8/01/2016

Review: Dasha as Anika Luxoticca

In spite of all the hoopla over the use of decal eyes instead of paint, I like this doll.  As I said previously, I never would have known about the decals if another collector hadn't told me. It's not a pleasing thought but if they continue using the decals, I certainly would expect to know in advance so I can make an informed decision about whether to buy or not.

My doll has a few issues. The arrow is pointing to a line on her hair that was created during the styling in the factory. I'm definitely not asking for a replacement because from what I've seen, I might get something worse. In her hair is a very nice silver clasp. I love the profile look.


I could not remove one of her legs but I'm sure that if I warm it up, it will come off. In the photo below, she is wearing her cyborg limbs. They are very cool. I would have liked Cyborg hands as well.
Anika's hair bump is uneven. That bothers me more than anything. I hate hair bumps.


Her dress is very slim-fitting and the fabric is strangely stiff. Enclosed with the doll was a packet of extra silver embellishments.


Her jewelry is silver-toned with stones that resemble opals. She came with earrings, a bracelet and a ring.  Her heels have a techno pattern which fits right in with the theme.




23 comments:

  1. I think she is a great doll and the decal eyes fit her cyborg nature. And if they had used decals for this doll only to give her that manufactured look then I don't think we would be having the controversy we have now. But it looks like decals are the way of the future for most of their dolls, if not all. They are still quiet about it. And this doll is simply not worth $175.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm not sure any Fashion Royalty doll produced in the last few years is worth $175. This was the convention doll and I believe that is reflected in the price. I feel sorry for those people who were so intent upon getting her that they paid extraordinary prices on eBay and from collectors selling right after IFDC.

      Delete
  2. I really love her! She is like an upscale version of the Spectra dolls from the 80's I grew up with. If she ever finds her way to the secondary market at a reasonable price, I'd def pic her up- decal eyes and all!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Many have been on the market already. There are still some on eBay.

      Delete
  3. i was one of them , I buy one en Ebay for 229 . and I hope her eyes look good....

    ReplyDelete
  4. I will hold off buying dolls with decal eyes until I am convinced they won't peel off. I wish IT would give us info about the process so we could get a better feel for it. Anyway, glad you like the doll, Terri. Your photos of her are cool.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you. I do believe that the email they sent out us club members described the process.

      Delete
    2. It was a positive spiel, wasn’t it? But I wanted more info about how the decals are adhered. Is only the topcoat sealer holding them in place? According to IT that method “should not be” any different from the traditional doll eyes. Will take a wait and see approach.

      Delete
    3. They put an overly positive spin on it and it's not all true. Check back here at noon today for my 'spiel.'

      Delete
    4. Waterslide decals are sort of like "temporary tattoos" in that they are a very thin film that you dampen to apply. Unlike temp tattoos, though, they usually come off in a single piece that you may then position carefully (hence the name waterslide). In my experience, they should be waterproof after they dry, but are probably subject to scratch damage the same as paint would be.

      They're cheap and generally not as nice as (good) screening or painting, but in general they should be pretty secure.

      Delete
    5. Thank you, Andi. Your explanation helps.

      Delete
  5. Some collector on flickr sprayed her extra hands with silver paint, it looked really cool. I get what you mean about hair bumps, I wish she only had a sleek ponytail like the future.perfect collection dolls. Actually she looks kind of like Luchia. But I'm sure Anika has short strands of hair under that bump...sigh.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I like the idea of spraying her hands. Interesting. A long sleek ponytail would have been a great choice. I once took apart a hair bump. There was a clump of stuff under it. Not a pretty sight. The more I think about it, the more I want a replacement head with good hair. Ugh.

      Delete
    2. A German collector found this under Anika's bump:
      http://www.boards-4you.de/wbb2/607/thread.php?threadid=477&sid=&page=296
      It's the same collector, who detected the "third eye" in the hair.
      Martina from Cologne

      Delete
    3. That's a password protected site.

      Delete
  6. As far as aesthetic design, she certainly has a good "Bond villain" sort of look :D I agree that some fancy optional hands would have been appropriate with those clear arms, though.

    RE: decals, I don't mind the technique per se, but I do think it gives the dolls a bit of a cheaper feel. Having applied eyelashes helps to defray that a little, but if this is the direction they're going in the future, I think they need to improve the printing of the decals, at the very least. :| TBH, the eye screening in recent years has already been a step down from the earlier IT dolls. If decals allow them to bring back some subtlety in the eye makeup, I'd be interested to see it.

    I did have to refrain from straining my eye-rolling muscles at the newsletter, though. This is not new or groundbreaking by any stretch of the imagination. :|

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Did you know that eye rolling is actually good exercise for your eyeballs? :-)

      Delete
  7. Oh sorry, I'm always logged in - so I didn't think of it :-) Anyway, so I only can tell: it was a very very rusty nail, stuck deep in her head.
    Martina from Cologne

    ReplyDelete
  8. The "rusty nail finder" (aka "Third eye finder") posted the pics on her Flickr link. Please scroll to the bottom of the side: https://www.flickr.com/photos/barbie_my_scene_fashion_royalty/sets/72157668634774554/
    Martina from Cologne

    ReplyDelete
  9. Just knowing who designed this doll is enough to put me off it altogether. Yikes.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm not kidding. There is only so much abuse people can take...

      Delete

I do not publish readers' links or email addresses. If you wish to contact me or wish me to see something, find me on Facebook and send a FB message. In addition, Blogger is not letting me comment on comments! I'm trying to reconfigure this but I'm at a loss how to do so.