Pullip Varele: Review

My Pullip Varele, Estelle

Pullip Varele was another doll that wasn't quite at the top of my wishlist, but I've always thought she was kind of cute. One thing was certain though, and that was that I much preferred her color scheme over her counterpart, Canele (not to say that Canele isn't cute, too. The two of them are nearly identical aside from their coloring, the patterns on their socks and bows, and some very minor differences in faceup). I think part of the reason I prefer her to Canele is  that, to me, she somewhat looks like a magic user (yes, yes, I know she and Canele are supposed to have a carnival theme being released for Doll Carnival 2013 and all, but that's not the vibe I get from Varele) and with her silver hair and yellow eyechips and being dressed in purple in black, she reminded me very much of my Thaumaturge on FFXIV, Estelle Celestine (hint, hint, that's where her name comes from!). 

What really sold me on buying Varele was actually seeing her in person at Kiddyland in Harajuku. She, along with a couple of other Pullip dolls and I *think*  a Dal and an Isul (my memory is a little fuzzy), was on display in a glass case. Though there were many other dolls right there in front of me that were all so cute, Varele stuck out the most among all of them. Upon examining her up close and in person, I grew to like her even more than I had originally. Unfortunately, I was unable to buy her right there and then, as I had just finished having my hair done and was running low on yen (she was being sold there for a pretty high price, anyway, so it was a good thing I landed up purchasing her through pullipstyle. Seriously, they have the best deals and I've bought nearly all my dolls from them aside from Bonita, as they don't carry her anymore from what I can tell). It was almost maddening having to wait before I was able to purchase her, but it would be an understatement to say that I was excited when I finally did!

Things Varele Comes With:

- A dress

-A matching hat with a tassel hanging from the top

- Two clip on pigtails

- Two wrist cuffs

- Purple polkadot stockings

-Purple and white platform shoes

- A cane with a pony decoration adorned with a bow, and a beaded tassel

- Pullip Varele trading card

- Doll stand

Pros:

-Beautiful eyes with stars painted on them!

- Pretty faceup, not overdone in the slightest!

-The purple, cream, gold, and black all look nice together!

- The clip on pigtails! They allow you to change up her hairstyle with ease, whether you choose to clip both of them in, use just one of them, or forgo them completely.

-She has a hand similar to Sfoglia's which allows her to be able to hold her cane.

- Her wig is very soft and manageable and has a unique silver color!

-Type 4 body

Cons:

- The netting to her pigtails are visible at certain angles (may vary from doll to doll)

- Has a very noticeable patch on the top her head where you can see the wig netting, thankfully her hat conceals it. (May vary from doll to doll)

- Some of the bows on her outfit are not securely sewn on. I had one of them fall off and had to reattach it back into place with super glue (may vary from doll to doll)

- Her price tag. She's a bit on the expensive end as far as Pullips go.

Neutral:

- Her hat is a bit difficult to put on, since it ties under her hair at the back of her head, but stays in place fairly well once you manage to get it on her.

- Her eye mech tends to get stuck a bit, but pushing the pegs up while gently pushing upward on her lid seems to do the trick (may vary from doll to doll)
- Looks very similar to her stock photos; she is one of the few dolls that have stock photos that most accurately portray what she looks like in person.

The Verdict:

Varele is a fantastical and whimsical looking doll that is worth getting, whether alone or as a set with Canele! She has very elaborate detailing on her stock and her silver hair is very unique, as most Pullip dolls do not have that. Her outfit may be a little busy for some, but I think she could easily be dressed up in different outfits and look just as pretty, especially since her faceup is fairly simple and consists of mostly neutral colors. If you have your eye on her and you really want her, I would encourage you to go and buy her!

More Pictures of Estelle: