Pullip Karen: Review

Pullip Karen is a vision of loveliness with her rich, chocolate brown curls, luxurious wine colored stock outfit, and her remarkably done faceup! Her entire look has a somewhat mature and elegant air to it, but it also is fun and interesting, and her expression makes her seem so sweet and innocent! All of these traits have been blended together beautifully and in such a way to where nothing about her seems odd or out of place! It's apparent that there was a lot of hard work and detail put into her design! She is truly an artistic masterpiece! 

  

Pullip Karen is a collaboration doll between Mitsukazu Mihara x Juliette et Justine and Groove. Her design was based off of the cover illustration of Vol. 45 of the Gothic & Lolita Bible from back in August 2012! The doll is very well done! She resembles the cover art perfectly!

Pullip Karen Comes With:

- Red and gold bow headband

- Satin top hat

- Two clip on hair extensions (similar to Pullip Varele and Pullip Canele's)

- Long sleeved white blouse with ruffles, lace, and a bow placed at the neck

- Satin burgundy dress with tassels, a strand of pearls placed across the chest, and bow detailing on the skirt, as well as a printed underskirt and black petticoat with lace underneath it for added volume.

-. Detachable ruched sash (I do not really know how else to describe it, but it is placed right around her waist and is held in place with velcro It could possibly be part of her skirt that they just decided not to sew onto the dress itself.)

- White stockings

- Burgundy heels with ribbon and organza flowers on the back of them.

- Pullip Karen's trading card

- Doll stand

Pros:

- The wig is a nice shade of brown and her curls are really pretty! 

- The wig cap does not show through! (May vary from doll to doll.)

- Her eye chips are a pretty bluish-grey! 

- As I've said already, her faceup is exquisite My personal favorite thing about it is the way her eye makeup and eyelashes were done It's so dramatic looking, and she has so many lashes that are done so perfectly and are placed so close together! I'm really impressed with how that was done! Her lids are painted beige, and the rest of her faceup is simple, consisting of light pink blush and glossy pink lips with painted teeth to balance everything out! Her brown eyebrows match her wig and are slightly lifted upward to emphasize her happy and friendly appearance!

-She comes with a lot of head accessories that are fun to mix and match and change out They're all very cute and very easy to put on her There was no struggle tying on her hat at all!

-The bows on her skirt and the strand of pearls are pinned on, allowing them to be removed completely or placed elsewhere on her outfit if you choose Her sash is also detachable, making it easy to modify her look a bit!

- The underskirt has a beautiful and eye-catching print that adds visual interest to her outfit!

- Her shoes are adorable I love the little ribbons placed on the back of her heels I thought it was a nice touch. 

- Type 4 body!

Cons:

- Her wig is really frizzy, though that's kind of to be expected with curly wigs Also, while most of her curls are soft, there were a couple of odd, coarse patches that I had to snip off Her extensions have the same issue with frizz. (May vary from doll to doll.)

- Her dress stains I was a little sad to find that it had left such noticeable red stains on the blouse she wears underneath it, so now it can not really be used separately on its own with other outfits. 

- Her headband (the one with the large bow) is pretty heavy and falls off of her head easily, even though the band is adjustable and it has a comb to help keep it in place, it does not help.

- The tassels can come undone easily if you touch them too much.

- Her shoes can fall off her feet easily.

-Her outfit is a bit hard to remove and put back on They do not come off very easily and you have to be very careful and patient Also, it is so annoying putting her outfit back together, especially trying to pull her dress over her blouse sleeves. My Pullip Karen's arm accidentally popped out of her socket and I only partially removed her clothes so I could put it back, and it was a nightmare to deal with. 

Neutral:

- Her price may be a little much for some on Pullip Style (she costs $ 127.95), but it needs to be taken into consideration that she is a collaboration doll, and that they always run for a bit more than non-collaboration dolls. Also ,she could be found for a slightly lower cost on amazon, so that would be a good place to look if you want a better deal on her. I got her for $ 99.93 on there with free shipping!

The Verdict:

Pullip Karen has a lot of character and is very unique! I personally think she's very pretty and I adore her! If you're a fan of Juliet et Justine and lolita fashion, this doll would be worth getting! Some may find her outfit overwhelming or even weird looking and unappealing, but that could be fixed with a simple change of clothing! She'd look really pretty in different outfits too, so do not be put off by her stock! It would be a shame to pass up such a beautiful doll just because of that.

Pictures of Amelie, my Pullip Karen:

Dal Heart Macaron: Review

Every time I look at Parfait, my Dal Heart Macaron, a feeling of nostalgia washes over me. She brings me back to when I was just first discovering the world of Pullip dolls and the rest of the Pullip family. It wasn't very long ago that I began collecting (just a few months back, actually) , but my doll family has grown exponentially since then, and it all started with the darling Heart Macaron. Because of that, she has a special place in my heart!

 Dal Heart Macaron was released back in 2012 as a collaboration doll with Mitsukazu Mihara and the ever popular lolita brand that caused a boom in the sweet lolita trend, Angelic Pretty. Needless to say, they really whipped up something sweet when they came up with her design! Her stock is based off of Angelic Pretty's Decoration Dream OP in yellow. A beautiful illustration of her wearing the dress was featured on the cover of the Gothic & Lolita Bible volume 42!

Dal Heart Macaron Comes With:

- Headband with ruffles, ribbon, buttons, and macaron ornaments

- Dress modeled after Angelic Pretty's Decoration Dream in yellow

- Light pink opaque knee high socks with whipped cream and strawberries printed up along the sides and ribbons printed on the knees

- A pair of white gloves with ribbons and pink heart-shaped buttons at the cuffs

- A pair of purple strapped shoes

- Mini Whip Bear

- Purse that's made to look like a multi-layered cake with cherries and beading

- Pink picnic blanket

- Dal Heart Macaron's trading card

- Doll stand

Pros:

- Cute simple faceup with pink painted lids! Painted teeth also makes her look like she's smiling!

- Her eye chips have small hearts painted on them!

-  She comes with quite a few accessories for a Dal and they're all very cute!

- Whip Bear is slightly poseable with movable arms and legs!

- Stock is quite well-made and not likely to fall apart or become damaged. Macaron charms are also sewn on well!

- Bendable band helps keep her headband in place!

- Wig is a pretty pink with blue streaks!

- Wig netting doesn't show through! (May vary from doll to doll.)

- Shoes stay on her feet quite well!

Cons:

- Her gloves are small and her hands can get caught in the cuffs when trying to put them on.

-  Shoe straps can be a little hard to buckle around her ankles.

- Although cute, her bag isn't very functional. The zipper works, but the inside is filled with stuffing to help keep it's shape, making it unusable.

- In my opinion, her hair is too long. It goes past her feet and if you have her standing on the mat she comes with, it kind of sticks to it.

Neutral:

- The front and back of her skirt are sewn together around her legs. It doesn't make it easy to dress  her in different outfits, but it's most likely that way to showcase the design of the dress better.

- Her wig isn't as wavy or as nicely styled as shown in her stock photo, but still cute regardless.

The Verdict:

Dal Heart Macaron is incredibly sweet looking and oh so adorable! While some may not be a fan of the painted on teeth, I personally think it gives her a nice and cheerful look! You will guaranteed love her if you are a fan of the sweet lolita look and Angelic Pretty's designs, or if you just love all things kawaii! She's a little pricey, but that's to be expected with a collaboration doll, and I say she's well worth the price since she does come with quite a few props and accessories! 

Pictures of Parfait, my Dal Heart Macaron:

Pullip Midori Fukasawa La Robe Vert Clair: Review

With her fabulously frilly dress and her stylish short curly bob, it was hard to resist Pullip Midori Fukusawa! How could I when she looked so much like royalty! Midori Fukusawa, along with Pullip Misako Aoki, is a Baby, the Stars Shine Bright collaboration doll and is made to resemble Baby model, Midori Fukusawa! She automatically became my favorite out of the two Baby dolls, though I still was set on buying both her and Pullip Misako! It seemed only right to get them together, and I don't regret that decision in the least!

Pullip Midori Fukusawa Comes With:

- Crown headpiece

- Pearl beaded necklace

- La Robe Vert Clair gown

- Removable sash

- Detachable bustle

- Two lace gloves

- White stockings

- A pair of white mary jane flats

- Pullip Midori Fukasawa's Trading Card

- Doll stand

Pros:

- Her faceup makes her look mature and sharp, but by no means harsh. It's a nice contrast in comparison to Pullip Misako Aoki's faceup, since Misako's eye shape is more rounded and has a slight droop to them, and Midori's are slightly less wide and have more of an angle. (The way their lashes and eye shadow were painted on seems to be the biggest difference between their faceups, that and Misako has more blush on her cheeks that is more pink and has slightly bolder pink lips than Midori.)

-  Her curly short wig is very cute and unique!

- No visible wig netting can be seen! (May vary from doll to doll.)

- Her wig has a nice scent to it, almost like it has been sprayed with perfume! It may seem a bit odd, but whenever I pass by her, I sometimes stop just to sniff her wig. (May vary from doll to doll.)

- All of her ribbons on her stock are sewn on well. (May vary from doll to doll)

- Her shoes seem to fit her better than Pullip Misako Aoki's shoes do. 

- Type 4 body!

- No issues with eye mechs! (May vary from doll to doll.)

Cons:

- Her curls are pretty frizzy and not very easy to manage.

- The metal crown isn't sewn very well onto the ribbon that ties around her head. It's a bit loose. (May vary from doll to doll.)

- The crown is too heavy for the ribbon and can make the ribbon slide off from her head. It needs to be very securely fastened to keep it in place.

- Stock is made of very delicate and light material that can be easily damaged if not cared for properly. Also, it may have many loose threads hanging off of it that need to be trimmed.

- Her joints are a little stiff making her difficult to pose. (May vary from doll to doll.)

Neutral:

- Her dress isn't as accurate to the actual La Robe Vert Clair dress. It's close, but it doesn't come as close as Pullip Misako Aoki's dress does to the real Favorite Ribbon dress.

- Her bustle attaches onto the back of her dress the same way Misako's bow does. It doesn't cause any issues if she is just staying still, but it does come off easily if she's being moved around. It's recommended that you keep the bustle off of her if you plan on taking her somewhere so it doesn't get lost.

- She costs quite a bit, especially since she doesn't come with as much as Pullip Misako Aoki does. ( She's priced the same as Pullip Misako at $135 on pullipstyle.com.) However, her stock is very elaborate, and she doesn't cost as much as some other collaboration dolls, so I feel that it's justifiable enough.

The Verdict:

I hands down really love this doll! She looks very much like royalty and has an air of elegance about her! Out of all my dolls, she is certainly the most regal! I'm personally really happy that she is a part of my collection! If you are a fan of Baby, the Stars Shine Bright or happen to love Midori Fukusawa, by all means, get her! If you've been considering buying her, I urge you to do so! You will not be sorry for it!

Pictures of Opal, My Pullip Midori Fukasawa:

Pullip Misako Aoki Favorite Ribbon: Review

 

Pullip Misako Aoki Favorite Ribbon is one of two dolls that are part of a collaboration with the well-known lolita brand, Baby, the Stars Shine Bright! She is also designed after the popular Japanese model, Misako Aoki! As one who has admired Baby's designs for many years now, I was excited over this doll as well as Pullip Midori Fukasawa La Robe Vert Clair! I really wanted both dolls, and so I bought them together as a set from none other than pullipstyle! They are the first dolls so far that I felt absolutely must be bought together as a pair! It just wouldn't seem right to get one without the other! (I'll be doing a review on Midori right after I finish this one!)

Pullip Misako Aoki Comes With:

- Red ribbon headband with dangling charms

- Favorite Ribbon dress

- Light pink stockings

- Detachable bow 

- Red heeled Mary Jane shoes

- Pink nurse cap

-Pink nurse uniform

- Misako's trading card

- Doll stand

Pros:

- Cute faceup! Her eyes are bordered by lots of long lashes that make her eyes look big and round and slightly droopy, giving her a youthful appearance.

- She comes with two outfits!

- No wig netting peeking through! (May vary from doll to doll.)

- The wig itself is very manageable.

- Stock outfit is very accurate looking compared to the real Favorite Ribbon dress!

- Type 4 body

- Well-functioning eye mechs! (May vary from doll to doll.)

- Versatile and would look adorable in many different outfits and wigs!

Cons:

- The charms on her headband are heavy and cause the headband to fall off of her head even from the slightest of movements. It also tends to mess up her hair every time it falls, so you may find yourself having to fix it often.

- The metal heart charm also is not sewn on very well. It fell off even before I had opened the box and I had to stitch it back into place. (May vary from doll to doll.)

- The bow on her headband is a little lopsided. One side of the bow is bigger than the other and looks a little sloppy. (May vary from doll to doll.)

- The satin material her dress is made of can snag easily and can fray. Her sleeves are also made of thin material that can rip

- Wig cut unevenly. (I had to take a pair of scissors and even it out. This may vary from doll to doll.)

Neutral:

The bow in the back of her dress is detachable. It attaches onto it using a hook and a loop of thread. It falls off easily, but it doesn't bother me too badly, but I would advise removing it if you plan on taking her outside so you don't lose it.

- Her shoes are too big for her feet, but seem to stay on pretty well.

- A little expensive, priced at $135 on Pullip Style, but it's not so bad as she's a collaboration doll and comes with another outfit.

The Verdict:

This doll is extremely cute and does the real Misako Aoki justice! She really captures her girlish looks well! Her expression is also very sweet and gives her a playful and cheery look, which I absolutely love! Also, as I had previously stated, her stock is very accurate looking compared to the actual Favorite Ribbon dress! I really think that overall, Pullip Misako Aoki is worth getting! If you are a fan of Baby, the Stars Shine Bright or Misako Aoki herself, I would highly recommend buying this doll! 

Pictures of my Pullip Misako Aoki, Garnet:

Garnet and Opal ( Pullip Misako and Pullip Midori) : Royal Sisters!

I'm so happy that I finally have pictures of both Garnet (Pullip Misako Aoki Favorite Ribbon) and Opal (Pullip Midori Fukasawa La Robe Vert Clair)! I had them in last week but I didn't have a camera so I just now had taken some pictures of them. I've decided to turn them both into princesses who live in a castle in Dream Land! Opal is the eldest of the two sisters and is very duty-bound and responsible. She carries herself with grace and elegance. She deeply loves her kingdom and will do anything to keep it safe from the Nightmares. Garnet is a bubbly girl who, unlike her sister, is very flighty and often thinks of marrying a handsome prince. She also likes to skip out on her lessons often to go out and play in the kingdom's garden square. Despite this, when Dream Land needs her, she is more than willing to step up and lend her aid.

Reviews for these two will be coming soon!

Dal Milch: Review

It was another day of just browsing pullipstyle.com and looking through their updates window to see if they had any new dolls in stock, when I saw one that said Dal Milch has been added into their inventory. Curious to see what she looked like, I clicked the link that was provided and found the most heavenly looking doll I had ever laid my eyes upon, literally! She looked so radiant, shining in pure white from the very top of her head down to the tips of her toes. While her dress was simple, it was by no means plain. It had just enough ribbon, lace, and pearl accents to satisfy my frilly tastes. I also loved how it gave off a nice, clean appearance. Another thing that I really liked about her was that her faceup was a bit different to most Dals. The way it was done gave her a gentler and more friendly appearance versus Dal's usual petulant expression. I was immediately sold on her, and when I finally had her in my hands, I was not disappointed in the least!

Dal Milch Comes With:

- A feathered Halo

- A pair of angel wings

- A dress

- Two white satin ribbons that tie around her wrists

- A double stranded pearl choker

- White mesh tights

- A pair of white satin ballerina slippers

-Dal Milch's trading card

- White doll stand

Pros:

- Her halo is attached to a hair clip to help keep it in place.

- Nice, soft faceup

- Her wings are held on by a button snap sewn onto the back of her dress.

- Her blue eyes really stand out against her white hair and stock and seem to be more vivid looking in person!

-  No netting peering through her wig. (May vary from doll to doll.)

- Pearls and ribbons are very well attached to her stock. It's very unlikely for them to come loose or fall off. (May vary from doll to doll)

- Very affordable! She is one of the least expensive dolls you can buy! She currently is priced at $68.00 USD on pullipstyle.com!

Cons:

- Like Dal Sakura, she suffers from a floppy body, though not nearly as badly as Sakura. (May vary from doll to doll.)

- It's possible for her stock to become dirty easily and easily stained, as it is all completely white. 

- If the ribbons on her shoes or her wrists come undone or if you remove them and want to put them back on, it's a bit frustrating to tie them up because they're so small.

Neutral:

- The feathers from her halo and her wings shed a bit, but it's not too bad to where it creates a mess. I would advise not touching them or messing around with them too much to avoid that, though.

- Her wig is really thick, by far the thickest of all my dolls. This can be both good and bad; good in the sense that it will stay very well in place, but bad because it may be difficult to style or brush it.

- Her wings can get in the way if you try to place her on her stand, but it can be done! You just need to somewhat tuck the metal part that goes around her waist under them a bit.

The Verdict:

I highly would recommend Dal Milch to anyone who has a soft spot for Dals! She is an ethereal beauty who would be great for display or for photographing! Also, because she's so inexpensive for a doll in the Pullip family, there is really no reason to pass her up!

Pictures of Aria, My Dal Milch:

Pullip Sfoglia: Review

Sfoglia's Stock Photo

To be extremely blunt (please don't kill me for this), I was never interested in Sfoglia from the very first moment I had laid eyes on her and thought I would never EVER buy her. Something about her stock photos just didn't wow me and I couldn't see why she was so beloved by many Pullip collectors. I wasn't sure if it was the bonnet I didn't like or if it was her faceup or if *gasp!* it was her overwhelmingly pink frilled and ruffled stock outfit (which is unusual for me to complain about, since I absolutely adore pink and frilly things). Well, somewhere down the road, that all changed when I had come across some owner photos of her. I couldn't put my finger on why, but somehow she just appealed to me so much more in the owner photos. In that instant, I rushed over to the trusted Pullip Style website and purchased her on the spot!

Upon seeing her in person when she had finally arrived to me, I instantly loved her! She was just so much prettier in person than I could have ever imagined. She has easily become one of my most favorite dolls that I have so far! I couldn't believe that I had ignored and overlooked her. I regret that very much, now.

Things Sfoglia Comes With:

- Bonnet

-Dress

-Hand bag

- Lace gloves

-Pink knee high socks

- Pink strapped shoes

- Pullip Sfoglia trading card

- Pink doll stand

Pros:

- Very sweet faceup! Her painted teeth give her a kind and cheerful look!

- Very lovely pink eye chips with white hearts painted on them

-Pink painted eyelids

- Ringlets are nowhere near as frizzy as I had expected them to be and wig is very neatly styled

(may vary from doll to doll)
- Wig netting isn't visible (may vary from doll to doll)

- She's a great price for a collaboration doll (she's an Angelic Pretty collab. Sfoglia is priced at $107 on pullipstyle.com currently, which is actually very reasonable compared to most other collaboration dolls)

- She has a unique hand that allows her to hold her purse

- Perfect working eye mechs (may vary from doll to doll)

- No issues with body (may vary from doll to doll)

-Shoes don't fall off of her feet

- Decent stock quality; it doesn't seem like it would tear too easily and all the details on it seem to be pretty well sewn on. (May vary from doll to doll)

- Type 4 body

Cons:

- Bonnet has a tendency to fall off her head if you move her head ( a pretty minor problem)

- Her purse doesn't seem like it's very durable. The material is flimsy, and the rhinestones on it could easily fall off and may have to be glued back on.

- Her wig, while very nicely styled, looks and feels a little bit dry, mainly on her bangs and the strands that frame her face. A little bit of anti-frizz serum was needed to fix that (may vary from doll to doll)

Neutral:

- The front and back of her skirt are sewn together around her legs, which could make it difficult to remove her dress or put it back on. It's not something I personally mind, as I plan on keeping her in her stock.

-Stock outfit had loose threads hanging from it, which is just a pet peeve of mine, whether it be on my own clothes or my doll's. It's a problem easily fixed with just a snip of some scissors, luckily. (May vary from doll to doll)

- Her stock outfit isn't as bright of a shade of pink as in her stock photos, but it's close and still quite pretty.

- Her ringlets could potentially become an absolute mess if you happen to play with her a lot or bring her outside often. (I don't have this issue with mine, as I don't play with her in a rough manner or bring her outside, but it's something to consider if you're one who enjoys playing with your dolls instead of keeping them on display)

The Verdict:

Overall, I'm very very pleased with Sfoglia! She's a very lovely doll and any issues with her are, as I've stated, very minor and easily fixable. I would recommend her to those looking for their first Pullip doll  and to those who are fans of Angelic Pretty or just pretty things in general! To those looking for a doll to re-wig or redress,  Sfoglia would be a great choice as she would look great in a variety of different wigs and outfits!

Pictures of My Sfoglia, Primrose (click to enlarge):