Perfume Pretty Whitney 1987

Steffie headmold is one of my favorites, however there are just a few such dolls in my cabinet. Recently and quite unexpectedly a new Steffie has arrived and she’s none other than the very gorgeous Perfume Pretty Whitney 1987. That day I had no intention of buying a new doll and I opened my laptop in order to restock my doll stands. Strangely enough, instead of opening my mail box I decided to check what one of my favorite vendors had in her offer. I was surprised to see a homeless Whitney, especially that she was still wearing her stock dress with the removable sleeves. The mystery was quickly solved when I checked out the pictures. The doll’s legs were spotty and bent and she had kanekalon hair – a Chinese version. I closed my laptop and I didn’t buy either the doll stands or the doll whom I kept thinking about for the next three days. Then I decided that if she was still available, she’d been waiting for me.

Now a few words about the Perfume Pretty series that comprises four dolls – Barbie, AA Barbie, Whitney and Ken – Perfume Giving Ken. I’m really happy that his name was modified. It’s enough to think that in the 80s Mattel would repeatedly dress him in various shades of pink to match Barbie’s shoes. Let’s not make him any less a man by calling him ‘pretty’. Barbie, AA Barbie and Ken came with a bottle of perfume, and Whitney got a locket for her owner. The dolls were produced in Malaysia and China and the Chinese dolls are of far worse quality. The Malaysian girls got beautiful saran hair and seem to suffer from spotty legs much less often than the Chinese. Now it’s only an assumption based on several online pictures and I have nothing solid to support it with. Anyway, the girls got some amazing outfits, beautifully pastel too. Barbie’s is especially interesting because it can go from short to long. And if you wished to dress the dolls in something else, there was also an assortment of Perfume Pretty outfits waiting to be purchased, now extravagantly and outrageously expensive.

When I unpacked Whitney and looked at her closely, my enthusiasm evaporated. I’d already come to terms with the spotted and crooked legs, but the hair! I had nothing but questions. How to restore the hair? Where to begin? And what was it anyway? Whitney’s kanekalon hair is of two colors – the darker part is quite decent, but the higlights are just awful. Awful! These were rooted at her nape and over her forehead and both were curled tight. I cannot understand this at all. I mean, the highlights at the neck are very well indeed but why give them a perm while the rest is just loose curls?! The highlights looked like they’d never been brushed but time has changed them into dreads. What is it pray, Rasta Whitney?? Dear Mattel please explain! Anyway, I played Bob Marley’s album and humming ‘get up, stand up, don’t give up the fight’ I began to wash her, then I submerged her hair in fabric softener and left her to soak for three days. When I washed and conditioned her hair it got greasy!  So I poured some hot water on the hair – the darker kanekalon straightened and looked fresh but the dreads didn’t change one bit. So finally I curled the hair and now, after a week of fighting with the unruly hair, I’m satisfied. The pictures below show the hair after softening and curling. 

The hair was a bummer, but the doll’s face is so beautiful it was worth the effort put in restoring her. There’s much color to her face but it’s not tacky. It’s harmonious. Her eyes are blue and so is the eyeshadow that’s put with economy, but the lavender one goes up all the way to her brows. Her lips are Magenta and her complexion is tanned. Her legs are bent and spotty and I know I could boil them but somehow the mere thought seems too barbaric to me. I’d rather rebody her but I always promise myself this and I never do it. Whenever a new body donor arrives, I feel sorry for her and restore her.

  

Whitney’s outfit is very beautiful. I cannot believe that the silky lurex isn’t damaged by Velcro (though to be honest there’s none in the outfit) and the mesh has just one tiny hole that’s well camouflaged by all five layers! Her mesh sleeves are removable but I like them, they’re so puffy and so incredibly Dynasty! Her blue, pearly heels are missing and so is her jewelry – pearl earrings, a matching ring and necklace.

It’s been a battle to restore her but I’m very fond of her now. I own two Whitney dolls and below Perfume Pretty and Nurse Whitney stand side by side. As a collector is such an insatiable creature, I’m dreaming of another Steffie already – the outrageously beautiful Parisian Barbie first edition. Now, unless I’m lucky beyond measure, I don’t think she’s going to end up in my collection, she’s pricey! The second edition is not bad though, so she’s a much more realistic option.