I couldn't finish my lunch from all the excitement but started my deboxfest immediately. The first box was the Only Natural. My first thought was that it's such a waste to pack the loose fashions in these huge boxes, but after I removed the shipper box I must say I was rather enchanted with the box. It's light and the paper feels luxurious and environmental at the same time. The print is glossy and soft black; the design very stylish. The lid was tight and little hard to remove, but revealed a wrapping paper with Jason Wu written all over it - I really hope the product itself has too. At this point I opened my laptop and decided to torture myself by writing every feeling and thought down before I allowed myself to peek inside the wraps.
The product display is marvellous and finally the box with removable lid allows this fashion to be displayed in it's box without taking that extra box side space for the lid on a shelf. However, that's neither here or there for me as I cannot help but to always debox everything. For now, I'll try to contain myself and open the next box before ripping the lovely cardigan out of it's box.
The next box contains Engaging Elyse Jolie. I still stop to caress the box for a moment after removing the shipper. This one opens easier revealing a stunning raven beauty. The first thing I do is study her in artificial cold and warm, and natural light. The skin tone seems to match. I note how luxuriously long her lashes are, how perfect and natural the hairline is (I hate the round barbie hairline, but this has wonderful curves in it). The wide spread fingers on her hands bug me a bit, but I the other sculpt is better and I hope the skin tone matches with other pale dolls. She does look paler than other dolls, but after comparison to Erin I can say for sure the body and head both are pale skin tone. The fashion leaves me on fence a bit. The collars sit perfectly and the craftsmanship is impeccable, but the cut of this design isn't really flattering on her as she loses her beautiful waist wearing it. I'll see id some other doll will like the dress and Elyse will be wearing Only Natural soon anyway. I'd love to debox Elyse and have her wear it right away, but I still got 2 more boxes to open! Sweet torture! ;)
The next box says Lukas on the shipper and I'm happy to notice the box is smaller. It's so good IT is going for smaller boxes nowadays as those wider ones were noting but empty cargo space while the dolls are flown from China to US and then to Europe and Finland. Criminal. Not only the box size but also style has changed since last year. I love this new style with a removable lid. I made wardrobes for my boutique display from the Brides of Dracula boxes and now the FR boxes offer the same option.
I open the familiar FR wrapping paper and find Lukas staring back at me. His skin tone is tanned, which is the first time this colour has been used for a male doll (not counting the OOAKs from Jeffreys). Pierre is the closest but much more pink and Fransisco is slightly darker and more olive in tone. The hair on my Leading Man is silly, but I had expected that and I believe it's nothing hot water and tons of gel won't fix. I think I'll repaint him too, but the screening does look better that in the promos. I was able to pinpoint what makes the face so off and it's his left eye being higher than the right one. I really bought him just to get a tanned Lukas and I'm happy with my purchase.
The last but definitely not the least is Victor. I had high hopes for this hunk and I'm not disappointed. The topmop of a hair on him is actually rather fun, I adore the screening (don't know if I can repaint him after all...I may need another Victor before long!), the skin tone looks wonderfully deep and warm (if last years Frankenstein Darius would had been like instead this he would've been orgasmic!) and the trench coat, glasses and bag make me swoon. Thank you IT! I love this man!
One thing bugs me though. Obviously IT can still produce exquisitely detailed purses for men, so why not for women? I'm so happy to own a large collection of vintage FR purses, but I miss my purse fix with new dolls. Happily Elyse has her little clutch and I have the matching Renegade shoes waiting for her! I get neurosis if the purse and shoes don't match! LOL
So here they are: my Victor, Lukas, Elyse and her new fashion. It's time to start the deboxfest!
I love that Elyse is so easy to debox. All those parts sewn in and ribbons make be want to tear the box, so this rubber band system is perfect. The first thing I do is swap those hands, the joint are nice and tight. Very tight in fact as I get first hand experience of the squeaky elbow syndrome. I find it mainly funny. Doesn't bother me really and drives my cats nuts! ;D Her hair is nice and soft and I pin the table napkin on her head. It reminds me of Minnie Mouse. Next I unwrap the shoes. I must admit I'm not a huge fan of leopard print, but I like there and adore the fact the feet on the FR2 ladies are closer to natural size. I find those bound barbie feet on fashions dolls creepy. I've seen (and smelled) Chinese lotus feet in person and every time I look at tiny doll feet I keep thinking of the mutilated bones and the horrid stench. I unbound her knees and they are nice and tight too. I put on the jewellery and check her earring holes are in right places (my friend Marianne's Elyse had on earring hole is a weird place). Finally the purse (I love that it can be opened) and my Minnie Mouse is ready for her first shots out of the box! She is perfect.
Elyse strides to Agnes in a bar diorama: "Bitch, you're wearing my shoes!". Agnes looks the new rival from head to toe: "Hun, I'm not the one who thinks a table napkin is a hat. You work those mismatched leopard prints. Are they acrylic like your nails?". I got to keep these two ladies a well away from each other! O___o
Deboxing the Only Natural fashion I notice one of the shoes has the common issue that the heel has been glued into a wrong angle, but if this is the only quality issue I have to encounter I'm willing to let it go considering the ordeals people with "Flawless" Elyse had to endure.
I hate that the cardigan is sewed on the dress as removing those few stiches from a extremely fragile chiffon is nervwrecking and even though I got the yarn removed without breaking anything the needlemarks remain visible in the dress. Not smart packing at all. I'm very impressed by the cut of the dress as I didn't realise it had an open bra and skirt style cut in the back and full dress on the front. Fun and clever. I love to be positively surprised and speaking of which and nice pair of nude satin undies drops to my lap when I remove the dressing doll. :) Another pair of surprise undies awaits me under Elyses wrap dress. I'm happy to get some lingerie for the poor girl as I have tried all my FR and NF panties on Siama's Dasha and nothing could wrap around the lady's derriere. For the same reason both outfits could had used a hose.
Removing the dress reveals the exquisite decolletes and torso sculpt, the best part of this new body type. I really is something to behold. The breasts are perky, the collar bones and shoulders stick out in a couture hunch and abs are tight. My only complaint about the FR2 body is the elbows that don't allow the arms to be bend backwards and onto the hips to form that couture hunch pose and the rest of the body seems to have been sculpted specifically that position in mind. After some scary over forcing the joints I finally get my favourite pose from Elyse, but her hips look pretty weird while doing it. The lower torso joint is something I really need to get use to and right now I have a horrid urge to just glue it immobile. I wish the undies would at least cover the joint but they are both too low cut for the task.
Now that Elyse has redressed she takes another stroll over the diorama scene and to Agnes: "Hello again. How about I let you borrow this purse?" Agnes is take of guard by this suspicious generosity: "Oh, would you? I have been waiting for this back since your promos got out! I think we will become very very good freneminies!". And all is well in dollyland once more.
And ER Lana relives her youthful days by trying on the Engaging outfit.
Now for the boys. Victor's bag is orgasmic and even though Lukas' cannot compare to it, his rucksack is still a nice addition to my collection. I'm happy that Lukas' leather jacket is soft and not as stiff as those fiasco jackets on 2008 NF. The jacket cut still looks more like a shirt than jacket though. The sweater is dreamy thin and soft - I adore it and could had bought the doll just to get my hands on this gorgeous knit! The knit scarf works well in scale too. O'ou, but how to get that sweater off? No wonder his hair is such a mess! I wouldn't combine brown with grey myself, but the pieces will be divine mix and match items and the shoes might be my favourite homme shoes ever! Nice to get a new sunglasses design too, but I can't find any socks. Victor's glasses are so brilliant. IT asked us what we wanted last year and I requested glasses and here they are. Thank you! Happyyy! Victor is a dream and his funny hair is thick and soft. I think I'll give him a little haircut to lessen the mushroom effect, but I'll have a hard time fulfilling my repaint plans. His green eyes are too dreamy and Lucy is already eyeing him hungrily. ;)
All in all, this has been the best IT year for me since 2006 when I started collecting. I feared quality control issues after last year and what happened with the "Flawless", but this pacth has been A+ in my book. I can't wait o get Remi and Minimalist Dasha, and to start hunting for Auden and another Victor. Thank you so much IT and Angelic Dreams. You made my dreams come true!
