![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
hat_plays_dollsPart three in the 'there are too many boxes in this office for the number of cats and kids who hang out here' review series!
Okay, I'm gonna level with you, I did not buy this doll because I like her. I didn't even really buy her for her outfit.
I bought her for parts.
Back of the box. See, Party Ghouls Rochelle is a cute concept who doesn't really super duper look like the picture on the box (which is kind of fine, really), and she's a budget-y gimmick doll. I love gimmick dolls, I really do, I had a bunch when I was a kid and generally played with them until they fell apart from it. I want that for today's kids.
Closer shot of the art. Because it's cute art. Anyway, Rochelle is one of my very favorite characters-- she's the first MH doll I actually got for myself, I was won over by Scaris Rochelle and now I have at least one of everybody except Treesa (because I missed her on clearance).
Strapped in but exposed! Rochelle's wings are packaged detached, which is clever.
And headshot. Rochelle. Sweetheart. What have they done to you? Are you okay?
Party Ghouls Rochelle comes with a dress, black harness and tiara, pale pink shoes, teal gargoyle purse, dragonfly charm, and tiara... topper, and two teal and two magenta fleur-des-lis charms. The purse also has a charm, a black bow with a fleur-des-lis.
She was made in Indonesia and can smell your spicy brains.
I do think the dress is legitimately cute-- it's actually nicely made. The tiers of the dress are a woven fabric, maybe cotton or a blend. The harness doesn't do it any favors, but... maybe it needs paint?
And here's Rochelle, winning at shoes again. Some more. Still.
I don't know if the charm hole is molded or drilled, but the shoes are otherwise gorgeous (mine have some marks from print transfer, I can fix that with rubbing alcohol or acetone later, if I want to). They are so detailed and baroque and ridiculous. I want to paint them. I want to paint them a lot.
The charms are cute-- they'd probably be cuter with paint-- and I definitely did not turn that dragonfly to its best advantage, but you can see the peg that holds it in place. The holes in the shoes, harness, tiara, and purse are all the same size, so you can pop the different charms in wherever best pleases you.
Like this! (Or not.) I admit I do kind of dig the way the tiara looks like a francophile take on a Russian kokoshnik.
Ages six and up.
Okay, honestly all the pieces have details that cry out for paint, and the tiara has a couple of handy bits you could shove a head pin through to keep it in place without those tag thingies. It's possible I might really like (some of) the charm doodads once I get them painted up.
But you know, you get the extras off the dress itself, and it... starts looking like something Garrot might've designed for Rochelle. The burgundy is a different choice for her, but it still works well with her array of pinks, and while the top calls out for a statement necklace or a jacket or shawl of some kind, the ruffle actually works for Rochelle. I have surprised myself by genuinely liking the dress.
The second tier is attached to the waistband with a lightweight synthetic knit, I think the same as the ruffles, which is a trick to reduce bulk at the waist.
Rochelle's hair was supposed to be in soft, luscious curls, but... box hair. Her bangs are gelled within an inch of their life, and the rest of her hair looks like this.
AND this happened. It's hard to see because photography, but you're looking at a stress mark right about where Rochelle's knee peg is anchored in her thigh. She's got one on the other side, and so did my Winning Werewolves Clawdeen. Is Mattel paying them enough, in the Indonesia factory? Are they okay? Did the clunky swollen joints happen because the factory workers are getting too rough?
I've been pretty hard on this doll, for me, and here's why-- that's Party Ghouls, Shriek Wrecked, and Signature Rochelle. Reboot, Reboot, and Classic (though Classic didn't get the best focus, thanks camera); Indonesia, China, Indonesia.
There's a lot here I'm not judging. They all have different speckle concentrations, these things happen, it's one of the joys of Rochelle. Signature Rochelle isn't one of my favorite Classic Rochelles (this one's hitting eBay this week, if you like her more than I do), but she's a solid example of what Classic Rochelle generally looks like. Shriek Wrecked Rochelle has that Reboot lighter-softer-younger look, it's not as "That's Rochelle!" to me but I still dig it. I even kind of like the gray eyebrows as opposed to pink, and it's nice to see a doll rebooted to have brown eyes (a light brown, but still brown). Shriek Wrecked Rochelle has way more eyelashes, and her lower lashes are gray to make them look more delicate without having to paint more delicate lines. She works! She looks like Rochelle, in a different style.
Party Ghouls Rochelle can smell your spicy brains.
She doesn't have any eyeshadow, her lower lashes are so pale they're practically invisible, and her irises-- Guys. Guys, no. No. This is not a good look in general. The effort is there to soften her look, but it's so softened that now it looks washed out and creepy, and not in a good way.
So why did I even get this doll?
Because Shriek Wrecked Rochelle needed lower arms.
Okay, in conclusion:
The only reason I got this doll was because she was the last one there and if I ever want a properly-jointed Reboot body for my Classic heads, I had to jump to get some normal arms. The fantastic shoes and surprisingly cute dress are bonuses; I needed parts.
If you love this doll's look, more power to you. If you just want a body donor, check your local TRU before June 29th, or keep your eyes peeled in places like Ross or Marshall's. She should be six or seven dollars now at TRU if there are any left, which is a pretty good price for a body and a fashion pack. Or a head to repaint; the outline is pretty good, honestly, this Rochelle would be an excellent candidate for enhancing because the lines are all there, just the colors are... not.
Like what I do and want to help me feed my cats, but don't need anything I have for sale on eBay? You can always support me on Patreon or throw some change in my tip jar.
Okay, I'm gonna level with you, I did not buy this doll because I like her. I didn't even really buy her for her outfit.
I bought her for parts.
Back of the box. See, Party Ghouls Rochelle is a cute concept who doesn't really super duper look like the picture on the box (which is kind of fine, really), and she's a budget-y gimmick doll. I love gimmick dolls, I really do, I had a bunch when I was a kid and generally played with them until they fell apart from it. I want that for today's kids.
Closer shot of the art. Because it's cute art. Anyway, Rochelle is one of my very favorite characters-- she's the first MH doll I actually got for myself, I was won over by Scaris Rochelle and now I have at least one of everybody except Treesa (because I missed her on clearance).
Strapped in but exposed! Rochelle's wings are packaged detached, which is clever.
And headshot. Rochelle. Sweetheart. What have they done to you? Are you okay?
Party Ghouls Rochelle comes with a dress, black harness and tiara, pale pink shoes, teal gargoyle purse, dragonfly charm, and tiara... topper, and two teal and two magenta fleur-des-lis charms. The purse also has a charm, a black bow with a fleur-des-lis.
She was made in Indonesia and can smell your spicy brains.
I do think the dress is legitimately cute-- it's actually nicely made. The tiers of the dress are a woven fabric, maybe cotton or a blend. The harness doesn't do it any favors, but... maybe it needs paint?
And here's Rochelle, winning at shoes again. Some more. Still.
I don't know if the charm hole is molded or drilled, but the shoes are otherwise gorgeous (mine have some marks from print transfer, I can fix that with rubbing alcohol or acetone later, if I want to). They are so detailed and baroque and ridiculous. I want to paint them. I want to paint them a lot.
The charms are cute-- they'd probably be cuter with paint-- and I definitely did not turn that dragonfly to its best advantage, but you can see the peg that holds it in place. The holes in the shoes, harness, tiara, and purse are all the same size, so you can pop the different charms in wherever best pleases you.
Like this! (Or not.) I admit I do kind of dig the way the tiara looks like a francophile take on a Russian kokoshnik.
Ages six and up.
Okay, honestly all the pieces have details that cry out for paint, and the tiara has a couple of handy bits you could shove a head pin through to keep it in place without those tag thingies. It's possible I might really like (some of) the charm doodads once I get them painted up.
But you know, you get the extras off the dress itself, and it... starts looking like something Garrot might've designed for Rochelle. The burgundy is a different choice for her, but it still works well with her array of pinks, and while the top calls out for a statement necklace or a jacket or shawl of some kind, the ruffle actually works for Rochelle. I have surprised myself by genuinely liking the dress.
The second tier is attached to the waistband with a lightweight synthetic knit, I think the same as the ruffles, which is a trick to reduce bulk at the waist.
Rochelle's hair was supposed to be in soft, luscious curls, but... box hair. Her bangs are gelled within an inch of their life, and the rest of her hair looks like this.
AND this happened. It's hard to see because photography, but you're looking at a stress mark right about where Rochelle's knee peg is anchored in her thigh. She's got one on the other side, and so did my Winning Werewolves Clawdeen. Is Mattel paying them enough, in the Indonesia factory? Are they okay? Did the clunky swollen joints happen because the factory workers are getting too rough?
I've been pretty hard on this doll, for me, and here's why-- that's Party Ghouls, Shriek Wrecked, and Signature Rochelle. Reboot, Reboot, and Classic (though Classic didn't get the best focus, thanks camera); Indonesia, China, Indonesia.
There's a lot here I'm not judging. They all have different speckle concentrations, these things happen, it's one of the joys of Rochelle. Signature Rochelle isn't one of my favorite Classic Rochelles (this one's hitting eBay this week, if you like her more than I do), but she's a solid example of what Classic Rochelle generally looks like. Shriek Wrecked Rochelle has that Reboot lighter-softer-younger look, it's not as "That's Rochelle!" to me but I still dig it. I even kind of like the gray eyebrows as opposed to pink, and it's nice to see a doll rebooted to have brown eyes (a light brown, but still brown). Shriek Wrecked Rochelle has way more eyelashes, and her lower lashes are gray to make them look more delicate without having to paint more delicate lines. She works! She looks like Rochelle, in a different style.
Party Ghouls Rochelle can smell your spicy brains.
She doesn't have any eyeshadow, her lower lashes are so pale they're practically invisible, and her irises-- Guys. Guys, no. No. This is not a good look in general. The effort is there to soften her look, but it's so softened that now it looks washed out and creepy, and not in a good way.
So why did I even get this doll?
Because Shriek Wrecked Rochelle needed lower arms.
Okay, in conclusion:
The only reason I got this doll was because she was the last one there and if I ever want a properly-jointed Reboot body for my Classic heads, I had to jump to get some normal arms. The fantastic shoes and surprisingly cute dress are bonuses; I needed parts.
If you love this doll's look, more power to you. If you just want a body donor, check your local TRU before June 29th, or keep your eyes peeled in places like Ross or Marshall's. She should be six or seven dollars now at TRU if there are any left, which is a pretty good price for a body and a fashion pack. Or a head to repaint; the outline is pretty good, honestly, this Rochelle would be an excellent candidate for enhancing because the lines are all there, just the colors are... not.
Like what I do and want to help me feed my cats, but don't need anything I have for sale on eBay? You can always support me on Patreon or throw some change in my tip jar.
