Best Face Forward

Improvised Solution

There’s a headless body about the house!

Basically since the day I purchased her, I wanted to have Mimi’s face repainted. Mimi is a Volks Super Dollfie Nono “2008 Renewal” version. She has Zoukeimura airbrushed makeup in tones of peach and brown. As far as factory face ups go, it’s not all that shabby–but it didn’t really appeal to me in the sort of way that I wanted it to. I wanted to look over at my doll and think, “Wow, she’s perfect!” but instead I’d always look over and think, “:3 Yessss, a Nono of my own.” Not a bad thought, but not exactly what I wanted. The factory faceup is versatile and simple–both things I like–but it was exactly what I would have asked for if I were having her painted on commission.

Finding an artist that seemed right for the task was not easy. In my opinion, Nono can be a difficult sculpt to work with. Her face has very dramatic proportions and features. Her huge eyes are spaced pretty far apart. Her nose is narrow and pointy. Although I looked at the work of many artists, I didn’t see any examples that fit the type of look I’d like or seemed well suited to be painted on Nono’s head. I also kept putting off looking seriously into having Mimi’s face repainted due to the cost. There are face up artists all along the cost spectrum, but when I reflected on the dolls of others that I most admired, it started to seem like I’d be paying for a pricier artist. Pushing the commission of a new faceup to a future month was easy every time I moved it; Mimi already had a decent faceup–I just wanted an upgrade. Upgrades can wait. Continue reading »

A Triumphant Return

Surprise! Some Boxes

Last Monday, after coming home from a long day, I received quite a surprise: two packages! After a hectic day at work and presenting a final project during my evening class, it felt like quite a reward~ Claire had been off with Zingor, receiving new makeup more suited to a little girl, and my portion of a Volks full-choice system split. I really adore a lot of the FCS wigs–especially the pigtailed ones. (I think I’ve already complained about pigtail wigs not being parted down the back…) Continue reading »

Off She Goes!

It feels a little bit odd knowing in the house right now. I’ve finally made the decision to do it, so Claire is on her way to a customizer for new makeup. I was lucky enough to be able to commission one of my favourite face-up artists–Zingor! :3 I really admire her work–particularly because of her eyebrows. She paints some of the loveliest eyebrows I’ve seen–good shape, good detail of the individual hairs, and good placement. Even though it might sound silly, the eyebrows really matter to me! The default “Nagisa in Preschool” eyebrows bothered me so much. I couldn’t stand how they are thicker and darker on the outer edge; it looks so unnatural. Continue reading »