My First Rainbow High Dolls
Aug. 15th, 2022 03:55 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
nickle4apickleNotes:
- I swear occasionally, so this blog post isn't 100% family-friendly.
- There are mentions of being forced to sell some of my toys when I was a kid, so if you are triggered by things like that, skip to "=END OF NICKLE'S BACK STORY="
- This post is very photo-heavy, and even has a YouTube video embedded.
- There are photos of dolls looking directly into the camera, so if eye contact bothers you, maybe skip this post.
- Some photos contain doll nudity, but it's all for the sake of showing off defects or the washed/combed hair (and the dolls were naked for the washing process).
I hadn't intended on making this into a blog post, but I have so many photos and things to say about these dolls that a full-blown blog post seemed the appropriate route instead of a huge thread on Mastodon. XD
A little history about me and my collecting habits: Even as a kid, I did my best to take good care of my toys. I played with them, sure, but I don't recall playing with them so hard they ever broke (but some of my friends broke a couple of my toys, and I cried whenever that happened!). The only toys I ever got dirty were ones that were meant to be outdoor toys.
I liked to collect toy lines as well. My biggest collections were TY Beanie Babies (and stuffed animals in general) and Barbies (That collection was fairly big mainly thanks to my grandma, who's an Avon lady, and gave me a new Avon-exclusive Barbie for just about every birthday and Christmas, and maybe even other times throughout the year as well!). I also had some hand-me-down G1 My Little Ponies from my step-sister, and I collected a bunch of the G2s when they came out! (I even got the special mail-in-only one!) I had sizable Polly Pocket, Littlest Pet Shop, and Sky Dancers collections, too!
I didn't have collections of each of the following, but I remember having at least 1 or 2 items from these lines and wanting more: Tea Bunnies, Princess Gwenevere and the Jewel Riders, Cupcake Surprise, Pound Puppies, Lil' Fursons, Starcastles, and Doodle Bears (though mine was a Doodle Cat).
As I got older, I started to collect other things as well, especially Pokemon merchandise. The games were my priority (and still are), but I also collected the cards, plushies, and figures!
Sometime in early high school, I decided that I needed to stop collecting some "childish" things, and sold my Pokémon cards, My Little Ponies, a bunch of the aforementioned smaller collections, and a couple of retro video game systems I'd inherited from my Dad (an Atari 2600 and an NES, both with instruction manuals, controllers, extra peripherals, and a bunch of games and most of their manuals). I very much regret this now. I was also told that if I wanted new video game systems, I had to trade in my old ones. My N64 got traded in for a GameCube, for example. Eventually I could just buy new ones without needing to trade in old ones for credit, but I definitely miss my older systems that had to go away so I could keep up with the times. :(
As a young adult still living with my parents rent-free, I used a bunch of my income on more Pokémon merch. I rarely bought cards at this time, but I got a lot of plushies and figures via the PKMNCollectors community on LiveJournal. I also discovered Pinky:St figures and collected as many of them as I could! (Not toy-related, but I also collected a bunch of KPop merch, especially SHINee stuff!)
Once I got engaged, I needed to put my collecting habits on hold to save for my wedding. Not even a month after my wedding, I injured my knee badly enough that I couldn't work. I've since been put on Disability for my mental health, but before I won my case, money was super tight for us. We also didn't live in a good neighborhood at that point, so I was very nervous about bringing nice things into our home for fear we'd be yet another victim of a break-in in that neighborhood.
But now that we're living in a better neighborhood and I have my own home office space, I'm getting back into collecting things! I've already gotten back into collecting both Pokémon and Digimon cards, and I've finally taken the plunge back into doll collecting with my first two Rainbow High dolls!
=END OF NICKLE'S BACK STORY=
Disclaimer: At the time of writing this, MGA makes [en-eff-tees] of another of their toy lines, so until they cease that bullshit, I will only be buying Rainbow and Shadow High dolls second-hand.
Before buying any Rainbow High dolls, I'd been looking around eBay for a week or 2 to see what the prices were like. I've gotta admit that I'm disappointed to see people clearly buying all the dolls in their local stores, unboxing them, stripping them of their default outfits, then selling the naked doll and each outfit separately for a ridiculous mark-up. D:
I think I got fairly lucky with my first 2 purchases: I bought a Series 1 Skyler and a Series 2 Krystal. Skyler was unboxed and came largely with clothes that were not hers, but she came from a fellow adult collector, so she was in very good shape! Krystal was in-box, and only a couple of dollars more expensive than buying her from a store. I was very skeptical of her price at first (only $18), but it turns out she's on (seemingly) permanent mark-down from Walmart.
August 11th, 2022
Skyler arrived first, and I just fucking fell in love with her as soon as she was out of her shipping materials. I just could not get over how soft her hair is!
It took a little digging, but I was able to figure out that she came with Amaya's "Sparkle" hoodie from her Series 2 release (cropped, white, with "Sparkle" written down both sleeves in rainbow colors), and a pair of jeans from Avery Styles's Fashion Studio/Closet set. The boots were originally hers, though!
Skyler sitting on the edge of my desk, looking up at the camera, smiling serenely.
A close-up shot of Skyler that shows off her make-up, including her sparkly highlighter. It's a 3/4 view of her, so she's not looking directly into the camera here.
Another front-facing view of Skyler. Her hands are posed so that it looks like she's making a heart!
Skyler standing on her own, looking into the camera and waving. Her non-waving hand is resting on her hip.
A close-up of her jeans and boots. The jeans are a light denim with holographic scribbles going down the front. Her boots are mostly clear with a slight sparkle to them, with chunky soles that are 2 shades of blue.
I very much enjoyed having her just chill on my desk next to me all night while I did computer stuff! Every so often I'd catch a glimpse of her out of the corner of my eye, and I'd smile and feel her soft hair again~ I feel like she is a friend! ^^
August 12th, 2022
Krystal arrived!
I'd heard that the Rainbow High boxes make it tough to get the doll out, but I was not expecting that level of difficulty, geeze! It's a good thing I wasn't planning on keeping the box because I fucking destroyed it (partially out of frustration, I admit). ^^;
I'd also heard that the hair comes with some pretty heavy styling gel in it, and being a hair stylist myself, I thought I knew what to expect. But I legit thought there were stray pieces of the plastic packaging stuck in her hair before realizing that it was actually the gel. O_O
After getting Krystal and all of her clothes and accessories out of that god-forsaken box, I was excited to start taking photos!
Krystal, on her stand, waving to the camera. Her extra outfit and accessories are on the desk in front of her stand, and Skyler is reclining in the back, photobombing and waving to the camera. Both dolls are making eye contact with the camera.
A close-up of Krystal's face. She is looking directly into the camera.
I've panned the camera down to get a better look at her outfit. Her face is visible, but it looks like she's looking off to the side and maybe over the camera. She's wearing her deep purple denim jacket that says "Sparkle" on it and has lots of ribbons and cut-out elbows, an iridescent t-shirt under that, a deep purple faux leather skirt with lots of zippers on it, and purple and silver heels.
The camera is panned further down to get a better view of the heels. They have molded-on chains, and a tassel on the outer edge at the ankle.
A photo of some of the other things she comes with: A faux leather, deep purple moto jacket with silver stars on it and a working belt at the bottom, a silver cropped spaghetti-strap tank top, her comb, and 2 hangers (one for tops, one for bottoms).
The rest of Krystal's clothes: Black fishnet tights, deep purple jeans with the knees cut out and zippers below the holes, and her second pair of shoes that have wristwatches for straps.
A photo of the back of Krystal's head, mainly as a "before" picture for the washing process. There is one thin tendril that is a lot longer than the rest; it had gotten snagged on the packaging as I was removing her.
A close-up of her hair, showing the beautiful color blend of the fibers.
I really love how these dolls don't have just 1 color of fiber for they whole head - it's a lovely mix!
A photo of Krystal's legs while she's facing my window.
It might be hard to tell, but her left kneecap (viewer's right) is actually a darker shade than the rest of that leg. Oo;
After I noticed that, I started noticing other things wrong with her...
A close-up of her faux leather skirt. The stitching is already coming loose at the bottom.
A close-up of her right (viewer's left) elbow joint. The inside of the arm is roughed up and the plastic doesn't look smooth overall.
A close-up of her left (viewer's right) elbow joint. It's in marginally better condition than the other one, but still rough-looking, with lots of extra plastic from the molding process.
A close-up of Krystal's torso, from the bottom of her silver tube-top (it was under the iridescent top) to her upper thigh. There are a few lines of the purple paint from her painted-on undies on her tummy, almost looking like purple cat claw marks. In the lower right corner, you can see a small gouge in the plastic.
At this point, I wanted to put her in her second outfit. I have no idea how long it took me to get her shoes off, but it felt like for-fucking-ever. D:< The tips of my thumbs were so sore from them, too!
After I got them off, I asked my husband (who does lots of Warhammer 40k model modding) to make small slices in the backs of both pairs of Krystal's shoes so I didn't have to go through that again. I don't have a photo of the cuts he made, but they do work a lot better now!
Sadly, my thumbs were not the only things harmed while taking those damn shoes off.
A close-up of one of Krystal's feet, all scratched-up from the shoes. In the bottom right corner, you can see the big toe of her other foot looking all janky from the molding process.
Said other foot, also sporting scratches from the shoes.
I would like to emphasize that the scratches on both feet were from the shoes themselves, not my nails. I covered my thumbs with the sleeves of my hoodie in an attempt to not damage the doll. D:<
A close-up of one of Krystal's hands. The plastic, especially her thumb, looks very odd, as if the mold wasn't filled in all the way, or the plastic didn't cure properly.
The other hand, with the mold line making it look like the tip of her thumb has been cut down the side of her nail. The plastic towards her wrist is rough-looking, just like the other hand.
An extreme close-up of the left (viewer's right) side of her face. She has a small but noticeable white scratch/gouge under her eye.
A close-up of the underside of one shoe from the chain-and-tassel set. The purple plastic has a spray of silver paint on it.
A side view of the same shoe, showing more of the silver paint spray.
Needless to say, after spotting all those defects, I was feeling pretty down, but I pushed on with changing her outfit anyways!
Have a photo of her default outfit laid out on my desk first, though! Her deep purple jacket and skirt are on the left, and her iridescent t-shirt, silver tube top, and chain-and-tassel shoes are on the right.
As I was putting her second outfit on, I noticed this:
The right strap of her silver tank top is sewn incorrectly, so it has a permanent twist in it.
At this point, I wasn't even surprised. I think I see why she's on discount.
A close-up of the front of her fishnet tights. The middle seam has a hole in it. I honestly don't know if that was there from the start, if it happened during the unboxing process, or while I was putting them on her.
Krystal back in her stand, waving at the camera while wearing her second outfit. In her hair is her plastic headband, decorated with a molded-on bunny ear bandanna and chains. (She wore this in the first outfit too, but it wasn't visible in the photo where I described her outfit.) Skyler is photobombing in the back, this time dabbing because I am a child.
A close-up of Krystal, looking directly in the camera, holding the same pose.
A close-up of her deep purple moto jacket with silver tank top underneath.
For as many problems as I've had with her, I'm still super impressed that the belt at the bottom of her jacket actually works.
I panned down to her legs. The fishnets peak through the cut-outs at her knees, and I really like this look! You can also see the wristwatch details on the shoes here.
An extreme close-up of the shoes. The little watch faces even say "Rainbow" on them!
Me sticking my pinkie into one of her pants pockets. REAL POCKETS! (About the same size as the pockets on actual feminine pants, too! XD)
Both Krystal and Skyler reclining against my old laptop, waving to the camera and looking directly at it. Friends~
I put Skyler in most of the pieces from Krystal's first outfit, namely the iridescent tee and silver tube top, plus the skirt. She's still wearing her own boots, though.
Almost exactly the same photo as the previous one, but I put Krystal's headband on Skyler.
Too cute! I love the purple clothes with Skyler's blue hair~
Skyler standing up on her own, still wearing mostly Krystal's clothes. She's got her right (viewer's left) hand in her hair, while the other is holding the other side of her hair, which I draped over that shoulder. She looking like she's feeling herself~ This time, it's Krystal's turn to photobomb in the background! XD She's laying on her side with her hands up.
A close-up of Skyler, still in the same pose. There's bright sunlight coming in from the window behind her.
I really like this photo, but for some reason it's very yellow/makes her skin look very orange-y (and this is after adjusting the levels in Photoshop)! If anyone knows how I can fix this, please let me know! I still have the original photo, so I could even start the editing process from scratch if need-be.
After having fun playing dress-up, I got distracted for a while. I think I got some food in the meantime, too. Eventually I looked up some videos on how to properly wash the gel out of a Rainbow High doll's hair, took some notes that I could bring in the bathroom with me, and got to work! Goodness, I was nervous to do this!
By the way, here's the tutorial I followed! If it starts at the beginning, skip to 9:22 for the tutorial part!
Here are my general notes that I took, though!
- Hot sink water
- Pre-soak to loosen gel
- Shampoo
- REALLY get in there and wash it
- Fill sink with hot water, let hair soak for a bit to break apart gel
- Rinse
- Conditioner
- While conditioner is in, detangle. Wide-tooth comb first, then smaller after
- Zhuzh/cup bottom of the hair to retain curls
- Let conditioner stay in hair for ~30 mins
- Rinse with cool/cold water
- Detangle, zhuzh/cup/scrunch/ re-curl with fingers
- Sit dolls down with curls supported by desk
- DO NOT TOUCH HAIR WHILE IT'S DRYING!
- Dry overnight
Since I decided to put the straw curlers in right after washing, I skipped the last 3 steps for Skyler.
Also, I found this video during the conditioning part, and came to this realization: Click to see my Mastodon post [sighs]
Both Krystal and Skyler with their hair sitting with conditioner in it, waves still in-tact!
At some point during the washing process, I spotted this:
Another purple paint mark, this time on Krystal's right side-boob.
It was nowhere near the other marks on her tummy! [swearing, angry face]
Overall, the washing process went well! Krystal did, however, loose 6 clumps of hair during it! ;A;
A photo collage of six clumps of deep purple hair on an old pink towel. Text on the photo: 6 hair clumps that came out during the whole washing process
Initial soak to loosen the hair gel, shampooing, conditioner, detangling, and all the rinsing in between
With every clump that came out, I was scared she was going to have a bald spot at the end! Luckily Rainbow High dolls have an obscene amount of hair, so you can't even tell! :D
I got a pretty late start on the hair washing, so this next set of photos is from after midnight.
August 13th, 2022
And on to the straw curlers!
As I mentioned earlier, I am a hair stylist. I went to cosmetology school in 2011-2012 and graduated with a 4.0 GPA! I worked in a few salons over the years, but now I just do hair for close friends and family at home. Anyways!
Given my experience with hair, I was fairly confident in my ability to get Skyler's hair into the straw curlers. I was not the most confident with the roller set pattern I had in mind however, since I never did many roller sets at my salon jobs (mostly just cuts).
I also looked up some tutorials as I've never used straws as rollers before, and got some tips. I'm not linking a video this time as I feel like I got tips from just about every video I watched. Seriously, just look up something like "curling doll hair with plastic straws" and watch the videos that come up! XD
So, uh... It took me 2 fucking hours to put in 33 straws. ;A; I severely underestimated just how much the hair would slide around on the straws. Since the straws have no texture to them, there was nothing for the hair to grip, and it was just hell overall. ;A;
Even though looking back I can tell that the odds were against me because of physics, at the time I felt like an utter failure of a stylist. ;A;
A collage of 4 photos of Skyler with the straw rollers in her hair, showing the whole way around her head. The straw rollers are held in with a bobby pin on each end. Tin foil was used as end papers to make sure the tips of the hair got curled. Some curls have loose ends, though.
Oh yeah, and while I was pouring the boiling water over her hair, something happened. (Warning, may be gross) ;A;
After letting Skyler sit over night, I still felt a bit of dampness, so I hit the rollers with some cool air from my blow dryer. That didn't seem to do anything, so I bumped it up to the warm setting. That seemed to help a bit, but I let her sit and air dry the rest of the way so that I didn't accidentally melt her plastic hair.
We had some friends come over in the afternoon, and in the evening while watching a movie, I took the curlers out.
A very pretty curl, freshly released from its pin-foil-straw prison.
Another 4-photo collage of Skyler, all her hair out of the curlers. It is very tightly curled, and not combed-through yet.
Sadly, I was correct in thinking that the straws would give too tight a curl for what I had in mind. ;A; Honestly though, before seeing that video that I linked in the Mastodon post, I didn't even know they made flexirods small enough to use on dolls! (Not that they're marketed as being for dolls, just ones that happened to have a small enough diameter that they work for doll-length hair.) The only flexirods I'd seen before were huge.
At least the set pattern I used worked as intended? ^^; If you're curious, I made sure that all the rollers right next to her face were rolled away from it/towards the back of her head. All the ones in between were alternated with which way they were rolled. If you roll them all the same direction, you can end up with one massive curl behind the head! ^^;
In an attempt to calm the curls down, I separated them out with a rat-tail comb, and raked through them with my fingers. That, uh... did not have the desired effect.
Another 4-photo collage. Skyler's hair is visibly poofier and larger than before. In the photo showing the back of her head, you cannot see any of her body!
And what could I do but try combing through with progressively smaller combs, just like when I detangled? [upside down smiley face]
Another 4-photo collage. Skyler's hair is even poofier than before! D:
I didn't even know it could get any poofier. O_O
Feeling thoroughly dejected, I left it alone for the night, and wished I had done the curlers on Krystal. At least it wouldn't look out of place on an African-American character! It would just look like her natural texture, and would probably look really cute on her!
At least the softness of Skyler's hair was not lost. That was about the only positive I took away.
August 14th 2022
I had an idea to try to relax the curls, and thankfully it worked at least a bit!
A 4-photo collage of Skyler's hair after the second partial-washing. It's still curly, but not gravity-defying anymore.
What I did was thoroughly wet her hair in warm water, then put more conditioner in. I didn't let it sit this time, just rinsed it out (still with warm water).
At least now I can look at her without feeling like a total failure. ^^;
I definitely wanna get some flexirods and try not only recurling Skyler's hair, but maybe Krystal's as well.
Aaaand as I'm writing this, I just realized I never took a photo of Krystal's hair after the washing!
August 15th, 2022
Another 4-photo collage, this time of Krystal, showing off her washed hair. She's wearing her silver tank top, and is seated on my old laptop. Her hair is parted on her right (viewer's left) side, and the larger section on the viewer's right side is swooped over her forehead a bit (not obstructing her face, though).
I'm so pleasantly surprised by how well the hair holds the curl even after the gel is gone! And it's so soft now~
Alright, I think that's it for now! I'm not sure if I'm going to make another blog post for more doll shenanigans (I just happened to have a lot to say this time, plus way too many photos!), so be sure to follow me on Mastodon to see more progress!
no subject
Date: 2022-08-15 01:26 pm (UTC)i'm looking forward to seeing the result when you try curling with the flexirods! they usually look a lot more natural when used for doll styling
no subject
Date: 2022-08-15 06:51 pm (UTC)Ha, glad my sense of humor didn't go unnoticed. XD
"i kinda love how skyler looked with the big poofy girls!! it suits her pretty well imo" - Ah, thanks! I dunno, I just thought it looked weird personally. XD; As I was making this post, I kinda liked how the unbrushed curls looked - reminded me of Irish Stepdancing girls.
I'm hoping tomorrow I can stop somewhere and get the rods! [crosses fingers]