Integrity Toys X Magia 2000 Collaboration: "Summer in Taormina" Vanessa Perrin

 Integrity Toys has unveiled the second of four dolls in their collaboration with Mario Paglino and Gianni Grossi. The members of the W Club may enter a "right-to-buy" lottery for "Vanessa in 'Summer in Taormina."

Second in a series of dolls created especially for Integrity Toys, each figure and doll in this series will take fans on an ultra-creative tour of some of Italy's most iconic venues and festivals, as seen through the eyes of fabulous design duo Magia 2000!

Perched on a cliff overlooking the Ionian Sea on the East Coast of Sicily, with a rich history that pre-dates the arrival of the ancient Greeks, Taormina is well known as a welcoming haven for artists and is one of the top tourist destinations of Italy, attracting visitors from all over the world! Magia 2000’s exciting, fashionable journey through Italy continues as famed Fashion Royalty® top model Vanessa Perrin® visits the gorgeous seaside town, dressed in a glamorous ultra-detailed gown that is filled with symbolism, ready to make a most anticipated appearance at one of the many festivals that happen in town throughout the summer! 

12.5-inch articulated doll with intricately styled, fully rooted hair;

Custom printed cocktail gown with extravagant detachable train and ruffle detail at the shoulders;

Black velvet bow belt with jeweled heart charm;

Black satin bra and panties with lace trim details;

Fitted, sheer black petticoat with ruffle detail at the hem;

Elaborate "sacred heart" tiara with black lace ruffle accent;

Matching "sacred heart" earrings;

Red "ruby" ring;

"Gold" chain bracelet with tiny lemon charms;

Elaborate oversized sunglasses with sculpted heart and flower accents;

Pair of black pleather strappy high-heels;

Pair of custom-printed platform sandals;

Custom embroidered purse;

Pair of manicured hands;

Alternate pair of "grip" hands;

Doll stand;

Certificate of authenticity.

This is my favorite look. 

Love those sunglasses!

A small percentage of the total number of dolls will be offered to the public after the lottery period ends. 

  

'Beauty marks' were once very popular. Do you know the history?

The origin of faux-beauty marks lies in the Renaissance, where pale white ladies covered any sort of blemish with a little dark dot. Before this, any blemish on the face was considered the sign of possession by the devil. Women would have to find ways to cover the marks they were born with. However, once the wealthy women in the Renaissance started a trend, the world would follow suit.

By the 18th century, the beauty mark was a staple to the court of King Louis the XIV. Women and men would cover any blemish with dark makeup to both cover and add more character to their faces. As the trend continued, more elaborate felted marks, sometimes shaped like hearts, stars, or even carriages, became in vogue as a way for the aristocrats to cover blemishes on the face, especially syphilis spots (syphilis was quite common during this time).

After the French Revolution, most fashion trends were seen as excessive and undesirable. Fashion completely changed by the arrival of the 19th century. Gowns were crisp white muslin with simple Empire waist lines, while faces were expected to be clear and deathly pale. After the Reign of Terror, the death look became very popular. Women would even go so far as to drop mercury in their eyes to get dilated pupils. Because of the shifting trends, the beauty mark was out, and wouldn’t be seen again for years to come.

 

A minor resurgence in the trend happened during the Edwardian era. Fashion had yet again become as ostentatious and loud as it was during the time of Marie Antoinette. Big hairstyles and even bigger “picture” hats drew the attention to the face. Of course, no woman wanted a blemish on her face, so they looked to the past to find a way to disguise the unwanted guest. These women must have found the patches common in the court of Versailles appealing.

 

Again, the simple circle wasn’t enough for these modern matrons. Designs of all kinds were seen on the faces of the fashion elite. Like the French satirists before them, modern comics were quick to make fun of the exaggerated shapes of the beauty patches. Similar to the Reign of Terror, the stock market crash halted the trend from continuing, although it seems like the beauty mark had become less and less popular throughout the 1920s.

 

Marilyn Monroe has made sure the beauty mark would not go away, thanks to the many copycats who want to obtain the starlets “look”. It is not known weather it was a real mark, darkened to enhance and make her face more recognizable, or just drawn on. Still, people associate the above-the- lip mark with Marilyn so much, a piercing above the lip is known as the “Monroe”.

Marilyn, of course, had plenty of copycats in her day and even after her death. Whenever Madonna really wanted to play the blonde bombshell in the press or in her videos, she would draw on the beauty mark. Super Model Cindy Crawford’s beauty mark was real, and just a little south of where Marilyn’s was. Instead of being ashamed, Cindy embraced the mark and it became her most defining feature.

Today, people everywhere use the beauty mark to cover up blemishes, sure, but really, to pay homage to the stars they look up to, whether Marilyn, Madonna, or Marie Antoinette.  The beauty mark has really found its place in pop culture and will remain a favorite makeup trick/trend for years to come. 

Source https://fashionsflashback.com/2017/06/05/the-brazen-beauty-mark/ 

Part III Summer Project

And I continue with my outdoor Fashion Royalty iPhone photos.

June 21, 2019
Dark and rainy. These are indoor photos.

Vanessa "Poesie sans Couleur 2005
Wearing Eugenia's "A Touch of Frost" dress.

Vanessa "Miami Glow" 2006
Wearing Ayumi's "Luminous" dress.

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June 19, 2019

Elise "Sedisuante" 2017
Wearing a gown created by a Thai doll couturier many years ago.

Kyori "A Brighter Side" 2007
Wearing Vanessa "Spell of Kindness." (I removed all but one black tie.)

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The Final 2017 W Club Exclusive: "Fame & Fortune" Vanessa Perrin Gift Set

My word...someone finally woke up and realized that this is the WClub, not the Poppy Parker Club. It feels as if they've pulled out the BIG guns for the last couple of dolls. The final club exclusive doll is actually a Vanessa with her original sculpt.

The gift set consists of a lovely doll, two complete fashions, luggage, lingerie, specially made full glove/hands that are interchangeable with her own hands, jewelry, a purse, sunglasses and hair sticks.
The retail price is $250. plus postage and will arrive some time during the summer of 2018. A deposit of $35. is required no later than January 19, 2018.

Head Sculpt:	Vanessa Perrin 1.0
Body:	FR 6.0
Foot Sculpt:	High-heeled
Skin Tone:	FR White
Hair Color:	Soft Ebony
Eyelashes:	Yes, Hand-applied

Still "the" face of W Cosmetics after all these years, the eternally youthful Vanessa Perrin has brought much "Fame and Fortune" to her old sister and has always been there through thick or thin. Now more than ever, everyone's fashionista brings her own brand of gorgeousness to the table and shows everyone how it's done!
Vanessa Perrin is a 12.5-inch fully articulated fashion doll with luscious rooted hair and hand-applied eyelashes. In this exquisite gift set, Vanessa Perrin redefines what it means to be a fashionista by including three complete looks that will take her from day-to-night faster than a roll of the dice! First, she starts her day in a lovely Asian inspired lingerie set that includes a custom printed kimono with high-contrast details, then she sets the tone as she runs to catch a train in a high-fashion two-piece ensemble composed of a sheer blouse, black pants and custom embroidered gloves that are sure to become an instant conversation starter as she travels to her next appearance. Then, she quickly switches to a soft, bright pink asymmetrical evening gown with delicate embroidery and beading details to attend one of the most highly-anticipated galas of the year! Vanessa comes complete with two pairs of shoes, a set of regular hands and a set of gloved hands, two jewelry sets, two fully functional (i.e. you can put her favorite accessories inside) monogrammed pieces of luggage, a clutch purse and sunglasses. For adult collectors ages 15 and up only. This doll cannot stand alone; a doll stand is included. A W Club members-only exclusive.

I was a little surprised by the pink dress as there was another pink Vanessa issued at Fashion Fairytale this past summer. 

I love pink gowns. I would love to have the one shown above but it's not going to happen. I do have this one.

 In fact, I have more than one shelf in one of my cabinets devoted to Vanessa dressed in some sort of pink fashion.

Regarding the black slacks, blouse and glove ensemble...the gloves are TDF and that was a no-brainer; however, now that we see how it's done, it shouldn't be difficult to reproduce in any color.
I like the tailored, fitted semi-sheer blouse. I'm not a fan of the way the hems look on the pants. They probably need to be ironed. We have seen the shoes previously. Meh.
Hopefully the luggage will be the same quality as it was in the past. I'm not a fan of the pink stripe down the front.

Introducing the Second 2015 W Club Exclusive Doll

Yesterday W Club members received a preview and opportunity to order the second W Club doll.
Her sculpt is that of Vanessa 1.0 which was verified today as yesterday they told us she was 3.0.
Her price is $130 plus s&h. Members can use their $20. coupon only towards the final payment, not the deposit.

She's called "Black-Tie Ball" and the edition number will be equal to the amount of club members ordering her which means it will probably be somewhere over 1,000. There are 1,978 memberships. Not particularly exclusive, but I get it.

Here is the text describing her:

Vanessa Perrin has been invited to be the official Master of Ceremonies of one of Europe's most talked about events and she's absolutely thrilled about it! Ready to be the perfect stage host, Vanessa will surely steal the spotlight from the firmament of stars in attendance!
Vanessa is a 12.5-inch fully articulated vinyl fashion doll with beautiful platinum hair that is gorgeously styled, yet perfect if you wish to create your own looks! Her gown is intricately detailed with elaborate corset detailing and shows just enough leg to drive Vanessa's admirers wild! Complete with shoes, a lovely jewelry set and a doll stand. For adult collectors ages 15 and up.

While I'm a lover of the original Vanessa sculpt, this gal does nothing for me. I do not like her makeup and the dress looks pedestrian and ill-fitting in the bodice and bust area. I do not see "elaborate corset detailing" as they say exists. The horizontal seam looks like it goes right across the fullest part of the bust. Something is off.

These earlier Fashion Royalty items do have elaborate corset detail:

This new dress does not have it.
I detest phony hype from any company. Collectors are not blind. However, many are driven by the collective crowd mentality and the belief that a W Club exclusive is special.

She's pretty and there is nothing special about her which is sad because club members should be offered the best of the best.


I must add that these Integrity Toys photographs are of the prototype and "final production colors and textures may vary slightly."

Official Photos from the Gloss Fashion Royalty Convention

The Convention Collection:
From left to right: Adorned Vanessa, Grandiose Natalia, Nocturnal Glow Veronique, Cold Shoulder Eugenia, Dark Moon Poppy, La Ville Lumiere Simonetta and Nightshade Kyori Sato.

Store Exclusives
From left to right: After Hours Hanne, Dial V for Victoire and Wild Thing Poppy.

ITBE : Oomph, Zing and Jolt

Workshop: Time Served

I am still awaiting delivery of my pre-ordered convention collection. The jury is out on those dolls until I see them in person.
The ITBE dolls look cute until you see their dresses and shoes. They are $9.99 Barbie type clothes.
Time served is one of the worst-looking male dolls ever and the photo doesn't make it better.
Click on the photos to enlarge.

What do you think of the dolls?

Integrity Toys 2014 "Gloss" Convention

I followed the events of the convention on several social media boards and on the phone with my proxy. The organizers certainly had huge obstacles to overcome but luckily for them and the attendees, the missing dolls arrived. I think this was their largest convention at 500 people. I would have loved the Friday night Halloween event. From photos, it looks like the costumes were fantastic!

In a message from the W Club we were told that due to technical difficulties, photos of the convention dolls can't be posted yet. Whatever.

There are many people posting pictures of their own dolls but the official photos would be nice to have as in past years. You can  find them on eBay. Do a search under "Gloss Convention/dolls & bears" and you will come up with several hundred postings.

That being said, I had to decide to keep only a few dolls so I've been selling the ones that can't stay. Here is what remains.

Sheer Sensuality Vanessa (Magenta) (Centerpiece) $300.

Poppy Dark Moon  (Purple) (Convention collection) $250.

Grandiose Natalia Fatale (Convention collection) $225. (Nude $175) (Outfit $75)

Veronique Nocturnal Glow (Convention collection) $200. (Nude $150) (Outfit $65)

Simonetta Bertorelli  La Ville Lumiere  (Convention collection) $200.
Victoire “Dial V for Victoire” Mini Gift Set (Store exclusive) $200.
Both for $350.

Jolt (ITBE Store exclusive) Blonde in pink dress. $115.

Chrome Noir Erin (NuFace) (Luncheon Gift Doll) $225.

Evening Siren Ayumi  (NuFace)  $250.  (Nude $175.)

Time Served Color Infusion Homme Male Doll (Workshop) $200

Kyori  “Nightshade”  (Convention collection)  Outfit Only $75

A huge shipment from my proxy is due to arrive tomorrow. I got the notice from UPS this morning. The convention collection, coming from Integrity, will take a few days longer.

Prices do not include postage.

Email me if you have an interest. I do have some pictures.


The dolls I am keeping:

-Intrigue Elise - Saturday night centerpiece.
-LE Smoking Adele (Convention Collection)
-After Hours Hanne (She was an optional purchase.)

I'm undecided about Cold Shoulder Eugenia and Adorned Vanessa (Convention collection.) They are gorgeous but I'm holding off deciding until I have them in my hands.
I think I'm done with Vanessa. 

I had to ask myself what dolls I would have been willing to pay secondary market prices for and then decide whether or not it was worth it to have a proxy. It's a lot of work and time to sell the dolls I don't want to keep. I bought three of last year's convention dolls individually (Both Elise and one Monogram) as I did not have a proxy. This year, I got a bit caught up in the extras offered and bought dolls that are beautiful but not for me.

Such problems.

These CI male dolls are interesting. The frenzy for them is unbelievable.

Here's a picture of one I found on eBay.

They're all very different and many are other than Caucasian. They sell out quickly at the event. This is the workshop one.

Fashion Royalty 2013 Convention Wrap-Up

The Saturday afternoon W Club Luncheon dolls were all about Victoire Roux.
The give-away doll's fashion looks a bit too large for her but the doll is pretty. Night at Ciro's

The centerpiece:

She is called Story Of My Life Victoire Roux and I love her fashion. It is just gorgeous.

The centerpiece on Saturday night was Vanessa, Black Orchid, (version 3) in a short leatherette dress created from one of Jason's designs. Looks like Jason stepped up to the plate with this convention — he was badly needed. IMO the dress doesn't cut it on this doll. From this angle, it looks like an apron. It is one Vanessa I will not miss having.

The convention souvenir is a stunning Elise, Midnight Star, who is also dressed in a miniature version of a Jason Wu runway fashion. This time the doll and the gown are absolutely, drop dead fantastic. Yes, I'd love to have this doll, but it's not going to happen.

Since they tossed the best sculpt away (the original Vanessa,) Elise has become my favorite. However, I am not going to do what I did with Vanessa which was to have all of them and then some multiples on top of that. I will never do that again.

The only doll I purchased from this convention was the welcome doll. She's a Monogram called Interlude. She was offered at a low price and then, last night, I was offered the accessory pack as well.
This is what I'm getting:

I'm very pleased.

Out Sass Vanessa and Gilded Gloom Ellowyne and Gene Marshall

Last night I was playing with the camera on my mini iPad. It's not very good indoors. The pictures came up very grainy. I used some Photoshop effects to improve the looks.

First up is Out Sass Vanessa. She is the fiercest, most troubled-looking Vanessa ever. I get the feeling that she's in a hurry to go somewhere in a hurricane. I had to take off the overly-designed suit as it competed with her hair for attention. This doll needed black and that's it.
I'm not happy with this sculpt - too much pout - too forced. 

Gilded Gloom Ellowyne is my most recent attempt to love an Ello. I've had so many and I keep selling them. The combination of her pretty coloring and her hair were so attractive and she was on sale and you know the rest...
Now she lives here and I think she'll stay - for now. Seriously, I do like her.

Three Gene outfits that were NRFB needed modeling.

IT "Stardust" Convention Gene in AD "Midnight Angel"

IT Gene "Rose Rogue" in AD "The Kiss" 

AD Gene "Blue Fox" in "Rio Rumba"

Note to self...use a real camera next time.