I'm really struggling to find the right
words to describe the Happy Holidays 1997 Barbie. As the only thing that
comes to my mind is 'Holy Cow!!!", I'm going to try a little harder,
the doll certainly deserves the effort.
Happy Holidays is the third doll I've
bought for myself but she arrived first and when she did I must have
frozen with my jaw dropped at the beauty I beheld. I'm still a little
overwhelmed, so I'd better focus on the facts. Happy Holidays 1997 was
released in 3 versions: the blonde, the brunette and the African
American (Christie facemold). The caucasians girls are the last on the
Happy Holidays series to hold the lovely superstar mold and although
they share the same facemold and identical dresses, they couldn't be
more different. Whenever I have the choice I go for the blonde, but this
time it's the brunette that had stolen into my heart and my wallet and
so when I saw her available online at such a great price, I juped for
it, no usual questions asked.
The great price reflects the condition
of the doll which is not perfect, but to me it doesn't really matter,
I'd never hoped to get the doll from the top of my wish list so quickly
and at so little sacrifice (financial that is). The minor imperfections
included the hair, which is in a very good condition given the doll's
age and the fact that she'd been used. Much of its former wave's been
lost but the hair is incredibly soft and scented ever so slightly. The
bun is also styled a little differently, though beautifully. The doll
must have undergone some gentle hair treatment, which is fine with me
but if I don't refrain myself from stroking her hair, she's going to
need another hair treatment before long!
Her facepaint is impeccable! She
certainly has one of the most beautiful faces I've seen on a Barbie. Her
eyes are green and her green and yellow eye shadow brings the color out
even more. She's definitely more maturely made up compared to the other
dolls of the era especially in terms of her full, deep burgundy lip and
her blush which is a bit uneven on my doll. Her dark hair, her make-up
and the dark complexion give her a very grown-up look, she's certainly
no little girl's toy! As to her body, she has a TNT body, her arms are
straight PTS and she's got white molded in panties.
This Barbie knows how to accessorize!
She comes with a tiara, a necklace, a broach, a ring and a pair of
earrings. The gold on my doll's jewelry has faded a bit in some places,
but the 'rubies' are still there. She didn't come with her original red
classic pumps, but with some golden shoes but I still didn't expect them
and I'm glad she's not barefoot.
Now her dress! It's so distracting I
really don't know where to start. It's a three-piece - a bolero, a dress
and a white underdress/ petticoat. Mine is missing that last piece, but
the dress still holds its shape perfectly. It's got a bit wrinkled, but
I wouldn't dare iron it for the world! Overall, the dress looks like a
ginormous ribbon. It's very much Christmas-looking and the combination
of the red, the gold and the pearl-white complements the doll's hair and
complexion. The dress is Velcroed if anyone's been wondering and the
bolero's been sewn on the doll. The dress is so rich, detailed and
extravagant that I won't attempt at a better description, the pictures
will do it for me!
Happy Holiday 1997 Barbie is an example
of a quality doll with much time and effort spent in designing this
little dolly masterpiece. No wonder she's so popular and so widely
sought after.
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