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leia131It's been a while since I've done an MH review, so let's ease back into it with a short(ish) one.
At some point in my MH collecting, I realized that I was never going to be able to own just one of each character. I sometimes have poor self-control, especially when the thing I want will make me really happy for a long time (as opposed to say, chocolate, which makes me happy while I'm eating it but then sad once it's gone) and I broke my 'no doubles' rule almost as soon as I laid eyes on this Frankie.
As far as I know, Gloom Beach was the first (but definitely not the last, oy) beach line that MH did. There was some premise to it, and probably a special to go with it, but all I know is that I saw this doll, bought her, and was set on a path toward rampant collecting that I probably won't ever turn back from (not that I want to). At first I could justify getting all the different girls, but once I bought that second Frankie, I knew I was hooked on everything Mattel had to offer me. AND I WOULD DO IT AGAIN.
Anyway, what is so special about GB Frankie, I hear you asking. Let's see:
Basically, I find her BEAUTIFUL.
If you remember what original Frankie looks like, you can see right away that this one is quite different. (If you want a refresher, here's a link to my review of her with some pictures so you can compare.) This doll was my introduction to drastically different makeup, and I was (and still am) in love with the sea green color of her lips. That, combined with her really different hairstyle, sold me on this Frankie. I felt that she looked different enough to be original Frankie's sister, rather than her clone. Also, it's not terribly apparent here, but in addition to being rooted and styled in a different pattern, this Frankie has twice as much hair on her head as original Frankie. I'm not kidding; sometimes her head tilts back under its weight, and she's very prone to tipping over. I don't know if this is true of all GB Frankies, or if it's unique to mine, but in my opinion it makes her beautiful. I love her thick hair.
Of course, I didn't take a decent picture of her shoes (when do I ever?) but they're some of my favorite MH shoes (and that's saying A LOT, since I like pretty much all the MH shoes). As always, the internet has come through for me, with an excellent close up shot. I'm pretty sure that no actual human could walk in these shoes in real life (they don't have heels! How do you balance on them?) but they're excellent for this doll. They are thematically appropriate for Frankie (heels like lightning bolts, and straps reminiscent of those on Frankenstein's table), and I love the colors. They're also easy to get on and off (which weighs HEAVILY in their favor, since many MH shoes are not) and look great with lots of different outfits.
Frankie also came with cute blue glasses that have a lightning shape around the edges, and a purse that has jumper cables for handles. I have to say, I love the color scheme on this doll, and the purse works especially well to tie it together. Also, you'd think that the plaid skirt would clash with EVERYTHING, and yet somehow she makes it work.
Here's a shot of Frankie without some of her accessories:
The sunglasses will balance on her head if you keep her very very still.
The bathing suit is cute, and again I like the colors, but it's not my favorite. Cleo's is way cooler, and just splashing the giant yellow lightning bolt across the front feels lazy to me, when MH is usually so good at integrating a character's theme more subtly, like I discussed with the details on the purse and shoes. Still, it's bright and bold, and I do like bright and bold.
You may also notice that this Frankie has differently molded hands than original Frankie, with her first finger kind of pointing, which I really dig. They give her an overall delicate look.
Finally on the list of things I didn't take a detailed picture of because my camera hates close ups of tiny stuff, GB Frankie's earrings are little grey studs that look like this. They're pretty simple, but I like them because they resemble bolts (the kind that hold things together, not the kind that electrocute you) and match everything. Also, most MH earrings tend to be huge and dangly, and sometimes a girl just wants some simple studs, you know?
Here's the breakdown:
Theme: Plaid, as it was with original Frankie, but also electricity.
Evidenced in: Plaid skirt; lightning bolt design on her swimsuit, glasses, heels, and purse bottom; jumper cable purse handles.
Favorite thing about the doll: Her hair. It's lush and sleek and I love the side part.
Least Favorite thing about the doll: Oh man, there's pretty much nothing I don't like about this doll. Maybe her tendency to tip over?
Favorite thing about the outfit/accessories: The shoes (it's almost always the shoes with me, isn't it?). I like their colors, ease of taking off and putting on, and theme integration.
Least favorite thing about the outfit/accessories: The sunglasses. They're cute and they work with her beach theme, but they hide her pretty eyes and don't really go with much else.
Bottom Line: GB Frankie is absolutely beautiful. Her makeup is unique and gorgeous, her hair is thick and wonderfully styled, but she spends most of her time dressed in something other then her original clothes.
Song quote for today: I'm on the hunt I'm after you!
Answer to last Tuesday's song: It's a Typical Day - Lil Abner. This line was actually taken from my solo when I played Moonbeam McSwine. :)
At some point in my MH collecting, I realized that I was never going to be able to own just one of each character. I sometimes have poor self-control, especially when the thing I want will make me really happy for a long time (as opposed to say, chocolate, which makes me happy while I'm eating it but then sad once it's gone) and I broke my 'no doubles' rule almost as soon as I laid eyes on this Frankie.
As far as I know, Gloom Beach was the first (but definitely not the last, oy) beach line that MH did. There was some premise to it, and probably a special to go with it, but all I know is that I saw this doll, bought her, and was set on a path toward rampant collecting that I probably won't ever turn back from (not that I want to). At first I could justify getting all the different girls, but once I bought that second Frankie, I knew I was hooked on everything Mattel had to offer me. AND I WOULD DO IT AGAIN.
Anyway, what is so special about GB Frankie, I hear you asking. Let's see:
Basically, I find her BEAUTIFUL.
If you remember what original Frankie looks like, you can see right away that this one is quite different. (If you want a refresher, here's a link to my review of her with some pictures so you can compare.) This doll was my introduction to drastically different makeup, and I was (and still am) in love with the sea green color of her lips. That, combined with her really different hairstyle, sold me on this Frankie. I felt that she looked different enough to be original Frankie's sister, rather than her clone. Also, it's not terribly apparent here, but in addition to being rooted and styled in a different pattern, this Frankie has twice as much hair on her head as original Frankie. I'm not kidding; sometimes her head tilts back under its weight, and she's very prone to tipping over. I don't know if this is true of all GB Frankies, or if it's unique to mine, but in my opinion it makes her beautiful. I love her thick hair.
Of course, I didn't take a decent picture of her shoes (when do I ever?) but they're some of my favorite MH shoes (and that's saying A LOT, since I like pretty much all the MH shoes). As always, the internet has come through for me, with an excellent close up shot. I'm pretty sure that no actual human could walk in these shoes in real life (they don't have heels! How do you balance on them?) but they're excellent for this doll. They are thematically appropriate for Frankie (heels like lightning bolts, and straps reminiscent of those on Frankenstein's table), and I love the colors. They're also easy to get on and off (which weighs HEAVILY in their favor, since many MH shoes are not) and look great with lots of different outfits.
Frankie also came with cute blue glasses that have a lightning shape around the edges, and a purse that has jumper cables for handles. I have to say, I love the color scheme on this doll, and the purse works especially well to tie it together. Also, you'd think that the plaid skirt would clash with EVERYTHING, and yet somehow she makes it work.
Here's a shot of Frankie without some of her accessories:
The sunglasses will balance on her head if you keep her very very still.
The bathing suit is cute, and again I like the colors, but it's not my favorite. Cleo's is way cooler, and just splashing the giant yellow lightning bolt across the front feels lazy to me, when MH is usually so good at integrating a character's theme more subtly, like I discussed with the details on the purse and shoes. Still, it's bright and bold, and I do like bright and bold.
You may also notice that this Frankie has differently molded hands than original Frankie, with her first finger kind of pointing, which I really dig. They give her an overall delicate look.
Finally on the list of things I didn't take a detailed picture of because my camera hates close ups of tiny stuff, GB Frankie's earrings are little grey studs that look like this. They're pretty simple, but I like them because they resemble bolts (the kind that hold things together, not the kind that electrocute you) and match everything. Also, most MH earrings tend to be huge and dangly, and sometimes a girl just wants some simple studs, you know?
Here's the breakdown:
Theme: Plaid, as it was with original Frankie, but also electricity.
Evidenced in: Plaid skirt; lightning bolt design on her swimsuit, glasses, heels, and purse bottom; jumper cable purse handles.
Favorite thing about the doll: Her hair. It's lush and sleek and I love the side part.
Least Favorite thing about the doll: Oh man, there's pretty much nothing I don't like about this doll. Maybe her tendency to tip over?
Favorite thing about the outfit/accessories: The shoes (it's almost always the shoes with me, isn't it?). I like their colors, ease of taking off and putting on, and theme integration.
Least favorite thing about the outfit/accessories: The sunglasses. They're cute and they work with her beach theme, but they hide her pretty eyes and don't really go with much else.
Bottom Line: GB Frankie is absolutely beautiful. Her makeup is unique and gorgeous, her hair is thick and wonderfully styled, but she spends most of her time dressed in something other then her original clothes.
Song quote for today: I'm on the hunt I'm after you!
Answer to last Tuesday's song: It's a Typical Day - Lil Abner. This line was actually taken from my solo when I played Moonbeam McSwine. :)
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Date: 2013-02-27 07:16 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-02-27 05:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-02-27 05:19 pm (UTC)That song quote if from "Hungry Like the Wolf" by Duran Duran :)
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Date: 2013-02-27 05:41 pm (UTC)I know EXACTLY what you mean about beach lines hanging around forever, and yet this one being hit or miss. I don't think I ever saw GB Clawdeen on a shelf, or at least very rarely. Frankie though stuck around long enough for me to snag her.
I'm not sure how I feel about the new beach line, but I do have SS Abbey and Gil. Well, and SS Draculaura's stock, because I am such a sucker for tiny hats.
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Date: 2013-02-27 05:56 pm (UTC)because I think they're ugly...does that make me horrible????. I'd kinda like a beach Deuce someday, Mattel.If you want a Clawdeen with lush hair, if you can ever get your hands on SS Clawdeen, she’s got amazing hair. Not only is it really long & lush & full, but it’s a deep purple with an acid green stripe! (I don’t know how hard she is to find; I’m always amazed when I still see SS Ghoulias & Lagoonas & Lalas & Abbeys on the shelves.)
I do love the swimsuits on the new beach/swim line, they seem to be more ornate than previous ones:
(These are SO BIZARRE because nowhere on the box does it give a name what this line is called. I saw people referring to it as “Swim Class” but there’s no mention of that on the box anywhere. I just call them “2013 Beach Line” or "Generic Beach Line" lol.)
Lala is a lot cuter in person than in the pics I’ve seen of her…I love her pigtails, they flip up at the ends. Venus is pretty epic, though I’m a bit bummed that I didn’t get one of the ‘mistake’ ones where she had green eye shadow & lipstick. Lagoona is kind of blah except for her swimsuit, but I just love Lagoona dolls because of her fins & webbed fingers (you’d think they could make the beach Lagoona’s more epic, seeing as that’s sort of her thing, y’know?).
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Date: 2013-03-03 04:40 am (UTC)