Candy Cutie Nippon Misaki - 2018 Number 5

My very first Misaki was Honey Harajuku from 2006.  I remember how I hunted that doll down.  It was the most I had spent on a doll, but the heart wants what it wants.

"Honey" became a character in my collection.  I imagined that she was studying in France and had two roommates (Perfect in Paris and Dreadfully Cute).   They lived in a loft and were studying design.

Honey found a purple poodle named "Henri" and there was a quest to locate the owner.  There were several weeks worth of stories.  Misaki has always held a special place in my collection.   I continued to add to my Misaki collection, with the last being added in 2011 (Rebel Spirit Amelie).

After 2011, IT seemed to lose interest in the line.  There were no Misaki dolls produced in 2012 and only two in 2013. For me, the dolls started losing their edge while the prices continued to climb.

You can't imagine how excited I was when IT included Misaki, for the first time, at the 2017 Fairytale Convention.  Although neither doll interested me personally, I hoped that this foreshadowed a renewed interest in the line.

In early 2018, another Misaki was announced "Candy Cutie".   A tan Misaki with pink crimped hair!   This took me back to when Misaki symbolized Kawaii and creativity.  It got my attention in a major way.  I also found that Fabric and Friends, a U.S. seller, had started carrying Misaki.

Here is Candy Cutie in her box.

And a closeup.

Yes, those are lavendar eyes!  A change in production is that eyelashes are now being applied.  The original line had rooted eyelashes.  I actually prefer the rooted eyelashes; however, if a mistake is made during the rooting process, it totally ruins the eye and cannot be fixed.

This girl comes with some great accessories.

I love the little pink heart purse.  The shoes are awesome!   The jewelry includes earrings, necklace, three bracelets, and a headband.

Here she is out of the box.

I love the ensemble!  The little pink bobby socks are adorable.  Oh what I will be doing with that lavendar sweater!  There is so much mix and match potential in this doll!

My girl looks like she may have tried to trim her own bangs.  When I feel courageous and have more natural sunlight, I'll get out the scissors and straighten them a little.

Here is a closeup.  How adorable!  She is truly a cutie!

Since the release of this doll, IT has had its second U.S. exclusive (this time for W Club Members through a lottery) - photo property of Integrity Toys.  She was called Mint Cool.

Although I'm not a fan of the fit of the pants, I love everything else about this doll.

And another Misaki was just recently announced for presale in Japan - Spun Sugar.  (Photo property of Integrity Toys).

Yes, I broke down and ordered both.  Looks like Misaki is back on a roll!  And I couldn't be happier.

Fetish Fatale Veronique Perrin - 2018 - Doll 4

I was a little upset recently with the way the W Club announced it's "mini capsule" of dolls called "Boudoir".   Three of the dolls were dealer-direct purchases and the announcement of the collection was actually when dealers started taking orders.   I didn't even know about the collection because my computer security is set to filter out potentially "naughty" material.  (Anyone who is a teacher will understand this concept.)

Although I missed the initial ordering from my dealer, I was able to pick up two of the dolls from Couture Doll.  They always announce when they their sales go live so all collectors have a fair chance of acquiring dolls.  Kudos to this dealer!

One of the dolls from the Boudoir Collection, Fetish Fatale Veronique Perrin, was offered through lottery in an edition size of 715.  I wasn't going to enter the lottery for this doll because I knew the flyaway hairs would drive me crazy (and they are), but this doll reminds me so much of Flame Rouge Veronique from 2004 that I couldn't resist.  Here is a photo of Flame Rouge.  I wish I could Fetish Fatale's hair in these luxurious curls!

I think we've gotten so far away from the story cards that we've lost the entire backstory for this collection.  I may be the only one bothered by this doll's name; but it's only because I have collected IT dolls from the beginning.  Veronique's arch nemesis is Natalia Fatale.  Why would she use her rival's last name in this version?  But that's just my OCD.

The doll arrived quickly after purchase.  Here she is full length, NRFB.

And a closeup.

Here are the accessories.

I really like the jewelry with the ruby accents.  (The choker is a little too tight, so it helps to add an extra jump ring to it before trying to put it on.)  The shoes are quite well made.

And a photo out of the box.  The feather boa was borrowed from Red Desire Mini-Gene.

And another closeup.

My version has very long bangs, but I like them this way.  Many collectors have compared this version to Betty Page.  There is a strong resemblance.

As with all dolls in my collection, most do not remain in their original ensembles.  The deciding factor for a doll staying in my collection rests in how well they redress.  How about the blue dress from the Silkstone Grace Kelly?

I I can get her hair tamed completely (I may be using some serious produce in it), I think I can grow to love Fetish Fatale Veronique Perrin.  In my opinion, this is one of the best versions of the Veronique 2.0 mold produced yet.   If I had a steady enough hand, I would add a beauty mark.