There was a doll that I couldn’t get off my mind. Not that she was any special, unique or rare, but she kept popping up on my laptop screen as if by design. I kept telling myself that I’ve already got a few, ok, a couple dozen dolls like her and I didn’t really need her but a series of events led to the purchase. For one thing, there was a Christmas-themed brunette Barbie I was trying to get a hold of and she slipped away, again third year in a row. For another, Winter Rhapsody just was there, available, at a great price, offered by one of my favorite sellers. She was complete in terms of her outfit and was in an overall great condition. I resisted for three days, on the fourth I gave up.
In the 90s Mattel would produce a large number of Barbie dolls exclusively for Avon. They were usually Christmas/Easter themed dolls and had a collector’s feel to them. In 1995 Mattel created Winter Velvet Barbie available as a blonde or African American. The dolls wore identical ensembles – quite elegant royal blue and silver gowns. The dolls were packaged in shoe-type boxes without a cellophane window, they came with a stand. In 1996 three dolls were produced under the name of Winter Rhapsody – a blonde, a brunette and an AA but this time they were offered in the book-type boxes that I like so much.
For some reason, in 1997 Mattel/Avon cooperation didn’t bring any winter themed Barbie dolls, but then in 1998 Winter Splendor appeared as a blonde and AA, but Mattel used different headmolds. The blonde had the Mackie face while the AA was the ravishing Asha. The dolls looked sensational in their black velvet/red satin combination with their elegant updos and long, evening gloves. Out of the entire series, Winter Splendor Barbie has the most distinct collector properties to her, she looks truly exquisite and I may one day get her, once I make my mind which variant I like better. That may not be for a year though because I already purchased enough winter Barbies, but I hope to get some Easter/spring focused Avon dolls now that I’m no longer angry with eBay.
Winter Rhapsody arrived in a strange condition. Described as a used doll, she had lost her doll stand and her shoes as well as her brush if she came with one in the first place. She was consistent with most of the dolls I purchase from the seller on regular basis, so she was a bit dusty, her hair needed some slight treatment but she had her whole outfit on her and when I undressed her for bath, I discovered the twisty ties were still there on her wrists, round her waist and in her hair. She was clearly never brushed either. I was glad to discover her evening dress was actually a two-piece. The jacket bleeds though so you need to be careful washing and drying it if you plan to get a second-hand doll. The outfit is well made and the fabrics used are great quality and it’s always nicer to get two pieces rather than one, right?
I like Barbie’s ensemble, but even more – her face and hair. It’s kanekalon, but it’s really great kanekalon that cooperates, so it was fairly easy to recreate her original hairdo. Her face has the screening typical for the middle to late 90s, so the strokes are well defined and sharp, but the lavender color of her eyes, the teal and gold eye shadows and her magenta lipstick are a great combination. The colors are a bit washed off allowing a very serene and lovely expression. I feel that the blonde’s make-up is more vibrant in terms of colors so they look like completely different dolls only dressed the same way. Barbie is so pretty she doesn’t need too much jewelry, she only got a golden choker with a plastic snap at the back, a set of very basic earrings and a ring and the most prominent element of her whole jewelry is the broach attached to the jacket.
To finish off, there’s my Winter Rhapsody accompanied by JCPenney Evening Majesty that I forgot to photograph along with my two other JCPenney Barbie dolls. I don’t know why, but these two dolls just look so good together they could belong to the same series. Perhaps it’s the 90s style of their facial screening, they were both produced in 1996 or maybe it’s their outfits that look similar to me. Regardless of the reason, I like to see them standing next to each other. By the way, I finally did manage to get the doll I was chasing for three autumns in a row and she just arrived a few days ago, so now I have two new and very lovely brunettes in my collection!
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