Think I got a wonk-eyed Cleo or something.
There's definitely something not quite right about her face.
13 Wishes Lagoona, however, is perfection.
I know it's a cliche to point this out at this point, but she really is crazy-unique!
Haunt the Casbah Clawdeen surprised me with just how much I liked her.
She works much better without the wrap, in my opinion.
Check out Cleo's wicked Oasis swimsuit!It's not quite up there with her Skull Shores suit,
but it's close! And her hair is super soft, almost Spectra's texture!
I think Lagoona's most comfortable under those palm trees.
Cleo, meanwhile, is doing her best not to look cross-eyed.
It can't just be me -- there's something off about her face, right?
The end.
I'll be posting a full review with better pics (hopefully!) as soon as I can. I wanna get this sucker out in the sun and some water in that tub.
Til next time!
I can see what you mean about Cleo. It looks like her left eye is looking dead-on, but her right eye is looking upwards or something.
ReplyDeleteOther than that, it looks like you've been having fun with this playset! :)
P.S. I'm glad you've warmed up to HTC Clawdeen. I had a strong feeling her purple skirt was removable.
It's funny, I was pretty upset about the wonk-eye -- until I spoke with Mighoula over at MHD and she gave a me a fresh perspective on how to appreciate a doll even when it's not perfect. We MH fans are pretty cool lot, aren't we! :)
DeleteAnd yes, once that wrap's removed HTC Clawdeen really shines (literally and figuratively lol). I've actually taken to wrapping it around her neck to work as a cape. It doesn't fit perfectly but I think it looks cool anyway!
That's good that you're starting to appreciate her, wonky-eyes and all.
DeleteQuick question about Clawdeen again; it seems her golden belt doesn't go all the way around. Does it just snap on or something?
Yeah, the belt is just a hard piece with a small opening in the back that you slide onto the side of her waist then twist so it's facing forward. It has a really cool half-moon buckle, too. Definitely a cool little piece of equipment!
DeleteDarn. I was hoping for a proper belt. Oh well, it's pretty cool anyway. Have you tried it with Scaris Clawdeen's dress, yet?
DeleteNot yet -- I'm trying to hold off on doing any major clothing/accessory changes until after I've shot her for her review. In the same vein, I'm just itching to try Oasis and Classroom Cleo's outfits on Scaris Cleo, but holding off on doing the switches for that same reason.
DeleteOh, okay. It's so amazing how exciting dolls can make you feel, huh? Non-doll collectors just can't understand, can they? lol
DeleteYes, exactly! If I were to ever say to, say, my sister, "I can't change my doll's clothes yet, I want her pristine for the photoshoot", she'd probably look at me like I sprouted a second head or something! She already thinks my doll collecting is kind of odd, so if I were to go into the subtleties of the hobby she'd think I'd lost it lol. That's why I'm so glad I have you fellow collectors to talk to about this stuff -- you guys "get it" and aren't judgemental about a grown man who collects dolls.
DeleteI know that feel, bro. My sisters think I'm weird, too. The older one thinks I should buy makeup, clothes and shoes or whatever.
DeleteMy mum just thinks I should "grow up". At least my dad doesn't judge me. (I think he understands the 'hobby' aspect of it.)
I think it's really annoying when people try to tell you what you should spend your money on. I get that from my family sometimes, as well. And I know they mean well, but after a while it's like, "I know what I'm doing, do please chill." lol! It's cool that your dad seems to get it!
DeleteTotally. I don't give my family any guff for their interests. My older sister even loves Hello Kitty (the hypocrite!). I just say, so long as it's legal, you can live your life however you want. Just do what makes you happy & don't try too hard to make people like you, because the good ones will like you just the way you are & the others can suck it!
DeleteAnd what can I say? I'm a bit of a daddy's girl. :D
I think the circumstances in my life have taught me to live and let live. It's such a simple philosophy and really makes life much easier; I'm always kind of mystified by people who don't get it. But such is life, eh?
Deletei have the same problem with my re-release original frankie she is cross eyed and not only that but mattel has made frankie and cleo's eyes more circular i guess to give them a softer look but i don't like it i prefer the original eyes they also did this with spectras eyes... i don't know why mattel has to take something so good and change it to not be as cool... but i still love my girls, i just hope that mattel stops changing the eyes bc it really has changed the whole vibe of a couple dolls face ups !! for an example of this take an older frankie any of her from wave 1 up to DOTD and even 1600 and then get a newer one from say GR or PD or maybe even HTC (i haven't seen her in person yet) but grab one of each, a new and an old and put the faces side by side and compare her eyes they have become more round more soft and it is the same with a lot of other characters and with that being said the new bigger circular eyes i think is easier to get a mess up or that the mess up is more prominent bc the extra space in the white of the eyes just shows it more or something... anyway i love this set and this and the spectras party room are going to be the first play sets that i have bought since the clawdeen bunk bed set !!
ReplyDeleteThe changes they've made to Spectra's face are very pretty but they've robbed her of all the spunk and personality she used to have. Change it back, Mattel! As for Cleo, it's still so new and I'm still adjusting. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about the new eyes yet. What you're saying about mess ups and the rounder eyes makes sense. I wish I could just tour one of the Mattel factories and see how it's all done and ask questions. That may sound weird but I think the whole process of manufacturing dolls is fascinating. I mean, Jelly Belly does tours of their jelly bean factory so having one for dolls seems plausible, right? Anyway, I don't get why Mattel feels like they should change things on dolls if they already work, ie why change Spectra's face, it was already great and fans liked it.
Deletei agree bc the new spectra face isn't as striking... her original cheek bones were amazing they just looked so much more mature and that's probably why mattel changed it but i don't think they should have !!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely. They tried to fix something that wasn't broken; so pointless. Like I said, change her back, Mattel!
DeleteUgh, I have been SOO busy with work the past few weeks that I haven't had time to check your blogs. :( I finished an intense work project just last evening, and was so excited to finally see your latest treasures! With new releases finally making their way into the market, I expected you had come upon some of them. Sadly, something does look slightly off on your Oasis Cleo's face. However, that just makes her unique! I can't quite pinpoint it either, but it looks as though her eyes were applied slightly high. Her swimsuit is very electric, and I'm happy to hear that her hair is soft and supple (unlike her PD doll). My feelings are still mixed on 13 Wishes Lagoona... I will not deny that her look is very unique. I also keep seeing her as a leggy Smurfette, which kinda turns me off (even though I love Smurfette).
ReplyDeleteI was starting to wonder about you Eric! Glad you're back! I totally understand the work thing. Bleh :-/ I've pretty much come around to the Oasis doll, but she'll never be as highly regarded for me as most of the past Cleos. The eyes are just too off. Hopefully it's a temporary thing. Her swimsuit is amazing and the playset is really cool, even better than I expected it to be. I've been using it in the background of almost all the shots lately. I'd never thought about Smurfette -- I think you just ruined that Lagoona for me! ;)
DeleteSo sorry to have potentially ruined Freshwater Lagoona for you. I should've kept the Smurfette reference to myself... ha! But I mean, c'mon -- right down to the pond-themed accessories, there is some resemblance. hee hee I'm actually excited to see the doll in-person, as I have a sneaking suspicion that she may ultimately win me over. We've all acknowledged this, and I find it interesting, that we are won over by some dolls' stock photos, but then the real thing somehow seems lackluster. Then there are the ones you aren't interested in based on the promo photos, and suddenly feelings change when you see the actual doll. Crazy!
ReplyDeleteLol it's all good. I actually loved the Smurfs when I was little. Those modern CGI monstrosities however -- yuck. As soon as i read though it was like"Oh wow, she does look like Smurfette!"
DeleteI wouldn't be surprised at all if she wins you over when you see her. Imo in person she looks better than the promo pic. Then again I've heard a lot of people say they've come across 13W Lagoona dolls with wonky eyes and stuff. Whivh doesn't surprise me, there seem to be a lot of problems with the new dolls in general.
I think part of why we so often feel differently about MH dolls once we see them in person is because a lot of times the promo pic dolls look a little different from the manufactured ones. Then again I've had it happen with a lot of other doll lines too. I guess you just never know when one will eventually "click" for you!
The problem with promo shots is that they're heavily photoshopped. The dolls in the promos have perfect faceups & groomed hair, and they're also posed interestingly. Of course, for a mass produced doll made in China or Indonesia for much less than they retail for, there are of course going to be differences in the final marketed doll.
DeleteIt's great, however, when the released doll is *better* than the promo pic. (I'm looking at you, MF Clawdeen.)
You're absolutely right, Felicity. And I'm always pleasantly surprised when a released doll is better than the promo pic. Sometimes, it's not even that they just look better than the pic; for me, they can have a certain charm in-person.
DeleteDid you try sewing fashions yet?
Yep. My first dress is this one;
Deletehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/listie/8955224933/
I still need more practise, though.
I was a huge fan of the Smurfs myself. And I feel entirely the same way about the modern CGI-animated versions -- blech. In general, I dislike CGI animation (although there have been a few exceptions). As a kid of the 80's and 90's, I'm attached to an illustrative style of animation. I was willing to at least give the Smurfs movie a chance, but when I discovered it was set in modern New York, I lost all interest. I mean, part of the appeal was the Mediaeval / forest / kingdom setting. And those mushroom houses!! I always wanted one of the toy mushroom houses. Do you have any?
ReplyDeleteYou're right about the discrepancy between promo pics and actual dolls. And there's just something about seeing the actual physical doll that can be more influencing than any photo. Once I finally see 13W Lagoona in-person, I'll let you know how I feel!
When it comes to CG I like Pixar and the occasional blockbuster flick (usually stuff like the new Oz). I hate when they take existing franchises and basically completely change them. The Smurfs in New York -- effing stupid! Bleh. I have a bunch of the Smurf miniatures, but I never got a mushroom house :( Back in the 80s miniatures were so popular, for a ton of different lines! I loved minis so much!
DeleteYeah, I'm really curious how you'll respond to her. It's definitely gonna be a love-her-or-hate-her thing lol.