Fg1gv6Fx7DdRsHnV0eLZUQiBEvpSGT8N62A/w312-h640/20230330_143923.jpg" width="312" /></a></div><p></p><p>Cleo's hair is predominantly black and quite choppy at the ends. There are blonde streaks at the sides (a much larger one on her right with a small streak on her left) along with pink and gold tinsel which is only present in the streaks. </p><p>I always HATED the tinsel in Cleo's hair because it frays so easily and makes her hair really difficult to brush, so I appreciate that the sparkle is limited in this case. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPvfbpmNbuXdeL4p6iBz8B-ESj6Jt-0esvqv1n4OMGsH4Nzu59A0TwublzXvYmxt5lOId1cLpXzGhEqz3psSnb9VulWIVqaIoURmX3wXQtM67TPGx0MiZhx-258zPY1Cdv_6pnKT1qDKu_QUQnn9rJdc1IakFSGNMxf8Wwj3Rwu1LTtYWIVZKZxhWrLw/s3395/20230330_143930.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3395" data-original-width="1414" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPvfbpmNbuXdeL4p6iBz8B-ESj6Jt-0esvqv1n4OMGsH4Nzu59A0TwublzXvYmxt5lOId1cLpXzGhEqz3psSnb9VulWIVqaIoURmX3wXQtM67TPGx0MiZhx-258zPY1Cdv_6pnKT1qDKu_QUQnn9rJdc1IakFSGNMxf8Wwj3Rwu1LTtYWIVZKZxhWrLw/w266-h640/20230330_143930.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><p>Her blonde streaks are a platinum-like blonde rather than her usual yellow blodne which I also like. </p><p>the pink streaks are an unusual addition but they at least attempt to tie into the pink parts of her outfit an accessories. Problem is, really only her earrings and the underskirt/petticoat of her dress are actually PINK. I feel like maybe it would have worked better if she, dare I say it, had MORE pink (NOOOO)</p><p>Still I don't hate the subtle pink in her hair. Combined with the blonde it gives her a sort of strawberry blonde effect which I find quite attractive. </p><p>I don't think the earrings work at all for her, but Dracualura will look amazing with them. There's just nothing in their design that screams "Cleo" you know? they're just hearts. </p><p>I didn't bother taking her headband thing out because it's tacked to her head and looks like it won't stay on without those tags. </p><p>Cleo definitely needs a proper glam outfit, but I need to stock up on MH clothes and decide what I think would work with the accessories I actually DO like from her set. <br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0-Gj2qx_J4Ho4pGxmsxgRjdTdQZ1qz1hCE6K2aW6IejwvrtrHGtNf-Mf1ioYxd7QHH9Q28xSe3FDKy3WgNGJtVgsJLxR3kpDa80PtQl8By6t9geG4I4t5MjguWJ052ne0-lGNxXpTd5_Env4q8ewlu6UBKOUGR7F5vh1d6jEHzQlxtpkYCxO1xd7iJA/s3437/20230330_144419.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3437" data-original-width="2983" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0-Gj2qx_J4Ho4pGxmsxgRjdTdQZ1qz1hCE6K2aW6IejwvrtrHGtNf-Mf1ioYxd7QHH9Q28xSe3FDKy3WgNGJtVgsJLxR3kpDa80PtQl8By6t9geG4I4t5MjguWJ052ne0-lGNxXpTd5_Env4q8ewlu6UBKOUGR7F5vh1d6jEHzQlxtpkYCxO1xd7iJA/w556-h640/20230330_144419.jpg" width="556" /></a></div><br /><p>Deuce's outfit didn't escape the emoji shit either. His shoes have an inexplicable heart shaped snake head that looks like it's either crying or sweating profusely. I think the teardrops are supposed to be gems but seriously, that's not what it looks like. </p><p>His outfit when I first saw it in promos I described as looking like one of those BTS suits, and I stand by that. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/W/IMAGERENDERING_521856-T1/images/I/71ESbuSFQfL._AC_SX679_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="263" height="400" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/W/IMAGERENDERING_521856-T1/images/I/71ESbuSFQfL._AC_SX679_.jpg" width="132" /></a></div><br /><p>However, while the jacket IS made of similar plasticky feeling polyestery crap, the pants surprised me by being made of some sort of denser fabric that feels more like denim or suiting. Huh... Like they're actually made of a rather nice feeling fabric, which I was shocked by because in photos they look horrible. </p><p>Also elevating this mess about the BTS dolls, his shirt is a separate piece, with a "lovely" elastic thong to stop it from riding up. Mmm comfy. </p><p>It took a lot of fiddling around before it clicked what Deuce's outfit might be referencing. <br /></p><p>The skinny tie was what clicked it for me. That and the sunglasses. </p><p>2 tone or ska! Which makes perfect sense in my head for a fashion style Deuce might wear. Least based on his original doll. <br /></p><p>This may be wishful thinking on my part though, hoping for some method to the madness. </p><p>Deuce's suit is... quite something. A clashing mishmash of snake motifs. The jacket has twining snake bodies, the trousers have abstract scales with occassional foiled gold scales amongst them.</p><p>Coupled with the white tucked in shirt which has no details on it (no buttons or anything) it just looks... bad. </p><p>It's too much without being unappologetic about that, if that makes sense. It feels simultaniously tacky AND restrained which is not a good combo.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrbJVeCzSBb_TUQ_m2-0Xq9F1RGF8Mi37aIXH9MV23VhNY0lFir25iGPuezWnNnFpolRXduWINISqKZbz0bQSm5yTTM4QBn52iwckc9bkpQsuqTLWBhfOCYbTdKoAEdadEvmA7q_cctKGZPSq5cyruQ-mtUBlsmgtxJafe5qztCxDGS_FDTh6szwDsfg/s2808/20230330_144527.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2808" data-original-width="1441" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrbJVeCzSBb_TUQ_m2-0Xq9F1RGF8Mi37aIXH9MV23VhNY0lFir25iGPuezWnNnFpolRXduWINISqKZbz0bQSm5yTTM4QBn52iwckc9bkpQsuqTLWBhfOCYbTdKoAEdadEvmA7q_cctKGZPSq5cyruQ-mtUBlsmgtxJafe5qztCxDGS_FDTh6szwDsfg/w328-h640/20230330_144527.jpg" width="328" /></a></div><p></p><p>Deuce uses his G1 sculpt and has a wierdly misplaced ear piercing. His scales are green gradiating into yellow and look crisper than some of my older Deuce dolls which tend to sort of fade out as they go down the arm.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaKa9WCFExx7PKUYMwL9ui5oqUUQ7k2atpL9SuVvznOgriQlRlQhqGSy3E-YG43Q1kSjsUzJG8Nw0pH68BneGW8DHHG5aNJaHi2faGbIRP6m0DPm3XPLdnpx9qaVamopWatOMiABY-nRQWSLbaIO0JzmokqDLvp86-9aYR8r_3EpGjZWin6YqdJPmNSA/s2221/20230330_144537.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2221" data-original-width="1408" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaKa9WCFExx7PKUYMwL9ui5oqUUQ7k2atpL9SuVvznOgriQlRlQhqGSy3E-YG43Q1kSjsUzJG8Nw0pH68BneGW8DHHG5aNJaHi2faGbIRP6m0DPm3XPLdnpx9qaVamopWatOMiABY-nRQWSLbaIO0JzmokqDLvp86-9aYR8r_3EpGjZWin6YqdJPmNSA/w406-h640/20230330_144537.jpg" width="406" /></a></div><br /><p>Like Cleo, Deuce has side glancing eyes. unlike Cleo his side glance is quite subtle. He also has asymetrical eyebrows which give him a slightly quizical expression. </p><p>His eyes are larger than his oldest dolls and it gives him a more youthful and less annoyed look. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiHGgGbKXcP2FjTNstuFtdNQyLCVqBdYNM4BW0zwM2qsZxUxnMiy1uAQ1ui5wNTpN4u_7viQX7DoIjBrZZEFq1VUGVne5uUfdPcYfkUwXEUCOgkWFPn-x03CKmgDA8Vlp9lrPyiw-uHXFGqzrEmFQOpq_Jxh63I5NZxelLUE2C3t4QfhlSAalYNfnWAQ/s2575/20230403_164532.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1520" data-original-width="2575" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiHGgGbKXcP2FjTNstuFtdNQyLCVqBdYNM4BW0zwM2qsZxUxnMiy1uAQ1ui5wNTpN4u_7viQX7DoIjBrZZEFq1VUGVne5uUfdPcYfkUwXEUCOgkWFPn-x03CKmgDA8Vlp9lrPyiw-uHXFGqzrEmFQOpq_Jxh63I5NZxelLUE2C3t4QfhlSAalYNfnWAQ/w640-h378/20230403_164532.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Alongside first wave Deuce he looks kinda goofy and blank, but in isolation he's cute. </p><p>His skintone is pinker than original Deuce but I can't be sure that's not my very old, very dusty signature Deuce being a little yellowed or not. </p><p>I'm also certain that the newer Deuce's face mold is softer and less angular. Monster high used two factories and one having a slightly softer "chubbier" face was fairly common (Spectra comes with a similar variant). His cleft chin is harder to see for example, and his cheeks look wider. <br /></p><p>Howliday Deuce reuses both signature Deuce's glasses mold AND his shoe mold, something I didn't actually realise til I got signature Deuce down and noticed the shoes. </p><p>I don't mind reused accessories for the most part, but it's frustrating when Mattel are charging a premium for a "special collector edition" product. Monster High boys always got screwed over when it came to shoes though.</p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc-ckSvjXTnEgYtb0nhBdrMvoWWNImgQqMoC8i6FaAtXjk-fejHg2wc_UK0ClCw6E-RNrn30tsEbsxctxBfwGv9anzUnDT-DsYmnE7EpZ3TNPIENJl-Mb0EtT3By4vBojD6qvyGhvgH8UDtm-hJlJ2JBF1bEGFsSbHxmdHdtYTjFuiYAhsn9qWVS9G4A/s2747/20230330_151814.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2747" data-original-width="2374" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc-ckSvjXTnEgYtb0nhBdrMvoWWNImgQqMoC8i6FaAtXjk-fejHg2wc_UK0ClCw6E-RNrn30tsEbsxctxBfwGv9anzUnDT-DsYmnE7EpZ3TNPIENJl-Mb0EtT3By4vBojD6qvyGhvgH8UDtm-hJlJ2JBF1bEGFsSbHxmdHdtYTjFuiYAhsn9qWVS9G4A/w554-h640/20230330_151814.jpg" width="554" /></a></div><p></p><p>The plastic accessories are nice enough, though i'm not sure I have any real USE for them. The chocolate box actually closes which is nice, but it has no ability to be held by the dolls. The rose is cute and actually CAN be held which I appreciate, though it's top heavy so will need elastic bands to stabilise it. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI5c4v-sNwJntWnBlMNkrK2F04g1kZdZiKmP6WhdeOGMUNlmuHDAkbJBkEBU4ZOPQWrlyHqN4u5KOSZt174sDRLOpkR_TLGKZ4tz8MsLlY2ZEql93CSKvtBnFLla_f85z3VIIWY4yJsQmsTP3OUgIQxwER7DqM68JUObEnHKOhz6F6jfVR2d1nY45r-g/s2591/20230330_151827.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2591" data-original-width="1635" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI5c4v-sNwJntWnBlMNkrK2F04g1kZdZiKmP6WhdeOGMUNlmuHDAkbJBkEBU4ZOPQWrlyHqN4u5KOSZt174sDRLOpkR_TLGKZ4tz8MsLlY2ZEql93CSKvtBnFLla_f85z3VIIWY4yJsQmsTP3OUgIQxwER7DqM68JUObEnHKOhz6F6jfVR2d1nY45r-g/w404-h640/20230330_151827.jpg" width="404" /></a></div><p></p><p>At first glance I thought the "chocolates" in this under supplied chocolate box were stickers but they're actually molded shapes that are then UV printed over the top of. The result is typically grainy and wierd, but the fact they're 3d does help a bit.</p><p>still, why are there so few things in this box? Also only one of them actually LOOKS like chocolate and the blurb on the back of the doll box clearly states these are "chocolates". I find it a bit wierd and distracting how they kinda look more like christmas ornaments than food and how the box is so sparten. Why didn't they opt for a more chocolate box style filling? You could have still had fun shapes but at a smaller scale and more of them. This just... this is just odd. <br /> </p><p>The balloon is a proper 3d balloon (i'm looking at YOU Disney store) and it should be able to be held, but like the rose is a bit top heavy. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfT3iEFsDMbfZFlqrCFuAVXX7yxFaTS_wwKE46TqlEqs8FEMca7meknAp4LlWRMwezSACDTsQYB3_PL025pJllrXAm9FZiqoRwUz9j0-6mA0E726FtByMDCNZNJTqKImpBJ3ciQ2Su-w9zmxi9N-cxEhT_F6T72jljWM4c5PzV_gqjZwj83oLX_nTGkA/s2894/20230330_152228.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2894" data-original-width="1597" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfT3iEFsDMbfZFlqrCFuAVXX7yxFaTS_wwKE46TqlEqs8FEMca7meknAp4LlWRMwezSACDTsQYB3_PL025pJllrXAm9FZiqoRwUz9j0-6mA0E726FtByMDCNZNJTqKImpBJ3ciQ2Su-w9zmxi9N-cxEhT_F6T72jljWM4c5PzV_gqjZwj83oLX_nTGkA/w354-h640/20230330_152228.jpg" width="354" /></a></div><br /><p>I was therefore delighted to see that Cleo's stand came with an extra piece FOR the balloon! </p><p>this is BRILLIANT! I've never seen this before and it made me so happy to see that they'd actually thought about it. </p><p>It means you can pose the dolls WITH the balloon and it looks like they're actually holding it/it's floating. HECKYEAH! </p><p>Unlike Draculaura, the stands for this two pack are normal boring black ones. What a pity. <br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikFL8ltet36T5pi_LtOig3WDLASX84FRLLuIrHEBRod7bsvOogLGvy049w0BcB9wde0qZMR3A1lnSR1ObEvr7Cv3e4eZ9-WdX_NjAsBhETnteLGN9faaxjo_mpN9BGrAwaoTEmyyzRRpyql3TCJ-elr-6WgNVQ4C1s2CLxp5uhS4Qa__n1-k-ST3GZdQ/s3144/20230330_145617.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3144" data-original-width="1821" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikFL8ltet36T5pi_LtOig3WDLASX84FRLLuIrHEBRod7bsvOogLGvy049w0BcB9wde0qZMR3A1lnSR1ObEvr7Cv3e4eZ9-WdX_NjAsBhETnteLGN9faaxjo_mpN9BGrAwaoTEmyyzRRpyql3TCJ-elr-6WgNVQ4C1s2CLxp5uhS4Qa__n1-k-ST3GZdQ/w370-h640/20230330_145617.jpg" width="370" /></a></div><p></p><p>Deuce, like Cleo, got changed into a lot of different outfits but the only one that really "clicked" for me was this very simple change. A dark tee instead of a white shirt and the suit goes from "oh god it's so tacky" to "hmmm... that... actually might be okay". </p><p>I feel like he needs socks with those shoes though, and the stupid crying snake emoji needs to go but I don't have any magic erasers right now or the energy to scrub. </p><p>I expected with this set that i'd only keep Cleo but having played around with Deuce for a while I don't hate him like I thought I would. </p><p>I mean that suit is definitely... a choice... but without the lame tucked in shirt (with no belt so it looks especially ugly) he grew on me rapidly. </p><p>I'll of course keep looking for clothes for this pair because I think they deserve it, but i'm glad to have them in my collection. </p><p>They are however MASSIVELY overpriced at retail, which is probably why they're not selling out very fast. </p><p>Mattel need to get their shit together, not only with their distribution but their pricing as well. I swear they pull a random number out of a hat half the time. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEFwyNNdEBbuhqBOE_elFzy6nSoYL5LTJgaIdIcEJbUfxkh_r9hZjJVQ99g5n3vTbIoQI1xEJ0b2LjlHvAk6x0gri1qLQ7gYtE71QlzORHRolRQe-7ocpZvOIh4XpFbR2-qZtSjyjQ4hyxg2RAgpzYcZq--tql0_qpJDRRcpPdJWFLLo8d2LnoJ_Uj0Q/s2500/20230330_152742.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2500" data-original-width="2365" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEFwyNNdEBbuhqBOE_elFzy6nSoYL5LTJgaIdIcEJbUfxkh_r9hZjJVQ99g5n3vTbIoQI1xEJ0b2LjlHvAk6x0gri1qLQ7gYtE71QlzORHRolRQe-7ocpZvOIh4XpFbR2-qZtSjyjQ4hyxg2RAgpzYcZq--tql0_qpJDRRcpPdJWFLLo8d2LnoJ_Uj0Q/w606-h640/20230330_152742.jpg" width="606" /></a></div><br /><p>I mean ultimately with a rrp of $60, the two pack works out about $30 per doll which maybe isn't too steep but Cleo's outfit is just SUCH a misstep that no matter how nicely made I cannot look beyond that juvenile emoji fabric and how cheap it makes it look. </p><p>Draculaura is a more expensive single doll, but you can see that far more thought went into a cohesive and mature design. </p><p>That both sets are nominally the same line is just astounding. And I think you can understand why people were so disappointed in Cleo and Deuce after seeing Draculaura's doll. </p><p>SHE is stunning. She's a gothic princess with a cohesive and clear colour scheme and motif. </p><p>Meanwhile Cleo and Deuce are a hot mess of clashing fabric patterns, childish skullettes and too many different colours. (Cleo's outfit is blue AND pink AND green AND red AND gold) and an overreliance on a heart motif that for the most part lacks any "monstery" elements (look at Draculaura's snowflakes, they're all also spiderwebs. Meanwhile Cleo's hearts are JUST a classic heart shape, with the exception of her corset top thing which features the snakes forming said heart shape.)</p><p> And it's a pity because as I said, Cleo's face is gorgeous. I love side glancing dolls and her hair is so unique as well. But her costume really lets her down majorly and I can't work out what the hell Mattel were thinking there. </p><p>precisely WHO is this line aimed at? Because the price point and the certificates of authenticity (Cleo and Deuce also have one, it's just like Draculaura's) point to "adult collector", but the design of the Cleo and Deuce two pack seems to skew distinctly young. </p><p>Do Mattel even know who their target market are anymore? Or are they just as confused as we are?</p><p>I hope I can find outfits that these two dolls deserve, because unfortunately they were seriously let down by Mattel's costume design department who as far as i'm concerned, massively missed the mark. </p><p>Draculaura set the tone for the Howliday dolls, Cleo and Deuce brought that all crashing down. It's a huge downgrade and it's a pity because there's some cute little ideas in there. But when your box motifs are more clever and cohesive than your actual DOLL, you done fucked up your design process. </p><p><br /></p>Purple_monkfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023284779817354246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3031605728160552641.post-34698146947655564342023-03-14T15:07:00.002+00:002023-03-14T15:07:28.842+00:00Shadow High - Monique Verbena<p> I know I know, it's been a while. I appologise. </p><p>I've had a huge energy lull recently which has made it difficult to do much of anything. I have boxes of dolls I need to debox, photograph and review but have had no energy to do so. Which kinda sucks. </p><p>So i'm easing back into things with a fairly straightforward review of a line i've looked at before. Or rather, a spinoff of a line i've looked at several times already.</p><p>Shadow High, the spinoff of Rainbow High and MGA's "screw you" to Mattel. I always love me some spite. </p><p>I can't remember if I mentioned this before but just in case let me explain the spite thing.</p><p>See, back in uh.. 2017 Mattel released a book version of a crossover event they had planned for Ever After High and Monster High. It was called "the legend of Shadow High". They had the name "shadow high" trademarked and everything but abandoned it a few years later. </p><p>at which point MGA, masters of "fuck you Mattel" levels of pettiness scooped it up for their Rainbow High spinoff. </p><p>As an added "screw you" they positioned the line as a rival to the relaunched Monster High, even getting their product out long before Mattel managed to. </p><p>The Monster High association is becoming clearer and clearer with each wave of Shadow High now. The original wave was all black and white and greyscale which I can't help but wonder was inspired by Mattel's "Reel Drama" Monster High dolls who are black and white with a single splash of colour and were really really badly distributed. </p><p>Mattel did a couple of black and white Frankies for g1 as well, the sdcc exclusive one and a skull shores doll. </p><p>Given MGA had already shamelessly taken a Mattel trademark and repurposed it, I would argue that them cribbing from Mattels' past work wasn't a coincidence. </p><p>But then we got the next wave of Shadow High and wouldn't you know it, they're no longer greyscale but full glorious colour. We've got one with pink skin, one with mint green skin, two with purple skin... (or is it three? I can't quite decide where Glitch falls on the whole purple spectrum lol) <br /></p><p>And I LOVE me some fantasy toned dolls so i'm here for it. </p><p>I popped to The Entertainer to see if they had any of the new dolls in and came home with Monique. I had wanted the aqua skinned Zooey as well but she was sold out everywhere at the time. Booo. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6vQiimE_01q_o5EsQPoneCkIl8vN76c4xIgpqy_eFyvI9FZGG3zTiZppkSg-A4TG5To1005wtW10K5hYqW0ftK7DR6oC-gTMggHRD24K24CQxBy4al7A06ZQG9iMxS3gIB55P059ukpgI1hthb3bS1Z5nZBwDqdktF9Z3a10JAQEvcrPV9S7TEF6lgw/s2522/20230311_163023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2522" data-original-width="2338" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6vQiimE_01q_o5EsQPoneCkIl8vN76c4xIgpqy_eFyvI9FZGG3zTiZppkSg-A4TG5To1005wtW10K5hYqW0ftK7DR6oC-gTMggHRD24K24CQxBy4al7A06ZQG9iMxS3gIB55P059ukpgI1hthb3bS1Z5nZBwDqdktF9Z3a10JAQEvcrPV9S7TEF6lgw/w594-h640/20230311_163023.jpg" width="594" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But here's the gorgeous miss Verbena. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This second wave has ditched the second outfit in favour of a bunch of tiny plastic accessories (huh, that sounds familiar too. *eyes monster high*) which has some people quite peeved as the price point hasn't really reduced to reflect this. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I do find it disappointing because i'd rather have more clothes than miniature makeup but eh. At least the phone looks pretty neat. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The boxes are still oversized chunky things with a big plastic window showing you everything you get in the box. There's little sketch graphics of the character all over the window and the backing card which are cute, very fashion portfolio styled which plays into the whole "fashion school!" thing MGA is OBSESSED with (seriously have they ever done a school setting that wasn't a "fashion school"?) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm still bewildered by MGA's naming conventions here. Some of the dolls have obvious colour or style references in their names while others it feels like they picked a name out of a hat. Verbena is a plant with purple flowers so that fits, but Monique means "advisor" so... she's advisor of flowers? lol. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Maybe it's some reference to her personality in the show (which i've never watched), or just random. I dunno. I get kinda confused by the naming conventions of Rainbow/Shadow High because as I said, sometimes they feel like they're heavily inspired by the colour references (Like Jade Hunter, both shades of green) and other times they just feel utterly random (like Meena Fleur). There's no consistancy and that kinda bugs me. Like.. guys... either have a convention or don't have one. PICK ONE. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I know it's a stupid thing to bug me, but it makes my brain itch okay? <br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoI3lEPTzZb06Pj7ox0n1NtI-Vn_fB8zJmyhJkM7omGu6I6TCfJI-xTVs5-flPuhoNvjwyLIdT76LCXH7QH9eK7X08qlszTg3oaStrzLVl_PikJ3uJ4a6dpQJUk4zxhBdKRs33mdlmwFFOK0OPQGn8IHtdBt9qhGSLiFjquZnvhr_6ZNxZjlPeHwBj_A/s2449/20230311_163039.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2449" data-original-width="2382" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoI3lEPTzZb06Pj7ox0n1NtI-Vn_fB8zJmyhJkM7omGu6I6TCfJI-xTVs5-flPuhoNvjwyLIdT76LCXH7QH9eK7X08qlszTg3oaStrzLVl_PikJ3uJ4a6dpQJUk4zxhBdKRs33mdlmwFFOK0OPQGn8IHtdBt9qhGSLiFjquZnvhr_6ZNxZjlPeHwBj_A/w622-h640/20230311_163039.jpg" width="622" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The back of the box also features an unusual choice in that unlike the usual style which would depict the whole wave together, instead they only have two characters. In this case it's Monique and Karla (Who incidentally, is named for Karl Lagerfeld of Chanel and his cat). I don't know why it's these two, are they friends? Why just two characters and not smaller images of the whole line of 6? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I dunno, it's wierd to me. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTBpnuS1lj4YIXK5mPIDrReWNFfkDi8L0hUJXnBqniZZgQ9jMfAQSDYI7Pr8K_e7JuF_q7cL6YspcGnEXQwgde-p3Vqz08ocivUFR_-f7M6OEn_exNzeSokJI1TlsVJRqTDHa61e17Z-h-6xQIiWr5clFIBshCKdwjJ-4vILjt8IFPDHyR7FxvnWx1ZQ/s2443/20230311_163235.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2443" data-original-width="2008" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTBpnuS1lj4YIXK5mPIDrReWNFfkDi8L0hUJXnBqniZZgQ9jMfAQSDYI7Pr8K_e7JuF_q7cL6YspcGnEXQwgde-p3Vqz08ocivUFR_-f7M6OEn_exNzeSokJI1TlsVJRqTDHa61e17Z-h-6xQIiWr5clFIBshCKdwjJ-4vILjt8IFPDHyR7FxvnWx1ZQ/w526-h640/20230311_163235.jpg" width="526" /></a></div><p></p><p>Monique's controversial accessories. We have a phone, a phone case with a snake motif, three makeup brushes, a lipstick and a powder compact with mirror. </p><p>Now I do love me mini things but makeup is not something i'm gonna get excited about. Sorry but it's not my thing. That said, I do think that for a line that focuses on fashion, the little makeup accessories do make perfect sense and are arguably more "on brand" than the random food Monster High come with. </p><p>I can picture kids play acting "getting ready" with these little pieces. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEClalxYf_prYEA7rSbT_pVzwReVe0GOm1C3Jt3CZ-VpY3K9qJTN6txq3kc48TPaer6VRh0uivrULixULFXKI0dZgxuzxhvmvPlS0XGeaMaNWu5sxryWr49fZashsmoZsC8ja3aekyAkDL5WXRV5tkuS-XiEd6Rs5qyusC_sHi-mmUv_JZBlRV7gpOPA/s3000/20230311_163226.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2839" data-original-width="3000" height="606" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEClalxYf_prYEA7rSbT_pVzwReVe0GOm1C3Jt3CZ-VpY3K9qJTN6txq3kc48TPaer6VRh0uivrULixULFXKI0dZgxuzxhvmvPlS0XGeaMaNWu5sxryWr49fZashsmoZsC8ja3aekyAkDL5WXRV5tkuS-XiEd6Rs5qyusC_sHi-mmUv_JZBlRV7gpOPA/w640-h606/20230311_163226.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>The box is thankfully pretty easy to open. Cut the top tape, slide whole backing tray out. </p><p>what's less easy is removing all the plastic ties holding the doll in place and getting the damn accessories out of their plastic bubble. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUhqlOZErE6UKv6vxTOExcd3mGfp-DYHB6yBof-tx7uHJgWDZufMTf8rTTKc4WFTUjZnF8M4IWfSzxfprxexMdfNx2lxqrC4Isu-1Ac8E_RgjYkQYApZDQL5A8br5cpZg9YlZfPDu4Ae8oTzcFWdFTvtYi9vjSel2CmQn3TT9HZNRDdNwOsfwmIFwHjQ/s3802/20230311_163255.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3802" data-original-width="1573" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUhqlOZErE6UKv6vxTOExcd3mGfp-DYHB6yBof-tx7uHJgWDZufMTf8rTTKc4WFTUjZnF8M4IWfSzxfprxexMdfNx2lxqrC4Isu-1Ac8E_RgjYkQYApZDQL5A8br5cpZg9YlZfPDu4Ae8oTzcFWdFTvtYi9vjSel2CmQn3TT9HZNRDdNwOsfwmIFwHjQ/w264-h640/20230311_163255.jpg" width="264" /></a></div><p></p><p>Despite not coming with any extra clothing for some inexplicable reason Monique comes with hangers anyway. To hang WHAT on MGA? </p><p>also, neither of them are the correct style of hanger for her dress anyway. The standard hanger has no notches for the straps so the dress will just slide off and you wouldn't use a skirt hanger like the bottom one for a dress. It's not wide enough anyway. </p><p>she also comes with a comb which is another "ffs" move for a doll who has unbrushable hair. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZYVTDYDJqleOcuy4PCd191wQT1Y2N95togvohSwOn-otMAZTG0TEelxRbEJ7QpBj0eB8wn5t7qMcPxZykuo-_zg88NYPavUWgXZ5WAsg1gf7404pRc4DVz4sCJD52dH_PVmWCCdt2QPwWPq6JrHAtoq_0BSE6iNPjsTvFoJAXsxq5gzzm4PwSoXJFmw/s4000/20230311_163242.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZYVTDYDJqleOcuy4PCd191wQT1Y2N95togvohSwOn-otMAZTG0TEelxRbEJ7QpBj0eB8wn5t7qMcPxZykuo-_zg88NYPavUWgXZ5WAsg1gf7404pRc4DVz4sCJD52dH_PVmWCCdt2QPwWPq6JrHAtoq_0BSE6iNPjsTvFoJAXsxq5gzzm4PwSoXJFmw/w480-h640/20230311_163242.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>Her face is gorgeous. </p><p>Monique uses the narrow eyed sculpt that I absolutely love, exentuated by a dramatic eye wing and white under the eye to make them appear even more angled than they are. </p><p>her eyeshadow is silver and nicely understated. It adds a little sparkle without feeling overbearing like some glittery makeup can. </p><p>her lips are only a slightly darker shade to her very saturated deep purple skin. She's an incredible colour, one that unfortunatley my camera cannot quite pick out accurately. It's a very deep reddish purple that I don't think i've ever seen on a doll before. It's very striking. </p><p>She has molded baby hairs and purple eyes which ties in with her whole theme. I gripe a lot about MGA's obsession with purple and blue eyes for Rainbow High but at least here they make sense and are in keeping with the whole "purple, everything is purple" theme they were going for. </p><p>Monique's hair is microbraided and styled into two high pigtails. Some pieces are shorter than others and there's some unravelling but that's to be expected from this sort of hair. It's purple shot with blue and possibly black? (it might just be a darker purple, it's hard to tell) which adds further texture. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKN1OHy5tO79CZ-ofcwiFWevxXa8DQzYALP6SV9LRr8bvQJeRHHsW6mG5uOZQbtzq6ArnOGiWUg7piZ4LrxqhYZ-_QCzGMObnziW1IMEsXtdq7Mr0wLD59lB5fPfJZkZpNdl7RTmWr53vR7EfpZllzT9Y3nNvLJM50DakAovoLGhrt89iRUU8q02CeNQ/s2670/20230311_164000.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2670" data-original-width="2467" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKN1OHy5tO79CZ-ofcwiFWevxXa8DQzYALP6SV9LRr8bvQJeRHHsW6mG5uOZQbtzq6ArnOGiWUg7piZ4LrxqhYZ-_QCzGMObnziW1IMEsXtdq7Mr0wLD59lB5fPfJZkZpNdl7RTmWr53vR7EfpZllzT9Y3nNvLJM50DakAovoLGhrt89iRUU8q02CeNQ/w592-h640/20230311_164000.jpg" width="592" /></a></div><p></p><p>Here's everything that she comes with. The phone case slips onto the phone and remains in place no problem so that's nice. </p><p>her brush and hangers are, as I mentioned, pointless extra plastic that isn't useable for the doll they come with but maybe kids like extra combs, I dunno. </p><p>Her stand is glittery purple and identical to the other rainbow/shadow high stands so not overly interesting. I still find them too bulky to want to use. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9IaPoZhqdCmPgxN_43C9zD_szuYKVEUhAUDEll_yzSHoyY-Zxfcw2q7Y9Nsq1Yf4d9ZuwLwv4xRl_GCneSo3o8kFVBIu3ISD_ia70y4WNLgiIk4xSyjbB9JFKQtdyX8m89CSanZmnvDeasKNAkba6_gCnxneJZDOm_U8yswTViYfUNUd0_1gbGuFAlw/s2374/20230311_164015.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2374" data-original-width="2196" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9IaPoZhqdCmPgxN_43C9zD_szuYKVEUhAUDEll_yzSHoyY-Zxfcw2q7Y9Nsq1Yf4d9ZuwLwv4xRl_GCneSo3o8kFVBIu3ISD_ia70y4WNLgiIk4xSyjbB9JFKQtdyX8m89CSanZmnvDeasKNAkba6_gCnxneJZDOm_U8yswTViYfUNUd0_1gbGuFAlw/w592-h640/20230311_164015.jpg" width="592" /></a></div><p></p><p>The accessories are nice enough. The lipstick actually opens up which is pretty neat. The brushes are soft rubbery plastic and a little distorted as a result, I also think the big rubbery "bristles" at the end, especially on the big brush look silly and don't look like brushes. </p><p>The tiny compact closes and has a little winged? head on which I assume is a copyright skirting reference to Versace's medusa logo. </p><p>I really don't know my fashion houses though, so i'm probably missing a load of little nerdy fashion house references here. </p><p>I do have a gripe with these accessories though. </p><p>where do I put them?</p><p>there's no makeup bag to store them in and they're TINY and very easily lost. I feel like instead of yet another comb or two hangers we can't use we'd have been better served by having a little makeup bag included you know? Which would enhance play and allow you to store the tiny pieces somewhere. </p><p>Monique doesn't even come with a handbag so where she's keeping all this stuff I don't know. Poor girl doesn't even have any pockets for her phone.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX84pKqpYsyxBZ1opuhfHcTIO1XwPw_eN1GMlSvu-xZBTzLa8sSAcchWHQxVgo4V4Is704-YNHUlLvFpV1rjyhf9mbGDzwhJRQN9RNeYanQPg9o2BxBfguFqi5fe9UaINdo_b7L8JFn6E6XUkWS_Mfl34A5GQAIOnTM0_JAawIn_GkSjbkttga7jq5vA/s2511/20230311_164040.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2511" data-original-width="2340" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX84pKqpYsyxBZ1opuhfHcTIO1XwPw_eN1GMlSvu-xZBTzLa8sSAcchWHQxVgo4V4Is704-YNHUlLvFpV1rjyhf9mbGDzwhJRQN9RNeYanQPg9o2BxBfguFqi5fe9UaINdo_b7L8JFn6E6XUkWS_Mfl34A5GQAIOnTM0_JAawIn_GkSjbkttga7jq5vA/w596-h640/20230311_164040.jpg" width="596" /></a></div><p></p><p><br /></p><p>I'm sure the snake motif on Monique's accessories is a reference i'm just missing. </p><p>Her little compact has a very shiny mirror in it and thematically appropriate swatches in purple and black. Both are just stickers but they're effective enough. </p><p>Sadly Monique cannot hold her little brushes or lipstick, which is another thing I think is a missed oppertunity. </p><p>she can however hold her phone, it has a little thumb notch/clip thing on it. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7l1SYsJC52UX_DXD2lDPtdfeW7sRqf7pFC4OJ1ri1KZG2NRl3s7bSi-TKuGrQ-vJmmZnwWiTWIyIZY_e2tnun-8gN88_EFOFa23YX7l4ZnwHMGp8PUoLeorLIkvulkz8F5HEHZGXVF5eju1_Yb5n8iN34isA4nkiYnqA4prdJIBc7gSsp_lnc_WrOfw/s3002/20230311_164705.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3002" data-original-width="2134" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7l1SYsJC52UX_DXD2lDPtdfeW7sRqf7pFC4OJ1ri1KZG2NRl3s7bSi-TKuGrQ-vJmmZnwWiTWIyIZY_e2tnun-8gN88_EFOFa23YX7l4ZnwHMGp8PUoLeorLIkvulkz8F5HEHZGXVF5eju1_Yb5n8iN34isA4nkiYnqA4prdJIBc7gSsp_lnc_WrOfw/w454-h640/20230311_164705.jpg" width="454" /></a></div><p></p><p>Monique's dress is impressive, even if it isn't to my taste. It's very very ruffly and very "petal" shaped. </p><p>the outer layer is this irridescent silver and purple material which is gathered in ruffles. Underneath there's a tighter dark purple underskirt for modesty. </p><p>It's quite an impressive piece of miniature sewing with a lot of elements and multiple different fabrics. MGA is often very good at making teensy tiny clothing feel like real human clothing and while there's some obvious conceits for the sake of being so small (the overlocked edge instead of a lace trim for example) it's still a very effective piece. </p><p>She also comes with little dark purple/blue pleather? fingerless gloves but I didn't bother taking those off. It's a pain to get them back on and as they're completely unhemmed/edges I didn't want to risk damaging them. </p><p>I'm not sure the fingerless gloves really go with the super frilly girly dress but then, what do I know about FASHION? <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKADNMCYpYEwGqnB_P5kBGte3Ium9habaFYidG4kzOUcXxbtmGsQQ6c6u9Vp-uIMWUQSwkcB4jygrIlRkSJHBFiVXkfl63jWJ1h4lqE8XQ-hRwPo8-_3v1wKRzDHxLOWUVmsNmSOpckVpQTZiUhxAvhzyf9lA8Uxm5owcArLKLw-2woc5QApN5hBXHiA/s1218/20230311_164717.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1218" data-original-width="721" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKADNMCYpYEwGqnB_P5kBGte3Ium9habaFYidG4kzOUcXxbtmGsQQ6c6u9Vp-uIMWUQSwkcB4jygrIlRkSJHBFiVXkfl63jWJ1h4lqE8XQ-hRwPo8-_3v1wKRzDHxLOWUVmsNmSOpckVpQTZiUhxAvhzyf9lA8Uxm5owcArLKLw-2woc5QApN5hBXHiA/w378-h640/20230311_164717.jpg" width="378" /></a></div><p></p><p>Her earrings are purple flowers with three petals. I thought they were Verbena which would make sense but I looked up Verbena and these don't look like those flowers at all. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.gardendesign.com/pictures/images/320x240Exact/site_3/superbena-violet-ice-purple-verbena-proven-winners_13353.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="240" src="https://www.gardendesign.com/pictures/images/320x240Exact/site_3/superbena-violet-ice-purple-verbena-proven-winners_13353.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>Verbena flowers have four petals, each of which have a little dip in the middle. They also don't have the yellow detail or white outline. </p><p>these earrings look more like African Violets to me</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.ohiotropics.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/african-violet-4-1024x1024.jpg.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://www.ohiotropics.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/african-violet-4-1024x1024.jpg.webp" width="320" /></a></div><p>Or maybe even Primroses.</p><p> but like.. super stylised and missing a petal.</p><p>Which is odd because you would think having them look like Verbana flowers would be a no brainer. Her name is Monique VERBENA, she has flower shaped earrings. Make them the flower she's named after. </p><p>But I searched and couldn't find a single example of Verbena flowers having the yellow center or the white outline. Some have white in the middle, some have variagated petals, but no yellow with white trim. </p><p>Wierd. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhObe3KRz60lxkqWWG35QF9kEFB2hLPVOX3AzdJcyQ4I4bWDgytDj-61x8czZCLfwU4YwCpbs_j1M4oUqGh5jOrXGcTIJKNgxmo7r1I4WUo26StIk39gNP2K2Li3AfSDPuJcTSkR08xP-FWFJ5tWNEkADurjEij4z2amGFS6t-DOwqN1g3EwzaH4x7IyA/s2097/20230311_164323.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1993" data-original-width="2097" height="608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhObe3KRz60lxkqWWG35QF9kEFB2hLPVOX3AzdJcyQ4I4bWDgytDj-61x8czZCLfwU4YwCpbs_j1M4oUqGh5jOrXGcTIJKNgxmo7r1I4WUo26StIk39gNP2K2Li3AfSDPuJcTSkR08xP-FWFJ5tWNEkADurjEij4z2amGFS6t-DOwqN1g3EwzaH4x7IyA/w640-h608/20230311_164323.jpg" width="640" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div></div><p></p><p>Her necklace features two dragon? Snake? Horned reptillian heads clasping a purple gem between their snouts. The gem looks to be clear plastic rather than painted like the gem on the belt which is interesting. <br /></p><p>Her belt is unusual in that it has no fastener at the back, it just clips around her waist. </p><p>It's not overly interesting imo. I mean it's nice enough, but it's just an oval with a little purple gem in the middle. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6-M1G8GJarcp0L9dFRJppakQZfoAu1tX0rMXhSMBem2fWBRQBXs0EuW9G1YdPGy1Jvn3nR1Wz2bo1CwaH71ZHsZv0HL-vSJfPTnpb5MeQlr6YfTnTcDc7G4mRoUXZhh3pYUfL2LJ-HYIwNu1_3GcEe1CoeLFenTqgB21hV0-TEUdSZAoAwT2UuP-k3A/s1499/20230311_164312.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1237" data-original-width="1499" height="528" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6-M1G8GJarcp0L9dFRJppakQZfoAu1tX0rMXhSMBem2fWBRQBXs0EuW9G1YdPGy1Jvn3nR1Wz2bo1CwaH71ZHsZv0HL-vSJfPTnpb5MeQlr6YfTnTcDc7G4mRoUXZhh3pYUfL2LJ-HYIwNu1_3GcEe1CoeLFenTqgB21hV0-TEUdSZAoAwT2UuP-k3A/w640-h528/20230311_164312.jpg" width="640" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6-M1G8GJarcp0L9dFRJppakQZfoAu1tX0rMXhSMBem2fWBRQBXs0EuW9G1YdPGy1Jvn3nR1Wz2bo1CwaH71ZHsZv0HL-vSJfPTnpb5MeQlr6YfTnTcDc7G4mRoUXZhh3pYUfL2LJ-HYIwNu1_3GcEe1CoeLFenTqgB21hV0-TEUdSZAoAwT2UuP-k3A/s1499/20230311_164312.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div></div><p></p><p>Her shoes on the other hand are scary as all hell. </p><p>They have SPIKES! </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCBqMpbBdysimJmF-PcFowlaFFGypbUC-oChkHPD_5ShtFYEFRk2Izul8oIU5r8f7T_giNHJ6qQUOqdd35mtfFOkuUjaETwxHxg-nSHtdQYoXtqESeIXvpjMTZRQd2EvWERpIWACmtCuII8zJEwcp_74s_RgLH9OKNHTIdW6XZrAT4m_m3veIFujX9_Q/s1376/20230314_143526.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1376" data-original-width="1062" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCBqMpbBdysimJmF-PcFowlaFFGypbUC-oChkHPD_5ShtFYEFRk2Izul8oIU5r8f7T_giNHJ6qQUOqdd35mtfFOkuUjaETwxHxg-nSHtdQYoXtqESeIXvpjMTZRQd2EvWERpIWACmtCuII8zJEwcp_74s_RgLH9OKNHTIdW6XZrAT4m_m3veIFujX9_Q/w494-h640/20230314_143526.jpg" width="494" /></a></div> <p></p><p>the toe strap has a little purple gem which looks to actually be transparent plastic instead of painted just like the necklace. This gem is then flanked by two spiked heads which are shaped like reptillians (dragon? Snake?) with a massive "horn" on the top. Much like the horned snake on her phone case. </p><p>I don't know what that thing is supposed to be because I can't think of anyreptile that has a massive curling horn out the top of their head like that. Some sort of mythical beast? Is it a reference to a fashion house? <span> <br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDKEe7tp4LK84YxmW7u3Ytk39wqKmic4gan7O7ExBv2gFOvYWY8qbyLqkCEl4QscZ4NRSNnXF7ZBXVhoF619yPPODnT5dSEvJiiVyhmI0zG-ABcSXkAUxpFAZFDzeat9HYXfxbtCVLmEEo1hYTsnE3SD5yhXnp5eeeUwb-KE6gNcAMnipIAZtHWbIAgA/s1951/20230314_143545.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1547" data-original-width="1951" height="508" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDKEe7tp4LK84YxmW7u3Ytk39wqKmic4gan7O7ExBv2gFOvYWY8qbyLqkCEl4QscZ4NRSNnXF7ZBXVhoF619yPPODnT5dSEvJiiVyhmI0zG-ABcSXkAUxpFAZFDzeat9HYXfxbtCVLmEEo1hYTsnE3SD5yhXnp5eeeUwb-KE6gNcAMnipIAZtHWbIAgA/w640-h508/20230314_143545.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><br />Whatever the case, the horns look vicious. You wouldn't want to accidentally tread on this girl's feet. YIKES. </p><p>The heel of her shoe is an unusual flanged shape as well. <br /></p><p><img border="0" data-original-height="1447" data-original-width="1186" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtA8PVVpxDS9-wQMYjTs8lMHx8Vq0RjhdYN7q4NeYAxPW07yF7i1VIgf56-16PT0ARMdF5l_rBrdf5xrTd-u_9Jb4Iln217I2hM8pSh199xxaWU9dvBsH5Uct9t6z-kosMnI4LXyENSHgQ-4Xuas_QTcInbgBO9HnBIbmb2jlOWWbEJj18ioM0YR55cQ/w524-h640/20230311_164738.jpg" width="524" /></p><p></p><p>The inside of the shoes say "shadow" which I thought was interesting too.<br /><br /></p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqIfP2KxeObWWwBpaW2TKmFXiEM0ylTNmniw4Mf0MRW2DVztJoUB3zpzYrTMHgyJjRTiWjeMoQDGTHsRRb8jmjJP4mURIDuHXQW0MbIndUipu6xy-DXJa-bVUboRelbRu2-TxpVR2px8J4SFbzGzRj7iSY7aMebQTeIbLyqjm5FZmbLqYcQslCb88pjw/s2689/20230311_164259.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2689" data-original-width="2039" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqIfP2KxeObWWwBpaW2TKmFXiEM0ylTNmniw4Mf0MRW2DVztJoUB3zpzYrTMHgyJjRTiWjeMoQDGTHsRRb8jmjJP4mURIDuHXQW0MbIndUipu6xy-DXJa-bVUboRelbRu2-TxpVR2px8J4SFbzGzRj7iSY7aMebQTeIbLyqjm5FZmbLqYcQslCb88pjw/w486-h640/20230311_164259.jpg" width="486" /></a></div><p></p><p>I'm pleased to report that Monique's heels are nice and easy to get on and off, unlike a lot of the older Rainbow High doll shoes which are a nightmare. Her dress also stands up well to dressing and undressing. It's very bulky though, and coupled with her belt it makes it very difficult to get her stand on as well. Her frilly shoulders also obscure her dangling earrings and get in the way. </p><p>She's an odd doll in that her draconic accessories and all the spikes, the gloves, even her hair style all screams "edge" to me. And yet her flowery earrings and frilly dress scream "super girly glam" and that forms a bit of a disconnect for me. I'm sure that dicotomy is intentional but for me it just feels disjointed. Also i'm not a big fan of frilly girliness anyway so that's probably also contributing to me not feeling this ensemble.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz141pHKPA-F396GPfRtf2ODatBre5geEYz4EBzPATe4t2DCV4HteiDbXd2c_d04DlTeLE9D2VlYcKay21ne9caqTv_M97ebgUyZ86ST-aqk33ku-q2B5FU_5UZR5BGW6afXs_-6vI2BzXdF4ZLKOgBMdtb9CQUYUkrbzypdjhu3r1UuQ9_nNDOZ-L1A/s2737/20230311_172003.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2737" data-original-width="1428" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz141pHKPA-F396GPfRtf2ODatBre5geEYz4EBzPATe4t2DCV4HteiDbXd2c_d04DlTeLE9D2VlYcKay21ne9caqTv_M97ebgUyZ86ST-aqk33ku-q2B5FU_5UZR5BGW6afXs_-6vI2BzXdF4ZLKOgBMdtb9CQUYUkrbzypdjhu3r1UuQ9_nNDOZ-L1A/w334-h640/20230311_172003.jpg" width="334" /></a></div><p></p><p>Unfortunately I don't have a huge amount of rainbow high clothing that's the right sort of colours (most of it's pink because MGA love their pink) so this was the best I could manage for her. </p><p>I do like how the blue tones of the skirt brings out the blue in her hair though. </p><p>I feel she'd look amazing in the Storm twins' clothing. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4A_nmtasYWBIHHKX9BJMR0Ktn5GoSm3WF2Q1dAvIO7b418GPZ02QUPwDnmmvKhJWAHxME9guShiZSJCYBdODB9J6JraaDJVok7f12fcfoA9ScBSI7SfZthEf5RkRGvOfIX2BeJgjRuaCwlAEeyzH3QMVqfyoysA-DuKV5gPCsHMTKpTFSSM9iar8y2w/s1744/20230311_171917.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1444" data-original-width="1744" height="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4A_nmtasYWBIHHKX9BJMR0Ktn5GoSm3WF2Q1dAvIO7b418GPZ02QUPwDnmmvKhJWAHxME9guShiZSJCYBdODB9J6JraaDJVok7f12fcfoA9ScBSI7SfZthEf5RkRGvOfIX2BeJgjRuaCwlAEeyzH3QMVqfyoysA-DuKV5gPCsHMTKpTFSSM9iar8y2w/w640-h530/20230311_171917.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>I also found her a bag for her makeup. Yes yes, the name is wrong but hey, at least it fits all the bits. (the compact does fit into it, I just had it sticking out to show the opening)</p><p>this little makeup bag came with a Glo Up girl and I wish the Shadow High dolls had come with something similar. </p><p>it's a simple little rubbery bag with a slit in the top to allow you to store things inside. Tiffany only came with a single little bottle of something who's lid wouldn't stay on anyway. </p><p>Now yes, it IS difficult to get the rubbery brushes out again, but at least they won't get lost so easily now. </p><p>I little fabric bag with a fastener would have been amazing. Get on it MGA! <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqoXsDZFMBVQrvIjeJG2YrYb_s94n3KEUY5ft5O_Hf8nxPt6qwxDqnMFpHQRNNny8p14DHdCDF_Y6itIXoby-vj8BNF_WZxj-hjD9EWT9x98MCl3LFzD-hbL38sva6HmK_SyOgB4UUqBTuUJ2yjJd0bq-xmG5ZoJzUhfcXTKJdmLsnoiqGJniUiGFL3A/s3417/20230311_172115.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3417" data-original-width="2278" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqoXsDZFMBVQrvIjeJG2YrYb_s94n3KEUY5ft5O_Hf8nxPt6qwxDqnMFpHQRNNny8p14DHdCDF_Y6itIXoby-vj8BNF_WZxj-hjD9EWT9x98MCl3LFzD-hbL38sva6HmK_SyOgB4UUqBTuUJ2yjJd0bq-xmG5ZoJzUhfcXTKJdmLsnoiqGJniUiGFL3A/w426-h640/20230311_172115.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><p>Monique is a stunning doll though. Her skin tone is absolutely unique and I love it when we get hair variation. MGA has a sad tendency to stick with the safe "slightly wavy ankle length side parted" style so it's always refreshing when we not only get a different style but a different texture too. </p><p>now if only they'd give us some tight curls and afros. We know they can do it. </p><p><br /></p><p>When I popped into the Entertainer they only had three of the 6 dolls in stock. Monique (2), Dia (2) and Rex (2) so I wonder if they're shipping in two case assortments. Are Karla, Reina/Glitch and Zooey in a different case? </p><p>I haven't had to think about case assortments in years. </p><p>At £30 these dolls are expensive, particularly in comparison to their similarly priced previous wave which had a whole second outfit. But they seem to be selling well regardless. </p><p>they are beautiful dolls, that's the thing. MGA are generally really good at capitalising on current trends and seem to actually pay attention to their target market rather than that market's parents (cough cough like mattel cough) which results in dolls that are generally a little more edgy, a little more current feeling and a little more mature. </p><p>Interestingly, my middle kiddo doesn't like the direction Shadow High is going in. He says he liked them when they were gray scale because it messed with his head seeing them, but the colourful ones he argues "aren't shadow coloured" which bugs him. </p><p>Me? I quite like having rainbow skinned dolls. I love colourful dolls and fantasy skin tones are my JAM. </p><p>But I would like to see MGA steer away from yet more purple. Wave 2 has THREE purple toned dolls in it, half the wave, which feels a bit lazy. Like guys... there are other colours! </p><p>I hope in later waves we get a few warmer tones as well. I'd love to see orange and red. I'd also like to see a more grassy green and a few different blues. Their only "blue" Shadow High dolls is ALSO FRICKEN PURPLE. </p><p>-_-</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0kuXk-NlBQlDGsOW5fPXjDOqWUeLNoIrAnXs7YOE-jor7gP5EKaj4M9z9Fu7w4XLaVB11TMIZ_rN9ewC4MRSSNlAn-7kzVxFqKRRHi0ZJX45vB-HwyW0Llbk2TC4xYn20wM61o0YIepM5-VWy955w9-MTmoNuS-bNkIqyj5OthWOS2yf01EqUIjbG3g/s2677/IMG_20230212_184907.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2191" data-original-width="2677" height="524" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0kuXk-NlBQlDGsOW5fPXjDOqWUeLNoIrAnXs7YOE-jor7gP5EKaj4M9z9Fu7w4XLaVB11TMIZ_rN9ewC4MRSSNlAn-7kzVxFqKRRHi0ZJX45vB-HwyW0Llbk2TC4xYn20wM61o0YIepM5-VWy955w9-MTmoNuS-bNkIqyj5OthWOS2yf01EqUIjbG3g/w640-h524/IMG_20230212_184907.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>See?</p><p>Someone tell MGA that purple is NOT blue. </p><p>(Also yeah, I know, I didn't review Neon Shadow. Sorry.) </p><p><br /></p><p>So, coming up in my schedule, if I have the energy, I have some collector line Monster High to debox, collector Bratz, plus random ebay purchases and so on. You know how it goes with me. </p><p>I'll try to schedule those as and when I have the spoons to do it. Taking the photos, editing them and then writing things out takes a lot out of me unfortunately, but I do love sharing my thoughts and observations. </p><p>I hope you enjoy reading them. </p><p>Take care all, and rest assured, i'm still alive. Just coming out of hibernation. <br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Purple_monkfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023284779817354246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3031605728160552641.post-78062977080393069492023-01-11T23:19:00.000+00:002023-01-11T23:19:02.752+00:00Disney ILY 4ever fashion dolls<p> Disney and Jaxx Pacific surprised everyone with a sudden doll release. Coming off the back of the 18 inch Disney "inspired" dolls from last year, a new line of 1/6 scale fashion dolls has been released. </p><p>In a show that put literally every other toy manufacturer to shame, Jaxx and Disney ALSO managed to release these dolls simultaniously in the USA, UK and several other countries. Something Mattel STILL hasn't gotten their heads around. </p><p>In the US these dolls are exclusive to Target in the US but available at Shop Disney everywhere it looks. </p><p>I don't have much more preamble to add here, so let's just dive into this.</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p>When I ordered mine Disneystore.uk had all but the Cinderella themed one listed in stock. Cinderella you could order, but her tag said "coming soon" rather than "new". Not sure if that was an error or not, but I elected not to risk it as I wanted to get my hands on the dolls sooner rather than later. </p><p>The price point of these is $30 usd and around £26 gbp. That puts them into a similar price bracket to the g3 Monster High and cheaper than pretty much ALL of MGA's offerings. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://mms.businesswire.com/media/20210813005331/en/899111/4/ily_Squad_HK%5B8%5D.jpg?download=1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="311" data-original-width="480" height="415" src="https://mms.businesswire.com/media/20210813005331/en/899111/4/ily_Squad_HK%5B8%5D.jpg?download=1" width="640" /></a></div><br /> The original ILY dolls were released in 2022 and are 18 inches, putting them in scale with American Girl, Generation Girl and Designafriend. Not a scale I generally collect but I admit, I thought they were pretty dang adorable. <p></p><p>They have inset eyes and what look to be unique sculpts for each "character". They were released with several fashion packs as well. </p><p>Jaxx Pacific did the same thing again with the 1/6 versions. Not only did they drop 6 dolls on us out of the blue, they also dropped 12 fashion packs (priced at £15 each) and 6 accessory/playset packs (also £15 each) which is rather a lot of confidence right there. </p><p>These dolls are inspired by the "Disney bound" trend, where people dress up in modern thematic outfits for their favourite character rather than a full costume. </p><p>I don't know much about Disney stuff because it's just not an area I have that much interest in, but I know there's a fair few Disney adults out there who live and breathe this stuff. </p><p>Me? I just like good quality dolls and outfits heh. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2bTWvPJk0tfQw6IevU2-jZdi7lF2MId6zLTuG2VoU1kzTwTfoaK7jB9a7QUQkLXhAVEaPk_Qzz367tUFBZV5tTFZ6RsHWoU3pIc1fBnWotQQuHuva-n57nAS1-Ne53dRqPefTTvivinIPXckXN9HAGh5oMgkmVBhwJ7eeUEnrCMCFxl9l_hGaoswihA/s2953/20230111_162857.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1582" data-original-width="2953" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2bTWvPJk0tfQw6IevU2-jZdi7lF2MId6zLTuG2VoU1kzTwTfoaK7jB9a7QUQkLXhAVEaPk_Qzz367tUFBZV5tTFZ6RsHWoU3pIc1fBnWotQQuHuva-n57nAS1-Ne53dRqPefTTvivinIPXckXN9HAGh5oMgkmVBhwJ7eeUEnrCMCFxl9l_hGaoswihA/w640-h342/20230111_162857.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>I ended up ordering the Snow White and Tiana girls as well as one of the fashion packs. </p><p>Snow White's box arrived damaged and Tiana's got a bit of a wardrobe malfunction going on but otherwise they look fine. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdBH1kiRebSMaJfzwWpqx1iP0cdUgul3o7eYLR5nnDWKjD5P1zGCotZahLqTTjUzJKAUqXxOhm7YnlAzA1zw6jIwZg2JeEA7CRUyC6UG629YfmY6Yw41U1EukKaqI97_2XPr2XdjeEIqjUAJUbHC1dvJaYHkNE93f_WHhUT6kTuoWarkR7-UOsO0rV5w/s3290/20230111_163057.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3290" data-original-width="2360" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdBH1kiRebSMaJfzwWpqx1iP0cdUgul3o7eYLR5nnDWKjD5P1zGCotZahLqTTjUzJKAUqXxOhm7YnlAzA1zw6jIwZg2JeEA7CRUyC6UG629YfmY6Yw41U1EukKaqI97_2XPr2XdjeEIqjUAJUbHC1dvJaYHkNE93f_WHhUT6kTuoWarkR7-UOsO0rV5w/w460-h640/20230111_163057.jpg" width="460" /></a></div><p></p><p>"Inspired by Tiana" (as her box actually reads) was the first I opened. She comes in a large white box with one curved corner and a large window showing off all the doll and accessories. it's quite a plain box actually, stark white with the very simple "ily" logo and an image of Tiana herself. I can't say i've ever seen a fashion doll with a little portrait of someone else, they're usually a little image of the doll. It makes sense here, but it's still a bit unusual. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYMyq54eRAJgc2SYBO0pAcNSYyGCdu4NHBC_kGZNP4j5D2xDM0-AK93vfU7jKOqSMTO3NVmhHFxIdV--aH33Pnrbv-zh3x5vP3NuHsczr_ZbtaZSYF5Gk1tG-jhxiuaB_RvMBGz0tRDNK85hRApOzuloVsU1QW4-V4tSSOeq1u_AxAjr0q_Jrg_1OZzQ/s3050/20230111_163105.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3050" data-original-width="2999" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYMyq54eRAJgc2SYBO0pAcNSYyGCdu4NHBC_kGZNP4j5D2xDM0-AK93vfU7jKOqSMTO3NVmhHFxIdV--aH33Pnrbv-zh3x5vP3NuHsczr_ZbtaZSYF5Gk1tG-jhxiuaB_RvMBGz0tRDNK85hRApOzuloVsU1QW4-V4tSSOeq1u_AxAjr0q_Jrg_1OZzQ/w630-h640/20230111_163105.jpg" width="630" /></a></div><p></p><p>Lol the wardrobe malfunction. </p><p>One of the less advertised aspects of these dolls is this "surprise" feature which comes inside the balloon. I think that's a nice idea. Kids love surprises but having it being a small little accessory means it's not disappointing and you can still see the doll and her stuff before purchase. It's just a little bonus extra. I vastly prefer this idea. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwl_dU8aXklnI3KZQMVU50MPjtr6SupH5hvrdpSxMdOex2duSuzK1jPzy5MecmNW5zujdQG8IZ470TjHFiSfZZVZpq4CuYBkUUimNwOx_Nr9gIs5I1nW1SScXStE9wwqEXhByr2Cv22jBQUz6qOc03X8PGu1LNB0oxSAZAeh7kgxEsW5Ytuy-PYVj4zQ/s3431/20230111_163114.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3431" data-original-width="1015" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwl_dU8aXklnI3KZQMVU50MPjtr6SupH5hvrdpSxMdOex2duSuzK1jPzy5MecmNW5zujdQG8IZ470TjHFiSfZZVZpq4CuYBkUUimNwOx_Nr9gIs5I1nW1SScXStE9wwqEXhByr2Cv22jBQUz6qOc03X8PGu1LNB0oxSAZAeh7kgxEsW5Ytuy-PYVj4zQ/w190-h640/20230111_163114.jpg" width="190" /></a></div><p></p><p>One side of the box feaures a photograph of the doll herself in front of a blurry out of focus disneyland castle. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkLzIe4V-IK2Jfk2-AdN8E9TK2KYrsXc5X-7_fvFaBu2VMSZ-wN2aG-QfwI4Qc-HVCTfHKfzDo4L96QQ81_a507CLIKL5SRIQ4onHWHSdkIjXkwXFHDd9qcBy0BkSd3ZhoyIjsSZK9tHx31kwhprSwg67Jmo46eoGhlD5RIwmDUatFnmKEQ2ikn5uqjg/s3955/20230111_163120.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3955" data-original-width="906" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkLzIe4V-IK2Jfk2-AdN8E9TK2KYrsXc5X-7_fvFaBu2VMSZ-wN2aG-QfwI4Qc-HVCTfHKfzDo4L96QQ81_a507CLIKL5SRIQ4onHWHSdkIjXkwXFHDd9qcBy0BkSd3ZhoyIjsSZK9tHx31kwhprSwg67Jmo46eoGhlD5RIwmDUatFnmKEQ2ikn5uqjg/w146-h640/20230111_163120.jpg" width="146" /></a></div><p></p><p>The other side is that same image of Tiana from the front with some heart graphics. Again, this is a very simple box but it works. The white makes it eye catching but also feels a bit special I think because we now associate stark white with things like Apple products so in our minds there's this subconcious bias that white = deluxe or something. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVgN8JzRT9rX3EoCT2wqZmC4SkP23RkVqZl4ZYRECCjL18G6W2v5MCPjFTKN-OM__fWwZ_Bysm0PF5ksY5CzTvUeYkj5YLsE4JqZxBnfGHe1n41E7R2B0_pz3ACeCOL97e06XN1bG64K_FujyJs_LZDdGPXh-Q9vAdstyew_rBFs_iSubJT28UWe6j4w/s3298/20230111_163046.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3298" data-original-width="2340" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVgN8JzRT9rX3EoCT2wqZmC4SkP23RkVqZl4ZYRECCjL18G6W2v5MCPjFTKN-OM__fWwZ_Bysm0PF5ksY5CzTvUeYkj5YLsE4JqZxBnfGHe1n41E7R2B0_pz3ACeCOL97e06XN1bG64K_FujyJs_LZDdGPXh-Q9vAdstyew_rBFs_iSubJT28UWe6j4w/w454-h640/20230111_163046.jpg" width="454" /></a></div><p>The back of the box is more typical for a doll box. There are assorted food graphics (mmm churos) and a full photo of all 6 dolls. </p><p>I find it really interesting that Jaxx elected to only make one white doll for this line. I just kinda wish she wasn't a blue eyed blonde, we have so many of those already on the market you know? </p><p>They've also been careful not to associate any of the princesses of colour with a corresponding doll which I think was smart. Tiana's doll is the Asian one for example, while the Black girl is themed after Belle. The White girl is Jasmine while the Desi looking girl is Ariel. I appreciate this because it avoids stereotypes but also tells kids "hey, your favourite princess doesn't have to LOOK like you." which I think is a really good message. You don't have to look like someone else to identify with them. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Hjx55R-N0kIWjLgZxjtJwUogehHXnhLStFWCzyB8lJhb6HH2K_wu6JXCxB6fRGP19iUNllYBSAxz3v1Drji-dnUXYxKQEjjsK0H4ptMDJEI8g28aWlcoekRw9zHpZmk_WbyxpWCrIWMJm83Mc9AK7soCX6nfiYbraq3wiOdxGLZS7ZQv3wiCmpZLCQ/s3007/20230111_163233.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3007" data-original-width="2263" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Hjx55R-N0kIWjLgZxjtJwUogehHXnhLStFWCzyB8lJhb6HH2K_wu6JXCxB6fRGP19iUNllYBSAxz3v1Drji-dnUXYxKQEjjsK0H4ptMDJEI8g28aWlcoekRw9zHpZmk_WbyxpWCrIWMJm83Mc9AK7soCX6nfiYbraq3wiOdxGLZS7ZQv3wiCmpZLCQ/w482-h640/20230111_163233.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><p></p><p>The box is surprisingly easy to open. It has a little card tab at the top and then two small tape circles holding the edge of the curved side closed. Once you peel those off the whole backing card slides out no trouble. </p><p>The backdrop is the same for all the dolls I think, it's a sort of gradiated pink, purple and blue bisexual flag fog.</p><p> <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIGFshOGYhHTHLqR3r-NyHzUS2NGwmqiBUmcP2c0xaIAwdLZ-hHzwb-tCxWTewgWXjOsQ6sbbUEO5wKj1FcryMVwTWJr_o8EvanHP-f8gFrFyNt4iS7f-_P_7nIjUk4jyiaAcZmMSET0Mxh_en8ry-5wAfksLXQcGnPfXR5p_tOZM9VhcZqj-rwUIh3Q/s3633/20230111_163256.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3633" data-original-width="2037" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIGFshOGYhHTHLqR3r-NyHzUS2NGwmqiBUmcP2c0xaIAwdLZ-hHzwb-tCxWTewgWXjOsQ6sbbUEO5wKj1FcryMVwTWJr_o8EvanHP-f8gFrFyNt4iS7f-_P_7nIjUk4jyiaAcZmMSET0Mxh_en8ry-5wAfksLXQcGnPfXR5p_tOZM9VhcZqj-rwUIh3Q/w358-h640/20230111_163256.jpg" width="358" /></a></div><p></p><p>Along with the doll you also get a jacket, a bag, a water bottle and the balloon. All of these are either tacked in place or elastic banded. The balloon is held in place with a plastic clamshell cover, to open this you have to peel the tape on the back of the backing card and slip one of the plastic tabs back through. I cut myself on Snow White's so yeah... *sigh* <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiznobOWI5I0OLi7TMeq3M5D5MhgmmKxvnuAZtsnAQExnnOdRK-FN0A7KlaTF1qADcUaG35ewxW0sfVllI74oaD5ueS__7MdNtT_IK8FAdbzAcQ1fZI2BHWBwm1ZUCtNGore4PGyUxALUoUugGEdQsrc_PdfF9HLxN-8lNKoswdoJyxoC6dNR0LeVcutw/s2390/20230111_163351.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2390" data-original-width="1982" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiznobOWI5I0OLi7TMeq3M5D5MhgmmKxvnuAZtsnAQExnnOdRK-FN0A7KlaTF1qADcUaG35ewxW0sfVllI74oaD5ueS__7MdNtT_IK8FAdbzAcQ1fZI2BHWBwm1ZUCtNGore4PGyUxALUoUugGEdQsrc_PdfF9HLxN-8lNKoswdoJyxoC6dNR0LeVcutw/w530-h640/20230111_163351.jpg" width="530" /></a></div><br /><p>For some reason Tiana has one foot that was held in place with a normal plastic tie and the other is held to the bottom of the box with plastic coated wire. </p><p>Wierd. </p><p>Snow White, for the record, had both feet held in with the wire. </p><p>There's a fairly typical number of plastic ties to snip. A couple per leg, one for the arm, one around the waist and a couple of plastic staples in the head. </p><p>Tiana's pigtails were also tabbed in place with plastic staples but once I removed the two in her head they slid out of the box without having to touch any of the others so that was nice. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDD-idu4KYvG5fSi6rH86jEFYUsS0cmf7fk2Ao31E5eAH_QtvhDhyI34QjhzlJTg35eehtn1iBkNt7Sr8jN2Y8E8Pe6ME2sSpjA8o_0j-ksB3_rBL9wvsKmCdtMvewTP7_nbJUZokqmAXF_1ThebQ5lT6ByesD2_2wHnMVzAzJhpHVd3MijW_Xm-NfQg/s2948/20230111_163615.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2948" data-original-width="1218" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDD-idu4KYvG5fSi6rH86jEFYUsS0cmf7fk2Ao31E5eAH_QtvhDhyI34QjhzlJTg35eehtn1iBkNt7Sr8jN2Y8E8Pe6ME2sSpjA8o_0j-ksB3_rBL9wvsKmCdtMvewTP7_nbJUZokqmAXF_1ThebQ5lT6ByesD2_2wHnMVzAzJhpHVd3MijW_Xm-NfQg/w264-h640/20230111_163615.jpg" width="264" /></a></div><p>The energy saving bulbs that light my living room cast a far more yellow tone on everything, which makes the doll look a lot more sallow than she actually is. She's very very pale with the slightest yellow undertone but she's nowhere near the lemon tone my lights suggest. </p><p>She has weak ankles, particularly the foot that was packaged bent in the box. This makes getting her to stand a bit of a pain because you have to carefully position her floppy ankles flat every single time. Once you do it right she will stand unaided, but every time you move her the ankles will flop and misalign again. </p><p>gah. </p><p>Her knees on the other hand are really sturdy. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTSPXXt4ELgQVf0Ce5RCVOhqm6luGn6dbxGeFs0oWoDaUZiJhYhbn3BXD8L1x9hGc9vf4m3bKNBOFcRffVBkD5HmfweAM6moGPpLvUfXPtrYB5y-fu4RtzDpcZBq7KH7O0YESPmqalSx4ql5vs7qA8IuMALJZLeBxWRRCwA9dypoR6bZOJsB1C1piowQ/s3154/20230111_163251.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3154" data-original-width="2139" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTSPXXt4ELgQVf0Ce5RCVOhqm6luGn6dbxGeFs0oWoDaUZiJhYhbn3BXD8L1x9hGc9vf4m3bKNBOFcRffVBkD5HmfweAM6moGPpLvUfXPtrYB5y-fu4RtzDpcZBq7KH7O0YESPmqalSx4ql5vs7qA8IuMALJZLeBxWRRCwA9dypoR6bZOJsB1C1piowQ/w434-h640/20230111_163251.jpg" width="434" /></a></div><p></p><p>With her shirt fixed you can get a better look at the doll. </p><p>She has very soft makeup with a neutral but slightly metallic lipstick and the tiniest shimmer above each eye. Her eyes are inset acrylics and dark brown with a little white "light" dot in each. They're positioned asymetrically so that she doesn't look cross eyed or too intensely starey, they've actually done a pretty good job there. <br /></p><p>My girl has a slight flaw to her makeup on one eye, the black is a little chipped but it's only really visible in photos (wierd). She also has a crack in that same eye, but you have to really get close and study her eyes to notice it. </p><p>Her skin tone, as I mentioned, isn't this yellow. She's very very pale, but the light in my living room likes to pick up the yellow tones and emphasise them. *BAH*</p><p>Her hair is black and quite silky soft. I think it's nylon but i'm not sure. It's styled into pigtails with two short strands at the front which are CAKED in gel. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKLsP4AKt_k9mYhJ8QZW73pTWlROVl2ji4mScaTOocDzIlgekDZv63o0vWVATj16953rYY6Br_rm_OEgVFTuTSTLV5Njt-3mG8UMQLRIEjIqXrRpu19lbIBbtPw7_mzG7osLBqZqa6BhieGSKIZ8G_D4dOGgh9brwk5vPqAYKOTTiq91DKWzUUdgMB2w/s2445/20230111_163624.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2445" data-original-width="1971" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKLsP4AKt_k9mYhJ8QZW73pTWlROVl2ji4mScaTOocDzIlgekDZv63o0vWVATj16953rYY6Br_rm_OEgVFTuTSTLV5Njt-3mG8UMQLRIEjIqXrRpu19lbIBbtPw7_mzG7osLBqZqa6BhieGSKIZ8G_D4dOGgh9brwk5vPqAYKOTTiq91DKWzUUdgMB2w/w516-h640/20230111_163624.jpg" width="516" /></a></div><p></p><p>Her sparkly headband is literally sewn to her head in three places. Removing it takes a lot of effort. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Y1HFaNwE1kPpDwZIErAizx-aGSwgj9Osq0OcjmcHZQUNtA0rN3uEqS76NH-jqT8XIC9Vn_OY1AEC1GPAFSp5_vHjc-PPdBBQ8HXbpEJ3HLLy9TT1QoOtBXTZf1nXwa7O4JDqb4znDTC4b2abSGLx4rDZKMSGs07fiKdd6HMmCfh4Py4QAr9VdgUp7w/s2321/20230111_163824.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2321" data-original-width="2103" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Y1HFaNwE1kPpDwZIErAizx-aGSwgj9Osq0OcjmcHZQUNtA0rN3uEqS76NH-jqT8XIC9Vn_OY1AEC1GPAFSp5_vHjc-PPdBBQ8HXbpEJ3HLLy9TT1QoOtBXTZf1nXwa7O4JDqb4znDTC4b2abSGLx4rDZKMSGs07fiKdd6HMmCfh4Py4QAr9VdgUp7w/w580-h640/20230111_163824.jpg" width="580" /></a></div><p></p><p>My first impressions getting Tiana out of the box was "damn this is a hefty doll". She's quite solid and has more realistically proportioned limbs than a lot of dolls out there. </p><p>Alongside Barbie she's actually a very similar height, but the ILY girl is broader in just about every dimension. Her proportions, least her limbs, remind me more of the Rainbow High limbs, but ILY is a lot taller. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPycY7qdsHss7Khnmzd_mt3dpoEROTi_m_yQgz3h0fOyBIqyb92dPOIWxhFEBiTKBPTbRLVnh5wS2j-YfoNamxpqnNMkpNWormjSmCezvQoWHJpB69zOlPyZ9YpkqM3PVf9jfpEcmVqJrKDTqnJdAwIVpZPOJ2TOHe937m6u0mLJn80IQuiBzA7IVY8Q/s2570/20230111_164200.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2570" data-original-width="2142" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPycY7qdsHss7Khnmzd_mt3dpoEROTi_m_yQgz3h0fOyBIqyb92dPOIWxhFEBiTKBPTbRLVnh5wS2j-YfoNamxpqnNMkpNWormjSmCezvQoWHJpB69zOlPyZ9YpkqM3PVf9jfpEcmVqJrKDTqnJdAwIVpZPOJ2TOHe937m6u0mLJn80IQuiBzA7IVY8Q/w534-h640/20230111_164200.jpg" width="534" /></a></div><p></p><p>Stripping the dolls off demonstrates this a lot better. Barbie on the left is a little taller but a lot of that is due to her being on perpetual tip toes rather than flat feet. The shoulder width is similar, but the ILY doll has chunkier limbs and a more realistic torso. </p><p>The Disney store body on the right demonstrates this even more. While they're a similar height at the shoulders, the Disney store body has a very snatched in waist and spindly limbs. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3WQB2hTQ-rSiy9FAp8xBtXRkAiabjXzdiU1Wkruk1BtCn4NX8eRLgxxjAdRpDd03GCa4SnOwa9aleHm-jFxf0ZWh-USTCD7klNgLMjccWAEZSL5_hJGLVyDcgwM2HefhqKeoX55QBzBz8xzwMEQnXKU6KmutOWMcT1tHabcBdU3s3cJSEfbLFlXjWpw/s3175/20230111_164345.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3175" data-original-width="1919" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3WQB2hTQ-rSiy9FAp8xBtXRkAiabjXzdiU1Wkruk1BtCn4NX8eRLgxxjAdRpDd03GCa4SnOwa9aleHm-jFxf0ZWh-USTCD7klNgLMjccWAEZSL5_hJGLVyDcgwM2HefhqKeoX55QBzBz8xzwMEQnXKU6KmutOWMcT1tHabcBdU3s3cJSEfbLFlXjWpw/w386-h640/20230111_164345.jpg" width="386" /></a></div><br /><p>The ILY body looks more in keeping with the Rainbow High doll but even then, the Rainbow High girl has a very pear shaped body while ILY has a more athletic body type with fairly narrow hips. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMANrdb6li4-acHgou4EB8mU4DMQfqOURq3At18Wdgop6Q3Ubu5ALKQulirDLCMl8SNjySD9FiCaSNdg4InebiL78_6t0i_PRHMim-qrBuMScxbbBcUEgno1Q6XwFrxPjl3KHvjrFlFEGHjTO9eKD3dCWayjBAclgk38rwB0AF5iSKCsGA82vcQiroHg/s3875/20230111_222715.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3875" data-original-width="2432" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMANrdb6li4-acHgou4EB8mU4DMQfqOURq3At18Wdgop6Q3Ubu5ALKQulirDLCMl8SNjySD9FiCaSNdg4InebiL78_6t0i_PRHMim-qrBuMScxbbBcUEgno1Q6XwFrxPjl3KHvjrFlFEGHjTO9eKD3dCWayjBAclgk38rwB0AF5iSKCsGA82vcQiroHg/w402-h640/20230111_222715.jpg" width="402" /></a></div><br /> And for completeness sake because I know someone will bring it up, here's the ILY body alongside the jointed Disney store princess body. <br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVGCZkrVF60Xz4JY9XQgxohsXvi1a4ZCFOdedXGCoiSvDMegkiyhj74n54SRm76x8nL4jccjhcF15zKov1922LL8SEfOJeaFzNGQMcOxMiJdD2N-bZQoxokSRNRDZZKOEyCxB2lbYgpXbTPBR0JLquziUOc8YP406xBbHLd3YbQGgtJ0pfs2QFZ8JuOQ/s2723/20230111_164423.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2723" data-original-width="2330" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVGCZkrVF60Xz4JY9XQgxohsXvi1a4ZCFOdedXGCoiSvDMegkiyhj74n54SRm76x8nL4jccjhcF15zKov1922LL8SEfOJeaFzNGQMcOxMiJdD2N-bZQoxokSRNRDZZKOEyCxB2lbYgpXbTPBR0JLquziUOc8YP406xBbHLd3YbQGgtJ0pfs2QFZ8JuOQ/w548-h640/20230111_164423.jpg" width="548" /></a></div><p></p><p>The ILY arm articulation is pretty rubbish. They can only JUST manage 90 degrees. She cannot touch her own face and she sure as heck can't bring her drink bottle to her lips. Sorry girl, you're gonna be perpetually thirsty. </p><p>For the record, I don't think her hands come off either. I gave them a tug but they wouldn't budge so i'm assuming they're not supposed to be removed. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjqSLxe_bHqhUW8rcThKntqE_zu1rHpM7XVXYpmhx0B1QycbtJWeHT15ES2eSk1Ss8Ctde8RjXLjCWd3BckOP7T-su-DYcV4yasXYuzf3a24ApnHBsyHysOMu-b6DkeoUTEsbFTOxlBrlfKavnxgmNyE9i7fLpfDdUxMYI72U_djiZE_ZFEJkpzAVUqg/s3132/20230111_164515.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3132" data-original-width="2455" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjqSLxe_bHqhUW8rcThKntqE_zu1rHpM7XVXYpmhx0B1QycbtJWeHT15ES2eSk1Ss8Ctde8RjXLjCWd3BckOP7T-su-DYcV4yasXYuzf3a24ApnHBsyHysOMu-b6DkeoUTEsbFTOxlBrlfKavnxgmNyE9i7fLpfDdUxMYI72U_djiZE_ZFEJkpzAVUqg/w502-h640/20230111_164515.jpg" width="502" /></a></div><p></p><p>Her knees on the other hand actually have a proper peanut joint which allows them to bend completely. Unfortunately her hip joint wasn't designed to actually accomidate this. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyPfRpqZ-qEdFfBPF5PaCWialVCpZ2-63b3OlUKvACPPszSpjetUWw6zwvxwpwN8bsWLhQ_bVL-oml_ew0nRDA4StkdvazTJUOw4AWDgo2WSQud5W4SyPajJ_5MwPZBUacYfy4fZU6a5_InQqWcI-mfM-0JGaaN_QQUjSuTy-UJDdu0phDMl_9P3bHTg/s3594/20230111_164714.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3594" data-original-width="2566" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyPfRpqZ-qEdFfBPF5PaCWialVCpZ2-63b3OlUKvACPPszSpjetUWw6zwvxwpwN8bsWLhQ_bVL-oml_ew0nRDA4StkdvazTJUOw4AWDgo2WSQud5W4SyPajJ_5MwPZBUacYfy4fZU6a5_InQqWcI-mfM-0JGaaN_QQUjSuTy-UJDdu0phDMl_9P3bHTg/w456-h640/20230111_164714.jpg" width="456" /></a></div><p></p><p>As you can see, the poor girl cannot sit. The poorly designed hip joints mean that she can't actually bend her leg enough to sit down and in trying to make her sit I learned that her legs are held on with little ball sockets and the legs can and will pop off if you push them too hard. </p><p>Whoops. </p><p>at least they pop straight pack on. But damn. </p><p>What she actually needs is some more material removed from the hip/groin region. That would then allow the upper leg to move enough to allow her to sit down rather than sliding off any chair like a drunk. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPAITLI4D7hlxAKaDP5oehleydDxZ7an9E-TeU0ApbW269LD8K1gdVMbMOfNk6dd0sopt2tfkR_-8d90g7Cq1PpOguHv8g0PYbppCt5r-SeN6Wi7FGP1wN-P3jfXVbZN-WVz9eoYYwA6pPl0zS5W0atmnIKJRTeKurfgFftelvZNBMd5J4PqRxlLdHaA/s3266/20230111_164755.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3266" data-original-width="2558" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPAITLI4D7hlxAKaDP5oehleydDxZ7an9E-TeU0ApbW269LD8K1gdVMbMOfNk6dd0sopt2tfkR_-8d90g7Cq1PpOguHv8g0PYbppCt5r-SeN6Wi7FGP1wN-P3jfXVbZN-WVz9eoYYwA6pPl0zS5W0atmnIKJRTeKurfgFftelvZNBMd5J4PqRxlLdHaA/w502-h640/20230111_164755.jpg" width="502" /></a></div><p></p><p>This is as far as her legs will splay, pushing them any further results in the leg popping off. </p><p>Now, this might actually be able to be used to your advantage if you want to modify her hips. If you can pop both legs off without damaging anything, which it looks like you can, it allows you better access to the pelvis for those mods. Then you can just pop the legs back on when you're done. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQzBGx9Gs243eJQXntMiPg2JecHUHxZJEi0w2a4LFuThb4M7iU7xa47vqCysGpZs505Q-VQGqen0eoAWplg8a7bD0Yq3MpFRg-5RVHbcWnY7jUn6HMc_7Oz4pTbycQUDMXzcCkMX6uoHrLT6sc68LIS9fYeCVsVMiq-Iu8npGvcmMUwzRhhzF874PM4Q/s3226/20230111_164906.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3226" data-original-width="2014" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQzBGx9Gs243eJQXntMiPg2JecHUHxZJEi0w2a4LFuThb4M7iU7xa47vqCysGpZs505Q-VQGqen0eoAWplg8a7bD0Yq3MpFRg-5RVHbcWnY7jUn6HMc_7Oz4pTbycQUDMXzcCkMX6uoHrLT6sc68LIS9fYeCVsVMiq-Iu8npGvcmMUwzRhhzF874PM4Q/w400-h640/20230111_164906.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p>She can look up, but wierdly enough not down. Her head will look down, but it immediately springs back to straight when you let go. There's something inside there that's forcing it up. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUYtRq_RjUlbJiZigokrtOg8aQBiYC5KQCubZgYQ6WlbSysgiZM7FCiTPk7CT6rpZ1FtParY0xpp-y0W2-Pue3CQmf02qHrQUXP3AwuBjsGKLDfKG5wvyRisArA1ZUZpca0MBX79E8YlmJrySGVmhuGG1DJsmTogLPKA0GpuLwDM9QRUtc4jjQI_lOeA/s4000/20230111_164923.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUYtRq_RjUlbJiZigokrtOg8aQBiYC5KQCubZgYQ6WlbSysgiZM7FCiTPk7CT6rpZ1FtParY0xpp-y0W2-Pue3CQmf02qHrQUXP3AwuBjsGKLDfKG5wvyRisArA1ZUZpca0MBX79E8YlmJrySGVmhuGG1DJsmTogLPKA0GpuLwDM9QRUtc4jjQI_lOeA/w480-h640/20230111_164923.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>She can also tilt her head very slightly to the side. This allows for a little more personality in her poses which I like. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYu64eHHJTGR0AZTL2nndJLadZUiRuZC2jjvXODsKCa76e788oX024YnzarhYIuO1nxXHtJiyMui7-tEJpa68_8QDhSsso9sEnqQBRoi0spUQ8pCtl3RIk7vCn7OdylN-Yx2HX1i0ZIH_PyYWBBDXrjFissLXFFVl0GxHBLmucf7qyxtboXHVIe4rRPA/s2605/20230111_164854.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2605" data-original-width="1910" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYu64eHHJTGR0AZTL2nndJLadZUiRuZC2jjvXODsKCa76e788oX024YnzarhYIuO1nxXHtJiyMui7-tEJpa68_8QDhSsso9sEnqQBRoi0spUQ8pCtl3RIk7vCn7OdylN-Yx2HX1i0ZIH_PyYWBBDXrjFissLXFFVl0GxHBLmucf7qyxtboXHVIe4rRPA/w470-h640/20230111_164854.jpg" width="470" /></a></div><br /><p>She has earring holes but doesnt come with earrings. </p><p>I'm not keen on dolls coming with earring holes when they don't have earrings because it makes me think there's parts missing. <br /></p><p>In this case though, at least 3 of the fashion packs look to come with earrings so that's likely WHY they gave all the dolls earring holes. </p><p>still, would it have killed the budget to just give them all boring little studs? Just so they didn't look incomplete? </p><p>I dunno. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJngnWdKLooOdCx3sjFVGGGrnmZe1OA5GyIYvy0FoAiOblJI5DCzSa2sgOeFX81H2-cCyfoNr-J9AjgcY5OGcQMOQ4lI1ILNygJyQcK7nhL4Pxo6-qF4kV9nTGk_cFq9O7KF3u9O_xCwmTSD0knZl-HmBCoIdBUsvAtkXnNSm_O89ptW3LjHvFH0cvAw/s3000/20230111_165000.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2624" data-original-width="3000" height="560" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJngnWdKLooOdCx3sjFVGGGrnmZe1OA5GyIYvy0FoAiOblJI5DCzSa2sgOeFX81H2-cCyfoNr-J9AjgcY5OGcQMOQ4lI1ILNygJyQcK7nhL4Pxo6-qF4kV9nTGk_cFq9O7KF3u9O_xCwmTSD0knZl-HmBCoIdBUsvAtkXnNSm_O89ptW3LjHvFH0cvAw/w640-h560/20230111_165000.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>The outfit consists of a little purple tee with "new orleans" written on it and a skirt with suspenders with flowers on. The fabric feels like some sort of textured polyester. Both pieces are well sewn and fully hemmed, the skirt even has teensy little metal "studs" on the suspender straps. Cute. </p><p>Her shoes are little lilac sneakers. They're very simple but perfectly painted and fit great. They really help the doll stand too. Bare foot her weak ankles are substantially more of a problem. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqefYcTC5fb3IxfYfD9hQf1EbDej5EUPm_HL3Nq3FEnv4RMX5ue00nOainilLv-MMLFnYp3SxLatLB1CaHd5sedZ3e9NZ55k-ZSNvDQnukWmXDyEi8PsU83KVg9TZF_BZq8CnEXkGyvYg5sx6vbApt_H7lDixh2OuJZSXA4he_5Rm4pMf_d6lLdvDB6A/s1559/20230111_170525.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1559" data-original-width="1155" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqefYcTC5fb3IxfYfD9hQf1EbDej5EUPm_HL3Nq3FEnv4RMX5ue00nOainilLv-MMLFnYp3SxLatLB1CaHd5sedZ3e9NZ55k-ZSNvDQnukWmXDyEi8PsU83KVg9TZF_BZq8CnEXkGyvYg5sx6vbApt_H7lDixh2OuJZSXA4he_5Rm4pMf_d6lLdvDB6A/w474-h640/20230111_170525.jpg" width="474" /></a></div><p></p><p>She also has a little bracelet with a.. .I think it's a crown charm. It's tiny and slightly metallic with purple, green and white molded beads. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_1rF8BGuFRGDUkrFDFZZMZdreYEeQR7Ov-riYnqgA-V62gzHDyqVARGEbHdi3DXapIPANyUwEMtrj6rIG-6m53zxwHnO2kJNiMQln3het3iByB10thHbGX2ivfOlVMe8gE-3xqeY25W-4XP97Ra9y0bfd1RN7xcdV6RclYU9pomu45RNKxK-WLl-Dbw/s2320/20230111_170900.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1699" data-original-width="2320" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_1rF8BGuFRGDUkrFDFZZMZdreYEeQR7Ov-riYnqgA-V62gzHDyqVARGEbHdi3DXapIPANyUwEMtrj6rIG-6m53zxwHnO2kJNiMQln3het3iByB10thHbGX2ivfOlVMe8gE-3xqeY25W-4XP97Ra9y0bfd1RN7xcdV6RclYU9pomu45RNKxK-WLl-Dbw/w640-h468/20230111_170900.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>The headband is the Micky Mouse ears, but with a Princess and the Frog twist. They're blue and glittery with a floral (lotus?) petal motif in between the ears.The glitter has a texture but it's also very very solidly on there. No glitter shedding here, which is a relief. </p><p>The headband itself was sewn to the doll's head in three places. At the top and on each side. There are actually little notches in the sides for the thread to sit in so it doesn't slip. Clever. As it stands, it actually stays on without the thread purely because of the doll's hairstyle. The edges slide into the sides of each pigtail which helps keep it in place. It's not overly secure like that, but it certainly means it won't fall off if I pick her up. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwRM2jTf9cnKIFkhX1GNmauq7u4m1SZC27dpCD-MtmkDK5HHW6shNaebv12oEYnVeOl_OfwxeUabacQu1969HohOvszJwHOkAd9bn4aNV0RRdGOKHD3YeOAdGg_R8jcFzkDcI4vucrvz5MRcrGeU-4VyS9w45_X7glWLjAp4c2dHD_um5OxuvVuON39Q/s2585/20230111_170905.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1789" data-original-width="2585" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwRM2jTf9cnKIFkhX1GNmauq7u4m1SZC27dpCD-MtmkDK5HHW6shNaebv12oEYnVeOl_OfwxeUabacQu1969HohOvszJwHOkAd9bn4aNV0RRdGOKHD3YeOAdGg_R8jcFzkDcI4vucrvz5MRcrGeU-4VyS9w45_X7glWLjAp4c2dHD_um5OxuvVuON39Q/w640-h442/20230111_170905.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>The back of the ears are also glittery and the blossom motif is molded on this side too. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHNm8VCJKcgj7ysARlAIMe0qonj6_rs-8sB_YtvbZ1G9kzWKIbIwLZDmld1LreKqF3oz7XCvH5TXBhFvNV7axlVM83DAibF6Wo8aVYqHVRxphOdcCpJkwiQ2LBY9h7S-gYa3RmhcA-fVsXFwmyp4RDAqeyN3mR34wih5b9tHPaJi9b7eojJJDHkr36vQ/s3584/20230111_171841.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2329" data-original-width="3584" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHNm8VCJKcgj7ysARlAIMe0qonj6_rs-8sB_YtvbZ1G9kzWKIbIwLZDmld1LreKqF3oz7XCvH5TXBhFvNV7axlVM83DAibF6Wo8aVYqHVRxphOdcCpJkwiQ2LBY9h7S-gYa3RmhcA-fVsXFwmyp4RDAqeyN3mR34wih5b9tHPaJi9b7eojJJDHkr36vQ/w640-h416/20230111_171841.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>Tiana's other accessories include a fluffy "sheepskin" style jacket, a waterbottle and a backpack. </p><p>The jacket is, like the other pieces, really nicely sewn. It has two little green studs/gems on the faux pockets. It isn't designed to fasten. </p><p>The bag is plastic with fabric straps, which is unusual. The bag itself is a cream colour with beige splotches that are maybe frog pattern? A couple of the splotches look like leaves or clusters of grass. </p><p>There's a silver lotus blossom badge on the front and a faux front pocket with painted zipper. </p><p>the straps are some sort of faux suede type stuff, it's quite stiff. </p><p>The bag does have a little slit opening but it's so small you can't fit anything in there. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHkUaskUaV-cWZUly0n1j3iZKm-zHL-L0pNiVnc-Y3TBfQUm5_WcVvJ5mmkx4yAFaBKZiBnwYVB_YbWX3VJYQvwllD2b-QIr5sYsppI32iduSOGWxjIN_EsIkKj2V4hIPODQUxKT7HduzaTKQC8GhUohpaH316chWvSv5dppQRbel_bBEU3T9HgOOFYg/s2840/20230111_171850.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2840" data-original-width="1813" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHkUaskUaV-cWZUly0n1j3iZKm-zHL-L0pNiVnc-Y3TBfQUm5_WcVvJ5mmkx4yAFaBKZiBnwYVB_YbWX3VJYQvwllD2b-QIr5sYsppI32iduSOGWxjIN_EsIkKj2V4hIPODQUxKT7HduzaTKQC8GhUohpaH316chWvSv5dppQRbel_bBEU3T9HgOOFYg/w408-h640/20230111_171850.jpg" width="408" /></a></div><p></p><p>The waterbottle is slightly metallic too and has a puckering frog painted on it. Lol. </p><p>The lid I don't think is designed to come off. On mine I could start to pull it off but it felt like it was glued on one side so I stopped pulling. the little strap on the lid is also molded in place, it doesn't move. </p><p>it's a pretty realistic looking little thermos though. Up close the paint work is quite grainy but from a distance it looks okay. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5k6IKpLKcXcL4UbP2-AC1YhSezPAxWseSjeuq7QjBDzVExbQvLbcOyL77x8QP4Im1GqndMGRQ_VSbRq4yKX7b0tp-11If4OIOxFfsmJPuG0BRp5gqEU9QYtNhk8gobWDMXX3Mj9dGZ0uIebDzVE_vEId6Q0kr0KnU4iRR7UAZcrYWaYS2xJkMESHGxA/s3471/20230111_172115.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3471" data-original-width="1850" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5k6IKpLKcXcL4UbP2-AC1YhSezPAxWseSjeuq7QjBDzVExbQvLbcOyL77x8QP4Im1GqndMGRQ_VSbRq4yKX7b0tp-11If4OIOxFfsmJPuG0BRp5gqEU9QYtNhk8gobWDMXX3Mj9dGZ0uIebDzVE_vEId6Q0kr0KnU4iRR7UAZcrYWaYS2xJkMESHGxA/w342-h640/20230111_172115.jpg" width="342" /></a></div><p></p><p>With her full outfit on Tiana can still wear her backpack which is nice to know. Sadly she can't put her bottle into the bag, she has to just carry that. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTERK0f-myutmej6yq1RnghXN7yFfwryYz65uHoDHgaE1vAtlfCnikIN3SU5kuJF4V42jO5mMbob9XRaQt1zC7SW_RkcU-U1nyDcULME9fnDk7YgH0E4yDnRVAuf03hRsWG0XqUFhFwQYdY7jaKB9NcTYjJyNCxqv_FNCHwTtiQqX4-BdTyJDN5muR-w/s2756/20230111_172215.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2756" data-original-width="1429" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTERK0f-myutmej6yq1RnghXN7yFfwryYz65uHoDHgaE1vAtlfCnikIN3SU5kuJF4V42jO5mMbob9XRaQt1zC7SW_RkcU-U1nyDcULME9fnDk7YgH0E4yDnRVAuf03hRsWG0XqUFhFwQYdY7jaKB9NcTYjJyNCxqv_FNCHwTtiQqX4-BdTyJDN5muR-w/w332-h640/20230111_172215.jpg" width="332" /></a></div><p></p><p>So now we get to the "surprise balloon". </p><p>I hasten to point out that in all the promo images for these dolls this balloon is prominantly featured. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaV57PxFJIa0-2620XFzBNlgi6tI9voAcvfFPFDcOozd-OkuuQV7T5wxwc6beJxh8BUuTa1um0FI-j5HKAliSM1Qws0Fk-Q8-Lu2C6BVZp_5AKJc7EDzg2-gT_D1jTzDIdv9eqkCVPnOtFN8NvZ42F-03BFs2TLaiRJeqlmSJSVQMxCjlkLFyo_05ViA/s791/Screenshot%202023-01-11%20at%2019-54-02%20Disney%20Store%20Disney%20ily%204EVER%20Doll%20Inspired%20by%20Tiana%20The%20Princess%20and%20the%20Frog%20shopDisney.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="791" data-original-width="684" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaV57PxFJIa0-2620XFzBNlgi6tI9voAcvfFPFDcOozd-OkuuQV7T5wxwc6beJxh8BUuTa1um0FI-j5HKAliSM1Qws0Fk-Q8-Lu2C6BVZp_5AKJc7EDzg2-gT_D1jTzDIdv9eqkCVPnOtFN8NvZ42F-03BFs2TLaiRJeqlmSJSVQMxCjlkLFyo_05ViA/s320/Screenshot%202023-01-11%20at%2019-54-02%20Disney%20Store%20Disney%20ily%204EVER%20Doll%20Inspired%20by%20Tiana%20The%20Princess%20and%20the%20Frog%20shopDisney.png" width="277" /></a></div><p></p><p>Here for example. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifzO5ldcZ_cXF3Pbe5lIoEVoonrl3sSMnReTbhxzlwleCvp-VrznCNo7b6OEiofVndgQszmG6Um2QUnPWlnYWWXMzvVv3uR6pPoU_hJ-7S__dTQB7myML4h-SJPmct-aU5mNgE6tGVj3ubVQZJoA4Yz-eEpqb5LFSc_-cLTSDWs2z-LsdW2NnUIyE5iA/s874/Screenshot%202023-01-11%20at%2019-55-01%20Disney%20Store%20Disney%20ily%204EVER%20Doll%20Inspired%20by%20Ariel%20The%20Little%20Mermaid%20shopDisney.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="874" data-original-width="857" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifzO5ldcZ_cXF3Pbe5lIoEVoonrl3sSMnReTbhxzlwleCvp-VrznCNo7b6OEiofVndgQszmG6Um2QUnPWlnYWWXMzvVv3uR6pPoU_hJ-7S__dTQB7myML4h-SJPmct-aU5mNgE6tGVj3ubVQZJoA4Yz-eEpqb5LFSc_-cLTSDWs2z-LsdW2NnUIyE5iA/s320/Screenshot%202023-01-11%20at%2019-55-01%20Disney%20Store%20Disney%20ily%204EVER%20Doll%20Inspired%20by%20Ariel%20The%20Little%20Mermaid%20shopDisney.png" width="314" /></a></div><br /><p>And again here. </p><p>In fact, every single doll has at least one photo of them holding their balloon.</p><p>So I don't think it was unreasonable to expect it to be shaped like an actual balloon, right? <br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnbBHueUQ1NGYJuKErQx6oihDxFXWnYk2xd98nUWxzkoR52RmiLDD8TaBy_LDe_FwJ8v_x4W_NTylDJn0Ft_-Q-rrdffadnGCXPtQmnvrsuEigzZsLAtHhDTT4Vqlqtdw1Qs1yOYFbD5JijyrCt0bErcUcKfyeru9LGGvBgWW4Ck6uX3_m38rlEbDdQw/s2333/20230111_172223.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2333" data-original-width="1370" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnbBHueUQ1NGYJuKErQx6oihDxFXWnYk2xd98nUWxzkoR52RmiLDD8TaBy_LDe_FwJ8v_x4W_NTylDJn0Ft_-Q-rrdffadnGCXPtQmnvrsuEigzZsLAtHhDTT4Vqlqtdw1Qs1yOYFbD5JijyrCt0bErcUcKfyeru9LGGvBgWW4Ck6uX3_m38rlEbDdQw/w376-h640/20230111_172223.jpg" width="376" /></a></div><p></p><p>But alas, this is where Jaxx put on their "eh, it'll do" hat and gave us this bullshit. </p><p>half... a fucking balloon. </p><p>Are you serious? How hard would it have been to make this actually round? Like one of those many many surprise egg toys out there. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBPUrt8akzYI8rmoKYRlFA-lh7oKd8CqSlLtzqzup2SfcNsgag4Gz8N60u48evxS03UVKync8W6ZQWd-teKoPWkzubPODJEbWb0W8b0zSmUdKewG730DUZLMpOEHMnDs6GwLG825L2g6hbQm8UP-uuT4gPy-3g1Jsag-uDfMjV9C7yn_uo03Db9iWOdQ/s2912/20230111_172244.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2547" data-original-width="2912" height="560" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBPUrt8akzYI8rmoKYRlFA-lh7oKd8CqSlLtzqzup2SfcNsgag4Gz8N60u48evxS03UVKync8W6ZQWd-teKoPWkzubPODJEbWb0W8b0zSmUdKewG730DUZLMpOEHMnDs6GwLG825L2g6hbQm8UP-uuT4gPy-3g1Jsag-uDfMjV9C7yn_uo03Db9iWOdQ/w640-h560/20230111_172244.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>So the half egg opens to reveal some paperwork and a surprise wrapped in tissue paper. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWvA1bTwLx5K8_xcMNDkp43fubJV2GhwHttXiON6gp3xNFXFXOYsZGCYVkP035124YlelMBEheX1wsrbQeFbeopQVCM--JSfFgX2OxusWgezj69vYq_zy3h_qMM7pnHZ_IoLHdaess6ltcM3HG44rJVXJ4jJoMYfrOxR5qZhaoUJpb_C4wskWh_JcFTw/s4000/20230111_172310.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="838" data-original-width="4000" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWvA1bTwLx5K8_xcMNDkp43fubJV2GhwHttXiON6gp3xNFXFXOYsZGCYVkP035124YlelMBEheX1wsrbQeFbeopQVCM--JSfFgX2OxusWgezj69vYq_zy3h_qMM7pnHZ_IoLHdaess6ltcM3HG44rJVXJ4jJoMYfrOxR5qZhaoUJpb_C4wskWh_JcFTw/w640-h134/20230111_172310.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT5dqEt-n2LKD5imkYmTg0uAZGq-FTdOwr7p2zyrBdUeVhAkFUNenOK96bniYOEWUh6RM8c_BHr-ZPG9mObWrdLSYRUYJ6Er6DZn6qiHvwag-Fy7gHcjAFgyvSrPst2S8v5xXtsXA2Vpalzvh8lzSY9tybhQnTNanWxR4nCtORF1WrQBYNQEChJyu4_Q/s3446/20230111_172316.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="929" data-original-width="3446" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT5dqEt-n2LKD5imkYmTg0uAZGq-FTdOwr7p2zyrBdUeVhAkFUNenOK96bniYOEWUh6RM8c_BHr-ZPG9mObWrdLSYRUYJ6Er6DZn6qiHvwag-Fy7gHcjAFgyvSrPst2S8v5xXtsXA2Vpalzvh8lzSY9tybhQnTNanWxR4nCtORF1WrQBYNQEChJyu4_Q/w640-h172/20230111_172316.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /> The paperwork gives us a fair assortment of different things that might be in the balloon. All food. <p></p><p>There are some lollypops (sorry the flash ate that image), a waffle?, popcorn, some toffee apples, some.. pancakes? cookies? not sure. And a chocolate bar with a pite out of it. </p><p>on the other side there are some little chocolate things in what looks like waffle cone cups, a muffin/cupcake, a pancake and some sort of drink. All in all that's 10 different foodstuffs. Not a bad assortment. </p><p>I also like that they're foods because it's something where duplicates don't matter. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBe3P2VfeVTFyzhdao0UmYqHmXcqBKgXbX4fqdf0sj5k6WJ3Un_idBWn9ADwTmCa_A0e9R3zJclXHym28aG4P76OXI3OeDMDlEBA4wfyEUFXN-T_PmPHhDnWtr6kUM81aqPqgZQDsedtK4GlAd-BkYMCYKa1TUj8vCC-oy3sFKHZ_cYxChUcSQxIFGYA/s2648/20230111_172259.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1604" data-original-width="2648" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBe3P2VfeVTFyzhdao0UmYqHmXcqBKgXbX4fqdf0sj5k6WJ3Un_idBWn9ADwTmCa_A0e9R3zJclXHym28aG4P76OXI3OeDMDlEBA4wfyEUFXN-T_PmPHhDnWtr6kUM81aqPqgZQDsedtK4GlAd-BkYMCYKa1TUj8vCC-oy3sFKHZ_cYxChUcSQxIFGYA/w640-h388/20230111_172259.jpg" width="640" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I got... a cupcake... muffin.. thing.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">it's quite big and it's molded to the plate unfortunately so the doll can't really hold it, it looks more like it's supposed to be put onto a table or a counter. In fact, it reminds me a lot of the sort of things you get in little cafe playsets for the display case. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">but there is no cafe playset for these dolls... </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> and... if you bought a cupcake in the park they wouldn't give you a plate right, unless you were in one of the restaurants. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Given these dolls can't even sit, the idea of them attempting to sit down in a cafe to have cake amuses me. Them just sliding all over the place, flopping out of their chairs, laying on the ground all "it's fine!" </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Anyway, the cupcake/muffin thing is cute enough. It's not as well painted as some of the other accessories but it's not too bad. But it is quite bulky. I mean, the cake itself is bigger than the doll's hand. That's a damn big muffin. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That's more like a whole ass cake. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3bODssxHkEj9KkKVyLv-QoLiYmNB_elm1xpwpxta6tz2PaEEc39AHP5rZ9YLVUS0NMjIYC5dhFZ6arpybCqKMpihad2YkHyCZNc0QcqkMxnTMJYUT6srn89Q18hrBeLECLMyUQYcRGb1Yf8JaMOa5IdfvIC8jiPFYrArl47UnbeFZY6picEc8R2bm0A/s3206/20230111_172412.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3206" data-original-width="2796" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3bODssxHkEj9KkKVyLv-QoLiYmNB_elm1xpwpxta6tz2PaEEc39AHP5rZ9YLVUS0NMjIYC5dhFZ6arpybCqKMpihad2YkHyCZNc0QcqkMxnTMJYUT6srn89Q18hrBeLECLMyUQYcRGb1Yf8JaMOa5IdfvIC8jiPFYrArl47UnbeFZY6picEc8R2bm0A/w558-h640/20230111_172412.jpg" width="558" /></a></div><p><br />the balloon still disappoints me. If you slide the string over the doll's hand so she can "hold" it, it displays the flat side quite obviously. The amount of camera trickery they'd have needed to fake those balloon photos, it leaves a sour taste in the mouth honestly. Why fake that? Why pretend they could actually be used as a balloon? </p><p>I mean doll balloons are annoying already because they're top heavy and tend to be very difficult to get to stay upright when being held by a doll, but these half balloons just offend me. there was no reason to do that and the way they're advertised and displayed in the box gives the illusion they're a workable accessory, not just a box to hold a surprise item. </p><p>I really liked the idea of an accessory that doubled as a mystery box but these aren't that. They made me think they were, but they're just another plastic box that i'll never use. -_- </p><p>BAH. </p><p>On a happier note, who can wear these new doll clothes? <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9LtAhRASywF8OQMIEMzISAnCa0O2XAxoZAYM0TWgr_Kpnla-BPqQNqgfUisx1njJuLCaBJBDFEt9CS48WjNtQK2_Bw3xk94GPmfTI8d7Ns5ftWk8co7JWpiI_h9Cyt-Mx1r-dwerdhi82Hk-cCTxLzBjHeDm24b4wr2y_ChrpPUel4Ll7V-hg2ekvgw/s3458/20230111_165140.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3458" data-original-width="1680" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9LtAhRASywF8OQMIEMzISAnCa0O2XAxoZAYM0TWgr_Kpnla-BPqQNqgfUisx1njJuLCaBJBDFEt9CS48WjNtQK2_Bw3xk94GPmfTI8d7Ns5ftWk8co7JWpiI_h9Cyt-Mx1r-dwerdhi82Hk-cCTxLzBjHeDm24b4wr2y_ChrpPUel4Ll7V-hg2ekvgw/w310-h640/20230111_165140.jpg" width="310" /></a></div><p></p><p>Rainbow High i found the shirt to be a little baggy but workable. The skirt fits around the waist but the straps of the suspenders are waaaay too long. </p><p>the shoes are too small. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcLzovmr8vmIdrWbbzgosydxqZ8LCdAlazez78Ihlkl0i4cPizdbz1WAwyEk1gUGvG1w6s5RIKb7IxvMI4_HhV_bqL3cDWiMYyqUZK5enpqxUqAhZBck4uUDtAc7SoWTpHm6A_U0QbJhw6j95xDedYKJHHmM7WxfLS1QX1d0f1TgND88bLh4rkoBiBgA/s3631/20230111_165257.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3631" data-original-width="1404" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcLzovmr8vmIdrWbbzgosydxqZ8LCdAlazez78Ihlkl0i4cPizdbz1WAwyEk1gUGvG1w6s5RIKb7IxvMI4_HhV_bqL3cDWiMYyqUZK5enpqxUqAhZBck4uUDtAc7SoWTpHm6A_U0QbJhw6j95xDedYKJHHmM7WxfLS1QX1d0f1TgND88bLh4rkoBiBgA/w248-h640/20230111_165257.jpg" width="248" /></a></div><p></p><p>On the Disney Store body (this is the same body they use for all their princess dolls, just with a smaller head than this Attractionista) the fit is pretty good. It's a little loose in the skirt due to the much narrower waist but it works. </p><p>Shoes are too big. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLx7GH80E_QKwJNQ3YWEMVCZkZVNPUITSe0yOR27ba_sGdq0Fcy4L9HxKYh65ljIy7jGqK9-tHX_PlBvpHoiWiHnvQhWO2KzcnkDLFAomOieK3q4_JDwdXYHjWO2nOyDfq_muoQJM-t8HVK_hToK-QT-8SHBOXkLipk5reIZWTqDBGeiI6n2AMmDFvHg/s3629/20230111_165438.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3629" data-original-width="1634" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLx7GH80E_QKwJNQ3YWEMVCZkZVNPUITSe0yOR27ba_sGdq0Fcy4L9HxKYh65ljIy7jGqK9-tHX_PlBvpHoiWiHnvQhWO2KzcnkDLFAomOieK3q4_JDwdXYHjWO2nOyDfq_muoQJM-t8HVK_hToK-QT-8SHBOXkLipk5reIZWTqDBGeiI6n2AMmDFvHg/w288-h640/20230111_165438.jpg" width="288" /></a></div><p></p><p>Barbie is much the same as the Disney store body, though the fit around the waist is a little better. Again, shoes are too big. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJnyBEiT7gyOyjVQ2Q6h-GSof4tUlPfpzXAhHwflWse2hc10fBvVsfHoyLTgkEZJEszW_W87Ya_AXVzU_xNRZWzJJWNiYOvLVq6nrZ4OG2obPIE67nthgZ7E3HoMO0D4Bc1MELDiOf2T0gww7-h4KgcUwSObxAmJ6gZGcd8CAWXxUO0BAjPODPZPMTJA/s3505/20230111_165628.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3505" data-original-width="1430" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJnyBEiT7gyOyjVQ2Q6h-GSof4tUlPfpzXAhHwflWse2hc10fBvVsfHoyLTgkEZJEszW_W87Ya_AXVzU_xNRZWzJJWNiYOvLVq6nrZ4OG2obPIE67nthgZ7E3HoMO0D4Bc1MELDiOf2T0gww7-h4KgcUwSObxAmJ6gZGcd8CAWXxUO0BAjPODPZPMTJA/w262-h640/20230111_165628.jpg" width="262" /></a></div><p></p><p>Vintage Sindy fits the clothes pretty well. Even the shoes fit. The suspender straps are a fraction too long. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsOALKB54FMjSOZuEN0XgI3auYiEXkTW4YHbBiPlXmM7btHdcECM2uUM-H9-beRN_b5UYY3SS-Lbx_FQxTZTJNh6Tld3W5KF-pWOZNXsSuC-ynaw9IJW0WFLN3RwDxh8wQX9GIRfmb0eemEyMxUitQl6cIWvzTUAPJN2qlGTs6GzonyXEW2-ZtHQaOWw/s3395/20230111_165746.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3395" data-original-width="1799" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsOALKB54FMjSOZuEN0XgI3auYiEXkTW4YHbBiPlXmM7btHdcECM2uUM-H9-beRN_b5UYY3SS-Lbx_FQxTZTJNh6Tld3W5KF-pWOZNXsSuC-ynaw9IJW0WFLN3RwDxh8wQX9GIRfmb0eemEyMxUitQl6cIWvzTUAPJN2qlGTs6GzonyXEW2-ZtHQaOWw/w340-h640/20230111_165746.jpg" width="340" /></a></div><p></p><p>On the flip side, rainbow high bottoms fit around the waist but the tops are all far far too small. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeu-uGMEZqVgelTykAJdTjsiONEZREva1vv4MxirLKxpYSwa_t0Wb68u9YKkYgP28cyyXpb6PU6WH1kCJMXCn-7xyBwqcAaekVCej6rc0vW4AU1qc6OjNLLeUJ4YyaARVlAGzU2-T6xhhSxwNmAHHl5GeK9ynV4vh297IAMbijShT6hjQnMiecKfNxDQ/s3633/20230111_165846.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3633" data-original-width="1872" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeu-uGMEZqVgelTykAJdTjsiONEZREva1vv4MxirLKxpYSwa_t0Wb68u9YKkYgP28cyyXpb6PU6WH1kCJMXCn-7xyBwqcAaekVCej6rc0vW4AU1qc6OjNLLeUJ4YyaARVlAGzU2-T6xhhSxwNmAHHl5GeK9ynV4vh297IAMbijShT6hjQnMiecKfNxDQ/w330-h640/20230111_165846.jpg" width="330" /></a></div><p></p><p>Modern Barbie stuff seems to fit but YMMV. Pants are quite snug and anything tight will likely be too narrow for her wider legs. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwuxA2gwGsp37vJ5fatDBOXW0kRF7g5X9qdfxI5vLFYuLB1tn5aiRGtK16XKAWdCZF3ytPXSQjtSCtALn3GBoKMEYmpHhZ20AKFUS5bFmhi4c68nbQGBey78nj48YWVchCuN74gXKeZaLm43wk_0istIhtD2dJfEZF5ImcbJC-JZ_yBetp6TfTPr59Hw/s3750/20230111_170105.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3750" data-original-width="2194" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwuxA2gwGsp37vJ5fatDBOXW0kRF7g5X9qdfxI5vLFYuLB1tn5aiRGtK16XKAWdCZF3ytPXSQjtSCtALn3GBoKMEYmpHhZ20AKFUS5bFmhi4c68nbQGBey78nj48YWVchCuN74gXKeZaLm43wk_0istIhtD2dJfEZF5ImcbJC-JZ_yBetp6TfTPr59Hw/w374-h640/20230111_170105.jpg" width="374" /></a></div><p> </p><p>The Disney store outfit fits, but it's snug on the waist and pulling it up over her butt was a little nerve wracking. I suspect these dolls will be able to fit most Disney store princess outfits, but they may be a bit tight in the hips. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirHhiWGwE_dbTSdDpNHF_7aY2mk_7SPYQRw9w2vhCfEPyfl3Nt9cvR1n9qyZ2JraI_bmZMdr_fpfgtXrLMbHaxw-p8vHK5sQpIVxCZiUw1SmgXZSzxkiB8OAagzcutwHqYaFewQ5M2STp9PP6E6tQQ4r8NfKXz6N9d8kpUYLHyWC__lS8HijUlaYNgKw/s3116/20230111_172545.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3116" data-original-width="1626" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirHhiWGwE_dbTSdDpNHF_7aY2mk_7SPYQRw9w2vhCfEPyfl3Nt9cvR1n9qyZ2JraI_bmZMdr_fpfgtXrLMbHaxw-p8vHK5sQpIVxCZiUw1SmgXZSzxkiB8OAagzcutwHqYaFewQ5M2STp9PP6E6tQQ4r8NfKXz6N9d8kpUYLHyWC__lS8HijUlaYNgKw/w334-h640/20230111_172545.jpg" width="334" /></a></div><p></p><p>back in her original outfit, i'm quite enjoying this girl. No she's not perfect, but I appreciate a doll with some decent quality behind them. The clothes for these dolls are really nice, much more what I expect and want from doll clothes than anything Mattel has given us for years now. More akin to Rainbow High imo. Though even rainbow high suffers from some really iffy seams in some items. </p><p>I like how hefty her body feels and I quite like her proportions. Her face is beautiful and her hair is fine. </p><p>My cons would be:</p><p>The hip articulation. Not being able to sit is a pretty big engineering fuckup and something that really a company like Jaxx should know better. </p><p>That goddamn balloon shit which im still salty about.</p><p>and the fragility of the leg/hip sockets which results in the legs popping off if you push them too far trying to either sit the doll or splay her legs.Two things that will commonly happen with play, mark my words. </p><p>Oh and the weak ankles. But i've never yet encountered a fashion doll with articulated ankles who hasn't had stability issues. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK8_q9vXwd-bIo8azKmmEASDknmuGNt1f0DX7WRdswXShN9nscEaE_LQMaXAewDNuUc7ax5Pk2rMC-u6bKoTPp2tT77mlfxBN_8UYu8E4ZdegGIP4fLcCCgJc-sqZkwCFmitVbPt5_5FeYlOocnIXqaOAT7NNyFcui8n-aJg58CTqp4htuIM-hq858qg/s3007/20230111_172606.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3007" data-original-width="1379" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK8_q9vXwd-bIo8azKmmEASDknmuGNt1f0DX7WRdswXShN9nscEaE_LQMaXAewDNuUc7ax5Pk2rMC-u6bKoTPp2tT77mlfxBN_8UYu8E4ZdegGIP4fLcCCgJc-sqZkwCFmitVbPt5_5FeYlOocnIXqaOAT7NNyFcui8n-aJg58CTqp4htuIM-hq858qg/w294-h640/20230111_172606.jpg" width="294" /></a></div><br /><p>I need to rinse the gel out of her hair but otherwise, i'm really pleased with this girl.</p><p>Of course, I didn't just buy this one girl. </p><p>I also have Snow White and a fashion pack. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-NdGsSwsU0BYOy_vdM4t1sugYMmfnoAiw0dH41umf6t5qbWNQSSWCIvh39oMBIn_MQyWVLo93smS9EouEIf_XfbNj7ptoEbdhTs2YIwCyuiNCVIz9MRzVOng5oqayaGkARE5LZXXBH2dzdwdQLrzzWW8-ZV2MGzogTSHqL1HBkdQaXpl6cnhb55Kgww/s3603/20230111_203434.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3603" data-original-width="1492" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-NdGsSwsU0BYOy_vdM4t1sugYMmfnoAiw0dH41umf6t5qbWNQSSWCIvh39oMBIn_MQyWVLo93smS9EouEIf_XfbNj7ptoEbdhTs2YIwCyuiNCVIz9MRzVOng5oqayaGkARE5LZXXBH2dzdwdQLrzzWW8-ZV2MGzogTSHqL1HBkdQaXpl6cnhb55Kgww/w266-h640/20230111_203434.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><p></p><p>Snow White has a cute little updo with tiny little ringlets framing her face and a braid wrapped around the head. </p><p>She has freckles which is adorable. She makes me think of the characters from Enchanto and I wonder if that was intentional there. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx1DHXpNyVL_TCdk2KNVBbVgUq_bn3cwtUuCKh3AwSINPK2dLYEr8mzN4L3lfL6a0niM1zggSv3fVoOTjdA2mWRAfBNQ-cCB7pdee3T97c8u_cEpcXCTH4zUO2k2ISqitSGglqUiVEaxnzqhkHgWR_Hfe_l3WN6Vg6sSYCTM4cDYputZAiyIuWjDJdaA/s3292/20230111_203356.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3292" data-original-width="2999" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx1DHXpNyVL_TCdk2KNVBbVgUq_bn3cwtUuCKh3AwSINPK2dLYEr8mzN4L3lfL6a0niM1zggSv3fVoOTjdA2mWRAfBNQ-cCB7pdee3T97c8u_cEpcXCTH4zUO2k2ISqitSGglqUiVEaxnzqhkHgWR_Hfe_l3WN6Vg6sSYCTM4cDYputZAiyIuWjDJdaA/w584-h640/20230111_203356.jpg" width="584" /></a></div><br /> She has thicker brows than Tiana and the little hairs painted toward the middle are more noticable here. <p></p><p>Her mouse ears are snow white themed with a yellow bow and red little shapes that emulate the sleeves of Snow White's dress. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipoWNh_yO5z6eIEV7ZtpY2PrnlVEiANXIyAkUvAEsJwnfU4FJGCTta1daf32CN75fEcOgT6tdkiJ0DDaO6Df7hH7aYfBFCXW100go7-q91vH4G_-oLKTdkw0K4QajBx8esEh9S20iJvyQiRK3-kzNQ0TOpvdR85XylRv-JaS7gcFbUqRgkXvK5KY6p-Q/s3000/20230111_203340.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2851" data-original-width="3000" height="608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipoWNh_yO5z6eIEV7ZtpY2PrnlVEiANXIyAkUvAEsJwnfU4FJGCTta1daf32CN75fEcOgT6tdkiJ0DDaO6Df7hH7aYfBFCXW100go7-q91vH4G_-oLKTdkw0K4QajBx8esEh9S20iJvyQiRK3-kzNQ0TOpvdR85XylRv-JaS7gcFbUqRgkXvK5KY6p-Q/w640-h608/20230111_203340.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><br />Snow White comes with glasses and what's cool is that they actually magnify, but they're too small for the doll. They're too narrow and don't quite fit so while one side will go over her ear the other side won't and if you try to straighten them up they ping off her face. </p><p>*sigh*</p><p>It's a bummer because I love a good pair of doll glasses. </p><p>Like how Tiana has a bracelet, Snow White gets a necklace. It's the poison apple, you know the one, the skull faced drippy thing. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://e0.pxfuel.com/wallpapers/975/933/desktop-wallpaper-poison-apple-pamela-gomes-snow-white-poison-apple-apple-art-poison-apples.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="566" height="320" src="https://e0.pxfuel.com/wallpapers/975/933/desktop-wallpaper-poison-apple-pamela-gomes-snow-white-poison-apple-apple-art-poison-apples.jpg" width="227" /></a></div><p></p><p>Yeah, that's the one. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_yP22A-86CvsSKMVzjyiCej58QJcUjPTMHiU3O6h398a7G5mchGr2IRl03VCwGo2mNlBjGxms9PU0Nr3zeLoXjGmN9fQdFIdVKyM58lCdPbe7tVBllEHWSbIFxNtoD91o-CN6XzxnYnZx4U4dCMMAdyAhJsWsPC0OGPYyLV-KTkgnWZzf61NcZrkyLQ/s3118/20230111_203554.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3118" data-original-width="2708" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_yP22A-86CvsSKMVzjyiCej58QJcUjPTMHiU3O6h398a7G5mchGr2IRl03VCwGo2mNlBjGxms9PU0Nr3zeLoXjGmN9fQdFIdVKyM58lCdPbe7tVBllEHWSbIFxNtoD91o-CN6XzxnYnZx4U4dCMMAdyAhJsWsPC0OGPYyLV-KTkgnWZzf61NcZrkyLQ/w556-h640/20230111_203554.jpg" width="556" /></a></div><p></p><p>Her outfit is fantastic. The dungarees are made from a thin weight fashion denim with purposeful tears and distressing. I don't know how well these will stand up to play with those frayed edges but it's a cool realistic touch. </p><p>the little pocket on the front is a real pocket but there are just stitched ones on the hips. </p><p>The socks are simple little white socks with yellow and blue stripes. <br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgrhVdIA5PyIsuyxHLgp03nRy32w24lCvv1Ao1pFn2vG5Dv2gkDXYfwKatXiVbWzWAQVgBmE1BGDt8QOltOgxagq-wEAmBwLM65Brm4KCqt4-VoFceJvevUGaY-7sGewn201Tu0t0913vqWPcfzKAXJmYVv-xEbNx1dvkR4rlmRpnB26DHWrGYJ35OgQ/s3000/20230111_203604.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2045" data-original-width="3000" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgrhVdIA5PyIsuyxHLgp03nRy32w24lCvv1Ao1pFn2vG5Dv2gkDXYfwKatXiVbWzWAQVgBmE1BGDt8QOltOgxagq-wEAmBwLM65Brm4KCqt4-VoFceJvevUGaY-7sGewn201Tu0t0913vqWPcfzKAXJmYVv-xEbNx1dvkR4rlmRpnB26DHWrGYJ35OgQ/s320/20230111_203604.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The cropped undershirt is made of some sort of stiff fabric with a subtle floral pattern. The shirt is very very thick and fully lined which surprised me. It has puffy sleeves and the thickness of the fabric really helps keep those shaped well.<br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLllhoG9L6S9w4IK0Ha3ZCy-wDoTvcOlRlSi0hEtz5Bkwury-FzDbfYF4VADvvmEAT90Y2rYXtFUGgiEP-CPinEA1G8ia3gKk141c2uCFB9WgD_JKKQ-MUx84x8BdFoRSHPfjmEEpAp-Pp0dS_Jcl2INVUh4oCjcYhVmchDigBYYfODI6nlP0v7jGDBg/s2220/20230111_203610.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2025" data-original-width="2220" height="584" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLllhoG9L6S9w4IK0Ha3ZCy-wDoTvcOlRlSi0hEtz5Bkwury-FzDbfYF4VADvvmEAT90Y2rYXtFUGgiEP-CPinEA1G8ia3gKk141c2uCFB9WgD_JKKQ-MUx84x8BdFoRSHPfjmEEpAp-Pp0dS_Jcl2INVUh4oCjcYhVmchDigBYYfODI6nlP0v7jGDBg/w640-h584/20230111_203610.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>Her shoes are really cute red loafers or slipons or something with a giant matching red bow. They're adorable. </p><p>She also comes with an apple print sweater/cardigan which is made of actual knit with the apples printed onto it. If it were human scale I imagine the apples would be part of the knit itself but at this scale I understand why they had to take that route. Getting apples to look like apples this small would be really difficult with knitted material. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9cJb7UsbV71001deozymPnm0Ia7Gcdf1568otmyWZkz5jxhLS04ptwE6XYpbgXC-KypD1pzbgQdbvay_Lv_Ce2qkO-e0rSEsdqFmCLaAXU2Dc3z2feOcDuqOy7LfgiiI3vOkrfSs4dWxtUfnmnVHckcJ0sSFFgaYEAQI-1HG6NdwXojVT9gEE2RR8Og/s2742/20230111_203326.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2742" data-original-width="2249" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9cJb7UsbV71001deozymPnm0Ia7Gcdf1568otmyWZkz5jxhLS04ptwE6XYpbgXC-KypD1pzbgQdbvay_Lv_Ce2qkO-e0rSEsdqFmCLaAXU2Dc3z2feOcDuqOy7LfgiiI3vOkrfSs4dWxtUfnmnVHckcJ0sSFFgaYEAQI-1HG6NdwXojVT9gEE2RR8Og/w524-h640/20230111_203326.jpg" width="524" /></a></div><br /><p>And here's my two girls together. I adore Snow White's outfit. Everything about it is just fantastic to me. I love her little socks and shoes. I love her cardigan. I love her dungarees. <br /></p><p>I think I actually prefer Snow White to Tiana. Part of that is the outfit. Not only do I feel like Snow White's outfit is more complex and detailed, but because she's such an older princess her iconography is so much more well... iconic. The Princess and the Frog hasn't exactly set the animated world alight, nobody would call it a "classic". </p><p>I feel like Tiana suffers in much the same way a Merida themed doll or a Moana themed doll would, in that they just aren't instantly recognisable to the general non disney person. While Snow White particularly is one of the Disney princesses that everyone knows, recognises and associates the blue red and yellow with. You see blue and red and yellow and it immediately pings "oh yeah, snow white." which simply isn't the case with the more modern princesses. Snow White is iconic, so much so that whenever anyone does anything "snow white" even when they're not doing the disney version, that blue and yellow and red reappears over and over and over again. </p><p>Don't get me wrong, I really like Tiana as well, but her outfit doesn't feel quite as "wow" to me. Even though it's technically the same number of pieces. </p><p>Maybe she'd have benefitted from socks too. </p><p>Oh and if you're wondering, the surprise in her "balloon" was the lollypops which are stuck forever in a jar so can't even be removed and held by the doll. </p><p>Boo. </p><p>I'd like these food items a lot better if you could remove them from their plate/jars and pretend like the doll was actually eating them/holding them. </p><p>So, bottom line? Do I think these dolls are worth £26? </p><p>Well let's put it into perspective. </p><p>Rainbow High in this country generally cost around £35-50 and usually come with two outfits, two pairs of shoes, a stand and a brush. </p><p>Monster High costs around £30 and those come with one outfit and one pair of shoes, a bag, some random foods and a pet. </p><p>LOL omg are about £30 and come with one outfit, one pair of shoes, often a bag but not always and some plastic hat boxes. </p><p>Barbie Extra come with one outfit, one pair of shoes, a pet and a bag. They're £30 as well. <br /></p><p>I'd say these are about on par price wise in which case. </p><p>You get for your money 1 full outfit, 1 pair of shoes, 1 bag, 1 piece of jewellery, 1 mouse ear headband and 1 "other" accessory (water bottle, glasses) as well as a surprise food item. </p><p>I think they're worth it and honestly i'm surprised they aren't more expensive over here because we usually get absolutely shafted on prices. </p><p>But how about the fashion packs? </p><p>Let's take a look. </p><p> <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2XxlQbrAMZ8y7xkiTGQqKIgERcBa0FBXphIpbMj-P8uE4BGeVLOnny2aZCDQEHzVp-DltHFgS6Xm0C13DSuxVHZEL4iccbhgI-8iH1RVBu8tlYGwk0w-fO4kQ9Dt_3eBqn136Qd2jPkRIpPukHupXImLKpqozMoYcO-KkLTPc2npRHRWgW0Hxi5mCpw/s2025/20230111_221225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2025" data-original-width="1537" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2XxlQbrAMZ8y7xkiTGQqKIgERcBa0FBXphIpbMj-P8uE4BGeVLOnny2aZCDQEHzVp-DltHFgS6Xm0C13DSuxVHZEL4iccbhgI-8iH1RVBu8tlYGwk0w-fO4kQ9Dt_3eBqn136Qd2jPkRIpPukHupXImLKpqozMoYcO-KkLTPc2npRHRWgW0Hxi5mCpw/w486-h640/20230111_221225.jpg" width="486" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Like the dolls the fashion packs come in stark white boxes with one curved corner. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This set is concert themed as far as I can tell, as it comes with a concert ticket for "Dragons and Roses". <br /></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjVJ-7wC7HrV4Zp1biW2dc_M5qSof6S3iK60oXIbDbnrLVpOl0ebTbVevRKfC7wmxz4aGlx3lqTKdk1b_8OlCtrYzAd2tPmuKTBXdGl6pzqsXpR4jjgX2_SiyapdiwJEmHkFC2ur5mfisTYTS7kf13j6sma0ZmwRlHvxXrKofZXXxbETjtwlnay3Y2Gw/s3039/20230111_221236.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3039" data-original-width="2184" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjVJ-7wC7HrV4Zp1biW2dc_M5qSof6S3iK60oXIbDbnrLVpOl0ebTbVevRKfC7wmxz4aGlx3lqTKdk1b_8OlCtrYzAd2tPmuKTBXdGl6pzqsXpR4jjgX2_SiyapdiwJEmHkFC2ur5mfisTYTS7kf13j6sma0ZmwRlHvxXrKofZXXxbETjtwlnay3Y2Gw/w460-h640/20230111_221236.jpg" width="460" /></a></div><br />The image on the back shows Snow White's doll wearing this pack. She's rocking it. <br /><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW7BrSER6A9yHkNej_GDWX17VNpTRrZowrXNpaOAVnDt9MIq_JhIGF6977IQKVSs5XrGmZEZJhxbvTUXR7rNbdN7HcQ4XCopn5S47Czdi-NJXLwtEJKWk4grKyPKCvfqOcylMfHBGIBDUehdAO3Z0kezz6JdKMZSKOHYoaJz41I1gOrhV8t44HozoGpA/s3275/20230111_221244.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3275" data-original-width="852" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW7BrSER6A9yHkNej_GDWX17VNpTRrZowrXNpaOAVnDt9MIq_JhIGF6977IQKVSs5XrGmZEZJhxbvTUXR7rNbdN7HcQ4XCopn5S47Czdi-NJXLwtEJKWk4grKyPKCvfqOcylMfHBGIBDUehdAO3Z0kezz6JdKMZSKOHYoaJz41I1gOrhV8t44HozoGpA/w166-h640/20230111_221244.jpg" width="166" /></a></p><p>"Inspired by Aurora" my ass, this is clearly a set inspired by Maleficent. </p><p>I think it's kinda sad that Aurora is such a bland princess that they couldn't even figure out a way to design a set that screamed HER and instead went with her villain. </p><p>But Maleficent is pretty freaking awesome. </p><p>speaking of Maleficent... obviously this set brings to mind Disney Descendants and the fashions the character Mal wore. Same inspiration after all. I hadn't thought to check how these ILY clothes fit the Decendants dolls. <br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOAtO-Dr2roXfjh1xm1HgRAScnxDtiKcioxWNMVRHCH5LHnRxIeMrI77LyomxzZja_a4mkoHD5p3kFkyZTmVrTSzFh7v8-WI3ubzEATN2r8pb_AOLwepDUAqeKCRASRkG3Ald1pWgQ8EkxGpdca4_nWYIuESifxE8AJw45WaZa7xY9wsYCGp5WjPiPvg/s3368/20230111_222409.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3368" data-original-width="1008" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOAtO-Dr2roXfjh1xm1HgRAScnxDtiKcioxWNMVRHCH5LHnRxIeMrI77LyomxzZja_a4mkoHD5p3kFkyZTmVrTSzFh7v8-WI3ubzEATN2r8pb_AOLwepDUAqeKCRASRkG3Ald1pWgQ8EkxGpdca4_nWYIuESifxE8AJw45WaZa7xY9wsYCGp5WjPiPvg/w192-h640/20230111_222409.jpg" width="192" /></a></div><br /> Well let's ignore the state poor Mal here is in, she's one of the tlc bundle and was the only Decendant I had in easy reach. <p></p><p>The good news is that the shoes seem to fit, which suggests that ILY dolls should probably fit the Decendant shoes as well. </p><p>However the waist of the shorts is too big and slips around and the sleeves of the jacket are too long. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSnjanyoDDoTVarl0YY36YdUFlzAaZh-p6TzU4MRZ02EXB7oTAO6UKd2uCFfMKyRYMNHdJy270C-MKeyTax7ICeDH9-qoDTL7sEUn5euYF1gqleb83WE8US8F1Lh4X5CZ1SNkjOX6d1OlacxBZqdOLldA5R8d7MOTibavWZhTwZcrUIzOCjwC98swJSQ/s3565/20230111_222536.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3565" data-original-width="1745" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSnjanyoDDoTVarl0YY36YdUFlzAaZh-p6TzU4MRZ02EXB7oTAO6UKd2uCFfMKyRYMNHdJy270C-MKeyTax7ICeDH9-qoDTL7sEUn5euYF1gqleb83WE8US8F1Lh4X5CZ1SNkjOX6d1OlacxBZqdOLldA5R8d7MOTibavWZhTwZcrUIzOCjwC98swJSQ/w314-h640/20230111_222536.jpg" width="314" /></a></div><p></p><p>The outfit fits okay on the Disney store body but again the shorts are a little too big in the waist and I feel like there's too much gap between the hem of the tee and the top of the shorts, like the torso of this doll is too long. </p><p>The shoes are way too big but on Ariel's hinged feet they'll at least kinda stay on. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiShabtocBeWRBNwLAftqG59O3pOqbaRUSpoczhFimmvBFNqCdfTLPbIQ4-27b1UFLgC3LMOLTJO4nal0Omlmnv9rk1rYx9NESGVwgEos5h2EMiWI--bhVHCVrIYvpm_N6S2PNACJNx5CvmByeA0I-zH8cKae2O35xJ1oNyQNt_e5qvR8IFuObFUtaVqQ/s1311/20230111_222416.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1019" data-original-width="1311" height="498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiShabtocBeWRBNwLAftqG59O3pOqbaRUSpoczhFimmvBFNqCdfTLPbIQ4-27b1UFLgC3LMOLTJO4nal0Omlmnv9rk1rYx9NESGVwgEos5h2EMiWI--bhVHCVrIYvpm_N6S2PNACJNx5CvmByeA0I-zH8cKae2O35xJ1oNyQNt_e5qvR8IFuObFUtaVqQ/w640-h498/20230111_222416.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>But look at these boots, they're absolutely amazing. Photos don't really do them justice. They're irredescent, shimmering blue and purple and so much more detailed than the shoes the dolls come with. They even have a molded tread which the doll shoes don't. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Juxx1GQiq0FQCZ2xxgyHqXsXXp4jqyFaegRxwexiv2QGJJ9tcZpgQtwlZf3URALHxo3rlP4DfgedaLFerldaSwxzbStYetuscnCb6Uq0XtH3CCeZosTfGUJ4lqTPCIg6Dqx2sfjbJ370vKcBciIemG4Dc4Dh5ev0vesy7aG213EcLkD8D_24UQmXCg/s2903/20230111_221904.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2903" data-original-width="2003" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Juxx1GQiq0FQCZ2xxgyHqXsXXp4jqyFaegRxwexiv2QGJJ9tcZpgQtwlZf3URALHxo3rlP4DfgedaLFerldaSwxzbStYetuscnCb6Uq0XtH3CCeZosTfGUJ4lqTPCIg6Dqx2sfjbJ370vKcBciIemG4Dc4Dh5ev0vesy7aG213EcLkD8D_24UQmXCg/w442-h640/20230111_221904.jpg" width="442" /></a></div><p></p><p>Along with the amazing boots you get all this. </p><p>A tee with maleficent's dragon printed on it. This tee is made of thick cotton and beautifully made. </p><p>A pair of denim shorts with purple dyed ombre effect and sewn in fishnets. Another nicely made piece but I do wish the fishnets were separate, they're sewn right on in and even have a sewn groin so I don't get why they didn't just sew the last top seam and be done with it. The shorts are similar light fashion denim like Snow White's dungarees but the added paint/dye on them gives them a rougher texture. They have slits or slashes in each leg and frayed bottoms. Like the dungarees the pockets are just stitching. </p><p>A headband with roses and spikes. This is a cool addition to replace the mouse ears, I like it. </p><p>A shimmery foil fabric jacket. This jacket is thin foil fabric, it's actually quite similar to the holographic shimmery jacket one of the Kid Kreations Sindy dolls came with. It feels just as light weight and kinda fragile. This jacket is more detailed than the Kid Kreations one though. It has faux zippers and studs and stuff. The sleeves are a deep purply blue maybe indigo colour while the body of the jacket is half pink and half a blue that changes to purple depending on the light angle. It's freaking awesome. </p><p>There's also a clear tote bag which is made from exactly the material a full sized one of these would be, that thin plastic they also make rain coats from. It has a plastic insert to help it hold its shape in the box which you can remove if you want. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNC2ZxDPCZHuOWovfA8PHSuek9HbRwkP-xLs1wEevx41Nh9Bsn5TYjjsZ9tnkfAGO7_doi6roAqxlg0qhcQU8GoMMXwFIkVAaShhAvTGaKgGPTdjufnzZhoqef6A43wAmAc8OY5gXWd4kYyM-LBUHvqTJlcxCSWCUhuGsVEwUyQP9gIrvR9y3UEgk1dA/s1403/20230111_221914.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1017" data-original-width="1403" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNC2ZxDPCZHuOWovfA8PHSuek9HbRwkP-xLs1wEevx41Nh9Bsn5TYjjsZ9tnkfAGO7_doi6roAqxlg0qhcQU8GoMMXwFIkVAaShhAvTGaKgGPTdjufnzZhoqef6A43wAmAc8OY5gXWd4kYyM-LBUHvqTJlcxCSWCUhuGsVEwUyQP9gIrvR9y3UEgk1dA/w400-h290/20230111_221914.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p>The final thing is a tiny doll scale paper ticket. It's made of a sort of glossy paper and I was honestly scared i'd tear it as I tried to remove it from the packaging. </p><p>The back of it is just that same blue and black background pattern, it's not very interesting. But I do like that this looks like a real ticket with even a section, row and seat number. </p><p>no venue though heh. or date. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC-QuW4z3eok2l62Rld4EZQfZMGckraxKRSWj6XC74Rvj36NiIWqr8_WOGHg68q55exAgy7S_2e9y-X3GYx-mq9liN3JY4h4kY23yh4DE82DL3vCSiRn51jIF8qSUjo8OmBw-IjKdKSQ5rIei9rOc4jryqm_qFBiag2Mcf_23VuDzsITyk-UBOlxGG-g/s2843/20230111_223505.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2722" data-original-width="2843" height="612" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC-QuW4z3eok2l62Rld4EZQfZMGckraxKRSWj6XC74Rvj36NiIWqr8_WOGHg68q55exAgy7S_2e9y-X3GYx-mq9liN3JY4h4kY23yh4DE82DL3vCSiRn51jIF8qSUjo8OmBw-IjKdKSQ5rIei9rOc4jryqm_qFBiag2Mcf_23VuDzsITyk-UBOlxGG-g/w640-h612/20230111_223505.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>The fashion pack fits the dolls well and is pretty easy to get on and off even though the doll hands don't come off. All the sleeves have been designed with this in mind so that's nice. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj14oUij5C0ifFQ9c7TR_PdDubKHFksjuy22HLrjMJPTIG4A7NTB52HOULmwja5pVq0dCmElZzHkdIy_j5J1lqOhYdkVjNEh7C2l5G0MpUsyXMhuOu4IRbrgG5jtbYaKFVEMA8CU__pSa6beBsepRSzV69wigvmMJAGiwZRyUoYl_lXxWOW5jfSDL_sTw/s3218/20230111_223452.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3218" data-original-width="1844" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj14oUij5C0ifFQ9c7TR_PdDubKHFksjuy22HLrjMJPTIG4A7NTB52HOULmwja5pVq0dCmElZzHkdIy_j5J1lqOhYdkVjNEh7C2l5G0MpUsyXMhuOu4IRbrgG5jtbYaKFVEMA8CU__pSa6beBsepRSzV69wigvmMJAGiwZRyUoYl_lXxWOW5jfSDL_sTw/w366-h640/20230111_223452.jpg" width="366" /></a></div><p></p><p>Tiana looks amazing in this outfit. Her black hair contrasts beautifully with the purples and blues. I love it. </p><p>Also, the tote bag fits her water bottle! Which happens to be purple as well so fits right in. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt3UMN1t-Cgs0ur-KJa_GPNb6wppkaZWeQmWzWxEvHEShS_WqgXFObTdu09SuCcmqhXgPAB0E9NEhaeT9a-83TsPin9I1Q8rKdRYV4GG3jxv-EAbIrbpgJ2SpT1C45VqANFJh-K7fpNIgWtdN4ZAFLg3PZX6qicjdviK69MUuG9T7pZuiYL5MB4aMK8Q/s3419/20230111_223425.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3419" data-original-width="1926" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt3UMN1t-Cgs0ur-KJa_GPNb6wppkaZWeQmWzWxEvHEShS_WqgXFObTdu09SuCcmqhXgPAB0E9NEhaeT9a-83TsPin9I1Q8rKdRYV4GG3jxv-EAbIrbpgJ2SpT1C45VqANFJh-K7fpNIgWtdN4ZAFLg3PZX6qicjdviK69MUuG9T7pZuiYL5MB4aMK8Q/w360-h640/20230111_223425.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><br /><p>I love this look on her. That rose headband is so good. </p><p>At £15 this fashion pack was a bit pricey but I had a quick look on Amazon to see what Mattel is currently giving us with Barbie fashion packs.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV2TWPBGMrhJZGiSlzajkjaGeCiqDE_oYJZw4KlMlu-eDO_yOcbMwnvclxYMjOd6WyEePpfkkxOcdIIiMqpsoawiJFVbwMTlWu3-ZLb9X1ScDbzU__iaKVdkCTR7OpfT0--R_WXgnJGQ4L-2klOeVScHdYRgyPlJB6jBmTs2IteAjJnwnhDyz-TSWN8g/s1500/81zhkvRb5XS._AC_SL1500_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1497" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV2TWPBGMrhJZGiSlzajkjaGeCiqDE_oYJZw4KlMlu-eDO_yOcbMwnvclxYMjOd6WyEePpfkkxOcdIIiMqpsoawiJFVbwMTlWu3-ZLb9X1ScDbzU__iaKVdkCTR7OpfT0--R_WXgnJGQ4L-2klOeVScHdYRgyPlJB6jBmTs2IteAjJnwnhDyz-TSWN8g/s320/81zhkvRb5XS._AC_SL1500_.jpg" width="319" /></a></div><p></p><p>This Minions themed set, cute enough, but very very basic. £10:99<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5r5wFVFyc6rPvJZw7L91nkSKE-9rDUYjvxaedp1DmKyWPKsU2g2harYpZRGOPvAwFCXIiZ6Kv9hbVA4UAFioB3oCI69hLJUVY_8M9t_vxbZ7_Ts_1UDreVrlUUM3TTl0FYi1MYW_6USCUNGdLGy4ArPHzgPu8l5H3umY3qCyIvnt4alOyPfvlg_FbAQ/s1500/91x8cNYkVNL._AC_SL1500_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1352" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5r5wFVFyc6rPvJZw7L91nkSKE-9rDUYjvxaedp1DmKyWPKsU2g2harYpZRGOPvAwFCXIiZ6Kv9hbVA4UAFioB3oCI69hLJUVY_8M9t_vxbZ7_Ts_1UDreVrlUUM3TTl0FYi1MYW_6USCUNGdLGy4ArPHzgPu8l5H3umY3qCyIvnt4alOyPfvlg_FbAQ/s320/91x8cNYkVNL._AC_SL1500_.jpg" width="288" /></a></div><p></p><p>This Jurrassic world ensemble with a crappy pink camera and ugly unpainted shoes. £13:59<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhH_GI0tjXhOgcPNKD4tTTZjO72v_v6puLkRNBFpzZgeRNRkAycGebp3KtiAL6Vg984PIbToiCHObQfmRJg7-pkuFimYbauXYcs1RoQwAooneequLUxKEaXrzjpj-2BYgSfTbGhTEqDfVoPP8PketdxVgZaMKY3vzGI4fjmvfcwUl1a0vYTTZwL08AFQ/s966/612jNpWYKDS._AC_SL1000_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="966" data-original-width="923" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhH_GI0tjXhOgcPNKD4tTTZjO72v_v6puLkRNBFpzZgeRNRkAycGebp3KtiAL6Vg984PIbToiCHObQfmRJg7-pkuFimYbauXYcs1RoQwAooneequLUxKEaXrzjpj-2BYgSfTbGhTEqDfVoPP8PketdxVgZaMKY3vzGI4fjmvfcwUl1a0vYTTZwL08AFQ/s320/612jNpWYKDS._AC_SL1000_.jpg" width="306" /></a></div><p>this frumpy as all hell one piece dress £11:99</p><p>these were just the first page of results. </p><p>I don't know if these are their RRP or not, but it's what Amazon are asking. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNbzzTx3fuZkJrYbI9wr_r_8EL0mQFu9n2J8YD94LcTJjmLMHZR9mik4b2WIXlTWReGDjgyS2TXUbqHhbpk0sot5fcgdQatmZiZppsZr30Xa2xusGQLgDtJKZUsiRrtR9RyC96aEOdyNajrgWADeNRp3LoD0rVi7KsapR5kDUT-DoXhp8j8blvxUHE0w/s713/Screenshot%202023-01-11%20at%2022-09-30%20Buy%20Sindy%20Rainbow%20Star%20Dolls%20Outfit%20Doll%20accessories%20Argos.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="421" data-original-width="713" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNbzzTx3fuZkJrYbI9wr_r_8EL0mQFu9n2J8YD94LcTJjmLMHZR9mik4b2WIXlTWReGDjgyS2TXUbqHhbpk0sot5fcgdQatmZiZppsZr30Xa2xusGQLgDtJKZUsiRrtR9RyC96aEOdyNajrgWADeNRp3LoD0rVi7KsapR5kDUT-DoXhp8j8blvxUHE0w/w640-h378/Screenshot%202023-01-11%20at%2022-09-30%20Buy%20Sindy%20Rainbow%20Star%20Dolls%20Outfit%20Doll%20accessories%20Argos.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgi6zPjiysYUdR3EShG_y1snyRIijlVfm4a3hS2AkbKs2GGpJDWwIPQzSItYo4vrndG1LD-zSrsxl_kHQT0IKIcMkl-85vW0e79F3aMV00H_YfiJgv2mnlo5lZixyqfpGMSdhC5Zqy5U0Y_qLAnaGptGGK9tUt3u1909bGAi_fbE75_l2uqKvy4PlnfQ/s713/Screenshot%202023-01-11%20at%2022-09-36%20Buy%20Sindy%20Party%20Dress%20Dolls%20Outfit%20Doll%20accessories%20Argos.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="421" data-original-width="713" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgi6zPjiysYUdR3EShG_y1snyRIijlVfm4a3hS2AkbKs2GGpJDWwIPQzSItYo4vrndG1LD-zSrsxl_kHQT0IKIcMkl-85vW0e79F3aMV00H_YfiJgv2mnlo5lZixyqfpGMSdhC5Zqy5U0Y_qLAnaGptGGK9tUt3u1909bGAi_fbE75_l2uqKvy4PlnfQ/w640-h378/Screenshot%202023-01-11%20at%2022-09-36%20Buy%20Sindy%20Party%20Dress%20Dolls%20Outfit%20Doll%20accessories%20Argos.png" width="640" /></a></div>Meanwhile these are some examples of the £10 Sindy Fashion packs available from Argos. <br /> <p></p><p>When this is what a tenner will get you, £15 for something like the ILY packs feels like an absolute bargain. </p><p> </p><p>Overall I really like this line. A little fix to the hips, upgrade the elbow joints so they have the same motion as their knees and I think they'd be absolutely wonderful. </p><p>But I do kinda resent a doll who can't sit the fuck down. </p><p>like come on Jaxx, sitting is kinda an important element don't you think? Especially if you're packaging the dolls with food that'll require them to sit at a table to eat. </p><p>also, a day at the theme park, these girls are gonna need to rest their feet eventually.</p><p>No wonder their ankles are so floppy. </p><p>They are beautiful though. I might have to get a few more, and i'm certainly eyeing more of those fashion packs. Especially now I know that they do indeed fit Sindy. </p><p>Ahem. </p><p>so this was a long one and I kinda got a bit scattered there. but I hope you found it helpful. </p><p>The Disney ILY dolls can be found at Shopdisney and as I mentioned, Target in the USA. No word yet on whether any physical stores here in the UK will be getting them. I won't hold my breath. <br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><br /><br />Purple_monkfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023284779817354246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3031605728160552641.post-91119371937206478722023-01-09T19:36:00.000+00:002023-01-09T19:36:21.274+00:00Still grumpy, still impulse buying things. <p> So an update. </p><p>I actually DID manage to get Howliday Draculaura. Twice in fact. lol. typical. </p><p>So I arranged with a friend in the US to nab me one but it was a bit uncertain whether the order would be fulfilled because of Mattel's spotty distribution so when I got a stock alert for the uk stockist I jumped on that as well figuring I could always cancel it if the US supplier came through. At the time UK stockist was saying March for their estimated delivery so it felt like a pretty safe option.</p><p>of course, because it's bloody typical (not that i'm actually complaining lol) the stock came in simultaniously so the day I was told "oh she's shipped" from my US friend I also got a dispatch notice from the Uk stockist to me. </p><p>Whoops. </p><p>So when the US one arrives i'll be rehoming one most likely. </p><p>But yeah, that review will happen at some point when I have the energy to open boxes and take a bajillion photos. </p><p>but it's dark and cold and rainy here in the UK at the moment and Christmas, as long time readers know, is my "grump" period of the year where I feel crappy and generally struggle with my mental health a bit. </p><p>this year was substantially better than some years have been, my meds really have helped, but I still ended up impulse buying things right up til christmas itself. <_< >_> of course, that was aided by the Inlaws sending a wad of cash as they always do in lieu of actually seeing us. Thank you Inlaws, i'll take that sweet cash. </p><p>Ahem. </p><p>So flush with cash what did I have to stop me from impulse buying? Self control? What's this self control you speak of? HAH.</p><p>so I nabbed a few more interesting bits and bobs because why not. </p><p>YOLO and all that. *cough* </p><p>Let's get into it. </p><p>(seriously, actual reviews will resume when I have the energy. I'm just really struggling with executive dysfunction at the moment and general lethargy.) </p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p>I've found over the past few years that my interests in dolls tend to ebb and flow. One week i'll fixate on Sindy, another it'll be Monster High. Sometimes i'll have a period of several months where one line is my "big thing" and i'll really fixate on it, other times I just don't feel the same pull. </p><p>before Christmas I got bitten by the Bratz bug again. I'm a bit fussy with my Bratz dolls, there's quite a few of them I really don't like, but there's others I think are absolutely gorgeous. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBoETMcUNnihSkZEXW-UXGoQnMhWt9ScJ4vn-aqtrlpHyBKvJxVvfX_06zjaREm3t2clMOhWkTodXWaM7G3ySBeEZedLSqeCt0pu7wFIlAHh-LOTzt-r9WgJeeU_ptpyVE5STp_MnL3M6yLzkbR6Z21VRQLtqDnRm7IlJkI0Jq94LIWSh5cdTel-kQVA/s2793/20230109_170106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2793" data-original-width="1501" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBoETMcUNnihSkZEXW-UXGoQnMhWt9ScJ4vn-aqtrlpHyBKvJxVvfX_06zjaREm3t2clMOhWkTodXWaM7G3ySBeEZedLSqeCt0pu7wFIlAHh-LOTzt-r9WgJeeU_ptpyVE5STp_MnL3M6yLzkbR6Z21VRQLtqDnRm7IlJkI0Jq94LIWSh5cdTel-kQVA/w344-h640/20230109_170106.jpg" width="344" /></a></div><p></p><p>This girl was listed as "blonde cloe doll with red streaks." I can see how someone who didn't know Bratz would assume that, but this isn't Cloe at all. This is Oriana. She was one of the Twins/Triplets MGA released but goodness knows what happened to her sisters. (maybe she Highlandered them. <_< )<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvqHwU-yDhc6-kW_az2GoLuEaZXCHW30beaXkqgwlvAaCPc7MIeNLk8ttvDifrxjSCwrYls5BgxdeLXl596OR-sYg3IVrzb_aT_AKTdIntf4Aq5kA_GiJ_rvQWO-JtNP5bme3-6IXpwESGQJ66qwF4vrGBQCqIeOwSFFV7cVlphRrravf_FD2yDS2ZIA/s2674/20230109_170109.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2543" data-original-width="2674" height="608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvqHwU-yDhc6-kW_az2GoLuEaZXCHW30beaXkqgwlvAaCPc7MIeNLk8ttvDifrxjSCwrYls5BgxdeLXl596OR-sYg3IVrzb_aT_AKTdIntf4Aq5kA_GiJ_rvQWO-JtNP5bme3-6IXpwESGQJ66qwF4vrGBQCqIeOwSFFV7cVlphRrravf_FD2yDS2ZIA/w640-h608/20230109_170109.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Excuse my camera quality. It's really dark and dingy and my flash is acting up. </p><p>Oriana is a stunning doll. She doesn't have her original clothes but honestly I quite like what I found to put her into. The red jacket helps pick out the red streaks in her hair. </p><p>She was pretty cheap, particularly for this particular doll, so i'm feeling quite fortunate to have her. The price of Bratz lately have skyrocketed and it's making scratching this itch a little difficult. </p><p>I'd love to find her sisters, but i'm not willing to pay ebay prices for them. </p><p>Speaking of Ebay, </p><p>of course a few more tlc bundles turned up which got my attention.... </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ZtLa6_4T_DrCdF4eL_6qXyCQt-h5tCatjlaYKrAeO_uvG4z6_DWBKvmqaHl-gMNYpFFvCHgJMVukMc12c1E8nEp_lfUonwUpaIKpLtR0mhGaePkzXItOVTOa_D-jC2xYdg8TTONV1Qm7bTxYqSeDy-_ecOF1Qbv6QnoPmwZryKSqNsBNwVx-538Nyg/s900/tlcbundle.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="675" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ZtLa6_4T_DrCdF4eL_6qXyCQt-h5tCatjlaYKrAeO_uvG4z6_DWBKvmqaHl-gMNYpFFvCHgJMVukMc12c1E8nEp_lfUonwUpaIKpLtR0mhGaePkzXItOVTOa_D-jC2xYdg8TTONV1Qm7bTxYqSeDy-_ecOF1Qbv6QnoPmwZryKSqNsBNwVx-538Nyg/w480-h640/tlcbundle.png" width="480" /></a></div>This was one such auction (not my photo). Look at this bizarre bundle of random stuff! <p></p><p>It looks like someone's abandoned customs projects. There's a load of Monster High in various states, several reroots and blank other dolls and two Sindy dolls which is kinda random.</p><p>You know what happens to me when I spot random sindy dolls in bundles.</p><p>I had to bring this wierd little job lot home.<br /> <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqh9vqKi8xENIxt-aMSkHC2oQ8nofPibchCYAc72QvjUj7zqRt2xhU6iORjyQhvzKf1dbFSIgsz6jL9sH2XQsg3y51TO_8Xd1Phdl1kiAJB3fAK0LIr8Nj-XTA-NL4h9x0zY7s0RSwqNu7SKLEEszrA8DPcWgMdb3-edKMSWwxVIDs9V73THm7Dtwhvg/s3999/20221219_112021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="3999" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqh9vqKi8xENIxt-aMSkHC2oQ8nofPibchCYAc72QvjUj7zqRt2xhU6iORjyQhvzKf1dbFSIgsz6jL9sH2XQsg3y51TO_8Xd1Phdl1kiAJB3fAK0LIr8Nj-XTA-NL4h9x0zY7s0RSwqNu7SKLEEszrA8DPcWgMdb3-edKMSWwxVIDs9V73THm7Dtwhvg/w640-h480/20221219_112021.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>So first I separated out the vintage dolls. We have some sort of clone doll with holes stabbed in her titties (ouch), a 70s/80s Skipper, a similar era Barbie with badly stained face, Action Girl with hacked hair and two Sindy dolls also with hacked hair. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ZfHBe_WcZU3Bq6RoYp8cR_bWum5vD0LbUWjz670oNQFS4PWYifRF-mIP4jKoY-jEniCNAqgGeAdLq8YWhFuze8cI0cXwkxofpdrHzfnp8lDkPnLy6JMLQeohBuo6T5nIQp71ii-E0Fa0LPwLT_vTqq_4-JWyk5lZZtu507LLzGVB3OlQeXSoHmKsIA/s3999/20221219_112028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3999" data-original-width="2999" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ZfHBe_WcZU3Bq6RoYp8cR_bWum5vD0LbUWjz670oNQFS4PWYifRF-mIP4jKoY-jEniCNAqgGeAdLq8YWhFuze8cI0cXwkxofpdrHzfnp8lDkPnLy6JMLQeohBuo6T5nIQp71ii-E0Fa0LPwLT_vTqq_4-JWyk5lZZtu507LLzGVB3OlQeXSoHmKsIA/w480-h640/20221219_112028.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>Not sure what Barbie this is but she came wearing Angel Face Barbie's dress so that's my assumption. </p><p>also not sure what the staining is, I thought it was the same makeup that one of the sindy dolls had on her but nope. On Sindy it wiped right off, Barbie has had the blue seep into the vinyl. </p><p>I also wondered if it was from the metal earring but the earring has no corrosion and the inside of her head didn't look blue. </p><p>so... I dunno. </p><p>Oh also she has two badly coroded play rings around her neck which means that someone had to pop her head off to put those on there. Wierd. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhISMPiiF9tsA7zskcNz94JZ7pCvWTupAiTSsQVE1BmqopMR5uf76CCQiJJlrbUF8xajUTO1IUp0moXg5Z6WVPl-aAwmlhLS5nYREcuWXjjRn6G91PcrmbC6suukeRcKVvQlvphqOQKnOpdSoPQit2iAvS1jM6XVxQMiagAvlYeZO_jqPsFcUVNfN0dlw/s3999/20221219_112031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3999" data-original-width="2999" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhISMPiiF9tsA7zskcNz94JZ7pCvWTupAiTSsQVE1BmqopMR5uf76CCQiJJlrbUF8xajUTO1IUp0moXg5Z6WVPl-aAwmlhLS5nYREcuWXjjRn6G91PcrmbC6suukeRcKVvQlvphqOQKnOpdSoPQit2iAvS1jM6XVxQMiagAvlYeZO_jqPsFcUVNfN0dlw/w480-h640/20221219_112031.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>Here's both Sindy dolls. One has really good lashes, the others are a little sparse on one eye. Both have had their hair hacked short and as these 80s girls have really sparsely rooted hair to begin with, it's not very helpful. </p><p>I should be able to restore them to their former glory though. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglwcfhVP052N_kWFzfGMUhEzxaEaxbPYxOaezPL_HAtEcNsexkUPvT0JwE-KYPovtCKFH8_ZbzgRhvverixk4HS40q5iNe0IKB6aTyjoK2pejn5fWUvffj4JbTNYkgsODLV_HBAX6EEipKMSSQlhSmgPFQgIHRZQtHqKQq7jmUxycZYxsUDY2pUL-JLg/s4000/20221219_112040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglwcfhVP052N_kWFzfGMUhEzxaEaxbPYxOaezPL_HAtEcNsexkUPvT0JwE-KYPovtCKFH8_ZbzgRhvverixk4HS40q5iNe0IKB6aTyjoK2pejn5fWUvffj4JbTNYkgsODLV_HBAX6EEipKMSSQlhSmgPFQgIHRZQtHqKQq7jmUxycZYxsUDY2pUL-JLg/w480-h640/20221219_112040.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>poor clone girl has a terribly hollow body and has been abused. her hair is dry and horrible. </p><p>Skipper has some marks on her face but she's okay. She's kinda cute I suppose, but i do definitely prefer the earlier Skippers. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSbagnsWiFxEXHsoGaz0sNE-uDm-u0TCCUOdAFmRmb0uGa2A-0_vr4fWYvuR2WT0VRVbKo1pbpF4_R1QJdTlsWbOrvlG9y8LSUqpVBAcZ9fG8nFlL1QSKTIqoKdYM8TbnidmfUI8mbX83zh0Jp8m16gHEmAMNDKzjgJTkztX1e5JAN5GW1X_xl1JmAUA/s4000/20221219_112143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSbagnsWiFxEXHsoGaz0sNE-uDm-u0TCCUOdAFmRmb0uGa2A-0_vr4fWYvuR2WT0VRVbKo1pbpF4_R1QJdTlsWbOrvlG9y8LSUqpVBAcZ9fG8nFlL1QSKTIqoKdYM8TbnidmfUI8mbX83zh0Jp8m16gHEmAMNDKzjgJTkztX1e5JAN5GW1X_xl1JmAUA/w480-h640/20221219_112143.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>they also came with a load of clothing. The red jacket is incredible, it's some sort of vinyl material and textured. It's labelled "action girl" and it's missing a button but i should be able to find a little seed bead to replace it without too much hassle. </p><p>Angel Face Barbie's outfit and Day to Night Barbie's outfit too. </p><p>Skipper came wearing one of her fashion pack outfits which is a cute little purple tunic dress thing. </p><p>And there's a badly stained and fraying pink floral dress which is frustratingly familiar to me, a spotty stained jumpsuit and a few other bits and bobs I don't recognise. Also a wig. A really over rooted wig. </p><p>go figure. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1_6x3758Dczna_r60U44nZLkk4MZIIIvXaZfbeTZHeF7NXlO_P8-T-jcK3ZUgPWQgWtZU9IR9dojndP-NsNkoVXM_f4a3YMNDVOD2m5ySjcoXNEhdv23H_SU9gTge3YU3zXcQYTx4h-qVWVMh1Rq5GL__e2QxWAfCz_QQ1BisZ_lj76JTEhs6fzBYXQ/s4000/20221219_111329.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1_6x3758Dczna_r60U44nZLkk4MZIIIvXaZfbeTZHeF7NXlO_P8-T-jcK3ZUgPWQgWtZU9IR9dojndP-NsNkoVXM_f4a3YMNDVOD2m5ySjcoXNEhdv23H_SU9gTge3YU3zXcQYTx4h-qVWVMh1Rq5GL__e2QxWAfCz_QQ1BisZ_lj76JTEhs6fzBYXQ/w480-h640/20221219_111329.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>Next is the monster high bits. These are the orphaned parts. Bodies with no heads and a head with no body. Odd. Avea's head has the start of a reroot in white. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGPcMUfwMTI_FoR7exHl6naYwF4AKy7pPk0hl6kAC--XWI2-l0889s8xHRm9KC5Y9kHQGC5qtbmlML6gRTw7VomlcIdLM2izOItlIlSQsiIRTMWSKKR4sPcc21ZNKsmsmpsJ1AOvnYZWe5JkGXJrpOnU91uJ-a86rcd7E4BIQom7n4nO0pdZsL9_Px5w/s3999/20221219_111459.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3999" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGPcMUfwMTI_FoR7exHl6naYwF4AKy7pPk0hl6kAC--XWI2-l0889s8xHRm9KC5Y9kHQGC5qtbmlML6gRTw7VomlcIdLM2izOItlIlSQsiIRTMWSKKR4sPcc21ZNKsmsmpsJ1AOvnYZWe5JkGXJrpOnU91uJ-a86rcd7E4BIQom7n4nO0pdZsL9_Px5w/w480-h640/20221219_111459.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>And the reroots (including a decendant doll). All these reroots are over rooted with far too much hair in each plug which makes it very difficult to style or get to sit flat. The hair is very soft though. Not sure what it is.</p><p>The Descendant doll actually has a wig glued badly to her head. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYiro9_wOdDywkwgOfBctfaEFINNeBmngqsmc6LKahzEjUKDQlNAJ8_88_OLgeemtD2XrUTOOSl73KFpFnXU9WUkBwIaEHfWjrwWa1sGs32eqKwyi-s99Lydp4UmTrpDazlLELHEaRPo-WNQu_1cFTePlwUeJeKo3ofbPC-rEmuuRUzUsexJewsqCqHg/s4000/20221219_111513.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYiro9_wOdDywkwgOfBctfaEFINNeBmngqsmc6LKahzEjUKDQlNAJ8_88_OLgeemtD2XrUTOOSl73KFpFnXU9WUkBwIaEHfWjrwWa1sGs32eqKwyi-s99Lydp4UmTrpDazlLELHEaRPo-WNQu_1cFTePlwUeJeKo3ofbPC-rEmuuRUzUsexJewsqCqHg/w480-h640/20221219_111513.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>Rochelle also has the remnants of an attempted faceup. I find the paintwork on her eyes quite interesting actually. The eyebrows need completely redoing but the rest looks okay, it just needs touching up. </p><p>her hair is unmanageably huge though. I attempted to cut it into the fringe/bangs she was rooted to have but now I can't get that to sit flat either so I dunno. I don't know what to do with her. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpDxqM4lzyZp3xMUFCt_3Qo33_KDsB4b0FaTpSDWcfXJyQ_M9UMolohIal2cInPPxZ0ijw3cXzLe8cXHEAWLNd7C9I53uxsZDqzv0xbf7vE68-YMAY4Ij5uND54Q2oPLnzKRvYmyNrv6qITGFH9rhJqCdcpUhaXQYRDIzigYhdWsK_SiZMBxNjcV-E1w/s3956/20221219_111739.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3956" data-original-width="1757" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpDxqM4lzyZp3xMUFCt_3Qo33_KDsB4b0FaTpSDWcfXJyQ_M9UMolohIal2cInPPxZ0ijw3cXzLe8cXHEAWLNd7C9I53uxsZDqzv0xbf7vE68-YMAY4Ij5uND54Q2oPLnzKRvYmyNrv6qITGFH9rhJqCdcpUhaXQYRDIzigYhdWsK_SiZMBxNjcV-E1w/w284-h640/20221219_111739.jpg" width="284" /></a></div><p></p><p>More bodies. A winx body and a giant Frankie body. I wonder where their heads went. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4qC78WOTXvn4C_e6NRRkGGfyJv9wqaEJPZT4hYer3g9Gd3CEz9_0cLybIuATNeKVLsLZxmAJyr6E_A7b9O1azcFT47xOG7vm9HB5BR7kVnQfC3aRGc0lJ4_HGe98CsVHfjUmwqwF4w4ugryNGSOUSooGYNaY_EOqPyx_nuoVfj7d_oHhy96ip03-5QA/s3676/20221219_111827.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3676" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4qC78WOTXvn4C_e6NRRkGGfyJv9wqaEJPZT4hYer3g9Gd3CEz9_0cLybIuATNeKVLsLZxmAJyr6E_A7b9O1azcFT47xOG7vm9HB5BR7kVnQfC3aRGc0lJ4_HGe98CsVHfjUmwqwF4w4ugryNGSOUSooGYNaY_EOqPyx_nuoVfj7d_oHhy96ip03-5QA/w522-h640/20221219_111827.jpg" width="522" /></a></div><p></p><p>The custom fodder. Deuce has lost his snakes. Abbey is yellowing badly. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuFczAqNTnsKQIInUaciYyaD5rEevn8uGXJ8LCk1GujW_uELhhfcHtOPlFss5SN_X4T1ew3iFx0E7S3iPyM4FNDg8-wSn-lXlQzuhBlHRv-La1rGWI1OhryEkrXiqRweA1C3uyNOymz8AdqfeseO3IKDMos9MC2Y_l_ecNnT528ubGIQp-dez7n7R1xQ/s3679/20221219_111934.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2859" data-original-width="3679" height="498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuFczAqNTnsKQIInUaciYyaD5rEevn8uGXJ8LCk1GujW_uELhhfcHtOPlFss5SN_X4T1ew3iFx0E7S3iPyM4FNDg8-wSn-lXlQzuhBlHRv-La1rGWI1OhryEkrXiqRweA1C3uyNOymz8AdqfeseO3IKDMos9MC2Y_l_ecNnT528ubGIQp-dez7n7R1xQ/w640-h498/20221219_111934.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>and the mostly intact dolls. </p><p>three lagoonas (mad science, dance class and swim class), an inner monster, catty (missing both arms and her tail), Skelita and Dot Dead Gorgeous Ghoulia missing one hand. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHDVXJ9Ekwr9iT6IxD9hGJWaJZ1pWGvUVpwEM34wqmep9UiYZpZDcq_VFldISu_WeRnlVPAvdbg7VlP9es32WL7M3wyaBQXeiKCnABPihDHR1cGRzgUR6Ndy-BB0evvGKyiBYAVuCgnDLFSPsJSqn41NUGrt_CO9kvxZH-0qZ5dfMVK1sanTHt-qGbeg/s4000/20221219_111301.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHDVXJ9Ekwr9iT6IxD9hGJWaJZ1pWGvUVpwEM34wqmep9UiYZpZDcq_VFldISu_WeRnlVPAvdbg7VlP9es32WL7M3wyaBQXeiKCnABPihDHR1cGRzgUR6Ndy-BB0evvGKyiBYAVuCgnDLFSPsJSqn41NUGrt_CO9kvxZH-0qZ5dfMVK1sanTHt-qGbeg/s320/20221219_111301.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p></p><p>Also intact is this Fail Fix girl. I really liked the Fail fix dolls, their gimmick was dumb but the dolls themselves were exceptionally cute. Kawaii QT is adorable. She has a mark on her face i'll have to try to get out but otherwise she's fine. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiQvusNm_VNLupdaQ5uHS9_jSQ9LG-vud_SBhVSRcDnFbugcNT9SYPHTkr131WN66Dq8hMRd00H-R-zAKFAKG1AFZ09jPylBDg2ReOVbCH6-ImXu9kE-v2sUJ4n9ky2F0gXLW7sfa6IHNQVoW0saenfuqHu-qiKLrl8q8TEWw0hG4jGhua5-XDl_Exlg/s4000/20221219_111429.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiQvusNm_VNLupdaQ5uHS9_jSQ9LG-vud_SBhVSRcDnFbugcNT9SYPHTkr131WN66Dq8hMRd00H-R-zAKFAKG1AFZ09jPylBDg2ReOVbCH6-ImXu9kE-v2sUJ4n9ky2F0gXLW7sfa6IHNQVoW0saenfuqHu-qiKLrl8q8TEWw0hG4jGhua5-XDl_Exlg/w480-h640/20221219_111429.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>More faceless dolls. A Bratzilla, A disney doll, some Barbie, a Regal Accademy doll (I thought she was a winx but no) and a Once Upon a Zombie. </p><p>OUAZ look super wierd without their faceups. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFkWdYVGiGwj7V9yfWpZX0sV8m8TihX7x0yMk-SIUPBcH5LuP4gN9mQyK70mbeg3adH7BxegWramsXTUO2FjmGl0B2SNp0JR8q_bxyBoLDodNHVgxMYOpZv9oaliBkkiS9qJGsaI_P_03qjl0CGejU58XTdo0Jm2AaaXrGF94ogZ8RpeU0scVOGUn58A/s4000/20221219_111507.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFkWdYVGiGwj7V9yfWpZX0sV8m8TihX7x0yMk-SIUPBcH5LuP4gN9mQyK70mbeg3adH7BxegWramsXTUO2FjmGl0B2SNp0JR8q_bxyBoLDodNHVgxMYOpZv9oaliBkkiS9qJGsaI_P_03qjl0CGejU58XTdo0Jm2AaaXrGF94ogZ8RpeU0scVOGUn58A/w480-h640/20221219_111507.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p>Oh and that descendants doll from earlier also has epoxy elf ears. They're quite crude and chipping. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdoZkzvgktnKjj141wABxY4iFMa2_97LyB8knxpj6kLBpleqAZpLqQS9unW1fWxb14gYhrUdozep6YtijSH3g93b9LuS6bmRcQSv2ksuKFVzVW7o6RONfuzi-0ZHnyED_wWA6Z9hXVQVKD7H9l3y8d4IrUZqTR32ZV7PJrtNJzlc_HNocoGtPvLKPxSQ/s3330/20221227_171717insta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3330" data-original-width="2880" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdoZkzvgktnKjj141wABxY4iFMa2_97LyB8knxpj6kLBpleqAZpLqQS9unW1fWxb14gYhrUdozep6YtijSH3g93b9LuS6bmRcQSv2ksuKFVzVW7o6RONfuzi-0ZHnyED_wWA6Z9hXVQVKD7H9l3y8d4IrUZqTR32ZV7PJrtNJzlc_HNocoGtPvLKPxSQ/w554-h640/20221227_171717insta.jpg" width="554" /></a></div><p></p><p>Blank Frankie got a repaint inspired by the faint marks I could see from where a faceup was planned. There was a ghost of stitching across her face which I kept and incorperated the colours I could make out as well (the orange and red eyes)</p><p>She got an outfit from a budget Frankie I got in another bundle. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJJ1JW__i4ZbvXxy0k5eqp8lSrAqQp-fjhg-wSZPpdwAry0BXXo_LiDC5L6Tp5wlMS4pma4_oJFltitzPaWEjYxVH5Vhp8uhViH1w9vGjTkpoRjbtIiLepOEtXZsBvNHMM4kKWgt9CKKAptHSVrElhku5HKq-J31Xd4o-nwn3uhS9b812BosH1P1sGuQ/s3275/20221227_171727.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3275" data-original-width="2676" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJJ1JW__i4ZbvXxy0k5eqp8lSrAqQp-fjhg-wSZPpdwAry0BXXo_LiDC5L6Tp5wlMS4pma4_oJFltitzPaWEjYxVH5Vhp8uhViH1w9vGjTkpoRjbtIiLepOEtXZsBvNHMM4kKWgt9CKKAptHSVrElhku5HKq-J31Xd4o-nwn3uhS9b812BosH1P1sGuQ/w522-h640/20221227_171727.jpg" width="522" /></a></div><p></p><p>I think she's Scaris Frankie but i'm honestly not sure. The white of her hair has yellowed like a lot of Frankies and she has random short bits. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz5DXwXMSHDhWD-N-SIqtUW-VHll-YJB2mhD7AaaqbOavwe2Hx9Fi079K6j1pQK5SRR5mhsPiZw9FhqB22lxsaTpUUXyw4TTVJldTwMV8V4DIsFKuG68tYFHGJivMekZ4EK7wAHQBGpR8onvJiTXDU8gkdwEUd4mqMMc7MHY4L0iiuq1YXhTIpCuLgdA/s3395/20221227_171746.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3395" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz5DXwXMSHDhWD-N-SIqtUW-VHll-YJB2mhD7AaaqbOavwe2Hx9Fi079K6j1pQK5SRR5mhsPiZw9FhqB22lxsaTpUUXyw4TTVJldTwMV8V4DIsFKuG68tYFHGJivMekZ4EK7wAHQBGpR8onvJiTXDU8gkdwEUd4mqMMc7MHY4L0iiuq1YXhTIpCuLgdA/w566-h640/20221227_171746.jpg" width="566" /></a></div><p></p><p>Emoji Frankie, the budget doll I stole these shoes off had incredibly detailed boots but they were spoiled by being unpainted and just plain blue. I spent some time picking out the detail and wow, the detail put into these is astounding. There's even little patches in the "leather" of the main boot but I couldn't work out how to pick that out without it looking messy. </p><p>so much work only to get religated to a crappy unarticulated budget doll. </p><p>Mattel did this boot sculpt dirty seriously. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5rdhHKfiHKnEpuXa-HmC2R4u9cD1PAEhmhbpB3Mgtj7JHleFASB5bPpjtT3MYMObPNJubXIrF71wkfPtHlKes0TX10G4vHSC1ZtNKMRneh7UMJFb2wGS4gBmbmWhDNncac6huwbRcKu_xL4AQkItRE9yf3krRGKYt2_I6SN5Pc-BFplgspMzviE362w/s4000/20221208_113447.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5rdhHKfiHKnEpuXa-HmC2R4u9cD1PAEhmhbpB3Mgtj7JHleFASB5bPpjtT3MYMObPNJubXIrF71wkfPtHlKes0TX10G4vHSC1ZtNKMRneh7UMJFb2wGS4gBmbmWhDNncac6huwbRcKu_xL4AQkItRE9yf3krRGKYt2_I6SN5Pc-BFplgspMzviE362w/w480-h640/20221208_113447.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p>Doll collecting is a wierd hobby. How many other hobbies can you say "yay, my bag of disarticulated body parts arrived!" lol. </p><p>This was a wierd bundle that caught my attention. It's a huge load of random Sindy parts. </p><p>I figured there were enough parts here to make up several complete dolls to reroot and extras for repair and such. </p><p>as it turns out there's a LOT here. </p><p>We'll go back to them. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilYMHJl4Wn-sz0ImwUIN2NfCg3i-y_UOD9BxdPlOXqnq4jL-VyNzuEiSyNNaRNHA-2yorkp9EsHIDeh5Skj4tzh1MmaoLYOiFGDT28My4Wg4KVv4uW_0dpLHM5DWS-uQX12OXeO6fCPYUCbNAHy9owTHmiy61RvsyysDhOVJH8gld79AvOJRg3Pkv13w/s1600/mhbundle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilYMHJl4Wn-sz0ImwUIN2NfCg3i-y_UOD9BxdPlOXqnq4jL-VyNzuEiSyNNaRNHA-2yorkp9EsHIDeh5Skj4tzh1MmaoLYOiFGDT28My4Wg4KVv4uW_0dpLHM5DWS-uQX12OXeO6fCPYUCbNAHy9owTHmiy61RvsyysDhOVJH8gld79AvOJRg3Pkv13w/w640-h480/mhbundle.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>because shortly after I also picked up THIS bundle (again, not my photo). </p><p>you might be thinking "why?"</p><p>let me explain.</p><p>The Sindy body for a start, given I have a huge pile of random heads that need bodies.</p><p>but also a monster high body and some extra bits for spares. Plus a Bloodgood.</p><p>Now, the Bloodgood I got in the big suitcase full of dolls I picked up a few months back has a good head and both arms but has a broken knee, so her leg falls off constantly. This one needs new arms. I figured by mixing both together i'd get a good condition Bloodgood. And so that's precisely what I did.</p><p>I now have one intact Bloodgood and one random lot of parts that I don't know what i'll do with. </p><p>The extra mh parts ended up useful because Catty got one hand (so now only needs one replacement hand) and Ghoulia got one of these random unmatching hands. </p><p>Not sure what i'll do with the vanity. It looks to be in okay condition, it's just missing all the tiny bits and bobs. MH playsets aren't that easy to sell so I dunno. </p><p>But I got one more Sindy doll out of this and a complete Bloodgood so that's good enough for me. Especially as I paid very little for the whole lot. </p><p>So let's go back to those Sindy dolls... </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4zSQ0VU1h4-zKIX8RP8W5wGK7siVdpcBUIDPyLPgecFdgTmDz-tMLf-ebORidgbVLUKO14y-HeKVHVzoflA5uYH0iW1kaGsJnE2Qo1h_8KIb9kn6JNWWjAHTxiF0vCuLr8FE9SGGjkhGE8AZTuvoeSHhfKuv-vFmNdmAR6Wf4zr7XYTEe7PTJM6-i0g/s3590/IMG_20230109_181514.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2216" data-original-width="3590" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4zSQ0VU1h4-zKIX8RP8W5wGK7siVdpcBUIDPyLPgecFdgTmDz-tMLf-ebORidgbVLUKO14y-HeKVHVzoflA5uYH0iW1kaGsJnE2Qo1h_8KIb9kn6JNWWjAHTxiF0vCuLr8FE9SGGjkhGE8AZTuvoeSHhfKuv-vFmNdmAR6Wf4zr7XYTEe7PTJM6-i0g/w640-h396/IMG_20230109_181514.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>These are the "complete" ones cobbled together from all the parts from all these various bundles. </p><p>The girl with string around her waist has this because I can't work out how to get the wire inside those 70s legs to actually connect. I'll have to get clever to figure out a way to keep her legs on. </p><p>All these girls need reroots, but that will have to wait til I have energy and motivation. Sindy looks amazing with new hair, but it's a lot of work for me.Sometimes I like that idea, other times I dread it. So for now they are sitting in a box waiting for their new dos. </p><p>the big parts bundle had 13 heads in it. So I have plenty of heads left over to play around with. </p><p>Sindy is an awkward doll to rebody because of how her neck attachment works. She uses quite a large ball thing so finding appropriate alternatives is not an easy task. </p><p>But I might find more sindy parts in more bundles lol. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSjiYKK95HRW7Ch6sQVloCxw6VaPZQtwHsLnyuqBSLma8_Wezer2LOs0Gbz7s6lHZjf8-4SZLCOeoL_EeTFHxgliAZAUyFW_G74g1dm-MTdzLUiWQ1fsFv-inkIP8-MMQhu_KUAvbtX7zOQIIrHqk04JuJ_hi_6eD2DN7Cl8b6SPnpeEDto66_k_dg-Q/s1299/disneybundle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1188" data-original-width="1299" height="586" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSjiYKK95HRW7Ch6sQVloCxw6VaPZQtwHsLnyuqBSLma8_Wezer2LOs0Gbz7s6lHZjf8-4SZLCOeoL_EeTFHxgliAZAUyFW_G74g1dm-MTdzLUiWQ1fsFv-inkIP8-MMQhu_KUAvbtX7zOQIIrHqk04JuJ_hi_6eD2DN7Cl8b6SPnpeEDto66_k_dg-Q/w640-h586/disneybundle.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>this was the last bundle I ordered before christmas and I only did so because, as is typical for me, I spotted a Sindy.</p><p>She's a 70s one at that, which is an era I don't have too many examples of. I'm drowning in 80s Sindy dolls but 70s ones are a little more elusive. </p><p>This was a wierd bundle too because most of it is modern dolls and then there's just this random 70s Sindy dolls. How's that happen? </p><p>Husband claimed Batgirl and Harley Quinn for his desk (lol) and I rehomed the disney dolls and the ever after high dolls, both of whom had absolutely disgusting glue head. Like holy crap it was disgusting. Rock hard heads and stickiness galore. </p><p>I don't like EAH enough to go to the effort of fixing that grossness. </p><p>But there were some interesting pieces in here as well. </p><p>But first Sindy got cleaned up, redressed and united with one of the short haired girls from the earlier "unfinished customs" bundle.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXpR45lkolI5KckP8QbkKY1LiLZAUm3QII_uyxXF9yukzNBpllPa3EhlYd4m8VR4I4loDUuHjMMeMEGjOtfjBpdFGG8w5QKDQDmIEp2Tj1CFp0zIWhTdETd7nyK9ee3fCRY1glf5HBKhPK3V_wtIumrKOyS9hZJaQE0AlTRSKA21CTiTeaGUxtSXsjgA/s4000/20230109_170138.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXpR45lkolI5KckP8QbkKY1LiLZAUm3QII_uyxXF9yukzNBpllPa3EhlYd4m8VR4I4loDUuHjMMeMEGjOtfjBpdFGG8w5QKDQDmIEp2Tj1CFp0zIWhTdETd7nyK9ee3fCRY1glf5HBKhPK3V_wtIumrKOyS9hZJaQE0AlTRSKA21CTiTeaGUxtSXsjgA/w480-h640/20230109_170138.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>Both of them scrubbed up pretty well. Short haired girl has rather annoying hair that likes to flick up all the time but it's all present, just cut too short. If I can get her a hat to hold it down I think she'll be fine like this. Sindy often looks quite sweet with short hair. </p><p>The 70s girl is probably a "Skinny Leg Funtime" Sindy from 1974 and just like the example photographed for Petradolls id page, she has one wonky leg lol. Ahh Pedigree QC... </p><p>Her boots came in the big bundle and were split down the front. They're too big for Sindy but I reglued them and they work with the jumpsuit she stole off one of the other dolls inn the bundle too hah. It's a modern Barbie piece but it's kinda cute and very retro to my mind. </p><p> <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1y4l-FGCDKRYoEyKHWc8jhBhRj8NVJqh05d52FGHn3AuBFPFf7bqljU35bcWhtKJtUlXJ9z0mvwFVdVo7b4l9wDHW1kQpzFolotKwZYj2K3BN3Z2IRuyftq2Bf0ubOZQ6hRTnQhJhZfSRxxSGPcrav7rmJBVEs_6nUTyv0HbKlRANtEN6ud-NcPEpEg/s4000/20230109_170144.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1y4l-FGCDKRYoEyKHWc8jhBhRj8NVJqh05d52FGHn3AuBFPFf7bqljU35bcWhtKJtUlXJ9z0mvwFVdVo7b4l9wDHW1kQpzFolotKwZYj2K3BN3Z2IRuyftq2Bf0ubOZQ6hRTnQhJhZfSRxxSGPcrav7rmJBVEs_6nUTyv0HbKlRANtEN6ud-NcPEpEg/w640-h480/20230109_170144.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /> 70s Sindy always looks so sad to me, more sulky than her later counterparts. <p></p><p>Short hair sindy is wearing a vintage Sindy skirt but the top is from one of the Sparkle Girls from the disney bundle that I cut the skirt off of and rehemmed. It has little peep shoulders, it's really cute. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD27v6iJFS3HenOw7WTgXjlEpav2AQkQbSSB-OKLgeL4IzJOJbC8PzBYsiRmFpKGjrTNYb4DwJvhfieGc130c97exqCMzTSA7Fyi-v-avRN7A7HVRtde31BEPQa0rpBFfhfAUTbYrzqcmoQ-CKG4X2WGaRmCcpM9cTrGCcy33taXDct1xL3byCX4kDvA/s3999/IMG_20230109_183841.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2406" data-original-width="3999" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD27v6iJFS3HenOw7WTgXjlEpav2AQkQbSSB-OKLgeL4IzJOJbC8PzBYsiRmFpKGjrTNYb4DwJvhfieGc130c97exqCMzTSA7Fyi-v-avRN7A7HVRtde31BEPQa0rpBFfhfAUTbYrzqcmoQ-CKG4X2WGaRmCcpM9cTrGCcy33taXDct1xL3byCX4kDvA/w640-h386/IMG_20230109_183841.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>These were the other interesting bits. We have an articulated Sparkle Girl which i've never seen before, an articulated Steffi Love, Art Class Barbie, a Barbie Extra, Forces of Destiny Hoth Leia, A Boxy Girl, A Spirit Riding Free doll and "angry Cinderella". <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVO292GQrpySn9ihpoeinXURs5be9URwbOe8xDyWOfNt79lRUMRI0t5c2J4TJDfy9CfzPxp7Ba2VgNefysNEtwPFoGvmn9uGEgC0dFpDPsCzxHDT6ZHHlNDaZchbzmTeomIGTSXdstJlvVbWqvd7efFcvUAL9VSDRR7Inhb4N1gyDMmaUEgJ01JyhBwA/s4000/IMG_20230109_183905.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVO292GQrpySn9ihpoeinXURs5be9URwbOe8xDyWOfNt79lRUMRI0t5c2J4TJDfy9CfzPxp7Ba2VgNefysNEtwPFoGvmn9uGEgC0dFpDPsCzxHDT6ZHHlNDaZchbzmTeomIGTSXdstJlvVbWqvd7efFcvUAL9VSDRR7Inhb4N1gyDMmaUEgJ01JyhBwA/w480-h640/IMG_20230109_183905.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>These two are pretty. Art teacher of course has the typical bullshit printed nonsense that Mattel are so fond of but I always liked this face sculpt. it's so much nicer than the Black Barbie face sculpt they used throughout the mid 2010s which I always hated for that manic grin she had. *shudder* I HATE grinning barbies. </p><p>This Barbie Extra I thought was really beautiful but the price of them coupled with their frankly hideous clothing always put me off. This one has been changed into a fashion pack outfit which I think really helps to draw attention away from her clown attire and to her really lovely face. She has gold eye makeup and a soft neutral lip colour which is really flattering. </p><p>I do wish the Barbie Extra dolls had used Made To Move bodies instead of the very outdated Fashionista body but ho hum. At least she has some articulation. </p><p>I also love her hair, it's a lot of fun with these two very very long braids which you can either have worn long or wrap around her afro puffs like I have. </p><p>I really like her, she's gone straight into my "keep" pile. </p><p>Art teacher i'm not so sure i'll keep. Her static body is very limited and much as I do like this sculpt, i'd rather have one with a jointed body and more interesting makeup and hair. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6-pP0iHyITrMUDkCn6f09bHD2NJhhjAbqkQ3UqA395RiEbnx-NQT2V3sVmGgvMVRmtl5Nkk30A5G7NQ-mWeYSXYkM2OfQw60_h5G99NssVwQSnEpN-rpyhu0C0V_ZgPgK_pRGgYyilMglPe6AOSja5N6JA2208jr-4Th3Pxi2GyPGVjKybb2tgcV_fg/s4000/IMG_20230109_184040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6-pP0iHyITrMUDkCn6f09bHD2NJhhjAbqkQ3UqA395RiEbnx-NQT2V3sVmGgvMVRmtl5Nkk30A5G7NQ-mWeYSXYkM2OfQw60_h5G99NssVwQSnEpN-rpyhu0C0V_ZgPgK_pRGgYyilMglPe6AOSja5N6JA2208jr-4Th3Pxi2GyPGVjKybb2tgcV_fg/w480-h640/IMG_20230109_184040.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>These were three articulated bodies I haven't handled before. I've seen the Spirit dolls before of course, but never actually handled one. They aren't really my thing. </p><p>Now that said, I do not understand why Just Play didn't modify THIS body for their Hairdorables Hairmazing line and went with the bandy legged nonsense which can't support the doll. This doll has really heavy solid legs that while they don't pose too well, DO hold her up well and feel like they'll withstand a lot of play. </p><p>I fully intend to put a Hairdorables head on this body and see how it looks <_< HAH. </p><p>Steffi has wierd legs. Those knees are waaaaay too low and it bothers me so much. Her waist joint is also super annoying and very very loose. She flops all over the place and feels fragile. </p><p>The Sparkle Girl has a hollow plastic body that's already coming apart at the seams. I kept her shoes on because they're the only thing keeping her leg seams together. YIKES. But given these dolls are only like £3 or something, I can't really expect much more. The fact she's jointed at all is a surprise. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbmfmG_rjHSDD_cNSpXXb5fSAA6l444xNfN2lZcJNgYi5ghneCXD1153i-e3J290wXdDkx8h7Rq8KL5Ga8MPb6qx6c_tgTr08KfYHkZMewmUZaYQ9JEES1UZGvNb2RJwmeTp-nmh6Vzb5FsR_Onnr2VmxrArj5A6hLQaY3PhhJUsAberFKgQP5qkVAzA/s2999/IMG_20230109_184129.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2775" data-original-width="2999" height="592" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbmfmG_rjHSDD_cNSpXXb5fSAA6l444xNfN2lZcJNgYi5ghneCXD1153i-e3J290wXdDkx8h7Rq8KL5Ga8MPb6qx6c_tgTr08KfYHkZMewmUZaYQ9JEES1UZGvNb2RJwmeTp-nmh6Vzb5FsR_Onnr2VmxrArj5A6hLQaY3PhhJUsAberFKgQP5qkVAzA/w640-h592/IMG_20230109_184129.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>I wanted to test out their articulation. All of them have about comparable arm articulation. About 90 degrees at the elbow. This is pretty standard for primitive articulation. We've been spoiled by modern engineering allowing dolls to actually touch their own damn faces and stuff. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaE9SUOsxrmDogFOtkN5JMxEsM3w-c9c6oZKhJ43-8p6WY86nIWCd4JnxEB7pjUckuZMMzZpnfyR5omKXwvJnZ5h0Gmzjc6lbTX6KGpIhupz464trJA6oZ8AzLkh91t9uSmxeiX46-q1jeohEtCQdniYq5UY4CKQhazORsNj0vcy0ugTA-xTLt9FoErA/s3207/IMG_20230109_184230.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2559" data-original-width="3207" height="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaE9SUOsxrmDogFOtkN5JMxEsM3w-c9c6oZKhJ43-8p6WY86nIWCd4JnxEB7pjUckuZMMzZpnfyR5omKXwvJnZ5h0Gmzjc6lbTX6KGpIhupz464trJA6oZ8AzLkh91t9uSmxeiX46-q1jeohEtCQdniYq5UY4CKQhazORsNj0vcy0ugTA-xTLt9FoErA/w640-h510/IMG_20230109_184230.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>Spirit and Steffi both have decent hip motion allowing both to sit up straight and have 90 degree knee articulation which is fine for most play. Both can sit normally. Steffi has an added ankle joint that allows her to point her toe but i'm not sure what it really adds beyond giving her another failure point. Her feet are so small and her shoe options so limited that in most cases you won't even be able to see this feature anyway. </p><p>The Sparkle Girl however has seriously limited hip and knee articulation. Her knee barely bends and her hips splay outward so she can't sit without manspreading and toppling backwards with her crotch bared. Classy. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi68M4E5Jm0pCKO2GagFkWosfjfg1VV17FlKoRkQT0gHStD363NHKRELlsNR3pXFa5vk93LExaLVBOwN_XdwqwCX0vdOPbp-Q0uju09lDh0eMU6z-NHvAKQexew4AY68yqC3GZ2wMGlBL3JqY6FI3gWtK3TNbb5rfZHAqXPdE4ogpgU-ntr-dgJ0uLu3A/s3588/IMG_20230109_184328.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3588" data-original-width="2730" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi68M4E5Jm0pCKO2GagFkWosfjfg1VV17FlKoRkQT0gHStD363NHKRELlsNR3pXFa5vk93LExaLVBOwN_XdwqwCX0vdOPbp-Q0uju09lDh0eMU6z-NHvAKQexew4AY68yqC3GZ2wMGlBL3JqY6FI3gWtK3TNbb5rfZHAqXPdE4ogpgU-ntr-dgJ0uLu3A/w486-h640/IMG_20230109_184328.jpg" width="486" /></a></div><br /><p>Spirit can't splay her legs outward, like a lot of modern dolls there's a stopper that prevents this. </p><p>Steffi and Sparkle girl however can go full gymnast mode there. </p><p>Steffi can't actually hold her arm straight at the shoulder, for some reason. The other two can. In fact the Sparkle Girl has really loose joints at the shoulder and can move her arms quite a bit. Wierd. </p><p>Steffie has up and down neck motion but zero side to side. The other two can tilt their heads side to side. </p><p>Steffi has an extra joint at her waist which allows her upper body to tilt side to side but it looks wierd because you get the ridge of the lower piece and ultimately all it really does is make her body feel unstable and broken. </p><p>Overall, the Spirit doll is the sturdiest even if her articulation isn't great. But then she IS the substantially more expensive doll. </p><p>Both Steffi Love and Sparkle Girls are super budget dolls that cost less than £10 (often less than £5 in fact, they're crazy cheap) and that's reflected in their old fashioned engineering and flimsier build. </p><p>Still, it's super interesting to me that Sparkle Girlz even bothered with articulation. Their static little dolls seem to sell okay judging by how many I see in charity shops. They're extremely cheap but fairly well made, while the articulated version feels very very flimsy and easily broken. (as I said, she's already coming apart at the seams anyway) </p><p>But might be an option if you're desperate for a very very cheap articulated body in the Skipper sort of size range. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqr0SgaYOzEWbdjw_IwERQD03O7PiFFjGfOkl5UPX9GbJg_SXYKUUEcbshA7HjWgBl_ogoUuyeZDPeSM8Sl6uMCMSeJrkoFl4nb96Sw3irX_yeyahW3YhEnx2TLlGGQwmaU0nZaiHnQwJ8_MuxhCYOSuaNXcd3Q-0sYaaA7U_37xEu5Gq4B1W9SBbv6g/s3204/IMG_20230109_181743.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="3204" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqr0SgaYOzEWbdjw_IwERQD03O7PiFFjGfOkl5UPX9GbJg_SXYKUUEcbshA7HjWgBl_ogoUuyeZDPeSM8Sl6uMCMSeJrkoFl4nb96Sw3irX_yeyahW3YhEnx2TLlGGQwmaU0nZaiHnQwJ8_MuxhCYOSuaNXcd3Q-0sYaaA7U_37xEu5Gq4B1W9SBbv6g/w640-h600/IMG_20230109_181743.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>And of course more Bratz. Because I mentioned I was fixating right?</p><p>Here we have Flashback Fever Cade, Cameron and Fiana with Campfire Yasmin. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieWSs9gcOpva3kSKBrItgZeoLKP5E1iS6Lmi7kYUQsubPxohtc0FaZu0SLnSILRJ7V_Y5CG3hjKAe9bBFt6QBoOIvWGyGQLpKApEbDjEcuRhrEAg7s8pO5O2Qro5VU7a3yVflp63Nigz-M7uZ9ABspa4LyHDgMDto2RsfgSoVGmfpAbTVxOgCFlBr0Wg/s4000/IMG_20230109_181758.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieWSs9gcOpva3kSKBrItgZeoLKP5E1iS6Lmi7kYUQsubPxohtc0FaZu0SLnSILRJ7V_Y5CG3hjKAe9bBFt6QBoOIvWGyGQLpKApEbDjEcuRhrEAg7s8pO5O2Qro5VU7a3yVflp63Nigz-M7uZ9ABspa4LyHDgMDto2RsfgSoVGmfpAbTVxOgCFlBr0Wg/w480-h640/IMG_20230109_181758.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>Fiana came from Vinted, listed just as "bratz doll". I snapped her up asap. She came in part of her original outfit and a big bundle of Bratz clothes I also bought came with other bits. I'm only missing her alternate shoes and her trousers. </p><p>I gave her the headscarf to keep her hair tamed because Cameron stole her hat <_<<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXAr5EYdzyOVvTwmpVnTvRNv26mkIidwVswFr4kfvZzn0xSjQxZ8StzuVQDJk12MtMPlMm7FGdIKZdz8FTdxwto4re1PESKegm6Mh_f3oSpk0GtmErD9b_apRVraF56zlX44LJs7EhQd7O7VCf0ozG_RcZ4fQ5TST7UTfnwuEaar3gOUAY432pnXSMog/s4000/IMG_20230109_181810.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXAr5EYdzyOVvTwmpVnTvRNv26mkIidwVswFr4kfvZzn0xSjQxZ8StzuVQDJk12MtMPlMm7FGdIKZdz8FTdxwto4re1PESKegm6Mh_f3oSpk0GtmErD9b_apRVraF56zlX44LJs7EhQd7O7VCf0ozG_RcZ4fQ5TST7UTfnwuEaar3gOUAY432pnXSMog/w480-h640/IMG_20230109_181810.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>Yasmin I got from a carboot sale at one of our local schools. I didn't find much but this Yas was nearly complete and cost me like £1. I added the hat from the bundle of clothes and fixed her hair as it was a bit of a mess but she's beautiful. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB_lHHHUziB4PY4FMoFhq_cx91J6r7r3t5WVSiMpj84LBJTYIm_nGOSOZrhvZnqhw59VMMEUZMJlCpCk_cE6ZbJilCqufdCqgS_UjdGAci_NBXOdqOQcgD5z7xKD5nQlerXyssHFfbD3s1R9wdz8lVvzv2PvoHOWN-f4YueXWEu2_5HBo16hxRs_1CxQ/s4000/IMG_20230109_181829.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB_lHHHUziB4PY4FMoFhq_cx91J6r7r3t5WVSiMpj84LBJTYIm_nGOSOZrhvZnqhw59VMMEUZMJlCpCk_cE6ZbJilCqufdCqgS_UjdGAci_NBXOdqOQcgD5z7xKD5nQlerXyssHFfbD3s1R9wdz8lVvzv2PvoHOWN-f4YueXWEu2_5HBo16hxRs_1CxQ/w480-h640/IMG_20230109_181829.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>Cameron has lost some of his hair at the front but a hat covers that damage. He would have originally had a similar hat anyway. </p><p>He came from ebay along with Cade in one bundle, though he's missing quite a bit of his stuff. This shirt though is gloriously retro. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb2ZCA2mMQbaLDIgezqXQHWjU9SEiZzdA8zyNpMEgM0-1-LtAT31evNVp7CFLTg1e7hHuG474tCxwfVWkivr1qsLQQq0PXWIgVmjpbvBXK1dTuvIWXnsp0LdJRWSEyuHHaqB-1Oy4dvuuHKPDYKpAMACIhUG1bvT0GSI3IQ760-dgidlvi8Jf8fSNLew/s4000/IMG_20230109_181841.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb2ZCA2mMQbaLDIgezqXQHWjU9SEiZzdA8zyNpMEgM0-1-LtAT31evNVp7CFLTg1e7hHuG474tCxwfVWkivr1qsLQQq0PXWIgVmjpbvBXK1dTuvIWXnsp0LdJRWSEyuHHaqB-1Oy4dvuuHKPDYKpAMACIhUG1bvT0GSI3IQ760-dgidlvi8Jf8fSNLew/w480-h640/IMG_20230109_181841.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p>Cade came with Cameron and like Cam, he's missing quite a few of his pieces. But he's glorious. The 80s leather tie is quite a touch lol. </p><p>I love flashback fever, it was such a fun line but it's so hard to find these dolls now. I have Koby somewhere as well, though he's missing a lot of his stuff too. </p><p>I hope MGA rerelease this whole line including the boys. Please MGA? If i'm real good can I have rereleased boyz?</p><p>Finally, after this very long overview of shit I bought because I have no impulse control... impulse had nothing to do with today's final purchase. </p><p>I spotted this in the charity shop for £4 and it was immediate "NEED"</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwFI2wyNGIiEaM2EuziEDLc5wqEU_1OtsYBiMz1cn2TEaBqQ6aAoxd5K4eeFT7MKwrVEwEJV_HRAN4aHJA0DVocYTbTZeAoj4Rjdp6l-Fg1XFJv2vO4ikJF6Mgns7AybRLzi9trmOWFJe3Y0D5qzoFProjDg4AjyEb7jpKdKkXJxFJ99ay8ADETND66w/s4000/20230109_170014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwFI2wyNGIiEaM2EuziEDLc5wqEU_1OtsYBiMz1cn2TEaBqQ6aAoxd5K4eeFT7MKwrVEwEJV_HRAN4aHJA0DVocYTbTZeAoj4Rjdp6l-Fg1XFJv2vO4ikJF6Mgns7AybRLzi9trmOWFJe3Y0D5qzoFProjDg4AjyEb7jpKdKkXJxFJ99ay8ADETND66w/w480-h640/20230109_170014.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>It's a conjoined bear! Two heads, three arms, two legs. The arms and legs are all jointed. </p><p>they are so soft and cuddly and so freaking wierd. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5_S-vLSNh6GQ70rgQU2ryhR-bFNp86gcMK8fakTXDhHUC6QA6adtM5fd-WBshs0qLvLyTlqARye31kN4y3wos_8lG44k-lmLN2c4gDb8N7ysV3pWZA-dV5BrOgIf6d62YtuutTXa0CcLdmoUVnI5Ko02H5hDmZPn78v-WLXpHFRO5f2zDOt6NHNhKSA/s4000/20230109_170025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5_S-vLSNh6GQ70rgQU2ryhR-bFNp86gcMK8fakTXDhHUC6QA6adtM5fd-WBshs0qLvLyTlqARye31kN4y3wos_8lG44k-lmLN2c4gDb8N7ysV3pWZA-dV5BrOgIf6d62YtuutTXa0CcLdmoUVnI5Ko02H5hDmZPn78v-WLXpHFRO5f2zDOt6NHNhKSA/w480-h640/20230109_170025.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>I love that they mixed and matched the parts, it really adds to the overall look of the thing. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidHGXmxaAD8NCdcVVtpqAf7xhiYH-5ytM3xaqrDVcb8NpnY0Bfrebw8_Mhj-c0i8Xo-3KKSMTTXm3OxvnRQD68y3epatsqD0oIAjy2K0sBo8As-JAe1lNfVo5zWN9fP04Td1QpmIM-qVT6_aEjStaVTSppnrrhvb4gDiBLAv3aVw1ZyWUV6A72jAJ4vg/s4000/20230109_170044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidHGXmxaAD8NCdcVVtpqAf7xhiYH-5ytM3xaqrDVcb8NpnY0Bfrebw8_Mhj-c0i8Xo-3KKSMTTXm3OxvnRQD68y3epatsqD0oIAjy2K0sBo8As-JAe1lNfVo5zWN9fP04Td1QpmIM-qVT6_aEjStaVTSppnrrhvb4gDiBLAv3aVw1ZyWUV6A72jAJ4vg/w480-h640/20230109_170044.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>And the extra arm is an added level of "wtf" that I find delightful. </p><p>I've seen two headed bears before online, but i've never seen one with three arms. </p><p>I love them so much. <br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Purple_monkfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023284779817354246noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3031605728160552641.post-21835000025536781892022-12-01T21:31:00.006+00:002022-12-01T21:31:57.693+00:00When i'm grumpy I impulse buy dolls.<p> I have a new problem, and it's Mattel's fault. You see, every time I miss the restock of Howliday Draculaura I get annoyed and go impulse buy something else in a fit of rage. </p><p>this has happened too many times so now I have a lot of impulse purchases. </p><p>and still no Howliday Draculaura. -_- </p><p>I could rant for ages about mattel's absolute incompetence with their distribution but i'm tired and i'd sooner talk about pleasant things. </p><p>So let's see what random secondhand stuff i've obtained this month. (and okay only HALF of it is Mattel's fault.)</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnVYlx6ozHNVSvSgKajNhBoygOjZqIogweKupG-3wpksKYICy5FnIJmkxf-1Hiu2TRdeTJYi5OhYGBDz0OW_PB8CvvzPtiZrU6i1TiKZleSJIMa-50I5KxvX9yXAVJDTApCoEHOQwTqxGg15Hs0MbiqhgaXVYB1XVvkX99-TWchjXPY7dhPZ6MKVoVqw/s2915/20221201_140657.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2915" data-original-width="1299" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnVYlx6ozHNVSvSgKajNhBoygOjZqIogweKupG-3wpksKYICy5FnIJmkxf-1Hiu2TRdeTJYi5OhYGBDz0OW_PB8CvvzPtiZrU6i1TiKZleSJIMa-50I5KxvX9yXAVJDTApCoEHOQwTqxGg15Hs0MbiqhgaXVYB1XVvkX99-TWchjXPY7dhPZ6MKVoVqw/w286-h640/20221201_140657.jpg" width="286" /></a></div><p></p><p>Let's start with this lucky find.</p><p>Now, i'm trying really hard not to buy too many more 80s Sindy dolls, I have so many already, but I didn't already have a Masquerade Sindy. Masquerade Sindy has very very curly hair tied in a high side sort of ponytail thing so it looks all bundled on top of her head and it's very cool. She came in three hair colours, brunette, blonde and red. This girl is a redhead. Sindy was never a very firey red, her "red" is more accurately a sort of brownish tone but it's pretty. It's also quite rare. Substantially more blonde and brunettes were made, making the redheads substantially harder to find.</p><p>I don't own many redheads so i'm always interested when I see them and this girl was BIN for an honestly ridiculously low price. </p><p>I jumped. A style I didn't already own AND a redhead to boot? HECK YEAH! </p><p>She came in her original dress which is a cream ballgown sort of number and was quite grimy and not my taste anyway. But I knew I wanted to dress her up in a sort of late 80s garish sort of look and this is what I could find in my stash to fit the bill. </p><p>I think she needs sneakers instead of these silly boots. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjghVhLfOnl93GB1IXYFt2J4i8TLBPvaHknQGUlU_QPWA2RQ1nCGCyh4A6S3ujJK7LDC55T4lrz895pgqe_n6J-QG_MXfjRwptJe3VQ2oChu21Bft4OM2YNGxcOcaNjVoHjWp706yvLf9-bv5gYh_dWiXyKFWiNq_2A5sWdzHnvE4FQRtNHuZAGEwE4TQ/s4000/20221201_140703.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjghVhLfOnl93GB1IXYFt2J4i8TLBPvaHknQGUlU_QPWA2RQ1nCGCyh4A6S3ujJK7LDC55T4lrz895pgqe_n6J-QG_MXfjRwptJe3VQ2oChu21Bft4OM2YNGxcOcaNjVoHjWp706yvLf9-bv5gYh_dWiXyKFWiNq_2A5sWdzHnvE4FQRtNHuZAGEwE4TQ/w480-h640/20221201_140703.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p>But damn she's beautiful. </p><p>Her earrings are pins, Masquerade Sindy came with earrings which is in itself very unusual. Most Sindy dolls don't have pierced ears. this particular girl had long since lost her earrings though. </p><p>Her outfit is a combination of 90s hasbro Sindy and Barbie. I absolutely LOVE the little peplum ruffle thing on this denim jacket. It's adorable. </p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRPS26RHKYT-X08l-Pt7XXgtW4gwwjtpcjcJklVwcLtLmZU1KAX8GdHSW97d5MQwvpa1scsamH8LC3-02_lsSy1ta9qYpptwf90mTSW44REoDvXhSeUt5U56DYhkWlLf9OMHLnd28QK4xf3raH2RZ2XvzxUk4pdxEvRNDhdSoq65c721qyhE-XcK22JA/s1600/frankenpatch.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRPS26RHKYT-X08l-Pt7XXgtW4gwwjtpcjcJklVwcLtLmZU1KAX8GdHSW97d5MQwvpa1scsamH8LC3-02_lsSy1ta9qYpptwf90mTSW44REoDvXhSeUt5U56DYhkWlLf9OMHLnd28QK4xf3raH2RZ2XvzxUk4pdxEvRNDhdSoq65c721qyhE-XcK22JA/w480-h640/frankenpatch.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>This odd little doll caught my eye on Ebay. She was listed as a clone but looking at the auction photos I got the impression she wasn't. For a start, her limbs looked too good, her legs too solid and her arms too well sculpted and clearly vinyl (clone arms are often hollow plastic like the rest of them or very very cheap vinyl with a lot of flashing) and the hair was also too good. <p></p><p>I also recognised that this was a Patch head on a Sindy style body, and my gut feeling was that it was a legitimate Sindy body at that. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBp4sSLBS5LtbaLCOvhsHp4HxaxYgXLm1PWxLGXY9Adn7zZhwGsIXbFv2aMvoBylRgU1d4hSWmqnRSdXjnzHNp9rnPRO6KB4wYYDx-QrxmP3syQjtJ1JWkbk52hUF5sjbUmyBc4SXoR1iMGQGnPvIm0S3Q61ctNtyrbwM4GCj8LNnHa8x3V5d9FGKrLg/s2836/20221121_150600.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2836" data-original-width="1052" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBp4sSLBS5LtbaLCOvhsHp4HxaxYgXLm1PWxLGXY9Adn7zZhwGsIXbFv2aMvoBylRgU1d4hSWmqnRSdXjnzHNp9rnPRO6KB4wYYDx-QrxmP3syQjtJ1JWkbk52hUF5sjbUmyBc4SXoR1iMGQGnPvIm0S3Q61ctNtyrbwM4GCj8LNnHa8x3V5d9FGKrLg/w238-h640/20221121_150600.jpg" width="238" /></a></div><p></p><p>She got a good clean and I touched up her paint to fix a few of the more glaring issues and
brightened up her orange lips so they were a more natural shade.I could have wiped her wierd extra under eye lash but I elected instead to duplicate it on the other side because I thought it was quite characterful and unique. </p><p>She was also missing a finger (common for Sindy dolls of this era) so I sculpted her a new one. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyJHXo-HY3vrtSj24JMLv8VgIwRv47-76wfrDzboqx3z4l6onslWJFMF94xc1hdlv3QaGcJtZqZQcdPRGucJ2Fiy1ovZpF57nDjJFO8FZhmsQ-1_TWwh-KAxp_nnpcSfqDqJ1yiBRkvfupX0lNsQNNQWpWmggd2DtZ3Ngdwh0hHgr6UNZcoi40xXYNqw/s1684/20221121_150606.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1680" data-original-width="1684" height="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyJHXo-HY3vrtSj24JMLv8VgIwRv47-76wfrDzboqx3z4l6onslWJFMF94xc1hdlv3QaGcJtZqZQcdPRGucJ2Fiy1ovZpF57nDjJFO8FZhmsQ-1_TWwh-KAxp_nnpcSfqDqJ1yiBRkvfupX0lNsQNNQWpWmggd2DtZ3Ngdwh0hHgr6UNZcoi40xXYNqw/w640-h638/20221121_150606.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>Her facepaint is unusual. Clearly hand painted, you can see the brush strokes in the eyebrows. It's not the best paint, it's a little messy and thin in places, with dribbles in others and overspray. </p><p>I added the black line to her upper eye which she seemed to be missing and blushed over her lips to restore their red tone as age had yellowed them. And I painted in her right cheek lash... line.. thing. Other than that, aside from a couple of little dots of paint to fix chips or missing paint, this is her original paintwork. I even left the dribble of black from her right eye lol. Looks like they had too much paint on the brush when they did that pupil. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK0KWkAI_l61ZdFz55jT3AXqWjNjRbi5LZzw2uEP7zgVFIQn7zeESAW7QX18_XYfDF22sbvyeDO7CDuu5cJwVf7U98swvPoVHORXuSvihaNNypMY42QJs-suohoZlLHfQLEvurEWXclk2lIc6pBLJE0EFDbNh1Ii7EsfnCXtQD0TOsx7s0f6GZ3sg7VA/s4000/20221121_171340.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK0KWkAI_l61ZdFz55jT3AXqWjNjRbi5LZzw2uEP7zgVFIQn7zeESAW7QX18_XYfDF22sbvyeDO7CDuu5cJwVf7U98swvPoVHORXuSvihaNNypMY42QJs-suohoZlLHfQLEvurEWXclk2lIc6pBLJE0EFDbNh1Ii7EsfnCXtQD0TOsx7s0f6GZ3sg7VA/w480-h640/20221121_171340.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>Her body appears to be a legitimate 1963 Sindy body with hollow (but firm) unbending legs, a similarly hollow body and unwired squishy vinyl arms. </p><p>This MIE Sindy is the closest body I happen to own, though she has wired arms as she's a year or two younger. </p><p>Having gotten Frankenpatch out to handle I recognised the feel of her plastic. Legit Sindy dolls have quite distinctive hard plastic for their bodies and legs that i've never known a clone to be able to emulate. Almost all clones are blown plastic which is very thin and has a translucent quality that genuine Sindy parts simply don't have. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt11mGI3iV4xr3_YkmNY3Y6d7n61hyaMOGa4gxnLIhiSZUayMZX0vJDefgHFQWTKYblHz8ICy_2NZqnXiUfkdrCJpAn8PaI965ioL_nvqbSxyA5oDzfzCtKgpPN7aQHYgEFIQ5RBz6KMpu5Tmz_-syNzQWHv3v6xBFKxuALJ6B8gIwrZ2kIwRk-O-sNA/s4000/20221121_171106.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt11mGI3iV4xr3_YkmNY3Y6d7n61hyaMOGa4gxnLIhiSZUayMZX0vJDefgHFQWTKYblHz8ICy_2NZqnXiUfkdrCJpAn8PaI965ioL_nvqbSxyA5oDzfzCtKgpPN7aQHYgEFIQ5RBz6KMpu5Tmz_-syNzQWHv3v6xBFKxuALJ6B8gIwrZ2kIwRk-O-sNA/w480-h640/20221121_171106.jpg" width="480" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Patch is Sindy's little sister and as a result she's on a shorter child-like body. Pepper (in red) is Tammy's younger sister. The two have fairly different bodies but very similar heads. They may in fact share a head sculpt like Tammy and Sindy do, i've never been entirely sure. What I do know however is that their head markings are the same. Both say "sister" on the top of their heads which Frankenpatch also has. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">FrankenPatch has a squishier head than my legitimate Patch but that doesn't mean a lot as Patch was made for a fair few years and some have harder heads than others. Her hair seems to be saran which is another factor that makes me think she's not a clone doll. Saran is expensive, clone dolls tend to use crappy cheap nylon or even cheaper crappier polypropylene which literally rots out of their head and falls out in clumps. I've never known a clone doll to have hair this soft and shiny. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It IS however not rooted correctly. There's a whole section to one side at the front where they missed the guide marks. This may explain how she came to be how she is today.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> You see, Pedigree had a very "waste nothing" attitude particularly in the 60s and 70s where post war mentality was still strong. This is quite probably WHY we have so many Pedigree dolls coming out the factory cobbled together from random parts, but it's also likely why we see legitimate Pedigree parts being used for third party products and novelties. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Center Part Sindy heads for example have been found used by a third party company to make hand puppets and jack in the boxes. Likely they purchased the surplus stock Pedigree had left over when they switched to their new style dolls. Trendy Girl sindys have been found in sealed celophane baggies sold under a generic "fashion girl" title by some third party too. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Other companies obtained old clothing stock. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So it's very possible that factory reject parts could have been combined with old stock parts to get rid of them. It's not like they could melt them back down or something, the plastics these dolls are made of tends to just burn rather than melt, so what else can you do with them? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My current working theory is that Frankenpatch was one such cobbled together doll, chucked into whatever body they could ram the head onto to clear old or reject stock and sold to a third party who would have sold her LIKE a clone doll. A clone, but not a clone. Kinda like those "Factory Blythes" I suppose. <br /></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdoOuEeJKLd0APPoyADOCvTiBcefQKIpQHfXOcC-S019Z1tilYI40K8WozWGAbvyFxR9XsPg27zQk3wUOnGa1uFRWuFpCAwHPLPvbvaXcr7NiaKBWL2qyu-59xR4gE9gR82VZekPcQ_Cs1Ga6tF2J0g1bt-ApRnRYfHfy9Z9_0lNt3uccQhMzK7alcfA/s4000/20221121_171439.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdoOuEeJKLd0APPoyADOCvTiBcefQKIpQHfXOcC-S019Z1tilYI40K8WozWGAbvyFxR9XsPg27zQk3wUOnGa1uFRWuFpCAwHPLPvbvaXcr7NiaKBWL2qyu-59xR4gE9gR82VZekPcQ_Cs1Ga6tF2J0g1bt-ApRnRYfHfy9Z9_0lNt3uccQhMzK7alcfA/w640-h480/20221121_171439.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>FrankenPatch's face paint really feels like it's trying to emulate Sindy more than Patch,which is facinating. </p><p>Some people wondered if she'd been put on this body at a later date but I don't think she was. 60s Sindy heads aren't easy to remove, they have a rather fragile vinyl washer molded to the end of the neck which appears to have been inserted before they glued both sides of the hard body together. Trying to pull it out, even with warming the doll up, can result very easily in torn vinyl and a broken neck. An awful lot of 60s Sindys have broken necks just from play, it wasn't a very robust joint. I really doubt any parent would have been able to do this without causing damage or at least some wobble to the head. I'm pretty sure I couldn't do it and i've been customising dolls for years. Given the difficulty of swapping these heads I am rather inclined to believe she came from a factory like this. Much like dolls of the same era who have mismatched arms or legs. These parts just aren't easy enough to swap for me to believe a parent would do it. Most fixes are pretty obvious. <br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8v0kyJ6zTvXzTbXQdgTp2nvJGwxA2d1cspMxkAga8wdRHoKwo-KstpCpZBPFXCb2PinswVF_cD5xd1mCLEgKHfvjZwO7UuZC1jq3nUa5XE33_afvvx6LHK-o2r9qPx5T_CNVxsT_9HoWeZZUQJT0evCSCuYTIvvhvzSLxHoLRNp27adFRwfbTuIiRfA/s4000/20221121_171203.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8v0kyJ6zTvXzTbXQdgTp2nvJGwxA2d1cspMxkAga8wdRHoKwo-KstpCpZBPFXCb2PinswVF_cD5xd1mCLEgKHfvjZwO7UuZC1jq3nUa5XE33_afvvx6LHK-o2r9qPx5T_CNVxsT_9HoWeZZUQJT0evCSCuYTIvvhvzSLxHoLRNp27adFRwfbTuIiRfA/w480-h640/20221121_171203.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>Patch looks left, Sindy looks right. Frankenpatch is also missing the freckles and her eyebrows are substantially more arched. Not to mention those wierd misplaced lashes under her eyes. They remind me of something but I can't quite place it. There's some vintage doll or something she reminds me of and it's bugging the hell out of me. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir_OqNOw6fALwjt0_bzYpI-qsx05odtWQTVWwcQpha-JM32jQnbhq48iLavOh4dnzgcTtJ3BMPhVreZlHjtUvjJ_xppQsG0kU6BITclaAm0EOKfoh0PT7WMK7fBjR4_nYWwaAGyG0A9E4zs76oeZSbDbqealrB7v-fEjCnqTlNAd3qpIXh3ujMFw8FrA/s3999/20221121_171600.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="3999" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir_OqNOw6fALwjt0_bzYpI-qsx05odtWQTVWwcQpha-JM32jQnbhq48iLavOh4dnzgcTtJ3BMPhVreZlHjtUvjJ_xppQsG0kU6BITclaAm0EOKfoh0PT7WMK7fBjR4_nYWwaAGyG0A9E4zs76oeZSbDbqealrB7v-fEjCnqTlNAd3qpIXh3ujMFw8FrA/w640-h480/20221121_171600.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><br />Her hair looks to be the same as this Hong Kong Sindy's hair, though FrankenPatch's fringe has been pretty poorly cut. That said, i've seen a fair few legit Patch's with similarly shit fringes so *shrug* <br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ8CyGJrYg3e03QErEC9F1vAjcuJ43Z3cFU2a_MFDfhC0Y8d1JgoIxYthxO_7mvqlKNw4hkAfOmHjiuRRkmAQnT9bHe4ptQMEoG8FAe5uPgd2PL9mnN6U0FrV2C7N2tLMUIkNhyJ17A5rp0p05ZRkUylz1jg4HFWaect31scHRqo7iYbYq3bIVDUCEKQ/s2564/20221121_154215.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2564" data-original-width="1218" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ8CyGJrYg3e03QErEC9F1vAjcuJ43Z3cFU2a_MFDfhC0Y8d1JgoIxYthxO_7mvqlKNw4hkAfOmHjiuRRkmAQnT9bHe4ptQMEoG8FAe5uPgd2PL9mnN6U0FrV2C7N2tLMUIkNhyJ17A5rp0p05ZRkUylz1jg4HFWaect31scHRqo7iYbYq3bIVDUCEKQ/w304-h640/20221121_154215.jpg" width="304" /></a></div><p></p><p>I've had this dress in my stash for ages. I bought a whole clothing bundle pretty much FOR this dress and have been waiting for a doll who'd suit it for a long time. Patch fits it perfectly. I paired it with a hand made necklace made from a broken old bracelet, a Makies jacket and some Descendants boots. I feel like clompy boots are a very Patch thing lol. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj701_JN3gg6AKYBR8zvkFrIoBKZ3mfUpgNF11TD-OLlpAA-jpdAzXa5P3peDFC7NdOH2W5s1m9gOz5No1vh8U66Ykmch7WBMwrlpZ01F7RQleHIBoMAxByaqEgmg3Z6L3ZQXV_RwqMTJ9L9f1fOEezEvhM6fyTUM0f9jpsQ3Re8P20Vl3OlTqY1PLjwQ/s2878/20221121_154236.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2878" data-original-width="1898" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj701_JN3gg6AKYBR8zvkFrIoBKZ3mfUpgNF11TD-OLlpAA-jpdAzXa5P3peDFC7NdOH2W5s1m9gOz5No1vh8U66Ykmch7WBMwrlpZ01F7RQleHIBoMAxByaqEgmg3Z6L3ZQXV_RwqMTJ9L9f1fOEezEvhM6fyTUM0f9jpsQ3Re8P20Vl3OlTqY1PLjwQ/w422-h640/20221121_154236.jpg" width="422" /></a></div><p></p><p>She's a very odd hybrid but she has so much character, I genuinely love her. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyNBh-HCU46ZEEbwFO6zh4PRj89KY__P3Q5WNwju278vKt3HHIaNRSuArblhJv0XWlAnHTtjbITgr7j2DgUEPJMrYjNDn65yOzSX5md2NoawMp9CgXNRWYfIaYsMU3Czd6UOR6efQWHOKkiCo0zNAAtqJhaykCDS-06_IcfnJ_U3SmLrD2WERQ2DS9EA/s3330/20221121_154255.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3330" data-original-width="1529" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyNBh-HCU46ZEEbwFO6zh4PRj89KY__P3Q5WNwju278vKt3HHIaNRSuArblhJv0XWlAnHTtjbITgr7j2DgUEPJMrYjNDn65yOzSX5md2NoawMp9CgXNRWYfIaYsMU3Czd6UOR6efQWHOKkiCo0zNAAtqJhaykCDS-06_IcfnJ_U3SmLrD2WERQ2DS9EA/w294-h640/20221121_154255.jpg" width="294" /></a></div><p>I haven't a clue who she was sold as and we'll never know how she came to be like this, but she's definitely a curious little piece of Sindy history. A real oddity. But she must have siblings out there like her, surely? Maybe one day i'll find another. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVYlZtNLhfu8_Qfzk-DGgNKPM9Fzf-9_JGPlD74h53B5JFe-U1l4C4t28UHlg2yyPX4AYCVTSoRnsZkRXsXNSr-8Y_CkNLyTL9fhooa82nQ8jQ_cBNg3eFDifLTz_TxCW-kHsEPCxNv3u3FT68kA8ZS-V2NQRmG-topwvF5Hua1VwOtBbOg8Uf4Zg0gQ/s1600/sindydamage.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVYlZtNLhfu8_Qfzk-DGgNKPM9Fzf-9_JGPlD74h53B5JFe-U1l4C4t28UHlg2yyPX4AYCVTSoRnsZkRXsXNSr-8Y_CkNLyTL9fhooa82nQ8jQ_cBNg3eFDifLTz_TxCW-kHsEPCxNv3u3FT68kA8ZS-V2NQRmG-topwvF5Hua1VwOtBbOg8Uf4Zg0gQ/w480-h640/sindydamage.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /> this sad girl also caught my eye on ebay and as you can see from this auction photo, she needed some help STAT. <p></p><p>she's a mini sindy, so called because they're quite a bit smaller than standard. I've heard theories that this is to do with misjudged shrinkage percentages but nobody really knows for sure. What we do know though is that mini sindy dolls have very wobbly, very hard heads and are rather prone to broken necks. </p><p>In this doll's case it looks like some creative parent tried to repair her but in doing so cracked her hard brittle torso. They then glued the shit out of it all to try to make do, an ugly but effective enough repair.</p><p>from the auction photo what I couldn't tell however was what the hell was at the bottom of her neck. Was it dried up yellow glue? A stick? </p><p>well it turned out to be a piece of nicely turned wood shaped precisely to fit.</p><p>someone's parent was super clever. </p><p>But what should have been an elegant fix unfortunately, as I said, resulted in the brittle plastic of the torso cracking and a lot of glue residue.</p><p>I scraped as much of the glue off as I could, reinserted the neck piece into the body and tried to glue the cracks but alas, they refused to seal. All I got was a mess of glue for my effort, just like the original parent who tried to repair her I suppose. </p><p>In the end I opted for a less elegant but more sturdy repair. Nail acrylic.<br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTKnuDR1XrCU7bKAYje0U3yY4JBDgBcNnPwjzJAOkfkxwD4qiqU3r2YhwBWXX5_b2_VoLkBC15XQb08OafPP7P82xG7exZsW0Y1Gh9-tJ4wcsnNO2t0a684lsv6K4MZ8RXoaSRs6KNt0MPDLudeL4zCBSf5Dq4gQC7HJpaA6GgzJls-9gHmUZuqA4fzQ/s4000/20221201_140824.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTKnuDR1XrCU7bKAYje0U3yY4JBDgBcNnPwjzJAOkfkxwD4qiqU3r2YhwBWXX5_b2_VoLkBC15XQb08OafPP7P82xG7exZsW0Y1Gh9-tJ4wcsnNO2t0a684lsv6K4MZ8RXoaSRs6KNt0MPDLudeL4zCBSf5Dq4gQC7HJpaA6GgzJls-9gHmUZuqA4fzQ/w480-h640/20221201_140824.jpg" width="480" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I had hoped i'd be able to use it rather like plaster to fill the gap but it wouldn't smooth enough for that. In order to keep the crack from opening back up I needed to give it some texture and while I did lightly sand it to try to get it smoother, I didn't want to sand too much for fear of damaging the rest of the doll. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I also couldn't paint match her skin tone well to hide the wound so she got a gnarly scar. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I also used the chance to add a lip to the inside of her neck so that her head wouldn't wobble as badly. This worked quite well. Her head still wobbles slightly, but it doesn't flop about loosely like it did. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If I had the right tools I perhaps could have sanded the acrylic smoother or matched the paint better, but as it stands I don't think it matters too much. She'll always wear something high necked to hide the wound. <br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2PyIRZNSZJHtsb7dExr9y50oubVVzauEKgmIdtYTY1PH5rzyPjPwB0CK5j4jcY2jPENtlJPbnEAKMmG1qzOkrwozCdJCRuXjpZOf4NRt8bCZcixpQ7bKmHIJ4ibc_25zo7ahHpnVDz-xu9Bi8BOaAskf3514b00R7J9jSrpPI2IUw5AwT6ILhFrsWxw/s3194/20221201_140854.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3194" data-original-width="1901" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2PyIRZNSZJHtsb7dExr9y50oubVVzauEKgmIdtYTY1PH5rzyPjPwB0CK5j4jcY2jPENtlJPbnEAKMmG1qzOkrwozCdJCRuXjpZOf4NRt8bCZcixpQ7bKmHIJ4ibc_25zo7ahHpnVDz-xu9Bi8BOaAskf3514b00R7J9jSrpPI2IUw5AwT6ILhFrsWxw/w380-h640/20221201_140854.jpg" width="380" /></a></div><p></p><p>She got a vintage Barbie dress that's just a fraction too big in the bust but works quite well I think. </p><p>See how tiny she is compared to a typical Sindy sized body? DINKY! Absolutely dinky. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSsIqwpR_T0UVt-vKYAmfa2Cg4JLop4-Cv_YvMagIISrHh-izAWcEfJgrH67LZ8pA3i_PboY4BMi3P2gKSgpZaq4b5P6JbMFO5urZaIGni4x_su4G7-GXDXt1S0mLJ9hxbHiX3JeZ_MAjBNaFdJ1rjmnN-Vq5r9weD3cQJb9EBRlQi2m7R1Te3bVglXQ/s3363/20221201_140805.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3363" data-original-width="1894" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSsIqwpR_T0UVt-vKYAmfa2Cg4JLop4-Cv_YvMagIISrHh-izAWcEfJgrH67LZ8pA3i_PboY4BMi3P2gKSgpZaq4b5P6JbMFO5urZaIGni4x_su4G7-GXDXt1S0mLJ9hxbHiX3JeZ_MAjBNaFdJ1rjmnN-Vq5r9weD3cQJb9EBRlQi2m7R1Te3bVglXQ/w360-h640/20221201_140805.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><p></p><p>but so so pretty.</p><p>The mini sindys have really gorgeous faces. Very high colour, vivid blush and usually really good hair too. I don't know why their faces survive better than standard Sindy dolls, maybe the hard shrunken vinyl holds the colour better? Whatever the case, I have a real soft spot for mini Sindys. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUK58OGVGEdd4lmJK9yHtkZ3L_2bBc34--0J0vnhASm9BZDYCN8QS6whfJ3I0INoAfpCfO_IBanQN6ABKOzi3VxUXAO-Srx5iimcMEEv_OLCgFDnWlR-yIE3o3ZXq3FxtjPgtiQWXw6npgOXBgfJ-cFtTnD01DCFk2FSndNxbiucUw_njtGzf0iqSeiw/s3395/20221201_140753.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3395" data-original-width="1180" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUK58OGVGEdd4lmJK9yHtkZ3L_2bBc34--0J0vnhASm9BZDYCN8QS6whfJ3I0INoAfpCfO_IBanQN6ABKOzi3VxUXAO-Srx5iimcMEEv_OLCgFDnWlR-yIE3o3ZXq3FxtjPgtiQWXw6npgOXBgfJ-cFtTnD01DCFk2FSndNxbiucUw_njtGzf0iqSeiw/w222-h640/20221201_140753.jpg" width="222" /></a></div><p></p><p>And this girl, if you didn't know she had a wounded neck, looks perfect. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAeFYhYGj6CRfHJNNqu6F_HpQRBYOt1neXt13sURFOz8JIFvJ9XNE-ANRCoMQWq_8NgCUMEPqMIEf_shzHUBFwZ4mtiiCXdxpXve3oFFeXHgsn1Tah3yhMYzigORvMZzF91zAgtRqoVoU8HozSivYnIgWuZqscvm8e8PULu9XFJp0xI7wLEl-ZNx-65Q/s4000/20221109_165808.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAeFYhYGj6CRfHJNNqu6F_HpQRBYOt1neXt13sURFOz8JIFvJ9XNE-ANRCoMQWq_8NgCUMEPqMIEf_shzHUBFwZ4mtiiCXdxpXve3oFFeXHgsn1Tah3yhMYzigORvMZzF91zAgtRqoVoU8HozSivYnIgWuZqscvm8e8PULu9XFJp0xI7wLEl-ZNx-65Q/w480-h640/20221109_165808.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>When I was a child I had a Magic Nursery doll like this one. Mine had long brown hair and purple eyes. My mother opened all the boxes at the store and checked under the hats to find one that had hair like mine (lol). I can't remember her name, or her outfit, but I remember the gimmick and I remember her face. </p><p>I've wanted another one for a while. </p><p>The whole gimmick of these dolls was that they came with their hair covered with a hat and dressed in a paper gown. This gown was put into water and dissolved revealing inside a plastic bag with a surprise outfit and a birth certificate that told you if the doll was a boy or a girl or even, if you were super lucky, a twin! (you had to send off to the company for a second doll if this was the case and they'd send you one) </p><p>From what I understand of it, the boy dolls were quite rare. It certainly wasn't 50/50 in split. In fact, I think it was closer to only 10-20% of the dolls being boys. I guess the logic was that most little girls would want a girl doll right? </p><p>but it does mean that the boy dolls are really hard to find. </p><p>it doesn't really help that the "boy" outfits were also used for the girl dolls and that several of the dolls have rather androgynous looks anyway. </p><p>this doll for example I THINK was a boy because of the hair style and outfit, but there's no real way of knowing without the certificate that came with the doll and that's lost to time. </p><p>But for me, this is a boy doll so I shall refer to them as such. </p><p>He was very cheap because he was FILTHY. Poor doll had gross feeling hair, dirt all over and little spots of what looked like mildew on the fabric. Ewwww. </p><p>But for the price I figured it was worth an attempt to fix him. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWCJxwlXKhE36LXBscLGFdX2kAIschoylxv68IzN9fV5XYvR88qmPaL0FBDIQ9olP86GLGCCZWLDGI1_smxiZ81lBA-QLD22ACE6Qh0l195Cjyuqj3lhNujTUgD0JFL8P6L4uBiPyzisLCii0ZlXY7X0HdRPSI_IIcgdl8QpMLO3FsI3T6ZsVk5xrL-Q/s4000/20221109_165813.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWCJxwlXKhE36LXBscLGFdX2kAIschoylxv68IzN9fV5XYvR88qmPaL0FBDIQ9olP86GLGCCZWLDGI1_smxiZ81lBA-QLD22ACE6Qh0l195Cjyuqj3lhNujTUgD0JFL8P6L4uBiPyzisLCii0ZlXY7X0HdRPSI_IIcgdl8QpMLO3FsI3T6ZsVk5xrL-Q/w480-h640/20221109_165813.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>He has a sort of dark blonde toned hair with a curl to it, big blue eyes with stars in them and a star on his cheek. </p><p>This star would have originally been a heart that changed when you "kissed" it (read: Blew warm breath on it). Sadly colour change paint doesn't survive so it's faded out to its star state with the faintest shadow of the heart around it. </p><p>The Magic Nursery dolls came in white or black variations, though again, the black ones are pretty rare and i'm not sure were actually sold in all regions (typical). The white dolls come with either blue or purple eyes, for some reason. I think that's a shame because plenty of white kids have brown eyes, but none of them have purple eyes. Wth Mattel? What the hell? </p><p>Anyway, </p><p>this boy has horribly feeling nylon hair. I remember mine having not very pleasant feeling hair too, it was coarse and plasticky, but this guy's hair is also engrained with grime which adds extra "ick". </p><p>He has felt pen on his face, grazes on both cheeks and a lot of surface dirt. </p><p>The cloth body is also FILTHY and those mildew marks make me feel like I have no choice but to unstuff him and wash the hell out of him. Gotta make sure that shit is DEAD. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicymDQ8jWuSizm34rpHv7FgAahk7NGLEOaaKDuxDLli90AoyzIwcnSFI4XFFQrcD1_5Ee4bAAe_cBUmfvYey3h8uEGUwyUw4jgJL8UXeRuBTegtPYxXW8MUIwY___g_8zRXYjceRYAjrBShXXHCgGAloPKC9Z0UbwYPZAI1Jo3-nJXv_nIqubvJA5YDg/s4000/20221109_170758.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicymDQ8jWuSizm34rpHv7FgAahk7NGLEOaaKDuxDLli90AoyzIwcnSFI4XFFQrcD1_5Ee4bAAe_cBUmfvYey3h8uEGUwyUw4jgJL8UXeRuBTegtPYxXW8MUIwY___g_8zRXYjceRYAjrBShXXHCgGAloPKC9Z0UbwYPZAI1Jo3-nJXv_nIqubvJA5YDg/w480-h640/20221109_170758.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>As it turns out, the head is held on with a zip tie and then had this... cone... thing that holds the head stable inside the body. I wasn't expecting the cone. </p><p>The cloth body is pretty well made with a little outie belly button, molded butt cheeks (seriously they had stuffing inside molded to the shape of the buttocks lol) and sewn toes and fingers and little knee dimples. </p><p>Cute. </p><p>I ended up only unstuffing the main body as I couldn't figure out a good way to unstitch the limbs which are all stuffed individually. I didn't find any surprises inside so I figured it was safe to soak the whole thing and let it all dry before putting him back together. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha5mYj32Tf_EOMGxAGFQB5L6SotJNTEgcq9NaWo37K0Q3nOF8cvGLNWoT1EO0qI0zUh9RCndk0Iny4_UAsatlI5Gh-E50PD_Xofv_UQI_x4MyFyZhQHw-qIHYy_o_uzv7AQ0wy4TPKsSkPSmoQg8jSmInzsc9AYxetVMkoS9FT5mR1LnTCMn7N_hWKIg/s4000/20221110_165936.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha5mYj32Tf_EOMGxAGFQB5L6SotJNTEgcq9NaWo37K0Q3nOF8cvGLNWoT1EO0qI0zUh9RCndk0Iny4_UAsatlI5Gh-E50PD_Xofv_UQI_x4MyFyZhQHw-qIHYy_o_uzv7AQ0wy4TPKsSkPSmoQg8jSmInzsc9AYxetVMkoS9FT5mR1LnTCMn7N_hWKIg/w480-h640/20221110_165936.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p>He got a good soak in detergent, then vanish and I was surprised that the stains all came out except for a little bandaid/sticky plaster residue on one knee. A magic eraser got rid of all the face dirt and stains, though the grazes remain and a good wash with detergant helped clean his hair. It still feels dry and plasticky, but that's just the fibre. Nothing I can really do about that. </p><p>I also washed his outfit which had turned rather a dingy grey tone with age. </p><p>He's long since lost his shoes and hat but oh well. Magic Nursery dolls use the same shoes as My Child (also made by Mattel) and as a result replacement shoes are NOT cheap, or that easy to find. So for now he remains barefoot. </p><p>I'm very pleased to have a Magic Nursery doll once more. It's one of the few dolls I remember from my childhood and while I don't think I really played with mine much (baby dolls were never my thing) I did think she was cute and the gimmick was super cool. </p><p>I'd rather like to find one that looks like her, but these dolls aren't very common here in the UK and the ones that tend to show up on Ebay are either really expensive or the bald baby style ones rather than these toddler ones. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMDNO_x6SgGPFtnR6f30-CZVYRlkAPLYabVtP1AzPrw2_r-ug3rdqhbQjIylVx8jHME3XOtLSd2DvMF7v7_SxhfgjJdvXA6fQqJa9zbAu-cGiofbDh07t19g8VF6E1GwVF8EzVaYSGirruQq6Dq8aSLG0zT-aCH5sAtgCxVuUwdZdsCZPpAzhPW8oTjw/s1599/bundlenov.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1599" data-original-width="1204" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMDNO_x6SgGPFtnR6f30-CZVYRlkAPLYabVtP1AzPrw2_r-ug3rdqhbQjIylVx8jHME3XOtLSd2DvMF7v7_SxhfgjJdvXA6fQqJa9zbAu-cGiofbDh07t19g8VF6E1GwVF8EzVaYSGirruQq6Dq8aSLG0zT-aCH5sAtgCxVuUwdZdsCZPpAzhPW8oTjw/w482-h640/bundlenov.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><p> </p><p>Now you all know I love me a bundle of tlc dollies... especially if Sindy is involved. This auction photo caught my attention. Sindy front and center, with her hair a mess and her arms strung the wrong way around. And I know I said "no more 80s sindy dolls" but i'm dumb and weak okay? And I was annoyed about missing a preorder so impulse kicked in. <br /></p><p></p><p>The rest of the bundle was pretty meh. Two very mangled Barbies, an EAH doll who probably had a broken neck, a one legged Bratz, A winx doll with one arm and two OMGs. Now yes, they ARE OMGs i've had my eye on for a while to restyle but neither of them have hands and hands are expensive. </p><p>I put in a cheeky starting bid and ended up being the only bidder. Doh. <br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwfHl4Ek8Qdug4nF-nTNFgnMb8cSsPZd1hPLiPrnGXqZA6RHJPvrwNC7j5U-4lAtAbgxarDGPHPlmesrecE36DA0QW4Nu3lkbaPxo3Ha0p3C6BcwWzfLvy6reLXdx9EjWcqctDvO4dEZhuiHtNH9VID-QvWDAVpXrxV4pH91_eSALybxY1_mTilq1cOA/s2304/20221127_193300.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2304" data-original-width="2246" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwfHl4Ek8Qdug4nF-nTNFgnMb8cSsPZd1hPLiPrnGXqZA6RHJPvrwNC7j5U-4lAtAbgxarDGPHPlmesrecE36DA0QW4Nu3lkbaPxo3Ha0p3C6BcwWzfLvy6reLXdx9EjWcqctDvO4dEZhuiHtNH9VID-QvWDAVpXrxV4pH91_eSALybxY1_mTilq1cOA/w624-h640/20221127_193300.jpg" width="624" /></a></div><p></p><p>So, as it turned out Midge had lost a whole hand but also had some nibbles to her face. I filled those in with nail acrylic but she'll always have scars. I also put her onto a new body. It was Princess Kate's, now it's Midge's. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5HELPOTL6-0vlHsQ68VmzGgjsqIprPR32Vqzw-zvAmxGqukvh8KxfHBEpYfIVuvHm-GjGJMmK8IbDAq-0nem9WqCzDm-RdI3O8aUhLq_dOytlMXytnf0w7lpc6tfE_dUtBytngl6TbWxnMeiV7RFxNTh-w4hNIf-8qNwsCuVwYEaeCLFqi0Mxr04TOg/s1961/20221201_141643.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="684" data-original-width="1961" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5HELPOTL6-0vlHsQ68VmzGgjsqIprPR32Vqzw-zvAmxGqukvh8KxfHBEpYfIVuvHm-GjGJMmK8IbDAq-0nem9WqCzDm-RdI3O8aUhLq_dOytlMXytnf0w7lpc6tfE_dUtBytngl6TbWxnMeiV7RFxNTh-w4hNIf-8qNwsCuVwYEaeCLFqi0Mxr04TOg/w640-h224/20221201_141643.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /> Like seriously, WHAT HAPPENED!?? My assumption is dog but YIKES. this was her ARM! That stump is all that's left of her hand.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ggd79u1ucy4ZseuoKJKLvvbTlfoLNUq2RCD656Fg0k0vlaKBuV_nmdSHEnMocKjg0pUG2XaneU3walR82wbdUo1Hp2wDC8KLYDKpxv7EJD6YzkSNAJCgsGb8RtNiHaKizsQOOpXoTCRJfhqa_0dJLS43cpXVd-wMbID7AMn4Mlm2N8GktD2vOIQSBg/s4000/20221201_141530.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ggd79u1ucy4ZseuoKJKLvvbTlfoLNUq2RCD656Fg0k0vlaKBuV_nmdSHEnMocKjg0pUG2XaneU3walR82wbdUo1Hp2wDC8KLYDKpxv7EJD6YzkSNAJCgsGb8RtNiHaKizsQOOpXoTCRJfhqa_0dJLS43cpXVd-wMbID7AMn4Mlm2N8GktD2vOIQSBg/w480-h640/20221201_141530.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>The Winx doll is Musa but I don't know WHICH Musa. She's marked "rainbow" on her back but none of the ones I found online had the same makeup. I dunno. Her arm had broken off but was included in the box. It turns out that the little hinge that holds the arm had frozen, which is likely why the arm came off in the first place. I glued her arm back on and it can move backwards and forwards, it just can't hinge outward due to the frozen hinge. But you know, that's not too much of a problem to me. </p><p>I thought her outfit was Bratz but I actually think it's original to the doll. The skirt is made of very thin floaty fabric and the shoes are marked with the Winx logo on the underside. </p><p>Her hair is very thinly rooted and had kinks in it that suggested to me that it was probably originally braided. Several dolls with similar makeup online had their hair in a big braid so I tried it and I think it's correct. It explains the very thin rooting at least. Thicker hair results in a fatter braid which doesn't look as good. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmgF4HZqz191FVztFXDsnCzqoprpEp2rLR-_6iykVfjqnnpf4Sq18lx8MCfkenIE_O4COK3fVHqinOxAa28ddweA8z-1Dqu2-xcK8ChfZB7-ch3a8jLFPp1rx1oouQnPVMq3cQkXhY25t00l4goAp9KOCw5jJZ5pFHYbBW7ZlJ5sNEDIvTB_64lSInnA/s3130/20221201_141601.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3130" data-original-width="2240" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmgF4HZqz191FVztFXDsnCzqoprpEp2rLR-_6iykVfjqnnpf4Sq18lx8MCfkenIE_O4COK3fVHqinOxAa28ddweA8z-1Dqu2-xcK8ChfZB7-ch3a8jLFPp1rx1oouQnPVMq3cQkXhY25t00l4goAp9KOCw5jJZ5pFHYbBW7ZlJ5sNEDIvTB_64lSInnA/w458-h640/20221201_141601.jpg" width="458" /></a></div><p></p><p>I don't collect Winx dolls but I have this Bloom from another bundle. She's a much later doll I think and has a strikingly different body and face. I don't think either really quite manage to look like the animated characters but whatever. <br /> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS0ftjP3R7TREbNVlgxDv7HrTZZJMVzORjoBb5Y-kycW2Q0HpjT_c4LW0aXblT4LdducHq4ByCweJr_zQpYxelAPoEK5pxNuAAXBq9Tqz8q9DfuicqzKvnjJCg-YAk3S3lZZncp3EWyfEpnSYTnibJuUX_4ul0dMUJfivZHGEj_g0QEuk4i-TTs10Fng/s3312/20221201_141027.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3312" data-original-width="1093" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS0ftjP3R7TREbNVlgxDv7HrTZZJMVzORjoBb5Y-kycW2Q0HpjT_c4LW0aXblT4LdducHq4ByCweJr_zQpYxelAPoEK5pxNuAAXBq9Tqz8q9DfuicqzKvnjJCg-YAk3S3lZZncp3EWyfEpnSYTnibJuUX_4ul0dMUJfivZHGEj_g0QEuk4i-TTs10Fng/w212-h640/20221201_141027.jpg" width="212" /></a></div> <p></p><p>Sindy it turns out is in mostly excellent condition. Her hair is soft and while thin like all ballerinas, appears to be all present. Her lashes are thick, her body solid and even her ankles pose! </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGdQiWLD3rYYguVf5C86B8r1mVYipEURXajDRGyMSvbYxgXjghCeXNwg8tyAxoEQry-hEk6csumm-14UPJrwp7ncxMTtHTYU1l8wd1DaeEf-WLFN5CeNNzw-cEgjBfPtxNPn7giS4_t3AhJrDP6QvBX_5kmWJjl7tGU79vdRHFs4duyFM57U1zfm9T-g/s2248/20221201_141117.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2122" data-original-width="2248" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGdQiWLD3rYYguVf5C86B8r1mVYipEURXajDRGyMSvbYxgXjghCeXNwg8tyAxoEQry-hEk6csumm-14UPJrwp7ncxMTtHTYU1l8wd1DaeEf-WLFN5CeNNzw-cEgjBfPtxNPn7giS4_t3AhJrDP6QvBX_5kmWJjl7tGU79vdRHFs4duyFM57U1zfm9T-g/s320/20221201_141117.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>However, one of her arms has a broken shoulder hook which is likely why she had her arms restrung in the first place. This picture shows how the arm SHOULD look with a little hook that the elastic slides over. <p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7fJzgZ0aLDiCBLSyQ_DJZ1Bq6j4GL4rLXVU5zwVmODhWErCP2k654WqUAtGrnd6TuIngEoFkaRqYQVAtSBnJ9Kn8SFFerEuI8PL0BdsvxmUfNYxENaEawHb8eQ9MD-zhb7HIU_WQJsJlwZH08upnCCeClJ2slY8DuuxVC-s9kKSXCPgSNlpcaVqmpVQ/s2419/20221201_141050.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2419" data-original-width="1924" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7fJzgZ0aLDiCBLSyQ_DJZ1Bq6j4GL4rLXVU5zwVmODhWErCP2k654WqUAtGrnd6TuIngEoFkaRqYQVAtSBnJ9Kn8SFFerEuI8PL0BdsvxmUfNYxENaEawHb8eQ9MD-zhb7HIU_WQJsJlwZH08upnCCeClJ2slY8DuuxVC-s9kKSXCPgSNlpcaVqmpVQ/s320/20221201_141050.jpg" width="255" /></a></div><p></p><p>The other arm unfortunately the whole hook part has sheared off, leaving only the hinge section of it but nothing for the elastic to hook onto. <br /></p><p>I don't have any spare ballerina parts so I just updated the original fix to tighten it all up. The original owner had repaired it with a little bit of thread tied around the hook stump and then threaded through the loop in the arm elastic. I took this one step further and threaded cotton through the hole in the hook stump (there's a little hole in the hinge piece) and then through the elastic and back again a few times till it was good and tight. It'll hold and works fine for a display doll. Her arms can still pose no problem and bonus, they're now on the correct sides of her body! </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCtBYgyCl3jg8xlcwnG_swxwQbhIdJGg819mtWbwzn2xQ2Ahd9Cj2033q9Og_QdC44AVktQ1XUq715dCVLpqcXiMna3UhJ91mWsvuPCGAtUrUxw2NW8D1VX6s_HSNf56ixrbN5tLI6JDSCh2FXSd7h_9vywvG7auOF23tEtC5KlEtjjZq_VEWyo_fIug/s3178/20221201_141032.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3178" data-original-width="2604" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCtBYgyCl3jg8xlcwnG_swxwQbhIdJGg819mtWbwzn2xQ2Ahd9Cj2033q9Og_QdC44AVktQ1XUq715dCVLpqcXiMna3UhJ91mWsvuPCGAtUrUxw2NW8D1VX6s_HSNf56ixrbN5tLI6JDSCh2FXSd7h_9vywvG7auOF23tEtC5KlEtjjZq_VEWyo_fIug/w524-h640/20221201_141032.jpg" width="524" /></a></div><p></p><p>Finally Apple. Apple's body was, as I anticipated, broken. The neck was shattered. I happened to have a spare Apple body here with a head that had such bad glue hair that i'd given up on it completely. I figured that I could swap the decent Apple head and have one complete doll so that's exactly what I did. </p><p>I don't know which Apple doll she is. She has a little glue but her hair is mostly soft and decent which is a relief after the absolute disgusting mess that is her signature doll. Just.. ew ew ew ew ew. </p><p>I'm not honestly a massive fan of eah anyway. Big fancy dresses and princesses were never my thing and I always found their big flat faces quite disappointing when compared to their predecessors Monster High. Given how unique each MH face was, all the dolls having this identical broad moon face was quite a pity. I can never help but wonder how EAH could have looked had Mattel kept the same sculpt aesthetics for the heads as MH. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-MzjFxmg0K2P4Z__YtIO16WB0VF15j0GAogR3w4UISw8I8-BnFQIzBzGr0q4Lg7mD8YHYbKq27WQulfvMTKiKqSV2PAl4Vz4K0_cKOfhB4LntSOIPwOGDtNuCfWi-l_TNrcOnpezT3tR7SBHAh5P5siIGMF1yMpzaenVcCO-1hkQJjf5D762Q-IuuSg/s2495/20221127_193413.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2153" data-original-width="2495" height="552" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-MzjFxmg0K2P4Z__YtIO16WB0VF15j0GAogR3w4UISw8I8-BnFQIzBzGr0q4Lg7mD8YHYbKq27WQulfvMTKiKqSV2PAl4Vz4K0_cKOfhB4LntSOIPwOGDtNuCfWi-l_TNrcOnpezT3tR7SBHAh5P5siIGMF1yMpzaenVcCO-1hkQJjf5D762Q-IuuSg/w640-h552/20221127_193413.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>Also in the bundle were these dolls. </p><p>Jade has lost a leg. It was not in the box. I don't know what to do with her honestly. I suppose I could wipe her head and paint it up but I don't know if I can be bothered. Bratz heads are really difficult to wipe the paint from and these 2016 bratz have especially flat featureless faces. </p><p>The OMGs scrubbed up nice. I never understood Cosmic Nova's design, her LOL tot was 80s space themed so why on earth was the big sister western cowgirl themed? It was wierd. Her hair is really cool, it's a soft greenish tone with tinsel shot through it and honestly I feel like it's absolutely wasted being in the original bubble pigtail style. So I put it in buns to emulate her little sister. </p><p>She had glitter lips which I hate, but I noticed as I handled her that the glitter was just coming off in chunks. It took no effort at all to simply wipe the glitter off with my fingernail, it wasn't sealed at all. </p><p>I tried the Winx outfit on her which looks pretty nice on the OMG body I think. I don't think it works for Cosmic Nova though. She needs something far more spacey. </p><p>interesting to see that the shoes fit though. </p><p>She is missing one hand.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKmcEK12Tsg9jUiognE2Ss5um29yIfgEDNXhmqJF1jQOq8fHJnoZchruxHbdJ-9DbajQYgMK5azUggjPRZALM0RX7InGOPUP-mg6hLKQ3YtBM1nOgnphtb56YxeM6ee5TJ12ofjky5Kf9LyoJSVcV1IsMFKU11JvgfV9flIOiXBU36piF0nuqIZrC5UA/s2345/20221201_140628.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2345" data-original-width="1487" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKmcEK12Tsg9jUiognE2Ss5um29yIfgEDNXhmqJF1jQOq8fHJnoZchruxHbdJ-9DbajQYgMK5azUggjPRZALM0RX7InGOPUP-mg6hLKQ3YtBM1nOgnphtb56YxeM6ee5TJ12ofjky5Kf9LyoJSVcV1IsMFKU11JvgfV9flIOiXBU36piF0nuqIZrC5UA/w406-h640/20221201_140628.jpg" width="406" /></a></div><br /> She's currently leaning more 80s with her look than space, but it's what I had available. <br /><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlL2EHbGQUOU1deB7H1D9bF5mIaWeAGlQGLJKqUwScYdWeSB8j2cw4OFXYDLd5MHfiR8jKHrvNAt1oWBMKpSZHB43V5ZeMTXk8QeT8Z9KgTV-pKoNseCqrk5QURfPllj5WnAS-wW1U34loOfEhb3PU0UWiMqxTJodirSEQpM-bdkVk44QUHCSq6gIAbw/s3376/20221127_193429.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3376" data-original-width="2819" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlL2EHbGQUOU1deB7H1D9bF5mIaWeAGlQGLJKqUwScYdWeSB8j2cw4OFXYDLd5MHfiR8jKHrvNAt1oWBMKpSZHB43V5ZeMTXk8QeT8Z9KgTV-pKoNseCqrk5QURfPllj5WnAS-wW1U34loOfEhb3PU0UWiMqxTJodirSEQpM-bdkVk44QUHCSq6gIAbw/w534-h640/20221127_193429.jpg" width="534" /></a></div> <p></p><p>Meanwhile Chillax is missing both hands. Her hair is extremely long because it's meant to be in bun things but I couldn't be bothered working out how to restore them. It took me long enough to figure out how to do buns on Cosmic Nova. </p><p>The MH outfit emulates her little sister's outfit which I thought was cute but I initially had her in the Winx outfit which looks really good on her. </p><p>Her hair is so soft. And such a gorgeous colour. I've wanted Chillax for a while purely because of this hair colour. It's such a vibrant blue-teal and I adore it. </p><p>Apple's broken body DID have two good hands. Sadly they aren't a good match for Lizzie who has two of the same hand. *sigh* but for the time being they stay with their hands swapped. I don't think I can repair this body, but I can harvest it for parts.</p><p><br /></p> I wasn't sure i'd end up keeping the OMGs because I didn't much want to have to buy hands for them, but you know... i think I will have to now. Yes sure, I could probably get intact ones for very little money but I don't like wasting dolls and these girls are perfectly fine, they just need hands. I'd rather bring them back to display condition than replace them. <p></p><p>So for my £15 + postage I got a Sindy doll who's in substantially better condition than I expected, two omgs that I need to find hands for (and thus spend more money on. Whoops?) and a few other dolls who i'll rehome. </p><p>there was another barbie but I didn't bother to take her picture. She wasn't interesting enough for me to care. She also was missing a hand/arm. Another victim of the maybe dog. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6tggBpConUXy016V_4X7xe4RWsp3Dc3_1J7105U-gO7fjXTlEKLqQyr7u3FQ8lLFFnm1OV8wXim5VNwI5eDR4GIGja6-szYaMSKoTcS7dyWOiYxoJcMqnHuzOlh4nw22euE0mnItALcL1Uva4m96qFv-YZyRWGPRNG70WFQ77o9o_2AH32XTu7GV6hA/s3633/20221201_141247.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3633" data-original-width="2582" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6tggBpConUXy016V_4X7xe4RWsp3Dc3_1J7105U-gO7fjXTlEKLqQyr7u3FQ8lLFFnm1OV8wXim5VNwI5eDR4GIGja6-szYaMSKoTcS7dyWOiYxoJcMqnHuzOlh4nw22euE0mnItALcL1Uva4m96qFv-YZyRWGPRNG70WFQ77o9o_2AH32XTu7GV6hA/w454-h640/20221201_141247.jpg" width="454" /></a></div><p></p><p>Another "cheap" ebay auction was this girl. The hard to find and often quite bloody expensive Monster High "Love's Not Dead" Ghoulia. She came in a two pack with Slo Mo and a very different outfit. And stupid Marge Simpson hair that never translated well to actual doll form and just looked silly. </p><p>This particular doll was sold simply as "Ghoulia Yelps" with no acknowledgement of which dolls she was, just that she was wearing Ghoul's Night Out's dress. </p><p>I wanted this Ghoulia becuase of her distinctive makeup and extra dark blue hair. Most Ghoulias have a pale blue hair colour but this one and Geek Shriek both got this very dark blue instead. It's really pretty against the grey skin. Love's Not Dead Ghoulia also has this intense blue and pinkish redish? makeup and red highlights in her eyes along with very intense dark rings around both eyes. It's quite a dark look for a playline doll and I dig it. </p><p>Her hair was designed to be done up in this stupid beehive updo which Mattel fucked up so it just looked like a sad noodle on top of her scalp, but this means her hair is quite thin and a rather odd length. That said, it's lovely and soft. The previous owner clearly rinsed the shit out of it to get all the gel/glue out because it feels really nice now. </p><p>I ended up styling the front to make it look a little neater but it's still a bit awkward to me. It is parted properly at least, which is unusual for an intended updo, but it's quite ratty at the ends and i'm tempted to trim it to a more even length. I'm not sure though. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0YChaOlPbyoXKYun7O5o3wfPP72iIPJlTT_QlxDEZu19JnbwooOh2uTyhhpWUIfx4k3wrAOxDMPEh0Ls913d-DE1L_k1miG81kluQYJ-O3CvuHjAMNs-3YRwWVT6FsIbVW8iBLYpbaLKZrElb8PYrDd9gnua6RYJOCT8SgdIcajzVLcg6U2FFDjQbfQ/s3531/20221201_141339.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3531" data-original-width="1268" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0YChaOlPbyoXKYun7O5o3wfPP72iIPJlTT_QlxDEZu19JnbwooOh2uTyhhpWUIfx4k3wrAOxDMPEh0Ls913d-DE1L_k1miG81kluQYJ-O3CvuHjAMNs-3YRwWVT6FsIbVW8iBLYpbaLKZrElb8PYrDd9gnua6RYJOCT8SgdIcajzVLcg6U2FFDjQbfQ/w230-h640/20221201_141339.jpg" width="230" /></a></div><br /><p>As mentioned her dress is Ghouls Night Out and I think the brain handbag might be as well. Her shoes are from one of the Inner Monster dolls I think. Her earrings i'm not sure about and i'm fairly certain the headband isn't MH at all, but it looks suitably "brainy" with that texture on it. I'm also fairly sure the glasses are bootleg. They're a much more flexable and shiny plastic than any legitimate Ghoulia glasses i've ever had. But they serve their purpose. </p><p>Maybe at some point i'll be able to find her original outfit for a good price but i'll be honest, it's a fairly cheap looking outfit anyway. There's some cool bits to it, but Mattel's overuse of the same printable super shiny polyester just reads as "budget" to me now. And feels like a huge downgrade compared to dresses like this one which are made from multiple different fabrics with different weights and textures. </p><p>She does have another issue though, one the seller didn't disclose. Both her arms have lost their stoppers on the elbow pegs. I'm not sure how that's happened, but it means both arms are loose. I got them to stay in place with my trusty nail acrylic but it's not perfect. </p><p>Kinda frustrating but she was pretty cheap and this damn doll is really hard to find for a decent price. </p><p>as she'll only ever be displayed it's not really a big deal.</p><p>Just a bit of a shame to see. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSUCg7g5eTSkeFQa9GScoQdQkKhRMzn46fyW_veSQvhv1LKxWwlaz_sLKy4qNpe5IaBOp5LV0t9ZGbAdlGiUZTx2aY5vHx_-Ms5Cw9hKREzmom9mnQCcTTm-liNNjoUYTANJCTVuHFdsvW1rGF_cqNh9Dw2HZRgllDlucgSqU7caAZzGDRoKbhEyhsPg/s2224/20221201_163724.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2224" data-original-width="1375" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSUCg7g5eTSkeFQa9GScoQdQkKhRMzn46fyW_veSQvhv1LKxWwlaz_sLKy4qNpe5IaBOp5LV0t9ZGbAdlGiUZTx2aY5vHx_-Ms5Cw9hKREzmom9mnQCcTTm-liNNjoUYTANJCTVuHFdsvW1rGF_cqNh9Dw2HZRgllDlucgSqU7caAZzGDRoKbhEyhsPg/w396-h640/20221201_163724.jpg" width="396" /></a></div><p></p><p>Much as I wasn't a huge fan of Monster High's g2 "everyone gets a baby sister!" nonsense, Kelpie at least had a vuagely interesting design. But because g2 was cheap as fuck of course they didn't actually do her justice. </p><p>Lagoona's younger sister from the g1 Great Scarrier Reef movie, the one that kinda kickstarted the whole "everyone gets baby siblings!" thing by giving Lagoona baby siblings and a whole marketable family. </p><p>Anyway, </p><p>movie Kelpie was super geeky with braces and glasses and very curly hair.</p><p>her actual doll? eeee not so much.</p><p>For a start her hair came in sort of wet looking deflated curls which I had to puff up and sew to her scalp to get to emulate her screen hair. She also came with only part of her screen outfit (no tights), sunglasses instead of glasses that barely fit her face anyway and a static body that's stuck in the most awkward pose. </p><p>But still, I thought she had an interesting face and wanted to see what she looked like up close. I wasn't going to buy her new, but for fairly cheap secondhand I figured she was worth a punt. </p><p>Her outfit is pretty boring. It's a swimsuit with a wierd bubble skirt thing over the top and a pair of kelp flipflops. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOBFBz2aYDFm7wrTfL8L8i0Gn_c6lk84IyRsCrgOhyl56Bqfb2Mp7QAagmJsDi4o3lbodUDs0Z-I08JEZjvHg0qrLKrwJR_24kPTyC-k8TdISj2dUfTf9XI-CnBhkQmRSLACC5R2f48yeJXqU1LARKM6kTzCOq2tTTnHMXu3IperLbiABhQCAGhj9Kqg/s3288/20221201_163835.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3288" data-original-width="1887" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOBFBz2aYDFm7wrTfL8L8i0Gn_c6lk84IyRsCrgOhyl56Bqfb2Mp7QAagmJsDi4o3lbodUDs0Z-I08JEZjvHg0qrLKrwJR_24kPTyC-k8TdISj2dUfTf9XI-CnBhkQmRSLACC5R2f48yeJXqU1LARKM6kTzCOq2tTTnHMXu3IperLbiABhQCAGhj9Kqg/w368-h640/20221201_163835.jpg" width="368" /></a></div><p></p><p>I sewed her glasses to her head as well <_< they kept falling off and it was pissing me off okay?</p><p>Anyway, Kelpie has a whole new body sculpt with molded scales on her arms and legs but curiously, not very webbed fingers. I don't fully understand why Mattel elected to mold the body in such an awkward stiff pose either. I mean, if you're gonna do a static pose at least make it look natural you know? the way she's holding her hands just looks so stiff and uncomfortable, I don't understand why they went that route when they could have had her arms straight with her hands in a far more relaxed state. It's bloody wierd. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgolje_FqJFfihb27m5pjL_vbNH_9vbxSGRn8ZS1u5K9pgrKeeDUuwzH7bMuqDtRILmNLLhrdAjxm2kDoD8eprl-JIY39eKA4HAP2ywcezDpywQHTyRvBclaxjrwNLAgq98OPeoaahP5EPMG_QW6C0Y5_pNETKxrU8_Fu6PLiZ4qTGWK2cqmNswSnKYFA/s3593/20221201_163842.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3593" data-original-width="1290" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgolje_FqJFfihb27m5pjL_vbNH_9vbxSGRn8ZS1u5K9pgrKeeDUuwzH7bMuqDtRILmNLLhrdAjxm2kDoD8eprl-JIY39eKA4HAP2ywcezDpywQHTyRvBclaxjrwNLAgq98OPeoaahP5EPMG_QW6C0Y5_pNETKxrU8_Fu6PLiZ4qTGWK2cqmNswSnKYFA/w230-h640/20221201_163842.jpg" width="230" /></a></div><p></p><p>She's purple, while her movie form was purple and teal splotched. She's actually a fairly similar tone to Twyla. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC41ipW8l_jEHSHQCX61DUTpp43g5rcP346tmouQYnmqONfGc-MLowmkN-7tqeJXawRyH5GSYgTk4sAkeKmEPfHxcdYzTMXOACxlua6n6KyAKYImQvZbq5l7R7kSkQo2gvWJsfE3_MdH5Cx5ZONbpw7FjREvUuIGLb7C4u3js8iP3SZCU___oDgPhKdQ/s2021/20221201_163853.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2021" data-original-width="1661" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC41ipW8l_jEHSHQCX61DUTpp43g5rcP346tmouQYnmqONfGc-MLowmkN-7tqeJXawRyH5GSYgTk4sAkeKmEPfHxcdYzTMXOACxlua6n6KyAKYImQvZbq5l7R7kSkQo2gvWJsfE3_MdH5Cx5ZONbpw7FjREvUuIGLb7C4u3js8iP3SZCU___oDgPhKdQ/w526-h640/20221201_163853.jpg" width="526" /></a></div><p></p><p>For some reason her ears are separate to her head. They're made of a harder plastic and there's a huge and very obvious seam where they're glued in. I don't understand this either. At first I thought it was because they were maybe too large for the mold to work but her ears aren't that much larger than Kjersti and surely it would have been easier to just make her ears smaller? It's not like they were really trying to be screen accurate with her, so why fuss about making her ears as large as possible if it means you have to do this ugly seam thing? </p><p>The way her ears are affixed also I suspect is another reason her glasses don't stay on. That coupled with her very thick poofy hair and slightly too large glasses means they just have nothing to hook onto and simply fall off immediately. </p><p>it's irritating. They don't fit her face anyway, they're too big, but come on Mattel! Why bother giving her glasses if she can't wear them properly?</p><p>She also has a headband but like all Mattel headbands, it's not actually long enough to tuck behind her ears or into her hair and thus also doesn't stay on her head. -_- </p><p>this shouldn't be hard Mattel. Headbands shouldn't be hard.</p><p>Anyway, Kelpie's hair is blonde with teal in about a 50/50 blend. Lagoona uses these same colours though usually with less of the teal/blue bits. It's rooted to be in a ponytail... I think. it's kinda hard to tell with the mess of lank curls she's got going on. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxsdWRzRRc5fvppgwRRE8_7FxpMWTXvWOSbp3IqL98EYn4l5GqjDD0CO98WC-PX96IheLMK08g4phA0nuSQqIGTBd___CnbJxufmvkCetz6RycFhWhCVCCwKNrzvidVVuMHGGgpgl1p2gdMHvzrZ0VzXI4-GLU9EObgtAuV35F3RG7vaJScpEwunhtEQ/s797/Monster-Family-2-pack-1-Kelpie-Blue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="797" data-original-width="797" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxsdWRzRRc5fvppgwRRE8_7FxpMWTXvWOSbp3IqL98EYn4l5GqjDD0CO98WC-PX96IheLMK08g4phA0nuSQqIGTBd___CnbJxufmvkCetz6RycFhWhCVCCwKNrzvidVVuMHGGgpgl1p2gdMHvzrZ0VzXI4-GLU9EObgtAuV35F3RG7vaJScpEwunhtEQ/w640-h640/Monster-Family-2-pack-1-Kelpie-Blue.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Here you can see what her doll was SUPPOSED to look like and how she was advertised. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgolN4fURBPlTjHQAMka8bf4uo_NL4S6PbM_fk3aMCPvVY5NMfFsdMvhFVfqAugev7hC0-9uKMllqypZ_WKJZus7b3LP2Fby8b2dXZcCdhDBIUbDeTNRahl4nohEkrArQfLq2Ov7tQ5KxtEElxntVAx5M9BUEb7t1av0BUJQOb1QI3qXnHBWVjDxUJhVA/s1500/133363359_max.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1059" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgolN4fURBPlTjHQAMka8bf4uo_NL4S6PbM_fk3aMCPvVY5NMfFsdMvhFVfqAugev7hC0-9uKMllqypZ_WKJZus7b3LP2Fby8b2dXZcCdhDBIUbDeTNRahl4nohEkrArQfLq2Ov7tQ5KxtEElxntVAx5M9BUEb7t1av0BUJQOb1QI3qXnHBWVjDxUJhVA/w452-h640/133363359_max.jpg" width="452" /></a></div><br /><p>But this sad frizz is what we got instead. </p><p>*sigh*</p><p>If I had the tools here i'd attempt to curl her hair properly but I don't have anything that I think will work for those tight curls and her hair is so frizzy anyway it likely won't look any better than it does right now. </p><p>And it's a real pity because she had potential to be quite a fun looking little doll you know? Mattel wussed out in the execution and swung hard away from the afro. Cowards. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK1zaQi_jyguf-mapCsHj2RTruogjcCdUXxgs-MutdVK5h-3WLOICDnON6t30ORfky2dkW63c_bSwT_g99QqsdCxkcaHDdFMazedEIKhLv25UNo1hoO8fixv6uT4vNe75chAqZEzfK1TYecp3mbqCNBZizbHQDB3dBj1aI2xtnZ7alip4sy8P1rYt7Mw/s2822/20221201_164111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2822" data-original-width="2577" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK1zaQi_jyguf-mapCsHj2RTruogjcCdUXxgs-MutdVK5h-3WLOICDnON6t30ORfky2dkW63c_bSwT_g99QqsdCxkcaHDdFMazedEIKhLv25UNo1hoO8fixv6uT4vNe75chAqZEzfK1TYecp3mbqCNBZizbHQDB3dBj1aI2xtnZ7alip4sy8P1rYt7Mw/w584-h640/20221201_164111.jpg" width="584" /></a></div><br /><p>I really wanted to put Kelpie onto an articulated body but she's such an awkward size. She's about as small again to the little sister body as they are to the regular MH body. </p><p>Her head is also really small and the neck hole is teensy tiny.</p><p>I've seen people put her head onto Twyla's body but for me I don't think it's going to work because her head is so much smaller than the other "little sisters" on those bodies. I don't want her looking pinheaded by comparison. </p><p>but man those arms are so damn awkward. </p><p>What the hell were they thinking with that pose? </p><p>I think she's an interesting addition, but I do wish she had at least some posability in her arms, or you know.. wasn't stuck looking like she was doing an impression of a mummy with the stiff outstretched arms you know? </p><p>Maybe i'll figure out something to do with her. For now she's just on my shelf. A curiosity to sate me. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDq33xLzhWrfuhEpmaU-y2eckGhm6krz9oAyuV0xyA5oGZ2hWjMfjaKBC1YTvud7CTJKoUhYENHkabX6kuibXiwG8-uxQe6YLDkrsk2qRbpWCIXsdkbUTyHEKhP0Y0J7iTczkbQ9qYjdKeGb-dHz4n1OtHlFXGWs1Bh_fJ9N5p5_hNElj80-n9M1uOtg/s2154/20221201_171012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2154" data-original-width="2050" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDq33xLzhWrfuhEpmaU-y2eckGhm6krz9oAyuV0xyA5oGZ2hWjMfjaKBC1YTvud7CTJKoUhYENHkabX6kuibXiwG8-uxQe6YLDkrsk2qRbpWCIXsdkbUTyHEKhP0Y0J7iTczkbQ9qYjdKeGb-dHz4n1OtHlFXGWs1Bh_fJ9N5p5_hNElj80-n9M1uOtg/w610-h640/20221201_171012.jpg" width="610" /></a></div><p></p><p>Speaking of curiosities, I spotted a bundle on facebook marketplace that had these two girls in it. I recognised them as a short lived kickstarter line of dolls called Middle School Moguls (or IBesties... they changed the name at some point). </p><p>I think they were sold in some US stores, but they weren't sold in the UK. That means the original owner either backed that kickstarter, or imported them from the US. Either way, quite a surprise to see them here. </p><p>These dolls were made back in 2016, yet another of those "get girls into STEM by making dolls!" lines. You know those aspirational doll lines that tend to appeal more to parents than actual kids and disappear before the year is out?</p><p>yeah. Those.</p><p>But I find those flash in a pan lines facinating. They're a snapshot of a trend or issue and curious bits of toy history. </p><p>IBesties apparently lives on as a nickolodeon series, but the dolls are long gone. </p><p>The dolls apparently came with books too, which i'd have been curious to see but alas, those are lost to time as well. The whole shtick of this line appears to be very #girlboss with a big push for CEO and leadership positions. So... not so much STEM, more... business. </p><p>Now I mean, i'm rather of the attitude that CEO is a job that flat out shouldn't bloody exist in most cases so I don't much care about encouraging girls into the role but eh. Politics aside, let's look at the actual dolls. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz18g4BA5ssYs_Oh-kz0zwdn6Ear9K-_bsp2UtQlZEUwc8PQEPGxmjjUPt2fZLXGL1sUc_InV2IxasV0blqmIylyBipwAlJrrid98iLg1ARj1DbpANaRCWxazM2YQcsprY8k94p8b6VZLdEDBy9BR4xwXX0dPxbrN8GSvQOkmfx-uJN1MMi3hVgS0Zrg/s4000/20221201_164327.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz18g4BA5ssYs_Oh-kz0zwdn6Ear9K-_bsp2UtQlZEUwc8PQEPGxmjjUPt2fZLXGL1sUc_InV2IxasV0blqmIylyBipwAlJrrid98iLg1ARj1DbpANaRCWxazM2YQcsprY8k94p8b6VZLdEDBy9BR4xwXX0dPxbrN8GSvQOkmfx-uJN1MMi3hVgS0Zrg/w480-h640/20221201_164327.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>I believe this girl is called Izzy. She's described as a "digital diva" on the kickstarter but I don't know what that means. I did a little more digging and the vibe i'm getting is that she's an "influencer". She likes to make hashtags and make stuff go viral. Yeah, because there's a special button you press for that. Don't you know? The "make viral" button? God don't you know anything about the internet? *scoff* </p><p>I always find it bloody painful watching middle aged people try to get teen culture, it always comes off as super cringy and silly. It's especially glaring when you have people who know nothing about the internet try to make influencer characters. It's just.... yeah that's not how any of this works. </p><p>"invent new hashtags" would do jack shit because nobody else would be using them so you wouldn't get any hits. </p><p>Please hire younger people if you insist upon doing internet jargon shit. I'm begging you as an old fogie myself, stop this. It's embarrassing. </p><p>Anyway, Izzy comes wearing a cotton tee with a moustache and glasses on and a pair of leggings with a houndstooth pattern. Her shoes are cute pink hightop sneakers. </p><p>She has no socks but according to online should have originally come with a pair of glasses. She did come with her knitted hat, it's very very cute. </p><p>The clothing pieces are all nicely finished and honestly look fine. The leggings are made of stretchy polyester stuff and the tee feels like an actual teeshirt. It fastens at the back with velcro. Both pieces are easy to get on and off despite the doll's big hands. </p><p>I do feel like she should either have a longer tee or should be wearing something... else over the leggings. Leggings on their own always make me think you forgot to finish getting dressed lol. </p><p>Her hair is a really pretty shade of purple but it's some sort of mediocre nylon that's kinda plasticky and frizzy.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu02WNz0mtnYG_SwdK_xhnc97097hZQUVmPTcCckSc_OQ1JQDoJiR16NK6aR4CFYBKJsb6I6NUrxMAwTTCXn5N_ovBqAZ9buWWgpIT7eG1cTlbiaDMJTYmBXrl3jSCgUDuIbikdH_2MUstct2pFc0Wqk2gGQ60myKCk6S3bRqWyT2OVMQQPp1SCQJRJg/s2823/20221201_164547.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2823" data-original-width="2016" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu02WNz0mtnYG_SwdK_xhnc97097hZQUVmPTcCckSc_OQ1JQDoJiR16NK6aR4CFYBKJsb6I6NUrxMAwTTCXn5N_ovBqAZ9buWWgpIT7eG1cTlbiaDMJTYmBXrl3jSCgUDuIbikdH_2MUstct2pFc0Wqk2gGQ60myKCk6S3bRqWyT2OVMQQPp1SCQJRJg/w458-h640/20221201_164547.jpg" width="458" /></a></div><p></p><p>The dolls are chunky with a pronouced pot belly and a pear shaped torso. The heads are enormous. Alongside Barbie they look very small but they're 11 inches tall (okay half of that is head but you know...) <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ACsy69W5q6iYH9DcIfEn4mnBEojwz0cfU6kGgheAjGZMuGwRzQsl5YpnXz8iBCXzXL24ucnvgxTTtoknHFpnfntywq4FonNdBtF9R_vUNUr8MG0xSVqdV9JX63haXCljxO5hlJY_MoIxmygfDwylkOiHr1LhiCZae27NEncm5dI8N81a7og_dwzeEA/s2705/20221201_164954.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2705" data-original-width="1938" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ACsy69W5q6iYH9DcIfEn4mnBEojwz0cfU6kGgheAjGZMuGwRzQsl5YpnXz8iBCXzXL24ucnvgxTTtoknHFpnfntywq4FonNdBtF9R_vUNUr8MG0xSVqdV9JX63haXCljxO5hlJY_MoIxmygfDwylkOiHr1LhiCZae27NEncm5dI8N81a7og_dwzeEA/w458-h640/20221201_164954.jpg" width="458" /></a></div><p></p><p>They're actually closer to Rainbow High in terms of proportions. Though even Rainbow High doesn't have such massive heads.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSVxCRskPJmDd99JdMQF1y68Qyz6o3LmOGEZ5RKcpSEU0hk7LriQqDtVjhmrrZynfA7Vqcci-Z7jEG2z3SmIQluTIspYVZlF_VEggD4HzPu8vgZhlv_N3TO6RIOkpCT-rblDLiFFziF8GLOPS2TFmPZoQLo9ZLVqy34EIoEWbr2KjtnhCq2NYdzB3xGw/s3629/20221201_164843.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3629" data-original-width="2128" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSVxCRskPJmDd99JdMQF1y68Qyz6o3LmOGEZ5RKcpSEU0hk7LriQqDtVjhmrrZynfA7Vqcci-Z7jEG2z3SmIQluTIspYVZlF_VEggD4HzPu8vgZhlv_N3TO6RIOkpCT-rblDLiFFziF8GLOPS2TFmPZoQLo9ZLVqy34EIoEWbr2KjtnhCq2NYdzB3xGw/s320/20221201_164843.jpg" width="188" /></a></div>Their jointing is... wierd. The head can only move side to side, there's no up/down motion at all so she can't look up or down or cock her head to the side. I always find this especially frustrating with big headed dolls. Like come on, how hard is it to make it so the doll can tilt their head?<p></p><p>Her arms have a shoulder joint and an elbow joint but no wrist joint. The elbow joint doesn't even manage 90 degrees, making it fucking pointless imo. </p><p>Also for some reason one of her hands is molded into this splayed pose which looks awkward no matter what you do. Why? What was the purpose of this? I don't get it. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6i6cpAt8b2Y7Ql-acxpJab0RVpMg-NDJNZrEisXRfY9KslSxunZguH6Z23lR0ZyUcdiv5hxZKZ4P3IedZzTDaTZgJjS37M_7xREnrI60eiRLSx96tpWJleTBI6hI_lTs8ZHLZ3Jj8FmgxANNIMV82EuKbSTJ1L7uqRMeTUQCihAS8BpCWpiDMQ33bUw/s2680/20221201_164719.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2585" data-original-width="2680" height="618" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6i6cpAt8b2Y7Ql-acxpJab0RVpMg-NDJNZrEisXRfY9KslSxunZguH6Z23lR0ZyUcdiv5hxZKZ4P3IedZzTDaTZgJjS37M_7xREnrI60eiRLSx96tpWJleTBI6hI_lTs8ZHLZ3Jj8FmgxANNIMV82EuKbSTJ1L7uqRMeTUQCihAS8BpCWpiDMQ33bUw/w640-h618/20221201_164719.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>She can't even sit properly. Not only will her knees not bend the 90 degrees neccisary for this to look natural, her butt/hip shape is such that she rocks backward on it and then the weight of her oversized head tips the tentative balance and the whole doll falls backward. She can ALMOST support herself with one hand, but it results in a very awkward drunken sort of sitting pose that's not exactly condusive to play. <br /> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5KIdZ6Pw0_E6TlCOVcm8ua4S66dYIypH172OprZemDZLmiPAc8GGYrwDQZFFmjCwUWlDW8LpqVneJS6EP9hrNxq-uk2D5ntWPVCzreTUMP7i4_SsChy40hV0eqGn0ny4XT80M3_PGNZhTSLFBSWNcXyHgVjQAOBQ7o9UfVZ5A2t-WP8YWRUe2RPZJYw/s2594/20221201_164802.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2040" data-original-width="2594" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5KIdZ6Pw0_E6TlCOVcm8ua4S66dYIypH172OprZemDZLmiPAc8GGYrwDQZFFmjCwUWlDW8LpqVneJS6EP9hrNxq-uk2D5ntWPVCzreTUMP7i4_SsChy40hV0eqGn0ny4XT80M3_PGNZhTSLFBSWNcXyHgVjQAOBQ7o9UfVZ5A2t-WP8YWRUe2RPZJYw/w640-h504/20221201_164802.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p> (undignified pose lol)</p><p>Her legs are especially wierd. The joints at the hips are very very loose and far too mobile. They twist all the way around and yet her knees can barely bend at all. In fact, I think they bend more forward than they do backward at the knee. Wtf? Explain that. </p><p>Her ankles have a rotational joint which means you can spin her foot around in a circle, but it cannot be pointed. I don't understand this joint, it serves no clear purpose other than to make it so her legs are even more annoying to try to get oriented for photos. Her hips spin, her knees slip around and her ankle also spins so it's frustrating to try to get all three pieces to line up so her leg is actually straight. </p><p>I also don't understand why they did ankle spinning but made her hands static. What kind of priority is that? </p><p>Generally the purpose of an ankle joint is to allow the foot to be pointed so that tight trousers and things can be put onto the doll. Flat immovable feet limit what sort of clothing you can put on the doll because tighter or thicker fabric won't pull over the foot. Spinning feet adds nothing you can't get from the knee joint being able to rotate in the first place. </p><p>I think this is an example of a company adding joints for the sake of adding joints without actually understanding the purpose of or the design of said joints. </p><p>Only her shoulder joints work the way I would expect them to work. All the rest are either far too mobile and floppy, or barely move at all. It's bizarre. It's like someone looked at an articulated doll and copied it without ever actually handling it or studying those joints. </p><p>And I get that this company were not experienced with making dolls but you'd think they'd do some research there or I dunno, hire someone who knew this shit? </p><p>Kinda meh joints are one thing, but outright baffling ones like these? That's a level beyond the typical "it'll do" of most doll designs and delves right into "we have no idea what joints are but we're gonna fake it anyway."</p><p>The doll can legitimately barely stand up half the time because of how floppy her hips are. And it's not because she's old, it's because the joint is designed so shittily. </p><p>Anyway, put simply, her jointing sucks. <br /></p><p>But the similar size to Rainbow High here got me thinking. Can they wear one another's clothing? <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKjZLsFr2Ozb2bl0SaZxhC-4Tn_4otgZEl3uTEQs_HsKrhmR3H2ECh_yhiYVycA4KV67U8FKnxmZC7qKrRNHEsl1T98MbmUy_udSds3_45DigOF569O5I2yavNOGus4yt5D0D8jZIlkaFszTkWPTX1pj_4CvKGH-avWvThbcmC3YqXIrLXhPcHJ0whpw/s2647/20221201_165206.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2647" data-original-width="2338" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKjZLsFr2Ozb2bl0SaZxhC-4Tn_4otgZEl3uTEQs_HsKrhmR3H2ECh_yhiYVycA4KV67U8FKnxmZC7qKrRNHEsl1T98MbmUy_udSds3_45DigOF569O5I2yavNOGus4yt5D0D8jZIlkaFszTkWPTX1pj_4CvKGH-avWvThbcmC3YqXIrLXhPcHJ0whpw/w566-h640/20221201_165206.jpg" width="566" /></a></div><p></p><p>I figured the Rainbow High doll would be able to fit into the IBestie clothes pretty easily because the tee is quite generously sized and the leggings are stretchy. I didn't expect the Rainbow High clothing to fit the IBestie as well as it did. </p><p>now granted, things sit higher on the IBestie body and her lack of any real bust changes how tops sit, but ultimately, the stuff fits. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguhvPKRzIXyrBEQr8ynraLyzt6H-ADMB33SOuR9dQGAr5I5gyByxBeHuaI92HEJqtkbyxZvP33hkD4Z91iCTSeBlpVbMS_25_XNcD9O-ngMsPmAwo2MFv2fqZLK5V-odOPoD_QfVdc3yZNys3xu4Yl_BTTi-unubNQrkbPZUwf1v22RCwwvyCw3DleOQ/s1696/20221201_165218.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1696" data-original-width="1230" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguhvPKRzIXyrBEQr8ynraLyzt6H-ADMB33SOuR9dQGAr5I5gyByxBeHuaI92HEJqtkbyxZvP33hkD4Z91iCTSeBlpVbMS_25_XNcD9O-ngMsPmAwo2MFv2fqZLK5V-odOPoD_QfVdc3yZNys3xu4Yl_BTTi-unubNQrkbPZUwf1v22RCwwvyCw3DleOQ/w464-h640/20221201_165218.jpg" width="464" /></a></div><p></p><p>Even the shoes aren't that much too short, the bigger problem is the heel on them because the IBestie foot can't point. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo31bZC0myOZJfaWBgUXhyTaxG9W-p3DBz0cRTbvJR5SyVM_klleQxV3UK1Ov3XHEtsNT_ZXrFnuMY7vtI8Awce5l6qRfXJS4Rhj31bHVZHa6yCKsKT6O_QWTIubd4THUnduXxZDumQzch5HwCV4Gjfk1Vsr9dO200fwleHXDJ5RHvNtYokszcf0vNXQ/s3588/20221201_165927.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3588" data-original-width="1836" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo31bZC0myOZJfaWBgUXhyTaxG9W-p3DBz0cRTbvJR5SyVM_klleQxV3UK1Ov3XHEtsNT_ZXrFnuMY7vtI8Awce5l6qRfXJS4Rhj31bHVZHa6yCKsKT6O_QWTIubd4THUnduXxZDumQzch5HwCV4Gjfk1Vsr9dO200fwleHXDJ5RHvNtYokszcf0vNXQ/w328-h640/20221201_165927.jpg" width="328" /></a></div><p></p><p>So i tried some other RH stuff. This stiffer top was a little harder to fasten but DID do so. The skirt I found that if you used the integral panties/strap thing that stops the skirt from rotating on the doll the waistband sits too low and the skirt won't fasten. But if you ignore it and put the skirt on without using the strap, it sits higher than on a rainbow high doll, but still looks correct and fastens fine. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5P0ub1bCQbcpXW3dS6tNJaWZVUhbCXbRjtGXKrn8xuiuDxTuKmAhoeH7paJEQQ_0QF2byEKMQuz_lkU8FTK1uzjhMPgiiQWuvOpsX9jE0Qs28-A0sJSoVWR9-c2qfIp481PKlMJpr_nW-NVXzi1ZhgOEL5yW753NcEKyY1pplg8kjq-RPwvAjbTE_Dg/s1931/20221201_165935.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1764" data-original-width="1931" height="584" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5P0ub1bCQbcpXW3dS6tNJaWZVUhbCXbRjtGXKrn8xuiuDxTuKmAhoeH7paJEQQ_0QF2byEKMQuz_lkU8FTK1uzjhMPgiiQWuvOpsX9jE0Qs28-A0sJSoVWR9-c2qfIp481PKlMJpr_nW-NVXzi1ZhgOEL5yW753NcEKyY1pplg8kjq-RPwvAjbTE_Dg/w640-h584/20221201_165935.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>The flat shoes however confirmed to me that the RH shoes are indeed slightly too short. They otherwise fit fine, but the toes overlap the ends. You might be able to ram her feet into boots with a little force as the fit is only slightly off, but i'd be more inclined to just use the IBestie shoes on RH rather than the other way around. </p><p>Anyway,</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHWQE65mjhB688LTb9lbVBvbSr1T9Ff25_AUfocDNU2xA3w6JkNKBpBKpUkCd9H9Clt1MF_qnthpzeRX7HEgcmxAabhalF_d31pSTRQa6uoqYfE1dQ5krKmm4TYXnn7z20DTdGkMPyYVYDKF2ZtoGOmbQZ40RNCigaPxWmeFBVIBq2HXUM4uI34Mzq5g/s3113/20221201_201812.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3113" data-original-width="1495" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHWQE65mjhB688LTb9lbVBvbSr1T9Ff25_AUfocDNU2xA3w6JkNKBpBKpUkCd9H9Clt1MF_qnthpzeRX7HEgcmxAabhalF_d31pSTRQa6uoqYfE1dQ5krKmm4TYXnn7z20DTdGkMPyYVYDKF2ZtoGOmbQZ40RNCigaPxWmeFBVIBq2HXUM4uI34Mzq5g/w308-h640/20221201_201812.jpg" width="308" /></a></div><p></p><p>the other girl was called McKenna, which is the most mid 2000s name I could think of holy crap. But then it was changed to the equally mid 2000s "McKinley" (what was it about the 2000s and giving girls surnames for first names? It was a big trend. Has it died yet? I think it has. All the girls in my younger kids' school have old lady names instead) </p><p>Anyway, McWhatever is the "business" girl who supposedly can turn ANY idea into a business "success" </p><p>Lol. </p><p>Pretty sure that's hyperbole. I could come up with a load of stuff that would make terrible business ideas. Not all ideas are good ideas Mc whatever your name is. Some ideas... are shit. <br /></p><p>She likes Math and Cheerleading which I actually... kinda like as a combo. Cheerleading, despite being a hugely athletic sport is generally seen as very girly as well as something "popular" kids engage in while Math is seen as being very nerdy, especially for a girl and you know, nerds are never popular. </p><p>so having her into both makes for an interesting contrast and makes her feel a little less like a stereotype. It presents a tiny glimpse of character. Though I have to wonder how she has time for cheerleading AND study AND running her countless "no idea is a bad idea" businesses. </p><p>is it one of those "d'aaw" fake businesses little kids have where they like.. try to sell rocks to neighbours or do chores for pocket money? </p><p>what's interesting is that McKeeble here has with two words managed to make me substantially more interested in her as a character than Izzy's bland "I like making hashtags and trending videos. I know internet words wheeeeee" thing. </p><p>Izzy feels very one note. </p><p>But eh. </p><p>whatever. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaYHbgb14kUPOAYLkjOy4nVIxY8B6_9F_iQ2qmvUumxErtQZ9pmSJXVVEqRH-xmN9_GoRxq4WxnUuKu32oBXUFSEkst0XDDK3I0MR3KEUUPK18PeYnFpG0WENh-1X3wr9ZM9RatGwCMcPtxrPIMdnCYXtq3mLpDmT8J3ctSQeeQfeF36snYqJYPER_IQ/s3249/20221201_201832.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3249" data-original-width="1694" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaYHbgb14kUPOAYLkjOy4nVIxY8B6_9F_iQ2qmvUumxErtQZ9pmSJXVVEqRH-xmN9_GoRxq4WxnUuKu32oBXUFSEkst0XDDK3I0MR3KEUUPK18PeYnFpG0WENh-1X3wr9ZM9RatGwCMcPtxrPIMdnCYXtq3mLpDmT8J3ctSQeeQfeF36snYqJYPER_IQ/w334-h640/20221201_201832.jpg" width="334" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div>McWhoosywhatzit wears a pink drop waisted t-shirt dress... thing... over a pair of mismatched footed leggings with a pair of black high top sneakers that use the same mold as Izzy's. She also has a tie which likes to spin around her neck which is really annoying. <p></p><p>She was supposed to come with a black jacket too but this girl lost hers. </p><p>She has blonde hair with pink streaks and like Izzy's hair, it's frizzy and kinda a pain in the arse. <br /></p><p>She has a big fabric bow which I like. It's plastic stapled to her head though so i'm not sure it'll stay on if I snip those and I don't want to find out. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNSZ6zvWGJMc6PRSRCwHDZf-5tQNA3AoUIpRS_3Uhlf5jVyh7JnCySMUEPShqKpUsyxziSHmjj4XtjQci_vsbo2TAhmdWI3exXimD4z2hkE-ZGQPscahQl-DCZmqxFSiqaCgxqwU7jd1u7MA-3EiRvuAtu8O8vZG8U1nliWxm8H-MO3IBWL9RFmnSDuw/s2660/20221201_201817.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2555" data-original-width="2660" height="614" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNSZ6zvWGJMc6PRSRCwHDZf-5tQNA3AoUIpRS_3Uhlf5jVyh7JnCySMUEPShqKpUsyxziSHmjj4XtjQci_vsbo2TAhmdWI3exXimD4z2hkE-ZGQPscahQl-DCZmqxFSiqaCgxqwU7jd1u7MA-3EiRvuAtu8O8vZG8U1nliWxm8H-MO3IBWL9RFmnSDuw/w640-h614/20221201_201817.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><br />Her face paint is like Izzy's with these dramatic sharp lashes, but McNackPadyWack has hers painted in brown. I assume it's to look more like blonde lashes but I find that without any dark lines it makes her eyes look washed out or unfinished. </p><p>She also has scattered freckles that are higher on one cheek than the other. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBlr7jpwrfocZxc6MG3eDF0Xj1zTwMexUwLWqCx1lsVMFNgMuzBOT_PdHm8JLE_2XDpGJO1LROuBoe_c2rbH6q6DasWHbbeUpgAmyKewwK7Die50uqoEXfsA7vDHbSOHqI9UXMk2IEgIskraSJ8q0lYOh4eYb5fI1U0soUVFakzCc6A0um4zlK_5480w/s3000/20221201_202920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2501" data-original-width="3000" height="534" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBlr7jpwrfocZxc6MG3eDF0Xj1zTwMexUwLWqCx1lsVMFNgMuzBOT_PdHm8JLE_2XDpGJO1LROuBoe_c2rbH6q6DasWHbbeUpgAmyKewwK7Die50uqoEXfsA7vDHbSOHqI9UXMk2IEgIskraSJ8q0lYOh4eYb5fI1U0soUVFakzCc6A0um4zlK_5480w/w640-h534/20221201_202920.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Both dolls use the same face mold which has a kinda cute profile, though it's also pretty alien. The head is elongated with a receeding brow and strangely placed, very detail lacking ears. </p><p>go figure. </p><p>Cute nose though. </p><p>Now I mean, these dolls are cute and interesting. But they suffer from a lot of the same problems all these small startups have. The end product ends up very expensive due to overheads, isn't as refined as it should perhaps be and often cheaps out on quite important elements to keep costs down. In this case I feel like forgoing the included book and opting for a better hair fibre would have made a HUGE difference. These dolls have such HUGE heads and as a result, so much hair, that it being an annoying plasticky frizzy mess is all the more obvious. </p><p>It's not the worst hair i've ever handled, but it's still pretty annoying and will require work to get to look decent. <br /></p><p>Even looking back at owner photos at launch, the doll's hair looks frazzled at the ends and coarse. this isn't a case of "it's old doll hair", it was never good hair to begin with.</p><p>And I don't mean to shit all over small companies who are trying to do something new. I love these sorts of lines because of the passion behind them. I just wish that they could get better help to make a product that passion deserves. </p><p>The Ibesties have extremely nicely made clothing (Izzy's hat is particularly gorgeous), their shoes are decent and I can see what they were going for with the stylised bodies and oversized heads, but the dolls are let down but bad engineering, strange choices in regards to that inexplicable splayed hand and cheap hair. </p><p>People pay over the odds for these sorts of product because they believe in the message, but a message isn't enough. There's no point in a doll that a child won't play with and so many of these "dolls with a messsage/purpose" fall into the trap of marketing to adults, not the children for whom the toy is intended. </p><p>A doll that can barely sit down and who's hair frizzes up the moment you touch it with a brush is NOT going to be a fun doll to play with. I'm sorry but it just isn't. You can add as many books or cutesy hashtags as you like, but ultimately if a kid doesn't feel drawn to the doll as a doll, you've failed in your mission. </p><p>The IBesties are quite cute, in their wierd alien sort of way and they're definitely chunky enough to feel solid and the joints are pretty solid, but they're also clunky and difficult to pose. They often won't stand on their own, the wierd splayed hand looks perpetually awkward and in some poses, broken, and the inability to position the head I find quite limiting. I don't mean from a taking photos perspective either, I mean I want the doll to be able to look DOWN at her laptop or her lunch or something you know? Almost all playline dolls can look up and down, not being able to do it is just wierd. (remember how Rainbow High couldn't and then MGA fixed it because people were all wtf?)</p><p>I also can't help but wonder if their size is, itself, an issue. I have tiny hands and I found holding these dolls and playing around with them quite awkward due to their massive heads and very chunky bodies. I wonder if scaling them down would have been advantageous there. </p><p>I remember reading Arklu talking about Lottie dolls and their decision to make them as small as they did being to do with scaling them to a child's hands. It's not something you often think about but larger dolls are awkward and having watched my own kids play, I have to admit, they tend to opt for the smaller toys by preference. </p><p>Given the limited expertise of the company I have to wonder if small little figures with limited shoulder and hip joints would have been a more successful product than attempting to create a fully jointed fashion doll. Kids DO still play with dolls, but are those dolls fashion dolls? Or are we talking anything vuagely humanoid that they can create stories with? (Hey, when I was a kid we played out elaborate soap operas with littlest pet shop animals or paper dolls lol.) </p><p>I feel like this line could have been a lot better than it was, if only the company had a decent mentor or someone to just... help them iron out the rough bits. </p><p>But that they managed a successful kickstarter and got their product into stores at all is damn impressive. And supposedly there's a new tv show in the works based on this property as well, so good on them. They created something and they got it out there, and that is, in itself, commendable. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7IOndbTqeEtqy1LiRBcEEGAsxp7UX_pFDPBk-1EXF1wwmCK3UXFKsL84c4d8FOny6N0G6qg_rkCeaX11JuF3S_WPWesKrvwhRafver0ZwXKCjkHfV0t9Loogu8ktsoRdDQ8FCmP5VUmewUEuJPb5CaHxOx4LSUhr0CCXvxk-_df1Y_RNHMt_XdEIqlg/s2846/IMG_20221201_211855.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2846" data-original-width="2127" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7IOndbTqeEtqy1LiRBcEEGAsxp7UX_pFDPBk-1EXF1wwmCK3UXFKsL84c4d8FOny6N0G6qg_rkCeaX11JuF3S_WPWesKrvwhRafver0ZwXKCjkHfV0t9Loogu8ktsoRdDQ8FCmP5VUmewUEuJPb5CaHxOx4LSUhr0CCXvxk-_df1Y_RNHMt_XdEIqlg/w478-h640/IMG_20221201_211855.jpg" width="478" /></a></div><p></p><p>I also wanted to see if I could get ol McDonald's eyes to not look quite as wierd so I added some darker colour around the eyes themselves. </p><p>it looks a lot better irl than in photos. But it gives her eyes more depth and makes them look well... finished. </p><p><br /></p><p>And as I was writing this, wouldn't you know it, I got a stock alert for Howliday Draculaura.</p><p>they MIGHT get stock in March.</p><p>yes... MARCH. </p><p>Until then, I may be relying on American buddies to help me out with dolls. Because damn the UK releases are SLOW and SHIT.</p><p>it's pissing me off. </p><p>and it's not helping my poor wallet or my storage space for me to keep grump buying random bundles lol. </p><p>Still, I got some fun stuff outta this lot. </p><p>Hope you enjoyed my rambling.</p><p><br /></p><p> <br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Purple_monkfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023284779817354246noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3031605728160552641.post-50536681862838451032022-10-26T17:22:00.003+01:002022-10-26T17:22:30.875+01:00Last but not least, it's Cleo! - Monster High ressurection<p> Sorry this took me a while. I've been struggling a little with exhaustion lately. </p><p>Also, I didn't have as much to say about Cleo that hadn't already been covered by the Frankie and Draculaura reviews. But here she is anyway. </p><p>Not much preamble, let's just dive in.</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUzSsL-xMrjfdNpKx8fKb3svpMgILdecV9OILlWqoIuGhW_BbE0F2DytglNg02h1Pjm-Q2A4FpFPr7n-Gb09yeGOIQ1E7M7a5aV7vBXMtsbtgJs5vF-6yLSkXREk-wevqC9yuUAlS1OUVuvWsxgqX2uHNZ9nVW80jwhLvWmXWz2T_Q38ODFH_4D3HbXw/s2617/20221015_223926.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2617" data-original-width="2112" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUzSsL-xMrjfdNpKx8fKb3svpMgILdecV9OILlWqoIuGhW_BbE0F2DytglNg02h1Pjm-Q2A4FpFPr7n-Gb09yeGOIQ1E7M7a5aV7vBXMtsbtgJs5vF-6yLSkXREk-wevqC9yuUAlS1OUVuvWsxgqX2uHNZ9nVW80jwhLvWmXWz2T_Q38ODFH_4D3HbXw/w516-h640/20221015_223926.jpg" width="516" /></a></div><p></p><p>Cleo's box is the same as the others. She has Draculaura and Frankie with her in the artwork. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieafeKH0fSreURmaYts9Jo8-fGUPsBSjP3nlZebdZswS1iv_zGrSo98aN1NHSJS550_oqhdSjWF5uYY6LQmBe2NL6_QhMutkw8srNx9a8ZPAK4nuaTq4Gmi9zk8UiTdj3Rhk41SLJGB16SCmxLEhLQRrPlJMMGR0WH26ggEA-dp_DKnsX99YLsTCIGOA/s3880/20221015_224224.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3880" data-original-width="2699" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieafeKH0fSreURmaYts9Jo8-fGUPsBSjP3nlZebdZswS1iv_zGrSo98aN1NHSJS550_oqhdSjWF5uYY6LQmBe2NL6_QhMutkw8srNx9a8ZPAK4nuaTq4Gmi9zk8UiTdj3Rhk41SLJGB16SCmxLEhLQRrPlJMMGR0WH26ggEA-dp_DKnsX99YLsTCIGOA/w446-h640/20221015_224224.jpg" width="446" /></a></div><p></p><p>Cleo comes wearing a blue and bandage motif dress with little gold sparkles on, a chunky belt, a chunky necklace and bandage boots. These boots have been a bit of a controversial decision to some people but i don't mind them. My only gripe would be that the red on them doesn't tie into anything else in Cleo's outfit. </p><p>Her hair is now blue instead of black, more like her Comet Crossed Couple doll from the Boo York movie. It also THANKFULLY lacks the awful tinsel of her original dolls. I HATED that tinsel. It made brushing the hair really difficult and it just tangled itself up all the time. Bletch. </p><p>She's tied in much like the other two, with too many staples in her head and too many plastic tabs holding her hair to the backing card. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcTV7qhbAaQeeoLm-ZdmvX-05z-zVcUqKKyTL-3akquUkjWBVh5vNlFfKLZObPS1eElvvS3QndhbEGMM8uTpsZDj4zCrhSrZ86OhYBishRAQxS7_0qPD7yorUwjbkTVg7qKpaQFT-OdKJDLVDwyzxE1xHhxKCjBklMzBwEk44K6i-jkbkdLYmgT94ILw/s2539/20221015_224237.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2539" data-original-width="1561" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcTV7qhbAaQeeoLm-ZdmvX-05z-zVcUqKKyTL-3akquUkjWBVh5vNlFfKLZObPS1eElvvS3QndhbEGMM8uTpsZDj4zCrhSrZ86OhYBishRAQxS7_0qPD7yorUwjbkTVg7qKpaQFT-OdKJDLVDwyzxE1xHhxKCjBklMzBwEk44K6i-jkbkdLYmgT94ILw/w394-h640/20221015_224237.jpg" width="394" /></a></div><p></p><p>And just like the other dolls she comes with a bunch of plastic bullshit. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUQMV_88VN_GMTxZmI0I-r_E5LqcankeK7WFpfx-nd6xXZWMuFULF-bPQFoS5uQUnHql5AJ12tgOlzrC4OJRCrAhN55dwggUJjJLk0GH0My8mMDlFZk2HYoKYcAgwKbBiNYNXqa9Ic0_NeDC_W-FGv_JP5WHx2-jC9-gfc_5kU-WEyJW7VvBrexwkYLA/s2787/20221015_224044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2787" data-original-width="2299" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUQMV_88VN_GMTxZmI0I-r_E5LqcankeK7WFpfx-nd6xXZWMuFULF-bPQFoS5uQUnHql5AJ12tgOlzrC4OJRCrAhN55dwggUJjJLk0GH0My8mMDlFZk2HYoKYcAgwKbBiNYNXqa9Ic0_NeDC_W-FGv_JP5WHx2-jC9-gfc_5kU-WEyJW7VvBrexwkYLA/w528-h640/20221015_224044.jpg" width="528" /></a></div><br /><p>The back of her box is interesting though because the illustration is clearly an earlier draft design, the outfit is completely different. Instead of the dress and fringed jacket Cleo is depicted wearing what looks like a jumpsuit with bandage details, which brings to mind a few of her older outfits including her original signature outfit as well as her "i heart shoes" outfit and the Skull Shores coverup too. First wave Cleo wore a lot of jumpsuits. </p><p>With this she also has bandage wrist cuffs, an upper arm cuff and bandage sandals. </p><p>I wonder why they changed this. Did Mattel decide kids didn't like dolls wearing trousers or something? It's a pity because it would have been nice to see at least one character wearing trousers you know? For diversity's sake at least. </p><p>I also find it really wierd they didn't bother to just like trace over this with the new outfit design because it's quite jarring how different this outfit is. It furthers my theory that the release was a bit rushed. The box art not matching the production dolls screams of running out of time or just not wanting to invest a little extra. It's wierd is what i'm saying. <br /></p><p>I wonder if we'll ever see this jumpsuit. It'd make a very cool fashion pack. Please Mattel? Can we have fashion packs again? We miss fashion packs. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5WjO9SHM-zOo4iAcD9plsvz-uk5WPxV5C4RWsL32RzukOsdmetSxpM9wMRM_xFQ_DSrY2sjum0DjNmwi2CTXAKadFDmi5l1OtdvuXohuh7nphWLNraQ0dhVeSsV0zt0LRdDyuN-qLGsVr9QzBxc6MUcusGvoDG58TnaVxW3W_I7MlR2rf8_hYeEuddQ/s2455/20221015_224231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2455" data-original-width="2001" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5WjO9SHM-zOo4iAcD9plsvz-uk5WPxV5C4RWsL32RzukOsdmetSxpM9wMRM_xFQ_DSrY2sjum0DjNmwi2CTXAKadFDmi5l1OtdvuXohuh7nphWLNraQ0dhVeSsV0zt0LRdDyuN-qLGsVr9QzBxc6MUcusGvoDG58TnaVxW3W_I7MlR2rf8_hYeEuddQ/w522-h640/20221015_224231.jpg" width="522" /></a></div><p></p><p>Cleo has a quite interesting face. Her eyes are very large with a blue pupil and amber coloured irises which gives her quite a blank stare. I assume this was the play up the whole "mummy" thing but it's a little odd. </p><p>Her eyes have a little diamond sparkle in them but she's lost her diamond cheek design. Now instead she has this elaborate makeup featuring an eye of Horus swirl on one side and these thick square ended lashes toward the outer part of her eye. </p><p>Her makeup is yellow blending rather abruptly into grey and then with a little splash of blue. </p><p>Her lips also feature a little gold stripe down the middle of the lower lip. I'm not sure why but it's cool. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9d2D6Lpmtxu_JsFbRVCXmNS1IMjrNVrqm8E34pExcJpiiQdu2mRgIcsmpqjTvqoaFO5KXWV5WqJ_awhLbp8sb-8y4hC90aZoQfVI9m3RhZxwSkMj667hMIFJyXuV5001vWOsxz2ozWECBosq-uOGr2zXOkTTH7EEjPFY8oHhlLQ8g-glZ6SZSSXFvLQ/s1407/20221015_231125.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1407" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9d2D6Lpmtxu_JsFbRVCXmNS1IMjrNVrqm8E34pExcJpiiQdu2mRgIcsmpqjTvqoaFO5KXWV5WqJ_awhLbp8sb-8y4hC90aZoQfVI9m3RhZxwSkMj667hMIFJyXuV5001vWOsxz2ozWECBosq-uOGr2zXOkTTH7EEjPFY8oHhlLQ8g-glZ6SZSSXFvLQ/w546-h640/20221015_231125.jpg" width="546" /></a></div><br /><p>Like all the dolls in this new generation, Cleo has quite prominant eats with a very slight point to the tips. </p><p>Her hair is two different shades of blue, a deep dark navy and a brighter blue. There are also streaks of gold tinselly stuff but it's very fine and lacks the awful unravelling nature of the original Cleo or the big fat comb grabbing bobbles of Abbey's original tinsel. Like her original doll, the tinsel is only on the top layer of her hair so would be fairly easy to remove if you wanted to. But as it seems to hold up okay to combing for now, i'm inclined to leave it be. </p><p>Her hair has the same "greasy" feeling that Draculaura's has so i'm thinking they're both saran, but i'm honestly not very good at identifying hair types. Her hair is soft and sorta slippery like it's coated in some sort of product. Make of that what you will. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ_5zzRv1oLO0vGKwNbpNiXK8mz5_ZcAfLrDvSmpr2G6VbUOvxd_GHYYfG-mfemApfP8UmcHspe_r8AsZEUbgU-vPApWe2zICbqnfmUw67yUHNlQROozt3o9WCQkE1-nvWJNqAd5xuUijNsQiNNdVuZzDYMgS8TfBUc_4mtZeSq8cUKc3WZfhKHcjH4Q/s2307/20221015_231713.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2056" data-original-width="2307" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ_5zzRv1oLO0vGKwNbpNiXK8mz5_ZcAfLrDvSmpr2G6VbUOvxd_GHYYfG-mfemApfP8UmcHspe_r8AsZEUbgU-vPApWe2zICbqnfmUw67yUHNlQROozt3o9WCQkE1-nvWJNqAd5xuUijNsQiNNdVuZzDYMgS8TfBUc_4mtZeSq8cUKc3WZfhKHcjH4Q/w640-h570/20221015_231713.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>The plastic crap she comes with feature a gyro/pita wrap, a canopic jar themed thermos, sunglasses and a makeup compact. I can't get the compact open but it does look like it should open. My fat fingers just aren't strong enough to struggle with the catch. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZCx52l4gP6aBs1Vy8o62yWc1Iz6roIzwoABec-Pl16W4Rlq4d3CucN95dyoSg-QLC8nnLyrd1k544P9v0mvdfBZVcoRv3JKvb2j10GD9vw50gkiEl1Lu_pdn1Ix3s_SU912TrCDb8ZWBKokOJ2AJ6xNGGx_GHwXEH8zshUU-bnow8d7dGJs2gp8L2gg/s2043/20221015_231732.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1343" data-original-width="2043" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZCx52l4gP6aBs1Vy8o62yWc1Iz6roIzwoABec-Pl16W4Rlq4d3CucN95dyoSg-QLC8nnLyrd1k544P9v0mvdfBZVcoRv3JKvb2j10GD9vw50gkiEl1Lu_pdn1Ix3s_SU912TrCDb8ZWBKokOJ2AJ6xNGGx_GHwXEH8zshUU-bnow8d7dGJs2gp8L2gg/w640-h420/20221015_231732.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>The thermos opens up and the Anubus head can be used as a cup. It's cute, but at the same time i'm not sure how appropriate it is to use a canopic jar as a thermos you know? It feels somehow... disrespectful. *shrug* </p><p>The sides of the jar itself feature a bandage texture and what I think is Egyptian figures (likely also Anubus) but the whole image is a bit blurred by the bandage texture over the top of it. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfVK3nDm9KAuRYU_rPzJDfmQwtjpjSpcvSQbMD8GOQ4PxIESPxbUEo9QYh1aA8vsarngebe_YxfKiiaJVadCoHBlZqni03qBWsrBNKpH7R0BNIjzN6A5KWEUJh7uCxZU1EbhYS7PN6307hxGMgZy-ZdnTgitV287YjfCt3tYNpedP7ZkwV-uwh2CSCiQ/s2614/20221015_232234.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2614" data-original-width="2335" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfVK3nDm9KAuRYU_rPzJDfmQwtjpjSpcvSQbMD8GOQ4PxIESPxbUEo9QYh1aA8vsarngebe_YxfKiiaJVadCoHBlZqni03qBWsrBNKpH7R0BNIjzN6A5KWEUJh7uCxZU1EbhYS7PN6307hxGMgZy-ZdnTgitV287YjfCt3tYNpedP7ZkwV-uwh2CSCiQ/w572-h640/20221015_232234.jpg" width="572" /></a></div><p></p><p>Her dress is simple but cute. It has bandage patterned sleeves that remind me a lot of her original signature doll's jumpsuit. The fabric pattern is a series of repeating patterns with winged scarabs, peacock? feathers and I think reeds? </p><p>There's gold braid off centered that makes it look like a panel or wrap over dress. The little gold diamonds look to me a bit like buttons which furthers this idea. But they are rather hidden by the pattern of the fabric they're on so they're not easy to see. </p><p>The whole garment is made from a polyester fabric but it's all hemmed and each section is individually sewn so that's nice. Often Mattel would print things like buttons or trim onto the fabric itself, so it's nice that for MH they bothered to actually use real trimmings. </p><p>The sleeves of this dress are slightly puffy and in my doll's case, the collar sits a little askew but i'm not totally sure why. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3tfzCdouym42rGojxlfGB-UWygCWVrj76HL7a1kW1iLeT9KXe136ubzgrM7N0eOehzYIxZISQJ3_eHBl54kRXg_JGeLVqIkCY72kRsh566MdB7Rxh0wbG2eYkrd9jzbDsDIYCQvm7UlA7FCClbBLuM_viGq6XmyKcyYElnvkObPfwgzqsShe8QtpTQA/s2337/20221015_232256.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2337" data-original-width="1293" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3tfzCdouym42rGojxlfGB-UWygCWVrj76HL7a1kW1iLeT9KXe136ubzgrM7N0eOehzYIxZISQJ3_eHBl54kRXg_JGeLVqIkCY72kRsh566MdB7Rxh0wbG2eYkrd9jzbDsDIYCQvm7UlA7FCClbBLuM_viGq6XmyKcyYElnvkObPfwgzqsShe8QtpTQA/w354-h640/20221015_232256.jpg" width="354" /></a></div><p></p><p>The boots are designed to look like bandages with a gold square pattern down the front, a blue and red toe cap and a gold heel shaped like a shepherds crook (the symbol of royalty in ancient Egypt I think) </p><p>I feel like it's a slight shame both heels are the crook when typically in Egyptian iconography a pharoh would hold both a crook AND a flail but I suppose it was just easier to design them this way. </p><p>I feel like these boots could benefit from a little paint wash to pick out the bandage details, I might have a go at that at some point. </p><p>I don't mind these shoes, but like all of this new Monster High generation, they're quite a bit plainer than the original shoes which were, to be frank, rather extra. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMyeCnWFoiRwwzvTwGHmtv9xRH-Gw1fylh7GK3XNZRs9weZ283veR9S8Ikf6CzxsrpPfxJThmIp0V-OlHYcURRgekFA08PKH32lYJLBLsvtenB574j-20Zgb03CuQYk5XlQRk1ozJGMHP4c83n8KhkQ-ZAu9-lOIcuW__N7RxU818rRTV43aZWZhaSag/s2657/20221015_232408.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1751" data-original-width="2657" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMyeCnWFoiRwwzvTwGHmtv9xRH-Gw1fylh7GK3XNZRs9weZ283veR9S8Ikf6CzxsrpPfxJThmIp0V-OlHYcURRgekFA08PKH32lYJLBLsvtenB574j-20Zgb03CuQYk5XlQRk1ozJGMHP4c83n8KhkQ-ZAu9-lOIcuW__N7RxU818rRTV43aZWZhaSag/w640-h422/20221015_232408.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Cleo's necklace is a huge chunk of plastic featuring gems, a scarab you can barely make out (the middle cabochon) and a feather motif. It's quite suitably Egyptian feeling, even if hte paint is a bit thick and sloppy in parts. </p><p>I didn't get a decent photo of her belt but it has an eye buckle. </p><p>Her earrings are just asymetrical triangles with a geometric line and triangle motif engraved. They're pretty boring but they do the job. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhna9IqOehixEcvKPsqF7PH_tJTX2O6O7dvgfg7iz-SBu_z3FYKIF95mkU40j0KEJ0OHcGqxPNb3t9aXpi2R6ofGJH292mH5sGrdd6sIsS8ht_y9j_bW5grb2DmMWXamZff3epgp0e2-S2zqQC3PgQqrnY5YQLau-jHPz_xUs1q3wufAZX5s4gT9xlQUg/s2802/20221015_232425.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2802" data-original-width="2379" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhna9IqOehixEcvKPsqF7PH_tJTX2O6O7dvgfg7iz-SBu_z3FYKIF95mkU40j0KEJ0OHcGqxPNb3t9aXpi2R6ofGJH292mH5sGrdd6sIsS8ht_y9j_bW5grb2DmMWXamZff3epgp0e2-S2zqQC3PgQqrnY5YQLau-jHPz_xUs1q3wufAZX5s4gT9xlQUg/w544-h640/20221015_232425.jpg" width="544" /></a></div><p>The sunglasses, like Frankie's sunglasses, are a reused Gloom Beach pair. I find it interesting that they reused such an old mold for these but Draculaura's look to be new. Least, I couldn't find any that looked quite like them. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtmHhs1V64J2dc5dh9kYMTf_uR3FQk6nyiGkQSb1qNWkotexxjeGwJKwuLIoqhu_JwzXxUIPKxqG1voV3mqgJ-181bXoq78auS0J98bgEU1a0BLhv8m3CkbDEnnN15Q5XD--2OK-iKdtNux7uRx8DDC1AR0TcknNzf4fKArnVazhu0gYKQJSIRkclR6Q/s1343/20221015_231302.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1343" data-original-width="948" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtmHhs1V64J2dc5dh9kYMTf_uR3FQk6nyiGkQSb1qNWkotexxjeGwJKwuLIoqhu_JwzXxUIPKxqG1voV3mqgJ-181bXoq78auS0J98bgEU1a0BLhv8m3CkbDEnnN15Q5XD--2OK-iKdtNux7uRx8DDC1AR0TcknNzf4fKArnVazhu0gYKQJSIRkclR6Q/w452-h640/20221015_231302.jpg" width="452" /></a></div><p></p><p>Cleo's phone also features an Anubus headed canopic jar. I guess they couldn't think of anything else "mummy" related? lol. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglpGhRNJ15TPWYealMlt-rvObaWNSNWd-2Iel4nlZ7zDmefrkcBbXV7eufRN5IlrVkA901Ad2Y8Gwb7z-QPKW1bCsKntjeAa3qX8TaZETtKtAVG9_3bgFH6zTEP0Ab48BKI0EIHYQHkoQ2iEJ_HV1aKv9KMAUKdw94TRdJgF_ARhT150j5oGDfj6mDzA/s2260/20221015_231315.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2260" data-original-width="1439" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglpGhRNJ15TPWYealMlt-rvObaWNSNWd-2Iel4nlZ7zDmefrkcBbXV7eufRN5IlrVkA901Ad2Y8Gwb7z-QPKW1bCsKntjeAa3qX8TaZETtKtAVG9_3bgFH6zTEP0Ab48BKI0EIHYQHkoQ2iEJ_HV1aKv9KMAUKdw94TRdJgF_ARhT150j5oGDfj6mDzA/w408-h640/20221015_231315.jpg" width="408" /></a> <br /></div><p>The front doesn't have any detail like the others, but oddly, the print on the screen is a little bit less illegible. I mean it's still grainy and shit, but it's just LESS shit.</p><p>It's fun to see Cleo's original Skullette as an icon there. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz9AvEOHWw-E2tnorDl3RX7_GRxo0NM39R4lUtT8SjKxuiVlWpFlOWmdeBSFmfHaHd_ERJxsKcG_32bWe9B06cqpp5U4A47THvOq_w2lsrOo8ZUN9VMKCkJ9Bg_xSghdBTDHxMxuC5GlPuycvSQC6JY9gMfVZb4SzfX1qbPJRT7tKbM0svU1p6bMrVTQ/s2759/20221015_231405.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2759" data-original-width="2307" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz9AvEOHWw-E2tnorDl3RX7_GRxo0NM39R4lUtT8SjKxuiVlWpFlOWmdeBSFmfHaHd_ERJxsKcG_32bWe9B06cqpp5U4A47THvOq_w2lsrOo8ZUN9VMKCkJ9Bg_xSghdBTDHxMxuC5GlPuycvSQC6JY9gMfVZb4SzfX1qbPJRT7tKbM0svU1p6bMrVTQ/w536-h640/20221015_231405.jpg" width="536" /></a></div><p></p><p>Cleo's backpack is awkward. It's pyramid shaped so it's really bulky and it's made from hard plastic instead of the soft vinyl of the other bags. It has these three blue scarab buttons on it which are actually pierced into the plastic rather than being molded as part of the bag itself, this means they kinda wobble if you touch them. </p><p>The top of the bag has a winged handle and then two backpack straps made of soft vinyl so they go over the doll's shoulders. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-RVX14t9n-mvMmP1BGMMFlYNqsXNkqBPFNa1ZNxUA-POxegMbo5hdH5rUCbGx5cA4CR6yoGLZzNQUi3o4pguwUMQNnXrmYR0Xr7ufpO5Asx--A7gtFgD12S9Dk0v-z0Q_cnnNZJo7qLvEryP_2pymKHoaFjxeptn3rLk3M7-YRSu609cPFB1Z5KbAww/s2582/20221015_231359.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2582" data-original-width="2367" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-RVX14t9n-mvMmP1BGMMFlYNqsXNkqBPFNa1ZNxUA-POxegMbo5hdH5rUCbGx5cA4CR6yoGLZzNQUi3o4pguwUMQNnXrmYR0Xr7ufpO5Asx--A7gtFgD12S9Dk0v-z0Q_cnnNZJo7qLvEryP_2pymKHoaFjxeptn3rLk3M7-YRSu609cPFB1Z5KbAww/w586-h640/20221015_231359.jpg" width="586" /></a></div><br /><p>The bag hinges open, so you can put her plastic crap inside of it, but the hinge looks like it won't really withstand you doing this too often and it's quite difficult to actually open in the first place. </p><p>I vastly prefer the design of the other bags, they're easier to use. </p><p>also, the bulk of this bag due to the awkward shape makes it kinda wierd to put on the doll. It doesn't look right worn as a backpack imo and when only held over one shoulder it slips and falls off. *sigh* </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmajhrDQYM0Z-A1vMvhioj1Zn18NZvAqfq0YQsHBsscO2bxK2h0BCfbnBG3fTPTCuyJnURTgTsBhceSd7EuLsXFk70eMUo7x_45Zqysv7DWOCJXP4ULMEVrhkzRb-w0Nz_GlZnzJ5rGQnNfyLYkKuRrziVVoZnYPMLMQTab-TbzJCT6-537f-lj39ymQ/s3588/20221015_231343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3588" data-original-width="2450" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmajhrDQYM0Z-A1vMvhioj1Zn18NZvAqfq0YQsHBsscO2bxK2h0BCfbnBG3fTPTCuyJnURTgTsBhceSd7EuLsXFk70eMUo7x_45Zqysv7DWOCJXP4ULMEVrhkzRb-w0Nz_GlZnzJ5rGQnNfyLYkKuRrziVVoZnYPMLMQTab-TbzJCT6-537f-lj39ymQ/w438-h640/20221015_231343.jpg" width="438" /></a></div><br /><p>Cleo also now has a new pet. Remember I remarked that everyone needed to have "cute" pets like puppies and kittens now? Well that's what they've done here. Instead of Cleo's snake which was a rather morbid nod to her namesake, a link with her canonical boyfriend (she and Deuce are no longer a couple in G3 and I have no idea WHY) and just generally a very common Egyptian motif, she now has a baby uh... dog... dressed up like the jackal headed god Anubus. <br /></p><p>This critter is called "Tut" and has a very unfortunately placed mold number on his groin. </p><p>He's very very shiny with a metallic finish to all his paintwork. I don't know why but it does look pretty cool. </p><p>But I miss Hissette. I always liked that we had several pets that weren't conventionally "cute" animals you know? </p><p>Tut has grainy printed eyes but they're significantly clearer than either Whatzie or Count fabulous. It looks like they used a somewhat higher resolution print for Cleo's accessories which is bewildering.This means that from a normal "holding it in front of you" distance Tut's eyes look absolutely fine. Their graininess only becomes clear if you really study him or you know, take close up photos. </p><p>I'd joke that Cleo demanded the better print but honestly, I have no idea why there's such a discrepency there. </p><p>Anyway, Tut is probably my favourite of the pets so far. His shiny metallic finish makes him look quite cool and his mold is inoffensive. He actually sits which is something my Count Fabulous can't do and he feels like a pretty cohesive design concept, unlike Whatsie who just feels a bit all over the place (and not in an intentional manner.) He also has much better paintwork which makes him feel significantly less cheap and sloppy. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLUdOVVeQYb5l6K-YFoCG1VgtAhIJfuMu536TXPi4bkDXC7z4uzNWqAZlUyv-0sqIwUY8AnjSKrfwjebx5ZJ8ovjWPnvyBhUYz-3cVo77BdHV4KjyWi_Th65NEGLeOX4gEyl3CThEVFnJUa7jjK-wZZ3BeV6golUPRkunenu14kzd4RXNaF0YzgU06kw/s2598/20221015_230349.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2598" data-original-width="1432" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLUdOVVeQYb5l6K-YFoCG1VgtAhIJfuMu536TXPi4bkDXC7z4uzNWqAZlUyv-0sqIwUY8AnjSKrfwjebx5ZJ8ovjWPnvyBhUYz-3cVo77BdHV4KjyWi_Th65NEGLeOX4gEyl3CThEVFnJUa7jjK-wZZ3BeV6golUPRkunenu14kzd4RXNaF0YzgU06kw/w352-h640/20221015_230349.jpg" width="352" /></a></div><p></p><p>G3 Cleo has, like the rest of G3, a much wider and more shapely body than the original dolls. I really do like this new body. The hips are nice! </p><p>Cleo's body is unique to her I believe, least currently, with a sharply cinched in waist, thicker thigs and a mummy bandage detail to one leg and one arm like her G2 dolls. </p><p>I like the addition of "monster details" to the bodies themselves, I think it's a lot of fun and was one element of g2 I really enjoyed. </p><p>New Cleo is also a different skintone. She has an almost shimmery quality to her skintone and is a much richer brown. I'm pleased with this change. Mattel has a tendency to slowly make non white characters paler over time so it's nice to see g3 Cleo actually getting her tan on. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ZvtYzAwfCO7jsCcVQxlNHKzX9hwEgn0agMZFhcL5YWJpAyyBTzG4rAp_xFfGbH5qtwujO06Rrcj3inN3wUCBx7Qa0y6XIMHerZdfcpxGSJ2pu4zuZdV9g86VFsvOR1pgG7hEp0QA6-ZqoxzId8PaQppZpDJfnMMD99Od1UE4FbK8UmAM2po1kr6Fmw/s2423/20221015_230359.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1592" data-original-width="2423" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ZvtYzAwfCO7jsCcVQxlNHKzX9hwEgn0agMZFhcL5YWJpAyyBTzG4rAp_xFfGbH5qtwujO06Rrcj3inN3wUCBx7Qa0y6XIMHerZdfcpxGSJ2pu4zuZdV9g86VFsvOR1pgG7hEp0QA6-ZqoxzId8PaQppZpDJfnMMD99Od1UE4FbK8UmAM2po1kr6Fmw/w640-h420/20221015_230359.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>Alongside Scaris Cleo i found it really interesting how similar and yet different the sculpts are. I believe they must have either modified the original sculpts or references them heavily when sculpting these new ones. Cleo has a distinctively shaped nose bridge which is present in both versions along with a very angled jaw and extremely wide eyewells. </p><p>G3 Cleo definitely looks a lot friendlier than Scaris who looks like she's about ready to stab someone. Oops. It's the less sharply angled brows and the slight smile painted into her lips that does it. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3nu6GjjZQYJnMQeR_jIe69oJxKex8MFVUSoA7MOUWX-f9veKrIyg1-q7J-IUWjIY3b6FJZG9ocHs7-_uvMdBVZV-AZ_btxjoWB1eEBNC_E0ivRsx4Fx-pd30lTuueL5f_CB16SF9ZQ0bVrkfnaPWWRU-Phzp4P5aC7iPWxZ6ILpNfKqnkHb6y7l8Imw/s2812/20221015_231021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2812" data-original-width="1231" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3nu6GjjZQYJnMQeR_jIe69oJxKex8MFVUSoA7MOUWX-f9veKrIyg1-q7J-IUWjIY3b6FJZG9ocHs7-_uvMdBVZV-AZ_btxjoWB1eEBNC_E0ivRsx4Fx-pd30lTuueL5f_CB16SF9ZQ0bVrkfnaPWWRU-Phzp4P5aC7iPWxZ6ILpNfKqnkHb6y7l8Imw/w280-h640/20221015_231021.jpg" width="280" /></a></div><p></p><p>Scaris Cleo cannot fit into G3 Cleo's dress. It's too big in the hips and also the bust/shoulders. It's not too awful but it looks frumpy being that little too big and I don't like it. <br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjntYVGKm9MsD1irmZBTaH1MOUmY7CDQIdULtpOZ6Z3XnqcvOJjf6EKRk7OfcXRkOh2ZhGVBRkR5CkQwnj8i8OecRRAmrXF5t6as0dXe3szrFr2yCpeLmKEjvtCrP_7oCItBrMzUFrUNduFEnGDP5KRMHAq2KTWfOgoR2mptTU_vxuxoOxZI1U9D3NRzQ/s2866/20221015_231003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2866" data-original-width="2071" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjntYVGKm9MsD1irmZBTaH1MOUmY7CDQIdULtpOZ6Z3XnqcvOJjf6EKRk7OfcXRkOh2ZhGVBRkR5CkQwnj8i8OecRRAmrXF5t6as0dXe3szrFr2yCpeLmKEjvtCrP_7oCItBrMzUFrUNduFEnGDP5KRMHAq2KTWfOgoR2mptTU_vxuxoOxZI1U9D3NRzQ/w462-h640/20221015_231003.jpg" width="462" /></a></div><br /> Scaris' stretchy dress however fits beautifully onto G3 Cleo and once I put her accessories on over the top I fell in love with this look. <p></p><p>The sleeveless dress makes getting the jacket on significantly easier (long sleeves under long sleeves are a nightmare, there's a reason why doll suits tend to use a sleeveless shirt) and the splashes of red in the print tie in with the red of her boots. I also like how tightly it hugs her hips heh. </p><p>Regarding the jacket, because I didn't earlier, it's made from a fabric that feels a bit like that very very thin "fashion denim" but I think it's polyester. It's printed so the inside is white with the print being printed on one side. The tassels are gold ribbons. I actually quite like it as a piece. It's pretty nicely made, the collar sits down which is always an issue with anything with a sewn in collar and it adds a bit of fun detail to her outfit. Yeah it's a bit "western" but eh. I think it's a fun piece. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjixzsdDPE_WXW4vYU-Nm71a38UiesT69DiJPkjzBy73SyB9Zsn3s8Qd26SuzQ0_Ga2sXObCmrPTcKILv-Bm_gzzgwwP06i9ln3ZlwHrfGNw7kBAR1YtUxj-pkACEqUYk31ycGLcRNpsoHwzWCxCzztnLKdrWOvwX2MWGOBX5T7YQPgNMDfG9tq28J-rg/s2601/20221015_234550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2601" data-original-width="1663" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjixzsdDPE_WXW4vYU-Nm71a38UiesT69DiJPkjzBy73SyB9Zsn3s8Qd26SuzQ0_Ga2sXObCmrPTcKILv-Bm_gzzgwwP06i9ln3ZlwHrfGNw7kBAR1YtUxj-pkACEqUYk31ycGLcRNpsoHwzWCxCzztnLKdrWOvwX2MWGOBX5T7YQPgNMDfG9tq28J-rg/w410-h640/20221015_234550.jpg" width="410" /></a></div><p></p><p>Cleo's wider hips and thighs made me think of Draculaura's new body but they're actually quite distinct from one another. </p><p>Cleo's hips are slimmer, as are her thighs and her waist cinches in lower and more sharply than Drac's. Drac also appears to have wider shoulders and a larger bust. </p><p>That said, Cleo's hips and thighs are larger than Frankie's. I didn't check if they could share clothing but their upper bodies look quite similar so they probably can. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC8e5fmjP10ckmsQS7fFR6fXsjwx0bWnhoZcqkKrm1LDkvxDk0spFlp2UQtEKLYOxPSQfglGkt4fBH02sGF2Dl02rREEGUgvFO7fhELZ1FGyndVwhM_TebybjsnYXasBTVPZ_9hGj-CuW31WwPQvTo-iiylQkQUd8xt_kjKC5ZdC1OPa1h7sw6yMKrlg/s3075/20221015_234749.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3075" data-original-width="1396" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC8e5fmjP10ckmsQS7fFR6fXsjwx0bWnhoZcqkKrm1LDkvxDk0spFlp2UQtEKLYOxPSQfglGkt4fBH02sGF2Dl02rREEGUgvFO7fhELZ1FGyndVwhM_TebybjsnYXasBTVPZ_9hGj-CuW31WwPQvTo-iiylQkQUd8xt_kjKC5ZdC1OPa1h7sw6yMKrlg/w290-h640/20221015_234749.jpg" width="290" /></a></div><p>this means they can't share clothes. The shorts are too big in the waist and the top is just an absolute no go for fit. </p><p>As Cleo's outfit also has no stretch to it, Draculaura couldn't even get it over her thighs. </p><p>Ho hum. </p><p>To be fair, given how character specific Monster High clothing has always been, I don't see this as being much of a loss. It's annoying with Barbie sure because their whole thing is mixing and matching clothes, but with Monster High they've always been so character specific with each outfit pieces and accessory that it never looked right to mix them even when the bodies were all the same shape. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQh1tOOg0eKAXZGpvS9UQEQuhIFN4VKrGOQxeWaZIclZPhKeedBCFxp7HJV5OzQB8kM3_57Tu4WuLTe2wLiCp85--H3uVXSojU0m8S9rHa0BE4jOmb79fkOG18-Dkg0Sn2WzccX9IpQDMT7_PVpRTScu7M9mmt6BwrULRQ4HCudJm4D2X6ouwgL8MxBQ/s3448/20221015_231901.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3448" data-original-width="1958" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQh1tOOg0eKAXZGpvS9UQEQuhIFN4VKrGOQxeWaZIclZPhKeedBCFxp7HJV5OzQB8kM3_57Tu4WuLTe2wLiCp85--H3uVXSojU0m8S9rHa0BE4jOmb79fkOG18-Dkg0Sn2WzccX9IpQDMT7_PVpRTScu7M9mmt6BwrULRQ4HCudJm4D2X6ouwgL8MxBQ/w364-h640/20221015_231901.jpg" width="364" /></a></div><br /> Yeah Scaris Cleo isn't getting her dress back. I don't dislike G3's signature dress, I just think that this dress matches her accessories better. The blue dress works better without a jacket and with heels or something. <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKPnao1UTwz7_hJk9tJ5REJyVLMwvDO2ov-N6at58Qc9AkfVrlHeSOjD2eI9XzY0vDr6cHgi7kzN9ePTWL39q9y1Vrl7y78F-FNg3QX_SDESI96Aql8F7xgMe-TXCZMFfQ9Yjrn4YEKvK41O1Z9AxJOB_EqgvRb7bLamcfBj1EBRbr1BgRAQlmEm-xqg/s2643/20221015_233927.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2643" data-original-width="2166" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKPnao1UTwz7_hJk9tJ5REJyVLMwvDO2ov-N6at58Qc9AkfVrlHeSOjD2eI9XzY0vDr6cHgi7kzN9ePTWL39q9y1Vrl7y78F-FNg3QX_SDESI96Aql8F7xgMe-TXCZMFfQ9Yjrn4YEKvK41O1Z9AxJOB_EqgvRb7bLamcfBj1EBRbr1BgRAQlmEm-xqg/w524-h640/20221015_233927.jpg" width="524" /></a></div><p></p><p>I really do like these three. They're all quite different from one another and have a lot of personality in their faces, more so than a lot of their original renditions honestly. </p><p>I really enjoy the body diversity, I quite like most of their new outfits and their bodies feel good and solid and are quite enjoyable to pose and play around with. The new bust joint is great fun for dynamic posing. I also really do prefer the new body shapes, they make the original body look like a shapeless noodle. <br /></p><p>I also like that they can stand without support. I always appreciate a doll who can stand the hell up on their own. </p><p>I'm not without gripes though of course. A few of the outfit pieces feel very cheap (Frankie's sweater vest being the biggest culprit) and the lack of consistancy in the print quality of the accessories and pets is really frustrating. The grainy as shit Icoffin displays is annoying as it destroys the fun details hidden in their home page designs by making them too difficult to make out behind the static and I still don't think the food adds anything of value. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN_R1q4OyE3eCBdlX1TFI9VX8RmjW0gSxy7xxKBC_jaJrDkRlsSgtqe4sVs3DvkbSgDTIYrlqy5t6TzeNgs2bfw1QIc13vhOmKZvZymCuH-9EO2_5WFhjN4qru19zQsWwvLWeqtGjuXpjEJxZZp0qE7FsIlNkqdGFvMusZNk3hFXzTFa5r4aGRwH64WQ/s3259/20221015_233844.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3259" data-original-width="1148" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN_R1q4OyE3eCBdlX1TFI9VX8RmjW0gSxy7xxKBC_jaJrDkRlsSgtqe4sVs3DvkbSgDTIYrlqy5t6TzeNgs2bfw1QIc13vhOmKZvZymCuH-9EO2_5WFhjN4qru19zQsWwvLWeqtGjuXpjEJxZZp0qE7FsIlNkqdGFvMusZNk3hFXzTFa5r4aGRwH64WQ/w226-h640/20221015_233844.jpg" width="226" /></a></div><p>But DAMN Cleo is a pretty doll. </p><p>I'll be honest, most of the first wave Cleo's really didn't do it for me. The way her eyes were painted so they wrapped around her skull always bothered me and she was as a result extremely prone to wall eye. </p><p>I quite liked G2 Cleo's softer look because her eyes weren't so distorted and i'm quite pleased that G3 has taken the few good aspects of G2 (the less wierdly warped eyes and the monstery details on the body itself) and improved upon them. What we ended up with is a line that calls back to the original but also brings in some nice improvements to the design. A more structurally stable body with stronger joints and easier to remove hands, heads without unstable glue and shoes that are soft enough to actually come off without taking the whole dang leg with them. </p><p>I appreciate this. </p><p>Now they just have to stop using poly for some of the hair and stop wasting budget on plastic bullshit so they can give us more detailed outfits with consistant quality for every piece. </p><p>Oh yeah, and to maintain consistancy:</p><p>I give Cleo a solid<b> 8 out of 10 staticky strands of tinsel. </b></p><p>I feel like her dress and jacket weren't designed with one another in mind and the fact the red in her shoes doesn't go with anything else still bugs me okay? Also I took a point off for her bag and makeup compact hurting my fingers. If I can't open them, how the hell will a kid? Also the wear already on those hinges from opening the bag ONCE concerns me about the longevity of that piece. </p><p>But otherwise, i'm quite pleased with Cleo. <br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Purple_monkfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023284779817354246noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3031605728160552641.post-32964424070022334542022-10-15T12:00:00.001+01:002022-10-15T12:00:00.221+01:00Monster High returns - Frankie Stein<p> Okay I haven't got any real preamble here except to explain one thing. <br /></p><p>Frankie now uses they/them pronouns apparently. But you'd only know this if you'd been keeping up to date with the movie and cartoon series stuff. Which actually kinda pisses me off because what's the point of having a character using they/them if you don't bother to actually TELL PEOPLE THIS clearly on the goddamn fucking box!?? </p><p>So yeah, don't get mad if some people still use she/her, a lot of people won't be aware of this change because Mattel didn't really make much, if any, effort to ensure it was known. </p><p>Right now it kinda comes across as a sort of condescending "hah, didn't you know? Aren't you a REAL fan?" kinda gotcha which is irritating. </p><p>And the thing is, I appreciate the representation but IS it representation if you don't bother to actually declare it on the doll's box? You know what I mean? </p><p>It would have been such a small simple thing to just add "pronouns" to the very short little bio on the back of the box but I think I know WHY they didn't. Mattel are one of those companies who love them some diversity IF they think they can sell it, but at the same time are loathe to actually stand behind that diversity against the rage of the bigoted conservatives who also buy their product. So they try to court both by being wishy washy about the whole thing. By not having pronouns on the box it means the sort of people who whine about "woke nonsense" (AKA Assholes) won't be put off and start a stupid social media pile on and pointless ineffectual boycott. They won't notice because they aren't going to watch the animated show, they aren't going to watch the movie, they will however buy the toy for their kid. </p><p>And this is an added frustration to the whole thing because it shows that Mattel aren't really the allies they pretend to be. Which raises the question, why bother changing Frankie's pronouns in the first place if you're not going to stand proudly behind it and own that? </p><p>Even their official social media can't get the damn pronouns consistant. <br /></p><p>As I said. Wishy washy. </p><p>That aside, I will be using they/them to refer to g3 Frankie throughout and she/her to refer to g1. It might get a bit confusing so i'll try to be as clear as I can. Singular "they" can be a little awkward in English and I say this as someone who uses they/them. </p><p>But i'll do my best! </p><span><a name='more'></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYMUA8WxlTuPAviKjDQ_mcvU6C2f_qWG5vq1dwQycsGRZD7Ilxkv1i-_DB3-1Nok9KcMHIfhknr9YpsQm6OSmO7bFfFcC6ZCdc2wJ0DjfEplNjDntrMQDWqNZZmtWQ_D_mFjjn3Z7on0scBhhRnz0g-cdPAJ7yEDA0EtwVGnL0yGvqgjf-U6KGrNqPhA/s2702/20221010_140729.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2702" data-original-width="2184" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYMUA8WxlTuPAviKjDQ_mcvU6C2f_qWG5vq1dwQycsGRZD7Ilxkv1i-_DB3-1Nok9KcMHIfhknr9YpsQm6OSmO7bFfFcC6ZCdc2wJ0DjfEplNjDntrMQDWqNZZmtWQ_D_mFjjn3Z7on0scBhhRnz0g-cdPAJ7yEDA0EtwVGnL0yGvqgjf-U6KGrNqPhA/w518-h640/20221010_140729.jpg" width="518" /></a></div><p></p><p>Frankie's box is pretty much identical to Draculaura's, except of course the contents and the little picture in the corner. While Drac's featured Clawdeen and Lagoona in the background, Frankie's features Draculaura and Lagoona. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPa6NOz5LZt7KVi_fDU1iBaFc_bLWt086uis8dMVFp-D7PaOLOqNB-bSKV_vweZui9NEhGtEyYWD1gTXrbAyZJqQpGUWl0XERpGDJKPgZHH71S1I9ZO3utDWLdTIKY_2ztnVi_S5gWRf7zhU2nWwZwii5eNMLnGVs6rh6S0RGssjRX97gcr06dRDGChQ/s3125/20221010_140741.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3125" data-original-width="1795" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPa6NOz5LZt7KVi_fDU1iBaFc_bLWt086uis8dMVFp-D7PaOLOqNB-bSKV_vweZui9NEhGtEyYWD1gTXrbAyZJqQpGUWl0XERpGDJKPgZHH71S1I9ZO3utDWLdTIKY_2ztnVi_S5gWRf7zhU2nWwZwii5eNMLnGVs6rh6S0RGssjRX97gcr06dRDGChQ/w368-h640/20221010_140741.jpg" width="368" /></a></div><p></p><p>The art on the back features Frankie and their pet, who is apparently named "Watzie" in this continuity. We'll get to that. </p><p>Though while we're on the topic of the wierd cyborg dog, can I point out that the dog appears to be able to fly by propelling itself with farts. Yes I know the trail behind it is supposed to evoke "movement" but it's unfortunate and my immature brain sees it as lightening wind shot out the butt. </p><p>Maybe they stuck a jet engine in there <_< </p><p>I mean it's not like those wings make any sense or would provide any sort of lift. </p><p>Unlike Draculaura's Frankie's artwork outfit is actually pretty close to their actual doll outfit. Looks like Frankie didn't go through so many changes huh? <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW8CLZX_47YSi9MBpnZ3DDOMYBVFy0m3_MnkO8ud1oRjDMJH7l2D-F9N8MQ1_QKf3UwPpNuZ8cZTHTqbuo2f2K5UiRNcMohZzoHHP0m4Ovrp5zSrDci2U5JLvidq75fbJO1M069g_wFtmbUepiGFSeQv3bWBkomlOdtHqx5gOX0DxSuOgp9-R8qlDUeQ/s3806/20221010_140746.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2290" data-original-width="3806" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW8CLZX_47YSi9MBpnZ3DDOMYBVFy0m3_MnkO8ud1oRjDMJH7l2D-F9N8MQ1_QKf3UwPpNuZ8cZTHTqbuo2f2K5UiRNcMohZzoHHP0m4Ovrp5zSrDci2U5JLvidq75fbJO1M069g_wFtmbUepiGFSeQv3bWBkomlOdtHqx5gOX0DxSuOgp9-R8qlDUeQ/w640-h386/20221010_140746.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>Their very brief and honestly pointless bio on the back of the box just calls them a "voltageous frankenmonster" which is just... words. I think it's a pity we lost "monsterous parent" and the whole "children of famous monsters" aspect but I get why they might want to separate themselves from that and the limitation it presented. Still... I miss it. (as an aside, Frankie's parents in g2 are apparently Dr and Dr Stein, as opposed to the implication that they were the Monster and the Bride from universal pictures in g1.) <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4bh0tp4yjtGm34mmbt_2GKYXrIk2OSTjaa76yaotUDhNClFqcBVCeSK9yV1AL-T5mB5EmHKyO_kcOCkEqMFJwFaKaY46J3W7eNGfkq2OibGGlFjt1xvWr2iEHDTHCEWRiun0-ELaashD5wBs_ZoP-4cu9eT5kzq2Yld1fwIOo3gdJGl55mSxC4Bfnbg/s1526/20221010_140759.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1526" data-original-width="1500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4bh0tp4yjtGm34mmbt_2GKYXrIk2OSTjaa76yaotUDhNClFqcBVCeSK9yV1AL-T5mB5EmHKyO_kcOCkEqMFJwFaKaY46J3W7eNGfkq2OibGGlFjt1xvWr2iEHDTHCEWRiun0-ELaashD5wBs_ZoP-4cu9eT5kzq2Yld1fwIOo3gdJGl55mSxC4Bfnbg/w630-h640/20221010_140759.jpg" width="630" /></a></div><p></p><p>Frankie has lost Watzit and now has a new dog named Watzie. I assume the name change was a trademark issue or something. </p><p>This is definitely a whole new dog though. Watzie is grey rather than brown, has a different shaped muzzle and appears to be part cyborg with a reptilian lower body. </p><p>it's all pretty wierd actually. Watzit was substantially more just "dog" shaped. </p><p>Watzie also has these wierd lightening bolt "wings" that make zero sense and just look like someone rammed novelty lights into the poor animal. The original Watzit had wings, but they were actually WINGS, like bird wings or something. </p><p>Anyway, Watzie is a whole new pup with a wierd design that we'll look at in more detail when I debox. </p><p>Like Count Fabulous, Watzie has really grainy printing on the eyes. <br /></p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSdmwqujnKYSmCyt5PaGAmXTvDWO7O3I9bHALbo4r9fVVuJhO8VXyr4o3_R4AwSGySLiHUGXTR0hk4qP3UoWCIDXXJotusr7jEGA7UnlfaIIlv3ryFRnw4gD4IrZeR7ZZjx2g3v4BTVrKkJkvl4RH1OG7h4lJ7saEfuS9qV2W5vAtAJdzfNOO49-EOrQ/s3104/20221010_140821.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3104" data-original-width="895" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSdmwqujnKYSmCyt5PaGAmXTvDWO7O3I9bHALbo4r9fVVuJhO8VXyr4o3_R4AwSGySLiHUGXTR0hk4qP3UoWCIDXXJotusr7jEGA7UnlfaIIlv3ryFRnw4gD4IrZeR7ZZjx2g3v4BTVrKkJkvl4RH1OG7h4lJ7saEfuS9qV2W5vAtAJdzfNOO49-EOrQ/w184-h640/20221010_140821.jpg" width="184" /></a></div><p></p><p>The side of Frankie's box has a bunch of symbols to represent the character. Like Draculaura's the vast majority are just illustrations of the doll's accessories but also included are a couple of severed hands, a stitched lightening bolt and a stitched up "broken" heart with a lightening bolt across it. There's also a safety pin which must be a nod to g1 right? g1 quite often had safetypin earrings but the g3 dolls have none in sight. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi212R9Z8b8wS5rlG0Sdyoqj4-jo0CikufHKORz6bGZYiHti92gcWnhIMkdBTUMJfGu5q09XBFVB2AKGza8FVWgJJeyYJOyY8Rrs-B-s2lejrRqiD4ktj2TptRemUApY_GD0ZVwa3X4sfdHPOCsxmuGdiSnGDOcBeBGl9y3MmyA4XGXK8rUNLG9xsyICQ/s3150/20221010_141011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3150" data-original-width="2480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi212R9Z8b8wS5rlG0Sdyoqj4-jo0CikufHKORz6bGZYiHti92gcWnhIMkdBTUMJfGu5q09XBFVB2AKGza8FVWgJJeyYJOyY8Rrs-B-s2lejrRqiD4ktj2TptRemUApY_GD0ZVwa3X4sfdHPOCsxmuGdiSnGDOcBeBGl9y3MmyA4XGXK8rUNLG9xsyICQ/w504-h640/20221010_141011.jpg" width="504" /></a></div><p>UNLIKE Draculaura's box, Frankie's didn't try to bite me. </p><p>I still don't like those plastic tabs though. They seem thirsty for my flesh. </p><p>Anyway, Frankie is packaged in much the same was as Draculaura. Way too many plastic tabs, multiple staples in the head, hair tabbed down with a lot of tabs, phone plastic tabbed to hand and so on. </p><p>Far too many plastic string things. Far far too many. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRDjk4t9Cu5tD4MbjqP9TsHA9H2Xx-RrQpUTeAwkQ6-c-pJNIElPJkcbm4mSZNlI-CATWqIHzp5io8QCtPbvOcw9ZzsM2by54vVLS6SurleDkHr_MjnfAaRhvwmNCO9Jv7_-6INL6OjmDSoo4HeeFo_dCqCwWnFZZxLIr29-WfkUmRkjti9qLHveVPbA/s3019/20221010_141016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3019" data-original-width="1727" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRDjk4t9Cu5tD4MbjqP9TsHA9H2Xx-RrQpUTeAwkQ6-c-pJNIElPJkcbm4mSZNlI-CATWqIHzp5io8QCtPbvOcw9ZzsM2by54vVLS6SurleDkHr_MjnfAaRhvwmNCO9Jv7_-6INL6OjmDSoo4HeeFo_dCqCwWnFZZxLIr29-WfkUmRkjti9qLHveVPbA/w366-h640/20221010_141016.jpg" width="366" /></a></div><br /><p>And just like Draculaura, Frankie's accessories aren't tabbed in at all but held in place with the moulded plastic. So... why can't they do this with the doll? </p><p>Like Draculaura, the print on these accessories is absolutely SHIT. </p><p>Wierdly Frankie doesn't come with a drink like all the other dolls but rather this... bag... camera... thing. </p><p>I honestly thought it was a bag til I noticed Frankie had a backpack also in the box. Why does it look like ice cream? I mean it has to be a camera right? Those little polaroids slot into it like a toaster.... mmm polaroid toaster... </p><p>but it doesn't LOOK like a camera beyond the big eye on the front being the lens. There's nothing on the back, no view finder, no view screen, no button to snap the picture, nothing. What sort of camera only has stuff on the front of it? And what sort of camera is this big and shaped like this? </p><p>I don't understand! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXorL8bLBYYkrd4LBpaNTq28t3nCpzyatWZjLN5QyfLnUPdfa5fF0b07-P8U2wCnCFMIBylVgEsCuAyDXYWwmpSzsXmgrJDxHCPSN3HociN5U6NzR8NVz2fGJEAmm_BiSAPmQcX9GOveu-Q7Weoy6ukpR0fmfHR2dF9PMGYjMYtcHrqSpoLMR1cWnGmA/s2557/20221010_141405.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2557" data-original-width="1226" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXorL8bLBYYkrd4LBpaNTq28t3nCpzyatWZjLN5QyfLnUPdfa5fF0b07-P8U2wCnCFMIBylVgEsCuAyDXYWwmpSzsXmgrJDxHCPSN3HociN5U6NzR8NVz2fGJEAmm_BiSAPmQcX9GOveu-Q7Weoy6ukpR0fmfHR2dF9PMGYjMYtcHrqSpoLMR1cWnGmA/w306-h640/20221010_141405.jpg" width="306" /></a></div><p><br />Frankie has a whole new body, one that's different to Draculaura's. It's taller and very slender. It's still thicker than the original dolls though. </p><p>The joints work much the same, though the knee joints don't feel quite as sturdy as Drac's, likely because they're thinner/smaller. Still, the body feels pretty robust and able to withstand play. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPSl0_qje0zQ-KzaJLQrecb8B-mqw4bTucK8liu7CBcEY1xo9sVvAxrDBpD7Q58QmVaqZzgecNJbtswkwLY25K9TOy4MIpR7nkpqcXFDzY0zPClAFQaWDNWFcUv73Ahs1AILXeE9ewC3hewNBBwJ5gdhHFFIMAokEveyGCJhVy2mbLaDW72qEuY5jYog/s2989/20221010_141411.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2989" data-original-width="2725" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPSl0_qje0zQ-KzaJLQrecb8B-mqw4bTucK8liu7CBcEY1xo9sVvAxrDBpD7Q58QmVaqZzgecNJbtswkwLY25K9TOy4MIpR7nkpqcXFDzY0zPClAFQaWDNWFcUv73Ahs1AILXeE9ewC3hewNBBwJ5gdhHFFIMAokEveyGCJhVy2mbLaDW72qEuY5jYog/w584-h640/20221010_141411.jpg" width="584" /></a></div><p></p><p>Frankie has long white hair with black streaks and two small streaks of blue on their left side at the front. This isn't the first time Frankie has had blue added into their hair, it provides a nice little pop of colour and I don't hate it. Certainly I prefer the blue to the yellow they started adding in at the end of g1. What was UP with that? </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2aBEzrY-6V4F5aqjQ-NL3_Un08DnK8He-OpaJ961Dch5j7Uf8QleqF4w3PntS_NyUZjoh3bLVcf7xLDRRj9xD2a2jJvMMdIDH592qaakMZcXDM6HIgPuLzRBD_1c78lesJ7eBj4p59loxL-5tZoZ21ALAbDvIvkmdtQBOJlWFjD740lDw7S7dR_5Azg/s2263/20221010_142058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2263" data-original-width="2007" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2aBEzrY-6V4F5aqjQ-NL3_Un08DnK8He-OpaJ961Dch5j7Uf8QleqF4w3PntS_NyUZjoh3bLVcf7xLDRRj9xD2a2jJvMMdIDH592qaakMZcXDM6HIgPuLzRBD_1c78lesJ7eBj4p59loxL-5tZoZ21ALAbDvIvkmdtQBOJlWFjD740lDw7S7dR_5Azg/w568-h640/20221010_142058.jpg" width="568" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div>Frankie's hair is held up in two small little ponytail things at the front to sweep that hair out of their face, but it's a bit messy and there's a lot of loose hairs on mine. <p></p><p>On their right side they wear two lightening bolt shaped barettes that imo feel a little oversized but doll hair accessories usually are. </p><p>My Frankie has a slight printing error which has resulted in their eyebrow piercing/staple being set a little lower than the eyebrow. Whoops? </p><p>Sadly this piercing is printed on rather than being sculpted like it was with g1 Jackson. I get this though, it's cheaper, it's quicker and it results in a doll that doesn't have a big hole in their face. </p><p>Another fun little touch is that Frankie's eye hightlights are lightening bolt shaped. That's cute. </p><p>The makeup is pretty simple. Yellow with grey around the eyes, some light pink lips and pink blush. </p><p>I do like these thicker eyebrows though. I also appreciate that they're actually grey coloured. G1 MH had a real tendency to have eyebrows in a totally different colour to the doll's hair and it always looked so jarring and wierd to me. (Lagoona's purple brows, Frankie's brown ones) <br /></p><p>They have lost their neck bolts but retained their face scar/stitching and the stitching across the neck. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWfjF6Q0RXabDlncmGnX9NoSTbDUAYbCmGgOMuYZczzbC0c59rC94UBYfUA7h3Kxe6BQLPSsAYXjaNGSZuSrSqzmx1j6A0pfEBA2NEW_QzlbIsD8cwQ2-WcW1stxfi4NXwV0lCpgeaZuhQcotSSBqw4lKfYCp_reyhDzvoPL2a3mjUw1gfXNnQdZZbBw/s2857/20221010_141421.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2857" data-original-width="2275" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWfjF6Q0RXabDlncmGnX9NoSTbDUAYbCmGgOMuYZczzbC0c59rC94UBYfUA7h3Kxe6BQLPSsAYXjaNGSZuSrSqzmx1j6A0pfEBA2NEW_QzlbIsD8cwQ2-WcW1stxfi4NXwV0lCpgeaZuhQcotSSBqw4lKfYCp_reyhDzvoPL2a3mjUw1gfXNnQdZZbBw/w510-h640/20221010_141421.jpg" width="510" /></a></div><p></p><p>Instead of bolts we now get a whole prosthetic leg for Frankie. I can't say i'm sad about this switch. </p><p>The leg is molded in silver coloured plastic and has a load of doodles all over it which judging by the angle, look like Frankie did themselves. This amuses me because it's totally something teenagers do, drawing on their leg in class. Heck, I still do it sometimes when i'm sitting at my desk and happen to have a pen in my hand lol. </p><p>Relateable. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGJB8gG6R7BIp95PSGRKM-8OP4CUEBVjxW-zmDlfO4PuGSDoUjoyYdKeupqDLkyNYO6t0fdhij8IPojxXHKpWmQSHossj5ifToxbg3RxUPtlclhKVrXwfERvzs3fkjS4n2TL7F5sbEKyexVlglIzu83y7jVQUAOGIDEIEb8dDoqaB7lE4LeLUq1lIU2Q/s2365/20221010_142031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2365" data-original-width="995" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGJB8gG6R7BIp95PSGRKM-8OP4CUEBVjxW-zmDlfO4PuGSDoUjoyYdKeupqDLkyNYO6t0fdhij8IPojxXHKpWmQSHossj5ifToxbg3RxUPtlclhKVrXwfERvzs3fkjS4n2TL7F5sbEKyexVlglIzu83y7jVQUAOGIDEIEb8dDoqaB7lE4LeLUq1lIU2Q/w270-h640/20221010_142031.jpg" width="270" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">What's maybe a little wierd is that the prosthetic features moulded stitches, which makes no sense if it's metal. But it does tie it in with the rest of them I suppose. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The ankle has three cogs or gears which again, don't make much sense but do look cool and make the leg look a bit less like just a regular leg painted silver. They have seams and bolts on her foot and a molded false ankle joint. Their ankle doesn't move, it's just decorative. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">People have reported issues with the printing on this leg and indeed all the painted detail on the bodies. I'm told that the plastic itself just doesn't hold paint well (so WHY use it then Mattel? HMMM?) which means that even if you seal it, it'll still rub off with friction. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It doesn't shift if you rub a fingernail over it, but other people have reported it rubbing off from holding the leg to do the hair or whatever. Whatever the case, it likely will NOT hold up to play which is a huge oversight from Mattel. <br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkhqenpUK0gJCCOwKl4p8vezCK3vpBUz3s0DNPtzGcQWyIGk_ckwnJo0sIIqKGbyk8hW74_FMGOqr-ngEDeoYcC3SV66DIdffNnhynQYiL6CIS6gg1MnE7oQoAE6CGImNbBaZgGldG9wCUcnlN5DGVoNiPH4PSm0zoMk6rn_m7jowJko3a9sdgLCGkSA/s2788/20221010_141748.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2788" data-original-width="1844" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkhqenpUK0gJCCOwKl4p8vezCK3vpBUz3s0DNPtzGcQWyIGk_ckwnJo0sIIqKGbyk8hW74_FMGOqr-ngEDeoYcC3SV66DIdffNnhynQYiL6CIS6gg1MnE7oQoAE6CGImNbBaZgGldG9wCUcnlN5DGVoNiPH4PSm0zoMk6rn_m7jowJko3a9sdgLCGkSA/w424-h640/20221010_141748.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><p></p><p>So we gotta address the elephant in the room here. </p><p>YES, g3 Frankie is now BLUE. </p><p>Now there is a rumour as to why, and it has to do with Universal's copyright on depictions of their classic movie monsters. However, this rumour which has been banded about like gospel doesn't actually stand up to scrutiny. Why you ask? Well, I looked it up. Waaay back in 2011 Universal released a criteria for what they claimed were the "defining traits" of their specific interpretation of Frankenstein's monster. In order to be in breech you needed to have all five of the following traits: </p><ol><li>Green Skin</li><li>Flat Top Head</li><li>Scar on Forehead</li><li>Bolts on the Neck</li><li>Protruding Forehead</li></ol><p>Now, while g1 Frankie did indeed have green skin (well, mint green) and neck bolts, she did not possess a scar on her forehead (it's on her cheek instead) nor a flat head or a protruding forehead. As a result, g1 Frankie wasn't in breech of this criteria and was dirivitive enough to be fine. After all, Universal cannot copyright green skinned monsters, that would just be silly. </p><p>People have claimed Universal's criteria is some new thing when it isn't, this criteria was reported back in 2011, a year after Monster High first LAUNCHED. </p><p>g1 Frankie's depiction was fine for all those years, why would Universal suddenly change things? And on what grounds? They wouldn't have a case if they decided to pursue it as Frankie lacks 3 of the 5 traits neccesary to classify as copyright infringement. (Green Frankenstein monsters are nothing new in pop culture and yes, it stems from Universal's depiction but it's now such a mainstay that you'll be hard pressed to find an animated depiction that is NOT some shade of green) </p><p>Further to this, Mattel continues to produce green neck bolted Frankies as part of their Skullector and Creeproduction lines. Why would it be alright there but not for the playline dolls? that doesn't make any sense and isn't how copyright claims work. </p><p>It'd be all or nothing. </p><p>Which means the whole "universal said no green" is a crock of shit and completely without substance. </p><p>So, why is Frankie now blue then? The simple answer is "because Mattel decided to do so". </p><p>Now, they may have done this simply to differentiate Frankie from the typical depictions, though i'd argue mint green was already different enough but what some influencers were told was that it simply came down to colours "little girls preferred". So Frankie is now blue because the kids Mattel asked thought blue was prettier than green. </p><p>Now, as a big fan of the colour green this makes me sad, but it also resulted in another character colour change. Lagoona. Frankie's new skin tone is very very close to Lagoona's original skin tone (it's a little more saturated, G1 Lagoona's a sort of greyish blue), so now Lagoona is bright pink. Presumably those same "little girls" Mattel asked also thought a garish pink was "prettier" than a soft greyish blue, but it's not a change that needed to happen unless Mattel had already decided that Frankie needed to inexplicably be blue. But if their argument was "we can't have two blue skinned characters" why the hell did we end up with two pink skinned ones instead? Why is double pink fine but double blue isn't? </p><p>Yeah i'm salty about Lagoona's skin tone change okay? They could have made her a pretty purple or something. Something soft and cool. Instead they went for a garish bright pink that doesn't go with anything and makes me think of sunburn. </p><p>Ew. </p><p>Anyway, Frankie is now blue. And no, I don't believe Universal were at all responsible. It simply doesn't hold up to any sort of logic. <br /></p><div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJaySKz3nI71Q7w7GydbKyQNvQ-lBwi0fSlB-FycRzX496SaPsHYJo5lJfVV3PT895V6OHVwgMbrHfAUOPYKa8ZXhAExzDmq3C2rO-5hP9ffjq4EXnvCoH8S_-vqSRTd_7HG2CwMdZkHXwlrznB4NjqP7YoGGstCnojWufPwAq5c-o_-qDUEttEarFgw/s3189/20221010_141848.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3189" data-original-width="1234" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJaySKz3nI71Q7w7GydbKyQNvQ-lBwi0fSlB-FycRzX496SaPsHYJo5lJfVV3PT895V6OHVwgMbrHfAUOPYKa8ZXhAExzDmq3C2rO-5hP9ffjq4EXnvCoH8S_-vqSRTd_7HG2CwMdZkHXwlrznB4NjqP7YoGGstCnojWufPwAq5c-o_-qDUEttEarFgw/w248-h640/20221010_141848.jpg" width="248" /></a></div></div><div> </div><div>Frankie's outfit is all separate pieces just like Draculaura's, which is nice to see. I love the mix and match potential there. You know... if any of the dolls can actually share clothes. </div><div> </div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx2ntez8z_UgjX8Wb6brYaQe-Tk0OzFAsyStwLWsAiPr30Afptd5clTx-QOOpvZY7VfktSA3nSY6BABvPHbtqgDSV-FhcwqecHLJ27-iBYi64zAu2dEbHKUDXlkM9wKKLCql1j9Fbg4DrBXwoMMt_00hAhR6MuhuF7bMIR964uZcvxsRTMro2Nj8tBAg/s3007/20221010_142803.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2119" data-original-width="3007" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx2ntez8z_UgjX8Wb6brYaQe-Tk0OzFAsyStwLWsAiPr30Afptd5clTx-QOOpvZY7VfktSA3nSY6BABvPHbtqgDSV-FhcwqecHLJ27-iBYi64zAu2dEbHKUDXlkM9wKKLCql1j9Fbg4DrBXwoMMt_00hAhR6MuhuF7bMIR964uZcvxsRTMro2Nj8tBAg/w640-h452/20221010_142803.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>Frankie's outfit consists of a sweater vest, a blouse, a pleated skirt, a belt and a pair of platformed sneakers. </p><p>The skirt has actual folded pleats which is nice, but it is quite scratchy stiff material. Still, it works fine for a skirt as it means it holds a shape well. The pattern is printed on, which is pretty typical. </p><p>the blouse is actually really nice, it has proper cuffs and a real collar. It's a cropped blouse with no buttons and little puff sleeves. It's adorable. </p><p>The sweater vest is the disappointing garment of the bunch. It's made of that horrible thin printable synthetic Mattel likes to make all their shitty Barbie sack dresses out of. You know that stuff that's white but they print all the colour onto so it's white on one side and coloured on the other? Yeah. That stuff. It feels thin and cheap and while it is hemmed, all the details are printed on including the fake ribbon trim and it just feels jarringly out of place with the quality of the rest of their pieces. </p><p>It's a horrible piece and I hate it. Thank goodness it can be removed. Into the box of shame for you shitty cheap sweater vest! </p><p>The earrings are pretty simple sort of.. greenish yellow lightening bolts. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-BMVc8vVHAGd3QrzU82Vms1jj-t8EpkSM02HGqHD2yq70jrae-pFya0VNVFBL9B6Pq4Kc_x5SNRBpUV3lgMYZTAbOLetTPFckqeqfU2EtHGz4AKHYX6hpcEF96AuWqZdhSASNSshgSu4_DKaNOYas6t_vyXGFDkE44Jx8roQZUOiGf00E7uamrIb5tw/s3620/20221010_143621.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1798" data-original-width="3620" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-BMVc8vVHAGd3QrzU82Vms1jj-t8EpkSM02HGqHD2yq70jrae-pFya0VNVFBL9B6Pq4Kc_x5SNRBpUV3lgMYZTAbOLetTPFckqeqfU2EtHGz4AKHYX6hpcEF96AuWqZdhSASNSshgSu4_DKaNOYas6t_vyXGFDkE44Jx8roQZUOiGf00E7uamrIb5tw/w640-h318/20221010_143621.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>Frankie also comes with a varsity style jacket. This is also made from a pretty thin feeling material but it's quite soft. The printing on the black parts is very obvious unfortunately. The whole garment aside from the blue trim is made from the same material, they just printed black onto some of it. I don't get why they couldn't just get some black material but that's Mattel for you. Cheaping out wherever they can and doing things the shitty way. </p><p>Anyway, </p><p>the blue trim is slightly elasticated and the jacket itself is perfectly servicable. It doesn't enrage me the same way the sweater vest does because unlike that piece of shit this jacket actually DOES have sewn detail with a contrast stitch along the front and the different material for the collar and cuffs. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj51HnguWM4xNGzMqEQIFDeDYoGQ8tJD5DIw97ifkPa2yScxH8M2wQRodr2qA08pqUWQlpJZYbOJpZatILSjiAQJxOxFYlO2jy0WLE-qho9fWLTIDTBwn2cuVyJD6UFsuQCYx-PBVlIWiUoZ6Yy7ICl_94SHugz5xxV9eE6rOsg_eRKl2MK2tISrEe3-w/s3828/20221010_143627.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1638" data-original-width="3828" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj51HnguWM4xNGzMqEQIFDeDYoGQ8tJD5DIw97ifkPa2yScxH8M2wQRodr2qA08pqUWQlpJZYbOJpZatILSjiAQJxOxFYlO2jy0WLE-qho9fWLTIDTBwn2cuVyJD6UFsuQCYx-PBVlIWiUoZ6Yy7ICl_94SHugz5xxV9eE6rOsg_eRKl2MK2tISrEe3-w/w640-h274/20221010_143627.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>The back of the jacket has a printed pink skullette on it. Is this our first glimpse of a skullette in this itiration of MH? </div><div>It's cool to see this logo back. </div><div> </div><div>The jacket is a little awkward to get on over the puff sleeves of the blouse but it looks pretty decent once it's on. </div><div>I feel like with the sweater vest thing as well it's just too bulky anyway and it all bunches up around the shoulders and collar making Frankie look like they have no neck. It's not a great look. </div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOfiZ1iWS_roDCo0q-w64XDm6__y7Tfvg_E6gAdLtbQfx6Te9I_DACHOuN3b9XHwUL6rvmg24Ce52HWTAEoVRIE34ChRXvGreVMEXpSfoeAESoLBdy4Je3PPvfSlIXYyMFL5yrExrurEGQjOqBxES-g1wIJQXC5HJJgMKLGCkWZl_3i2z_7S33N_rePw/s2949/20221010_142012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2949" data-original-width="1116" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOfiZ1iWS_roDCo0q-w64XDm6__y7Tfvg_E6gAdLtbQfx6Te9I_DACHOuN3b9XHwUL6rvmg24Ce52HWTAEoVRIE34ChRXvGreVMEXpSfoeAESoLBdy4Je3PPvfSlIXYyMFL5yrExrurEGQjOqBxES-g1wIJQXC5HJJgMKLGCkWZl_3i2z_7S33N_rePw/w242-h640/20221010_142012.jpg" width="242" /></a></div><br />Frankie has the same joints as Draculaura including the bust joint. I swear Frankie's head sculpt is bigger than Draculaura's though, it's more similar to the original doll's head size. How random. <br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDUlRX1PD5Q71QZrEsuQRuz-1vgRCoiCwDz5l3ttU-cvJRfP2DtdU6ILEQC48PooTUg2gXgVGxumkMUr2iFfIez9vmsxK_Tru3eBMq26hvMbZBd3yPfNixX9nB5hxtWzT4f6NFcSpmivKhbnar-Yxbg2BULvR3Z2Iw8C1_3citbqrVx6sh8TaKCX1erQ/s2207/20221010_142145.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2207" data-original-width="1763" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDUlRX1PD5Q71QZrEsuQRuz-1vgRCoiCwDz5l3ttU-cvJRfP2DtdU6ILEQC48PooTUg2gXgVGxumkMUr2iFfIez9vmsxK_Tru3eBMq26hvMbZBd3yPfNixX9nB5hxtWzT4f6NFcSpmivKhbnar-Yxbg2BULvR3Z2Iw8C1_3citbqrVx6sh8TaKCX1erQ/w512-h640/20221010_142145.jpg" width="512" /></a></div></div><div> </div><div>Frankie's new head also features the jugged ears we saw on Draculaura. Frankie's ears aren't pointed like Draculaura's but do have a very slight taper to the tips. </div><div></div><div>Frankie also has a HUGE forehead, but then, so did the original Frankie. </div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOkGvEEGxlkSu13bdES0NXvL5hMD_92bxpLKf6IjPFA5QyRkbK2vV9v7Tnlk_DUwP9SoBYZanX1BqTPV6HVpJKh5yLHeT_UPylmeyI1g4OgQTocePflSxAJ9_c7aiLusUnYWwUhKT3moPQ5zIXWMW0ybELtXSsDW-2aSiL9fzBCYZ5CklFE_bt_nYtgg/s2500/20221010_142333.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2500" data-original-width="1702" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOkGvEEGxlkSu13bdES0NXvL5hMD_92bxpLKf6IjPFA5QyRkbK2vV9v7Tnlk_DUwP9SoBYZanX1BqTPV6HVpJKh5yLHeT_UPylmeyI1g4OgQTocePflSxAJ9_c7aiLusUnYWwUhKT3moPQ5zIXWMW0ybELtXSsDW-2aSiL9fzBCYZ5CklFE_bt_nYtgg/w436-h640/20221010_142333.jpg" width="436" /></a></div><br /><p>The new body is closer to the original Monster High body but still thicker and slightly pear shaped. Frankie has a very small bust and then their torso tapers out into a nice curved hip which makes the original doll body look very very shapeless. The torso is shorter on the new dolls but Frankie's limbs are extra long adding height. As a result g3 Frankie stands just a little taller than the original Monster High dolls. <br /></p><p>Because the new Frankie body is broader in pretty much every direction I couldn't get original Frankie's dress on, but some of the stretchy dresses might fit. Ultimately though, I really don't think you can expect much in the way of backward compatibility here. </p><p>Frankie's feet are the same size as Draculaura's, so Rainbow High shoes fit but the old MH ones don't. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzF7pL9B30Lkbj8TX8DGbCMMZPh_3wEJfYnFv4qKxutJ3avYEQdpsXMwuaszpqCmrT-WPtS9al-vU2pn0SDV2rLLXaezdK-md0O5FguM9gY_Ragj4DuCOr9b30fgYaLVoivlCqOCpz6CBujuxGoPrSLWYAiroppbU45b7LbMfEXU5umk-4O7w0I8JRmA/s2719/20221010_152554.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2292" data-original-width="2719" height="539" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzF7pL9B30Lkbj8TX8DGbCMMZPh_3wEJfYnFv4qKxutJ3avYEQdpsXMwuaszpqCmrT-WPtS9al-vU2pn0SDV2rLLXaezdK-md0O5FguM9gY_Ragj4DuCOr9b30fgYaLVoivlCqOCpz6CBujuxGoPrSLWYAiroppbU45b7LbMfEXU5umk-4O7w0I8JRmA/w640-h539/20221010_152554.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div></div><div> </div><div>Frankie's backpack is transparent blue and lightening bolt shaped. It's not as cute as Draculaura's bag but it's fine. It has a pink charm on it that's also elastic banded in place. The charms look to be a lightbulb, a lightening bolt and.. I.. .don't know what the other thing is. It's like a rectangle with scar patterns on it. It's a bit too vuage to make out. </div><div> </div><div>I do like the addition of backpacks here, it feels very "high school" and far more so than handbags like the original dolls had. </div><div> </div><div>Frankie's bag also opens, or rather, like Drac's has a slit in it you can slip stuff through. </div><div> </div><div>Frankie also comes with a lightening bolt shaped pizza slice which makes me wonder what a mess they made of the rest of the pizza to cut that one slice. It has a little loop so Frankie can hold it but I couldn't get it to look natural. </div><div>The print on the front of the pizza is awful, it's grainy and blurred and the back is just flat plastic. So it looks pretty crap. </div><div> </div><div>Frankie also comes with a pair of sunglasses, everyone apparently also gets sunglasses now. Why? not a clue. These ones are blue and lightening bolt shaped and remind me of the Gloom Beach sunglasses. They may in fact be a reused sculpt but I don't have the gloom beach sunglasses to hand. </div><div> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgonVNKN-ARnzrJYwp4BUViNodELK_W8Onlwt5Pt6CD1tcsM4mJFpBkjcY8wondvndbuUFzPnbhC6VBuLx40F03lbqgqayIOLBTiNKNX5vfzr-KXVwwzyzXLHIoLHA8zzsyVgMw-1VjMzmXkzZ-4PcYm5_tlkhe9jK-sEX0BzcY0C2QcaJvWNyOEDVJ4Q/s1623/20221010_152605.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1623" data-original-width="1534" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgonVNKN-ARnzrJYwp4BUViNodELK_W8Onlwt5Pt6CD1tcsM4mJFpBkjcY8wondvndbuUFzPnbhC6VBuLx40F03lbqgqayIOLBTiNKNX5vfzr-KXVwwzyzXLHIoLHA8zzsyVgMw-1VjMzmXkzZ-4PcYm5_tlkhe9jK-sEX0BzcY0C2QcaJvWNyOEDVJ4Q/w604-h640/20221010_152605.jpg" width="604" /></a></div></div><div> </div><div>Watzie is a bloody weird looking critter. And that print on the eyes is just horrific. </div><div>For whatever reason Watzie has gears in his eyes and only some of his details are painted. Why paint his nose but not his fangs? The tip of one ear is supposed to be metallic but it's the same dull grey as the rest of the thing and the lower body looks reptillian but again, is just grey. The "wings" look like neon lights rammed into the poor animal and look stupid imo. I feel like the pet would look less ridiculous without them. I'm honestly tempted to cut the stupid things off and fill in the holes with epoxy and repaint the whole thing so it looks finished and not so half arsed. </div><div> </div><div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaPBUi1-cu2XYwCONRQRyBq0j9dlApb0vjtlB_BNvANgAggHjjZ9I9eZ-mu-tBmLpngkpD7VeqCDtUl4OrUcpfHJVUiYIToVH3uOAP2nrhGiQ66NNLlJuEYpdPRc3MSa0K8NJp13FioKsAcguF_9uFvEhPtW-mqV_3GZ8eyMfCX-cKiotoelknS5DX6w/s1367/20221013_152602.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1367" data-original-width="1038" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaPBUi1-cu2XYwCONRQRyBq0j9dlApb0vjtlB_BNvANgAggHjjZ9I9eZ-mu-tBmLpngkpD7VeqCDtUl4OrUcpfHJVUiYIToVH3uOAP2nrhGiQ66NNLlJuEYpdPRc3MSa0K8NJp13FioKsAcguF_9uFvEhPtW-mqV_3GZ8eyMfCX-cKiotoelknS5DX6w/w486-h640/20221013_152602.jpg" width="486" /></a></div><br /><div>That tail is clearly a reptile tail. Which would be cool if they'd embraced it and actually tried to play up the "made of different animal parts" aspect with colour and texture and stuff. </div><div> </div><div></div><div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk49PTD1SF-SaI0RPH1korDQQIhYRETZ9RWdQsp1IYJGCjTqBI9m3fspHPJsan1BYPgn54Bmf63M2mvhNARVzXG3Bd5IF5ozZWkPo8lGegCuVjI6Zr1CEUYFUl2V1uv2HL-0ywv7sz26d87Rc8uhZ7OlIUvoW_S5zLjmEZsmXUIA6c1P5tmHmG9inh1g/s1259/20221013_152613.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1259" data-original-width="1065" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk49PTD1SF-SaI0RPH1korDQQIhYRETZ9RWdQsp1IYJGCjTqBI9m3fspHPJsan1BYPgn54Bmf63M2mvhNARVzXG3Bd5IF5ozZWkPo8lGegCuVjI6Zr1CEUYFUl2V1uv2HL-0ywv7sz26d87Rc8uhZ7OlIUvoW_S5zLjmEZsmXUIA6c1P5tmHmG9inh1g/w542-h640/20221013_152613.jpg" width="542" /></a></div><p></p><p>Watzie only has one set of stitches, high up on the head. They're completely unpainted, like a lot of the detail. </p><p>I don't get why the hair is green and the eye spot is yellow, it looks out of place when everything else is just grey or black you know? and the yellow just looks like makeup anyway. </p><p>This pup definitely needs work but i'm not sure I have it in me to try to fix the ugly little thing. </p><p>Like Count Fabulous it's just a solid chunk of plastic with no mobility at all. I can't help but wish they could move their fat heads. *sigh* <br /></p><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8LObu6E9D33TDNTjeyivyE3fZW5c9alDO3A2ODVfTRNLlRXcgz2BahprI0llZbtv2eYrcs8PuVJrEN9QTDH-xw4-vC9ZPuDJZbOofMjalT_KadygUT9khddQqOgbfmHyOsI7aREL0szGKqa-sBoRQ-sM8Gc1v1yuC_UzGj4KeUjMOlVx1Xwlp0-8hng/s1681/20221010_152629.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1681" data-original-width="1222" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8LObu6E9D33TDNTjeyivyE3fZW5c9alDO3A2ODVfTRNLlRXcgz2BahprI0llZbtv2eYrcs8PuVJrEN9QTDH-xw4-vC9ZPuDJZbOofMjalT_KadygUT9khddQqOgbfmHyOsI7aREL0szGKqa-sBoRQ-sM8Gc1v1yuC_UzGj4KeUjMOlVx1Xwlp0-8hng/w466-h640/20221010_152629.jpg" width="466" /></a></div></div><div> </div><div>Frankie's Icoffin features a stitched heart and lightening storm motif with a bolt on one side and a safety pin on the other. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWiSIIJZTkxrz-M0KhzedlI-AwVjUL_4sYgJ-TiH6oMAGFzHbzl_ZS1HGlVBSQae3U8Ijdl93NBXQgShhxy5nP94U_4ekEfim9wyW_YZHXKfis_p470-DD4Q4yC_FvcPwK1SYGxtNRzz22LlG2sYDX43Y6OsnMshZyjkTHFjz4fjHzHkEuDfA3oXc-sg/s1890/20221010_152639.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1262" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWiSIIJZTkxrz-M0KhzedlI-AwVjUL_4sYgJ-TiH6oMAGFzHbzl_ZS1HGlVBSQae3U8Ijdl93NBXQgShhxy5nP94U_4ekEfim9wyW_YZHXKfis_p470-DD4Q4yC_FvcPwK1SYGxtNRzz22LlG2sYDX43Y6OsnMshZyjkTHFjz4fjHzHkEuDfA3oXc-sg/w428-h640/20221010_152639.jpg" width="428" /></a></div></div><div> </div><div>Like Draculaura's the print on the screen is horrendous. It's blurry and unclear and generally looks cheap and shit. I suppose we should be grateful they didn't use this same method on the dolls themselves. Bastards. </div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1PyN_DLtaiLbH7NtU6WeTbPX7_aEBomdBtDXTKX63PS8YbBbrKlEMhZ9LZIlZ8yRDZDoLO1t64haJUTjtHEZvNWZMDph1wTODGJ1NHE7dQElGLrurEaOpCWo14iSaHxcgZgNK4DuL9tWYOzuhIs9IG8VqlsZCgJoqCo4KUPybBcO5865nT9747u5vvg/s3873/20221010_152717.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3873" data-original-width="2357" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1PyN_DLtaiLbH7NtU6WeTbPX7_aEBomdBtDXTKX63PS8YbBbrKlEMhZ9LZIlZ8yRDZDoLO1t64haJUTjtHEZvNWZMDph1wTODGJ1NHE7dQElGLrurEaOpCWo14iSaHxcgZgNK4DuL9tWYOzuhIs9IG8VqlsZCgJoqCo4KUPybBcO5865nT9747u5vvg/w390-h640/20221010_152717.jpg" width="390" /></a></div><br /><p>The "camera" still confuses the shit out of me. </p><p>The big green eye is clearly supposed to be the lens right? and the smaller "eye" on the drippy bit is maybe the flash? but then there's buttons also on the front. Do cameras generally have buttons on the front of them? How do you even opperate a camera like that? </p><p>why does it look like a handbag? </p><p>why does it also look like a waffle cone with melting icecream on top? </p><p>why do the photos fit in it like a toaster? </p><p>Why is the back just the square pattern with no buttons or view finder or screen or anything? <br /></p><p>So many questions. So much confusion. </p><p>I mean, they've done cameras before. Draculaura's newspaper club fashion pack had a little camera which you know.. LOOKED like a camera. An old fashioned one sure, but still a camera. But i'm pretty sure polaroid cameras aren't this huge (this thing is like dinner plate sized in the hands of the doll) and don't have blank backs. I'm also fairly sure the pictures come out the bottom, not pop out the top like toaster pastries. </p><p>Does anyone know what sort of camera this thing is trying to be? Am I just missing something here? </p><p>The photos have that same horrible blurry grainy print on them. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSP--cP9_hhm21y_kKlxo6njeiuCe6Je2ZFssOkZXBzYKYoJDkkYOhjaw5cynv-74iRpZdCAV8GztV4WJ64RE_c95Yo02qzG4IVLBb45IMNmTYTqWMWWJBELvefPSLlHmBf8jJQoyPld0-toKB6aheXTY-pvcMOHuLhgfAN5W3YTp_j5Hrnb-IQ8FTjA/s2846/20221010_152350.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2846" data-original-width="2160" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSP--cP9_hhm21y_kKlxo6njeiuCe6Je2ZFssOkZXBzYKYoJDkkYOhjaw5cynv-74iRpZdCAV8GztV4WJ64RE_c95Yo02qzG4IVLBb45IMNmTYTqWMWWJBELvefPSLlHmBf8jJQoyPld0-toKB6aheXTY-pvcMOHuLhgfAN5W3YTp_j5Hrnb-IQ8FTjA/w486-h640/20221010_152350.jpg" width="486" /></a></div></div><div> </div><div>Frankie is a lot taller than Draculaura, as well as being substantially more slender and willowy in shape. I love that we finally have body AND height diversity. It's about bloody time! </div><div>Frankie's platforms add a little more height as well. <br /></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwCfIJk0tG6EatT1fh6ZlMfLljEwVHEnUhnZvSx8OhiJKE_qYyoH22yNKQUG3pR6-rj2qWQNB9SC6jaOKDujGE4DDbICcz75SIvWQJ4XcoYs8-C_nTsmdpYNWpFVyTyKLnQH8pWFYPOr9l8vIMrJmpsjXUq7OvbslIcITFyl5N2Dv4cWzouWyn-5_DRA/s2098/20221010_152407.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2098" data-original-width="1906" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwCfIJk0tG6EatT1fh6ZlMfLljEwVHEnUhnZvSx8OhiJKE_qYyoH22yNKQUG3pR6-rj2qWQNB9SC6jaOKDujGE4DDbICcz75SIvWQJ4XcoYs8-C_nTsmdpYNWpFVyTyKLnQH8pWFYPOr9l8vIMrJmpsjXUq7OvbslIcITFyl5N2Dv4cWzouWyn-5_DRA/w582-h640/20221010_152407.jpg" width="582" /></a></div></div><div> </div><div>You might notice I ended up actually changing Frankie's hair style. The original style on mine was quite messy and the more I handled them the more little strands of hair came out of their ties. I also wasn't keen on how her barettes seemed to just perch on top of their head and wanted to see if I could get it looking a little neater. </div><div>I ended up doing a traditional Frankie style, which is pulling the front sides back and up into a single half ponytail. Doing this exposes Frankie's adorable jug ears but also imo made them look more like Frankie. </div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyl12dTW7KU_7_RxVvv4iqM2oFBzLWeRv_GAr7d4jyoIzDnRmBAg7mP5kfrxSiav_ybV6z6OL6dqhE6yAOOV7nJnpizJmd5qOYHnqv7Y4pSWYJHtt36CSL8XyO6OIBRxmmwwDOBGxpemQ1oHu-M_O5xn-mPL4Ti1SzEFINdlJo5Kz9XP1r_1wu9Xo8_g/s2843/20221010_153253.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2843" data-original-width="1284" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyl12dTW7KU_7_RxVvv4iqM2oFBzLWeRv_GAr7d4jyoIzDnRmBAg7mP5kfrxSiav_ybV6z6OL6dqhE6yAOOV7nJnpizJmd5qOYHnqv7Y4pSWYJHtt36CSL8XyO6OIBRxmmwwDOBGxpemQ1oHu-M_O5xn-mPL4Ti1SzEFINdlJo5Kz9XP1r_1wu9Xo8_g/w290-h640/20221010_153253.jpg" width="290" /></a></div></div><div> </div><div>The sunglasess are HUGE and get in the way. I did finally work out how to do the Icoffin though. It slips over the THUMB! Took me long enough huh? </div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEWAtRcd4sShSDUu8bL-q4QOvs1lO1VnZ8NefaM5_WTK08fH52bPCfzM2YQZo5Mpb1Z-vGsKSN_HRDTt9y5chvxGEZ4kzfhtikGLhZAzyuDBV768ofTkCn40JguPjQBEDPyRc17tabmPg-JEdHGQP1Yg9BlYHXGG1sHCjGKlpvmJPS77OrlK5kHUu6mA/s2250/20221010_153312.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="1436" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEWAtRcd4sShSDUu8bL-q4QOvs1lO1VnZ8NefaM5_WTK08fH52bPCfzM2YQZo5Mpb1Z-vGsKSN_HRDTt9y5chvxGEZ4kzfhtikGLhZAzyuDBV768ofTkCn40JguPjQBEDPyRc17tabmPg-JEdHGQP1Yg9BlYHXGG1sHCjGKlpvmJPS77OrlK5kHUu6mA/w408-h640/20221010_153312.jpg" width="408" /></a></div><br /><p>I'll say that i'm not as "OBSESSED" with this Frankie as I am Draculaura but both are nice dolls. I'm pleased with both of them. </p><p>I feel like Drac maybe has the more cohesive outfit being only 3 colours while Frankie has a little too much going on with the addition of the green earrings and the different shades of pink all over the place. </p><p>I feel like the little flashes of pink in the clothing and shoes works fine but I would have liked the pink barrette to be the same colour as the shoes instead of the substantially brighter pink that makes it stand out. I also feel like their earrings should perhaps have been dark blue or silver or something to tie in better. The yellowy green colour feels out of nowhere. </p><p>That said, I think they look pretty good. </p><p>Their sweater vest sucks and the printing on their accessories is shit, but the rest of the outfit isn't bad. I really like the blouse, it's adorable and their skirt and jacket are fine and easy to put on and take off which is an important factor for a "fashion" doll. Likewise the shoes are easy to put on and take off. This isn't something I can say of say, Rainbow High, who have far too many pairs of shoes I have to really struggle with and hurt my fingers. Cut that shit out MGA. </p><p>Much like with Draculaura, I do wish Mattel had put a little more budget into the clothes of the doll rather than giving us food and wierd ice cream cameras. I can't help but wonder if they'd not bothered with the food and drink and shit and just given us the pet, the backpack and the doll would they have been able to actually paint the eyes onto the pets better and finish more detail and would we have been able to have a sweater vest that wasn't a piece of cheap shit? </p><p>One can dream right? </p><p>*sigh*</p><p>it's the missed potential that annoys me there. </p><p>I mean yeah, as they stand the dolls are still pretty nice, but they could have been even BETTER. So far both Draculaura and Frankie have had disappointing elements where it's clear Mattel ran out of budget and it's so frustrating to see them using a limited budget on bullshit accessories they didn't even bother to print properly anyway instead of just paring things down and making less plastic shit and putting more time and effort into the stuff that MATTERED (you know, the CLOTHES) </p><p>I don't miss brushes or stands, the dolls stand up fine on their own and play dolls don't need stands anyway because they're for playing with not displaying. </p><p>But I do find it endlessly annoying that Mattel continues to fixate on extra plastic crap with their dolls (like the Barbie extra dolls all coming with ugly, cheap pets) rather than actually just making the doll's outfit better quality. It's like they've become convinced that more plastic bullshit adds more value than decent clothes and it's bewildering. </p><p>I mean, I can't think of any other doll line that uses this tactic. LOL OMG literally just come with clothes and a stand and brush. The "fierce" version of them are the same. No plastic accessories aside from a handbag, no random drinks or food, no pets, nothing of the sort. Same with Rainbow High, they come with just clothes and shoes. So where did Mattel get this idea that random plastic food was the thing kids wanted and needed? It's baffling. Almost as baffling as that fucking ice cream camera bag. </p><p>It didn't work with Barbie Extra and I don't think it's working here either. Particularly not when the print on those extra plastic accessories is SO BAD. </p><p>If mattel pulled their heads out their arses for a moment or two and actually got their shit together they could make a near perfect doll line. All they needed to do for Monster High was invest a little more money into making the outfits better quality in every single piece, avoided disgusting poly hair and used decent stuff (Why use poly when kiwi nylon exists!? WHY?) and been a little more consistant across the whole line (like why do some dolls have saran hair but others have poly? What the fuck are you smoking Mattel? Stop it. Get back to work). While Frankie's hair is mostly good, the knowledge those blue streaks are poly and will very likely start to decay and dry out and fall out in a few years makes me angry. It was such a stupid move on Mattel's part. They KNOW poly rots, they've known this for decades. It's not new information. So why the fuck are they using it at all? Especially when they clearly have the ability to access decent hair like Saran. If it was a colour issue (as saran only comes in a very limited number of colours) then why not use kiwi nylon like Rainbow High does? There's literally thousands of colours available there, why would you ever use poly in preference? </p><p>I LIKE the threeboot thus far, the dolls feel solid and well made and they have really characterful faces. They still feel like the characters and I think that's pretty cool. There's also several outfit pieces I think are awesome and I like the backpacks and that they all have customised phones. I just don't get the random cost cutting Mattel did in some places while still insisting they HAD to give every character a half dozen extra plastic pieces of crap. That makes no sense to me. if you only had a certain budget why would you ADD plastic bits rather than just focusing on a few pieces and making them the best you could?</p><p>It's absolutely bewildering. </p><p>So i'm kinda torn about the threeboot. On the one hand, the dolls themselves look and feel really nice. On the other, the shortcuts and cost cutting Mattel took are frustrating reminders that they don't give a shit about producing toys that'll actually last. </p><p>But it's still really cool to see Monster High back again in a new itiration for a new generation. It's been what, like 6 years since MH was on shelves? So it's fun to see them again. I've missed them. </p><p>I hope that Mattel gets back into the swing of things and pulls their shit together. MH deserves to succeed but whether it does will really depend on how much Mattel fucks it up. And sadly, their current trajectory with Barbie is ominous. </p><p>I just have Cleo left to open and then I wait impatiently for the line to actually hit the UK. That may not be till dec/jan, which also pisses me off. Why can MGA manage global releases but Mattel can't? Fucking amateurs. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdmaFVQ72LvXP2b6eZHWV3R_10wa-ijYfJrtcbdZhEyX37ifeGLwAYI0zBAXwfTi__77df1vMHczjbqzfrWHhXM-CXHU2wfsF4vh7dbFyrOtIzp4PV9ePQGdCB5i8jUYwoQ5_PzQ_sUNuiPJqu97HS2Qpn9MYS_RyfzAlZc5bmgzHFuVfHBvUX5Cgpnw/s2849/20221010_143914.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2849" data-original-width="1285" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdmaFVQ72LvXP2b6eZHWV3R_10wa-ijYfJrtcbdZhEyX37ifeGLwAYI0zBAXwfTi__77df1vMHczjbqzfrWHhXM-CXHU2wfsF4vh7dbFyrOtIzp4PV9ePQGdCB5i8jUYwoQ5_PzQ_sUNuiPJqu97HS2Qpn9MYS_RyfzAlZc5bmgzHFuVfHBvUX5Cgpnw/w288-h640/20221010_143914.jpg" width="288" /></a></div><p>I like Frankie though. Despite the flaws. </p><p>In keeping with tradition, I give Frankie a solid <b>7 out of 10 </b>inexplicable waffle cone camera purses. </p><p>They'd be an 8 or 9 if their sweater didn't suck, the body paint was stable and they didn't have shitty ass poly streaks in their hair. <br /></p></div><br />Purple_monkfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023284779817354246noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3031605728160552641.post-40724079330295946682022-10-10T13:22:00.008+01:002022-10-10T13:22:59.250+01:00Monster High is BACK baby! - Draculaura <p> Aww hell yeah, they're back! And this time effort was put in. </p><p>Unlike the reboot which was honestly super phoned in, this "threeboot" or "g3" as people are calling it comes with a whole new animated series, a live action movie and a LOT of new dolls. Like seriously Mattel is pushing out so much at once to compete with MGA's "flood the market and overload the shelves" approach that it's sort of overwhelming. </p><p>Of course, the UK still has no sign of these new dolls while the US has people excitedly heading off for doll hunts and I can't say i'm not super envious. I miss doll hunts. </p><p>BUT Amazon ships to the UK. It's bloody expensive, but it's an option so I ordered in a few of the first wave of the Threeboot while I wait for the UK to even tell us IF we're getting the damn dolls any time in the next fucking 6 months. -_- </p><p>I want to do these thoroughly, or as thoroughly as I can, so first up is Draculaura with Frankie and Cleo to follow in their own reviews. </p><p>Strap in. This could be a long un. </p><span><a name='more'></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSKzPEUa9dUoJeiPg2JcF8phVPGyrpD1dHI25U0mGrdBBL5-MxS5F-hPOqHhSi8kFQBTpvM1ZWkAmqryE_sS4sLHf7MWyQ9jw_J3NRGNW0sF4whGCN7w_OmLZbmXF9nG94EUuu5ZYNpOTS-9NaO5sfJzAEcRcKEKf-spuomCuiv8TlXcwWxcZRtX9QZw/s2573/20221009_203146.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2573" data-original-width="1913" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSKzPEUa9dUoJeiPg2JcF8phVPGyrpD1dHI25U0mGrdBBL5-MxS5F-hPOqHhSi8kFQBTpvM1ZWkAmqryE_sS4sLHf7MWyQ9jw_J3NRGNW0sF4whGCN7w_OmLZbmXF9nG94EUuu5ZYNpOTS-9NaO5sfJzAEcRcKEKf-spuomCuiv8TlXcwWxcZRtX9QZw/w476-h640/20221009_203146.jpg" width="476" /></a></div><p></p><p>First impressions, the box is pretty boring. Pretty doll though. </p><p>It's a standard plastic fronted box with a card back and those sharp pointy plastic tabs that you risk cutting yourself on as you pry them out of the card. I HATE this style of box. </p><p>I miss the old trapper keeper style boxes, even though they were very hard to open without tearing the cardboard tabs, at least the tabs didn't demand blood you know? </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGRgZOD0koUBEYVx4Oer5UVtMx4XhJ1ZT8SlmjsnKNr4FR0R_uxzymDOvW0KcJ22HaqZ5a-rhMTkoYoVUEBRu2s2am-A1QlBvJjNgrvmQJcodRYZVEoNfERt4D30nv7EtdbD4Nvijc-XLTOZSAWpktTRpJzRipnx4aYVs5LwdiQv_0mG6XqxNKqSv7NQ/s2431/20221009_203211.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2431" data-original-width="1983" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGRgZOD0koUBEYVx4Oer5UVtMx4XhJ1ZT8SlmjsnKNr4FR0R_uxzymDOvW0KcJ22HaqZ5a-rhMTkoYoVUEBRu2s2am-A1QlBvJjNgrvmQJcodRYZVEoNfERt4D30nv7EtdbD4Nvijc-XLTOZSAWpktTRpJzRipnx4aYVs5LwdiQv_0mG6XqxNKqSv7NQ/w522-h640/20221009_203211.jpg" width="522" /></a></div><p></p><p>The back of the box is unimpressive. It's a wierd composite image that's quite poorly put together with an illustration of Draculaura that looks nothing like her doll OR her animated counterpart. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9_IDOxpdzxRoke0zh9twOE3lxjZNauMqWe4tnQ7F4PT38BpIJaBS9i3sURijegZ1f1x2Nm0hO6dAadkSGbzBHzf6bOjEYQ_D8gAOGeuTGzTpHYOJzBE4e_HzqU5ZFPOR9D7fi83NTphiy-ucxVmfH3tFIG8-mtMXC6_f94k-gBX29YnmmP3VKTFI4qA/s1780/20221009_203218.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1663" data-original-width="1780" height="598" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9_IDOxpdzxRoke0zh9twOE3lxjZNauMqWe4tnQ7F4PT38BpIJaBS9i3sURijegZ1f1x2Nm0hO6dAadkSGbzBHzf6bOjEYQ_D8gAOGeuTGzTpHYOJzBE4e_HzqU5ZFPOR9D7fi83NTphiy-ucxVmfH3tFIG8-mtMXC6_f94k-gBX29YnmmP3VKTFI4qA/w640-h598/20221009_203218.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>Can you see what I mean about poorly put together composite? The characters were clearly drawn sitting on SOMETHING but it sure as hell wasn't these stairs they've been poorly slapped on top of. Notice how Cleo appears to be hovering, Lagoona isn't even resting ON anything and Frankie is leaning against an invisible pillow/chair arm or something. </p><p>It's a bloody bizarre image. It's also i'm gonna be frank here, just not very polished looking. It's coloured to look almost like coloured pencils which gives is a "fanart" sort of look to it that doesn't look in keeping with a professional factory box. Nothing against fanart, but I sort of expect a level of polish and professional looking artwork on an official product you know? </p><p>it reminds me a lot of the artwork for the 2016 Bratz reboot which had a really amateur look and was quite offputting. </p><p>this art isn't as ugly as that, but it still doesn't quite look... finished. </p><p>The fact the characters don't blend at all with the background they've been hastily slapped onto makes it all feel kinda rushed and incomplete, like a mockup rather than a completed finished thing. Also Cleo is wearing a completely different outfit to her actual release which adds to the jarring feeling that this is a mockup not a finished piece. </p><p>I dunno, it's a very odd image and the more I look at it the more it bugs me. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRufGiredT1dsFvuDNay0jfKve7UGElgBjvt6mThlnoOedXZ46wWapxJV6LH4mzEKm1-0ZvylBXRNnLSiib1-w5ufQ1gi2OC1pqnRjXnYvduJnl_AcSgPdYfKgGprZ9TNbbMKT1bgCCx58Ez-1QN8lbpaRhU3u6VUyl7osHcy5svfHcegnBkTpVNm0Uw/s2996/20221009_203223.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2996" data-original-width="1420" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRufGiredT1dsFvuDNay0jfKve7UGElgBjvt6mThlnoOedXZ46wWapxJV6LH4mzEKm1-0ZvylBXRNnLSiib1-w5ufQ1gi2OC1pqnRjXnYvduJnl_AcSgPdYfKgGprZ9TNbbMKT1bgCCx58Ez-1QN8lbpaRhU3u6VUyl7osHcy5svfHcegnBkTpVNm0Uw/w304-h640/20221009_203223.jpg" width="304" /></a></div><p></p><p>Drac's image is done in the same style, presumably by the same artist and while it's cute enough (what's up with the sticky out pinkie drac? it's a smoothie not tea or something lol) it looks nothing like the actual doll which is again, really jarring. Her outfit isn't even correct, she's wearing a dress in this image with an undershirt and solid knit socks with lace up wedge shoes. </p><p>this is NOT what her doll is wearing. I wonder if like Cleo, this was an intial design concept that got tweaked and changed somewhere along the way and Mattel were in too much of a hurry to fix the art to match.</p><p>but again, it makes it all feel a bit disjointed. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGWBGpcl_BgdZqp6mdCtjQzNgzo7N2IJRP1P_s-Jg7eVP0gn_LwJzPaS9B3p3EMyvMKbgPeaM9iN0F5LDx8SW88DvLC7WeqOyE9HbuO1qugE5DuZAyT9yWmc8l_P2DlOhAXrR5y4h_TP32xxVzyh28iIo1XkM-hHjzS-fdPE-lEne1HsoMsX72BLEeEA/s2916/20221009_203229.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1788" data-original-width="2916" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGWBGpcl_BgdZqp6mdCtjQzNgzo7N2IJRP1P_s-Jg7eVP0gn_LwJzPaS9B3p3EMyvMKbgPeaM9iN0F5LDx8SW88DvLC7WeqOyE9HbuO1qugE5DuZAyT9yWmc8l_P2DlOhAXrR5y4h_TP32xxVzyh28iIo1XkM-hHjzS-fdPE-lEne1HsoMsX72BLEeEA/w640-h392/20221009_203229.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>Sadly the dolls no longer have diaries (I loved the diaries) or proper bios. There's only three sections to Draculaura's biography here: Monster type, Accessories and pet. </p><p>No hint of a personality or character. I suppose they figure kids will watch the shows but I still think it's a pity. I liked the original bios, this just feels quite shallow and superficial like any other doll line. MH's big thing was that it wasn't really a fashion doll line, it had more in common with action figures in that the characters had well... character, and they weren't really designed to be dressed in one another's outfits. It made the line quite unique and I remember fondly the excitement of a new diary to read with more lore to discover lol. </p><p>But it's just a box. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG6pJwf0JWgwyyWD-KcmEDyUcyNLsi32mFIo1sO1oGLgRvufJWHEkp2qze2Ltiz0N-25g-xW_TO-pUQTaah2LMMvmdl7xtRl-mkUOH0gEbCbCcFTMsNLvYPk-laDn3YI0iorbyBkrvzQ4JiVk3l-0aUgU4g6QRdTT7dyNAUHuR9MW1MJwbdFYyBk7m1w/s3051/20221009_203244.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3051" data-original-width="799" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG6pJwf0JWgwyyWD-KcmEDyUcyNLsi32mFIo1sO1oGLgRvufJWHEkp2qze2Ltiz0N-25g-xW_TO-pUQTaah2LMMvmdl7xtRl-mkUOH0gEbCbCcFTMsNLvYPk-laDn3YI0iorbyBkrvzQ4JiVk3l-0aUgU4g6QRdTT7dyNAUHuR9MW1MJwbdFYyBk7m1w/w168-h640/20221009_203244.jpg" width="168" /></a></div><p></p><p>While the plastic of the new boxes means no more character specific colouration of the box itself, we DO have character specific illustrations on one side of the box which is cute. Draculaura's look to be mostly depictions of her accessories including her ICoffin, her backpack, her shoes and her pet. There's also a few winged hearts, some fans, a spiderweb heart and a hand with sparkles which I assume is a nod to the new "Draculaura is a vampire but ALSO a witch" wierd lore thing they added. </p><p>I'm not totally sure WHY a vampire also needs to be a witch and they couldn't just give her you know... funky vampire magic but whatever. Maybe she read too much Vampire the Masquerade and decided the Tremere sounded cool. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6T3k4z6mqQHm-_td-FOj6mMl-yjjMpCe9MtVk83GZkxo5zl6Kqm8tDfRKUHV1_qDkmxOrG8ZFMie4Fguf6BCh5lFlv1L5fAimZybQTctpWOuvVI_ucwNDoUZulhgB5fIEgNfJ1ABHKylC2OPtjY2LU1Bd7m4ekBIu_XKE9ET01KCym2m-DcjZOmMB2w/s3355/20221009_203537.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3355" data-original-width="2208" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6T3k4z6mqQHm-_td-FOj6mMl-yjjMpCe9MtVk83GZkxo5zl6Kqm8tDfRKUHV1_qDkmxOrG8ZFMie4Fguf6BCh5lFlv1L5fAimZybQTctpWOuvVI_ucwNDoUZulhgB5fIEgNfJ1ABHKylC2OPtjY2LU1Bd7m4ekBIu_XKE9ET01KCym2m-DcjZOmMB2w/w422-h640/20221009_203537.jpg" width="422" /></a></div><p>The box wasn't TOO bad to open, though I nearly cut myself on the stupid plastic tabs. -_- It didn't quite draw blood but it tried. </p><p>Goddamnit. </p><p>I wonder how they decided on the characters on the front of the box. Draculaura's has Clawdeen and Lagoona which I found unusual given typically Frankie would have been the third member of the group, not Lagoona. Certainly it looks like they've kept that dynamic in the movie but who knows. Maybe they pulled names out of a hat. *shrug* <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEQAIiNkvy98v4oVBam4FGjKgMWa5lFLqL9bUnOudPv2vz2zArkBLImxtPwqn69T3uR7nlr_8mzhHEUK3jEtXAVHNsP6SKtYGHnS60-EiNLwGhoTHVwvccQLQoQQfZ4IVBHWUXVRX6nPFHqIrHjkFDqhhA-eWx-kL4JX7i6k-dhkze12a8Pb65m66mZQ/s3632/20221009_203545.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3632" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEQAIiNkvy98v4oVBam4FGjKgMWa5lFLqL9bUnOudPv2vz2zArkBLImxtPwqn69T3uR7nlr_8mzhHEUK3jEtXAVHNsP6SKtYGHnS60-EiNLwGhoTHVwvccQLQoQQfZ4IVBHWUXVRX6nPFHqIrHjkFDqhhA-eWx-kL4JX7i6k-dhkze12a8Pb65m66mZQ/w528-h640/20221009_203545.jpg" width="528" /></a></div><p></p><p>Draculaura is tabbed into her box and held in position with a plastic molded piece which makes getting some of the plastic ties cut a little awkward. Her hair has two or three bloody plastic ties across it AND she has 3 or 4 plastic staples in her head for added "fuck you" from mattel. -_- </p><p>I HAAAATE plastic head staples. HATE THEM SO MUCH. </p><p>thankfully I didn't accidentally snip any hair OR stab my finger on the stupid things. I ended up wrenching the poor doll out of the box which tore most of the staples barring one which I then had to snip. But the plastic shell that holds her head in position made it very difficult to get to the staples in the first place, hence my wrenching. </p><p>Her I Coffin is ALSO tied to her hand not with elastic like I expected but with two plastic ties instead. WHY? <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpWTWQ4ajyyf5jGSU8QDtnZsYmR8R7rXMP4cWYiI2R5xKQ50wLomiRTGZxhIO0sGm6bxrXhwmI_LsUr44UyVUO3dhblkb8fltxw4561SKTmiPCLe3C--O_vaB6pV4y_ilg8hhCUJm0eOFCLxiXz7QOi5aW03p8HW_qzrWs6lFiTdZJfvB65JH2LstxBw/s3424/20221009_203550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3424" data-original-width="2218" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpWTWQ4ajyyf5jGSU8QDtnZsYmR8R7rXMP4cWYiI2R5xKQ50wLomiRTGZxhIO0sGm6bxrXhwmI_LsUr44UyVUO3dhblkb8fltxw4561SKTmiPCLe3C--O_vaB6pV4y_ilg8hhCUJm0eOFCLxiXz7QOi5aW03p8HW_qzrWs6lFiTdZJfvB65JH2LstxBw/w414-h640/20221009_203550.jpg" width="414" /></a></div><p></p><p>And yet, all her little foods and accessories are NOT tied in at all, they're simply slotted into these little plastic indents that hold them in place nice and securely. </p><p>So why did her head need to be stapled to the box and why did her Icoffin need to be stapled in as well? </p><p>I also really question the decision to do all these random accessories. I mean I get that accessories are fun and all but i'm not convinced that food and drink is really that... exciting? I think i'd have preferred the money went into the clothing or something. But we'll see if I change my mind once I get them all out. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB6S6LVwLF0J0CrY0gTsENDeM0oqhEPzUFSBHa8awnV1PGAA4piiPQ5wzV6yLCAJXQH9J9Jfcd2ZLoSZqOFMIKABDQQszY1t8Icvycf2y9YVmV1ILjqaC1DSaWsr-OyNIzlcVwjjAaVpDyqHWmQNqZwVkTbDy0rI5Iakr2VlAbNMz7Bqt-iNB2vQ8lpQ/s2088/20221009_203556.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2088" data-original-width="1773" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB6S6LVwLF0J0CrY0gTsENDeM0oqhEPzUFSBHa8awnV1PGAA4piiPQ5wzV6yLCAJXQH9J9Jfcd2ZLoSZqOFMIKABDQQszY1t8Icvycf2y9YVmV1ILjqaC1DSaWsr-OyNIzlcVwjjAaVpDyqHWmQNqZwVkTbDy0rI5Iakr2VlAbNMz7Bqt-iNB2vQ8lpQ/w544-h640/20221009_203556.jpg" width="544" /></a></div><p></p><p>poor Count Fabulous. He looks like a fucking cat. Seriously, did the artist never see a bat before? It looks like they sculpted a kitten then got told "oh no, he's a bat" so hastily removed the front legs and added wings. </p><p>His printing is grainy and ill defined, thought his paintwork is mostly okay. I'll get a better look at him once he's out of the box. He's ALSO plastic tabbed in. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIU2aadCUHuJFIrkjPivPFfBYrmBFaCMLYP2SU8omMC5K2TbepyGwtlH1QYvunsykNUtMFyfOzioISR1IRapvuhQmGuHCNwXbbv4Jo1YmEXqmZPmyUsXUdPjjImONVlMkyAXwW2kRKS6dQBkNJvUVa66eKMVkx96Agbo4xXDR4uCYkM73r_94BqNaJMA/s2335/20221009_203929.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1644" data-original-width="2335" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIU2aadCUHuJFIrkjPivPFfBYrmBFaCMLYP2SU8omMC5K2TbepyGwtlH1QYvunsykNUtMFyfOzioISR1IRapvuhQmGuHCNwXbbv4Jo1YmEXqmZPmyUsXUdPjjImONVlMkyAXwW2kRKS6dQBkNJvUVa66eKMVkx96Agbo4xXDR4uCYkM73r_94BqNaJMA/w640-h450/20221009_203929.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>All the new dolls also come with an extra jacket piece. In Draculaura's case it's a cape and I was surprised to find it was hung on and stapled to a carboard hanger. But I have a question Mattel. </p><p>Why is this hanger cardboard.... <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7PyTmN62cW7uNoX-3sivPNAT_wj6TOTnSNfqn0FJbEzP0my2KICZRUag9rZd14Y3AePwq2EFCAZTcDB6IHfr1Z4x7KAYJ7RLeh8Gm3cy51bQFhzQQ-YhtQMuZno1TnrCmA4v47FFY0tM0axmeV0_aWBqv-O1YltFe6SqcuyolKRVbIrMZUZMr1D_yfg/s2827/20221009_203947.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1173" data-original-width="2827" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7PyTmN62cW7uNoX-3sivPNAT_wj6TOTnSNfqn0FJbEzP0my2KICZRUag9rZd14Y3AePwq2EFCAZTcDB6IHfr1Z4x7KAYJ7RLeh8Gm3cy51bQFhzQQ-YhtQMuZno1TnrCmA4v47FFY0tM0axmeV0_aWBqv-O1YltFe6SqcuyolKRVbIrMZUZMr1D_yfg/w640-h266/20221009_203947.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>But the Monster High logo of the box itself is a separate plastic piece???</p><p>Like... I really really want to know the thought process behind this.</p><p>The hanger, if plastic, could have actually been a vuagely usable piece. But the logo? WHY IS IT PLASTIC!?? It could have easily been card, it's INSIDE the box under the plastic outer anyway and all it is is decoration so... wtf? </p><p>Also, another question Mattel. Why does the box have two large voids on either side of it when both are empty? </p><p>The box is seriously a good 1/3 bigger than it actually needs to be and most of that is these two large triangular voids on either side of the box that don't seem to serve any purpose other than making the box a funky wierd shape. It's not like the accessories are attached at an angle or anything. It's a very strange decision. </p><p>I initially assumed there might be a stand or maybe like a little copyright slip of paper or something in there like there often is in doll boxes but nope, empty. Pointless empty space designed purely to make the box larger and thus take up more shelf space. </p><p>I suppose I get it, with MGA flooding shelves with excessive amounts of product Mattel has to compete by doing the same, and given how fucking HUGE Rainbow High boxes are, you gotta pad out your box to muscle for space right? </p><p>How depressing that is, that it's become a fight for who can take up the most space rather than any actual real merit. </p><p>Anyway, let's get this girl outta this plastic prison.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4FfA4IGGYHaRAO2jdTAgQRXI61FMUd3wtZLnbS1QIq-vOgvtuFZ45Po8L8ZdLtt1Yuz3O0QG2bv9sNT4vhFdob_JEGLQmrP0mRqXmt0f0whIO3DQlAExlfjO4OAWoAsf55DOC5AFlhKjyOhqPDthQPOi7OWirScjAmdNX6mB22PNv05_H9emDfkW4TA/s3191/20221009_204257.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3191" data-original-width="1441" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4FfA4IGGYHaRAO2jdTAgQRXI61FMUd3wtZLnbS1QIq-vOgvtuFZ45Po8L8ZdLtt1Yuz3O0QG2bv9sNT4vhFdob_JEGLQmrP0mRqXmt0f0whIO3DQlAExlfjO4OAWoAsf55DOC5AFlhKjyOhqPDthQPOi7OWirScjAmdNX6mB22PNv05_H9emDfkW4TA/w290-h640/20221009_204257.jpg" width="290" /></a></div><p></p><p>She's a solid little doll. Lightweight like most modern dolls but she feels robust and well put together. She lacks the fragility of the original Monster High dolls or the shitty gappy joints of the reboot dolls. </p><p>Her joints are good and feel pretty strong, her hands pop on and off with a tug but never feel like they'll snap when you try to get them back on nor do they hurt your fingers in the process (the g1 dolls have a real problem with hurting my fingers when I try to get their damn hands back on) </p><p>Her hair is a greasy mess though. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbA4uT_uaUl8bEOzdNYrAYYEfdg0K4KPg4913LoG7KW_81WgIf305jiRgHWXCvI1U3lNCV8dienyGEWRqEP-NRgR3wrDV33kIrfJPOuiuyoezWPGiEZcVeGCQ-8r5kRBAmVg8tfCybbhoQSKa23L7wtEtWjnfgZ-E3DHpo8HRw_iQTfqAacyyhPeMLjQ/s3096/20221009_204305.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3096" data-original-width="1295" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbA4uT_uaUl8bEOzdNYrAYYEfdg0K4KPg4913LoG7KW_81WgIf305jiRgHWXCvI1U3lNCV8dienyGEWRqEP-NRgR3wrDV33kIrfJPOuiuyoezWPGiEZcVeGCQ-8r5kRBAmVg8tfCybbhoQSKa23L7wtEtWjnfgZ-E3DHpo8HRw_iQTfqAacyyhPeMLjQ/w268-h640/20221009_204305.jpg" width="268" /></a></div><p></p><p>Like ew... what the fuck Mattel? It's full of some sort of product that's left it greasy and lank straight out of the box. Thankfully a good comb helps that but it's also really badly cut with a lot of uneven bits. I'll have to trim it to neaten it up. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmAeRGqNtA6WHKj9AGesqwjIntjK0IGcZY9ewi-Gupa_9RLQ80of9mJUG8v1r0YqP-LpxCsv9bjd01OkFrT-9bLZ-U2ywWOYb13hECR1R01vNFK2VWPDQqJrJVFTQX4zhPb6yqzrsHINP2pMtLIvoLtazArQz5nWLo6TrN2E2OandpLUkaIr4PffQXfQ/s2680/20221009_212256.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2680" data-original-width="2434" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmAeRGqNtA6WHKj9AGesqwjIntjK0IGcZY9ewi-Gupa_9RLQ80of9mJUG8v1r0YqP-LpxCsv9bjd01OkFrT-9bLZ-U2ywWOYb13hECR1R01vNFK2VWPDQqJrJVFTQX4zhPb6yqzrsHINP2pMtLIvoLtazArQz5nWLo6TrN2E2OandpLUkaIr4PffQXfQ/w582-h640/20221009_212256.jpg" width="582" /></a></div><p></p><p>Her hair is also not overly thickly rooted, especially at the back. It's fine in that there's no bald patches if you leave it in the factory style, but it seems the pink side is thinner than the black which is a bit wierd. </p><p>Even after a good comb her hair still feels slightly greasy and it's heavy so i'm assuming it's saran. It has that "slick" feeling saran usually has. This is good news because saran withstands play better than most and doesn't tend to frizz like nylon or rot like poly. Yeah that's right people, poly ROTS, as in, it crumbles and disintegrates after only about 10 years. Big yikes. (rumour has it that Clawdeen uses poly and this is disgusting because Mattel KNOW it rots, they are well aware of this but they clearly don't give a shit) </p><p>thankfully Drac has decent hair, albeit somewhat thin hair. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5WLsf844ZRrRYBb6H54J6OSEDEGoNBioAXT7z8nYTMTup_SBkuw2WfH4axpKvokvpsA8ZWobvMfXDqPQtD0ZBZXUhCJidv5oPfn8AcMzfN7D_oYwd7V3AZM5RXHOFat-MEKtAYlNNab_rYbw7sTZMmuf7aGDpKdsD2y4_k4fCIvgit0QW82aCWQiiSg/s3040/20221009_204844.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3040" data-original-width="2008" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5WLsf844ZRrRYBb6H54J6OSEDEGoNBioAXT7z8nYTMTup_SBkuw2WfH4axpKvokvpsA8ZWobvMfXDqPQtD0ZBZXUhCJidv5oPfn8AcMzfN7D_oYwd7V3AZM5RXHOFat-MEKtAYlNNab_rYbw7sTZMmuf7aGDpKdsD2y4_k4fCIvgit0QW82aCWQiiSg/w422-h640/20221009_204844.jpg" width="422" /></a></div><p></p><p>I don't actually own that many of the original first wave dolls anymore. I sold them a long time ago to "upgrade" to dolls I liked better. My original Draculaura suffered the same problem most of the original dolls had, she had wall eyes. This g1 Draculaura is actually a later rerelease with better eye placement. She's also on an Ever After High Bunny Blanc body to make her short like her animated counterpart. </p><p>I'm quite pleased to say that the new Draculaura has a short body. not as short as Bunny of course, but shorter which is very nice. She's also as you probably noticed, signficantly more curvy. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8qGw-C8f2-IA9lEQ4QR4K2DZtK4xfaj0JprKvaXXAUel51fy5Fn0P8avmI40nErbNaeOLjyvQiKavxHAfLrS2VB7na6TddkwXmSmW9cAib2pW5M-ZX9IuLBOc-VhbECXotqyXgfo_0mwoa76rNUzFJ_w19Ax5q5YkzR0M_AmOfjXu-XmzSzGjUbBk0A/s2751/20221009_204851.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2576" data-original-width="2751" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8qGw-C8f2-IA9lEQ4QR4K2DZtK4xfaj0JprKvaXXAUel51fy5Fn0P8avmI40nErbNaeOLjyvQiKavxHAfLrS2VB7na6TddkwXmSmW9cAib2pW5M-ZX9IuLBOc-VhbECXotqyXgfo_0mwoa76rNUzFJ_w19Ax5q5YkzR0M_AmOfjXu-XmzSzGjUbBk0A/w640-h600/20221009_204851.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>I hate to say it but... I think I actually prefer the new Draculaura's face. Her slightly side glancing eyes and little upturned lip gives her personality and life, something the original Monster High dolls lack as they tend to have such neutral expressions. </p><p>I also think the new girl has better painted fangs. </p><p>New Draculaura has pink eyes instead of purple and her little beauty mark heart is much smaller, higher on her cheek and black. I think this placement, it makes it look more like a mole. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyetBQDGeFFGI4jqFLIqAGzOzbj4VVSvKDIJODP9iwX5rwgcyfBkDCc-47_tNmz2370AtnAtP796rTJKrinDGvOEt4EjZm870zLlZ0t-3p9K0G6cOCJq8DfVJqbtULuQUk4-QXkVM4zCdfiErGWu-EAxqF7IDygyFU6ZoiPLZirDL7_JypVyBtlVXj_A/s1586/20221009_212710.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1586" data-original-width="1089" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyetBQDGeFFGI4jqFLIqAGzOzbj4VVSvKDIJODP9iwX5rwgcyfBkDCc-47_tNmz2370AtnAtP796rTJKrinDGvOEt4EjZm870zLlZ0t-3p9K0G6cOCJq8DfVJqbtULuQUk4-QXkVM4zCdfiErGWu-EAxqF7IDygyFU6ZoiPLZirDL7_JypVyBtlVXj_A/w440-h640/20221009_212710.jpg" width="440" /></a></div><p></p><p>New Drac's face mold is completely new and features these adorable jugged pointed ears which are very batlike. Original Draculaura had pointed ears as well, but they were far more subtle than these and lay flush to her head. These ones stick out so much they mess up her hair lol. </p><p>(random aside, new Drac's earring holes are misplaced so they plug into her FACE. LOL, poor doll. I suppose she doesn't really have much in the way of a molded lobe to use but it's still funky looking)<br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg92g0zV5m6ezU5VhGx89E3UwZKO7FzvwlLChS0xCwf0SVkOQNd31vTpKLBCUXu9zESG2xsWfeifoxCUTuKwQCiNjd95t5QkluvYxklbw6M_34U3AjqA1AWzyA-yrdI4IsVjCcZEZfpZWrZS1MpRahhwftyZHpJuQZVqFjf9ZZcSdJkGmj9omXpsYbNaQ/s2873/20221009_212702.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2873" data-original-width="1343" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg92g0zV5m6ezU5VhGx89E3UwZKO7FzvwlLChS0xCwf0SVkOQNd31vTpKLBCUXu9zESG2xsWfeifoxCUTuKwQCiNjd95t5QkluvYxklbw6M_34U3AjqA1AWzyA-yrdI4IsVjCcZEZfpZWrZS1MpRahhwftyZHpJuQZVqFjf9ZZcSdJkGmj9omXpsYbNaQ/w300-h640/20221009_212702.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><p></p><p>All the threeboot dolls have their own body type it seems, least, the intial wave do. Draculaura's the shortest of the bunch and has a pear shaped body with broad hips and thick thighs but narrow shoulders. She's proportioned like quite a few modern doll lines. Rainbow High and LOL OMG both use a similar silhouette. </p><p>She has a new joint under her bust as well as the typical knee, hip, shoulder, elbow, wrist and neck joint. It's a really interesting joint as it tilts in every direction and also rotates, allowing for quite a lot of dynamic posing. <br /></p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKbaKC5qVSSFCbmJmRAd1TK0XLHhkCZnDXynY5Qjhr4Bd1dwPod-8rK5p5MwZK4tghCX8YWUbxyrsWufTj2WvkF4HIXahu4yIfhFOsMGGo0YyMVjQzhb_fnHDtGlz1BqaTDzW8Q72kIikjkjTLlmkAdnRkUwOKdKI6wkMhS9CkEJxqX7uApdHmRFzQMg/s2338/20221009_213946.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2338" data-original-width="1934" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKbaKC5qVSSFCbmJmRAd1TK0XLHhkCZnDXynY5Qjhr4Bd1dwPod-8rK5p5MwZK4tghCX8YWUbxyrsWufTj2WvkF4HIXahu4yIfhFOsMGGo0YyMVjQzhb_fnHDtGlz1BqaTDzW8Q72kIikjkjTLlmkAdnRkUwOKdKI6wkMhS9CkEJxqX7uApdHmRFzQMg/w530-h640/20221009_213946.jpg" width="530" /></a></div><p></p><p>The bust joint tilts quite far back and also tilts a little forward as well as side to side. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF2O1OyyBRrMPHxC3j1FyIQKvvgjWl3_nacKGWRYn0if0Pck7nP1McMGiEf3DigAV5IX6rcE9NdxW2anu1MZpjbtoRxbmqXjymnbiJpimK8FuoNalGf0IyCy0lGDk1puHokxhRXKumMDbWLD1E_5AgVQ5VIN6t_GayWD-G7_SzyxtEKncVO-N8tjksEg/s3156/20221009_213915.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3156" data-original-width="2434" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF2O1OyyBRrMPHxC3j1FyIQKvvgjWl3_nacKGWRYn0if0Pck7nP1McMGiEf3DigAV5IX6rcE9NdxW2anu1MZpjbtoRxbmqXjymnbiJpimK8FuoNalGf0IyCy0lGDk1puHokxhRXKumMDbWLD1E_5AgVQ5VIN6t_GayWD-G7_SzyxtEKncVO-N8tjksEg/w494-h640/20221009_213915.jpg" width="494" /></a></div><p></p><p>The movement of the bust joint side to side isn't huge, but it's enough to give her a little more life to her poses. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCTKi5uEi1MQcDHZ9ZPIhv5cdg9WfBkVLdUjhIknTanDjXrnW1wyFC1D2n4bc89UpKNdy1KK3j_OLsRihQlvUlXDrdqZcjYO98aSIMPctoHSHF-E9ERbKAKuvGJIki854e7d3Dgm_5g-x1unPubk7CtwRG4nCYEdKnUUToEiLmKCBdbtg_KqhpdiCVZQ/s3235/20221009_213853.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3235" data-original-width="1864" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCTKi5uEi1MQcDHZ9ZPIhv5cdg9WfBkVLdUjhIknTanDjXrnW1wyFC1D2n4bc89UpKNdy1KK3j_OLsRihQlvUlXDrdqZcjYO98aSIMPctoHSHF-E9ERbKAKuvGJIki854e7d3Dgm_5g-x1unPubk7CtwRG4nCYEdKnUUToEiLmKCBdbtg_KqhpdiCVZQ/w368-h640/20221009_213853.jpg" width="368" /></a></div><p></p><p>Her elbow and knee joints are pretty much the same in terms of range as the original dolls. She can manage 90 degrees at the knee and a little less than that at the elbow but it's enough that she can touch her own face and sit. </p><p>Her legs don't splay very far so she can't do the splits but she sits fine. Unlike the original dolls, this girl's body has strong joints that don't feel like they're going to break at any moment. Don't get me wrong, I love the original monster high dolls, but their bodies are flimsy as fuck. Especially the knee and wrist joints. </p><p>this new doll definitely feels more like a doll a kid can actually PLAY with. <br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi12HwJi4gemRa7_qtAUs4NQG5FheIZJyVj8fDZA--5y3KAE-SOqd7D-xGVycKVogbxdGvaC82iy-bnrkuJ2u-ZbFq7x8Q_bf8J--ejMupao31QkbIcZTGFhNu3LxWvQhCgkzYr5RxRq1vIonUcSc7fCYZtApnu7P1PU_mEJQSEqEGNlbgFIiTr_qs7jw/s3504/20221009_214024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3504" data-original-width="1344" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi12HwJi4gemRa7_qtAUs4NQG5FheIZJyVj8fDZA--5y3KAE-SOqd7D-xGVycKVogbxdGvaC82iy-bnrkuJ2u-ZbFq7x8Q_bf8J--ejMupao31QkbIcZTGFhNu3LxWvQhCgkzYr5RxRq1vIonUcSc7fCYZtApnu7P1PU_mEJQSEqEGNlbgFIiTr_qs7jw/w246-h640/20221009_214024.jpg" width="246" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Her bust joint also spins 360 and it's HILARIOUS. </p><p>I'm not sorry. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOSTIw4Tw4FsnvOhKoE2lNRWAO79B9p304f286IGYCHotSO1WT-uh4ffX58L9KKga24tAF-epwnH-UWliHQEAFe9zEwKAGpeFF16G4OBROv9XSPaSmvp1IPoPPQke5eA9yiur7MnPEzUnWfEwtphTOG9I2HhNpE9M_MaOUyTsWKcjwA4qjGtFqKXU67Q/s3254/20221009_213029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3254" data-original-width="2144" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOSTIw4Tw4FsnvOhKoE2lNRWAO79B9p304f286IGYCHotSO1WT-uh4ffX58L9KKga24tAF-epwnH-UWliHQEAFe9zEwKAGpeFF16G4OBROv9XSPaSmvp1IPoPPQke5eA9yiur7MnPEzUnWfEwtphTOG9I2HhNpE9M_MaOUyTsWKcjwA4qjGtFqKXU67Q/w422-h640/20221009_213029.jpg" width="422" /></a></div><p></p><p>Because my signature Draculaura isn't on her original body, Dead Tired Draculaura shall be taking her place for body comparisons. </p><p>Poor Dead Tired is a very old, very damaged doll. She's a good example of WHY I don't own a lot of the very early MH dolls anymore. Her knees are cracked and so weak they need elastic bands tucked into the joint in order to hold a pose or even support her, her hip elastic is failing as are the little kips in her hips which means her legs sag at the hip and flop about. One of her elbow joints is broken because the teensy tiny little stopper tore off from normal play and her face is discolouring due to age. </p><p>She illustrates all that was a problem with the original Monster High dolls which honestly I think a lot of fans forget about. I feel like g1 monster high is generally viewed through rose tinted glasses when the reality is that they weren't perfect and they haven't aged well at all. A lot of my collection have terrible glue head which has resulted in sticky hair and yellowing faces, the white dolls have begun to yellow, clear plastic has clouded and joints have started to deteriorate. In some cases dolls came new with iffy joints that didn't hold a pose and needed elastic bands and the very early dolls ALL have wide spaced eyes that are staring off in two different directions and no stoppers on their wrist so their hands fall off very easily. </p><p>all this is stuff people seem to have forgotten, or they came into monster high late enough that those initial problems had already been long resolved. But Dead Tired Draculaura here is one of the very early dolls and while she has the improved wrist pegs, she still has most of the other issues, many of which Mattel never actually fixed. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzZKN7hxFuPu5_guQZv00dUSxNoN4_0SaiV7WB2Aa0Y55d18eptWdk1D21-poqDIhpSXlag3maQ2_7llty7Phaj3ZzmwwIjnODKr32Cuu4pqQKO1Pqzsazt0kW2d2DDw_LOo4yCYBn7Qr4sK3fWT2erOudAT7M3G4na3Ap_uAWMrRpB117WmFynRnI2A/s3411/20221009_213118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3411" data-original-width="2070" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzZKN7hxFuPu5_guQZv00dUSxNoN4_0SaiV7WB2Aa0Y55d18eptWdk1D21-poqDIhpSXlag3maQ2_7llty7Phaj3ZzmwwIjnODKr32Cuu4pqQKO1Pqzsazt0kW2d2DDw_LOo4yCYBn7Qr4sK3fWT2erOudAT7M3G4na3Ap_uAWMrRpB117WmFynRnI2A/w388-h640/20221009_213118.jpg" width="388" /></a></div><p></p><p>New Draculaura has a booty! Heck yeah! </p><p>Also her leg seams are on the SIDES of her leg rather than the front and back which makes significantly more sense. It also puts less strain on the seam from the joints themselves. I never understood why Mattel made the original MH legs like this with that seam down the middle of the leg. Every time you bent the knees the seam had strain put on it and eventually it splits at the knee. It also looks ugly because there's this big obvious seam right at the front while side seams are less visible. </p><p>I can't get over how spindly the old Monster High bodies are and how much more robust the new doll looks. Draculaura finally ate something! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixoscw2TPcrcFFDZ4ftWRm2-Rmpp_yprnxCoxmrfrHzWxVhvEbrRWS2x0DXMwiqFi6Odkow6QHyASWTJRPL-62TkQQCaReRavlOMFrg4uPLVdZlMK50EKIO6-wUOpD0B8MsS_APAZHSiEDo5bWVVIzunizpFE2YPdWV33B27rNUdS6at5ALZutqWlRHg/s3014/20221009_213224.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3014" data-original-width="1421" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixoscw2TPcrcFFDZ4ftWRm2-Rmpp_yprnxCoxmrfrHzWxVhvEbrRWS2x0DXMwiqFi6Odkow6QHyASWTJRPL-62TkQQCaReRavlOMFrg4uPLVdZlMK50EKIO6-wUOpD0B8MsS_APAZHSiEDo5bWVVIzunizpFE2YPdWV33B27rNUdS6at5ALZutqWlRHg/w302-h640/20221009_213224.jpg" width="302" /></a></div><p></p><p>The new body still has the classic Monster High sway back which rather oddly makes me smile. My spine looks like this due to deformity and much as it's a painful disability, it amuses me to be able to say I "have a spine like a monster high doll". </p><p>New Drac also doesn't stand as much on her tiptoes, the new dolls don't have quite such severely high heeled feet. Her bust is larger, in fact, her whole body is just larger in every possible way. Her head is however, slightly smaller than the original. Which is interesting. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_-APbcHgGwQqdb-8XXeOPSOh4aC0wxECfCTIQkZrgqYBqsMc6UuhCYmJEFIaGWLQHexZWO0dgse7wDG6iAA_yoF0yjkx3a7JpEpXO4kq5bZZPdODVab4itOLR9K7RwNWoDkaUMe1Q_c8pGRf57a7z_vGSRU_H1-lDMrUemF046G-XIr8apMatmf5MMw/s1095/20221009_213249.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1095" data-original-width="995" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_-APbcHgGwQqdb-8XXeOPSOh4aC0wxECfCTIQkZrgqYBqsMc6UuhCYmJEFIaGWLQHexZWO0dgse7wDG6iAA_yoF0yjkx3a7JpEpXO4kq5bZZPdODVab4itOLR9K7RwNWoDkaUMe1Q_c8pGRf57a7z_vGSRU_H1-lDMrUemF046G-XIr8apMatmf5MMw/w582-h640/20221009_213249.jpg" width="582" /></a></div><p></p><p>The new doll hands aren't as dainty as the original but they're substantially larger and retain that splayed graceful finger look. Note also how thick that wrist peg is and how tiny the original doll one is. That wrist peg was very prone to breakage because of how thin it is. The new peg feels solid and popping the hands off and back on again is a breeze. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmJkwhER_mU8_JYY17LwhAQ7chEQix8E3JTnjzs9KryPs7xBx2YTj3oFr0zEZl33ozPsxbJPuHwkF6fg90FD--RPo-Z503mq3XMNplJEWEwPUMwnslIyYsCEBpPePY-qq4b9CnvSiUEQebvaSTLv5vepISJztDmctdHDNZd1vKjhJ2QGHegPlnjaR8oA/s2092/20221009_213328.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1931" data-original-width="2092" height="590" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmJkwhER_mU8_JYY17LwhAQ7chEQix8E3JTnjzs9KryPs7xBx2YTj3oFr0zEZl33ozPsxbJPuHwkF6fg90FD--RPo-Z503mq3XMNplJEWEwPUMwnslIyYsCEBpPePY-qq4b9CnvSiUEQebvaSTLv5vepISJztDmctdHDNZd1vKjhJ2QGHegPlnjaR8oA/w640-h590/20221009_213328.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>The feet are similar, but proportioned differently. They have the same sort of toe, especially that strange little big tie but the new foot (the one on the left) has a shallower rise to it and a thicker heel. It's also wider in the toes so while roughly the same length as the original foot, the heel height and the wider toes mean the dolls cannot share shoes. </p><p>A curious decision on Mattel's part there. Backward compatability would have been useful but ho hum. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvIDzNC_6XqP5NxwM2maTOhr2z7a71KNSQZZSn82bYhrjxDpAUkgU3J2O4UJ4EdmteAK70gsupF7XIX_bJbLumtyu2Nf-CYAOivfxRx6JUUBaAPffk8ayVW7Sy-bDJDh7haN7xL5CzlLqsCek0aLv7WPUY1KTyvqcWL464LTqh0zJP3wyRFKyWqEV2CQ/s3161/20221009_213608.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3161" data-original-width="1391" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvIDzNC_6XqP5NxwM2maTOhr2z7a71KNSQZZSn82bYhrjxDpAUkgU3J2O4UJ4EdmteAK70gsupF7XIX_bJbLumtyu2Nf-CYAOivfxRx6JUUBaAPffk8ayVW7Sy-bDJDh7haN7xL5CzlLqsCek0aLv7WPUY1KTyvqcWL464LTqh0zJP3wyRFKyWqEV2CQ/w282-h640/20221009_213608.jpg" width="282" /></a></div><p>While we're on the topic of compatibility, no, there's no way the old and new Draculaura's can fit clothing. New Draculaura is almost twice as wide in the hip (and looking damn good for it) as well as having a wider bust and shoulders. </p><p>Alas, the new and old Draculauras shall not be able to steal one another's wardrobes. </p><p>But i'm not actually too upset by this because it means body diversity and a whole new body shape for Draculaura which I really like (of course, I love me a pear shaped curvy body) </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4uysb9mTdGk15K_My4peXgK5aD7rvzUyGBF2vXHu78MPQhqCx2ZxrNfPzSmajvmYg8wXLUh9ynFcTA6ihfy-6O8Y_Dvlw4Sd4oYGiRRp9geIzk2nEMvfvCJhAftKTxnIHjxJHD1_aFY0Ajv0yO18cwlhJMUo9JIw9qZ0Wx_kWRCX_KlTGLc63u2oA9A/s2407/20221009_204411.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1751" data-original-width="2407" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4uysb9mTdGk15K_My4peXgK5aD7rvzUyGBF2vXHu78MPQhqCx2ZxrNfPzSmajvmYg8wXLUh9ynFcTA6ihfy-6O8Y_Dvlw4Sd4oYGiRRp9geIzk2nEMvfvCJhAftKTxnIHjxJHD1_aFY0Ajv0yO18cwlhJMUo9JIw9qZ0Wx_kWRCX_KlTGLc63u2oA9A/w640-h466/20221009_204411.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>So let's go back to Drac's other stuff before we look at her clothing in detail. </p><p>This is all her extra bits and bobs. </p><p>we have a cape made of soft shiny synthetic with a foil print. It's completely unhemmed and unlined and has a tendency to roll in on itself. There's a little ruffle at the collar made in the same fabric just turned the other way around and a ribbon to fasten. </p><p>it's nothing to write home about. It's a very very basic thing. </p><p>There's also a pair of sunglasses which have frames that feel a bit too big. </p><p>There's a plastic heart shaped backpack with little bat wings that actually opens up. Well rather, it has a little slit in it but most of these other bits fit into it! so that's fun. </p><p>And Count Fabulous who looks PISSED that he's been turned into a chibi kitten thing. I'd be pissed too. </p><p>He's just a solid plastic model. He's fine, but his wing position mean he doesn't sit very well on a flat surface, the tips of his wings droop down below his butt. Which furthers my theory that he wasn't originally designed to have them. And as I said earlier, the printing on his eyes is really grainy and pixilated and looks really bad up close. </p><p>we also have a return of the SPF 500 sunscreen from Gloom Beach. Funny. This time the bottle has a little loop so it can be held. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyMpUjsKt3pxtY6QFgFsG8j33wSefOmBdRsK5DoDTsJMEXbpYiK0CfBTBO80t8KGidEmGFrXv_iC7wpQPasOpcjVqsmq4OKGcH431CC8yTgTr9MxC4pPAmo3VKQ9gZ4_Df9-KVw0XG5e2FvW46Ov59AJXrVCw94IXjcTe763EQSSJRfAYGY7Bfw58aVw/s1379/20221009_204425.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1379" data-original-width="1189" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyMpUjsKt3pxtY6QFgFsG8j33wSefOmBdRsK5DoDTsJMEXbpYiK0CfBTBO80t8KGidEmGFrXv_iC7wpQPasOpcjVqsmq4OKGcH431CC8yTgTr9MxC4pPAmo3VKQ9gZ4_Df9-KVw0XG5e2FvW46Ov59AJXrVCw94IXjcTe763EQSSJRfAYGY7Bfw58aVw/w552-h640/20221009_204425.jpg" width="552" /></a></div><p></p><p>Drac also has her ICoffin which features a spiderweb design with fanged lips on the back. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH14UydXqFlbEZobLbHCn7267VCT_qOn0XfYcI45wbSsobFOcNWBZM8EevKiiu4BzVcKYpupwDq41GFsSei5hEnncjS4BpsrBThQqOqMlZolgA4GD_6WS2P7-JMawVCa9Etg-pXkCbAikO4a47Ej2ioRGLPKQDGrI1_WwIpDGUGi5gsyohxDxgLrp7dg/s1416/20221009_204435.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1416" data-original-width="1039" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH14UydXqFlbEZobLbHCn7267VCT_qOn0XfYcI45wbSsobFOcNWBZM8EevKiiu4BzVcKYpupwDq41GFsSei5hEnncjS4BpsrBThQqOqMlZolgA4GD_6WS2P7-JMawVCa9Etg-pXkCbAikO4a47Ej2ioRGLPKQDGrI1_WwIpDGUGi5gsyohxDxgLrp7dg/w470-h640/20221009_204435.jpg" width="470" /></a></div><p></p><p>and an awful grainy image on the front. Like DAMN this is bad resolution. You can barely make out any of the icons. </p><p>There's a little ring loop on one side that's supposed to slide over the doll's finger but you need to figure out exactly WHICH finger and which hand in order for it to actually work. Still, at least the doll can hold the thing. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh18_zYmlSMWULMyedudfaLQ3x-hbTfwvOvkbmtI5dQVA9xrrqwbuQnibKx8fJYhfDSYl35WdkcuZYl857Tsw5qNVrVpHXaIhhExYBqKDmVd5KOLu_NFKXHwGu2KsMycE86U9_3J4jKVGsfdGMSICHd_o7LB_80zLb1XI0SsY8XgLonnlUfVmO3epCmKg/s1866/20221009_204444.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1206" data-original-width="1866" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh18_zYmlSMWULMyedudfaLQ3x-hbTfwvOvkbmtI5dQVA9xrrqwbuQnibKx8fJYhfDSYl35WdkcuZYl857Tsw5qNVrVpHXaIhhExYBqKDmVd5KOLu_NFKXHwGu2KsMycE86U9_3J4jKVGsfdGMSICHd_o7LB_80zLb1XI0SsY8XgLonnlUfVmO3epCmKg/w640-h414/20221009_204444.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>I was surprised to learn that the bat pretzel thing actually comes out of the pink tissue paper wrapper. I'm not entirely sure why it has eyes, nor that i'd want to eat something that had big eyes staring at me but there ya go.</p><p>this piece is the one I really don't get. What do pretzels have to do with vampires? And why does she even have a pretzel anyway? I mean, this isn't a cafe themed doll, so it's all a bit random to me. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEBQ1PdbYCoU71-2SihlpGL6zUdx6C69P1V_KRZSn2T4OFi9NftLYsNP0a3kBbnkMj1GzetEeuBXBaJeSdeXAfdemdL1zsW7POFHZ6dUPDdrGAhygvTjx47-nKpaJNOpdu9gATlHBZuyYlrFymXE_W2X7iwLXwuVaqyeQKcubd99dJSGrc3kgn0VIBBQ/s1784/20221009_204502.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1426" data-original-width="1784" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEBQ1PdbYCoU71-2SihlpGL6zUdx6C69P1V_KRZSn2T4OFi9NftLYsNP0a3kBbnkMj1GzetEeuBXBaJeSdeXAfdemdL1zsW7POFHZ6dUPDdrGAhygvTjx47-nKpaJNOpdu9gATlHBZuyYlrFymXE_W2X7iwLXwuVaqyeQKcubd99dJSGrc3kgn0VIBBQ/w640-h512/20221009_204502.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>She also has a cherry smoothie (blood orange would have been a better joke but ho hum) and again, I was surprised to learn the lid actually comes off. What a needless detail. I mean it's cool, but it's also completely pointless. </p><p>it's also HUGE. It's bigger than her head! That's a lot of smoothie. <br /></p><p>Drac can hold all these pieces too, which is nice. I do like that they actually thought about that. </p><p>Still, I find it utterly bizarre that the fucking pretzel has better printing/paintwork than Count Fabulous or the Icoffin. Wtf? Priorities Mattel? </p><p>I'm still not convinced about the value added of these random foodstuffs. They still feel like random padding to me. <br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFTnCgrUkD0Im3603wgRVuEPQY1D5EPwNt0vmqFscqQSXFI5i3Bm7QYvIMjhvufBo0bYPxiVZC_5Ui_C6ixVy5N5T6vPocX_DaNQ0CNGbT7D_yhnm52mfedn_MtNExwkQc6-18FO5jTZ3v_qwAnaI8P0eG5Jv89dhNjeHAB3Wa2gxlghv3nGLSQP9Xog/s3275/20221009_212449.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="3275" height="506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFTnCgrUkD0Im3603wgRVuEPQY1D5EPwNt0vmqFscqQSXFI5i3Bm7QYvIMjhvufBo0bYPxiVZC_5Ui_C6ixVy5N5T6vPocX_DaNQ0CNGbT7D_yhnm52mfedn_MtNExwkQc6-18FO5jTZ3v_qwAnaI8P0eG5Jv89dhNjeHAB3Wa2gxlghv3nGLSQP9Xog/w640-h506/20221009_212449.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>Now onto Draculaura's outfit.</p><p>It's nice to see that it's all individual pieces, something Mattel seemed to really get allergic to toward the end of G1 and certainly throughout g2. </p><p>Draculaura's outfit consists of a pair of shorts with a fanged heart motif, a necklace, mesh socks, see through blouse, camisole/vest overshirt and a pair of heels. </p><p>The shorts are pretty nicely made but the fabric they're constructed of is unpleasant feeling. It's very stiff and plasticky feeling and the stiffness of the material means that the seams of the garment don't quite sit nicely. Everything is all a little too angular. I feel like this material must have been an absolute bitch to sew with, but presumably it's cheap and that's why mattel chose it. *sigh* It feels like the idea was for the shorts to be a sort of light fashion denim or something, but what we actually got was a stiff unyeilding printed synthetic. </p><p>The blouse is also a kinda plasticky synthetic but it feels more like I expect something like this to feel. It's a pretty detailed piece with little ruffles along the front and puffed sleeves. The bow itself is made from some sort of very very thin fragile feeling vinyl-like stuff that I honestly feel will tear if i'm not careful. I wish they'd used ribbon or something a little more hard wearing for this. </p><p>The outer cami/vest thing is made of that standard satiny synthetic stuff a lot of older monster high clothes were made of. Similar to the skirts first wave Draculaura and Clawdeen wore in fact. It's a bit stiff but has a nice sheen to it and is pretty standard for doll clothing.It's again, a decently sewn little garment with ribbon straps and decorative stitching to make it look like it's constructed out of panels and give a corset-like look to the front. This detailing is actual stitches which is a surprise to me as Mattel LOVES their printed on stitchwork. Glad to see they didn't cheap out on that detail. </p><p>Her socks are a sort of mesh material, not quite fishnet as the mesh is too thin. They're over knee socks with a little ruffle at the top. The ruffle on one doesn't quite sit correctly but it's fine. </p><p>Her shoes are nothing that exciting. They're pink heels with a paler pink batwing detail. They look nothing like the shoes in her illustration but they work fine with her outfit and unlike a lot of older monster high shoes, they're very easy to get on and off. They were elastic banded to the doll's feet but they don't seem to actually require this, they stay on just fine without. <br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtqL4Y3T7s1c4OrAeDGBvjJl2C3-XNssaZyKewbHu2p1cuPdRbY9k0oFoyWHSXZm9IrB5tth3DTqVIBZ3j_oETgRpXDXK8-fKtAf85QLPKObNqcQ0NJ7r4_RZlIFTjkLk5UB5aX79nO-ry_iQxCRtkRRKdHppY7eafFZDI917fbclGPRd-wgiWTdV4Dw/s1935/20221009_212459.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1935" data-original-width="1249" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtqL4Y3T7s1c4OrAeDGBvjJl2C3-XNssaZyKewbHu2p1cuPdRbY9k0oFoyWHSXZm9IrB5tth3DTqVIBZ3j_oETgRpXDXK8-fKtAf85QLPKObNqcQ0NJ7r4_RZlIFTjkLk5UB5aX79nO-ry_iQxCRtkRRKdHppY7eafFZDI917fbclGPRd-wgiWTdV4Dw/w414-h640/20221009_212459.jpg" width="414" /></a></div><p></p><p>Her necklace is barely visible under her collar once she's fully dressed so i'm surprised they bothered to include it, but here it is. I suppose it's rather like her original doll who's necklace was also mostly hidden by her collar and bow. </p><p>this necklace is a pearly white and I THINK it's supposed to be a cameo but the detail is quite blurred and faint. I believe I can just make out a female face in profile. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx1AZnjBmDKqRNM0nzKshRqF-hJCtTEfxxrxcpWZHNqnqF0qFfpkMGXmOrOL2icSQInTpqLkMHnHJto9brG1sBPV46DRkq-SusiZ8zxrevW7BNkD4PK8APpYexKjjL_r_TD1nV463DQV-ONXPxu8YO57L6Cnhdw5k_aRLfWqcYj5Zz1MvxaNwMIWEHQw/s1784/20221009_212606.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1137" data-original-width="1784" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx1AZnjBmDKqRNM0nzKshRqF-hJCtTEfxxrxcpWZHNqnqF0qFfpkMGXmOrOL2icSQInTpqLkMHnHJto9brG1sBPV46DRkq-SusiZ8zxrevW7BNkD4PK8APpYexKjjL_r_TD1nV463DQV-ONXPxu8YO57L6Cnhdw5k_aRLfWqcYj5Zz1MvxaNwMIWEHQw/w640-h408/20221009_212606.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Draculaura's earrings are also nothing that exciting but they're perfectly fine earrings. They have really long pegs which make them quite easy to remove and put back in but also mean when they are in they won't fall out unintentionally. This makes a huge change from the original dolls who often had earrings with thin short pegs that snapped when you tried to get them into the doll's ear. Yet another change that really improves the playability of the doll so thumbs up there Mattel! </p><p>They're little hoops with a bat winged heat at the bottom and come in opposite colours to her hair. Black for the pink side, pink for the black side. </p><p>She also has a chunky ring that's a big pink diamond shape but it's pretty bloody boring and I couldn't get a decent photo of it. <br /></p><p> </p><p>So, we know old Monster High clothing won't work but what CAN new Draculaura wear? <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE8Vzw2_MlWLHmKbnzrSuSRocMZco6T9Uvul9bLoopc_BV168wWu5_MyensuLsDDgoc-Bs2QDGrq5bZ9R8tt9h53tiT-1dpcWqAxzI5ev-YRxOxH59ktiZ6-LKhmCqiBevLaL147aWtC77IA-qVN6XZwocASPga_zloW-M7aUdIsIfJjAsgMa-mbvHRw/s3260/20221009_214237.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3260" data-original-width="1483" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE8Vzw2_MlWLHmKbnzrSuSRocMZco6T9Uvul9bLoopc_BV168wWu5_MyensuLsDDgoc-Bs2QDGrq5bZ9R8tt9h53tiT-1dpcWqAxzI5ev-YRxOxH59ktiZ6-LKhmCqiBevLaL147aWtC77IA-qVN6XZwocASPga_zloW-M7aUdIsIfJjAsgMa-mbvHRw/w292-h640/20221009_214237.jpg" width="292" /></a></div><p></p><p>Rainbow High stuff is a bit hit and miss. The skirts and trousers seem to fit fairly well and the shoes, while a little wide, stay on for the most part. Those styles with ankle straps I couldn't get to go on but then, I struggle to get those damn things onto the actual Rainbow High dolls too. </p><p>The tops are baggy but tee styles mostly work. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4HarfHqn3K_bTAfurK5a5AfIzYQiINgJ6O0bf70ddTmn-OYm14pvJo9rKIxTwA8F3UhF-3yBNN0XU9ofabAwqNtx8DJ2mpujwrUvpY8SqCdIKx-PdmtIjGpnJgGg0On5DZjr59zsK2nnRT-OHcH0sK2_gKh-zDDIQl7HgJFWbYqnoOPgd3Qn5sXP7cA/s3202/20221009_214546.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3202" data-original-width="2107" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4HarfHqn3K_bTAfurK5a5AfIzYQiINgJ6O0bf70ddTmn-OYm14pvJo9rKIxTwA8F3UhF-3yBNN0XU9ofabAwqNtx8DJ2mpujwrUvpY8SqCdIKx-PdmtIjGpnJgGg0On5DZjr59zsK2nnRT-OHcH0sK2_gKh-zDDIQl7HgJFWbYqnoOPgd3Qn5sXP7cA/w422-h640/20221009_214546.jpg" width="422" /></a></div><p></p><p>While any other style it becomes abundantly clear how much wider Rainbow High dolls are in the chest and shoulder. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlRXyFYVtNuQfSruIwIMgqXdMySL9drXUBPuCB-7c-FZv3zOIEJ2kxOZ88cgKhdu4oZp2qJ5-CWFjED-MjIDvZrrEtmmIcG4ITXVEtLnV9HAa6JzusVUvkbOsKZQFgStdudx5mJYY54ydTcuj_hQ73K0mH7kG-LqW_R5vmIoZ2uX1ojvDyeXiroTQA3Q/s3488/20221009_221912.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3488" data-original-width="2393" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlRXyFYVtNuQfSruIwIMgqXdMySL9drXUBPuCB-7c-FZv3zOIEJ2kxOZ88cgKhdu4oZp2qJ5-CWFjED-MjIDvZrrEtmmIcG4ITXVEtLnV9HAa6JzusVUvkbOsKZQFgStdudx5mJYY54ydTcuj_hQ73K0mH7kG-LqW_R5vmIoZ2uX1ojvDyeXiroTQA3Q/w440-h640/20221009_221912.jpg" width="440" /></a></div><p></p><p>Her body shape is similar to the LOL OMG dolls with the tiny little upper body and wide hips. Though she is taller and has a less cinched waist. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv3FeHokN8JvejnYpNaGkJvmA6gMr-ywdfMJlvvT8tLDMu0JMtgSRn0-N4lV_6QXJHuyMtoh2JMzcs90Q0NWfmbrUz3y4RpRG_hWtPP1E1O9VUuena4Y0-Tmg5eIuRcEaH1I_BHlRQD7VNckqeAtB5wzHYwLDXF3WSDt8s8aU9z0MhwinVYvi_B4xa7g/s2761/20221009_214949.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2761" data-original-width="1083" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv3FeHokN8JvejnYpNaGkJvmA6gMr-ywdfMJlvvT8tLDMu0JMtgSRn0-N4lV_6QXJHuyMtoh2JMzcs90Q0NWfmbrUz3y4RpRG_hWtPP1E1O9VUuena4Y0-Tmg5eIuRcEaH1I_BHlRQD7VNckqeAtB5wzHYwLDXF3WSDt8s8aU9z0MhwinVYvi_B4xa7g/w252-h640/20221009_214949.jpg" width="252" /></a></div><p></p><p>LOL OMG dress fitted beautifull. (I like this on her) <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBNRHwzaW5pe3bfOUtWVxLUjcgzLdzUXAL0sWRoPRPB13FUHlV9nHJr0-BlI5rBeqOtaMCSMYob2aNhmsdmnYT82v6bUdKu5sbeP7vAbJt9Wqu04SMfICIWtXzzoKdhGymArtfPDzYDcRIdAEGYsrciG9ZnpFwOYVAFRzWQ6muL4YE-TTSicQt3zVZpw/s2920/20221009_215102.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2920" data-original-width="1524" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBNRHwzaW5pe3bfOUtWVxLUjcgzLdzUXAL0sWRoPRPB13FUHlV9nHJr0-BlI5rBeqOtaMCSMYob2aNhmsdmnYT82v6bUdKu5sbeP7vAbJt9Wqu04SMfICIWtXzzoKdhGymArtfPDzYDcRIdAEGYsrciG9ZnpFwOYVAFRzWQ6muL4YE-TTSicQt3zVZpw/w334-h640/20221009_215102.jpg" width="334" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div><p>The jacket worked too. It has 3/4 sleeves on the OMG doll but more like half sleeves on Drac. </p><p>OMG shoes don't fit at all, they are too narrow and too high.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwVc3Hl_3QpimkQaF5EjD6lv8bCPgi8PfkEBHqhZ1eyvUKpzHsoEvnat6MGdWBtGfmrf-x2RXKRTRoWBfQ3wdGXkLhtFHD4yu9bXLKhN9Zqe-NXGPgBE2bIHZTYjzh5oFRTsBnn6rU94rrxfV6Fb5qbRt8n5rnyTskVDNq1wcPPPu9k-pa61eGdyTcRA/s2955/20221009_215551.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2955" data-original-width="1300" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwVc3Hl_3QpimkQaF5EjD6lv8bCPgi8PfkEBHqhZ1eyvUKpzHsoEvnat6MGdWBtGfmrf-x2RXKRTRoWBfQ3wdGXkLhtFHD4yu9bXLKhN9Zqe-NXGPgBE2bIHZTYjzh5oFRTsBnn6rU94rrxfV6Fb5qbRt8n5rnyTskVDNq1wcPPPu9k-pa61eGdyTcRA/w282-h640/20221009_215551.jpg" width="282" /></a></div><p></p><p>This OMG outfit fitted surprisingly well. The shorts sit a little low on her hip but it's not too bad. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilmzIVhl-tYXKN8PgZA907_ZyOQL6ebdviyR7E5Uc7q1GfpfnqVLPqc_fpbDlP9iRrBg7eMKK5mY14Gyd8IZrzguQXp9BszrwlIZHsJDXiEzvw40b0KwQV3fAhkLd57KvxpOlSM5rjxZ9GOxmoW5U7M5KAyTALwKfa727BIJP8wQF0Buz04FeA19OnDQ/s2794/20221009_215638.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2794" data-original-width="2103" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilmzIVhl-tYXKN8PgZA907_ZyOQL6ebdviyR7E5Uc7q1GfpfnqVLPqc_fpbDlP9iRrBg7eMKK5mY14Gyd8IZrzguQXp9BszrwlIZHsJDXiEzvw40b0KwQV3fAhkLd57KvxpOlSM5rjxZ9GOxmoW5U7M5KAyTALwKfa727BIJP8wQF0Buz04FeA19OnDQ/w482-h640/20221009_215638.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><p></p><p>And I couldn't resist a snap with her hair twin. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNAgVJSoBbr6gceZdwXWqzcukna9nMDYK9qdv3ZCpjIgFLTokZb-gsFeE0fRPAkNY3yyDEuHzvpeilLUjftGf8b0eLOaAgBC8Mt79BF1GWFcLzx1FLNEJFOzMBGU2MkUfZ9BpSYYKU9TtNJPlL3bFKAKxJRXqW8GK71Y2aLZF_Mf9EWXdKMx66aokhcQ/s2834/20221009_221306.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2834" data-original-width="1583" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNAgVJSoBbr6gceZdwXWqzcukna9nMDYK9qdv3ZCpjIgFLTokZb-gsFeE0fRPAkNY3yyDEuHzvpeilLUjftGf8b0eLOaAgBC8Mt79BF1GWFcLzx1FLNEJFOzMBGU2MkUfZ9BpSYYKU9TtNJPlL3bFKAKxJRXqW8GK71Y2aLZF_Mf9EWXdKMx66aokhcQ/w358-h640/20221009_221306.jpg" width="358" /></a></div><p></p><p>Sadly I couldn't find any shoes that went with this awesome OMG outfit so the purple rainbow high shoes had to do. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieStSFlWxPGqOMaEXwUvgLK6TKXr1OHsbB5AnifdRSZ_gt0maz9wwae2MB_Oi4Pe4qAt3dSbTdAPc6VPQgoPh7wgCwax65uxvqj7_Oy0ZN9dtgqCGPS8b9MGNlVScguJyNAT2ZdqjOUHfkHgnyn3UGMbw25UZ9A-vUqLFZq-U9-rWav_J3E9SBmOpk-g/s3538/20221009_221315.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3538" data-original-width="2373" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieStSFlWxPGqOMaEXwUvgLK6TKXr1OHsbB5AnifdRSZ_gt0maz9wwae2MB_Oi4Pe4qAt3dSbTdAPc6VPQgoPh7wgCwax65uxvqj7_Oy0ZN9dtgqCGPS8b9MGNlVScguJyNAT2ZdqjOUHfkHgnyn3UGMbw25UZ9A-vUqLFZq-U9-rWav_J3E9SBmOpk-g/w430-h640/20221009_221315.jpg" width="430" /></a></div><p></p><p>But damnit look at this outfit! It's glorious. And it fits her SO WELL. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxKWb6Tq4HPwOBjZWIobh7EcyNgyxsjt1MDJeVXBxExSxfhG_B0UppVAjk2qCqWuzSf6k_tCa4_ztBRu0Pu7b7z62bCc98cw6dJ2wOL-C2HaDX0_a9gLTZ9jiy6RP5y1VZ7OnXvcDgZWYbNF51DzVwMf9oYU7KqMnaf7dK4jPcZ4UTE9XxngDWw53f_w/s2602/20221009_221326.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2602" data-original-width="2036" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxKWb6Tq4HPwOBjZWIobh7EcyNgyxsjt1MDJeVXBxExSxfhG_B0UppVAjk2qCqWuzSf6k_tCa4_ztBRu0Pu7b7z62bCc98cw6dJ2wOL-C2HaDX0_a9gLTZ9jiy6RP5y1VZ7OnXvcDgZWYbNF51DzVwMf9oYU7KqMnaf7dK4jPcZ4UTE9XxngDWw53f_w/w500-h640/20221009_221326.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br /><p>Maybe it's a little more of an Elissabat look than Draculaura but how cute does she look like this? </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYalo9cWEDFLUecyNcKNVlZneke-FjJ1oGGNkB0yz-Q6E8m1pbi5w30TCS6H2iF0S8xLR9fOGtK-P3FfsvVVRBVPEh9XpD9y1aCzOwxlZgMHXRmjg2n6eu4vZpB_zVaB9q7B0CPzCk3vvs-BvjRPvnd3DsV-BFo65OxLds6khBDg0AnhpNfcUV7sg5GQ/s2479/20221009_205542.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2479" data-original-width="1630" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYalo9cWEDFLUecyNcKNVlZneke-FjJ1oGGNkB0yz-Q6E8m1pbi5w30TCS6H2iF0S8xLR9fOGtK-P3FfsvVVRBVPEh9XpD9y1aCzOwxlZgMHXRmjg2n6eu4vZpB_zVaB9q7B0CPzCk3vvs-BvjRPvnd3DsV-BFo65OxLds6khBDg0AnhpNfcUV7sg5GQ/w420-h640/20221009_205542.jpg" width="420" /></a></div><p></p><p>Back into her original clothing, i'm not convinced the cape adds anything to her look beyond cluttering it up and the sunglasses are just silly. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgab2as1jSWY5vjdBGb_JSslvDMmP5b8N-CZ7HYLasSCUG8mxPbNndziJqCO_u9JOmLtNzYyRMzPa-5tEI6IVRX-lKjO8Oxps6n_5jW325gF_7AClnSKiQ7C43oUlmiU4XALmPtelKcNi-pAIQ62lMObyzi_EZu1ShohoFi6hxnWFv6DdTS78KNKwaVjw/s2829/20221009_223410.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2829" data-original-width="1386" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgab2as1jSWY5vjdBGb_JSslvDMmP5b8N-CZ7HYLasSCUG8mxPbNndziJqCO_u9JOmLtNzYyRMzPa-5tEI6IVRX-lKjO8Oxps6n_5jW325gF_7AClnSKiQ7C43oUlmiU4XALmPtelKcNi-pAIQ62lMObyzi_EZu1ShohoFi6hxnWFv6DdTS78KNKwaVjw/w314-h640/20221009_223410.jpg" width="314" /></a></div><p></p><p>The backpack is cute though. I do like that you can fit all her snacks in there (aside from her massive supersized drink of course). I like that it's a backpack, not only does that feel more in keeping for a high school setting but it also means it stays ON. My biggest peeve with doll handbags is that the doll can never hold the bloody things so they just end up getting lost. </p><p>I think though, that a fabric backpack would have looked better and sat nicer on the shoulders but oh well. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHaauIChTO0E4EMsu9c0q86UvUgTXMARmQyYinq3_OKE7Np-6ADEJnjX4elKZ6-ItS3rYfHyJqodqes57-sbbxvZ31djS_ukNAt4YeQIrHncng5t7is5HiG29hmYPtvcxhryVGXnEDdGR2i3FXZC7Eq-t1haEeaDC0btL5GzDpLZADsBep4GyKds5KwQ/s3425/20221009_223419.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3425" data-original-width="2154" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHaauIChTO0E4EMsu9c0q86UvUgTXMARmQyYinq3_OKE7Np-6ADEJnjX4elKZ6-ItS3rYfHyJqodqes57-sbbxvZ31djS_ukNAt4YeQIrHncng5t7is5HiG29hmYPtvcxhryVGXnEDdGR2i3FXZC7Eq-t1haEeaDC0btL5GzDpLZADsBep4GyKds5KwQ/w402-h640/20221009_223419.jpg" width="402" /></a></div><br /><p>Final thoughts? I actually adore her. </p><p>I love her new body shape and there's a lot of changes Mattel have made to the engineering of things that have massively improved the playability. The earrings, the joints, the wrist pegs and even the little loops on all the accessories show that they were considering how these would actually be played with or displayed. Having the doll able to HOLD her accessories is a huge thing, it's such a rarity to actually see that considered. </p><p>G3 don't come with a brush or stands, which is also interesting. I'm seeing fewer and fewer dolls coming with brushes these days. Maybe companies finally realised they were just clutter? The lack of a stand I don't really miss either as I tend to find stands a bit annoying. they take up a lot of space on the shelf. The only reason I use the g1 ones is that the dolls don't stand up without them, but these g3 dolls stand find on their own two feet. I wouldn't call it stable, but they won't immediately fall on their face. </p><p>I also can't help but feel like the lack of a stand also makes it clear this is a PLAY toy. The original Monster High dolls really felt more like a collector item, something you were supposed to display not actually mess around with. They were very fragile, their clothing was extremely specific to each character, the first wave dolls had shoes you could barely remove they were so hard and the stand itself screamed "display me! put me on a shelf!" </p><p>g3 is stepping away from that more toward an actual toy and that's reflected in how much sturdier the construction is. I appreciate that. Much as I love the original Monster High, the fragility of the dolls has always been an issue and it's always made me terrified of packing them away for storage. </p><p>I'm still not convinced about the foods, they still feel utterly random to me and give me Barbie Extra vibes with the random extra plastic shit. I feel like i'd have preferred the budget had gone into proper fabric choices and more detailed shoes and such. Better printing for the icoffin and Count Fabulous too. </p><p>I also wish companies would work out a way to make headbands STAY ON A DOLL'S HEAD without having to be stapled to their scalp. Draculaura's headband is plastic tabbed to her head and i'm not snipping those, it'll never stay on if I do. But there has GOT to be a better way to do this. Surely? <br /></p><p>That said, I really do think she's a stunningly beautiful doll. I love how characterful her face is and I really like her hair. This new half and half colour and the dramatic fringe I think really works as an update to her original look. I also quite like her outfit even if the fabric choices are a bit iffy. The blouse is such a cool piece and the knee high socks feel very classic Draculaura. </p><p>I do wonder if a darker lip like her original doll would be better but at the same time, an awful lot of Draculaura dolls had similar orangey pink lips in G1 and the softer makeup look is probably more appropriate for high school. </p><p>Be prepared to comb the grease out of her hair when you debox her. After that her hair is pretty good and behaves itself. </p><p>Overall, for $25usd I think she's pretty decent. The original dolls were £15 (about $20usd I think) like 11 years ago, so accounting for inflation and compared to other modern doll lines, 25 feels about right for what you're getting. I think it was a smart choice on Mattel's part there given MGA keeps upping the prices of their releases. The most recent Rainbow High dolls have been getting close to £50 and even within the US they're $40+ and for what? An extra outfit and a stand? They're getting far too expensive so Mattel sticking with a price under 30 feels wise to catch the attention of customers. I mean if you can get two Monster High dolls for the price of one Rainbow High I think a fair few people are gonna pick the MH. </p><p>No the threeboot isn't perfect, but neither was the original MH line. It's high time we took off those rose tinted glasses and acknowledged that. </p><p>But threeboot Draculaura at least, feels like a worthy successor. I'm very pleased with her. Will the others impress me as much though? I suppose we'll see. </p><p>stay tuned for the next deboxing. </p><p><br /></p><p>For old time's sake, I give threeboot Draculaura a solid <b>8.5 out of 10 cat bats. </b><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Purple_monkfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023284779817354246noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3031605728160552641.post-45345145796127345632022-10-04T16:14:00.001+01:002022-10-04T16:14:59.539+01:00Naturalistas by Purpose toys and Just Play<p> Every few years we get another line of Black dolls hitting the market and almost every single time they're US only (because obviously black people don't exist outside of America huh? -_- ) which makes them extremely difficult to get anywhere else in the world. </p><p>They don't usually last very long unfortunately, trying to compete with the big hitters like Mattel and MGA is very very difficult. It is however always interesting to see a new small company make an attempt and as anyone who follows this blog knows, i'm very much of the opinion that black dolls MATTER and these attempts to give kids that choice and diversity is extremely important. </p><p>And so, the Naturalistas are the latest attempt. They're created by a group called Purpose Toys who appear to be more of a group that brings creators together rather than their own manufacturer? I'm not totally sure. They themselves describe it as "a supportive community of Black founders" and claim "Purpose Toys partners with entrepreneurs, providing the infrastructure and resources necessary to succeed at retail." <br /></p><p>It appears that for this doll line they partnered with Just Play for distribution which makes sense. Just Play are a moderately sized toy company best known to the doll community at least, of making the 24 inch tall Barbies and such. They don't seem to have many franchises all of their own so much as they do things for other companies and act as a distributing partner or something. I'm not totally sure how it works honestly. But if you look at their website they have a partnership with Disney, Mattel, multiple kids shows and youtube channels, Warner brothers, Nickelodeon... the list goes on. They're even currently holding the rights for Slinky and Shrinky Dinks as well as producing those Art Squad dolls (which sorry, i'm not gonna be reviewing. They freak me out.)</p><p>Anyway,</p><p>the Naturalistas are a line of 11 inch fashion dolls who's big gimmick (can you call it a gimmick?) is that they each have natural Black hair textures and styles. Their aim is to promote the beauty of natural hair, something that sadly is still policed and discriminated against in the western world. </p><p>I'm afraid with lines like this it's impossible not to get into politics because there are inherent politics to their existance. It's sad that something like hair IS political in the first sodding place, but that's the crappy world we live in i'm afraid. As the Skunk Anansie song goes "yes it's fucking political, everything's political"</p><p> <span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p>So let's dive in.</p><p>Special thanks to <span class="fJ6BL">maleficentmrsofallevil for shipping these girls all the way to the UK. You rock! </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIsVQrZHs9TRUL8u28ZecFvfzoMbao6ttbEhhaiOTdzxYjolRaA7bT-3map323I3yYiHcn9RJQZ4nbiYwbFe_crNn6KJ7eYMDPtpo2U31bKeeezwMU_xr36qwI2FYfphSngIDBmKFaYd4WCfI8BQ4GIuseWlFXqc57_Tv_rO8ijhukVUF34c_Ff1UreQ/s3110/20221003_214709.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3110" data-original-width="1540" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIsVQrZHs9TRUL8u28ZecFvfzoMbao6ttbEhhaiOTdzxYjolRaA7bT-3map323I3yYiHcn9RJQZ4nbiYwbFe_crNn6KJ7eYMDPtpo2U31bKeeezwMU_xr36qwI2FYfphSngIDBmKFaYd4WCfI8BQ4GIuseWlFXqc57_Tv_rO8ijhukVUF34c_Ff1UreQ/w317-h640/20221003_214709.jpg" width="317" /></a></div><p></p><p>The dolls come in a fairly standard blister style packaging which was removed to get shipping down a little. This girl is Liya and her hair is HUGE! </p><p>The dolls all come with the same pale pink backing card with their Naturalistas logo printed on it, and all their clothing features the logo as well. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdQ_TKCUnJaXcFmYQ1zoe9tllopOKO94Uks5xDq8lksDVt--JArHoVUGlDLv3OiFxC7zNuGO8hgZ-Q54RBrP0Evv6prVukyMoPP4DiHx7pWkkKstsgIGP3AZ_sbYWUaHorrfo2qD7zPN9_ZXU9RjgwY90NtJ8c78JHV5ujBJKJGmfWMCF4pe6KkECxCg/s3381/20221003_214718.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3381" data-original-width="2523" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdQ_TKCUnJaXcFmYQ1zoe9tllopOKO94Uks5xDq8lksDVt--JArHoVUGlDLv3OiFxC7zNuGO8hgZ-Q54RBrP0Evv6prVukyMoPP4DiHx7pWkkKstsgIGP3AZ_sbYWUaHorrfo2qD7zPN9_ZXU9RjgwY90NtJ8c78JHV5ujBJKJGmfWMCF4pe6KkECxCg/w478-h640/20221003_214718.jpg" width="478" /></a></div><p></p><p>They come with a bag and a pair of shoes which for some reason are not worn. This has become a bit of a trend in recent years, to package the dolls barefoot. I assume it's so you can get a better look at the shoes or something? But I find it personally kinda annoying. More plastic tabs to cut. <br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL_Dyr6jxfCA9wFoGIl_axcjnNcs_33R8fXDEZVNrkHjdQzMUSm3l_AhyezAjWVuC2_fcSX3xI12qXxoA4oHxjqI6dEyBRGMbxMuhYmxak7XK00Kr3rzdw9t1STo7rrjhTzUJo84uN1lEJsurlIPWrRHMT4_Yo5lUgnNjOA0Cp6n2BmPtWBciyKrCGxQ/s2995/20221003_214729.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1967" data-original-width="2995" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL_Dyr6jxfCA9wFoGIl_axcjnNcs_33R8fXDEZVNrkHjdQzMUSm3l_AhyezAjWVuC2_fcSX3xI12qXxoA4oHxjqI6dEyBRGMbxMuhYmxak7XK00Kr3rzdw9t1STo7rrjhTzUJo84uN1lEJsurlIPWrRHMT4_Yo5lUgnNjOA0Cp6n2BmPtWBciyKrCGxQ/w640-h420/20221003_214729.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>The whole line features 4 main dolls and Grace who is a deluxe doll, coming with a wig and some sort of playset. Each girl has a different hair type which is very unusual to see. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEiAMGGCgLmppWBD-Am9g1nxIyX0s5rSayNXm6uaHwxoTNJ9KiEsUi1j-InrHloWKgB1moIY6SfTGp6zIkn7QIFEw5H7_pwfjwcYDMmVUSyUCqBHQM0xLg4tgaZsQz6qCyLM4BvO9J_1MMw_868fxNLYlw-OMko5mwyTUEqk5M-nLHkVSzzaX7jFgDjQ/s2512/20221003_214743.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1465" data-original-width="2512" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEiAMGGCgLmppWBD-Am9g1nxIyX0s5rSayNXm6uaHwxoTNJ9KiEsUi1j-InrHloWKgB1moIY6SfTGp6zIkn7QIFEw5H7_pwfjwcYDMmVUSyUCqBHQM0xLg4tgaZsQz6qCyLM4BvO9J_1MMw_868fxNLYlw-OMko5mwyTUEqk5M-nLHkVSzzaX7jFgDjQ/w640-h374/20221003_214743.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>Liya for example is listed as having 4C type hair. </p><p>To the uninitiated, hair types are classified as type 1-4 (straight to coily) and A-C which defines the "shape" or size of the curl. A being a quite loose S shaped curl, B being a little tighter and C being a very tight curl.</p><p>4C is therefore the tightest curl you can get. 4C hair has a zig zag shape to the curls themselves and is commonly seen in those very structural styles like afros and puffs. </p><p>Liya's style is "stretched", which quite literally means what it says. 4c hair is very densely coiled so has a lot of shrinkage, the coils naturally sit close together which is how you get those gravity defying styles, but apply heat or certain protective styles and those fibers will stretch out, the curl will loosen and you can get this unique lion mane look. </p><p>Liya's hair really is a mane, it's glorious but i'm not entirely sure how realistic the scale of it is. It is however very soft and pleasant to run your hands through. <br /></p><p>All the characters also have little bios which is nice. Their thing seems to be that "naturalistas" is a brand that exists in their world and they're involved with. Liya herself is a model and an engineering student I think? Which is interesting. </p><p>Other characters are things like fashion designers for the Naturalistas brand (which i assume means they're meant to have designed all the outfits?), a cosmetologist/chemist with a natural haircare product brand and even a social media influencer who does haircare and style tutorials. </p><p>It's kinda cool that the brand seems to exist in universe and that all of the girls are in some way entrepreneurs themselves. <br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0j4oCck-ufMbtiTGvCeA7W_ElrnG_XtBXbZWs06apVBf0CXuJrOMY1sJa9fuCg-RwJtPpBSl3ktTgehbIlJ0Km_9V5lUiaEmRz83kzJAEZz-4sYSOT4Pt-j4jfSNcn-Jl1s-qTd5bXBZjc9zYHHhOUQT7nzS2eFqa-0XnKWFEZiIJ-HrBA0DHnlbiAQ/s3000/20221003_214733.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2361" data-original-width="3000" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0j4oCck-ufMbtiTGvCeA7W_ElrnG_XtBXbZWs06apVBf0CXuJrOMY1sJa9fuCg-RwJtPpBSl3ktTgehbIlJ0Km_9V5lUiaEmRz83kzJAEZz-4sYSOT4Pt-j4jfSNcn-Jl1s-qTd5bXBZjc9zYHHhOUQT7nzS2eFqa-0XnKWFEZiIJ-HrBA0DHnlbiAQ/w640-h504/20221003_214733.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>the bottom of the back of the box has info about the founder of Purpose toys. But also has some other things I find interesting. </p><p>Do you see the UK CE mark? And the address of Just Play in Oxfordshire? </p><p>This suggests that the line was meant to be a global brand, so it's possible the uk MIGHT see them eventually. Amazon UK have a listing but they're third party only which doesn't mean much. </p><p>sadly, as we tend not to get doll lines like this over here, i'm not gonna hold my breath. It'd be lovely to see them on UK shelves, but this country really has a big issue with not stocking dolls of colour. -_- </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi26lKQaWJMHe5EbUknK7xaldFm-48E0aB7G8Ytrlt66z1uAPitwXfbqGcMqUD-R0x1aL7F_7z43pb_bVHv1i5C3cEP25q3bOrrl9QLWhK9qOww5Amq0tG98YV_KQfQV_ZG5jobdEgCJ3pmIecllOj82eYfG6Tjip0iJCYPDLQ6GCLYnHkoosNLzznxgQ/s3396/20221003_215056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3396" data-original-width="1925" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi26lKQaWJMHe5EbUknK7xaldFm-48E0aB7G8Ytrlt66z1uAPitwXfbqGcMqUD-R0x1aL7F_7z43pb_bVHv1i5C3cEP25q3bOrrl9QLWhK9qOww5Amq0tG98YV_KQfQV_ZG5jobdEgCJ3pmIecllOj82eYfG6Tjip0iJCYPDLQ6GCLYnHkoosNLzznxgQ/w362-h640/20221003_215056.jpg" width="362" /></a></div><p></p><p>While the doll was held in with quite a few plastic tabs i'm DELIGHTED to tell you that she didn't have a single plastic staple in her head. The only thing holding her head in place was a plastic thread around the poor girl's neck (poor dolls with their plastic garottes) but no staples in the head! This makes perfect sense given how dense her hair IS. Any plastic tabs would be very very difficult to remove without damaging her hair and they're unneccisary anyway. </p><p>I do wish more companies would stop using the damn things. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirX0hhhtGT9D8xOU_y8bIMbUdNZiNi40a8RYjE8dMpOuesnA-Smote37PSdMdqAf3vWiPhTRqriVNR4svJK5B_vMDOKPzLSfwiVvetxQoH3LhQFSpS2tRb3_9sM_ihixstAoPIDLAnuAGohzCpJr66H5X0txtT8ezDiHQ4MM-kSaDAgr8cz8W1NGMfhw/s2403/20221003_215140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2403" data-original-width="2260" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirX0hhhtGT9D8xOU_y8bIMbUdNZiNi40a8RYjE8dMpOuesnA-Smote37PSdMdqAf3vWiPhTRqriVNR4svJK5B_vMDOKPzLSfwiVvetxQoH3LhQFSpS2tRb3_9sM_ihixstAoPIDLAnuAGohzCpJr66H5X0txtT8ezDiHQ4MM-kSaDAgr8cz8W1NGMfhw/w602-h640/20221003_215140.jpg" width="602" /></a></div><p></p><p>The faces on these dolls are beautiful. Liya has a soft smile, some flattering dark copper lipstick and simple neutral eyebrows. Her eyes are done in yellow and brown to give them depth and her makeup is a subtle greyish brown with a beige on the upper eyelid. </p><p>The face paint is crisp and clear though due to her hair, a little prone to ending up with little bits of shed hair all over it. </p><p>I believe the whole line uses the same face mold but they paint them very differently, which makes them all look quite distinct. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAKMq2DW77idraKqdXaK2fKj9zyV4-c8b8OwStN9Ue2vbYjbdvctvhMgOxMGK5ZWul0cThPx0_6oCdIhn0mLYVFQfCLTLVErGD6vbG8ip44hSD5xVFw28U3ijPN4iZNS456_OFVbWB_ubVcSXWjb1vYbLIjhRAn98QdylSsgdWY6P1WMLU28OZwhg-5Q/s2883/20221003_215303.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1889" data-original-width="2883" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAKMq2DW77idraKqdXaK2fKj9zyV4-c8b8OwStN9Ue2vbYjbdvctvhMgOxMGK5ZWul0cThPx0_6oCdIhn0mLYVFQfCLTLVErGD6vbG8ip44hSD5xVFw28U3ijPN4iZNS456_OFVbWB_ubVcSXWjb1vYbLIjhRAn98QdylSsgdWY6P1WMLU28OZwhg-5Q/w640-h420/20221003_215303.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>The Naturalistas line are very low priced at around $13 each, and this is reflected in their lack of accessories. </p><p>Liya comes with a sparkly blue dress, a pair of heels and a simple solid plastic handbag. </p><p>they don't come with a brush which actually feels wise. I'm not sure this sort of hair SHOULD be brushed, it feels more like finger combing is appropriate. <br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgQO0ddMpkvAwxj46HWC1NQbjvMEkDrz76L2yxPaIzc9B6RDrpVfDoEAkIA8EnD5_3W0QItzqgV7Zk32wxKDRHctXBY-llWqc2VknLtYn0Uvzziu9DIDv5aJ1BbXUVgGTuZzriBj4zYFt8A8WoulGvSQyDOrhc1HzHjB1jMd1DV55D2B7a34DLQPyY4g/s3447/20221003_215148.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3447" data-original-width="2100" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgQO0ddMpkvAwxj46HWC1NQbjvMEkDrz76L2yxPaIzc9B6RDrpVfDoEAkIA8EnD5_3W0QItzqgV7Zk32wxKDRHctXBY-llWqc2VknLtYn0Uvzziu9DIDv5aJ1BbXUVgGTuZzriBj4zYFt8A8WoulGvSQyDOrhc1HzHjB1jMd1DV55D2B7a34DLQPyY4g/w390-h640/20221003_215148.jpg" width="390" /></a></div>Now that said, the dress is deceptively simple. While Mattel would have just thrown a sack dress on and called it a day this dress actually has sewn in darts at the bust as well as being fully hemmed. It's made of some sort of semi stretchy sparkly material that's a bit scratchy to touch and has a terrible tendency to pull. You can see there's already a large pull across the waist of the dress which I don't think is intentional and as I dressed and undressed the doll the little snags and loose threads got worse and worse. I don't think this dress will stand up to play long term. The velcro closure snags constantly on the fabric which only accelerates the issue. <br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhdD4o9iKr8i8j-_Aeu0pFVLGoyqEGj9ZXf6S9mTvM6uJ2Ct-GxrgM8z94YD7Jhd6Q_1ftDi98jeUahURDBXUYUAZCiIN3uf4ii-4cJmGMou0aljq8I5XReXbkjpFh_0_w6NYoxGKxGlLnhCtwt-T81VG3bmbpQyB8n0aGbi3rx0qZjJ-fciaZ8L3eLA/s1922/20221003_215209.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1922" data-original-width="1592" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhdD4o9iKr8i8j-_Aeu0pFVLGoyqEGj9ZXf6S9mTvM6uJ2Ct-GxrgM8z94YD7Jhd6Q_1ftDi98jeUahURDBXUYUAZCiIN3uf4ii-4cJmGMou0aljq8I5XReXbkjpFh_0_w6NYoxGKxGlLnhCtwt-T81VG3bmbpQyB8n0aGbi3rx0qZjJ-fciaZ8L3eLA/w530-h640/20221003_215209.jpg" width="530" /></a></div><p><br /><br />Liya's shoes are a pair of "nude" heels that match her skin tone. I've never been entirely sure about nude shoes, but then, I am not a fashion person so what do I know? </p><p>These shoes have a little defect on one where the ankle strap likes to twist on itself when putting it on the doll. only the one shoe does it and I can't work out WHY but it means you then have to carefully untwist it and it's put strain on the strappy bits. </p><p>The shoes are otherwise easy enough to get on and off though of course being strappy shoes, they also suffer the "not sure how well they'll hold up" curse. I've lately had a lot of strappy doll shoes break on me and it's frustrating. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUA-K0Y-zwD6A3nAaMbdeuqS5SMVyOVTMGfux8SzGXyqoc0KHoGiaN1lvgp0WWvCZVgEdJvfkYvD_OyaefNyFKNAPQP6T4yjrK8-nBB5XbHCvj_2-P-AXA-s0d0eM2vnaKx9ltJmpP4A-D73s1Sd9X-b22NC-rqRa7TPT4I-RSr2_5QPit5AGwnncVPA/s3858/20221003_215519.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3858" data-original-width="1760" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUA-K0Y-zwD6A3nAaMbdeuqS5SMVyOVTMGfux8SzGXyqoc0KHoGiaN1lvgp0WWvCZVgEdJvfkYvD_OyaefNyFKNAPQP6T4yjrK8-nBB5XbHCvj_2-P-AXA-s0d0eM2vnaKx9ltJmpP4A-D73s1Sd9X-b22NC-rqRa7TPT4I-RSr2_5QPit5AGwnncVPA/w292-h640/20221003_215519.jpg" width="292" /></a></div><p></p><p>Further to their price point, the Naturalistas only have very basic 5 point articulation. Shoulders, hips, neck. Their heads cannot tilt or look up and down, only side to side. </p><p>The limbs are all hard unyeilding plastic so don't expect any knee clicks here either. </p><p>now that said, the sculpting is really very impressive. Liya has some washboard abs going on, a cinched waist, full bust and shapely but slender limbs. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWeaTfKK14vezHBhtVLSoPtQTvk8DdPgJtirhmUo0rhvc-PU46c1QgjaTakZW-8oGmkMgANPnicyL5U8tAAmnKTnDXqeSKqXe-EQAdzKTM0NT17QDlmBWA9fgqkFHn0CJzDpT61COEqD37jKr7kzNF_kNJQ_FFeJub1LCysW-0WpOJz4bLsRfWed5nqA/s3694/20221003_215559.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3694" data-original-width="2394" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWeaTfKK14vezHBhtVLSoPtQTvk8DdPgJtirhmUo0rhvc-PU46c1QgjaTakZW-8oGmkMgANPnicyL5U8tAAmnKTnDXqeSKqXe-EQAdzKTM0NT17QDlmBWA9fgqkFHn0CJzDpT61COEqD37jKr7kzNF_kNJQ_FFeJub1LCysW-0WpOJz4bLsRfWed5nqA/w414-h640/20221003_215559.jpg" width="414" /></a></div><p></p><p>She's also got a booty. And a teensy tiny little curve to her stomach as well. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtZRmK-UT148fJNziNxHeWrf1RpbIGR6OcBR5LMe6x-CCjbYwyG51aT_sshlW9YwoxHAhWq65ycNYRVcs33eImHLJF-Fw0LKmTwXnxcOaQkcRseSvAU4CIVJGay61AjdVMBFhLNTbSxkGI28CIQDjhAKtWxVzBtG0HfqLhru9lxPq3hjTPPdUjMJIT2g/s2356/20221003_215604.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2138" data-original-width="2356" height="580" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtZRmK-UT148fJNziNxHeWrf1RpbIGR6OcBR5LMe6x-CCjbYwyG51aT_sshlW9YwoxHAhWq65ycNYRVcs33eImHLJF-Fw0LKmTwXnxcOaQkcRseSvAU4CIVJGay61AjdVMBFhLNTbSxkGI28CIQDjhAKtWxVzBtG0HfqLhru9lxPq3hjTPPdUjMJIT2g/w640-h580/20221003_215604.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>Her hands and feet are more proportionate to her body than a lot of similarly sized dolls so they appear HUGE by comparison. Her feet for example are closer to monster high sized. (Unfortunately they can't quite wear MH shoes because their heel arch is a little lower, standing on the balls of their feet rather than tiptoes like MH dolls do. Bratzillaz shoes mostly fit though.) <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8F1vGNJgyhYlYHFyrJ3m0KpB6JIHJkwI4kmMWvfGOOyPamzRx8VDAiGUWGru3ohulXS7WUP8-TgUYlrBWwY_mzaOJ4Zfd84Ruwa0jMvbprPatyOjDGXJxpmHI4Gj3vvdD7ivGYMAwzltk16tqpZyOtUrm8qS23Q5GzwPdIjGTqT12YIFrhbUBojS3yg/s1346/20221003_215529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="691" data-original-width="1346" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8F1vGNJgyhYlYHFyrJ3m0KpB6JIHJkwI4kmMWvfGOOyPamzRx8VDAiGUWGru3ohulXS7WUP8-TgUYlrBWwY_mzaOJ4Zfd84Ruwa0jMvbprPatyOjDGXJxpmHI4Gj3vvdD7ivGYMAwzltk16tqpZyOtUrm8qS23Q5GzwPdIjGTqT12YIFrhbUBojS3yg/w640-h328/20221003_215529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>their hands are rather beautifully sculpted with long slender fingers. They aren't as detailed as the LOL OMG hands, but they're definitely far more detailed and expressive than Barbie hands. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBw6QyEFUWWA2ywRQlZkM65NweOYvfUbnKIUYoVyHBOmGrAMF5WuwZR1IiB9YX27yofotvTLUQGlsV9bGGt_qAkaqswWvN9HmFODW8I0cQnZoV7UElW4Dm_MbgSRbdGhPadVHu7eRsebGywf_i7lWnjrpZa6F3CZ3WjI4unWBIY4xbPTXdSgGFmgAvuQ/s3277/20221003_215808.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3277" data-original-width="1992" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBw6QyEFUWWA2ywRQlZkM65NweOYvfUbnKIUYoVyHBOmGrAMF5WuwZR1IiB9YX27yofotvTLUQGlsV9bGGt_qAkaqswWvN9HmFODW8I0cQnZoV7UElW4Dm_MbgSRbdGhPadVHu7eRsebGywf_i7lWnjrpZa6F3CZ3WjI4unWBIY4xbPTXdSgGFmgAvuQ/w390-h640/20221003_215808.jpg" width="390" /></a></div><p></p><p>Speaking of Barbie bodies, this My Scene girl is helping out comparing the sculpts. </p><p>The modern Barbie standard body (the belly button body as it's usually referred to) feels a lot more clunkily sculpted alongside the Naturalista. Liya has a much more proportionate upper body with narrower shoulders than the Barbie, as well as feet that don't look like ridiculous little hooves. </p><p>The Naturalista also has more shapely limbs, especially her arms which look less like noodles. Barbie really does have very shapeless upper arms huh? <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiON1Pgh2h1VU2WZuS-Ov7Zs76oLcNMIhwFeMpeIYCfTFFUtLj3FaW3yBH4esBBThxxLa_h8mq_f2ZFGqXAr-wcj-gyyWsHCAiyU7AoP7ZYSSiDcXnr29UYClH8rwWz8ve6s2WwWBqGN1obfJW9RZkyz9FIL_JEiTobjkjSjM3GtxgqojQWgJb2b7ZhJw/s2707/20221003_215831.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2707" data-original-width="2113" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiON1Pgh2h1VU2WZuS-Ov7Zs76oLcNMIhwFeMpeIYCfTFFUtLj3FaW3yBH4esBBThxxLa_h8mq_f2ZFGqXAr-wcj-gyyWsHCAiyU7AoP7ZYSSiDcXnr29UYClH8rwWz8ve6s2WwWBqGN1obfJW9RZkyz9FIL_JEiTobjkjSjM3GtxgqojQWgJb2b7ZhJw/w500-h640/20221003_215831.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><p></p><p>Barbie also possesses no arse while Liya has some actual junk in that trunk. Liya also has a fuller bust than barbie. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5rPm4QK-rqMYKuAs4wVS_OUzN19Y6JHDybfC2NXTt14uE851cE7CLh_5NAMK1S1JUuP8H5_F3BhizBrrvcZh3HYirpbmyWS-8EDsLN16cx72_UxMfyK3ttcZ3sTzwbUpfDL00pB01bZEk-KFNPLp1JF1JYMxS7jZaV2wXj5rB8x0PTPHrQGEYspqkBw/s2869/20221003_215922.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2869" data-original-width="1743" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5rPm4QK-rqMYKuAs4wVS_OUzN19Y6JHDybfC2NXTt14uE851cE7CLh_5NAMK1S1JUuP8H5_F3BhizBrrvcZh3HYirpbmyWS-8EDsLN16cx72_UxMfyK3ttcZ3sTzwbUpfDL00pB01bZEk-KFNPLp1JF1JYMxS7jZaV2wXj5rB8x0PTPHrQGEYspqkBw/w388-h640/20221003_215922.jpg" width="388" /></a></div><p></p><p>The other Black owned doll brand on shelves in the US at the moment, and ultimately the Naturalistas likely biggest rival, are the Fresh Dolls. </p><p>I reviewed the first wave a while back and it's been a couple of years now. on the one hand, i'm glad to see the line is still going, on the other, i'm sadened to see that they really haven't made any sort of improvements to their product in all that time. </p><p>Compared to the Naturalista doll the Fresh doll body looks positively amateur. It's very blocky in shape and the lower legs are especially ridiculously shaped, tapering down into little hooves with ankles so narrow they look set to snap if you apply any force. </p><p>While the Fresh doll has more articulation than the Naturalista, it comes at the cost of aesthetics. The half arsed 90 degree hinges of the legs and arms give her robotic motion and look awful. I have to ask once again, why oh why does she have elbow joints but not wrist? And why oh why have they still not tried to make these joints look a bit better and work better? </p><p>I suppose at least the Fresh doll can look up and down. Something poor Liya can't do. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1-dCHapXFU4p0N4gQG6QyflFj5AzcPqDx_pSux9T8-t7n9RX_VYZmpmwASvAT_xtqFHjKF04NAb0L-eH0zw4kyDleWAhZ3Gcnk2KUKs--rCbNJqmW_km3WK-itqITXNsdqQOb2-pwGxo6nE-oGjr5dcMmOv3dK6yXhMWeBxGT26IPBFQTHYQYSEXsWg/s3244/20221003_215935.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3244" data-original-width="2294" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1-dCHapXFU4p0N4gQG6QyflFj5AzcPqDx_pSux9T8-t7n9RX_VYZmpmwASvAT_xtqFHjKF04NAb0L-eH0zw4kyDleWAhZ3Gcnk2KUKs--rCbNJqmW_km3WK-itqITXNsdqQOb2-pwGxo6nE-oGjr5dcMmOv3dK6yXhMWeBxGT26IPBFQTHYQYSEXsWg/w452-h640/20221003_215935.jpg" width="452" /></a></div><br /><p>Both dolls do however possess arses, unlike poor arseless Barbie. </p><p>But god those knee joints are ugly aren't they? </p><p>The Fresh doll does however gain points for having more overall mobility. Even ignoring the hinge joints, she has more motion in her hips and shoulders than the Naturalista. The Naturalista body can only pull their legs forward into a sitting position, they can't do the splits as the leg will not kick out that far behind them. Their legs also don't splay more than your standard human can, so no sideways splits there either. Now this doesn't bother me that much because her mobility is realistic, most humans can't do the splits like dolls can either, but for those who care about these sorts of things, the Naturalista body has a little less mobility than a modern fashionista barbie doll. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjww_yM3fo7khnRqy4-0I_IiTLdbFXYnRjqLFLeht0w1J5eYPYTfmz5enWEm6TOx9VMtY2dSOTYXJSm-de9TAkmALvO4ciLVUK2hIwuxVYv-hM-Cebffg5qHO3xA3PWlvENaVyiBfCdGbdrMSURi0nDCVoIimu75_ywQi9ng3EDntuTh0g6MEZGwLRt1w/s3209/20221003_220412.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3209" data-original-width="1599" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjww_yM3fo7khnRqy4-0I_IiTLdbFXYnRjqLFLeht0w1J5eYPYTfmz5enWEm6TOx9VMtY2dSOTYXJSm-de9TAkmALvO4ciLVUK2hIwuxVYv-hM-Cebffg5qHO3xA3PWlvENaVyiBfCdGbdrMSURi0nDCVoIimu75_ywQi9ng3EDntuTh0g6MEZGwLRt1w/w318-h640/20221003_220412.jpg" width="318" /></a></div><br /><p>The girls can wear one another's clothes, but not shoes. </p><p>Like Liya, the Fresh Doll (I don't know her name, i'm sorry) has a similar stretchy metallic fabric for her shirt. Is this stuff just really fashionable at the moment? </p><p>Like Liya's dress, the pink top is really prone to snags and the design of the velcro actually makes it even worse than the Naturalista dresses. The back of the top is a mess of pulls and snags and it's really disappointing to see such a lack of forthought regarding playability. Kids will undress their dolls, the material HAS to be able to withstand that. </p><p>I'll admit, i'm not overly impressed with the Fresh doll. I really liked the first one I had but this one has the same issues with added thinly rooted hair. I'm also just not convinced about the oversized heads on these dolls. The Naturalistas are substantially prettier to me and a lot of that is the fact their heads are fairly proportionate. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXvA-jRKWmCR9OY1LXIoxC_JF6om0zQPrHfAcJ1rmnYyHlRzMUw6hwKnz7_O_fRZ_Vr4Nve6z_KBAm41guJzg96WSM_M3mUDRgzXZDcsABenKYr3kdrugv7zPPQxxYBqe6-Hy5EHmuScAvja9B6FKun3KEP1G7sVwlsnijJ8uV6y458dYAeA823NEEdw/s3740/20221003_221314.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3740" data-original-width="1601" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXvA-jRKWmCR9OY1LXIoxC_JF6om0zQPrHfAcJ1rmnYyHlRzMUw6hwKnz7_O_fRZ_Vr4Nve6z_KBAm41guJzg96WSM_M3mUDRgzXZDcsABenKYr3kdrugv7zPPQxxYBqe6-Hy5EHmuScAvja9B6FKun3KEP1G7sVwlsnijJ8uV6y458dYAeA823NEEdw/w274-h640/20221003_221314.jpg" width="274" /></a></div><p></p><p>Hasbro Sindy clothing fits for the most part, though Liya has a larger bust than Sindy ever did. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDgz1tKuy1yvhJoN7Rhe_iN_2-N2CD-KP_HL1Z6-1lvk839b3D0yHAbJX3mc812_UcWrYgsGGxLiXepbVr2A6TTD4V6NCJ4oSwfujXfutVvQyaUCWO5I7HnSKffl_H-5Ta9saNiVciC6TicdGTUZeDyUR2KMiJJnc-JzD2scXByh5pGOkH-jk2YQMwlg/s3866/20221003_221602.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3866" data-original-width="1679" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDgz1tKuy1yvhJoN7Rhe_iN_2-N2CD-KP_HL1Z6-1lvk839b3D0yHAbJX3mc812_UcWrYgsGGxLiXepbVr2A6TTD4V6NCJ4oSwfujXfutVvQyaUCWO5I7HnSKffl_H-5Ta9saNiVciC6TicdGTUZeDyUR2KMiJJnc-JzD2scXByh5pGOkH-jk2YQMwlg/w278-h640/20221003_221602.jpg" width="278" /></a></div><p></p><p>Likewise this vintage Barbie stuff mostly fits, though the hips are a little snug and the bust a little tight. </p><p>Modern Barbie stuff I found to be fairly hit and miss. Curvy Barbie stuff is too big in the bust area and regular Barbie can be too narrow in the waist/butt region and too small in the bust. YMMV there. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoYBQILss2wLgVGMYUGAh_cKFTackD5H1KUNtbIQZyVqxZIUNVPeO6cMlISh0XXtFI5hMQW20kw4naTmb3zsp8E8g6nSpwcKiEUdXywok-0pjJxCdnHnpswi7YEuM-MXDGy3lVHZCNFRcGYD5ezsIt55jJRYcA8p3h0VyzL3PF5IKGVr8D79iH-TIpUg/s3696/20221003_222318.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3696" data-original-width="1632" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoYBQILss2wLgVGMYUGAh_cKFTackD5H1KUNtbIQZyVqxZIUNVPeO6cMlISh0XXtFI5hMQW20kw4naTmb3zsp8E8g6nSpwcKiEUdXywok-0pjJxCdnHnpswi7YEuM-MXDGy3lVHZCNFRcGYD5ezsIt55jJRYcA8p3h0VyzL3PF5IKGVr8D79iH-TIpUg/w282-h640/20221003_222318.jpg" width="282" /></a></div><p></p><p>I felt like Liya needed a jacket so she got this very 70s looking old Barbie jacket to wear. It's a bit baggy. Liya has much narrower shoulders than old Barbies lol. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhJ69CkQ3demH1iWvyCZq0H7XpfOMS0vH920UEAugVNRKDwr5IAXppGe1fy2KSXu9XfndjJ8xfe-dW6Ebr1XNSflA0hWQCARhJRUPy7Nx6GfITwDloQlMkRre4rmztihUJAkxnlJISjzXVRTSP7jF86vmMAt9AFSZfrtX9RfOsZsCOQdXg5KjcPYGbVg/s2569/20221003_224213.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2569" data-original-width="2328" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhJ69CkQ3demH1iWvyCZq0H7XpfOMS0vH920UEAugVNRKDwr5IAXppGe1fy2KSXu9XfndjJ8xfe-dW6Ebr1XNSflA0hWQCARhJRUPy7Nx6GfITwDloQlMkRre4rmztihUJAkxnlJISjzXVRTSP7jF86vmMAt9AFSZfrtX9RfOsZsCOQdXg5KjcPYGbVg/w580-h640/20221003_224213.jpg" width="580" /></a></div><p><br />Liya wasn't the only Naturalista I was sent however. I also got Paige. Paige is a chemist and has her own hair care brand. Her hair type is 3C and it's styled in a high side ponytail. </p><p>It isn't as soft as Liya's but it's still quite pleasant to touch. It's very very textured and thick. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJGQr6WoG1f9mXhCADp6GAu2xXw9yDzgQ6ZgJhrUfj64WgTsv6RnCpHi3Cdf_aD21qwR0yzkmSdQ7daLwQyyf-qah-eEDeKI9Q7CbjPJt5Nkw1HQpR-QfgCfcAp7sweMo8_TUp9QyOglYf4ChTcqcJw2iPs59Itg8H02K939n9ExopcfT25ulOGc3k1A/s3245/20221003_224249.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3245" data-original-width="2257" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJGQr6WoG1f9mXhCADp6GAu2xXw9yDzgQ6ZgJhrUfj64WgTsv6RnCpHi3Cdf_aD21qwR0yzkmSdQ7daLwQyyf-qah-eEDeKI9Q7CbjPJt5Nkw1HQpR-QfgCfcAp7sweMo8_TUp9QyOglYf4ChTcqcJw2iPs59Itg8H02K939n9ExopcfT25ulOGc3k1A/w446-h640/20221003_224249.jpg" width="446" /></a></div><p></p><p>As I mentioned earlier I believe these dolls all use the same face mold but Paige's eyes are larger and her lips painted a little thinner. She has a certain Disney Princess look to her to me, something about the style of her eyepaint makes me think Disney art. She's very cute. She also kinda reminds me of Olmec's Imani. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eAHHmRDSZSs/Xtk0_56gqAI/AAAAAAAAW5A/P6SUyW5-bNQDV00pfpBqb8HSwQGvsxnOgCK4BGAsYHg/s4128/20200604_124047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4128" data-original-width="3096" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eAHHmRDSZSs/Xtk0_56gqAI/AAAAAAAAW5A/P6SUyW5-bNQDV00pfpBqb8HSwQGvsxnOgCK4BGAsYHg/w480-h640/20200604_124047.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p>It's the purple eyeshadow I think. Lol. </p><p>Paige's lip colour is a matte muted fushia sort of tone and her eye makeup is a soft lavender. </p><p>Her earrings I thought were silver but they're actually clear with silver glitter inside them. Never seen that before. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAEw7RCLijF_MTgjiWv44Fhu1hmLX9w9jDsbmkKT8fuBOzrtmt6u7SMHz_ViTnlalom9iyL9h_k0cxWm9thMR7iCg6es7WrfX1Mx1rCuCwdJmoeadKQwGufwPXAh-QoAbK8v0ze00ueJ5r6eFRon5oSWj2ZHnajWIjq9jbPwOD_VM_bYaIekmlZ6l2uA/s3118/20221003_224255.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3118" data-original-width="1654" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAEw7RCLijF_MTgjiWv44Fhu1hmLX9w9jDsbmkKT8fuBOzrtmt6u7SMHz_ViTnlalom9iyL9h_k0cxWm9thMR7iCg6es7WrfX1Mx1rCuCwdJmoeadKQwGufwPXAh-QoAbK8v0ze00ueJ5r6eFRon5oSWj2ZHnajWIjq9jbPwOD_VM_bYaIekmlZ6l2uA/w340-h640/20221003_224255.jpg" width="340" /></a></div><br /><p>Her dress is the same slightly stretchy sparkly material that Liya's is, this time in silver and with a cutout on one side of the bodice. Like Liya's dress it has bust darts and is fully hemmed but suffers from a few pulls and snags. It seems to have held up a bit better than Liya's so far though. Go figure. </p><p>Both Paige and Liya have identical bags and shoes, though in Paige's case both are pink.</p><p>I'm not sure why they're pink, they don't go with anything else she's wearing. Maybe silver was too samey? Still, an odd choice imo. </p><p>Looking at the backing card it looks like all 5 dolls use the same shoe mold which makes sense, it keeps the price down. Three have the same bag and two have a shoulder bag instead. </p><p>Overall i'm impressed with the Naturalistas, especially for their price point. </p><p>they have come out with some simple little fashion packs which cost almost as much as the dolls themselves but they offer some options there if Barbie/Sindy stuff isn't working for you. Shoes are definitely going to be the primary issue with these girls and I hope later releases give us some variations on that front.The fashion packs do have new shoes (including a pair of chunky sneakers) but i'd love to see the dolls themselves come with some variations. <br /></p><p>I'd also prefer more casual outfits for them. Only two of the 5 are wearing what i'd describe as casual wear, the other three are all in these sparkly formal gowns which is fine but they're a bit too "party" for me. I prefer my dolls in everyday wear. </p><p>Of the fashion packs, I quite like this one</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81-PhAb6WUL._AC_SL1500_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="407" height="800" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81-PhAb6WUL._AC_SL1500_.jpg" width="407" /></a></div><br /><p>while this next one is kinda silly</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81WG6QxWWBL._AC_SL1500_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="344" height="800" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81WG6QxWWBL._AC_SL1500_.jpg" width="344" /></a></div><p>What even ARE those glasses? LOL. </p><p>The final one is a bathrobe</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71weustHFzL._AC_SL1500_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="459" height="800" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71weustHFzL._AC_SL1500_.jpg" width="459" /></a></div><br /><p>Which looks very cosy but those shoes look lke they're about to fall off at any second! Oh dear. </p><p> </p><p>I like this line and i'll likely get some more at some point. I just wish I didn't have to import them. </p><p>They're a quality line with a shockingly low price point. Usually these sorts of lines end up quite expensive for what you get because they're small little companies who don't have the resources that bigger companies have. I wonder if the partnership with Just Play helped to bring those costs down for Purpose Toys here. However they've done it, that very competative pricing is definitely a big boon for the line. </p><p>They've already released another small store exclusive line called "pixie puffs" that features 2 new characters so i'm hoping to see a lot more from these guys. </p><p> <br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Purple_monkfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023284779817354246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3031605728160552641.post-81665310995116830992022-08-20T19:07:00.002+01:002022-08-20T19:07:44.586+01:00Update on the Monster High bundle<p> So I figured people might like to know what I did with the huge bundle of monster high dolls and how much success I had with deglueing them. </p><p>So settle in and let me show you. </p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p><br /></p><p>So, the first thing I did was sort them into piles. The "don't have glue head and just need a quick wipe down and hair restyled" lot. The "yeah I need to treat these but just a good wash might help" and the "oh god I can't stand to even touch these, good god this is disgusting" pile. </p><p>I tackled a small group of dolls I considered to not have much value first. Elissabat was my first victim as I think I mentioned in the last blog post, emboldened by the success I had with her I had high hopes for the rest.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9xBCqpDo0JNjSoRRBn9LxquF1rzYcvlBARcnXFhziUu_dut4rFT01fOhOhgstFSX5FbUSTTK1EHNkZtQ5Kq68-GM0aCcEnyYuzzv5hXG-4y5YtwZlgb454-6K3hItOKgFv63NogXhcf07HI_I2UrcKaj6cAt4FpAhDy9_iTcB238MtJsxPhOlp8cjuA/s3588/20220815_200628.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2548" data-original-width="3588" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9xBCqpDo0JNjSoRRBn9LxquF1rzYcvlBARcnXFhziUu_dut4rFT01fOhOhgstFSX5FbUSTTK1EHNkZtQ5Kq68-GM0aCcEnyYuzzv5hXG-4y5YtwZlgb454-6K3hItOKgFv63NogXhcf07HI_I2UrcKaj6cAt4FpAhDy9_iTcB238MtJsxPhOlp8cjuA/w640-h454/20220815_200628.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>These dolls all had incomplete outfits and sticky... sticky hair. Clawdeen was not too bad and came good with just a good wash but the rest all needed treatment. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3dptzGlDnaXjbAth4gMqSFE39KOTPIUDBi2caxjli0W_Cf54GS-vALXtkZldGOX2k3vtQmcQUlc6iXVY-Xs686PdiWtgbj1OK9wnKxChI8mVNL5KmxTAdDAOOTKzAWntUBwPDI1BlF2uoKVt6kWeEyk1IVPk96aywNf6UlJMKzt4h9GlCul_z12J2lQ/s3495/20220815_200634.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2596" data-original-width="3495" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3dptzGlDnaXjbAth4gMqSFE39KOTPIUDBi2caxjli0W_Cf54GS-vALXtkZldGOX2k3vtQmcQUlc6iXVY-Xs686PdiWtgbj1OK9wnKxChI8mVNL5KmxTAdDAOOTKzAWntUBwPDI1BlF2uoKVt6kWeEyk1IVPk96aywNf6UlJMKzt4h9GlCul_z12J2lQ/w640-h476/20220815_200634.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>Toralei I don't think has glue inside her head, but her original style was secured in place with a HUGE amount of gel that left her hair like a rock. Over the years that's become just flat out sticky and gross. </p><p>I rinsed and rinsed, then I scrubbed, then I used cif and left it in her hair for a few days. I didn't think it was working because whenever I touched her head it still felt greasy but after rinsing her head one last time and leaving her to dry I found in the morning her head felt normal and no longer tacky. Thank goodness. It still has product in it, enough to retain the style, but it doesn't feel gross so i'm very happy with this. </p><p>Ghouls Rule Frankie not only had sticky hair but she, like all of the ghouls rule dolls, suffers from frizz hair. This is, I suspect, why her hair is so short. I think the original owner cut the frazzled ends off. I remember when I bought my own Ghouls Rule dolls back in the day how disappointingly awful their hair was. Frankie's was secured with a huge amount of gel to get it into the silly gravity defying style but even once you rinsed that out, as soon as a brush went near her that hair turned to a ball of frizz. Clawdeen was even worse, I remember I ended up hacking a good half of Clawdeen's hair off in an attempt to get her hair to not be a giant ball of shit.Cif treatment worked a treat with Frankie and I tied her hair into a high ponytail which I think looks better than her wierd original style anyway. I get what they were going for, but it just didn't translate well to doll form at all. </p><p>Clawdeen's hair is wierd, the long bits that frame her face have to be sat in just the right way or else her scalp shows. It's annoying actually. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRBa6lfIlGYyVR-OAYtgLqR1MzhTWo1Qpi_opczPJpnnTzW75bE-vuSYENLDevHUR_dKrTGLPFpJJ2MT2Q7DrbhKjrsKXLIpl-tAbV-9SSV-QtmuKFQjCX5Foa9ZHu41MBJSV7B55s1_d9_E3y6CG2-cUdbKx4JEdTZYsK-xf6R28jGjflfBidAP_BGw/s3553/20220815_200639.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2497" data-original-width="3553" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRBa6lfIlGYyVR-OAYtgLqR1MzhTWo1Qpi_opczPJpnnTzW75bE-vuSYENLDevHUR_dKrTGLPFpJJ2MT2Q7DrbhKjrsKXLIpl-tAbV-9SSV-QtmuKFQjCX5Foa9ZHu41MBJSV7B55s1_d9_E3y6CG2-cUdbKx4JEdTZYsK-xf6R28jGjflfBidAP_BGw/w640-h450/20220815_200639.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>Skull Shores Abbey was a wierd one. Her body is discoloured but not evenly. Only her upper legs and ONE shoulder/upper arm have yellowed to this soft green colour. The rest of her remains blue. I thought maybe it was the glue layer that holds her glitter but soaking her in cif seemed to strip that layer off and lightly sanding the discoloured limbs didn't seem to do much. So hmmm. </p><p>very very wierd. </p><p>Her hair was a pain. It has thick tinsel stuff in it which makes her hair coarse and difficult to brush nicely in the first place. Combine that with glue seeping through her scalp and you get a pretty terrible time. Cif didn't work as well as i'd hoped, it seemed to just dry out the rest of her hair while her scalp remained tacky. I even resorted to pouring cif literally INTO her head after removing it from her body. This caused the glue chunks inside her head to harden up and fall out in large clumps which was nice, but it didn't seem to help her scalp. Hmmm. It's better than it WAS, but it's not ideal. </p><p>Rochelle's hair was really sticky and lank looking. Cif worked a treat with her and her hair remained soft afterwards. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7rfiOSpNIiFHVfcJfV7VAK-5izxyNUAfrxfaGFHOhGf029p9pgpOKTeP-aFrHmq-WQejZHONoq4WQUtZ1S_LoxckD11fyGXRqqa3KHjrE0Hl4DmaaT8Ha10xur4XiBh2r61GEbdnOKx47NJYEV9ALHJRWErXn2XRTr8Ec9ievrfrVDCokjBUNWY2GwA/s3654/20220815_215131.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1464" data-original-width="3654" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7rfiOSpNIiFHVfcJfV7VAK-5izxyNUAfrxfaGFHOhGf029p9pgpOKTeP-aFrHmq-WQejZHONoq4WQUtZ1S_LoxckD11fyGXRqqa3KHjrE0Hl4DmaaT8Ha10xur4XiBh2r61GEbdnOKx47NJYEV9ALHJRWErXn2XRTr8Ec9ievrfrVDCokjBUNWY2GwA/w640-h256/20220815_215131.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikfmia0ZwAQyO6QmiaP5seUTzn9_v4uXAjVqML2vanCjZ41pqCkitmCkNGYGTWPP7bMGY8jc_gtH3FYzUU7ENXsT4OB_ytyl3Wj5wx9Utt-XWlQ__FqxWvc7seh9tZkS_N4MooxN1UdjK0chTfkLiQ-QS5dJ10rf81jwXWiPJaAJeGxzIdUWmAVc82Aw/s3721/20220815_215151.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1956" data-original-width="3721" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikfmia0ZwAQyO6QmiaP5seUTzn9_v4uXAjVqML2vanCjZ41pqCkitmCkNGYGTWPP7bMGY8jc_gtH3FYzUU7ENXsT4OB_ytyl3Wj5wx9Utt-XWlQ__FqxWvc7seh9tZkS_N4MooxN1UdjK0chTfkLiQ-QS5dJ10rf81jwXWiPJaAJeGxzIdUWmAVc82Aw/w640-h336/20220815_215151.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>The Frights Camera Action group turned out the be some of the worst impacted by the glue head situation. I remember even when they were released that people had problems, especially with the Black Carpet budget line. This is why I have never actually owned any of the Black Carpet dolls because though they're gorgeous with their deco style outfits, their hair had a reputation for being awful right out of the box.</p><p>Draculaura gave me a lot of trouble. I resorted to using olive oil in her hair because the stickiness wasn't shifting at all with cif. Then of course I had to remove the oil, which was a chore in itself but at least oil doesn't feel as disgusting as glue. In the end she lost a few hair plugs and I removed a lot of glue from inside her head, but I didn't manage to completely deglue her hair. She was left with slightly oily feeling hair at the scalp which honestly felt quite pleasant (is that wierd?) but wasn't what I had been aiming for. </p><p>Clawdia was also a pain in the arse. Her hair refused to cooperate and even after removing the stickiness, it continued to look lank and wet even when dry. You can see in this photo of the backs of their heads how Clawdia's hair looks damp. It isn't, it's completely dry. At least she's not sticky though. Interestingly, the glue that came out of Clawdia was very different to the glue that came out of any of the other dolls heads. The other dolls when I popped their heads off had white quite firm feeling glue, a bit like dried hot glue, while Clawdia had very sticky gloop that I had to scrape out in wads. Ewwww. <br /></p><p>Honey's hair was fine. I'm not even sure she has glue in there, her head felt squishy so I left her be. </p><p>Elissabat had stickiness and ended up with quite dry hair as a result of my treatments. But it's glue free. </p><p>Viperine I just washed. She had slight tackiness to her scalp but she didn't feel too bad so I decided to just leave her be. </p><p>In a way i'm glad I now know how to get the stickiness to at least reduce, it means I might actually be able to salvage any black carpet dolls if I ever come across them. But it sucks that I have to you know? it sucks that such a cool budget line was so sabotaged by Mattel's stupid decision to fill the heads with unstable glue despite being told "it's wicking into the hair!" by customers over and over and over again. It took them nearly a decade to actually stop using that shit, they didn't care and it's left so many dolls so damaged. </p><p>What an absolute waste. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0JpMQP4seubF0nQpRWwP-njh4mhRjoxNBMxrXEK-a5w35zZFEEcA77NGCbDCd7Zl8yGSNWEEpyC4hJZXocWzISFt9JuGOmg2OU8CcSIMQzNATZrqnuDqsHaepwg2pQatJPbPaPBnrG9f1LekBwzIhBZBj3GQAJE7iBRpSIJHLBTimzeALPXQUWfE42g/s3046/20220815_202201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3046" data-original-width="2990" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0JpMQP4seubF0nQpRWwP-njh4mhRjoxNBMxrXEK-a5w35zZFEEcA77NGCbDCd7Zl8yGSNWEEpyC4hJZXocWzISFt9JuGOmg2OU8CcSIMQzNATZrqnuDqsHaepwg2pQatJPbPaPBnrG9f1LekBwzIhBZBj3GQAJE7iBRpSIJHLBTimzeALPXQUWfE42g/w628-h640/20220815_202201.jpg" width="628" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwzojyXG1EWH2H5Y01p4WH7q2inLV54ImH5-i9S6yjXa6IkRSAcjPghaYZKpsKTgfOZAGa58qxM_ukye-3VuxZk1QBkcX70FN8tvXmqWouoghNsxDBcQQq_maUQca-SdRhKFbVXxNrTiJpNsg7j5lComZs06Fkbgo3ZhjU4ljSyT4jCyL1ylzgEZ0DVw/s3797/20220815_202216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3797" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwzojyXG1EWH2H5Y01p4WH7q2inLV54ImH5-i9S6yjXa6IkRSAcjPghaYZKpsKTgfOZAGa58qxM_ukye-3VuxZk1QBkcX70FN8tvXmqWouoghNsxDBcQQq_maUQca-SdRhKFbVXxNrTiJpNsg7j5lComZs06Fkbgo3ZhjU4ljSyT4jCyL1ylzgEZ0DVw/w506-h640/20220815_202216.jpg" width="506" /></a></div><p></p><p>Another doll who was DISGUSTING straight out of her box was Twyla. Twyla's hair was in fact so bad that I sold my one on years ago. It wasn't sticky so much as it was lank and constantly looked wet even when it wasn't. It was horrible. </p><p>Interestingly, this Twyla's hair wasn't as bad as my original Twyla. Perhaps years of dust gathering had helped a little. Her scalp was sticky though and her hair was looking lank and gross. She got a good cif shampoo and left to sit for a day or two. I'm absolutely astounded by how well that worked. Her hair looks full and decent, and it shocks me because i'm so accustomed to 13 Wishes Twyla's hair looking constantly greasy. </p><p>This gives me hope for my personal collection. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvIds3tacumzYstDKXV3iPPVZTRrUkiBVR7jE2F5xqVAZ8d4vStmvQnbOfmur5bQSJ0-rLN9ngiaao4OdrsG8LFsPyR8G1uRGGIaWmi2peVQPnn-yFrMgNaYukTADwLLQH23kRAdv7wuJxJiYsp1xaPTZ1CpMOhbCiaUcTtlNr_sCzvoGOL08039L3dg/s3259/20220815_202657.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3259" data-original-width="2689" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvIds3tacumzYstDKXV3iPPVZTRrUkiBVR7jE2F5xqVAZ8d4vStmvQnbOfmur5bQSJ0-rLN9ngiaao4OdrsG8LFsPyR8G1uRGGIaWmi2peVQPnn-yFrMgNaYukTADwLLQH23kRAdv7wuJxJiYsp1xaPTZ1CpMOhbCiaUcTtlNr_sCzvoGOL08039L3dg/w528-h640/20220815_202657.jpg" width="528" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYa_nwlyIvWVkEjZNVxI06xqkDtstWNO2UTfiAI90CKBtm4xOHjcpQ335cZ5Kbp3utX1tnianzY6gn-8QKbxEe7jIYEEeOQcRxd1O46Q74zWXsVcvijXKEQ4REMEqEVqZwfMIyH2AAA4UNB5Vofn7_iX-7V75WSHh-mViwziXTh3565CXqROHGMom6fA/s3040/20220815_202705.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3040" data-original-width="1873" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYa_nwlyIvWVkEjZNVxI06xqkDtstWNO2UTfiAI90CKBtm4xOHjcpQ335cZ5Kbp3utX1tnianzY6gn-8QKbxEe7jIYEEeOQcRxd1O46Q74zWXsVcvijXKEQ4REMEqEVqZwfMIyH2AAA4UNB5Vofn7_iX-7V75WSHh-mViwziXTh3565CXqROHGMom6fA/w394-h640/20220815_202705.jpg" width="394" /></a></div><p></p><p>Gigi was another doll with a double whammy of stickiness issues. Her scalp was oozing but she also originally had a LOT of gel in her hair to keep it in the wierd updo style she came with. There was no way I was going to restore that style, but I also couldn't stand to touch her without wincing so she got a good cif shampoo and a sit for a few days as well. </p><p>the end result is beautiful soft glue free hair. </p><p>YES! <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwu_nxdkuB8ryjjVEeroQ_R18ScS9dkKdubhP78Bt5HZnI1LK46H7Im5uZa4tch5inS27moEaXopkDBXctdVn5ODV4idHqTljOhJG9jWU9-ats5BZccuCLDt_7sIW_AyH2Q-pnjO6U_ZAOG_DYBDAS2ywusd1zH8tcF1kcILxsiGp169AiXomsFJ3I9g/s4000/20220819_194459.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwu_nxdkuB8ryjjVEeroQ_R18ScS9dkKdubhP78Bt5HZnI1LK46H7Im5uZa4tch5inS27moEaXopkDBXctdVn5ODV4idHqTljOhJG9jWU9-ats5BZccuCLDt_7sIW_AyH2Q-pnjO6U_ZAOG_DYBDAS2ywusd1zH8tcF1kcILxsiGp169AiXomsFJ3I9g/w480-h640/20220819_194459.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>Meanwhile Catrine didn't have glue head, but she DID have gel in her hair originally and that gel meant her hair was sticky. She was also absolutely filthy, by far the dirtiest doll in the bundle. Her hair was GREY! EWWW. </p><p>She got a good wash and comb and her hair came up lovely and soft and shiny.</p><p>Poor Catrine, I always felt like she was a really wasted character design. She's not even a character in the Scaris movie, she's a fucking scene transition. Seriously, she's used to transition scenes. She doesn't talk or interact with anyone the whole movie, she has no part, she's a prop. </p><p>I sometimes wonder if she was supposed to actually have a role in early development before being relegated to scene transition. So wierd. And she didn't get any real development in the web show either. So what was her purpose? Why does she exist Mattel? </p><p>Poor pointless Catrine. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqeqyes3LcGXUllms3HsS-JA8pWIPDQ3hvR2f67VRHYbyUlRKn129Cp6fEYTGoZD8c4h-jIAqhGMoIqhqhBhAWvC-4RIXZvm2c5jS5F-lQaLmM63NM4JppFH7d6feWmAkqxX3lSrc56XoXZCdSRIb8No7zyFm7E72olZojf00ptQ9kMPV6zFiOqhvAPA/s2782/20220806_224345.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2651" data-original-width="2782" height="610" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqeqyes3LcGXUllms3HsS-JA8pWIPDQ3hvR2f67VRHYbyUlRKn129Cp6fEYTGoZD8c4h-jIAqhGMoIqhqhBhAWvC-4RIXZvm2c5jS5F-lQaLmM63NM4JppFH7d6feWmAkqxX3lSrc56XoXZCdSRIb8No7zyFm7E72olZojf00ptQ9kMPV6zFiOqhvAPA/w640-h610/20220806_224345.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Anyway, the vast majority of the dolls scrubbed up well. I only have Gooliope and Jinafire left to deglue and Jinafire is being stubborn (sigh)</p><p>So I turned to the faceless dolls. </p><p>Apple's hair is disgusting and sticky and her face is stained to shit. Her body is good though so I am tempted to just use a different head for her. not sure what I have that's this pale though. </p><p>Clawdeen's hair was practically glued to her scalp, it was so disgusting. She also had lost all the hair at the front. I assume the original owner intended to reroot that part but never got around to it. She also has no eyebrows, no lips, no eyelashes and more of her makeup gone. </p><p>Toralei is in a similar state. Her hair is sticky as all hell and she's lost most of her face. She has new eyebrows pencilled on but they're messy and uneven. She has no lips, no makeup, no eyelashes and the whole edge of both eyes is gone. She's also lost all the paint on her hands leaving her with red smears all over them. </p><p>The Descendants pirate girl (I can't remember her name okay?) has had her boots partially painted which is.... pretty random. That's gonna be a pain to remove. Her face has been started but i'm not sure what with, i'll repaint her.<br /></p><p>Anna's face is only partially removed and if I want to do anything with it i'll have to finish the job. </p><p>And Descendants Evie has the ghost of a face and smeared paint where her painted on gloves were removed. Or rather, an attempt was made to remove them. Evie has really frizzy hair too. *sigh* dangit Hasbro.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ9BZhysD8skHqDxBcWl6EB_1UXuRd0H4LaU3ns_jmOC-m5YPcYeTHYgQqZ5RJD11Qa_19cbY1lYh3zYT9vfzP4wkT72YMdwIeYzAYzjU6AP1m9-ikpYkdWhQy9UJeJ02AAjPYJY9n3XOMMHEawKftuvTuINxH7ula7IlZmN0Lejl5NONd1LhxG1exJA/s2873/20220810_132133.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2873" data-original-width="1014" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ9BZhysD8skHqDxBcWl6EB_1UXuRd0H4LaU3ns_jmOC-m5YPcYeTHYgQqZ5RJD11Qa_19cbY1lYh3zYT9vfzP4wkT72YMdwIeYzAYzjU6AP1m9-ikpYkdWhQy9UJeJ02AAjPYJY9n3XOMMHEawKftuvTuINxH7ula7IlZmN0Lejl5NONd1LhxG1exJA/w226-h640/20220810_132133.jpg" width="226" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxeC8cJQrQng32Res9faSNUGIJ3BmR4n6iYMRR7jcIFacQb6vtgVxdODHtP53x08mV1jA2A_Aw_FU3aaDG_Sa4t0-PxsAUBsCZcxP4UKO94JxO9Y3Mjw6GWYx0Pt_-rnbljT-IANFSdyQ3RsbiBoc5u4puZsHZiVbrVHunyHFX2om3i8kd5jAHZD2qZQ/s1785/20220810_132140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1785" data-original-width="1366" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxeC8cJQrQng32Res9faSNUGIJ3BmR4n6iYMRR7jcIFacQb6vtgVxdODHtP53x08mV1jA2A_Aw_FU3aaDG_Sa4t0-PxsAUBsCZcxP4UKO94JxO9Y3Mjw6GWYx0Pt_-rnbljT-IANFSdyQ3RsbiBoc5u4puZsHZiVbrVHunyHFX2om3i8kd5jAHZD2qZQ/w490-h640/20220810_132140.jpg" width="490" /></a></div><p></p><p>Toralei got a wash and I figured that her hair had been cut a little at the front anyway. So I restyled it into this cute bob which I suspect was the original intention of the first owner. </p><p>I repainted the edges of her eyes, her eyebrows, her lashes and lips. Added a cat nose and two stripes and a white "blaze". I also gave her different coloured eyes to further differentiate her from Toralei. I then repainted her gloves a dark red to match her lips. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwToCeMv4_4JJXxHyxM3rdHCk-3hUvDqiphs9q8yQPZLKGQHmovqlafBAKDy0Je8RweFVFZ992KQVC2KLcckjENnPTrDHkE23NOHGvNDEuKk89MZ-v7WRaq1pMn8BWL7eESmMczIjsuhJnRsVRpADo3-bLbAn3vQuVVmUi_iiWUFQ0kbWTupZ18H74gA/s4000/20220812_140513.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwToCeMv4_4JJXxHyxM3rdHCk-3hUvDqiphs9q8yQPZLKGQHmovqlafBAKDy0Je8RweFVFZ992KQVC2KLcckjENnPTrDHkE23NOHGvNDEuKk89MZ-v7WRaq1pMn8BWL7eESmMczIjsuhJnRsVRpADo3-bLbAn3vQuVVmUi_iiWUFQ0kbWTupZ18H74gA/w480-h640/20220812_140513.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>Now Evie only had the faintest ghost of her original face paint left and I couldn't scrub it off so I painted over it. That's why she has a smile, ordinarily I would have given her a more neutral expression but the original paint forced my hand. </p><p>But then I repainted CJ who also needed a new face and after finishing her all the thick uneven lines on Evie annoyed me more so I wiped her eyes and tried again. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_B1juOmh8BTKAEK2AWYPBaIyUJx15Z3QQdz7ksdWmWgDYL-_SjaMvKsMjkuGbsEdu8Pgynlj0arn5T8YZexeCm_ocMeeMegB83L7ZzL_1eJgq6BlSFZlS-6HlBAqgV3EFlv1CWQWIvLXj6fRkJXdbTBR-DX5IXwCCE9e84K3KQyV7Whxy2bma6U__Wg/s3110/IMG_20220820_181710.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2062" data-original-width="3110" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_B1juOmh8BTKAEK2AWYPBaIyUJx15Z3QQdz7ksdWmWgDYL-_SjaMvKsMjkuGbsEdu8Pgynlj0arn5T8YZexeCm_ocMeeMegB83L7ZzL_1eJgq6BlSFZlS-6HlBAqgV3EFlv1CWQWIvLXj6fRkJXdbTBR-DX5IXwCCE9e84K3KQyV7Whxy2bma6U__Wg/w640-h424/IMG_20220820_181710.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI1yol_KmAnz39twJI40-anCDps70Hhk4t_uVLz5XSP_Z_PKZwucd3dxlQrcEjzmG-wfShE8xiwyDpwMF3EJs6YiAOg4DfLQBGW4aPKEpkwvZWPy6pg-wEL-to0kaQx7ffm0fTTpy349Dn0xX8ICzwHh29WJVJc9K35de6tB7KWZJ-NMWxgo63M4k3GQ/s2617/IMG_20220820_181641.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2617" data-original-width="1613" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI1yol_KmAnz39twJI40-anCDps70Hhk4t_uVLz5XSP_Z_PKZwucd3dxlQrcEjzmG-wfShE8xiwyDpwMF3EJs6YiAOg4DfLQBGW4aPKEpkwvZWPy6pg-wEL-to0kaQx7ffm0fTTpy349Dn0xX8ICzwHh29WJVJc9K35de6tB7KWZJ-NMWxgo63M4k3GQ/w394-h640/IMG_20220820_181641.jpg" width="394" /></a></div><br /><p>I'm insanely proud of how CJ came out.Evie's eyes aren't even, bah. But oh well. It's good enough I suppose. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUGeRHYTSxVk1pEegy8u7eEsafh2GGCHQIUTIynBML4zfvUsDtifuEnkoUI5XukKkX6BXHeycZP1TjqwmUxS1R9AGgKS4zTCQc6aPi3y9eDy8h0Zefjax3dlmYgH5K5F0VYwSsdh7IiCnjFwULjnKT3ILw29Viau2WztRJGbMhOOuPG-JTxpBq56PCoQ/s2594/20220820_183045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2594" data-original-width="2357" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUGeRHYTSxVk1pEegy8u7eEsafh2GGCHQIUTIynBML4zfvUsDtifuEnkoUI5XukKkX6BXHeycZP1TjqwmUxS1R9AGgKS4zTCQc6aPi3y9eDy8h0Zefjax3dlmYgH5K5F0VYwSsdh7IiCnjFwULjnKT3ILw29Viau2WztRJGbMhOOuPG-JTxpBq56PCoQ/w582-h640/20220820_183045.jpg" width="582" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy3eYSqKleorzn5FMKqeFQ4JdaJRjCa0yw1Hzv2dMXZYJ9Ai9DkINlX_e7FizDca7QevjtqzXKqP2cDcnmkE9dssI_myjhbLNPutrVRfzO-Pvl72jmo8guqI3Kmr0D4lBcNLEtGDysYgrFVODJTT_QKBPlOD6k1UbHJhMcjMioJtQRvK4-5v1L9E69hA/s2038/20220820_183052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2038" data-original-width="1888" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy3eYSqKleorzn5FMKqeFQ4JdaJRjCa0yw1Hzv2dMXZYJ9Ai9DkINlX_e7FizDca7QevjtqzXKqP2cDcnmkE9dssI_myjhbLNPutrVRfzO-Pvl72jmo8guqI3Kmr0D4lBcNLEtGDysYgrFVODJTT_QKBPlOD6k1UbHJhMcjMioJtQRvK4-5v1L9E69hA/w592-h640/20220820_183052.jpg" width="592" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSUGjoGvkUVr9rO0LCYVHHtGHE0271ow-5k33nQU9teE8AlbxTHz6aViYXIIRFTbOaU9WYLdawvAeGH51_Xdel3CwwfIrvVv1U9o78p6RRIvr8jV_4yLJI6QARwy0pxGE_jJJR1Yqi2jIPldL5-zJWRCHm7fBj2x-hxdBbQ7OrW-6pAqqlVpTLDQo5mg/s2109/20220820_183013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2109" data-original-width="1836" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSUGjoGvkUVr9rO0LCYVHHtGHE0271ow-5k33nQU9teE8AlbxTHz6aViYXIIRFTbOaU9WYLdawvAeGH51_Xdel3CwwfIrvVv1U9o78p6RRIvr8jV_4yLJI6QARwy0pxGE_jJJR1Yqi2jIPldL5-zJWRCHm7fBj2x-hxdBbQ7OrW-6pAqqlVpTLDQo5mg/w558-h640/20220820_183013.jpg" width="558" /></a></div><p>I had fun with these two. It's not a head i'd usually care to repaint but it was an interesting experiment. I think the Descendant dolls generally use the same face mold, or it's very very similar because Evie and CJ have the same nose and everything. I dunno. </p><p>A shame Evie's hair is so frizzy. I might take my straighteners to it later, see if they help tame it. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvhe9UZleX4t1NaxdrsvMBmKkk88wOInBAHa9-STnzr79FIcCt-WMdccRO-fWSvEnjLsRn7nnngZS0eEYY9XzZvXfGzMs917-5C4zobs6ItdVMGpGJogfd2BuX2I63F35bcfj392QVdyOX3O7MoROB8C_kt4LWLwuODsqEWQVXDF8n9C6tqWcZmiDZxQ/s4000/20220818_151732.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvhe9UZleX4t1NaxdrsvMBmKkk88wOInBAHa9-STnzr79FIcCt-WMdccRO-fWSvEnjLsRn7nnngZS0eEYY9XzZvXfGzMs917-5C4zobs6ItdVMGpGJogfd2BuX2I63F35bcfj392QVdyOX3O7MoROB8C_kt4LWLwuODsqEWQVXDF8n9C6tqWcZmiDZxQ/w480-h640/20220818_151732.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p>Now Clawdeen needed a lot more work. Her hair was a wreck but I learned when I washed it that it was a lot longer than I thought it was. It had been cut into a bob and the whole front section cut to stubble. I stabbed those bits back into her head and rooted over the top in black. Originally she would have had black and neon green streaks at the front but I figured just black would work fine. It's actually not all black because I was working in a dim room and had two "near black" nylons in front of me. The back section where I started is it turns out, a very very dark brown, while the front is pure black. Whoops? It actually works pretty well though so let's pretend it was intentional. </p><p>The purple part of her hair was actually cut pretty decently, so I didn't need to do much to neaten it up beyond just combing it out. </p><p>Her eyes needed the shape repainted, the lashes reinstated and all the makeup redone. I went with the original green but a shade darker because there was a tiny remnant of it at the inner edge of both eyes. </p><p>She got purple lips and freckles too, because why not? <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLTb9h6bycY9EFYfzZ3QvKlJOjqoDHAdcEm6pOjZsOfOCKuL1-sYYrLfTE_FLqgGTr4rlHUYzAPiMjseajrGxr-fsmSERlvM4A0VuUYdFHu26TLGSDDK_rl7paB3hucTGIcQ8mNl7KoiydVmD_TjgQkU9PvnNp4IMJ583Y2Hwn4So6V5y40RGglw0dHw/s3689/IMG_20220819_224348.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3689" data-original-width="1556" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLTb9h6bycY9EFYfzZ3QvKlJOjqoDHAdcEm6pOjZsOfOCKuL1-sYYrLfTE_FLqgGTr4rlHUYzAPiMjseajrGxr-fsmSERlvM4A0VuUYdFHu26TLGSDDK_rl7paB3hucTGIcQ8mNl7KoiydVmD_TjgQkU9PvnNp4IMJ583Y2Hwn4So6V5y40RGglw0dHw/w270-h640/IMG_20220819_224348.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><br /><p>She got dressed in an assortment of bits. Scarah's shorts, Apple's fishnets (they're a little big in the leg lol), Sirena's top, her original boots, a belt from one of her other dolls and a Bratz jacket (I think it's bratz anyway, i'm not actually sure). I also added a ribbon around her neck and another as a headband. <br /></p><p>It's hard to believe she's the same mangled looking sticky doll. </p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN8WyIZkkRSy9yF5CPG4u0Y1Gbvlz18kU5avqWMFS9yXk_VNzyhaLPyxhtt6j-_qci4LaxoH4kxnhAqXQmau9cSA7hlPBAQiAcU67VVhSTL0xAwDvqS4ewvOP3VPoGQ1t-MbRhYT7GPE4728KC7EhT_IYxom2hO8WC9mRXr5vyaZ9KgHtRwrtYfgY6Bw/s2866/20220820_182929.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2866" data-original-width="1307" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN8WyIZkkRSy9yF5CPG4u0Y1Gbvlz18kU5avqWMFS9yXk_VNzyhaLPyxhtt6j-_qci4LaxoH4kxnhAqXQmau9cSA7hlPBAQiAcU67VVhSTL0xAwDvqS4ewvOP3VPoGQ1t-MbRhYT7GPE4728KC7EhT_IYxom2hO8WC9mRXr5vyaZ9KgHtRwrtYfgY6Bw/w292-h640/20220820_182929.jpg" width="292" /></a></div><p></p><p>Draculocker Draculaura was the first doll in the bundle I fixed the face paint of. She was missing quite a lot of her face including both eyebrows, her whole upper lip and half of both of her eyes (as in, only the inner halves were left. What?) and even her little heart was gone. I'm not sure what the original owner was trying to do there, because at least with Toralei and Clawdeen it was clear they were trying to retain the original eyes but remove everything else. With Drac here, i'm not really sure. Maybe they slipped and removed too much of the eyes and gave up? Maybe she was the first attempt. <br /></p><p>She'd also lost a hand. </p><p>I gave her Create a Monster hands, filled in the missing paint, gave her whole new eyebrows and dressed her. I love this look on her, she's channeling Sandy from Grease lol. </p><p>Her hair is a bit annoying because I think it's kanekallon, or however you spell it. It's very light, like cotton wool and very flyaway which means it doesn't like to sit nicely and tends to get all staticky. </p><p>But the rest of the doll is so dang pretty I suppose I can forgive her questionable hair fiber. </p><p>I wish i'd taken a before photo but I was too eager to fix her. She really was in quite a state. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz-x_p52aIjcypDa48yOTOqnAXi9k7c5gF_7DEcRf-JOnbs9e9jFOz50b-VDmUQEHIlc3qbxp18dtoNHdTq8wrvilUAP2kyT8WkZSDvK7VswOXQ0K2OmJ-v8Tf-9-GdOnQXikaI7-aXjkg6cqRIQFIQk_hGlR8_2KiABteUKwLfbsgUsqQabC2jnlEsQ/s2075/IMG_20220819_224422.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2075" data-original-width="2026" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz-x_p52aIjcypDa48yOTOqnAXi9k7c5gF_7DEcRf-JOnbs9e9jFOz50b-VDmUQEHIlc3qbxp18dtoNHdTq8wrvilUAP2kyT8WkZSDvK7VswOXQ0K2OmJ-v8Tf-9-GdOnQXikaI7-aXjkg6cqRIQFIQk_hGlR8_2KiABteUKwLfbsgUsqQabC2jnlEsQ/w624-h640/IMG_20220819_224422.jpg" width="624" /></a></div><p></p><p>Another of the "TLC" dolls was Scaris Frankie with incredibly sticky yellowed hair and only one arm. </p><p>Cif treatment removed a lot of the stickiness, but the white of her hair has yellowed to a sort of blonde tone. It's very odd. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjD3B6ThhJkMbNn3JQezMFFo2F2rV-4AZonIp-ytWCWvCuQmJ8e0ntWKgvbnMw_A7wl6Gslxl2-8IMlmUY3Lkg30H6PyDXBIDmUkwFOlnGUIrqskLCQqsM5CkYpFWq4SHfiRPdP6BDkvK81ycyBy904dihEXAUURP0-I5zyEkaQ-eJkNGLX6b38uhIcA/s2886/IMG_20220819_224501.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2886" data-original-width="1735" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjD3B6ThhJkMbNn3JQezMFFo2F2rV-4AZonIp-ytWCWvCuQmJ8e0ntWKgvbnMw_A7wl6Gslxl2-8IMlmUY3Lkg30H6PyDXBIDmUkwFOlnGUIrqskLCQqsM5CkYpFWq4SHfiRPdP6BDkvK81ycyBy904dihEXAUURP0-I5zyEkaQ-eJkNGLX6b38uhIcA/w384-h640/IMG_20220819_224501.jpg" width="384" /></a></div><p></p><p>I mean, it's YELLOW right? </p><p>It looks kinda cool with the black streaks but it's wierd that it's turned so blonde. </p><p>One of my big issues with Scaris Frankie was the way they blended her hair, most of the dolls i've seen had the white and black streaks near even to one another which resulted in her hair just looking an ugly grey tone. This particular one has a lot more black in the front of her hair and somehow the blonde colour instead of the white helps the segments stand out better. </p><p>Though her original style I don't like either, it looks wierd with the sides puffing out so I ended up tying it all back into this punky look which I think works nicely. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><p>But now there was the problem of her missing arm. She came with a werecat arm attached but it had a left hand on it, meaning she had two left hands. That bothered me so I dug through my box of random stuff and found this old create a monster ghost arm. </p><p>Now, the Create a Monster parts aren't designed to work with the regular dolls. The pegs are a lot thicker, but that's what a dremel is for right? <br /></p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXP3oX4eVx_h7Gde4WLD9xI0vzGB_w3mHVZUP5oDeTxhExIS4MNZwPtuYz1qx75AD_R7N4oXzJPuUm0HkhAN-vqR1nqfjTWYDzYxsTldowvudyFYzD_uCGrWiCcFTk3IWU5su3N0_X21YJY2sfWiYyM2TjR5tpvJSRGS1ZTRVdQIFtsNVKyXNww0Y9rg/s3000/IMG_20220819_224644.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2171" data-original-width="3000" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXP3oX4eVx_h7Gde4WLD9xI0vzGB_w3mHVZUP5oDeTxhExIS4MNZwPtuYz1qx75AD_R7N4oXzJPuUm0HkhAN-vqR1nqfjTWYDzYxsTldowvudyFYzD_uCGrWiCcFTk3IWU5su3N0_X21YJY2sfWiYyM2TjR5tpvJSRGS1ZTRVdQIFtsNVKyXNww0Y9rg/w640-h464/IMG_20220819_224644.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>I cut the very tip of the peg off as the CAM pegs are a fraction longer than the standard ones and then sanded it with the dremel til it looked about thin enough. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbIgI0nB8aqYhBoa9b5BR4TwXtPbsuvf8ABcHI52zJrqsY5lXVFTzTM6IpMeNH5UWMKOxUF4qvximVS-cApyXNgz1Bdez8hjgnhGiPZJTjSxJLx6CSiPRPxosLh1owDHsZvtYVmSEFMH9sSzmRqLF-lbQGb9ZfONFO_7F_Qa8kCW14DcE33KBnZImjag/s3000/IMG_20220819_224619.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1681" data-original-width="3000" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbIgI0nB8aqYhBoa9b5BR4TwXtPbsuvf8ABcHI52zJrqsY5lXVFTzTM6IpMeNH5UWMKOxUF4qvximVS-cApyXNgz1Bdez8hjgnhGiPZJTjSxJLx6CSiPRPxosLh1owDHsZvtYVmSEFMH9sSzmRqLF-lbQGb9ZfONFO_7F_Qa8kCW14DcE33KBnZImjag/w640-h358/IMG_20220819_224619.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>It's a perfect fit. Tight and secure, it comes out with a firm tug and slides back in with a firm push. It bends and twists like it should and it even doesn't look that jarring. I think Frankie has the advantage that as she's a frankenstein monster anyway mismatched parts don't really seem as "wrong" on her you know? </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuZpcMFF3IonTNOUxf6gIbR0yY6HCudzcXo46R6P7HzDXG8YL0nIZSFHiRnxN0xbxn8mMUKan54uoC6IPcNCO14UEflpZ8gkyDxKDkaZNJuAQFOP-3ssnSYv6KZuPP6HtecKewNiF4iX-qN2qqebqTtSMdOtVOAi39vo4lZ3lKP2HrELiDUCIk3h-lTg/s3137/IMG_20220819_224558.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3137" data-original-width="2344" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuZpcMFF3IonTNOUxf6gIbR0yY6HCudzcXo46R6P7HzDXG8YL0nIZSFHiRnxN0xbxn8mMUKan54uoC6IPcNCO14UEflpZ8gkyDxKDkaZNJuAQFOP-3ssnSYv6KZuPP6HtecKewNiF4iX-qN2qqebqTtSMdOtVOAi39vo4lZ3lKP2HrELiDUCIk3h-lTg/w478-h640/IMG_20220819_224558.jpg" width="478" /></a></div><p></p><p>She needs a proper outfit but i'm really warming to this girl. Of course, it helps that i'm a sucker for blue lips <_< heh. </p><p><br /></p><p>I also ended up hanging onto a few of the dolls, even though I don't really NEED more monster high dolls. Along with the repainted and restyled ones, I kept Dead Tired Lagoona and Scaris Cleo. I used to own Scaris Cleo and I can't remember if I still do. The big purge I did several years back resulted in me selling quite a few of my Monster High dolls and I still find myself thinking "wait.. do I still have that one or not?" and then getting confused and feeling much regret. </p><p>Pro tip, don't sell things in a fit of rage/depression. You WILL make poor decisions and you WILL regret it. </p><p>My poor battered old Dead Tired Draculaura also finally got a replacement hand from Draculocker Drac heh. So it worked out pretty good there. </p><p>All in all I ended up with about 9 dolls i'm hanging onto. Which isn't bad going. </p><p>I've really enjoyed repainting and customising them and I still have a few left to work on. I love big bundles, they really are just such a lot of fun. I love the sorting, the redressing and restyling, the whole process of getting the dolls back to their former glory as well as the treasure hunt aspect of not knowing exactly what you're getting. The problem is, these big bundles are ADDICTIVE and take up a lot of space in my very small house. </p><p>Oops? </p><p>Also, I now have to try to pry the school playset away from middle kiddo who's claimed it as his own lol. Or you know, just find somewhere to store it so he can play with it. </p><p> Another thing this big bundle has reminded me of is how special Monster High really was and how much nostelgia I have for it. I'd only been collecting dolls for about a year when MH hit stores and it was my first big toy line as a collector. But above all that, looking at the dolls and handling them again reminds me how beautiful so many of them are and how detailed they were. </p><p>we really were spoiled weren't we? </p><p>Such a shame Mattel seems determined to self sabotage. MH was cursed with the glue head nonsense and the even older ones have weak hips and knees. So many dolls are broken or yellowed or sticky and disgusting thanks to Mattel's short sighted bullshit and it sucks, it really sucks. I have 50-60 year old dolls that have held up better than a lot of modern ones after only 10 years and it honestly pisses me off because it's such a waste. Toys don't biodegrade, but they DO have many many more years of life in them if they're made well. I still have some of the toys from my own childhood (not many mind, as i've mentioned previously.) and my own children like to play with them. Selling on these monster high dolls as I fix them up has also shown me that kids are still playing with them. A bunch went to a little girl who lives locally, another pair today to a teenager who was just getting into collecting and the ones I posted yesterday to another child.</p><p>For all toy companies like Mattel like to claim "kids don't play with dolls anymore", I simply do not see evidence of that. Nor do I see any evidence that older toy lines suddenly lose all appeal and never find a living home ever again. Kids are still playing with ten year old monster high dolls ffs. Hell, the local nursery has 1980s my little ponies the kids still play with! The speech therapist for my kids has an Amanda Jane doll she still uses for therapy. A doll she's had in her kit since the 1970s. </p><p>Make a toy well and it'll get generations of use. And that's how it should be as far as i'm concerned. Because the only other option is landfill. And so much stuff goes to landfill due to companies being shortsighted and not making their products to last. I suppose their rationale is that if they make things that break or go gross and sticky, it means you have to buy NEW toys, capitalism at its finest there. </p><p>But Monster High was a really special line, it'll always hold a special place for me. The passion that went into these designs is evident, it's just a pity Mattel's manufacturing screwed so many of them over with poor decisions like unstable glue. </p><p>I'm hopeful for the threeboot that's due out in October, but i'm also wary because I know Mattel have a real tendency to shoot themselves in the foot with stupid decisions. Already i'm wary of their case assortment thing and multiple store exclusives making it very difficult to find all the dolls at retail and seeing Clawdeen's hair straight out of the box makes me itch in discomfort. Like.. YIKES. </p><p>We'll see. </p><p>in the meantime, I need to go back to treating Jinafire's sticky scalp. *SIGH* this isn't the fun part. <br /></p>Purple_monkfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023284779817354246noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3031605728160552641.post-60655445293581306472022-08-10T15:30:00.001+01:002022-08-10T15:30:45.525+01:00Another huge bundle of Monster High<p> As any regular reader knows, big bundles of dolls are my biggest weakness. I just can't resist them. I LOVE the dang things. </p><p>So when one of my fellow Sindy collectors on Facebook posted that she was looking to rehome her daughter's old Monster High collection I jumped at the chance to get my hands on a huge bundle of tlc dolls and parts. </p><p>The bundle was £35 and included "at least 40 dolls plus playsets" which is an absolute bargain. The only catch was that it was collection only, because it was too much stuff to easily post. So after some back and forth we settled on a time and place and on Saturday I made the trek across London to Essex with a wheeled suitcase and a large backpack to pick these things up. </p><p>For context, it's an hour and a half journey there and another hour and a half back.</p><p>I made a day of it. Took a book, had lunch just off Oxford Street, enjoyed some time just to myself. It was a pleasant trip and nice to meet another Sindy collector. </p><p>It turns out that her daughter was big into MH but the dolls have been sitting under her bed for about 7 years now unplayed with. Now that the daughter has gone off the university it's time to clear things out. They're just cluttering up the house. </p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNa51NzOY3t0O0UeIP94cyNc-h0qYPRhWPruz4huLmTMfcmDUK6kdoq-37mROFMI1S3qeuiRZTL-agUOXTeUPdS61E18BQOVKHI8W__NIGOArkklpDnBHsw64IUkX_cWLZd4cgdK4TQzStkWmZb_f3NlcTb3pTOGKzR2UvZi4lEsoEqVgxvsvqDmYOXw/s4000/20220810_132045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNa51NzOY3t0O0UeIP94cyNc-h0qYPRhWPruz4huLmTMfcmDUK6kdoq-37mROFMI1S3qeuiRZTL-agUOXTeUPdS61E18BQOVKHI8W__NIGOArkklpDnBHsw64IUkX_cWLZd4cgdK4TQzStkWmZb_f3NlcTb3pTOGKzR2UvZi4lEsoEqVgxvsvqDmYOXw/w480-h640/20220810_132045.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />A whole suitcase full of goodies!<p></p><p>My backpack had playset bits and stands and also included was the High School playset. </p><p>So.. much... stuff. </p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p>So of course, the first thing I did was get all the dolls out and pair them back up with their outfits and suchforth. The plastic bags contain a lot of accessories. There's also a big pile of diaries and a lot of stickers. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrJ3luMijWmLdHN2yMQGwo9W-bHdWgJmeY-3S6KBhb8iB3GhH-5T9q3DCNdINmgAwHAVD9AaBHTeFiPfWeWwlEWEBQRj6hW7b4FaI6lucWilsS_OgPikrsvTM56wJDT20zynM9anaiWV4l6v1ozsilnMSiNxqX4Kpxb__Ofdq2iW-a0BG8csBvJv33FQ/s2782/20220806_224345.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2651" data-original-width="2782" height="610" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrJ3luMijWmLdHN2yMQGwo9W-bHdWgJmeY-3S6KBhb8iB3GhH-5T9q3DCNdINmgAwHAVD9AaBHTeFiPfWeWwlEWEBQRj6hW7b4FaI6lucWilsS_OgPikrsvTM56wJDT20zynM9anaiWV4l6v1ozsilnMSiNxqX4Kpxb__Ofdq2iW-a0BG8csBvJv33FQ/w640-h610/20220806_224345.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>First the "custom fodder" dolls. It looks like the original owner at one point wanted to try their hand at customising. Looks like they struggled to remove the original paint on a lot of these though, there's a lot of smearing and staining. </p><p>Clawdeen and Toralei have gross sticky hair that needs treating. So does Apple. </p><p>The two Descendants dolls need new faces and Anna I dunno what to do with. I'm not a big fan of Disney dolls. Maybe I can find something fun to do with her head sculpt. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAdAyBm7xgp2heg5FX9buc-pbStUbxIJI9B9aH8ACwn5fKSj06F0vz4-69EKUH3TsiPVEtEmUHk483qXSnKGfNl1JgJnO3GjdJChecgM8yDdibGqTu_sURhxr4G-eF8lYoaLNhmr4_IXqCx3b_Tctb_DiTy7m2WjLMtPix8T0_g1YRwap6ZxRjVfhK0g/s3844/20220806_224407.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3844" data-original-width="2119" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAdAyBm7xgp2heg5FX9buc-pbStUbxIJI9B9aH8ACwn5fKSj06F0vz4-69EKUH3TsiPVEtEmUHk483qXSnKGfNl1JgJnO3GjdJChecgM8yDdibGqTu_sURhxr4G-eF8lYoaLNhmr4_IXqCx3b_Tctb_DiTy7m2WjLMtPix8T0_g1YRwap6ZxRjVfhK0g/w352-h640/20220806_224407.jpg" width="352" /></a></div><p></p><p>Also on the tlc pile are these two. Draculocker Draculaura had half her eyes missing, no eyebrows and most of her lips gone so I repainted them using the ghost remains of her original paint as a guide. I really love how she came out. She needs new hands. </p><p>Frankie has lost a whole lower arm and her hair is glue saturated and yellowing as a result. It's gross. </p><p>I admit I never much liked Scaris Frankie's hair anyway. She has a great face, I love that blue lip colour on her, but the way they rooted the black and white so it blended together into an ugly grey was a wierd choice. I think she'd look awesome rerooted in maybe just solid white or something. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyT8OMS3E3qT9KBfHnEUtwktUKgwbe-Pq67pMMSSzneMzb03p7iDw_UfPDaK_rcshWBD5aLOCS6WQQIuC8bLR3MrGDTSlW0bNRFeoZvbyw4EsymKyRaRZbduXgsZcf1o8A5Wmrkmg8YmMsvbgIji3C9ZTl4Bbw6F7YcVRrBGyN6VWuWv9jB0SFDEl30Q/s3178/20220806_224432.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3178" data-original-width="2709" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyT8OMS3E3qT9KBfHnEUtwktUKgwbe-Pq67pMMSSzneMzb03p7iDw_UfPDaK_rcshWBD5aLOCS6WQQIuC8bLR3MrGDTSlW0bNRFeoZvbyw4EsymKyRaRZbduXgsZcf1o8A5Wmrkmg8YmMsvbgIji3C9ZTl4Bbw6F7YcVRrBGyN6VWuWv9jB0SFDEl30Q/w546-h640/20220806_224432.jpg" width="546" /></a></div><p></p><p>The "not monster high" but not tlc either dolls. Moxie Girlz Ainsley, A clone Monster High doll on a wierd Bratz-like body with barbie shaped feet (lol) and another Disney Anna. </p><p>I always liked Moxie Girlz, they're really solid decent little dolls and I think it's a shame they never really took off. I mean, they were perfect for all those dang "mommeighs" who took to repainting Bratz to make them "more child-like". Mga literally MADE MOXIE GIRLZ for you people! Bah. </p><p>The early Moxies had decent hair too. Later MGA started cheaping out and they ended up with crappy coarse nylon with really lightweight bodies but these early ones are heavy as shit and have really soft, thick hair. They're very good play dolls. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhExK_J0tgaib86EfDdGWs2faxqyPol8YPD_6wqgO6bYW_1A1GtwxpB97MVCjuCI_nAe-24iGjyIqqOCo-OR6xJ304MoPRyKJTwvzIhdo9CHDNxe3P9d70bm9O5J-pS5bP70VutgYx2gEPyzdLN7TsAsn308Ya9zA26IVlYwQJy6pHxBn_1dA0Kh97DAQ/s3877/20220806_224612.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3877" data-original-width="2344" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhExK_J0tgaib86EfDdGWs2faxqyPol8YPD_6wqgO6bYW_1A1GtwxpB97MVCjuCI_nAe-24iGjyIqqOCo-OR6xJ304MoPRyKJTwvzIhdo9CHDNxe3P9d70bm9O5J-pS5bP70VutgYx2gEPyzdLN7TsAsn308Ya9zA26IVlYwQJy6pHxBn_1dA0Kh97DAQ/w386-h640/20220806_224612.jpg" width="386" /></a></div><p></p><p>The final "tlc pile" are broken parts. Bloodgood's knee joint has broken and I need to figure out a good way to repair it. The little circle that makes up the connector has snapped and I think if I glue it it'll freeze the whole joint. But it might be the only option there. </p><p>Howleen's neck has shattered and her head is missing (I wonder what happened to her head) while the Create a Monster Vampire hasn't just got a shattered neck but her upper arm piece has the peg from the lower piece jammed in it. I'd have to drill it out I think. I don't think I care enough. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHzynyFk62EyxpM2Sab4CgwUa3x5kNj1yK1AWVwuNIjgFZeeUXSNjoPsiwL1QXAAom2ZLAV9NdwjMZ_wm0Qjf7STIclWKXEV5I0KdtEpOmHwtnIfApEmcXwVIV4DJshstut_QurS4D099oPRgG-1x8xTAwv_N-efVAbIznM8NJFaULPdkwIZPl6veRtQ/s3528/20220806_224829.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3528" data-original-width="2710" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHzynyFk62EyxpM2Sab4CgwUa3x5kNj1yK1AWVwuNIjgFZeeUXSNjoPsiwL1QXAAom2ZLAV9NdwjMZ_wm0Qjf7STIclWKXEV5I0KdtEpOmHwtnIfApEmcXwVIV4DJshstut_QurS4D099oPRgG-1x8xTAwv_N-efVAbIznM8NJFaULPdkwIZPl6veRtQ/w492-h640/20220806_224829.jpg" width="492" /></a></div><p></p><p>This lot all have the dreaded "glue head". Mattel gave zero shits about this problem and for close to a decade continued to fill the heads with unstable glue that not only didn't serve any purpose in keeping the hair in place, also wicks up into the hair making it sticky. It also makes the heads rock hard and starts to yellow them from the inside out. It's really gross. </p><p>I sought advice for how to treat this and got a few suggestions which i'll test out later in this review. </p><p>In the meantime, we have from top left to right: Signature Twyla (She's mostly complete, she even had her pet), Home Ick Abbey (she's lost her apron), Scaris Jinafire (she has her hair decoration, I just need to sort her hair out first), Frights Camera Action Elissabat (She's lost her jacket/top thing and earrings), Frights Camera Action Clawdia (missing glasses)</p><p>Bottom row left to right: I Heart Fashion Scarah (She has her three pairs of shoes but not her second and third outfits. Wierd), Skull Shores Abbey (missing her wrap. She has her hat though. Her limbs are really yellowed from the glue they used to do her glitter layer. Eugh), Black Carpet Draculaura, 13 Wishes Gigi (Her hair is totally out of its original style but she does have her pet and accessories), Signature Toralei (missing a lot of her original outfit) </p><p>Of this lot Draculaura is the only one i've never owned. Wierd huh? Black Carpet was a pretty nice line, but they have some of the worst glue hair of any Monster High line. Which is really sad. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA0nsqB14mZXjnWTUJ71ZM4SGJ3b5FNnwU-O9qPgxX_-2ewRvViHoitk6HPAvx2iRVdh9xCeKAJ6moxy6BLW9mFHz_cCCquqMr7OTAhPu6aGHpTWMwQlmYz9YwOkQpriHmiVZNfTWaSqt5ymGfmR97ZRhZ-mN_3c5EqBCWCcR7LoJIshjCxwFvrcIeKg/s2874/20220806_225014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2805" data-original-width="2874" height="624" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA0nsqB14mZXjnWTUJ71ZM4SGJ3b5FNnwU-O9qPgxX_-2ewRvViHoitk6HPAvx2iRVdh9xCeKAJ6moxy6BLW9mFHz_cCCquqMr7OTAhPu6aGHpTWMwQlmYz9YwOkQpriHmiVZNfTWaSqt5ymGfmR97ZRhZ-mN_3c5EqBCWCcR7LoJIshjCxwFvrcIeKg/w640-h624/20220806_225014.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>The second group are the "hair is a bit sticky/gross, could do with treatment but not as urgently" lot. A few of these might be fine with just a good rinse, but they aren't all as immediately "ewwwww" to touch as the first group. </p><p>top row: Signature Venus (Missing her vest), Scaris Rochelle (missing her top. Has her wings though), Signature Ghoulia (missing most of her original outfit), Scaris Catrine (missing some accessories), Monster Exchange Lorna</p><p>bottom row: Frights Camera Action Viperine (missing several accessories), Hydration Station Lagoona (I also have the actual hydration station and it does work. The bubble stand is broken though), Cupid (missing her wings but she still has her ring. That's wierd), Ghouls Rule Frankie (missing a few bits), Freaky Fusion Sirena (missing tassel things and necklace)</p><p>One wierd thing about Ghoulia is that there's a few bits from three different Ghoulias in this bundle but only the one doll. There's bits of signature Ghoulia (and i'm pretty sure the doll IS signature Ghoulia), the top from the fearleading 3 pack Ghoulia (none of the other bits or the other two dolls though) and some of Skull Shores Ghoulia's bits. Huh? I wonder what became of those other dolls. Super wierd. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5GyTvMOvUvsXZhTaBeeW7_eFFPOvDk6nPyV7R06RfmM7jjKMbB_f5ydGPloH3TVJkoKPQ9KFjGGUX2LadVCUMFS0zT0W-kW7wptwqBGwy3sOjDBVnMDP61OjzZNvbknIQ3wq47gTlQYgDbAuDoTD96vQfrbSXaHRqmRTEdrT7iV66ZncnP2BHEZLFug/s3137/20220806_225223.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3137" data-original-width="2804" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5GyTvMOvUvsXZhTaBeeW7_eFFPOvDk6nPyV7R06RfmM7jjKMbB_f5ydGPloH3TVJkoKPQ9KFjGGUX2LadVCUMFS0zT0W-kW7wptwqBGwy3sOjDBVnMDP61OjzZNvbknIQ3wq47gTlQYgDbAuDoTD96vQfrbSXaHRqmRTEdrT7iV66ZncnP2BHEZLFug/w572-h640/20220806_225223.jpg" width="572" /></a></div><p></p><p>The next lot are the "hair just needs a brush and restyle" ones. No glue hair here, whew! </p><p>Top row: Dance Class Robecca (her headband is broken unfortunately), Dot Dead Gorgeous Spectra (missing her wrist bows and her necklace), Frights Camera Action Honey, I heart Fashion Wydowna (missing most of her second and third outfits, has all her shoes though), Roller Maze Operetta (she actually DOES have slightly sticky hair, she shouldn't be in this pile but I forgot when I took the photo. Oops?), Gooliope (again her hair is a bit sticky but it could just be the gel in it. I'll only find out when I wash her) </p><p>Bottom row: Jane Boolittle (missing several bits), Scaris Cleo (I wonder what happened to the Lagoona she came in a two pack with...), Signature Nefera (complete, which surprised me), Coffin Bean playset Clawdeen (no outfit, go figure) </p><p>I used to have Scaris Cleo, I think she was sold a long time ago. I had forgotten how pretty she was. Same with Dot Dead Gorgeous Spectra. She's a beautiful doll. Spectras suffer badly from yellowing though, especially on their transparent parts and this girl is no exception. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEich890sJkQLBdJWiebeEQuZh18-mX5ueYZP85iCp63NzKSNY20b-4yPGG4BjyqSZwcaRPs7AGrpQSj0ty6RpB4xS_T_fc-JGsrDtWUlP5Wmr-GOIcDP_MpNs0Qa7tXY0RP6s-edARc1xCQ9ryIhUtZ-rUZsON_W6KqxPRrr8HF6lLaulS7zWK54dzY9A/s3519/20220806_225434.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3519" data-original-width="2749" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEich890sJkQLBdJWiebeEQuZh18-mX5ueYZP85iCp63NzKSNY20b-4yPGG4BjyqSZwcaRPs7AGrpQSj0ty6RpB4xS_T_fc-JGsrDtWUlP5Wmr-GOIcDP_MpNs0Qa7tXY0RP6s-edARc1xCQ9ryIhUtZ-rUZsON_W6KqxPRrr8HF6lLaulS7zWK54dzY9A/w500-h640/20220806_225434.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><p></p><p>The boys! </p><p>The seller mentioned how much of a pain in the arse it was to find the boy dolls. They were always produced in significantly lower quantity than the girls with several being store exclusives. I remember I used to hit like 4 different Argos stores across 2 cities back in the day to find the new stock. </p><p>Top row: Invisibilly (missing his hat), Neighthan, Sweet 1600 Clawd (he's sticky and missing most of his clothes), Scaris Deuce, Ghoul Spirit Slo Mo (Now THIS boy was a pain in the arse to find. He was short packed and only in the A case assortment, which was rapidly replaced with the B assortment that only had the three girls. The three girls shelf sat but he sold out immediately. I remember picking up the girls for £3 in wilkos at one point because they were so damn desperate to get rid of them at that point. Nobody wanted them! everyone wanted Slo Mo.) </p><p>Bottom row: Mansters 2 pack Gil (this was a toys r us exclusive), Home Ick Heath (He came with the Abbey in one of the earlier pictures), Mansters Deuce (the other half of the gil/deuce two pack. They came with a game board with little pieces. It's cute), Signature Jackson (poor guy has no pants lol. He does have his glasses, they just don't like to stay on) </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3B6cpD83SJ2OJpB_af018BksppPOjB-UkQU-Vve5eMLvj8rsIgUskq_XTJC3W9HtvgRf6k6e7ZTr7IVgH7UVo0X4hx0uMa8lzJoCFd9vDgJ--NGIhY1u3BhpZmOQZTzr2sukfQUugE6VYCYRlfZpyLQgSkR1Bb-VIxkABIGese0QyMMNmDra4hDdMhA/s2821/20220806_225832.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2731" data-original-width="2821" height="620" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3B6cpD83SJ2OJpB_af018BksppPOjB-UkQU-Vve5eMLvj8rsIgUskq_XTJC3W9HtvgRf6k6e7ZTr7IVgH7UVo0X4hx0uMa8lzJoCFd9vDgJ--NGIhY1u3BhpZmOQZTzr2sukfQUugE6VYCYRlfZpyLQgSkR1Bb-VIxkABIGese0QyMMNmDra4hDdMhA/w640-h620/20220806_225832.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>There's also a pile of Create a Monster sets. </p><p>The vampire girl's body is broken (and pictured in the broken pile image) while the sea monster hasn't got her torso piece but does have all her limbs. Skeleton girl has her limbs but is missing one hand. </p><p>Gargoyle Boy came dressed like this and I find it hilarious. He's kinda rocking it. He does have his wings. </p><p>There's a few wigs but the cam wigs are awful. There are also several pairs of shoes that came with these dolls so that's nice. The Skeleton girl came with awesome skeletal heels. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipx4HtGSmw4aBrfh7gLMQ9uH5Cd7e00W_P52aTQBFjeJYMFZIHVW87IIkd8SN56ZBXoprLQ0X03j7hYMjE9TOpQjd71TkLd5x0hd4-Giy_XjqGWzMo-0WRMTDdB8rPfeENPiTsLy7Gy9mzmT2R1UCiYGIqr1-FF3CDr5_mcX9W5--uQGtDndHUWd2ILg/s3000/20220806_230440.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="2730" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipx4HtGSmw4aBrfh7gLMQ9uH5Cd7e00W_P52aTQBFjeJYMFZIHVW87IIkd8SN56ZBXoprLQ0X03j7hYMjE9TOpQjd71TkLd5x0hd4-Giy_XjqGWzMo-0WRMTDdB8rPfeENPiTsLy7Gy9mzmT2R1UCiYGIqr1-FF3CDr5_mcX9W5--uQGtDndHUWd2ILg/w582-h640/20220806_230440.jpg" width="582" /></a></div><br /><p>Also Nightmare, who Bloodgood came with. I find it wierd that NONE of Bloodgood's clothes are present. She has literally one shoe, everything else is missing. I wonder what happened there. </p><p>So all in we have erm... about 56 and a bit dolls? </p><p>I'm not actually sure how to count all of these. </p><p>There's 39 mostly complete monster high dolls, 3 "not monster high" dolls, 5 full create a monster dolls plus parts, 1 horse, 3 dolls who I might be able to repair and 6 repaint fodder dolls. </p><p>Quite a lot of stuff. </p><p>And this isn't even going into the playsets. </p><p>I haven't sorted the Coffin Bean bits yet but the High School is missing a few bits. One of the desks can't be built because it's missing one of the pieces and the bleachers are missing one strut but considering how many small bits there are and the fact they do NOT fit inside the damn playset when it's folded up (what a shit design there. What's the point of it folding up and having a handle if it's not able to actually be used as a carry case? wtf Mattel?) i'm surprised as much is intact as is. I mean it even still has all the teensy little accessories. </p><p>So, now it's time for experiments! </p><p>I was given a few suggestions for glue head so let's go through them. </p><p>Elissabat was my chosen lab rat. I picked her because she had very bad glue and isn't a very rare doll. Also she's incomplete anyway. </p><p>First was Dettol which I thought might do something to the glue because alchohol apparently helps. Dettol is used by my other half to soak paint off of miniatures and it contains alchohol and a few of the other things that are in the other products suggested. </p><p>I soaked Elissabat for about 10 minutes. I was wary to do it for too long because it STINKS. </p><p>What I found was that her head was squishier after a little dettol soak but her hair was still sticky. I feel like it might have done more had I left her in it for a full hour or so, but it would have left her absolutely reeking. </p><p>Dish soap did nothing despite being supposedly "good for grease". </p><p>Someone suggested the rather out there suggestion of "oil" with the reasoning that vegetable oil or butter can be used to remove stickiness from other stuff. I had nothing to lose here so I gave Elissabat a little shampoo in olive oil. </p><p>now this was an interesting one because I didn't expect it to do much. What I learned was that it DID remove the stickiness, and replaced it with greasiness. </p><p>but I suppose that's progress of some sort. </p><p>Dish soap yet again failed to help to remove the greasiness. *sigh*</p><p>Finally I moved onto the stuff I had to go out of the house to buy. Oxy 10 and Cif. </p><p>I used a sticky gross Clawdeen to test the oxy as her hair was absolutely horrendeous anyway. I didn't really know what to expect there because oxy just cleans stuff, but interestingly it did soften up her hair which was previously glued to her scalp. I suspect very hot water may have done this too though. </p><p>her head was also a bit squishier after. </p><p>Elissabat got a good shampoo of cif which smells of lemon and dries your hands out terribly. I suggest gloves if you're gonna use it because it feels gross. </p><p>It took a couple of shampoos before I started to see any difference. I think I wasn't leaving it long enough. In the end I elected to leave her for a good hour with the cif sitting in her hair and assess after that. This seemed to work. So yeah, patience is key in this process. </p><p>her head is squisher but there's still a hard lump of glue in there. However her hair is now grease and stickiness free. The cif did dry it out a lot though and I feel like she'd benefit from a conditioning treatment but it looks alright and actually sits like hair not a solid greasy clump. Glue head is so gross. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguaYJuSB4pWN6TWbYwLdEenjJC_gPUlwcCmHn-DT3UnSCaHucE6kAr0WQrncu7-UhqGE4gAxKvh61YE-yesW1mcBXz9hqOUNyhrGyO31zTllZUdZM-I4lnZTBNYhfdFAD8TvdxgnUjISHxDRv3FrPU9YkyPUaTPPmHM9pyxVTlp5xAnJKXPGGw6TY-jg/s3301/20220810_132256.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3301" data-original-width="2093" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguaYJuSB4pWN6TWbYwLdEenjJC_gPUlwcCmHn-DT3UnSCaHucE6kAr0WQrncu7-UhqGE4gAxKvh61YE-yesW1mcBXz9hqOUNyhrGyO31zTllZUdZM-I4lnZTBNYhfdFAD8TvdxgnUjISHxDRv3FrPU9YkyPUaTPPmHM9pyxVTlp5xAnJKXPGGw6TY-jg/w406-h640/20220810_132256.jpg" width="406" /></a></div><br /><p>SUCH an improvement. </p><p>Bolstered by this success I grabbed a few more dolls to test out the cif method. </p><p>No face Toralei, the no face Clawdeen i'd oxy bathed and Cupid who's hair was just a little tacky but very very tangled up. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgUZH6VL7pKLOdJn-QiGU4eZzM5VC1r-7wzEUt1-cr9JQOeUsMNhUw3acKhHH2ioP7aQYTsaeMJwPstmNdf-J4h4PJZK3yPSes5ISPxHO-9uama5wnwq15j1yK3Ni-J5kgAg6P19qOL5cPm922CqgqVYYa-cN9XS-R6sZdJaXjImww_V6uYwyjA2ufsA/s2667/20220810_132244.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2667" data-original-width="1849" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgUZH6VL7pKLOdJn-QiGU4eZzM5VC1r-7wzEUt1-cr9JQOeUsMNhUw3acKhHH2ioP7aQYTsaeMJwPstmNdf-J4h4PJZK3yPSes5ISPxHO-9uama5wnwq15j1yK3Ni-J5kgAg6P19qOL5cPm922CqgqVYYa-cN9XS-R6sZdJaXjImww_V6uYwyjA2ufsA/w444-h640/20220810_132244.jpg" width="444" /></a></div><p></p><p>Doll bangs always refuse to cooperate. </p><p>Cupid's elastic bands had also disintergrated over the years so had to be replaced. I couldn't replicate her heart so she got a circle. Sorry. </p><p>I remember from when Cupid first came out what a pain in the arse her hair was though. She came with her hair CAKED in product to keep it in a wierd flip curl style which wasn't at all screen or art accurate. It's also rooted with no proper part line so it all sweeps back from the front, which makes it annoying to style. </p><p>A lot of people ended up curling the hell out of her hair to try to get it to look correct but it was a chore. </p><p>I'm pretty sure this is the first Cupid release because of how her hair is rooted. The second release had fuller hair with a little more volume and with an actual parting if I remember rightly. It looked a lot better and was easier to work with. </p><p>I don't have anything to curl Cupid's hair unfortunately, so I think i'll just leave her as is. Though I am trying to convince her damn fringe to sit DOWN like it's supposed to. </p><p>Both Elisabat and Cupid's dresses originally had clear plastic straps but both had started to disintergrate. I couldn't resew them as they were just crumbling in my hand so I ended up snipping them off both dresses so they wouldn't be in the way. They looked ugly anyway as they'd yellowed to this gross nicotine stain colour and were sticking out in random directions. </p><p>Unfortunately in Cupid's case, she really does need something to keep her top up. I wonder if you could replace those transparent straps with something a little more resiliant. Because clearly that plastic doesn't survive, it just crumbles into gross yellowish dust. *puke* </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL_BqzHU8pMTVaeBQMVuhm5-rnP0UlXhnHqayx6wbp7hmAy5D8IQFCkcMLEePf7by2XNTGHHVXLRaQPifzW6wYj8yhJ07lwQBcuFcCjHGmAluAl-5KEFz_eJAg_IXt-JfiCCGqDlGsWqZwjWTLwNFJ6b3ZShnE8DaPlrDjfI19Lgt67JeVwx7QtN4NoQ/s2873/20220810_132133.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2873" data-original-width="1014" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL_BqzHU8pMTVaeBQMVuhm5-rnP0UlXhnHqayx6wbp7hmAy5D8IQFCkcMLEePf7by2XNTGHHVXLRaQPifzW6wYj8yhJ07lwQBcuFcCjHGmAluAl-5KEFz_eJAg_IXt-JfiCCGqDlGsWqZwjWTLwNFJ6b3ZShnE8DaPlrDjfI19Lgt67JeVwx7QtN4NoQ/w226-h640/20220810_132133.jpg" width="226" /></a></div><p></p><p>Faceless Toralei's hair actually dried out pretty nicely. Which surprised me because Toralei had two stickiness issues to contend with. The glue inside her head, and the glue gel shit that was saturated into her hair to keep it in the bob style in the box. She had SOLID hair out of the box, like proper helmet hair. It was gross. </p><p>Now this Toralei had only her eyes left of her face paint, and not all of her eyes at that. The edges had been wiped away. I did try to wipe her totally clean but her eyes were stubborn and my magic eraser was crumbling in my hand so I gave up. </p><p>Instead I elected to work with what she had left and see what I could do for her. </p><p>She got completely new lips, eyebrows, makeup and lashes (she had no lashes left at all). I also painted her gloves back on as they'd been wiped and left her with red paint smears and stains all over her hands. I couldn't get all the marks off. </p><p>I gave her one yellow eye because most of the green had wiped off anyway and I wanted to make her look like a whole different character, not just Toralei. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ECIsUoy8yUPeNl4f4OpQEH1sV_t03Q3M2NrwBH1OCvPoyHkMpmC4rEj8IsWGsK_bzPMUvLd0Ig7A2sCCgxpOI4huCS8cT5P4ZD5zRbHiLtf3q0p93fW5oOb8NC_Inea9aLaWehLA6aRiq7TJX7pIDBlGMdcOQdrkpXCYnWuqbtUuO6g2RZJGkyZrnw/s585/20220806_224345.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="585" data-original-width="503" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ECIsUoy8yUPeNl4f4OpQEH1sV_t03Q3M2NrwBH1OCvPoyHkMpmC4rEj8IsWGsK_bzPMUvLd0Ig7A2sCCgxpOI4huCS8cT5P4ZD5zRbHiLtf3q0p93fW5oOb8NC_Inea9aLaWehLA6aRiq7TJX7pIDBlGMdcOQdrkpXCYnWuqbtUuO6g2RZJGkyZrnw/w550-h640/20220806_224345.jpg" width="550" /></a></div><p></p><p>Here she was before.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSGD1c8HP77YHwCD4EXow9hLDUcXUT72hKfT-0Go1_ZtkJmuRb7u-zbzplKOjJ1i6JqiDGtro6qkJj-tqciqc4_bbHsM1ZS5WzmQjGQaKNHb6Xg4z_VuhHU8M1Rva6EV5Rc-HWnbIz-fdwJid_LiIpqBujzGeA__ZkkKWoHF0ymdpRel0cisov37l4VQ/s1785/20220810_132140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1785" data-original-width="1366" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSGD1c8HP77YHwCD4EXow9hLDUcXUT72hKfT-0Go1_ZtkJmuRb7u-zbzplKOjJ1i6JqiDGtro6qkJj-tqciqc4_bbHsM1ZS5WzmQjGQaKNHb6Xg4z_VuhHU8M1Rva6EV5Rc-HWnbIz-fdwJid_LiIpqBujzGeA__ZkkKWoHF0ymdpRel0cisov37l4VQ/w490-h640/20220810_132140.jpg" width="490" /></a></div><br /><p>And after. </p><p>I feel like the front of her hair had been cut, presumably to achieve this look. It's a cute style though, I like it. It needs a little neatening up but it's not bad. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBnterjdul5Pk5YrcBhjBuixEuA7ZLTQi4nTVVMVRMgtWQjZwqSiJ6cidzL20lwjbn37TmMYGaiX2t43HNu1Bk3O20uncaNmW2sBVDcYo5GfWwcP8h8rzW33fFd6plsOoph7xggZeQANhqU-XpC7llCtsFpyUeQweNPzinAlCkD4VB2tqWiAuTf3OIVA/s2627/IMG_20220810_152217.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1420" data-original-width="2627" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBnterjdul5Pk5YrcBhjBuixEuA7ZLTQi4nTVVMVRMgtWQjZwqSiJ6cidzL20lwjbn37TmMYGaiX2t43HNu1Bk3O20uncaNmW2sBVDcYo5GfWwcP8h8rzW33fFd6plsOoph7xggZeQANhqU-XpC7llCtsFpyUeQweNPzinAlCkD4VB2tqWiAuTf3OIVA/w640-h346/IMG_20220810_152217.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>So far i've partially repainted two of the dolls, and I really like both of them. I've always wanted the draculocker Draculaura but so many of her dolls are pretty wonky and wall eyed. It's fun to have a unique one. </p><p>So the next step is to treat all the glue head as best I can, try to restyle the dolls back to as close to original as I can and then rehome the ones i'm not keeping. </p><p>It's gonna take a while but i'm gonna enjoy it. <br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Purple_monkfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023284779817354246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3031605728160552641.post-30762942498383323722022-07-12T19:53:00.002+01:002022-07-12T19:53:15.195+01:00LOL OMG Fierce<p> LOL OMG have been out for quite a while now and judging by the massive slowdown of releases, i'm going to go out on a limb and assume that the franchise is winding down at last. They had a great run, but doll lines only have a limited life span. </p><p>Released in 2019, the OMG line was a spinoff of the blind ball LOL tots, and since 2019 they've spawned quite a few MORE spinoffs including the B-Tweens and JK, and now we have a whole new spinoff. The OMG Fierce dolls. </p><p>Are these going to be the new direction OMG go in to refresh the brand or are they kinda like Moxie Teenz, just a random deluxe aside that ultimately fades into obscurity? </p><p>Let's take a look shall we?</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZF7HJPCH9zYO90PVGRb4VLrx4OfBEm7uQgQGUWbF6iIHQX61SfxQCvDO7gnCRCMuiH_IET9dmqG4KfmNb_lhdLN10ptOu0_4cq_NoVi3gvBUdnYtFJeOhcz418n-lX8o7buYLx2opZgF2hXobYXIxE_rBqFwkMgGETG8kGxxgAQ1B99HGDIycpwrrMQ/s2043/20220710_230456.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2043" data-original-width="1525" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZF7HJPCH9zYO90PVGRb4VLrx4OfBEm7uQgQGUWbF6iIHQX61SfxQCvDO7gnCRCMuiH_IET9dmqG4KfmNb_lhdLN10ptOu0_4cq_NoVi3gvBUdnYtFJeOhcz418n-lX8o7buYLx2opZgF2hXobYXIxE_rBqFwkMgGETG8kGxxgAQ1B99HGDIycpwrrMQ/w478-h640/20220710_230456.jpg" width="478" /></a></div><p></p><p>The new dolls come in a box with a plastic tube holding the doll and a card boxed section to one side. </p><p>I appreciate that MGA is moving away from the frustrating blind box element of these, it was pointless anyway. I prefer to SEE the doll i'm buying so I can check for defects you know? </p><p>I also think this presentation is substantially more visually appealing than the original OMG boxes. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfHfEcufnV0O4c44BUXXOfpOyu8bfUJYIZIeIOAeGlnFNSLl8kQ-qOBvwnEGe-vL37dufRyhjrrlyKmh6Mj10zTPgxnnl3_tulUknGMNPekgPqJtLrF_8_5R85jUlXLZU6c4X0vf0NcwfDLZgVreKzHq_lki58S9anW1QgnDmSY6k0KPEhvC7p7l0Wdg/s696/Screenshot%202022-07-12%20at%2014-40-56%20Post%20editor%20Preview.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="696" data-original-width="620" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfHfEcufnV0O4c44BUXXOfpOyu8bfUJYIZIeIOAeGlnFNSLl8kQ-qOBvwnEGe-vL37dufRyhjrrlyKmh6Mj10zTPgxnnl3_tulUknGMNPekgPqJtLrF_8_5R85jUlXLZU6c4X0vf0NcwfDLZgVreKzHq_lki58S9anW1QgnDmSY6k0KPEhvC7p7l0Wdg/w356-h400/Screenshot%202022-07-12%20at%2014-40-56%20Post%20editor%20Preview.png" width="356" /></a></div><p></p><p>The barely visible doll art and the rather plain colourations really don't seem very exciting now do they? </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Nmkn93Ri90hMKUN0UKyZsVXEUuvoOuLI3gbjheFy9XAfdBesjmWrWVWjAaE9V_3WAlxbCbm0A2rRNyb3-lr1ZE2VosOUqP0h2cGU6f1tTdAlH6RNHYYdRPMcZCPU1qIvV19PonIabJh3UC4kpXmc83osoEWZhqmgWhDdvdraoLm0wVrd0Mn9_DRfZA/s1418/20220710_230511.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1418" data-original-width="585" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Nmkn93Ri90hMKUN0UKyZsVXEUuvoOuLI3gbjheFy9XAfdBesjmWrWVWjAaE9V_3WAlxbCbm0A2rRNyb3-lr1ZE2VosOUqP0h2cGU6f1tTdAlH6RNHYYdRPMcZCPU1qIvV19PonIabJh3UC4kpXmc83osoEWZhqmgWhDdvdraoLm0wVrd0Mn9_DRfZA/w264-h640/20220710_230511.jpg" width="264" /></a></div><p></p><p>The back of the box has an illustration of the doll as well. In this case it's Lady Diva. </p><p>The Fierce line aren't new characters, instead what they've done is taken the original 4 dolls and reimagined them which is quite an interesting idea. I wonder if we'll see more. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioK7Rhq0mY4TRgPTJtYDZkW1j7Cl9vU3UQJpj9W3c1091ntPA5N9dkhhUw8mQzr13estzPsQljpETwmbBDPO6ENRYExK3SzGE98b3awZh1xNVSq0UFZ7QbgB33MOn_l5M6DV4NlmEJVpIKESQ5fxG4oW5oriDm2gOdcsawrryxwBkywCqbyJEU_L14Bg/s2512/20220710_230557.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1864" data-original-width="2512" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioK7Rhq0mY4TRgPTJtYDZkW1j7Cl9vU3UQJpj9W3c1091ntPA5N9dkhhUw8mQzr13estzPsQljpETwmbBDPO6ENRYExK3SzGE98b3awZh1xNVSq0UFZ7QbgB33MOn_l5M6DV4NlmEJVpIKESQ5fxG4oW5oriDm2gOdcsawrryxwBkywCqbyJEU_L14Bg/w640-h474/20220710_230557.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>I bought two of them. Lady Diva and Royal Bee.</p><p>Royal Bee looks kinda MEAN in her artwork don't you think? <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFnmMW83_YGw7gC9pcubuESJqC0OJu1P72iKK8m2Ag-L5fq5MHVn3q8eNNRqOt47ysYNMmh1-dg0_dN7XWOJ7vbVvdvcIjrTjYZoBIf-oD7znOpovlnV_YT480zfzzV4WJOmuDI3ReBR53WbWadsIUF7Rjemy1266Y0SQpbf3JU9gLi-m85476p0E0vw/s2796/20220710_230532.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1867" data-original-width="2796" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFnmMW83_YGw7gC9pcubuESJqC0OJu1P72iKK8m2Ag-L5fq5MHVn3q8eNNRqOt47ysYNMmh1-dg0_dN7XWOJ7vbVvdvcIjrTjYZoBIf-oD7znOpovlnV_YT480zfzzV4WJOmuDI3ReBR53WbWadsIUF7Rjemy1266Y0SQpbf3JU9gLi-m85476p0E0vw/w640-h428/20220710_230532.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>The back of the boxes uses pretty much identical bases for the artwork. Now I know this is common in fashion illustration with the use of fashion blocks or whatever, but for a doll line it feels kinda lazy to just trace over the same image and recolour it/draw over it. </p><p>The regular OMG dolls tend to have their own unique artwork with a character specific pose so it's wierd that this line doesn't do the same. </p><p>It means if you put all their artwork in a lineup like you would usually do for a promotional shot they just look like paper dolls, all in the same position, the same pose. <br /></p><p>Maybe that was intentional, I dunno. It's a minor thing to be disappointed in lol. But I do feel like it lets down the visual impact. Maybe that's just me though. </p><p>Anyway, the tube part of the box is also decorated on the back with a foil design that's character specific. A geometric shatter effect for Diva, a honeycomb for Royal Bee. The fronts do a similar thing with the backdrop. Again Bee gets hexagons while Diva gets a leopard print.<br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKtZLNlpMlnQO3iNDEIo5EO_WWIWiGGgp6OrnUb3VNgtnrfWg0lpFZvWtjxBlybVe-eyTxYihRyD2wz9W0-RaLPDQt8iPWzqK9PW03WBNQYqfySj0aDp3EdvwDmCJnNNZ3GzYlq43f_ymuCJJzJjkzEyDNY2bwhGCCM6u4HZAV3avUEE0c4C5616CAiA/s3721/20220710_230923.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3721" data-original-width="2801" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKtZLNlpMlnQO3iNDEIo5EO_WWIWiGGgp6OrnUb3VNgtnrfWg0lpFZvWtjxBlybVe-eyTxYihRyD2wz9W0-RaLPDQt8iPWzqK9PW03WBNQYqfySj0aDp3EdvwDmCJnNNZ3GzYlq43f_ymuCJJzJjkzEyDNY2bwhGCCM6u4HZAV3avUEE0c4C5616CAiA/w482-h640/20220710_230923.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><p></p><p>So the little box section of the packaging has a "open here" section but all it does is open a little window so you can see the poster and brush. It's too small to allow you to wriggle the poster OUT though. So I had to open up the whole side to access it. <br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCit08iNcaik-DnH67CEyCk5z3QQVCIJmOco_GNciStdK4dht08fbxPF4nwDUQ4WWP9tVYJ1XaBMHBIzeWOq26jYy-_WIn88CPfcjxIx5VgKg5UNm-j7x7zB7C0H6niDv603WH_a9KTUIFWdSds6wZ7tLjGsFG5s_5KSHxOAMNwFAMoXkZzv93kYTqxQ/s3982/20220710_231141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2826" data-original-width="3982" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCit08iNcaik-DnH67CEyCk5z3QQVCIJmOco_GNciStdK4dht08fbxPF4nwDUQ4WWP9tVYJ1XaBMHBIzeWOq26jYy-_WIn88CPfcjxIx5VgKg5UNm-j7x7zB7C0H6niDv603WH_a9KTUIFWdSds6wZ7tLjGsFG5s_5KSHxOAMNwFAMoXkZzv93kYTqxQ/w640-h454/20220710_231141.jpg" width="640" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></a></div>Inside there's a little tray that only actually takes up about half the height of this box section (the rest is empty) that contains a poster, a brush and a little tissue wrapped accessory. <p></p><p>I expected a stand to be here but it's actually packaged behind the doll inside her tube, you can see it from the front of the box. </p><p>So... why is there this large card box on the side if all it has inside is a brush, a poster and a tiny accessory? Could those have not also fit into the tube? Heck, you probably could have hidden the accessory UNDER the stand base or something if you wanted to. </p><p>Feels like excessive packaging there, but what else would you expect from MGA? they love their excessive packaging. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggU41J4xQpjKk0LXBYT8wRsEooeZ0hv5buE9rLn04htchrQ4059tcIz8pgT_ijrMfrPXdWhmIAiAYeFzpxoq0kdxI5-Xmu75fj4sgH83EkZT5kTpv81CBlCDrwr9ctExMeCCGiW-TAWBzeRGZedoEHOKeBT3VR5hZXLlA5SxuMMwfwGqinu76omErZuQ/s3749/20220710_231244.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3749" data-original-width="2525" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggU41J4xQpjKk0LXBYT8wRsEooeZ0hv5buE9rLn04htchrQ4059tcIz8pgT_ijrMfrPXdWhmIAiAYeFzpxoq0kdxI5-Xmu75fj4sgH83EkZT5kTpv81CBlCDrwr9ctExMeCCGiW-TAWBzeRGZedoEHOKeBT3VR5hZXLlA5SxuMMwfwGqinu76omErZuQ/w432-h640/20220710_231244.jpg" width="432" /></a></div><br /><p>The poster is cute, it's an image of the character with "Make it Daring, Make it Dazzling, Make it Drama" written on it. </p><p>The other side has the four portrait images of the characters as seen on the back of the box. </p><p>It's awkward to photograph though because it's so rolled up. I'd have to leave it under something heavy to flatten it out and I can't be bothered going to that much effort for a little poster. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBHsE-IWKD51U1Z3qCB3eh_M7e-0V8oOlgznDhOHFqSWpMtEaGegWdD8gxPH-IajJsbrUlaU2uVBa-5BrtlEsleaBKfahODtwpxbj5PFau4YlydPOTz-DM7zXR_-wM--_9SKB2k7LKqjI4vWrbc3oaRiXOxu7qF2j1xBaziBbhzmUFeQDClL839c7VoA/s2791/20220710_231836.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2791" data-original-width="1533" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBHsE-IWKD51U1Z3qCB3eh_M7e-0V8oOlgznDhOHFqSWpMtEaGegWdD8gxPH-IajJsbrUlaU2uVBa-5BrtlEsleaBKfahODtwpxbj5PFau4YlydPOTz-DM7zXR_-wM--_9SKB2k7LKqjI4vWrbc3oaRiXOxu7qF2j1xBaziBbhzmUFeQDClL839c7VoA/w352-h640/20220710_231836.jpg" width="352" /></a></div><p></p><p>The little tissue wrapped package contained her glasses which are a wierd visor thing with little molded squares all over them. I dunno. </p><p>Like all omg dolls, because she has no real nose to speak of, her glasses don't sit correctly on her face and have a tendency to droop. *Sigh* </p><p>The box also demanded blood. It wouldn't be an MGA deboxing if I didn't injure myself though would it? In this case I sliced my thumb pretty much along the entire thumb pad. It didn't bleed as such, but it's a pretty nasty paper cut. I'm not even sure which bit caused it. Could have been the plastic, could have been the card, could have even been my scissors as I tried to cut through all the tape and plastic tabs. I dunno. I just know it hurts dangit. </p><p>The box isn't the worst thing i've opened, MGA have to their credit gotten better with their boxes over the years. Or maybe i've just gotten used to wrestling with them. </p><p>You cut the tape on the top lid of the tube, slide the whole inner plastic piece out and then snip all the millions of little plastic tabs that are holding the doll in her box. Then she should just pop out of her little clamshell. </p><p>Unlike most OMGs, Diva here comes fully dressed right out of the box. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTE5olyS0CxVCxXrV-Pjri51I2C8pv83-jo5d-4yRVkk2JAkiqfqSdRS5BqOimM5ZZxdXTkNTcocVyl8e4bP8vCCZhw9jw0euMwEhhAAfeexDtTYThISpPcuKUwJQ3QF-3Y92OXWaAO-JIQjd79ZYasN8iD3yJdKv7z_3L3M8r3EcNZlECmR8teZCgHA/s2439/20220710_231845.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1950" data-original-width="2439" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTE5olyS0CxVCxXrV-Pjri51I2C8pv83-jo5d-4yRVkk2JAkiqfqSdRS5BqOimM5ZZxdXTkNTcocVyl8e4bP8vCCZhw9jw0euMwEhhAAfeexDtTYThISpPcuKUwJQ3QF-3Y92OXWaAO-JIQjd79ZYasN8iD3yJdKv7z_3L3M8r3EcNZlECmR8teZCgHA/w640-h512/20220710_231845.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>She uses a different face mold to the regular OMGs with more emphasised eyelids giving her a sort of half lidded look rather than the big round eyes of the regular dolls. </p><p>Her eyebrows are simple with little lines toward the center to imitate hairs and she has two painted hairs on one side of her head to emulate baby hairs or something. </p><p>This face mold feels to me like OMG and Bratz had a baby. The narrower eyes with the intense eyeshadow is very Bratz and I dig it. </p><p>Like all omgs her face paint is very simple, almost cartoonish which works well for their big flat faces. She has pouty half opened lips, a tiny almost not even there nose and her whole head is a sort of flattened potato shape lol. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgerg-BchAU-Li3xZXJscOwnc0_guANR4WXUySdxKV6MkQ3OCmJ5_VvWBZBCw0se3By8_yGChadnzBj4mJ8shcYXFOsuhNarkUwIel0peMGT_dXxy6VBUBQc0oBpoioko2UONS_q1OqOcSYMfGpe-XgFZ-bP_excWhDWcnXSB3uRWNRxi1gEK2jVDx00A/s1812/20220710_231955.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1812" data-original-width="1670" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgerg-BchAU-Li3xZXJscOwnc0_guANR4WXUySdxKV6MkQ3OCmJ5_VvWBZBCw0se3By8_yGChadnzBj4mJ8shcYXFOsuhNarkUwIel0peMGT_dXxy6VBUBQc0oBpoioko2UONS_q1OqOcSYMfGpe-XgFZ-bP_excWhDWcnXSB3uRWNRxi1gEK2jVDx00A/w590-h640/20220710_231955.jpg" width="590" /></a></div><br /><p>She's significantly larger than the LOL OMG dolls, standing closer to Barbie height. </p><p>now of course, she DOES have high heels and a very large head so she's actually a little shorter than a Barbie if you take those things into account but she's definitely more toward the 11-12 inch fashion doll size than the 10 inch size of OMG and Bratz. </p><p>I don't own the original Lady Diva, I was never overly keen on her look. </p><p>this version is VERY different. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/lolsurprise/images/1/1d/Ladydiva.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="429" height="800" src="https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/lolsurprise/images/1/1d/Ladydiva.jpg" width="429" /></a></div><br /><p>The hair seems to be the same colour though. <br /> <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBYroyCS4hqQNYfcBHM-NZzLmR3O2NTD6l0ZcbYketVOLot1UFaHQij0REmBMN04NrNaFn1XJHb9XStD_wF_J-G9uSHfLA6UcRx8N-v6hCd8GMix72rfbcub50YhJzwp8O05GczhvJjUliF6Z1MM4LeeIsYzfOfNe6frYh-5VuE-BFNAwClvTwADLHtg/s2594/20220710_232121.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2594" data-original-width="1193" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBYroyCS4hqQNYfcBHM-NZzLmR3O2NTD6l0ZcbYketVOLot1UFaHQij0REmBMN04NrNaFn1XJHb9XStD_wF_J-G9uSHfLA6UcRx8N-v6hCd8GMix72rfbcub50YhJzwp8O05GczhvJjUliF6Z1MM4LeeIsYzfOfNe6frYh-5VuE-BFNAwClvTwADLHtg/w294-h640/20220710_232121.jpg" width="294" /></a></div><p></p><p>Diva's fur shrug is SO SOFT. </p><p>Under it she wears a leotard/body suit with a one sleeved mesh shirt underneath.</p><p>Her boot covers are actually sewn like this so one always has the black inner showing. I'm not sure I fully understand this but it is what it is. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj05rvQOr9G8QfDl_g5ccmpe6Pt6oFJXm8WSgleKkjV6psqw_93_mUPE7N5X4q1xTPLVLB649oPnyN8SzSH7DCLCsmS4dKKpHYOkNhjzRLIfSNW0_cM7ZTQwMR866QaDiUjY3LHfB-_bU-7N37pEoMX19fyfucf0nePRHetvUxYnKP-m0DE4lw55czbkQ/s2913/20220710_232920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2133" data-original-width="2913" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj05rvQOr9G8QfDl_g5ccmpe6Pt6oFJXm8WSgleKkjV6psqw_93_mUPE7N5X4q1xTPLVLB649oPnyN8SzSH7DCLCsmS4dKKpHYOkNhjzRLIfSNW0_cM7ZTQwMR866QaDiUjY3LHfB-_bU-7N37pEoMX19fyfucf0nePRHetvUxYnKP-m0DE4lw55czbkQ/w640-h468/20220710_232920.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>She has a lot of outfit pieces and each of them are really nicely sewn. This is one of OMG's biggest assets imo, their interesting layered outfits. </p><p>Diva comes with her body suit which has little diamantes on the sleeves (one came off during all this, they're just glued in place so be aware they're quite fragile there). Under the body suit she wears this asymetrical sleeve mesh top with a high collar and a leopard print. The long sleeve is a little overlong so it comes down over her hand. </p><p>Over these she wears a skirt made of stretch fabric with a subtle leopard print done with gloss on a matte background. There are false silver laces at the front. </p><p>She also has a metalised pink necklace which looks to be a lot of dangling shard shapes. </p><p>On her other arm she has a black fishnet cuff/sleeve piece. </p><p>Her belt is pink soft rubbery plastic with metalised silver charms hanging from it. They spell out "la" "dy" "di" "va" (lady diva) though the "VA" keeps falling off. They aren't really fixed to the belt in any way, they're just on little hooks that loop over the belt. </p><p>Also odd about the belt is that it has no fixings on it. It doesn't do up at the back at all. It's just this open thing that means it falls off a lot. I ended up wrapping elastic around the ends and pulling them together so it would at least stay in place. A wierd decision there. Why couldn't they have your usual little peg and hole? </p><p>Her boots are decorated with a sort of diamond print that looks a bit like reptile skin. The same pattern is used on her bag. The boots have a little spike at the back and a totally flat sole which helps the doll stand up. </p><p>Over these boots are these long shimmery boot covers which have faux lacing all up the back. They have a little elastic loop stirrup at the bottom which allows them to fit over the boots and stay in place. </p><p>she has one earring, it's a snake in silver. Her other ear has a metalised spiked earphone piece with attached microphone. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoy34qPv53x0EdVemRpLcqknnFTKlmF2KUe4D-oO5rUp6k9zjOT3cw7TPeoV-CA7ggQYTd-5_NreZA95nH0rG_1SFmpxc7qIocMhw_wI-CztZaRhgwPDYaTB7G4GaYvg3TN3HRhQ82NPx_prip2zoB8Li1JQFI8OhKVXXH2SbzgFfva-xMAE5_7MVSiw/s1422/20220711_000543.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1422" data-original-width="1235" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoy34qPv53x0EdVemRpLcqknnFTKlmF2KUe4D-oO5rUp6k9zjOT3cw7TPeoV-CA7ggQYTd-5_NreZA95nH0rG_1SFmpxc7qIocMhw_wI-CztZaRhgwPDYaTB7G4GaYvg3TN3HRhQ82NPx_prip2zoB8Li1JQFI8OhKVXXH2SbzgFfva-xMAE5_7MVSiw/w556-h640/20220711_000543.jpg" width="556" /></a></div><p></p><p>The bag actually opens too which is nice. note the little diamante that came off her bodysuit lol. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHxonvGD-5jBaieGbGIBFCjbo1uw3jHG1FXkO0HKwExqOPkEIhxfeMYcLV167m3tkRTFv-r5L2r0kfQ-6ZevK9WoITR0GlEAD7nO7DNBC_iZ67zb8DK_ebTJ1PAjg0U5BCyPpP1ygeZZC0Z1D-ZiyKkfpLGrKFfsVcB_34voH0xUtvh1o_TCOikGB_tQ/s2784/20220710_232132.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2784" data-original-width="1506" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHxonvGD-5jBaieGbGIBFCjbo1uw3jHG1FXkO0HKwExqOPkEIhxfeMYcLV167m3tkRTFv-r5L2r0kfQ-6ZevK9WoITR0GlEAD7nO7DNBC_iZ67zb8DK_ebTJ1PAjg0U5BCyPpP1ygeZZC0Z1D-ZiyKkfpLGrKFfsVcB_34voH0xUtvh1o_TCOikGB_tQ/w346-h640/20220710_232132.jpg" width="346" /></a></div><p></p><p>Her hair is a pale yellow colour and styled into four pigtail.. things...She doesn't appear to have any super crunchy product in her hair. The curls have something in them to keep them in ringlets but it's relatively soft with only a few little crunchy segements so that's nice too. No rock hard curls here. Horah! Seriously i've become so accustomed to MGA's bulletproof curls, having a doll straight out the box who's hair isn't absolutely solid and sticky is a relief. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH-6W1oC05lsJi8TE-S3-uS98zWOkW9PrmBGzgZzoLzCdeVKZsHU9-FNWe_PwtfoUk3tc70HYLy_AAB-OGRMZGtA-aizIjIpDiuSbEnW0rcafaMXgtXvJ8WXqqsn7yTrIUQiOpcu182d5309NuBqEONuxpm1LFXX7NKiwerAxNMflxCs4N6ORrxTP7Fw/s2494/20220710_232437.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2494" data-original-width="1367" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH-6W1oC05lsJi8TE-S3-uS98zWOkW9PrmBGzgZzoLzCdeVKZsHU9-FNWe_PwtfoUk3tc70HYLy_AAB-OGRMZGtA-aizIjIpDiuSbEnW0rcafaMXgtXvJ8WXqqsn7yTrIUQiOpcu182d5309NuBqEONuxpm1LFXX7NKiwerAxNMflxCs4N6ORrxTP7Fw/w350-h640/20220710_232437.jpg" width="350" /></a></div><p></p><p>Her body is like a scaled up OMG body with the tiny upper body and very broad hips. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSEsHi4hgLR-EQxf4dAX5WUv8PjgjrUL7tiKK8s7TYKeuMzZ5gcUzCHh4pZezBQQshqiFt8QdguhbV3pVfR-V9LL0sWCh3TUOZ_oZfI8yn9M4I2M9uPm1tKoyA8UYFXWEx-hKP5II78d3q0fKpm1ae3s-dH-_V2mdwiuh9B_RnO7hjhQRvhu5Z4fYFIw/s2380/20220710_232450.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2380" data-original-width="1300" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSEsHi4hgLR-EQxf4dAX5WUv8PjgjrUL7tiKK8s7TYKeuMzZ5gcUzCHh4pZezBQQshqiFt8QdguhbV3pVfR-V9LL0sWCh3TUOZ_oZfI8yn9M4I2M9uPm1tKoyA8UYFXWEx-hKP5II78d3q0fKpm1ae3s-dH-_V2mdwiuh9B_RnO7hjhQRvhu5Z4fYFIw/w350-h640/20220710_232450.jpg" width="350" /></a></div><p></p><p>She even has the same butt dimples hahaha. </p><p>UNLIKE the regular OMG dolls however, Diva here has articulated knees. She also seems to be constructed out of more hard plastic than the regular OMGS who have rubbery legs and a degree of rubbery-ness to their arms as well. Diva instead has hard hollow plastic arms and legs which means she's actually a lot lighter than the regular OMGS. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmm80HMIYPSVmkkx6qe-0dhX_ZS0IbQ2F1cwAnuSCKQuujGfHDqU0yM5FGlWeEUCY5pfhG-PqYm0PhmhYT2j2z3TgRgJ4ihc1wMR7VQxAeYoV_ej_WVRUOxYesf-ERcvpaDpENgYKFfVnsWZbxw0T5C9yMO2WSA12I89BR6EnHsDjEA3OGc9j3MxsxVQ/s2072/20220710_232502.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2072" data-original-width="1490" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmm80HMIYPSVmkkx6qe-0dhX_ZS0IbQ2F1cwAnuSCKQuujGfHDqU0yM5FGlWeEUCY5pfhG-PqYm0PhmhYT2j2z3TgRgJ4ihc1wMR7VQxAeYoV_ej_WVRUOxYesf-ERcvpaDpENgYKFfVnsWZbxw0T5C9yMO2WSA12I89BR6EnHsDjEA3OGc9j3MxsxVQ/w460-h640/20220710_232502.jpg" width="460" /></a></div><p></p><p>She also has feet that are separate pieces to her lower leg. I thought at first maybe this meant she had articulated ankles but they only swivel around. I puzzled over it for a while and I THINK it's because her knees don't have any rotational movement in them. They literally only bend forward and back so giving her ankles that can swivel means she can pose with her feet at an angle from her body. </p><p>Least, I assume that's the reason. It's quite odd though. </p><p>The feet are also made of a different plastic to the rest of her, they're very very shiny and a much thinner cheaper feeling plastic. I wonder if these were a last minute change, like it was quicker to just hack the original feet off and ram some new ones on than it was to reengineer the knee joint or something. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ZeRzCI3fQIZ8_09F9k3VsL7_VMRFiy-otjsoDFOrPuPZuZhKWLHGtT1BSDOTn7DF67O68PKXJBpPRdi9a7AUE9LdT-61GPS0ziSOQY4pwMuyTrqMhH1TyZFKvAYzDTk148ejjfo8gbNHiq78yD-8-DIuMBgrTpOKscttff38WU6LV88BtfICSPRZug/s3094/20220710_232529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3094" data-original-width="1662" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ZeRzCI3fQIZ8_09F9k3VsL7_VMRFiy-otjsoDFOrPuPZuZhKWLHGtT1BSDOTn7DF67O68PKXJBpPRdi9a7AUE9LdT-61GPS0ziSOQY4pwMuyTrqMhH1TyZFKvAYzDTk148ejjfo8gbNHiq78yD-8-DIuMBgrTpOKscttff38WU6LV88BtfICSPRZug/w344-h640/20220710_232529.jpg" width="344" /></a></div><p></p><p>Like the regular OMG dolls, Diva can tilt her head side to side but cannot look up and down. This is as far as her head tilts too. It's enough to give her some expression, but not overly impressive. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu90jyMek_AxrAjrYXzCo3OEF7-JuCeWnT_-DCWNXDyf0WGsgModddqCJeGqAQcnh9OvqB-8DIYrqtWX4PTxfQ4lJ71Ybg482cHIYroK-p4ZGsXaJ67sWwydzNiehT7weA27ZGT2Zz6vPqgtsIyWMtA1hHs3p0gCbH3ya-gLP_RIVKS0C5j2yIzQ5O9w/s2804/20220710_232626.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2804" data-original-width="1473" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu90jyMek_AxrAjrYXzCo3OEF7-JuCeWnT_-DCWNXDyf0WGsgModddqCJeGqAQcnh9OvqB-8DIYrqtWX4PTxfQ4lJ71Ybg482cHIYroK-p4ZGsXaJ67sWwydzNiehT7weA27ZGT2Zz6vPqgtsIyWMtA1hHs3p0gCbH3ya-gLP_RIVKS0C5j2yIzQ5O9w/w336-h640/20220710_232626.jpg" width="336" /></a></div><p></p><p>Likewise her arms can't even manage a full 90 degree bend at the elbow due to the way her upper arms are designed. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyQQmLrGIVd3BtZvRY1nTt0RgEQ5qWfPAcuvCEuUlDT3rmICrqsV0oAatgV-YWLZcV0vUeb5nOiVJ0VwIjNsPsDAEYOjP8DuY79t66eL8K7bGyNu2bV-ocaT47C3b_GWw3HAB9fXbj4mG7kTERfNkqPtk4nbOlqn_RQSTtXoHhFJMSCdz9j9wXc4oBng/s2785/20220710_232648.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2785" data-original-width="1462" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyQQmLrGIVd3BtZvRY1nTt0RgEQ5qWfPAcuvCEuUlDT3rmICrqsV0oAatgV-YWLZcV0vUeb5nOiVJ0VwIjNsPsDAEYOjP8DuY79t66eL8K7bGyNu2bV-ocaT47C3b_GWw3HAB9fXbj4mG7kTERfNkqPtk4nbOlqn_RQSTtXoHhFJMSCdz9j9wXc4oBng/w336-h640/20220710_232648.jpg" width="336" /></a></div><p></p><p>This means she can't touch her face at all. </p><p>Instead she looks like she has a headache. </p><p>I find it so odd that MGA continue to be so shit with articulation. Rainbow High showed they CAN actually do decent articulation if they try, but every other line they've ever done has had this crappy half arsed jointing. It's like they only sold their souls for ONE articulated doll line and the rest have to make do with these scraps. </p><p>the engineering of this body is very similar to the 2010 "Party Bratz" bodies. Better than a static body, but really pretty unimpressive in terms of poseability. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ77qF0X5PY6gIgPDYTo4QdSbzO_nseC5gMzxWlSFhmOYpI00TEdl2PccpW2CJ3AF8z-m6nhQCurbTJGuzceD8kSPG5lHEM4WwyDa5WSaU34iRna8DRFh_feA2LT4rSzAloTPZMfEXNOX8QJWUKM27-ROzL0e9Lz4lq-xHtTzg0mmMVJ7a54KELO2gyQ/s2287/20220710_232718.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2287" data-original-width="1587" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ77qF0X5PY6gIgPDYTo4QdSbzO_nseC5gMzxWlSFhmOYpI00TEdl2PccpW2CJ3AF8z-m6nhQCurbTJGuzceD8kSPG5lHEM4WwyDa5WSaU34iRna8DRFh_feA2LT4rSzAloTPZMfEXNOX8QJWUKM27-ROzL0e9Lz4lq-xHtTzg0mmMVJ7a54KELO2gyQ/w444-h640/20220710_232718.jpg" width="444" /></a></div><p></p><p>This is as far as her knees bend which is utterly pathetic. </p><p>Her upper legs also have no outward movement either, just hinged backwards and forwards like a 1990s Barbie doll. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR4qwiwZGwH8li7q0E2EfgoxN51WXOBefgB1e8Hv8IVruaW1nCE4V0UxwZIxuA85c5xdZfTvQIzLIYtuB45BJocx_TJyhzyvnJADako0DKWWcSq-j2zb2hp88VPEIda-XWOtD5q4TKIY54jEQxB_sEvcGnI7B2cYvFjUHvzz1lCDnrI_E9rKZhDtxN3Q/s2996/20220710_232744.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2996" data-original-width="1790" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR4qwiwZGwH8li7q0E2EfgoxN51WXOBefgB1e8Hv8IVruaW1nCE4V0UxwZIxuA85c5xdZfTvQIzLIYtuB45BJocx_TJyhzyvnJADako0DKWWcSq-j2zb2hp88VPEIda-XWOtD5q4TKIY54jEQxB_sEvcGnI7B2cYvFjUHvzz1lCDnrI_E9rKZhDtxN3Q/w382-h640/20220710_232744.jpg" width="382" /></a></div><br /><p>At least her knees bend enough that she can sit okay though. </p><p>But ultimately, this is very outdated engineering going on here. It's fine for a doll i'm just gonna sit on a shelf but at the same time, this line is very much aimed as a "deluxe" line for older kids and collectors, two groups who really DO like articulation. </p><p>I suppose ultimately, I do prefer decent clothing and hair to joints though. Maybe MGA had a really strict budget for these. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJqsFckb-bPiyTluz9aa5oKJbUSa06xXvGH7u7rxzPUsZKfGihjktv7aQ4KCvEZb5IATrthULVD9uInoVuZZGdOU-4ANC832oXmYconLo6EG-R7MawfRFalEWaNa-9LSO2aCra2zfj7Bnes8GSU_doalWNPAcO_rDiPTNVcx5EfRunSfWG7J4d965K6Q/s1336/20220710_233856.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1336" data-original-width="1071" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJqsFckb-bPiyTluz9aa5oKJbUSa06xXvGH7u7rxzPUsZKfGihjktv7aQ4KCvEZb5IATrthULVD9uInoVuZZGdOU-4ANC832oXmYconLo6EG-R7MawfRFalEWaNa-9LSO2aCra2zfj7Bnes8GSU_doalWNPAcO_rDiPTNVcx5EfRunSfWG7J4d965K6Q/w514-h640/20220710_233856.jpg" width="514" /></a></div><p></p><p>The hand mold looks to be a modified scaled up version of the OMG hand. Longer less detailed palms and a shorter pet. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjczDB4yHaTB_z4Y4nDP9-9nVV92L5JYh_NqhRr-UZmeHsRxYBDyIsmEfSBHt-qSm0XDXhR-ePS5ULUSUAUyNs-N5EuzGmoGoJD5kfXDTZ6nukGhaP724zTuS8c-zsL90sZgimSOsCmONTEfEXhronZ-feLLOdk6htDFEGjuaEoYffb4L_OWMWsGYdnWQ/s3877/20220710_233121.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3877" data-original-width="2664" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjczDB4yHaTB_z4Y4nDP9-9nVV92L5JYh_NqhRr-UZmeHsRxYBDyIsmEfSBHt-qSm0XDXhR-ePS5ULUSUAUyNs-N5EuzGmoGoJD5kfXDTZ6nukGhaP724zTuS8c-zsL90sZgimSOsCmONTEfEXhronZ-feLLOdk6htDFEGjuaEoYffb4L_OWMWsGYdnWQ/w440-h640/20220710_233121.jpg" width="440" /></a></div><p></p><p>Putting the dolls shoulder to shoulder highlights the similarities between the bodies. The torsos look quite similar, the Fierce doll just has longer limbs. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNBKQaduVSJYo6r1M0ZjDVrPD0JVMwMbMqggjmaALXKPcucftOSCor2w1rHQEnCEl1YlZ9evpEbSCxSC2HgmQXZVBSe6sXSPm4v9vrEl3NkAdIxlFFErGAdJVWxxioAHmpe5SM1VvDwrn4v17YZIUcibd25N3g3v3hsiPI_h9yKwudggvXls49qY-qcg/s3470/20220710_233310.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3470" data-original-width="2193" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNBKQaduVSJYo6r1M0ZjDVrPD0JVMwMbMqggjmaALXKPcucftOSCor2w1rHQEnCEl1YlZ9evpEbSCxSC2HgmQXZVBSe6sXSPm4v9vrEl3NkAdIxlFFErGAdJVWxxioAHmpe5SM1VvDwrn4v17YZIUcibd25N3g3v3hsiPI_h9yKwudggvXls49qY-qcg/w404-h640/20220710_233310.jpg" width="404" /></a></div><p></p><p>They do not however share a torso completely because while the tops from the OMG dolls fit perfectly, the pants do not. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7G9BhhGMcO_BIhJzla-lzS1CX3c8s4CRWIi3YAZUakllW6jaozbHSYfDuWlaD5YzQPRrZ6qd_ucHMccvb3S51kJ-J-LRthvgBmMQTGvqY0UE7g0vTigmWANb4FIctsgZvD3S3EiJA97EM16xPAF9QaSwNW9NSZ52cTK8BK4OcLnQkrKirchOMjcJcuA/s3142/20220710_233316.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3142" data-original-width="1325" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7G9BhhGMcO_BIhJzla-lzS1CX3c8s4CRWIi3YAZUakllW6jaozbHSYfDuWlaD5YzQPRrZ6qd_ucHMccvb3S51kJ-J-LRthvgBmMQTGvqY0UE7g0vTigmWANb4FIctsgZvD3S3EiJA97EM16xPAF9QaSwNW9NSZ52cTK8BK4OcLnQkrKirchOMjcJcuA/w270-h640/20220710_233316.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><p></p><p>This girl has far too much junk in the trunk. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5_lnAh-hr71IcUlIM9bvmAD7WCr1Jj_aAqAURbd3b2zxOQn8H6B6AF99WbHPnmog3LT_1AJZOoXZR8pLg9VEtqthI5qJGldEJ0o8vJDzphivkK_sEIbadCTZ4DTV9Q0SS_MZuc_CBeeLNPd6ZVRk99iVc4IeADRhcWn_38OzhF_pyZJGaRrxlSUchxg/s3875/20220710_233544.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3875" data-original-width="1801" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5_lnAh-hr71IcUlIM9bvmAD7WCr1Jj_aAqAURbd3b2zxOQn8H6B6AF99WbHPnmog3LT_1AJZOoXZR8pLg9VEtqthI5qJGldEJ0o8vJDzphivkK_sEIbadCTZ4DTV9Q0SS_MZuc_CBeeLNPd6ZVRk99iVc4IeADRhcWn_38OzhF_pyZJGaRrxlSUchxg/w298-h640/20220710_233544.jpg" width="298" /></a></div><p></p><p>Diva's outfit is a little big on Agent Soul here but it's not too bad honestly. The skirt is a little baggy and the jumpsuit a teensy bit roomy but it doesn't look that off. </p><p>The shoes are slightly big on Soul but seem to be a pretty close fit. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRWl-CGfNZ56EAxHAxL1bQFJHc5vDVJl8W9bJYBmAnXP0qTQW4sfz5pIxhCPjDQtcfreAmu8WwkY2G_IpyrAMyisKRSAx6Tnt-70HtV0XzM0IZznOwCYSDuvHP90pzaroGQFLpBj-lHXY5JSwLqUlAkxIEvtwd1gMzQ-o4aDRjcTeNDGToA6iR9j4IxQ/s3065/20220710_234341.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3065" data-original-width="1171" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRWl-CGfNZ56EAxHAxL1bQFJHc5vDVJl8W9bJYBmAnXP0qTQW4sfz5pIxhCPjDQtcfreAmu8WwkY2G_IpyrAMyisKRSAx6Tnt-70HtV0XzM0IZznOwCYSDuvHP90pzaroGQFLpBj-lHXY5JSwLqUlAkxIEvtwd1gMzQ-o4aDRjcTeNDGToA6iR9j4IxQ/w244-h640/20220710_234341.jpg" width="244" /></a></div><p></p><p>Because Diva's outfit is stretchy it fits onto Rainbow High very nicely. Simone looks gorgeous in it. </p><p>the boot covers won't fit though as Diva's legs are substantially longer than the Rainbow High doll legs.</p><p>Also a fun aside, the Fierce hands fit the Rainbow High body perfectly and Diva and Simone are a near perfect skintone match. So that's fun too. </p><p>They can't share shoes, Rainbow High feet have a much shallower heel. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3KIXp8p2stmp55hrY0TN1NjFGo_GTS1XAf5PDsJ_d0vLFOdPQpd_Ms2svRVcGfF-aJkJfNn9_XHtqoQXgjlc0JbPFN3CqAcnN71mJooseYQIdC1pMvhaw_4ZRXLN-PiYlwNjOioRYXv97NbwPzGQiBoVf8Kd9usc1ewEw1NtiD0OqqOSk6UWwmLX12g/s2744/20220710_234518.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2744" data-original-width="2575" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3KIXp8p2stmp55hrY0TN1NjFGo_GTS1XAf5PDsJ_d0vLFOdPQpd_Ms2svRVcGfF-aJkJfNn9_XHtqoQXgjlc0JbPFN3CqAcnN71mJooseYQIdC1pMvhaw_4ZRXLN-PiYlwNjOioRYXv97NbwPzGQiBoVf8Kd9usc1ewEw1NtiD0OqqOSk6UWwmLX12g/w600-h640/20220710_234518.jpg" width="600" /></a></div><p></p><p>Rainbow High pants and skirts seem to fit the Fierce body very nicely, but the tops are predicably far too big. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhARxuPXQWsFF9VWqQM6QVSB5N_lqixnbxczwDv2KBkG61Sgqd3TWnzbRzcmT_7-FL5tcJFnbxauY9ryGBNCKdvisMfhunLsu_8Se6OTvhHaOgMZ0IaV6v6GPVdwakHorxtAD6vdU9W6KBefB074SL_YUE-4vFkgTknlhq3pROTfUmaM882psAh3KliUg/s1894/20220710_233609.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1894" data-original-width="1293" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhARxuPXQWsFF9VWqQM6QVSB5N_lqixnbxczwDv2KBkG61Sgqd3TWnzbRzcmT_7-FL5tcJFnbxauY9ryGBNCKdvisMfhunLsu_8Se6OTvhHaOgMZ0IaV6v6GPVdwakHorxtAD6vdU9W6KBefB074SL_YUE-4vFkgTknlhq3pROTfUmaM882psAh3KliUg/w436-h640/20220710_233609.jpg" width="436" /></a></div><p></p><p>incidentally, Monster High shoes fit Diva so that's nice to know.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCtxKVRUnVfJO8j8oa6JRVXQ6U85SVKsIh0uZjb4hrEsVor7pQob3PjIwaOuB3OzcIn24Ms0ogOLmttywYSon9UXQd7V1MPkCME436PSUaUl9C8gm2485FTo3l0cTHEGmDuzttr15Ie3k0JYNCkjGZbuPWn2nKighEZFjcxnhMEXY8dxFf5AQNwvuvCw/s3704/20220710_234723.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3704" data-original-width="1973" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCtxKVRUnVfJO8j8oa6JRVXQ6U85SVKsIh0uZjb4hrEsVor7pQob3PjIwaOuB3OzcIn24Ms0ogOLmttywYSon9UXQd7V1MPkCME436PSUaUl9C8gm2485FTo3l0cTHEGmDuzttr15Ie3k0JYNCkjGZbuPWn2nKighEZFjcxnhMEXY8dxFf5AQNwvuvCw/w340-h640/20220710_234723.jpg" width="340" /></a></div><p>I also looked at Barbie but as Barbie's torso is significantly longer than Diva's, there's no way they'll fit one anothers clothing. </p><p>Some Barbie pants or skirts might fit okay but generally speaking Diva's thicker thighs and teensy cinched waist and tiny upper body will mean almost all Barbie stuff just won't fit her and vice versa. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhug7E51w83p-9gfsmAT3BMI9zhqr0ZThqH9bfvu-5y1G-5kw1Ht6wI4oDhd_rZ46qlWme4FGbrPoJqMl3dkVAq5-Wha5MK47Rtz-ksNZK6xRPvz6JeFKcKzaudIUp4zPOkFgG0cUv5I3f-W41EMcvPuo0RoSETJkWS8OiszWi8_J1ExQ71qFztDV0dlg/s2733/20220711_000655.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2733" data-original-width="1556" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhug7E51w83p-9gfsmAT3BMI9zhqr0ZThqH9bfvu-5y1G-5kw1Ht6wI4oDhd_rZ46qlWme4FGbrPoJqMl3dkVAq5-Wha5MK47Rtz-ksNZK6xRPvz6JeFKcKzaudIUp4zPOkFgG0cUv5I3f-W41EMcvPuo0RoSETJkWS8OiszWi8_J1ExQ71qFztDV0dlg/w364-h640/20220711_000655.jpg" width="364" /></a></div><br /><p>Putting Diva back into her outfit I once more marvelled at how soft her wrap is. It's gorgeous and I am in love with it. </p><p>Ahem. </p><p>And i'm happy to report that even after trying her clothing on any doll in easy grabbing reach, I only lost ONE diamante stud and no seams popped, no threads snagged and nothing broke. </p><p>I did keep losing that damn VA charm though. There has GOT to be a better way to affix those charms to the belt, surely? </p><p>Diva did come with a stand but the base is HUGE and I find the LOL stands just take up far too much space anyway. Diva cannot stand unaided, but she stays on her feet fairly well if you balance her against a wall or another more stable doll hahaha. <br /></p><p>I'm very impressed with Diva. I wish her glasses wouldn't constantly slide down her dang face but otherwise she's a pretty cool doll. She has so much more attitude than the standard OMG dolls. And I mean I quite LIKE the standard OMG dolls. I enjoy the variety of hair styles and textures and their multi layered often quite OTT outfits. I find them quite fun. </p><p>Fierce has taken that and dialled it up to 11 and I am here for it. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqe8FPqMnxjOkysCJT8nkfQzFMUXWxlo0rKj1tASoo1zGa1ngQwN_CEEF6CLyYB53vsKwcdzp3XfCxNFyh6ZmyhJhH_TZgkDg2TX-hFkyZ5Vfij4SqT98DMgVFvci_hpStTQGdnbclc0oSWLQ9eNKsXcIx9-L5uC_lsDMCJJq_oAwxm-lCve5dN_E1Vw/s2669/20220712_185902.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2669" data-original-width="1809" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqe8FPqMnxjOkysCJT8nkfQzFMUXWxlo0rKj1tASoo1zGa1ngQwN_CEEF6CLyYB53vsKwcdzp3XfCxNFyh6ZmyhJhH_TZgkDg2TX-hFkyZ5Vfij4SqT98DMgVFvci_hpStTQGdnbclc0oSWLQ9eNKsXcIx9-L5uC_lsDMCJJq_oAwxm-lCve5dN_E1Vw/w434-h640/20220712_185902.jpg" width="434" /></a></div><p></p><p>Royal Bee is even MORE detailed. Which is impressive. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjziPsFt0K8OcgzFKB_yoQBHLpkK8COSpoU4UiqBKuZzHg2C11J5Yx06l4XGB9bZvnYr9uV7DL3tOsxPgxQEBce2_VCIbhQ0sVZmBEv8u5-pyNP2K7CiDsrSixPOaZ9AT7dFzQZYlF6me9JCyy6o_ttdjuColeLm0_0mAYsGOn2NbfbHYglIugoQLdEPQ/s1725/20220712_185908.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1725" data-original-width="1664" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjziPsFt0K8OcgzFKB_yoQBHLpkK8COSpoU4UiqBKuZzHg2C11J5Yx06l4XGB9bZvnYr9uV7DL3tOsxPgxQEBce2_VCIbhQ0sVZmBEv8u5-pyNP2K7CiDsrSixPOaZ9AT7dFzQZYlF6me9JCyy6o_ttdjuColeLm0_0mAYsGOn2NbfbHYglIugoQLdEPQ/w618-h640/20220712_185908.jpg" width="618" /></a></div><p></p><p>Her makeup is a bit more subdued than Diva's with a thin gold strip above the lid and glittery dark lips. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggday_ra_gjCoLIEA4AH0BY66SCLxNC3AcHbG1lZQJMq9qGYTBjLfTnalL_z3pkw2vjoNidK7sUudlXiiB2CF2Q4l3HXYFE_IU3SuokwYqF8_uN11-CPnPMqpS6Oax9PyuN-Ox0_GLEUK8Z8eAqTKQEKBHs9IGd-vVDhX-Iw6cG3mJPObGh3G5QHra_A/s2574/20220712_185925.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2574" data-original-width="1777" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggday_ra_gjCoLIEA4AH0BY66SCLxNC3AcHbG1lZQJMq9qGYTBjLfTnalL_z3pkw2vjoNidK7sUudlXiiB2CF2Q4l3HXYFE_IU3SuokwYqF8_uN11-CPnPMqpS6Oax9PyuN-Ox0_GLEUK8Z8eAqTKQEKBHs9IGd-vVDhX-Iw6cG3mJPObGh3G5QHra_A/w442-h640/20220712_185925.jpg" width="442" /></a></div><p></p><p>Her hair is curly, dark brown and streaked with gold. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDnC1-PIvS3ijVGmlhe6cRcsDa-zkD3jov2rnu0cTdtMYxlMHnziBm3q2u0Qg8-kbzlk_eHDZK5gY63jlvXO6_MStgrQ9NF50iNcALDcwexmpu8MzZRqtTlU7KYTXy0Wp6OfH1JGoJyYPkHO2SPw7lo2W6bW4SrA77enduP5YGsN3gY9DgdUVG1i6jMA/s2999/20220712_185938.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2952" data-original-width="2999" height="630" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDnC1-PIvS3ijVGmlhe6cRcsDa-zkD3jov2rnu0cTdtMYxlMHnziBm3q2u0Qg8-kbzlk_eHDZK5gY63jlvXO6_MStgrQ9NF50iNcALDcwexmpu8MzZRqtTlU7KYTXy0Wp6OfH1JGoJyYPkHO2SPw7lo2W6bW4SrA77enduP5YGsN3gY9DgdUVG1i6jMA/w640-h630/20220712_185938.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>For some reason sometimes her glitter lips photograph a bit too frosty. </p><p>Her hair style is very very complicated at the top with this braided section styled into loops. There are little painted spiked sections at the front. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirucyjozalKAZivxlt1w13-kK9KGRflUfzwAqcCPj3FoeuTxzNHDibWwMpJ0_9D8zRYa_8ZRfnSyaTtTEPhvcawbs2Wawla4lqAWeE6feEwJMGyI5cDLEc39IjAsXDao9HiQbBDjFUU_xyCNTH2eJLQLwuddq59N53Ma834BJr63nAX5ErC1yqAeAXtw/s2906/20220712_190021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2906" data-original-width="1883" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirucyjozalKAZivxlt1w13-kK9KGRflUfzwAqcCPj3FoeuTxzNHDibWwMpJ0_9D8zRYa_8ZRfnSyaTtTEPhvcawbs2Wawla4lqAWeE6feEwJMGyI5cDLEc39IjAsXDao9HiQbBDjFUU_xyCNTH2eJLQLwuddq59N53Ma834BJr63nAX5ErC1yqAeAXtw/w414-h640/20220712_190021.jpg" width="414" /></a></div><p></p><p>Her bag is a cute hexagon shape with a gold bee clasp. It doesn't stay closed without elastic. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihHeDd5k04yt1IuueAfc0eNmadcK8GYoZtI_YNV70hw4Elqk05xnQvutETcAbB4BYWeg2ozL8ZR1HL9OAA6yJhVT4Jz0ydAMWP83sP6SakSLqBofttNg5EiyMp3LWwVo5lksvMmdPsD_Hf08PYLOeoFAZsn2LK-CrqV5l5B0Iwx2rmBa3LMbpB3beK3g/s3740/20220712_190555.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1905" data-original-width="3740" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihHeDd5k04yt1IuueAfc0eNmadcK8GYoZtI_YNV70hw4Elqk05xnQvutETcAbB4BYWeg2ozL8ZR1HL9OAA6yJhVT4Jz0ydAMWP83sP6SakSLqBofttNg5EiyMp3LWwVo5lksvMmdPsD_Hf08PYLOeoFAZsn2LK-CrqV5l5B0Iwx2rmBa3LMbpB3beK3g/w640-h326/20220712_190555.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>She comes with a lot of pieces. Her overshirt and pleather shorts are worn over the top of a black mesh bodysuit which was unexpected. Her necklace and bracelet are metalised gold with little bees on them. Her earrings are double hoops. </p><p>Her fishnet kneehighs are black shot with gold so they sparkle. Over these she wears black ankle boots with a gold heel. </p><p>She also has some pleather arm cuffs. </p><p>Finally she comes with a pair of wierd wing shaped glasses and a belt with a long mesh train on it that like her fishnets, is shot with gold thread. </p><p>The shirt has cone (hive?) shaped shoulder pieces and metal chains dangling from the front and one shoulder. The hem is rucked up so it flares out at the hips. </p><p>Her shorts have little gold square studs which come off very very easily. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihI1mZLjitoBjt5jQZb7EUINgpd_PsiBTn-hyw1me7zfOBMwW_eLnVsti-81O7Wg3Te7JyY0RdmP5hG0c3PsM19h9Aaz1A9PRszAxLzUNVmaZCO4bYa-ZdKJGlW1NLttUyl7cZru7s5pJDOOiG9W3gM1vqYk3PgwownL_TRB1rK6tP51DB0B0L0UgYMg/s2991/20220712_191001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2991" data-original-width="1858" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihI1mZLjitoBjt5jQZb7EUINgpd_PsiBTn-hyw1me7zfOBMwW_eLnVsti-81O7Wg3Te7JyY0RdmP5hG0c3PsM19h9Aaz1A9PRszAxLzUNVmaZCO4bYa-ZdKJGlW1NLttUyl7cZru7s5pJDOOiG9W3gM1vqYk3PgwownL_TRB1rK6tP51DB0B0L0UgYMg/w398-h640/20220712_191001.jpg" width="398" /></a></div><p></p><p>So if one desires, Bee can have a far more casual look. </p><p>Interestingly, her bodysuit straps attach with a hook and loop rather than elastic. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWqAMU3rPjPXc21utyVtzm8MsN73eMUmNHoKnMc-RehD4N4BulM95RVvX-CCI75WSy8rfYa4m-xjFEks9jbp0jNlJ9uK8zy0aYz1s9uvnqZqPE_P_BOReFyi3TjUO5BM89KSO6HoOJYhfn7GU3tMeQHcuhulzYW6sOXbc4ek0MWW_chGmHecsCwx15Rw/s3000/20220712_191553.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2761" data-original-width="3000" height="590" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWqAMU3rPjPXc21utyVtzm8MsN73eMUmNHoKnMc-RehD4N4BulM95RVvX-CCI75WSy8rfYa4m-xjFEks9jbp0jNlJ9uK8zy0aYz1s9uvnqZqPE_P_BOReFyi3TjUO5BM89KSO6HoOJYhfn7GU3tMeQHcuhulzYW6sOXbc4ek0MWW_chGmHecsCwx15Rw/w640-h590/20220712_191553.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>Her glasses are wierd. Not only are they very difficult to get to stay on her face, even when you position them properly they're just very very silly looking. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7vk1LlaXV84kHFVaDosIxpszPS7Y7TsiiErGe-UQ29dYHQV6pm_RLQXfg-AQY55nWW5KyJDRLY1Ggo6SByQMpVPhUYolN68g1GBoxcBlI7hlggfLI9UVrrgZH_E3Xb1QydFDgSmJTiV9hBzQauWNc1e69hzYkm2OJJK3t7rzf2yIxcod58R_2Njd5wA/s2802/20220712_191607.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2802" data-original-width="1810" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7vk1LlaXV84kHFVaDosIxpszPS7Y7TsiiErGe-UQ29dYHQV6pm_RLQXfg-AQY55nWW5KyJDRLY1Ggo6SByQMpVPhUYolN68g1GBoxcBlI7hlggfLI9UVrrgZH_E3Xb1QydFDgSmJTiV9hBzQauWNc1e69hzYkm2OJJK3t7rzf2yIxcod58R_2Njd5wA/w414-h640/20220712_191607.jpg" width="414" /></a></div><p></p><p>She gives me huge Beyonce vibes, or at least some pop star. She's pretty awesome. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz5UNdtAqcgjIgNqEHWlAjK1oIfDVdKpATNN4to6JbGx2fNJi5-dY6WGy8YmXmrYbSzbGNMxFPUS4ose_jgkdD84y4k4gvOos6Yjc5ayK8bFOGv09isdJf-i_KEaHdHoqSBsqQRA8C49KKAvk3Qb3FifzjEGGgYfIMZfr4-pFNYUm_t1KcluXa96C4TQ/s2427/20220712_191654.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2330" data-original-width="2427" height="614" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz5UNdtAqcgjIgNqEHWlAjK1oIfDVdKpATNN4to6JbGx2fNJi5-dY6WGy8YmXmrYbSzbGNMxFPUS4ose_jgkdD84y4k4gvOos6Yjc5ayK8bFOGv09isdJf-i_KEaHdHoqSBsqQRA8C49KKAvk3Qb3FifzjEGGgYfIMZfr4-pFNYUm_t1KcluXa96C4TQ/w640-h614/20220712_191654.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>The two of them are gorgeous over the top pop divas. </p><p>I'm enjoying this new line and maybe it'll breathe some fresh life into the OMGs. Or it might be a flash in the pan of a brand that's reaching their end. I hope we do see more of this spinoff, they're a lot of fun and at £35, only a couple of pounds more than a regular OMG, they feel like pretty good value for money. </p><p>now granted they are ALSO the same price as Rainbow High and only come with one outfit, but the outfit they come with is far more detailed with the layers than any of the rainbow high stuff and far far more over the top aesthetically. </p><p>I only wish they had better elbow jointing, they are very very awkward to pose as a result of their limited arm movement and it's a massive pity. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Purple_monkfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023284779817354246noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3031605728160552641.post-84128486669424856942022-05-28T15:07:00.003+01:002022-05-28T15:07:38.303+01:00Cry Babies BFF by IMC<p> Amazon IT was pretty awesome about Meena's issues and gave me some vouchers, which I promptly used to purchase a new doll line that had me curious. </p><p>Spanish company IMC's foray into fashion dolls is a spinoff of their wildly popular baby dolls</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://toyworldmag.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Cry-Babies.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="258" data-original-width="480" height="344" src="http://toyworldmag.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Cry-Babies.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Which are definitely NOT my cup of tea but seem to be quite loved by kids. </p><p>IMC in fact don't have many brands, Crybabies and VIP pets are the big ones. As far as I can tell, they've never actually made fashion dolls before so the BFFs are very much new territory for them. </p><p>They're listed at £21 on Amazon UK but not currently in stock. Amazon It lists them at 32 euros which puts them in line with MGA's and Mattel's lines pricewise. </p><p>Anyway, let's get a look at this new doll shall we? </p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p>So I don't know a huge amount about the Crybabies as a franchise, but it looks like they have an animated series and several spinoff toy lines already.</p><p>the basic dolls are big headed baby dolls with cute onesies often in animal themes and large painted eyes that appear to be inset into their heads. Their gimmick is that they actually cry. </p><p>Uh.. okay? </p><p>The BFF line takes 6 of the characters from the regular baby doll line and reimagines them as tweens. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPM0DO75K78Zc7XwHSoWRMfQNOCEBBUF7FahSt-9KarauiKDz94dTtmMO4kW73kPVt1RA1zkcrncfQPxNnpOX4cs3YNfb0e5hxa2EosU1UkkGtshfgCccfN__5AbWI8lM4OMLk4oDbIU802N71Gut9liu_rn2KCokLW9V3e0JM5Oq_-C3Sz6lTDxM6Dg/s1500/81nSfh3AzlS._AC_SL1500_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1076" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPM0DO75K78Zc7XwHSoWRMfQNOCEBBUF7FahSt-9KarauiKDz94dTtmMO4kW73kPVt1RA1zkcrncfQPxNnpOX4cs3YNfb0e5hxa2EosU1UkkGtshfgCccfN__5AbWI8lM4OMLk4oDbIU802N71Gut9liu_rn2KCokLW9V3e0JM5Oq_-C3Sz6lTDxM6Dg/w288-h400/81nSfh3AzlS._AC_SL1500_.jpg" width="288" /></a></div><br /> I chose Phoebe, the only black doll in the lineup who's baby doll looks like this. She's a bit different to the usual crybabies in that she's electronic. She plays music and doubles as a night light or something. <p></p><p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8JkHW023ehulxkh_0XlFB1BS7Dm0qPvx1px0IR9guUbHi8b8TPOXDZ69aTklqh8N-bzOsL1tfNHmXC4hi4zKoPjrMTauumB8f6DFMEKHjxzabfmlw6SSD4qEgCS6-A2GrvIQr4bzWMb5VBjsoNuJkATZ1YW1FZ3j5lMvQPRogmmgJqdWAY1aLrnbixA/s2832/20220525_182435.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2832" data-original-width="2045" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8JkHW023ehulxkh_0XlFB1BS7Dm0qPvx1px0IR9guUbHi8b8TPOXDZ69aTklqh8N-bzOsL1tfNHmXC4hi4zKoPjrMTauumB8f6DFMEKHjxzabfmlw6SSD4qEgCS6-A2GrvIQr4bzWMb5VBjsoNuJkATZ1YW1FZ3j5lMvQPRogmmgJqdWAY1aLrnbixA/w462-h640/20220525_182435.jpg" width="462" /></a></div><p></p><p>The BFF packaging was unexpected. It's a card box with a plastic tube on one side. The tube is a thick sturdy plastic and three of the four segments spin, with a different image of Phoebe on each side. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYloxKEcaZLhuIYy-tVbjWrgYoQ2kCo-BdSdwRA4p_4a8GU1IXaAZRjDqmYLuxVX0ePeTWNGa1g_YNbNqx4m8YM7HYE70tbEENseGc8KWXGBe80zTBPn8rqytKNzwJtQUYrd_tDxISM4dp16u9i9za_Z-9WsEOBhvuyGVt1FvlJhvmOAfoQDIdr2jRoA/s2614/20220525_182358.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2614" data-original-width="2013" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYloxKEcaZLhuIYy-tVbjWrgYoQ2kCo-BdSdwRA4p_4a8GU1IXaAZRjDqmYLuxVX0ePeTWNGa1g_YNbNqx4m8YM7HYE70tbEENseGc8KWXGBe80zTBPn8rqytKNzwJtQUYrd_tDxISM4dp16u9i9za_Z-9WsEOBhvuyGVt1FvlJhvmOAfoQDIdr2jRoA/w492-h640/20220525_182358.jpg" width="492" /></a></div><p></p><p>So you can mix and match different poses or something. It's cute but not all the image segments line up that well. </p><p>This packaging definitely takes inspiration from the LOL OMG packaging but brings it's own spin to things (lol get it? spin. I'm sorry.) </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZF7GBOypYK7cUskjrMggKk7BJqJnRPYZJtKIaVLOKOuvVt6dSzlijo3lXWG1F1BhVltRUZjn2NMFRhtm5_broA-vD5BwynQbnhxGTBrOCYA_85shCTs9bW-s49I25sSRIzbCmMNVWreJig7Y5QfMWx4-pJJ5xcxl8v7iLiK7Iv35261w7XeAr7xzosg/s2355/20220525_182416.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2355" data-original-width="2016" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZF7GBOypYK7cUskjrMggKk7BJqJnRPYZJtKIaVLOKOuvVt6dSzlijo3lXWG1F1BhVltRUZjn2NMFRhtm5_broA-vD5BwynQbnhxGTBrOCYA_85shCTs9bW-s49I25sSRIzbCmMNVWreJig7Y5QfMWx4-pJJ5xcxl8v7iLiK7Iv35261w7XeAr7xzosg/w548-h640/20220525_182416.jpg" width="548" /></a></div><br /> The back of the box shows us the 6 characters in cgi form. I kinda wish they'd shown them as dolls, I prefer to see the actual dolls than renders but ahh well. <p></p><p>So we have Kristal who appears to be dressed as a polarbear? Jenna who's a unicorn, Dotty who's a dog, Phoebe who's a triceratops (lol spot the odd one out!), Stella who is all uh.. crystal... themed. I don't actually know what she's supposed to be. Mermaid? Fish? I looked up her original baby doll and it really didn't answer anything. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://imctoys.com/sites/default/files/styles/toy_slider/public/toy/81901IM_KISS_STELLA_B%2BAMAZON_secondary_image_CRY_BABIES_02__1.png?itok=CmtKkYTB" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="600" src="https://imctoys.com/sites/default/files/styles/toy_slider/public/toy/81901IM_KISS_STELLA_B%2BAMAZON_secondary_image_CRY_BABIES_02__1.png?itok=CmtKkYTB" width="600" /></a></div><p></p><p>Narwhal? </p><p>I mean that hat is clearly some sort of marine animal and she has a horn so... it's gotta be a narwhal right? A really wierd narwhal. </p><p>I don't know. </p><p>and Katie appears to be a cat. </p><p>So rather a random assortment of critters. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcoxTax8t8OF-P-UcCbk118XgTS0v6McDVX7X8zkbd_hwFBiE_8zW66eJ3v_JM5QrUJJRW7z8oXeyFd7CtmOAh_bcMeASZFcG-2YIQgKkSHW9sxhjYkbQ-LEgUL5Pe8FFm7svyH0-M_PSPEFeSqkoXXEqFMv9fBH7QT9ZO2yCB5FHQJ2Uonffvb79qbQ/s2668/20220525_182539.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2668" data-original-width="2315" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcoxTax8t8OF-P-UcCbk118XgTS0v6McDVX7X8zkbd_hwFBiE_8zW66eJ3v_JM5QrUJJRW7z8oXeyFd7CtmOAh_bcMeASZFcG-2YIQgKkSHW9sxhjYkbQ-LEgUL5Pe8FFm7svyH0-M_PSPEFeSqkoXXEqFMv9fBH7QT9ZO2yCB5FHQJ2Uonffvb79qbQ/w556-h640/20220525_182539.jpg" width="556" /></a></div><p></p><p>Further cribbing off LOL OMG the BFF box hinges open to show a closet/room. </p><p>Inside we have her headress, a big plastic triceratops frill headband which is elastic banded to the box and a big cardboard box. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWwNA0CE2WW4qmGQxL-lNkpilbUqy0VQp2CoIM7I9_-jOJ8p7g753Eig7tzgMZ3TS8_ThlsRoRe3HZSDAVGR9u0JvQAhTQsOzMeULpiVH2l-eAxg8l9RetbeY2hn7LDEbHdRtTH-YDsOgABp0VZGcnZ0xuICPBy6giusnVxh1RTzwZdMDYwLdKm4wXFg/s3500/20220525_182939.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3500" data-original-width="2958" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWwNA0CE2WW4qmGQxL-lNkpilbUqy0VQp2CoIM7I9_-jOJ8p7g753Eig7tzgMZ3TS8_ThlsRoRe3HZSDAVGR9u0JvQAhTQsOzMeULpiVH2l-eAxg8l9RetbeY2hn7LDEbHdRtTH-YDsOgABp0VZGcnZ0xuICPBy6giusnVxh1RTzwZdMDYwLdKm4wXFg/w540-h640/20220525_182939.jpg" width="540" /></a></div><br /><p>The cardboard box contains all her accessories. Shoes, socks, bag and necklace. </p><p>Her little room is cute with a retro egg chair, some sort of perfume? a tv screen and a little globe star projector to one side which is a cute nod to her original baby doll's nightlight feature. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkFNYdv4UUCUWUCuYQZ2Q4kLi4kzgUDaWPEm-YaRQJLrqXvm_VnANiipesCJekQStmEwzfSWUw-KgUGpQ2aPlJ4BcXoDgdpukL89_OaNCJLwA-unHqMaZHuPc2ZdduAYJVAl6hW3ChLnevfEbWb3SWUe93deQ0-WNHqaqRyJ8mJoC2BdmFACfnjneFrA/s2017/20220525_183017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1851" data-original-width="2017" height="588" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkFNYdv4UUCUWUCuYQZ2Q4kLi4kzgUDaWPEm-YaRQJLrqXvm_VnANiipesCJekQStmEwzfSWUw-KgUGpQ2aPlJ4BcXoDgdpukL89_OaNCJLwA-unHqMaZHuPc2ZdduAYJVAl6hW3ChLnevfEbWb3SWUe93deQ0-WNHqaqRyJ8mJoC2BdmFACfnjneFrA/w640-h588/20220525_183017.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>A better look at all her bits. </p><p>The headband isn't shimmery like her artwork suggests but it does have a lot of molded scale details and painted horns. </p><p>Her boots are amazing with scale patterns, little painted bows on the front, a frilled tongue and studden soles. </p><p>Her socks are made of some sort of shiny polyester feeling material with simple little zigzag stripes. </p><p>Her bag is the same purple as her boots and headband and has a scale pattern on the front but it honestly looks like a bowl of kibble to me. Lol. Whoops? </p><p>Her necklace is the only piece that's not in shades of purple or pink and it stands out like a sore thumb. Why is it blue? </p><p>It's a simple little beaded necklace with a tear shaped pendant and made from transparent blue plastic. It's cute but it doesn't go with anything else. It's kinda wierd. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC1yva0FzNaxOVFAy_IAdthJ_p-diSXkmhnZc0JM6yaZiKvsJCQdzUfDWkHVobZ0dJhnYCHIUMDpgy4yM_OUC_v3-ES5YTZSAOuQvjC64JYSymovryySZhkx-gkgags-L0hxRsukWvV812pkzJphArprcqcbbavd9OOMjK0fdcHYMBCkvTj1rtgKiRlg/s2890/20220525_183033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2890" data-original-width="2106" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC1yva0FzNaxOVFAy_IAdthJ_p-diSXkmhnZc0JM6yaZiKvsJCQdzUfDWkHVobZ0dJhnYCHIUMDpgy4yM_OUC_v3-ES5YTZSAOuQvjC64JYSymovryySZhkx-gkgags-L0hxRsukWvV812pkzJphArprcqcbbavd9OOMjK0fdcHYMBCkvTj1rtgKiRlg/w466-h640/20220525_183033.jpg" width="466" /></a></div><p></p><p>She also comes with a little poster but it's folded so much I couldn't straighten it out to get a decent photo. *sigh* <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTzBx9azI_RSps03c25CXhqtKCNBWW_Q30SeGHnAuLhJ5Yk10JUSdSQW6sD5ZRuSWGEwgeEwk6mkOZn5WmQNBZU7o5mwXPwISzFXrSeUPya9yU_NUY9kGr_iIfQsE1IEIHb3VzIP3PIQk3GX9Ep6_lsrllInhay5-OZM1lfZlBK3N14HdTCj7s40r0sQ/s3478/20220525_183039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3478" data-original-width="2433" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTzBx9azI_RSps03c25CXhqtKCNBWW_Q30SeGHnAuLhJ5Yk10JUSdSQW6sD5ZRuSWGEwgeEwk6mkOZn5WmQNBZU7o5mwXPwISzFXrSeUPya9yU_NUY9kGr_iIfQsE1IEIHb3VzIP3PIQk3GX9Ep6_lsrllInhay5-OZM1lfZlBK3N14HdTCj7s40r0sQ/w448-h640/20220525_183039.jpg" width="448" /></a></div><p></p><p>On the other side of it is the collector sheet and instructions. </p><p>The instructions are pretty straightforward, accessories in cardboard box as I already found and doll inside tube. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBRcJm35tZeC2UCC7jj1UOzWFO_HWmNfJmK6rWcuv5-FBBEBt4f3gi-VKmniEef_0-L6PSbgCOUR_cYCBP-i5BLAGvJoh_NO06GaiUj5a80V8Fv7Lv0MwbDtVSKyBVMHn9NlWdLCDzD5nZ0n7d58JglzcX5h0FSPSE-lnr1xNQQMpDKEM-3GhPFOQOlA/s3015/20220525_183108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2965" data-original-width="3015" height="630" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBRcJm35tZeC2UCC7jj1UOzWFO_HWmNfJmK6rWcuv5-FBBEBt4f3gi-VKmniEef_0-L6PSbgCOUR_cYCBP-i5BLAGvJoh_NO06GaiUj5a80V8Fv7Lv0MwbDtVSKyBVMHn9NlWdLCDzD5nZ0n7d58JglzcX5h0FSPSE-lnr1xNQQMpDKEM-3GhPFOQOlA/w640-h630/20220525_183108.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>But we get another look at each character's 3d render. Again, I wish they showed the actual DOLLS here. </p><p>They have different poses here than on the back of the box though. Some of these shoes look awesome. Jenna has boots with big wings on them and Katie has cat faces on her boots. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHHW-7aZX-dLJzjrFcAzpBsGDUSn2entBTX9S9kLjOQ8leYZy5si2ScsZHCpfC15ixNHJMschtPE_s9lrqpe8yD9c_gtbTP9qPJhwPBF9k35E5jE6nHdtbstPtEt7A2vzVTXQYlzzCKo8eDqKKDu14jeBWxk7HFiRQi3Ma3Q8k-gwymXngfVweL-1I8Q/s3313/20220525_183153.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3313" data-original-width="1358" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHHW-7aZX-dLJzjrFcAzpBsGDUSn2entBTX9S9kLjOQ8leYZy5si2ScsZHCpfC15ixNHJMschtPE_s9lrqpe8yD9c_gtbTP9qPJhwPBF9k35E5jE6nHdtbstPtEt7A2vzVTXQYlzzCKo8eDqKKDu14jeBWxk7HFiRQi3Ma3Q8k-gwymXngfVweL-1I8Q/w262-h640/20220525_183153.jpg" width="262" /></a></div><p></p><p>The tube was stuck to the bottom of the box with a VERY sticky adhesive pad thing but a good wrench and it's free. </p><p>It's a pretty decent feeling tube, I think it'd make a good pencilcase actually. It's one of the few "reusable" bits of packaging i've been able to immediately think of a use for. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCXN5Aqr1w4T-HCNevqqhnHA_cKigqI-EjmHhgGI-s3G9eDuK5KpJjWSGGOeEOL1w081N1OKKpRRpWXFQoKo6zSPNUyFBGYwJ3EFptOCPXoPNmaD6i9mLxrKQxN2MOV_Gi5BaDtlkZUCddnU1ETWyK0SBpXSyF0tytSVCD5eZ2HC4Av14FNrHzLZNB_g/s3524/20220525_183213.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3524" data-original-width="1766" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCXN5Aqr1w4T-HCNevqqhnHA_cKigqI-EjmHhgGI-s3G9eDuK5KpJjWSGGOeEOL1w081N1OKKpRRpWXFQoKo6zSPNUyFBGYwJ3EFptOCPXoPNmaD6i9mLxrKQxN2MOV_Gi5BaDtlkZUCddnU1ETWyK0SBpXSyF0tytSVCD5eZ2HC4Av14FNrHzLZNB_g/w320-h640/20220525_183213.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>The lid pops off and the whole doll slides out shrouded in tissue paper. </p><p>She's on some sort of stand thing that runs all the way down the length of the tube and has a clip that holds her in position. I assume this is to stop her rattling around in there. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnhhvqDtzCHo6OIBUz4ugS2-ByBupifh85s1dzjf2ZBBgy_W5R2a5zNqXmaCQJoV5mDWFDILzddHjFwEKgejxImfpzhawYgpn8iBZg4vzjcHPrsqoqXQcheCaznAawmpX3kE7ycf6bFYgiJbxdxgg8kLvu10LGGpipKlODcT-YIk3RkSc1fsnnrm3A_A/s3349/20220525_183241.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3349" data-original-width="2232" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnhhvqDtzCHo6OIBUz4ugS2-ByBupifh85s1dzjf2ZBBgy_W5R2a5zNqXmaCQJoV5mDWFDILzddHjFwEKgejxImfpzhawYgpn8iBZg4vzjcHPrsqoqXQcheCaznAawmpX3kE7ycf6bFYgiJbxdxgg8kLvu10LGGpipKlODcT-YIk3RkSc1fsnnrm3A_A/w426-h640/20220525_183241.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><p></p><p><br />And here she is! She's got a really big head, massive inset eyes and huge feet. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifyh85hXLRGzE1OjvJTnAbI8wylpwaYQbMAAGuCrtMmt6w3k0Wuv6NMh3c39MEHDYaiRZIam63I9Fg-f1iK2DwSm5GvcHwRqSozM8O2Xhesyh6T0BX_QHGjGUtZaP6JGpetQHbkXmJuijzWvY3eDb9qCbjKQUsWoPMQT2tHU-1GKffqJzvc_7zuwgdGw/s3358/20220525_183245.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3358" data-original-width="2999" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifyh85hXLRGzE1OjvJTnAbI8wylpwaYQbMAAGuCrtMmt6w3k0Wuv6NMh3c39MEHDYaiRZIam63I9Fg-f1iK2DwSm5GvcHwRqSozM8O2Xhesyh6T0BX_QHGjGUtZaP6JGpetQHbkXmJuijzWvY3eDb9qCbjKQUsWoPMQT2tHU-1GKffqJzvc_7zuwgdGw/w572-h640/20220525_183245.jpg" width="572" /></a></div><p></p><p>Her face is cute but also a little odd. She's one of those dolls that I can look at and think "oh adorable" but then look back and think "yikes". It's an interesting head that's for sure. </p><p>Her huge eyes are "follow me" style eyes so no matter what angle you view her from she's always looking vuagely in your direction. </p><p>They're big and simple eyes in a sort of aqua colour, very stylised just like the baby dolls. </p><p>Her eyebrows are arched in a perminant look of slight apprehension. </p><p>She has duck lips set in a perma pout and most of her features are squished right to the bottom of her face, leaving her with a massive forehead. </p><p>Her hair is a gorgeous shade of pale purple and unlike all the other times i've seen this colour used (Ghouls Rule Clawdeen, Bratzillaz Yasmina Clairvoya, Mermaidz Riviera) Phoebe's hair is silky soft and has no frizz at all. </p><p>did.. did they finally find a supplier of this colour that wasn't plasticky frizzy shit??? omg... </p><p>I shouldn't be that surprised given IMC's other line, the VIP Pets, are a hair play line, but i'm so accustomed to seeing this colour turning into absolute frazzled mess. It's nice to have a doll with soft hair in this beautiful pale purple shade. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd1KXDiwVsgt_UT2xa0Vhv5spXElrM9FGLzyU3qNXvl0JFiNj2lh2aIrBHlEDKXzfiHf0dxzHP-w2mCrmuxOO8d-u5qpHelOzoktF-ngbW1d_ghs4SY83OyEftiWvgl2r-woPwV0n-1evp6CEUIj7olRO8ZmiOg27dcPLDXEP5X8NKXHj9PNbpRM6wzw/s2023/20220525_190225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2023" data-original-width="2021" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd1KXDiwVsgt_UT2xa0Vhv5spXElrM9FGLzyU3qNXvl0JFiNj2lh2aIrBHlEDKXzfiHf0dxzHP-w2mCrmuxOO8d-u5qpHelOzoktF-ngbW1d_ghs4SY83OyEftiWvgl2r-woPwV0n-1evp6CEUIj7olRO8ZmiOg27dcPLDXEP5X8NKXHj9PNbpRM6wzw/w640-h640/20220525_190225.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>Her hairdo is fairly complicated with these smaller braids pulling the hair back from her face and then braiding into the big chunky braids on either side. </p><p>Her head is very flat with a wierd profile. lol. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_6lGnYQcR6pCPGDwDrfOIBs9-zQ9kl5-vnFrvgAOxhplISFNzwK4-_YxIqfyt2ei336ueZi_iesSNSU9xSZhw_aTlRaJWG8ucffsWAH51RsboZtEAFfJ04TBvTEa_3n7VEbI_FTW57WIs9Y4xr2Y2f8zLzKMki_hHxPSlULUanAgCgSni7xn0bL-SHg/s3667/20220525_190230.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3667" data-original-width="2207" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_6lGnYQcR6pCPGDwDrfOIBs9-zQ9kl5-vnFrvgAOxhplISFNzwK4-_YxIqfyt2ei336ueZi_iesSNSU9xSZhw_aTlRaJWG8ucffsWAH51RsboZtEAFfJ04TBvTEa_3n7VEbI_FTW57WIs9Y4xr2Y2f8zLzKMki_hHxPSlULUanAgCgSni7xn0bL-SHg/w386-h640/20220525_190230.jpg" width="386" /></a></div><br /> I really don't think I could redo this style if I took it down. <p></p><p>I'm terrible with braids. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdT2sn7KsBwERn2RTHpzaiMxxu6ojybJnlqLHnKbgpEFtKi5WtrtM15pMF0uRXV5UhotKoXajA7xDl95KhLA6mfCTczLbwtiG3-U9bLGzISax7T7Vg426DUCr8ncnsQ7hFBx9tMJhvzXPnOVJs3wb9e4TgGvViK9jCIRxsBf6XDd884FVaUckLWUiJMg/s1654/20220525_190240.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1654" data-original-width="1636" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdT2sn7KsBwERn2RTHpzaiMxxu6ojybJnlqLHnKbgpEFtKi5WtrtM15pMF0uRXV5UhotKoXajA7xDl95KhLA6mfCTczLbwtiG3-U9bLGzISax7T7Vg426DUCr8ncnsQ7hFBx9tMJhvzXPnOVJs3wb9e4TgGvViK9jCIRxsBf6XDd884FVaUckLWUiJMg/w634-h640/20220525_190240.jpg" width="634" /></a></div><p></p><p>Her hair is thickly rooted but even so, her scalp IS painted to match. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkpYR9VI9gTxCJ1jsf-8EJdxuQmE0trI-blwQg9e5Dj43FsI-ELzJ2-_QVMENNKHru1e3ggbVJ7Fp2B_ELRNgqEGxsMgazPohaLOAwbP-9NAHCND9OzEwcMUUEIbPGnm6hDEuebWkMbqKG-tIpWkm2zlcLSfkozwuA1yQZIb2k1V6l3WS72bw77qzw2Q/s2853/20220525_183313.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2149" data-original-width="2853" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkpYR9VI9gTxCJ1jsf-8EJdxuQmE0trI-blwQg9e5Dj43FsI-ELzJ2-_QVMENNKHru1e3ggbVJ7Fp2B_ELRNgqEGxsMgazPohaLOAwbP-9NAHCND9OzEwcMUUEIbPGnm6hDEuebWkMbqKG-tIpWkm2zlcLSfkozwuA1yQZIb2k1V6l3WS72bw77qzw2Q/w640-h482/20220525_183313.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Phoebe's head is, as I said, massive. It's around about the same size as the Rainbow High heads. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBpaismgV4I7Zq0e3wW97G8oFFUkMXMbHfjo-WXcbMR842KfIXhFbmo1YnKT9TZ1MeXKowI11GuFpFVnHIvaO88fJbrLqHKZF9HQjUOYQr5ijyLjhxqz6X_1GLb5hBwVLL8sazlZB0d1HSxWdEIGRpzLrN4fSH81eyS81TV27AotjsqlmioZNlIEEbxw/s3499/20220525_183334.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3499" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBpaismgV4I7Zq0e3wW97G8oFFUkMXMbHfjo-WXcbMR842KfIXhFbmo1YnKT9TZ1MeXKowI11GuFpFVnHIvaO88fJbrLqHKZF9HQjUOYQr5ijyLjhxqz6X_1GLb5hBwVLL8sazlZB0d1HSxWdEIGRpzLrN4fSH81eyS81TV27AotjsqlmioZNlIEEbxw/w548-h640/20220525_183334.jpg" width="548" /></a></div><p></p><p>She is however, significantly smaller. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG2_qSzmNt-iOeYjBDSXwQDNoq8QghKrHh4km8hSaZqxK1Q1zKXxjhPrYTc4rIFCzLtNIscFEmELMU_8JpALujpbJyEYKDzdw8UD1kpsAm1pn8ie-aLhS9XbMB6cEIlf6FdTBwlw6GyR9t3Tz-sMCy0nib88BODbEZZtxZbEN6Jtsy1yLp7Iu8QUWLkA/s3224/20220525_183416.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2557" data-original-width="3224" height="508" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG2_qSzmNt-iOeYjBDSXwQDNoq8QghKrHh4km8hSaZqxK1Q1zKXxjhPrYTc4rIFCzLtNIscFEmELMU_8JpALujpbJyEYKDzdw8UD1kpsAm1pn8ie-aLhS9XbMB6cEIlf6FdTBwlw6GyR9t3Tz-sMCy0nib88BODbEZZtxZbEN6Jtsy1yLp7Iu8QUWLkA/w640-h508/20220525_183416.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>Phoebe stands around 8 inches tall, making her a little taller than the OMG Btweens and shorter than the Rainbow Junior High dolls. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGUcU9dPxeS_6rzA665VnGk_GvV1D1GQCInoie9qnYp3hzSxR4JnVQhCawL9mqlxkoYDwvH53AL0RFOgJs1c57AjJOyX05bTPFL55rU2ZSWCcBPU0YDRQ62Pp1CkrfFxGy2mUmBVCPc6WhFz1gLzIe_UooM3j-1qVwwHJCzdS6TaQBGMr8O56MIeVB3Q/s2624/20220525_183542.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1774" data-original-width="2624" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGUcU9dPxeS_6rzA665VnGk_GvV1D1GQCInoie9qnYp3hzSxR4JnVQhCawL9mqlxkoYDwvH53AL0RFOgJs1c57AjJOyX05bTPFL55rU2ZSWCcBPU0YDRQ62Pp1CkrfFxGy2mUmBVCPc6WhFz1gLzIe_UooM3j-1qVwwHJCzdS6TaQBGMr8O56MIeVB3Q/w640-h432/20220525_183542.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>Phoebe's jacket is gorgeous. It's shimmery foil fabric with a scale pattern and little buttons on the cuffs. It's teensy and adorable, look at this thing! <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsTKqZRlm8mqY5KCvD4M5H6QoDTEYCWO1lc0z8g56mIYhzz2H-n-LoTFEiO7K3qRSPhdDnKy1taDylFLsQeDLIIWJLMRIgNRl4ko-GMQsv5mpijLpPGwKMNp8HL5tJLpbwsjlO5CmePGgFeaDlaXXKSUscfTozEbxcuqLW-wJ3_V2Xoo8e3J-aOaXz6A/s2451/20220525_183546.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1771" data-original-width="2451" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsTKqZRlm8mqY5KCvD4M5H6QoDTEYCWO1lc0z8g56mIYhzz2H-n-LoTFEiO7K3qRSPhdDnKy1taDylFLsQeDLIIWJLMRIgNRl4ko-GMQsv5mpijLpPGwKMNp8HL5tJLpbwsjlO5CmePGgFeaDlaXXKSUscfTozEbxcuqLW-wJ3_V2Xoo8e3J-aOaXz6A/w640-h462/20220525_183546.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>It's sewn really well and has so much detail from the little collar to the capped shoulder pieces. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh41ct1oPcCZXhOI3I4OtWGdCNhOFmynrYE3k-Dz0xUzjB2-J4_W0eMyikZRtsGyNep7CM5Q0WnM4G5YZJUzqkbbyTdjl-4dMUd-607ZtnIJAPOf2K_Dp36NoWRqOpsP0SkOZHIhXmLtd7Y06szzkvjdynCj7sBqKE5KxMhslyECxgXjd5ohRC_5teFSQ/s2567/20220525_183557.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1587" data-original-width="2567" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh41ct1oPcCZXhOI3I4OtWGdCNhOFmynrYE3k-Dz0xUzjB2-J4_W0eMyikZRtsGyNep7CM5Q0WnM4G5YZJUzqkbbyTdjl-4dMUd-607ZtnIJAPOf2K_Dp36NoWRqOpsP0SkOZHIhXmLtd7Y06szzkvjdynCj7sBqKE5KxMhslyECxgXjd5ohRC_5teFSQ/w640-h396/20220525_183557.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>And it's fully lined. </p><p>The belt is purely aesthetic, it actually fastens with velcro which makes sense given how fragile a belt made of this foil would have been. </p><p>It does have an unfortunate tendency to slip open because the velcro isn't very strong but it's such a cool piece that i'll let that slide. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizVWcRLt8Hh2tzKYqxcdvPix2yu4vAqvUbgeC3jfg2axF01BUZAkzoXNMwZIIhCW_lGcDnYqu0ZD9s4lM2j3Igj0H-bP-aU8LPZcHW5prhXJvll-Z0iFnrbXLDQwpcSykc-o-hysO7fPtnbkPa_SJOOtcsW1ABf1YlHPGtd8iNdkivodc7_2lX0azaNQ/s2876/20220525_183519.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2876" data-original-width="1116" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizVWcRLt8Hh2tzKYqxcdvPix2yu4vAqvUbgeC3jfg2axF01BUZAkzoXNMwZIIhCW_lGcDnYqu0ZD9s4lM2j3Igj0H-bP-aU8LPZcHW5prhXJvll-Z0iFnrbXLDQwpcSykc-o-hysO7fPtnbkPa_SJOOtcsW1ABf1YlHPGtd8iNdkivodc7_2lX0azaNQ/w248-h640/20220525_183519.jpg" width="248" /></a></div><p></p><p>Unfortunately the black lining has stained one of Phoebe's arms. Only one of them though which is bizarre. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhPls6KY8YD5J3RduUfPlAxbV6ktmHfXylNsJEzjWAFlTfTBlblj1eDgBZrA3FUPjzGM6JF9-o0Z4_SmygouVXp8ORNX1aCKTmx288fPQ7mkGmnOJWi9s1_EiU2i2QNxzAVXRXnkqtXru9gTx-1a5rvLiCz5qqphUXQ53cTb2Q7BQ4Od1c5PsucOZNQ/s2495/20220525_183526.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1959" data-original-width="2495" height="502" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhPls6KY8YD5J3RduUfPlAxbV6ktmHfXylNsJEzjWAFlTfTBlblj1eDgBZrA3FUPjzGM6JF9-o0Z4_SmygouVXp8ORNX1aCKTmx288fPQ7mkGmnOJWi9s1_EiU2i2QNxzAVXRXnkqtXru9gTx-1a5rvLiCz5qqphUXQ53cTb2Q7BQ4Od1c5PsucOZNQ/w640-h502/20220525_183526.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><p></p><p>She also has wierd red stains on both knees that I can't figure out. Is it intentional "blushing"? She hasn't got any such colouration anywhere else but she also has nothing near her that would leave red marks so i'm just flat out confused. <br /></p><p></p><p style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixR7hgejUg45wbHjTX2X6qtHu3KuT0TqGg-0FbAVrjU1Aj_k20Idy7ZjWHqliAmuby2I1WCoEf-lJzq0XwhXquUmzjjSJ3TmUqkf5Y0RVJ5OwCnzjfRP-PYQvmERa8cXh5J7ASgI0heT9vNk-m-hq_B8Gjtesv9bExuZ2NTASbHldfUCBf_B_YRXf71g/s3898/20220525_183514.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3898" data-original-width="2357" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixR7hgejUg45wbHjTX2X6qtHu3KuT0TqGg-0FbAVrjU1Aj_k20Idy7ZjWHqliAmuby2I1WCoEf-lJzq0XwhXquUmzjjSJ3TmUqkf5Y0RVJ5OwCnzjfRP-PYQvmERa8cXh5J7ASgI0heT9vNk-m-hq_B8Gjtesv9bExuZ2NTASbHldfUCBf_B_YRXf71g/w386-h640/20220525_183514.jpg" width="386" /></a></p><p>Under her awesome jacket Phoebe wears a romper in pale yellow. It's another cute piece that helps to make her look younger. It's quite a child-like garment and like the jacket, really well sewn. </p><p>It has a crystal motif over the bodice, white collar, puff sleeves like decorative white uh.. flaps? and elasticated puffy legs. </p><p>The fabric is some sort of stretchy polyestery blend again, similar to her socks. For some reason the bodice part has a white section before it connects to the puffy pants part. I'm not sure I fully understand that decision. I think it would have looked better having the crystal motif the whole way down but maybe they were concerned about misplaced crystal shapes around her groin? </p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBZIf1ryFidpQ7Rl4oRIyPMB0CJFkFJSaLTKlk6_Rc4Z86uiIdDqKOoBZumCH6mBL40A1SZZnQvs3ifPeVNbifhnXnLoeGDwKVpNj3YZm4XPn1SdyFJx4u1yQG0zonHQo6pzT690-LmK35HOBz5gN9vNKCgMQuRFryj4vII653RMnIWQ7PQRP_Zwa4TA/s3281/20220525_183711.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3281" data-original-width="2028" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBZIf1ryFidpQ7Rl4oRIyPMB0CJFkFJSaLTKlk6_Rc4Z86uiIdDqKOoBZumCH6mBL40A1SZZnQvs3ifPeVNbifhnXnLoeGDwKVpNj3YZm4XPn1SdyFJx4u1yQG0zonHQo6pzT690-LmK35HOBz5gN9vNKCgMQuRFryj4vII653RMnIWQ7PQRP_Zwa4TA/w396-h640/20220525_183711.jpg" width="396" /></a></div><p></p><p>Stripped off Phoebe's body also seems to take a lot of inspiration from dolls like Rainbow High with the very wide hips and chunky thighs. </p><p>I rather enjoy that this pear shape has become so popular for dolls. I like it. </p><p>Phoebe has molded panties and a painted little singlet top for modesty. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiqpYiWjG0obz6A0uzFoSw7jjVggKX15xMn_XdmZKOdSQxg3Twk_oGMZ_nuqh3LPONIsoUZ3BirQgFWDmIy6QwozLFtbESABq3Cc3xOmTaAReqEURErrd5ODM59Q3CX3basXczcDORHZnsPajHrmKkedmgYiyonDWxaJpYH4hmsLgIWfAc0DsF31OKLw/s3554/20220525_185957.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3554" data-original-width="2116" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiqpYiWjG0obz6A0uzFoSw7jjVggKX15xMn_XdmZKOdSQxg3Twk_oGMZ_nuqh3LPONIsoUZ3BirQgFWDmIy6QwozLFtbESABq3Cc3xOmTaAReqEURErrd5ODM59Q3CX3basXczcDORHZnsPajHrmKkedmgYiyonDWxaJpYH4hmsLgIWfAc0DsF31OKLw/w382-h640/20220525_185957.jpg" width="382" /></a></div><p></p><p>Her articulation isn't brilliant. Her knees can't manage 90 degrees, nor can her elbows. She can touch her face but it's such a large target that's hardly a feat. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNId1tbkj3TIv1uBNWOrRKkfEiGKQY1D-OyB3NLU4878ra52xbFlRhvFjslbSTmtrH0Jv6dqS4HKRIPCz83F0RAHw1CNKMXp00QzaNj3xEvQ85K5P7Nv7Qb7r-zdgsqcwuk_DuKh5Kz0hSfMWtJKb13O9yjQN5EIwZuWmcpc5EGVQUPMqeLZaUw-sKrw/s3653/20220525_190041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3653" data-original-width="2958" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNId1tbkj3TIv1uBNWOrRKkfEiGKQY1D-OyB3NLU4878ra52xbFlRhvFjslbSTmtrH0Jv6dqS4HKRIPCz83F0RAHw1CNKMXp00QzaNj3xEvQ85K5P7Nv7Qb7r-zdgsqcwuk_DuKh5Kz0hSfMWtJKb13O9yjQN5EIwZuWmcpc5EGVQUPMqeLZaUw-sKrw/w518-h640/20220525_190041.jpg" width="518" /></a></div><p>She has rotational movement in her neck but absolutely no up,down or tilting ability, like the first wave Rainbow High dolls. </p><p>Her legs can only splay this far, though they can rotate in the hip joint. </p><p>One of her shoulders has a molding defect which makes it harder to move. </p><p>Her hands come off for easy redressing. Another trend I like to see. Incidentally, her wrist pegs are the same size as the OMG wrist pegs so they can swap hands, if you really want to. Lol. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8XFGW4vek1-3ZUJWXM7C3cZQSNSF-yEfSj30VGdHsb2JUwmg-RovMDIG1iAVJexZrg-_YNsXT8gqZ4CYJIuMVJL--m7NPUrUQvZxM7euQnPiHZXTb6G4rVu0mYezgDkSmWKfyz5I790MHhs4xJZgbwkVWJ1Kczzt3jF8aDY9SmkdRLncp95Re4UpOJA/s2501/20220525_190127.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2501" data-original-width="1940" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8XFGW4vek1-3ZUJWXM7C3cZQSNSF-yEfSj30VGdHsb2JUwmg-RovMDIG1iAVJexZrg-_YNsXT8gqZ4CYJIuMVJL--m7NPUrUQvZxM7euQnPiHZXTb6G4rVu0mYezgDkSmWKfyz5I790MHhs4xJZgbwkVWJ1Kczzt3jF8aDY9SmkdRLncp95Re4UpOJA/w496-h640/20220525_190127.jpg" width="496" /></a></div><p></p><p>She sits pretty well. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2WQDdFN4e1CYQVWbDYRmNuBNXcijPZMkKEFuwQlEjp6kYuNHijZVDmRfqdYdXXdg-DlrS8ADFR7Yr7Ajpf_Nc7N0IIo-Q6Lmew6GA8QxNFViP_jNF5MjHuykCZRlhSwRqPKzsiuf7P5qrI6HtobzKKM7PG0xtaDcswTN-gOTrR4hGO2DzmnnaYZwbsQ/s2783/20220525_190138.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2783" data-original-width="2041" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2WQDdFN4e1CYQVWbDYRmNuBNXcijPZMkKEFuwQlEjp6kYuNHijZVDmRfqdYdXXdg-DlrS8ADFR7Yr7Ajpf_Nc7N0IIo-Q6Lmew6GA8QxNFViP_jNF5MjHuykCZRlhSwRqPKzsiuf7P5qrI6HtobzKKM7PG0xtaDcswTN-gOTrR4hGO2DzmnnaYZwbsQ/w470-h640/20220525_190138.jpg" width="470" /></a></div><p>A lot of dolls tip backwards or can't quite manage to bend their upper legs to a full right angle but Phoebe manages it no trouble. She sits like a champ provided you balance her big head. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjadtOWVcnMvK8JBgdVEIBcBQd0_MLxIGCXbSuk6H2W60AUsVMQh01kMEDyuGkLlBxnock2vgEh7V--Uj23f4e7DqWZq34s8k9tqeE-5dycuPYuXhnh8c6a4QHIxeeQ7iFSOs9V1FEiwyzIIPv6wf6P3K9yE6gBWZWzctKYGM35-tZTSH-B3uHsmGRZiA/s3648/20220525_183811.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="2584" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjadtOWVcnMvK8JBgdVEIBcBQd0_MLxIGCXbSuk6H2W60AUsVMQh01kMEDyuGkLlBxnock2vgEh7V--Uj23f4e7DqWZq34s8k9tqeE-5dycuPYuXhnh8c6a4QHIxeeQ7iFSOs9V1FEiwyzIIPv6wf6P3K9yE6gBWZWzctKYGM35-tZTSH-B3uHsmGRZiA/w454-h640/20220525_183811.jpg" width="454" /></a></div><p></p><p>Phoebe's big feet reminded me of Cave Club. Her legs definitely feel similar, though nothing else does. Phoebe is far chunkier and solid feeling than the Cave Club girls. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6cIO4wzrGSsGCOBGn13Q-6RbvF6r5kig_x4sjC4a74fy_YpfVW-tp4wFGyQ4-2uRD5cpltu8EuL7xEIzexju21yA5ORaSPuPNMPMk3p1Sv4J4oIwbNvsszXH4KHCdsWHk2QBewb7rO8TheYTvRGlT01qJw9DBbDIu7qKFDA9LSnB9LFMCOJG4uxE1qg/s3238/20220525_191142.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2259" data-original-width="3238" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6cIO4wzrGSsGCOBGn13Q-6RbvF6r5kig_x4sjC4a74fy_YpfVW-tp4wFGyQ4-2uRD5cpltu8EuL7xEIzexju21yA5ORaSPuPNMPMk3p1Sv4J4oIwbNvsszXH4KHCdsWHk2QBewb7rO8TheYTvRGlT01qJw9DBbDIu7qKFDA9LSnB9LFMCOJG4uxE1qg/w640-h446/20220525_191142.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>But they have the same sized feet! Cave Club can fit the BFF shoes as if they were made for them. Which is pretty cool. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyjN7BDwKeDQp2XWvehVjO996DFchxkJoY_WxSHwuEsHG0-dIo1uVrpzAkfh9FL5TIZTQEOccXfdIdXlrnyvitEzONbEq7bOMm1DDB5I9O31bXhF8HYuwSYNSDhjZnPUzPpypy72erTySSvxGWtcKDrBTtp4HbBfseDH_XXLZfj7HsnPTBySrUkbb7HA/s3294/20220525_190819.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3294" data-original-width="1628" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyjN7BDwKeDQp2XWvehVjO996DFchxkJoY_WxSHwuEsHG0-dIo1uVrpzAkfh9FL5TIZTQEOccXfdIdXlrnyvitEzONbEq7bOMm1DDB5I9O31bXhF8HYuwSYNSDhjZnPUzPpypy72erTySSvxGWtcKDrBTtp4HbBfseDH_XXLZfj7HsnPTBySrUkbb7HA/w316-h640/20220525_190819.jpg" width="316" /></a></div><p> All dressed up with her headband Phoebe looks adorable. She's one of the those dolls where the more I handle her and look at her the more endearing her wierd little face becomes. </p><p>The headband is VERY hard plastic so a bit of a pain to get on as it has next to no give it in. Once it's on though, it stays on very securely. </p><p>Her bag isn't as successful. Not only does it look like a bowl of kibble, it also really doesn't fit very gracefully around her bulky jacket. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFjwZY2ffPdI2mL7z1THKzwxM7FOB3ezLrQNKg-Wkvu0usvxeu-GXNLPB-LPmLU0o1A_KsDGCrHECm6dHLIL1TajFD19IA8W4LVXGMZ4xU3ZoWpYuGevRdKroFBgo62bAGCf-Xyv0H5_ZiO5CsOFnfrHBHcBlqxeKjsfkdsXPISpNU1L9Uy_YdyJvZgg/s3597/20220525_190929.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3597" data-original-width="2107" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFjwZY2ffPdI2mL7z1THKzwxM7FOB3ezLrQNKg-Wkvu0usvxeu-GXNLPB-LPmLU0o1A_KsDGCrHECm6dHLIL1TajFD19IA8W4LVXGMZ4xU3ZoWpYuGevRdKroFBgo62bAGCf-Xyv0H5_ZiO5CsOFnfrHBHcBlqxeKjsfkdsXPISpNU1L9Uy_YdyJvZgg/w374-h640/20220525_190929.jpg" width="374" /></a></div><p></p><p>I think she looks substantially better without it. </p><p>Posing her arms with her jacket on isn't easy, as is often the case with jackets on dolls, it really limits her poseability because of the bulk of the fabric. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyEFRUWQBn9LH5xJu5tIvHBTTegpRmLAyhHACldHh_mKDYVvdZuJ-HiqhDv7SRbdfGE3YcG74GF7OdfE_akobQxP7kaG74qs_brV7Xsq2327cBg6iUbTjakczU30b43mi-dMXeQMTAfkrty49ZxrHYVDlvznEI-ylFsPa-G_V2vG_S699e8EIwjvaJkg/s2742/20220525_184649.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2663" data-original-width="2742" height="622" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyEFRUWQBn9LH5xJu5tIvHBTTegpRmLAyhHACldHh_mKDYVvdZuJ-HiqhDv7SRbdfGE3YcG74GF7OdfE_akobQxP7kaG74qs_brV7Xsq2327cBg6iUbTjakczU30b43mi-dMXeQMTAfkrty49ZxrHYVDlvznEI-ylFsPa-G_V2vG_S699e8EIwjvaJkg/w640-h622/20220525_184649.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>So what fits who? </p><p>Well while the Junior High doll can fit Phoebe's outfit for the most part (the jacket wont' stay velcroed shut), Poppy's outfit is too big for Phoebe. The shorts just about fit but are a teensy bit too loose but the shirt gapes badly at the bust and is far too long in the arms. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTIrXnOm1hVdVRtD1pQwot-Mz1t9gVNJklMMlH5nwLapXCILex9zlQF4MsOUdhSv4o9qhaealo53Pr-3NW4tZHNkKlshCa0N7H3V_08wgOWET6A44r2fkg0PB6qafxrSb7FP3KZME9ecN5b_ZqfIWCCEd-8Ou9m3dBCpsp-id5BqXwz82D6FyF3-IBXA/s3822/20220525_185323.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3822" data-original-width="2268" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTIrXnOm1hVdVRtD1pQwot-Mz1t9gVNJklMMlH5nwLapXCILex9zlQF4MsOUdhSv4o9qhaealo53Pr-3NW4tZHNkKlshCa0N7H3V_08wgOWET6A44r2fkg0PB6qafxrSb7FP3KZME9ecN5b_ZqfIWCCEd-8Ou9m3dBCpsp-id5BqXwz82D6FyF3-IBXA/w380-h640/20220525_185323.jpg" width="380" /></a></div><p></p><p>OMG clothing is too baggy. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyLBUJ33HlGDykbGuF6tbBeAvqD1D-BCExBIyOJ8lyIY7Zd46L2f8vZVfrO36oWGEQ0Q9L757bU8hNMbOJdSY1gytzGrVjoFsS6ScAik9eIKO5LvGNqvuCda4xVHo90C5PjhmJJjGn3DQlp7xxt8SlLFQ7D3FEP8pFuUAd-F10jKkA190eGE079WHBQg/s3506/20220525_185238.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3506" data-original-width="2731" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyLBUJ33HlGDykbGuF6tbBeAvqD1D-BCExBIyOJ8lyIY7Zd46L2f8vZVfrO36oWGEQ0Q9L757bU8hNMbOJdSY1gytzGrVjoFsS6ScAik9eIKO5LvGNqvuCda4xVHo90C5PjhmJJjGn3DQlp7xxt8SlLFQ7D3FEP8pFuUAd-F10jKkA190eGE079WHBQg/w498-h640/20220525_185238.jpg" width="498" /></a></div><p></p><p>Except the jackets. The jackets fit beautifully. The OMG doll can steal Phoebe's jacket and Phoebe can steal the OMG's one no problems. The sleeves are even almost perfect. Nice. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyAvvrhEm8kH3Dr5Ohs-AYvB4p9Fzt-FAcJsXEK9ojypcdNR-tL1UC8YFALpEpb5AXXnRx5_Jr4I7ouo7yGDUZBv7_qCPEIxCXTP3h9rgUXPqY5rWAXjWtKg8eFsbvwY3MYaB9M6UMwUG2NTEYayqcI9hnO8y5x4cO76lKBPnb10ennzhMIP7d0E4-Zw/s3441/20220525_184041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3441" data-original-width="2547" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyAvvrhEm8kH3Dr5Ohs-AYvB4p9Fzt-FAcJsXEK9ojypcdNR-tL1UC8YFALpEpb5AXXnRx5_Jr4I7ouo7yGDUZBv7_qCPEIxCXTP3h9rgUXPqY5rWAXjWtKg8eFsbvwY3MYaB9M6UMwUG2NTEYayqcI9hnO8y5x4cO76lKBPnb10ennzhMIP7d0E4-Zw/w474-h640/20220525_184041.jpg" width="474" /></a></div><p></p><p>Rainbow High can also steal the jacket, though of course the sleeves are 3/4 length and it's unlikely it would fasten closed with another shirt underneath. </p><p>But it looks really nice. </p><p>No rainbow high clothing will fit Phoebe, it's all too big. The OMG Btween stuff is far too small. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJBk_hOKc93BnVc-mqfXVVuAepri5TczhJqL8ye5qMT2VKzCFdr5SkbYSXo8ulNik-vmuI9ybuWP55AARcGxVWJ4FoHS-maA3OFGq2mwQ1uajHAv9NmuM4H-_C5_dtc_96AcrPMfIxMiKwKZslDMbJNjTmbjQnhBm5ZOthmPRqqswKMycry_Jm0O-lEQ/s3086/20220525_191853.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3086" data-original-width="1426" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJBk_hOKc93BnVc-mqfXVVuAepri5TczhJqL8ye5qMT2VKzCFdr5SkbYSXo8ulNik-vmuI9ybuWP55AARcGxVWJ4FoHS-maA3OFGq2mwQ1uajHAv9NmuM4H-_C5_dtc_96AcrPMfIxMiKwKZslDMbJNjTmbjQnhBm5ZOthmPRqqswKMycry_Jm0O-lEQ/w296-h640/20220525_191853.jpg" width="296" /></a></div><br /><p>She can however steal the OMG glasses, they fit her better than the OMGs because she actually has a nose to hold up the frames. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsHlet1TW8PIMCBtOe4-35Nk1l9tChOS611NMEAyEnZYLnRjYxvsCey6gNNR4iZ2KFd6TXvWPaKnxaXmFUHb2keNWBlcN8I-PhSS6J79nx2hZIpRQWMzrOiYttoBhYgB7u1LI7uxKCw9YLe2Vyu9Tj3GWycVjHvc_L-8k2Tbyef7tBgCPbXKqcxpbjrQ/s2963/20220525_191505.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2963" data-original-width="1422" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsHlet1TW8PIMCBtOe4-35Nk1l9tChOS611NMEAyEnZYLnRjYxvsCey6gNNR4iZ2KFd6TXvWPaKnxaXmFUHb2keNWBlcN8I-PhSS6J79nx2hZIpRQWMzrOiYttoBhYgB7u1LI7uxKCw9YLe2Vyu9Tj3GWycVjHvc_L-8k2Tbyef7tBgCPbXKqcxpbjrQ/w308-h640/20220525_191505.jpg" width="308" /></a></div><p></p><p>The thing that holds her inside of her tube CAN be used as a stand if you really want, but it's not overly graceful. The lid piece pops off meaning you can remove this piece to use the tube for something else but this piece isn't really useful for anything. </p><p>Also the doll can stand unaided anyway. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe5qSaIqdCsAhuUwP6jpSHpE3sAcKi6cTyrB_-AOF3WKh-1Z-7DuCY_m0_GaJwoVGbhMfGgLwUijB494gFeMgrxElNrgIoTwNy3ShrNiUNLM1WmXu4SyQ8qqpIbZmYNucncyWkvpB3toLmdcyubKCE3lH0-EAyBfOBLKxF20n2O3TCU09e64NjeWGUUw/s3406/20220525_190843.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3406" data-original-width="2043" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe5qSaIqdCsAhuUwP6jpSHpE3sAcKi6cTyrB_-AOF3WKh-1Z-7DuCY_m0_GaJwoVGbhMfGgLwUijB494gFeMgrxElNrgIoTwNy3ShrNiUNLM1WmXu4SyQ8qqpIbZmYNucncyWkvpB3toLmdcyubKCE3lH0-EAyBfOBLKxF20n2O3TCU09e64NjeWGUUw/w384-h640/20220525_190843.jpg" width="384" /></a></div><p></p><p>She has no problem with those big clompy boots on. She can stand like a champ. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNADaeBgryC92jycwvoyS0r77cmbea8_No4IuyoE4nDO6NfJ5g-0o6h76UQE6vbDZenkPZR8jo2aIda3gvYIn-arlsOJrlBcaZK1PQUil6rrjsAIowSWuS3TRTI2STLwk7GM5mvwYMEVzH-Qr6g1NGmvj6tBdcoXA_wqdXbgfWRe5S2uNrYUf5x05HPw/s3445/20220525_191725.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3445" data-original-width="2462" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNADaeBgryC92jycwvoyS0r77cmbea8_No4IuyoE4nDO6NfJ5g-0o6h76UQE6vbDZenkPZR8jo2aIda3gvYIn-arlsOJrlBcaZK1PQUil6rrjsAIowSWuS3TRTI2STLwk7GM5mvwYMEVzH-Qr6g1NGmvj6tBdcoXA_wqdXbgfWRe5S2uNrYUf5x05HPw/w458-h640/20220525_191725.jpg" width="458" /></a></div><p></p><p>Presumably the intention was for the box to be reused a little playset, which kids might do but i'm sure as heck not gonna. </p><p>that said, it's all just cardboard so should be fully recycleable. The only plastic piece was the tube which can be reused for something else and is attractive enough to actually want to hang onto anyway. </p><p>Right now I shoved a nude doll in there to get her out of the way lol. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKUEcS3TstJMuzDVn-urpyl5dS7uOC8rt-5EcuL0-oVrwc6vCt1t9wv0NNE9EbbqdkiMqiwxB9dIE4fk8VPxt6fQqVdOmSpIjI-w1xJ0yDv9mrUROfpXzPS3N7Tt8njSw-BHgfQAV2JVTKGnhC1TmMdMdrxNtumpkF5xDSf2aWWlO2mQxV72kDPDbB1w/s3149/20220525_190948.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3149" data-original-width="1377" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKUEcS3TstJMuzDVn-urpyl5dS7uOC8rt-5EcuL0-oVrwc6vCt1t9wv0NNE9EbbqdkiMqiwxB9dIE4fk8VPxt6fQqVdOmSpIjI-w1xJ0yDv9mrUROfpXzPS3N7Tt8njSw-BHgfQAV2JVTKGnhC1TmMdMdrxNtumpkF5xDSf2aWWlO2mQxV72kDPDbB1w/w280-h640/20220525_190948.jpg" width="280" /></a> <br /></div><p>Overall I actually really like Phoebe. She has a really strange face that's very in keeping with the style of the baby dolls this line spun off from but there's an endearing quality to her big eyes and funny squished up face. </p><p>I also love the dinosaur theme. Dinosaurs are awesome and you don't tend to see dino themes on dolls (cave club excluded of course). </p><p>Her boots are awesome, her jacket is amazing. </p><p>She has some production flaws, an iffy shoulder and staining on her arm unfortunately, but as she came all the way from Italy i'm not sure what to do about that. </p><p>All the sewing for her clothes seems to be excellent and even after undressing her and trying her jacket on multiple dolls nothing is unravelling (unlike some of the rainbow high outfits cough cough) All the pieces feel like they'll actually withstand play which I appreciate. </p><p>her headband will eventually mess her hair up though. </p><p>Speaking of hair, she has really soft lovely hair in a gorgeous colour and i'm delighted by that. It's very pleasant to touch and I feel like if I took it down from the braids it'd be really nice to comb and play with. I suspect it's that kiwi fibre MGA are using for their Rainbow High dolls, an exceptionally soft silky feeling material that's extremely shiny and comes in a lot of awesome colours. </p><p>Phoebe isn't without issues. She can't look up and down or tilt her head and her articulation is very limited. She feels fairly robust, even with the molding error on her shoulder it hasn't broken but I feel like her legs being unable to splay outward IS an issue when it comes to breakage. Kids will pull the legs outward and legs will snap. Having the ability to pull the legs outward really helps to prevent leg snapping as a child tries to dress or pose the doll. </p><p>Now all this said, this does appear to be IMC's first attempt at a fashion doll and while you can see a lot of inspiration from other products like Rainbow High and LOL OMG, the BFFs also manage to be their own distinct thing with pretty good quality and a lot of important decisions being made right (hair fibre for example, quality of clothing and so on). </p><p>For a first pass, Phoebe is an exceptionally good fashion doll honestly. I'm impressed and I look forward to seeing what IMC do with this line. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Purple_monkfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023284779817354246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3031605728160552641.post-15482133532492561842022-05-21T22:21:00.006+01:002022-06-29T16:19:08.525+01:00Rainbow High series 4 - Meena Fleur<p> The UK is still being slow as all shit to get any new stuff in but thankfully we have all the european Amazons who ship to the UK for £5-6 which is more than reasonable thank you very much. </p><p>So with the UK still not having the Rainbow High slumber party or rock star lines, how long we'd have to wait for the core series 4 to hit was anyone's guess. </p><p>As it turned out, Amazon Italy got them in stock for immediate dispatch and the cost ended up being the same as i'd pay within the UK even after taxes and shipping which is honestly pretty ridiculous. It really shouldn't cost me less to import something from nearly 2000 miles away than from within my own country, that's nuts! </p><p>I ordered a few things from Amazon Italy in two separate transactions. First I ordered Rock Star Vanessa and she arrived within 3 days in an amazon box covered in customs forms and amazon stickers in Italian which makes sense right?</p><p>So then I ordered series 4 Meena and Daphne and that's where things get odd. </p><p>It took 9 days for them to turn up and when they did they had no customs labels, no italian stickers, instead they came in an English box with a return address for Amazon's warehouse in SCOTLAND and Royal Mail labels. This suggests that this parcel came from within the UK and never once got on a place. </p><p>So why on earth are Amazon Italy selling dolls from a warehouse in the UK while Amazon UK still have no listings for these dolls yet? </p><p>It's so wierd! I'm so confused! </p><p>Anyway, dolls are here so let's take a look at Meena first. </p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a> <p></p><p>I admit I don't really love ordering things from abroad unless I have to because returns are a lot more of a headache if there's a problem. Add to that the language barrier and I was really nervous opening this box. </p><p>and it looks like I had every reason to be nervous because upon removing the doll boxes from the parcel it became clear both of them had issues. </p><p>Daphne was FILTHY with grey smears across her forehead, obvious marbling on one arm, black spots on her body and a big black blotch in her hair. I'm hoping it's just dirt and it'll come off. </p><p>Meena had issues too. </p><p>We'll get to that in a moment. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEithlsHkYh8C7P17jc6Yua6B-rF3UXVKDZ5ZAYtAgNlS2o0qORneyXEC-3FEIEF7JeHtg0wKxmE9paSaS0YOxR32xZ3FGt4vt6g0IAw2BFVkJQILL1pm_2XJsq36NsIOF1MXav0sh_cPp3dnX-32pqXoYqwORi-5WKJmZuC1d8Vz384LuT7b2qucqm3EQ/s1907/20220521_150016.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1907" data-original-width="1904" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEithlsHkYh8C7P17jc6Yua6B-rF3UXVKDZ5ZAYtAgNlS2o0qORneyXEC-3FEIEF7JeHtg0wKxmE9paSaS0YOxR32xZ3FGt4vt6g0IAw2BFVkJQILL1pm_2XJsq36NsIOF1MXav0sh_cPp3dnX-32pqXoYqwORi-5WKJmZuC1d8Vz384LuT7b2qucqm3EQ/w638-h640/20220521_150016.jpg" width="638" /></a></div><p></p><p>Meena's box only looked battered up because I opened it before taking this photo to check her. </p><p>It's the same as most of the RH boxes, nothing much more to say about it beyond "thank goodness it's fairly easy to open and slide the doll out to check for issues without destroying the whole box" </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYSSeb3IR38fwEyun1gRYKbyrgth0qURSrlUZM0eqRiJkvCEXyd5tfgzYUe4s-rKHNbv2DYnAtT2Khn0w4UHp3lX3SOUIUWxrDh5vITvK61c-6R4mLiEk3ooL43IUyx2tyZevdbEmWoiBn5ygIdkbhUEh3IqqDbpQQM-_nRfCAVbpIHR1ujXnuE4dm_A/s3350/20220521_150117.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3350" data-original-width="2010" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYSSeb3IR38fwEyun1gRYKbyrgth0qURSrlUZM0eqRiJkvCEXyd5tfgzYUe4s-rKHNbv2DYnAtT2Khn0w4UHp3lX3SOUIUWxrDh5vITvK61c-6R4mLiEk3ooL43IUyx2tyZevdbEmWoiBn5ygIdkbhUEh3IqqDbpQQM-_nRfCAVbpIHR1ujXnuE4dm_A/w384-h640/20220521_150117.jpg" width="384" /></a></div><p></p><p>At first glance Meena looks okay. But even through the plastic of her box I could see she had some issues with her paint. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZTh2rkPi0WdUOpQYTxYQpk3bbPZoVPxHJEh992B3GOPYZPSJVD-HnClNbNlTkfWot99PAmdG0W6nIaRyjBoWD6SASKNiC6C-S9UgaX1-TtLRqH90JhT_GuvEt7QJXt-GSFlQ1bmmAiKd-TRuzLrbhNGoyWF0xv903pfaxmQzuYT6j-wcUf1OaAO74fA/s4000/20220521_135124.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZTh2rkPi0WdUOpQYTxYQpk3bbPZoVPxHJEh992B3GOPYZPSJVD-HnClNbNlTkfWot99PAmdG0W6nIaRyjBoWD6SASKNiC6C-S9UgaX1-TtLRqH90JhT_GuvEt7QJXt-GSFlQ1bmmAiKd-TRuzLrbhNGoyWF0xv903pfaxmQzuYT6j-wcUf1OaAO74fA/w480-h640/20220521_135124.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /> Her eyeliner is chipped, her glitter is shedding off in clumps and there's a line of paint running straight across her eyebrow. <p></p><p>DAMN. </p><p>I hoped that line was just a stray lash or something but alas, it's paint. Worse, it's so securely on there that I couldn't easily remove it without risking damaging the eyebrow underneath. </p><p>I can fix chipped eyeliner, I cannot fix a line where there shouldn't be one. </p><p>At this point I wondered if I should just put her back in her box and contact Amazon so I asked some others if this was "defective enough" to justify a return. They all said yes, so it's nice to know i'm not just being nickpicky. As it worked out, she actually has MORE issues than just this photo but this was all I was aware of at the time. </p><p>I contacted Amazon italy but the language barrier was a problem. Still they had two options for me. Return and hope they could get me one that wasn't errored, or simply ask for a refund in the form of vouchers and keep the doll. I opted for the second because I wasn't sure HOW to return her to a whole other country (even though she clearly came from Scotland according to her box) and the language barrier explaining how to do it just stressed me out trying to make sure I understood it fully. </p><p>I expected to have to send them photos but they didn't actually ask. So that was nice. </p><p>Once I had that sorted I felt a little better about opening her and seeing what I could do about her flaws. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbLE4TwnuNqIW3xmVIiPQRkceqDHQDCZW5837-Ca6a27YlAEdfhfSged_9jCCOVj_JBLdAlKDRj5NFaFpey1_3jVOWjTRSLZBt617aMLtAiicwj-W6mvDOJ-OLhcVopIh-THcgxtKAlHIs2N8zfmges3j60ULlhyfKYLz2ZhSGplR4VsNJV_OZNKmEyw/s2888/20220521_150126.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2440" data-original-width="2888" height="540" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbLE4TwnuNqIW3xmVIiPQRkceqDHQDCZW5837-Ca6a27YlAEdfhfSged_9jCCOVj_JBLdAlKDRj5NFaFpey1_3jVOWjTRSLZBt617aMLtAiicwj-W6mvDOJ-OLhcVopIh-THcgxtKAlHIs2N8zfmges3j60ULlhyfKYLz2ZhSGplR4VsNJV_OZNKmEyw/w640-h540/20220521_150126.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>Meena is our first Indian doll and she comes with a lot of little nods to that including the henna Mehndi on her hands. </p><p>Dolls of this ethnicity are SO rare, even in collector circles so getting a playline doll who's explicitly stated to be from India is really cool. Representation matters. </p><p>Her hands are sewn to her pants which is a bit wierd. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLqrnKWlYLVPCmaQww8nSinzCqCz8Az4b3Qs44PWgr6MumxrCFvHPZB7FjVIBsSbfgFi_qoeQIx7CwJIrXd3t-A3S0-zkuax9CeD_F5idlCrpqPbMNcma7oWpO4VPp2SYUwhDmH1VIy1enpRGuJibIveHQ-USweEilDCur-KuTYnzluqECgQCy_vsdTw/s3006/20220521_150629.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3006" data-original-width="1712" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLqrnKWlYLVPCmaQww8nSinzCqCz8Az4b3Qs44PWgr6MumxrCFvHPZB7FjVIBsSbfgFi_qoeQIx7CwJIrXd3t-A3S0-zkuax9CeD_F5idlCrpqPbMNcma7oWpO4VPp2SYUwhDmH1VIy1enpRGuJibIveHQ-USweEilDCur-KuTYnzluqECgQCy_vsdTw/w364-h640/20220521_150629.jpg" width="364" /></a></div><p></p><p>Meena is an unusual skin tone, a sort of milky brown, like chocolate milk. It has an ashy quality to it which contrasts nicely with her vivid hair. I don't know many people with such cool toned skin but someone else online said it matched their complexion exactly so that's pretty cool. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioLPc7y60xx3VI12IZsriF8q18j29IPiPAPuW76_ddaefsH-Indk1VxMukuiORVtMflQcFEl8zoqIstcsbrcPLGJ09AvX4R3ZenQAVErzcRltVUmXfsqiBrM7LHTyH4Kb9omP2EdFiAM6pRdOHVX-iUXhUUYZbDZXIeOlbWum64CWeabtiXjQF-xbUYA/s2553/20220521_150635.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2553" data-original-width="1706" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioLPc7y60xx3VI12IZsriF8q18j29IPiPAPuW76_ddaefsH-Indk1VxMukuiORVtMflQcFEl8zoqIstcsbrcPLGJ09AvX4R3ZenQAVErzcRltVUmXfsqiBrM7LHTyH4Kb9omP2EdFiAM6pRdOHVX-iUXhUUYZbDZXIeOlbWum64CWeabtiXjQF-xbUYA/w428-h640/20220521_150635.jpg" width="428" /></a></div><p> </p><p>Her hair is messy as all hell, full of product and curled in fat ringlets. I'm not a fan. Usually I like curly hair but this just looks messy.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Czn-CRtsuQKwfyDkXDijKBIXLpNrjUZrVEtz7vBnkHSkVRAzg9FnKHaQ2wQdFIxiny6DiUo2l9rHeZZvYHH4MzlH3DV02N_Rlilk3o01zkVqLVrtI6ZT5csGlnQJPlTMhdCwgaz_n1sX3YA__CKtwI1UP_CajxwBIDhUUQaSdHFn44Ydx-XLa-J7CA/s4000/20220521_135057.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Czn-CRtsuQKwfyDkXDijKBIXLpNrjUZrVEtz7vBnkHSkVRAzg9FnKHaQ2wQdFIxiny6DiUo2l9rHeZZvYHH4MzlH3DV02N_Rlilk3o01zkVqLVrtI6ZT5csGlnQJPlTMhdCwgaz_n1sX3YA__CKtwI1UP_CajxwBIDhUUQaSdHFn44Ydx-XLa-J7CA/w480-h640/20220521_135057.jpg" width="480" /></div><p></p><p>The front of her hair is no better. Her right side is CAKED in so much gel that it's hard and feels like it'll snap off if you touch it. The two pieces that are tied up are both unravelling all over the place, hair is shedding all over the place and her clips are all bunched up where i'm certain they aren't supposed to be. </p><p>She also has an obvious bald patch behind those clips. </p><p>Poor girl needs a spa day. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZEKahlUyqcNJ6_BsRH0DJE1taXzXGZAm6E1Tl3jtmClw_QuYZqDyBL64cy8JcsevRk1MWeA8UBsjT0FBz9WD8XRwRmqEJanXCjRHcFDiAUdpxjMWFuRrJp17tFSSokNfr1cdvkWBT52yiT95U-SplieMVQJ_8qeV3ftrZc-dzdMwH3Rl-m1rrKvVWEw/s4000/20220521_135137.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZEKahlUyqcNJ6_BsRH0DJE1taXzXGZAm6E1Tl3jtmClw_QuYZqDyBL64cy8JcsevRk1MWeA8UBsjT0FBz9WD8XRwRmqEJanXCjRHcFDiAUdpxjMWFuRrJp17tFSSokNfr1cdvkWBT52yiT95U-SplieMVQJ_8qeV3ftrZc-dzdMwH3Rl-m1rrKvVWEw/w480-h640/20220521_135137.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p>But before I do that let's look at her face. </p><p>She has reddish coloured lips but I wouldn't call them "bright red" like her wiki page does. They're more of a pinkish red in my opinion with a very white tooth painted between them. </p><p>She has a narrow face mold with large almond shaped eyes made to look ever larger and even more angled by her makeup. She has bold black cat eye liner ringed with a line of orange, then a line of gold glitter and then these fancy swirls of gold over a brown eyeshadow. These fancy eyes mean that her eyebrows are positioned higher than they would be usually which is a little unusual and can give her a bit of a startled or perhaps haughty expression depending on the angle. </p><p>Her eyes are brown. It's nice to see more brown eyes in the lineup. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSfw4Rhckgq6jV32nqFFTUHhKJW1RRr_-6Be1H1i98YRfcLToi4kreu3ur3gmxxmtJ4undl2H2hgecLI4wP-POI4BpADT98l9WrgWGJDwc6Ddwej_0yDoP1d-mU0EuZVq9Wok7lE3EyRURcqwz7IxsZ-2oguVDTvTI-sHMnq28jjbJnYTlvMoFR-Rq6A/s4000/20220521_161832.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSfw4Rhckgq6jV32nqFFTUHhKJW1RRr_-6Be1H1i98YRfcLToi4kreu3ur3gmxxmtJ4undl2H2hgecLI4wP-POI4BpADT98l9WrgWGJDwc6Ddwej_0yDoP1d-mU0EuZVq9Wok7lE3EyRURcqwz7IxsZ-2oguVDTvTI-sHMnq28jjbJnYTlvMoFR-Rq6A/w480-h640/20220521_161832.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>In an attempt to rid the front of her hair of that awful gel I ran her under hot water from my sink tap. Not boiling water, no, hot water I could keep my hand under. This was enough to completely obliterate her curls which suggests to me they weren't set in any way as it SHOULD be harder to straighten doll hair than just getting it wet. </p><p>Unfortunately this also taught me that her gold glitter isn't sealed in any way either and most of it washed off without me even touching her face. Simply getting her wet was enough to remove her glitter. I wish it was that easy to remove glitter from other things, because damn. But it's frustrating her as the glitter was a large part of her makeup so to have it wash off and then continue to just flake away is really disappointing. </p><p>Be warned. Don't get her wet. </p><p>I also ended up redoing all her elastic bands to neaten them up and swapped the front pieces around so they'd actually cover that bald patch correctly. I feel like this was how they were supposed to go anyway, as it covers that partline properly. </p><p>I think her hair looks a lot better straighter anyway. I wouldn't normally say that, but those thick curls weren't doing her any favours honestly. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6RIgSWRSeTccWJg-Ojvkr5oTyurEQKGW-U1Jfzu6E9Qz3jYuPwHQ9qGemWcrH8IqIta5HGGldZ_i33l5jCOCtsXxBNS6kqAk3WJKH2l_iIwl_zwPznDYZJzMqmcBpyY9_afMDze9jOdYJlW9HKoTq0CIrGG3e3lYbx1r9un2hqJM8GKae9XydMSYA7Q/s3067/20220521_161851.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3067" data-original-width="1895" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6RIgSWRSeTccWJg-Ojvkr5oTyurEQKGW-U1Jfzu6E9Qz3jYuPwHQ9qGemWcrH8IqIta5HGGldZ_i33l5jCOCtsXxBNS6kqAk3WJKH2l_iIwl_zwPznDYZJzMqmcBpyY9_afMDze9jOdYJlW9HKoTq0CIrGG3e3lYbx1r9un2hqJM8GKae9XydMSYA7Q/w396-h640/20220521_161851.jpg" width="396" /></a></div><p> </p><p>With the curl out of her hair (again, I stress, I did NOT straighten her hair, I literally rinsed it with water and this was the result) you can see how many colours she has in there. I count at least 4 if not 5 different shades. There's a blonde streak at the front on both sides, a reddish streak toward the back on both sides and then multiple shades of orange blended together. Her hair has a real shine to it that makes it appear to glow even more brightly in the light. </p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEielKt0dH9d8UC3OMrPVxkU_EVDjAoo43sCPYyPklyqU28ZuCb_h4PByS_5UHwDJgIaht0mzIPUqyq94HHIokHXKnvK_Dssdmq7aimk0ItF0Hw5rgC2Ygh280voHJBvDih4CVIyhTCi5qPqL1lrkczZkUdg7vwN-iCpz40CtoiJEBHYe1LoE61qTGNOvg/s3243/20220521_161817.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3243" data-original-width="1284" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEielKt0dH9d8UC3OMrPVxkU_EVDjAoo43sCPYyPklyqU28ZuCb_h4PByS_5UHwDJgIaht0mzIPUqyq94HHIokHXKnvK_Dssdmq7aimk0ItF0Hw5rgC2Ygh280voHJBvDih4CVIyhTCi5qPqL1lrkczZkUdg7vwN-iCpz40CtoiJEBHYe1LoE61qTGNOvg/w254-h640/20220521_161817.jpg" width="254" /></a></div><p></p><p>Her primary outfit consists of an orange satiny top with a single ringed shoulder strap and a large trailing piece of fabric coming from that shoulder, a pair of gold trousers with an odd folded over waistband and orange laced legs with a side slit, orange heels and a lot of bracelets. I like that she has some gold in her outfit, I definitely prefer the dolls who have a second colour in their outfits, I think it works better than monochrome colour blocking. </p><p>Oh and her pants have actual pockets, so that's cool. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh2z_bHS2t95savw1je6MoJwfSC3kOAMNNWzLP9efwnxvHaCtEibs_KH8fYYqoPce9tdN8SFrtMM04oOngp9dIUJmC02T5YngnU9AZNU3UYz4oMVUyp3ape7MSPe57Mt0uycOzNBEyOBgoXPbPWuv-WKdU9zwkaJ4VecDv-6WrSe9Nm9aAzkZ0LVXm7Q/s2882/20220521_161935.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2882" data-original-width="2649" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh2z_bHS2t95savw1je6MoJwfSC3kOAMNNWzLP9efwnxvHaCtEibs_KH8fYYqoPce9tdN8SFrtMM04oOngp9dIUJmC02T5YngnU9AZNU3UYz4oMVUyp3ape7MSPe57Mt0uycOzNBEyOBgoXPbPWuv-WKdU9zwkaJ4VecDv-6WrSe9Nm9aAzkZ0LVXm7Q/w588-h640/20220521_161935.jpg" width="588" /></a></div><p></p><p>Her earrings are large gold hoops with molded balls and dangles. They're molded all in one piece and a bit of a pain to get in her ears as the pegs are quite thick and the ball piece that sits against the ear is quite bulky. They don't quite sit flush. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvairCSvz_UEFwRbK7srcqbUZgYqaSUFrXWuDJisE16gDSG7uItwYKpD2RNuenwMYErhTSarcdz10fMLXIq9g8ZORSkI66r9kkjTOebf4B9wXggWNf5PaXDCyrIf40XjB-DNmMozATKt00ZcRUdSw1mYAPp8LNAkEUWMw5Q90eQDDVltzQBtthr-8Q9Q/s1705/20220521_162332.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="1705" height="576" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvairCSvz_UEFwRbK7srcqbUZgYqaSUFrXWuDJisE16gDSG7uItwYKpD2RNuenwMYErhTSarcdz10fMLXIq9g8ZORSkI66r9kkjTOebf4B9wXggWNf5PaXDCyrIf40XjB-DNmMozATKt00ZcRUdSw1mYAPp8LNAkEUWMw5Q90eQDDVltzQBtthr-8Q9Q/w640-h576/20220521_162332.jpg" width="640" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><p>She also comes with 6 bracelets and an upper arm cuff. </p><p>Interestingly, all six bracelets are unique which is a detail I didn't expect to see. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt8Fv9wi3RFMm4gJxyj4qHCAQVVzYs0uFGzLuuvSOffdpi5DMlAe6u9OEwClKi8tbVk3fCwNTeF-lpbJFtK_eYsDyWxenhZNjk6LPrvFy1CconcPuc8oSOa8jFPrjcczts5My8lzVATfDjIDHSXmHfAW19IplPhm_QV7tGuWSzd7ZBxxLcQ5vQ90Qnig/s2089/20220521_162517.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt8Fv9wi3RFMm4gJxyj4qHCAQVVzYs0uFGzLuuvSOffdpi5DMlAe6u9OEwClKi8tbVk3fCwNTeF-lpbJFtK_eYsDyWxenhZNjk6LPrvFy1CconcPuc8oSOa8jFPrjcczts5My8lzVATfDjIDHSXmHfAW19IplPhm_QV7tGuWSzd7ZBxxLcQ5vQ90Qnig/s2089/20220521_162517.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1644" data-original-width="2089" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt8Fv9wi3RFMm4gJxyj4qHCAQVVzYs0uFGzLuuvSOffdpi5DMlAe6u9OEwClKi8tbVk3fCwNTeF-lpbJFtK_eYsDyWxenhZNjk6LPrvFy1CconcPuc8oSOa8jFPrjcczts5My8lzVATfDjIDHSXmHfAW19IplPhm_QV7tGuWSzd7ZBxxLcQ5vQ90Qnig/w640-h504/20220521_162517.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>On one arm we have a large elephante that's painted to look enamelled, a bracelet made up of RH roundals and finally a chain bracelet with orange gems. </p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnWZDXbca_laEGYsYq8F1A_oxx_Hgtx7fbjxCs3S9nvqE4313idNW149NEe_9EUE9hcaMkm85NLrM4Quums_7W2fbdGpCsH4m4thKKEbuAKN7ZwLwd9ewLWZ_2y1EQq122cuZGQMc6aA_SnorYF4XtG8bSW7BJmj07NVACYhRo12xGXP2Ye5blSlZEbw/s2498/20220521_162738.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2075" data-original-width="2498" height="533" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnWZDXbca_laEGYsYq8F1A_oxx_Hgtx7fbjxCs3S9nvqE4313idNW149NEe_9EUE9hcaMkm85NLrM4Quums_7W2fbdGpCsH4m4thKKEbuAKN7ZwLwd9ewLWZ_2y1EQq122cuZGQMc6aA_SnorYF4XtG8bSW7BJmj07NVACYhRo12xGXP2Ye5blSlZEbw/w640-h533/20220521_162738.jpg" width="640" /></a></p><p>Her other wrist features a winding snake with orange gems, a chain bracelet with a RH dangling charm and a thick gold bracelet with elephantes engraved all the way around it. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvZoS_YIRVM-ogCJuYsd1iVBXSgdm3dPwQ9kHr5PyfA1z0r8y9NotP9c7rSJuq496b6kXhxTIJRA3zwTxVX8uk-jnrL5sup1eOmTyMTkWQ7fLvqT3qtmELV0gm5AUt3YZxORM0W_-a62OdNVKSVKTpVabaKLm5x9DbArclJAbsNVHPQ-NSrqSaRoWq9w/s3365/20220521_162805.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2605" data-original-width="3365" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvZoS_YIRVM-ogCJuYsd1iVBXSgdm3dPwQ9kHr5PyfA1z0r8y9NotP9c7rSJuq496b6kXhxTIJRA3zwTxVX8uk-jnrL5sup1eOmTyMTkWQ7fLvqT3qtmELV0gm5AUt3YZxORM0W_-a62OdNVKSVKTpVabaKLm5x9DbArclJAbsNVHPQ-NSrqSaRoWq9w/w640-h496/20220521_162805.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Her shoes are orange and gold heeled sandals with a buckle detail on the heel. </p><p>They're made of soft vinyl but still can be a bit fiddly to get on and off. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghjY5lTwOdBK_uieI090q7r1-r1Ns5cQRMzX54UkupJabUo3aQOEO1UmZQhkoovS4M3sx0u_sLBzFcvTYPSiGlHksba8izz6K1-QylBrEVMbSaz_53LEgP101guznyy-tRimrIoq1nYeL-BKO-Rn1WX6s9-OHY5hjNta2C3FQT29F-gpmHIgXD6fLSGQ/s2432/20220521_192948.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2432" data-original-width="1557" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghjY5lTwOdBK_uieI090q7r1-r1Ns5cQRMzX54UkupJabUo3aQOEO1UmZQhkoovS4M3sx0u_sLBzFcvTYPSiGlHksba8izz6K1-QylBrEVMbSaz_53LEgP101guznyy-tRimrIoq1nYeL-BKO-Rn1WX6s9-OHY5hjNta2C3FQT29F-gpmHIgXD6fLSGQ/w410-h640/20220521_192948.jpg" width="410" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Meena's second outfit is a little more "costumey" to me, featuring a long faux wrapped skirt made of similar fabric to her first outfit's shirt with a bold gold pattern and a large gold bow. Her shirt is made from a fairly rough fabric with white detail and gold tassles. I'm not convinced it fits that well, it feels a little poorly fitted around her bust. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">(you can also see here how her arm cuff is too big and keeps slipping down onto her lower arm. It's driving me nuts. it needs to be secured with elastic) <br /></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd3i36Fd9LJYo3JOwnhhirg5uNt1zbaOBiHkTGbEbjoBAHG8dfoIdKI-EKNAdJMu726rnTwgnYIudvKBqogcVj5XYTMorxaujqZ-2c-duBIqovHVw5VWWZWk3ym76-6yG8UlVOyo8PLFrhcKnJCZVFVBFCizqHzHK_kncvGr4wt-tvENiP48nw7dA_KA/s2811/20220521_192958.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2811" data-original-width="2005" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd3i36Fd9LJYo3JOwnhhirg5uNt1zbaOBiHkTGbEbjoBAHG8dfoIdKI-EKNAdJMu726rnTwgnYIudvKBqogcVj5XYTMorxaujqZ-2c-duBIqovHVw5VWWZWk3ym76-6yG8UlVOyo8PLFrhcKnJCZVFVBFCizqHzHK_kncvGr4wt-tvENiP48nw7dA_KA/w456-h640/20220521_192958.jpg" width="456" /></a></div><p>While the top has a cool "woven" sort of look to it, her skirt is completely unlined and has a missed section of hemming right at the front where the machine missed a section so it sticks out.</p><p>Yet another error for the poor girl. *sigh* </p><p>It does have intergral panties though so it doesn't spin around on the doll. Lol. <br /></p><p>It's a very soft skirt and MGA's obsession with that whole high/low hemline is on full display here. I'm just not totally sure about it because it feels a bit too "dolls of the world" rather than something a fashionable teen would wear. But maybe I just don't GET fashion. I AM old after all. Still if anyone knows what this outfit is referencing (usually the rainbow high dolls are wearing outfits referencing some fashion brand) i'd love to know. My searches are netting nothing. </p><p>incidentally, the flared shoulder piece of Meena's first outfit's top has this same gold pattern on it. It's just hard to see because all the folded pleats are stuck together from whatever fabric paint they used. Seriously I had to PEEL it open to see the pattern and didn't even realise it had one till I had finished taking photos. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO7bRlWVfyTt39F_6nqJqMpMS08EAqzW03qPdOP11NXgxuIql_u94Xf8pruevmTLRfj3y22YZ8Y1JRU-psNJtZoCgP76HAQkW-0-rcmRpnXjYWqaLuRiEBb5roJPz5Ud5348Em05VhuehAXzz8FmcV-FIa0JSSGg5KZ3LzKvbptn3c6a9v-xAtQvsW9Q/s3385/20220521_192740.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3385" data-original-width="2999" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO7bRlWVfyTt39F_6nqJqMpMS08EAqzW03qPdOP11NXgxuIql_u94Xf8pruevmTLRfj3y22YZ8Y1JRU-psNJtZoCgP76HAQkW-0-rcmRpnXjYWqaLuRiEBb5roJPz5Ud5348Em05VhuehAXzz8FmcV-FIa0JSSGg5KZ3LzKvbptn3c6a9v-xAtQvsW9Q/w568-h640/20220521_192740.jpg" width="568" /></a></div><p></p><p>A better look at that missed piece of hem. This edging piece is a quite stiff fabric as well so it sticks out and won't tuck back under unless I sit and sew it, which I can't be bothered doing right now as I haven't got a matching thread anyway. </p><p>Annoying. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAcWI4tMUNACNa-9O9RtWKJg8AemB3r1vTHEYZpqAEJgT29DBdk03Qu7roi_tk2Oj8ruJ8nVm3RbmOBOvd4j54zaTY-0PbtH51lhZFWME0li8NVIA1MTO_FOmbHvYA7esKn2UeV2QPOrSgBjsGR3IKa1IilAStiWR3deyuJbPiP4Mlt0T1KoPWzvNasA/s906/20220521_192814.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="906" data-original-width="867" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAcWI4tMUNACNa-9O9RtWKJg8AemB3r1vTHEYZpqAEJgT29DBdk03Qu7roi_tk2Oj8ruJ8nVm3RbmOBOvd4j54zaTY-0PbtH51lhZFWME0li8NVIA1MTO_FOmbHvYA7esKn2UeV2QPOrSgBjsGR3IKa1IilAStiWR3deyuJbPiP4Mlt0T1KoPWzvNasA/w612-h640/20220521_192814.jpg" width="612" /></a></div><br /><p>You might notice that these shoes are NOT heels. No, these are flat shoes. Meena comes with two sets of legs like the Pacific High girls do so she can wear heels or flats. Like the pacific high dolls, I don't think this was as elegant a solution as MGA thinks it is. Articulated ankles or faux flats would have been a better idea and it's not like they don't already have the tooling for articulated ankles, Jett had them but they've not used that body since. Nor have they never done faux flats. A lot of series 1 and 2 have them. </p><p>Like with pacific high, not only does the extra unneccisary plastic annoy me, it also is a pain in the arse to swap these leg pieces out. The joint is really stiff and it takes a lot of force to get the leg to go on. I'm an adult and I found it really hard and at times really painful swapping the limbs, I cannot see a child being able to do this on their own and as a parent lemme tell ya, I do NOT want to be swapping bloody legs every few minutes as a kid tries to pick an outfit for their doll to wear today. It's really really annoying. If the kid can't do it themselves is it really a kids toy?</p><p>Another thing to consider with these flat shoes is compatibility. As it stands the only dolls who can wear these flat shoes are the pacific high dolls and a couple of the series 4 dolls. Nobody else can wear these flats, which is severely limiting when it comes to mixing and matching. it's the same problem Mattel has with Barbie having flats and heels and different sized feet, inevitably you end up with pieces you can only use on one doll or unable to use your favourite bits on your favourite doll. </p><p>Cut this shit out doll companies. </p><p>Work out a better solution. </p><p>Anyway, these shoes are really cute and quite cleverly designed. They have soft rubbery straps that the gold thread feeds through allowing them not only to lace but to be loosened and tightened like real shoes. I don't think i've ever seen a pair of playline doll shoes actually behave like real shoes before. The flex in them means you don't have to fully unlace them to take them off or put them on, you just untie, loosen the laces a little and the whole foot slips out. I love them. In fact i'm kinda annoyed only TWO of my dolls will be able to wear them because of the stupid flat foot situation. -_- </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMuI25xsGEHZHD6Svy2-z4A5qQZ2X_nAgEW7XLypZ3beI9w0Xf1VCzmzjS2a_jtBiKFNwRmqysFC6-9nzJW4WA4DYKBfb6o9CYt_FxzxGHlmlYn5_7CqYwC7jfYvPjPjghFoQ7if7BZVa6YGCqJ6NeqVIpqxUTT6UdBfnIFY6zPQcSaa1eyLgqARHmEg/s3349/20220521_192731.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3349" data-original-width="1618" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMuI25xsGEHZHD6Svy2-z4A5qQZ2X_nAgEW7XLypZ3beI9w0Xf1VCzmzjS2a_jtBiKFNwRmqysFC6-9nzJW4WA4DYKBfb6o9CYt_FxzxGHlmlYn5_7CqYwC7jfYvPjPjghFoQ7if7BZVa6YGCqJ6NeqVIpqxUTT6UdBfnIFY6zPQcSaa1eyLgqARHmEg/w310-h640/20220521_192731.jpg" width="310" /></a></div><p> </p><p>Meena's original top and second outfit skirt are probably the same fabric, or as close as possible. <br /></p><p>At this point Meena's original top started to lose stitching around the ring piece at the shoulder. Another big sigh. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfFLuSTAyszlm6n1hUCpCGstvrOv1jq5MdRZCZisRJMQUqR_NsYjrecUNxZvVfRUomWJZlq7kO_lU629mD2o8fMVSDJF3zxS55x8xhIPE5H1M8HIuk7qN1hd6ku7Ph3wp55bGQigH43spGZ4BzQ1jCqzyrIAXyeTLnmoIWDQfEtJt0CP6sCGYBq1ZoEA/s2458/20220521_193231.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2458" data-original-width="1295" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfFLuSTAyszlm6n1hUCpCGstvrOv1jq5MdRZCZisRJMQUqR_NsYjrecUNxZvVfRUomWJZlq7kO_lU629mD2o8fMVSDJF3zxS55x8xhIPE5H1M8HIuk7qN1hd6ku7Ph3wp55bGQigH43spGZ4BzQ1jCqzyrIAXyeTLnmoIWDQfEtJt0CP6sCGYBq1ZoEA/w338-h640/20220521_193231.jpg" width="338" /></a></div><p>Her second shirt and gold pants I don't think look as good together honestly. <br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIHCEOnxjlHFY2Njm5vtckZwOC3Dp58drDusVQK0M4mJ9-hgKvsFAtsYV2zSEtcTSeNTBkZJOqXxw7pdrdx9YU_YOU8tZER11yzyA-e1HY7PKgpmP0pd4dVsZ_gH2Icimz4SNiBqOrh_jRQsysSASHnGEPFadbX6MuIhkjkDnvNpfKbGzsDtJLzu6Dvg/s3105/20220521_162139.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2266" data-original-width="3105" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIHCEOnxjlHFY2Njm5vtckZwOC3Dp58drDusVQK0M4mJ9-hgKvsFAtsYV2zSEtcTSeNTBkZJOqXxw7pdrdx9YU_YOU8tZER11yzyA-e1HY7PKgpmP0pd4dVsZ_gH2Icimz4SNiBqOrh_jRQsysSASHnGEPFadbX6MuIhkjkDnvNpfKbGzsDtJLzu6Dvg/w640-h468/20220521_162139.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p> </p><p>I definitely prefer the first outfit so back onto that she goes for a "orange girls" photo. Have I mentioned how much I love the colour orange before? I do. And it's a colour you really don't often see in "girl" toys. But Meena is definitely even more unique with her orange being a substantially darker shade and with no pink at all in her hair. Poppy had bright orange with streaks of pink giving her tutti fruity hair, Georgia's hair is peach toned and Simone's hair is honestly pink, just lots of shades of pink. </p><p>Meena's hair is very clearly orange. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi554if8wx9J8k6_Uu1Nk-eb9zxbRxfL_ChCT4ZXKEfvUW7uzgW5mMGtk4Qrvndmbev6JF8cgulONvT18Gd9_Rg-xeqTeICma8pt0YEbp3xU7D1L8ui1q0BObfl8ki01kRrhQ3pgAkzgNScqtTL-2F5CVIA_QdVNsHLYA3g-pepiAyxZ74o6oXeA8fhwA/s2770/20220521_200109.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1662" data-original-width="2770" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi554if8wx9J8k6_Uu1Nk-eb9zxbRxfL_ChCT4ZXKEfvUW7uzgW5mMGtk4Qrvndmbev6JF8cgulONvT18Gd9_Rg-xeqTeICma8pt0YEbp3xU7D1L8ui1q0BObfl8ki01kRrhQ3pgAkzgNScqtTL-2F5CVIA_QdVNsHLYA3g-pepiAyxZ74o6oXeA8fhwA/w640-h384/20220521_200109.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Not only is it a darker orange, it's also a lot glossier and shinier than the older dolls. Poppy's hair is very matte while Meena's has an almost metallic sheen to it in places. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKqMkEBSTgy6RGE_h9U7paiZFV8xqbYSMEv9yLjc53xjHv1xZYag7E5wKh5fVXBeG_bq3FYk0rbSgQRJevb76pvbQXrHCwWnQYO13xYINj0oXBq6WiDHW5m8pIEBaJ191gdZvcXSxtJw5tRYwxt5K8ui_Aw7ffddS7RSQQNxl-4MI0AoC5h6V2pVkBAQ/s2350/20220521_193249.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2350" data-original-width="1312" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKqMkEBSTgy6RGE_h9U7paiZFV8xqbYSMEv9yLjc53xjHv1xZYag7E5wKh5fVXBeG_bq3FYk0rbSgQRJevb76pvbQXrHCwWnQYO13xYINj0oXBq6WiDHW5m8pIEBaJ191gdZvcXSxtJw5tRYwxt5K8ui_Aw7ffddS7RSQQNxl-4MI0AoC5h6V2pVkBAQ/w358-h640/20220521_193249.jpg" width="358" /></a></div><p> I would call this Irn Bru orange. </p><p>I HATE Irn Bru but it's a glorious "am I really gonna drink that?" shade of luminous orange. Meena's hair reminds me of that, but also Saffron and Tumeric and other such dried spices which I suspect was more the intention. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWjYoYtOrjaOELt4LrLs7jqz1Mkf44JTYYYSWyFn4gFrusoZBJUrm6mz7LAmA5BKzvaJ_fbpEjGSWlohluRpJcsv9B9n9GQ2hskT6872eGQXRA5sqs99uEddYt41DIojHNDscy_5ypj2JgqkVH9i9TgKK3JMtqVS-gnTc_Y8YoQ9MHqieIbRDCos64pg/s3510/20220521_162011.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3510" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWjYoYtOrjaOELt4LrLs7jqz1Mkf44JTYYYSWyFn4gFrusoZBJUrm6mz7LAmA5BKzvaJ_fbpEjGSWlohluRpJcsv9B9n9GQ2hskT6872eGQXRA5sqs99uEddYt41DIojHNDscy_5ypj2JgqkVH9i9TgKK3JMtqVS-gnTc_Y8YoQ9MHqieIbRDCos64pg/w548-h640/20220521_162011.jpg" width="548" /></a></div><p></p><p>When I first saw Meena I wasn't enthused. Her strangely proportioned face, her ashy skin tone and her defects all made me uncertain about my purchse but I will tell you all now, having handled her for a while and posed her for photos, she's won me over. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ntQruCk17xqlITXYv6ANNUL_DXlJFiLlXs9evXcdbj0nH209oDE8Gl0riiP177Fm_NgIWBxx4QLUyNZXIwkwdjbMQJJgCRnNH3W9KS-xS2pxK8imdlSjKsMuvvyT6M4lxsikCXiZM4G1x7mWNue1XDmiZH_by5tGJVNfQlra_uLleo8c-LleiHtZ1A/s4000/20220521_191959.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ntQruCk17xqlITXYv6ANNUL_DXlJFiLlXs9evXcdbj0nH209oDE8Gl0riiP177Fm_NgIWBxx4QLUyNZXIwkwdjbMQJJgCRnNH3W9KS-xS2pxK8imdlSjKsMuvvyT6M4lxsikCXiZM4G1x7mWNue1XDmiZH_by5tGJVNfQlra_uLleo8c-LleiHtZ1A/w480-h640/20220521_191959.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>Yeah she's a rather unique looking girl with her high eyebrows and massive eyes but she's endeared herself to me, and not just because she's the first actually out and out stated "from India" doll i've ever actually seen. (no i'm not counting all those Barbies in saris, that was just Barbie in a sari). <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTBv5HKhA9-uKPv4mwVrDVp7SVGisVvNmgTWyXtQpflejj45bb34GRdzCKeWLHnjGgSeQPa5SWMiZ_ebMRX9VfcSQT9H1-MXTKhSYB7nHaabWMhDLglJhLAy8n_Ci6QUb-Cmak9_3jpT_JD28yujdEuzOdfL8rBwB0v8QEKd-62J3SuTWGiVGc6xA3rw/s4000/20220521_194307.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTBv5HKhA9-uKPv4mwVrDVp7SVGisVvNmgTWyXtQpflejj45bb34GRdzCKeWLHnjGgSeQPa5SWMiZ_ebMRX9VfcSQT9H1-MXTKhSYB7nHaabWMhDLglJhLAy8n_Ci6QUb-Cmak9_3jpT_JD28yujdEuzOdfL8rBwB0v8QEKd-62J3SuTWGiVGc6xA3rw/w480-h640/20220521_194307.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>It's unfortunate that she has a load of little flaws, they add up fast and frustrate me a lot. I feel like MGA's current plan is to flood the market with dolls so that their competators can't get any shelf space, but this rush to make MORE MORE MORE has resulted in a huge slump in quality control as they speed to get things out. </p><p>Looking at Amazon reviews, there are a fair few reports of defects and general grime on the dolls and that's such a pity because if MGA just slowed the fuck down, we'd get some really nice products here. </p><p>Like guys please... please slow down. </p><p>We've had an absolute avalanche of Rainbow and Shadow High products from MGA the past few months and it's just too much too fast. It's stressful for consumers to keep up, difficult for stores to display all their stock (this may be why a lot of places are slow to put the new stuff out, they haven't got space and haven't sold the old stuff yet because it only came out a few weeks ago!) and clearly it's difficult for the factory to keep up with a hectic and frankly ludicrous schedule of releases. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn_O-eKukwCVEfpDYGzNV4S90XL3nhTtVRaD_cjLiXTjf7o0S78kVf-csnEcQ5bLdanC7mVnaqdXi8GDb7zn3hpfs2KevmBxKABlfXjISFr8P_yU-AJd7xd51inD_IeNxImAnCwdddxeUTn54ehpbPF2wFi_trN6_WPjjuFOCqyDBlyGvlDV5GuMS2bQ/s4000/20220521_195958.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn_O-eKukwCVEfpDYGzNV4S90XL3nhTtVRaD_cjLiXTjf7o0S78kVf-csnEcQ5bLdanC7mVnaqdXi8GDb7zn3hpfs2KevmBxKABlfXjISFr8P_yU-AJd7xd51inD_IeNxImAnCwdddxeUTn54ehpbPF2wFi_trN6_WPjjuFOCqyDBlyGvlDV5GuMS2bQ/w480-h640/20220521_195958.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p>It took me several hours of work but I did eventually get most of the ink mark off her face. I had to use acetone, a veeeery light hand and a teensy tiny pair of sharp tweazers to scrape scrape scrape and hope it didn't gouge her face or remove the paint underneath. I didn't get rid of all of it, it's really engrained in there, but I got it faded enough that you can barely see it in photos so it'll do. </p><p>I also filled in her missing eyeliner and spent quite a bit of time fixing her hair right at the start of this review. It needed to be washed and both tied sections needed completely redoing. </p><p>I also elastic handed her arm cuff to stop it slipping.</p><p>But I can't fix her shedding and missing glitter unfortunately. </p><p>And here's the thing, this is a brand new £35 doll. I shouldn't HAVE to spend my whole evening getting her looking presentable out of the box. I shouldn't HAVE to repaint sections of missing paint or carefully remove overspray. I shouldn't have to redo the factory hairstyle because whoever did it at the factory didn't do it properly the first time. I shouldn't have to rinse so much gel out of the doll's hair that my hands feel sticky for hours even after scrubbing them with soap. I shouldn't have to resew clothing the DAY I got them. (have you noticed she's also lost a gold stud from her top too?) </p><p>I've had 60 year old dolls come to me needing less work ffs. </p><p>this frankly isn't acceptable. </p><p>I will accept small flaws in dolls. I don't mind having to repaint a tiny chunk of lip or eye paint, or having to comb out box hair, but I get very very pissed off when I have to sit and resew things, have elements of embellishment just drop off from gentle handling and have makeup literally coming off on my fingers as I move the doll's head. </p><p>It's not okay MGA. It really isn't OK. </p><p>Meena's a beautiful doll and I love her hair colour especially. But she's a very very flawed doll. I feel increasingly less guilty about requesting a refund from Amazon for her, because the more I handled her, the more flaws I found. </p><p>I feel like MGA have gotten a little complacent here. They know they have a big seller, but at the same time for a while now quality has been slipping and MGA's customer service attitude has become more and more "sucks to be you" about it. I don't even bother contacting them here in the UK anymore because I know they'll just repeat the same robotic reply "return to the store, it's not our responsibility" </p><p>well MGA, it IS your responsibility. You made these dolls, you're the ones rushing production and not doing appropriate quality control. Stop passing the buck to your customers because ultimately, if the dolls continue to come flawed, people will just stop buying them. £35 is a lot of money and we're in the middle of a huge cost of living crisis here in the UK. People are literally unable to pay for their heating or hot water ffs, if they're gonna treat their kid or themselves, they're gonna want a product that feels worth that money. </p><p>I feel like right now, people are going to be MORE critical of these flaws as belts tighten and money becomes harder and harder to get. </p><p>And maybe that's another reason MGA is rushing this wave out. They know that soon people will stop buying frivilous little treats. Gotta get those sales while people are still feeling like they can buy their kid a toy and still eat that week. </p><p>In terms of a review? I wouldn't buy this wave blind. If you can go into a store and pick them out in person, do so. And be aware that there are sewing issues you may not be able to see till you debox. Have a needle and thread handy. </p><p>Can I recommend Meena at full price? not really. Like Pacific High a large chunk of her price tag is those stupid extra legs rather than more fancy outfits or accessories. Both her outfits are nice, but neither of them are overly fancy when you compare them to other rainbow high dolls. She gets a lot of bracelets and some earrings, but she only has 4 garment pieces which is a lower count than most of the Rainbow High dolls we've had thus far who usually come with a jacket or some other over layer. She feels a lot more basic than several of the dolls who've come before her, just like Pacific High does, despite that deluxe price tag. She also has less pieces than Delilah does again, because Delilah doesn't have extra legs. Sorry but i'd rather have a little pashmina or something over a pair of stupid extra legs. Much as I love Meena's sandals, there's so many better ways to do flats for dolls. The wastefulness of those legs and the extra cost they tack onto the doll budget just pisses me off.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtb99_CHX-hbKGvWUAlaavNIh9T5EBgma8PaeReL0rNZQw03LzQjqS4l0qZ7TiLLMF8SvmDU44A5qGmLE2S3qBA0aQnMVCakfIV1ynK8WVE4MshAbcDgDTxfEg42-K6Qef7341VqhFRuAQ8SJiqBTa5WB3fr50BOS9LD6Umi_ZUEI_hNx9T41La5T2nA/s3054/20220521_191936.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3054" data-original-width="1640" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtb99_CHX-hbKGvWUAlaavNIh9T5EBgma8PaeReL0rNZQw03LzQjqS4l0qZ7TiLLMF8SvmDU44A5qGmLE2S3qBA0aQnMVCakfIV1ynK8WVE4MshAbcDgDTxfEg42-K6Qef7341VqhFRuAQ8SJiqBTa5WB3fr50BOS9LD6Umi_ZUEI_hNx9T41La5T2nA/w344-h640/20220521_191936.jpg" width="344" /></a></div><p> </p><p>I'm sorry Meena, you deserved so much better. <br /></p>Purple_monkfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01023284779817354246noreply@blogger.com1