Monday, February 17, 2014

"Sweet Screams" Frankie Stein

I thought it would be fun to review the Sweet Screams Frankie Stein doll for Valentine's Day, since she has a candy-themed outfit with a red and black color scheme.  Unfortunately, it took me much longer to photograph this doll than I planned.  I still want to share some thoughts and pictures of this new Monster High doll, though, because I think she's significantly different from what we've been seeing from Monster High lately.

There are currently two dolls in the Sweet Screams collection: Frankie and Draculaura. The dolls are Target exclusives and cost $21.99.  The story behind these dolls is that the Monster High gang is having a sleepover ("creepover") and Draculaura gets up in the middle of the night for a snack.  She eats a ton of mysterious candy and then goes back to sleep.  The sweet snack somehow ensnares both Draculaura and Frankie in a sticky candy-laden nightmare.  Neither ghoul enjoys the dream, but Frankie appreciates her stylish dreamland outfit.  Let's take a look:

Sweet Screams Frankie
Monster High's "Sweet Screams" Frankie Stein.
The Sweet Screams boxes are overloaded with neon decorations.


The back of the box is atypical for Monster High and is dominated by a giant blue and black swirl with text from the Sweet Screams story:


It's hard to read in a circle, so here's the text:

"How did I get here, this isn't right.  I didn't eat candy at all last night!" But not being a ghoul to give into despair, Frankie decided to wake up right then and there...only she didn't.  She thought to herself, "Well, this is annoying, I always wake up from dreams I'm enjoying."  Frankie was not enjoying this one, for sure, although she did kind of like her stylish candy couture."

Both the front and the back of the box have a cartoon of Frankie frantically eyeing handfuls of candy, while being swarmed by angry-looking winged sweets:


The front of the box displays the Frankie doll against a frantic, bright background.  She's surrounded by more mean-looking flying candy:




This box gives me a headache.  It is so bright and busy, it literally makes my eyes hurt.  I guess this is appropriate for a candy nightmare!  Despite the glare, I was fascinated by the atypical color choices, and intrigued by the little candy version of Watzit:


The cluttered background scene makes it tricky to see what Frankie comes with.  She has Watzit, and is carrying a red purse.  There's also a small book tucked into the lower right side of the box, and the base of a stand:


The rest of the stand is tucked into the back of the cardboard backdrop--along with a black brush:

A trick borrowed from Ever After High?
It's easier to appreciate the background scene once Frankie and her accessories have been removed.  It looks like the distorted halls of Monster High...dripping with sticky candy and infested with angry flying sweets.  There are even some striped tentacles oozing out from the walls--I have no idea what kind of candy those are supposed to be!

That is disturbing.
Frankie's book tells the first part of the Sweet Screams story, including the excerpt that is printed on the back of the box.  The story is meant to be continued, so there will be another wave of Sweet Screams dolls.


My favorite illustration in this book is the one showing Frankie embracing little candy Watzit:



The Watzit figure is made out of slightly translucent red vinyl.  He has candy cane legs and ears that look like wrapper twists:




Watzit has swirly, mismatched eyes, white fangs and a blue tongue hanging out of one side of his mouth.  My Watzit's blue eye is not printed in exactly the right location: 


This is a really neat idea, but the figure itself is not as cute as the normal Watzit...I think the crazy eyes are a little alienating, and the red is very overpowering.  A mix of candy colors would have been really fun.


Frankie's purse is made out of the exact same red vinyl.  It also has a strange face with blue and white painted decorations.


One of the purse's eyes is swirly, the other is meant to look like a wrapped candy.  The mouth is a crooked series of blue segments that's probably meant to be the same thing as those tentacles drawn on the box.  It reminds me of an earthworm.



At first, I didn't think that the purse opened.  However, it does have a small slit at the top that can be pried apart.  This is about as open as I can get it to stay for a picture...


...and it very quickly clamps down again.  Whenever I open this purse, I feel like it's trying to bite my finger.


I think this purse is a big part of Frankie's nightmare!


Sweet Screams Frankie

Let's look at Frankie herself.  There's a lot going on in this doll's head area:


She has black and white striped bangs, long white hair with black and red streaks, and a plastic hair ornament:


The hair ornament is tied with black thread onto a bouffant at the top of Frankie's head:


The thread is coming loose on my doll and her hair was messy right out of the box, especially on the left side.



The piece of Frankie's hair that is pulled up into a bouffant is tied at the back in a small ponytail. The rest of the hair is loose...and very long.


Here is the hair before (L) and after (R) brushing:


The hair fiber is very soft and silky and brushes out beautifully.  I really love the additional red streaks in this doll's hair.  

Frankie has long black dangle earrings with dripping candy shapes at the end.  At first, I couldn't pull one of the earrings out, and worried that Monster High earrings had gone the way of Barbie and become unremovable.  In retrospect, that might have been better than what was actually going on.


What was actually keeping the earrings from pulling out was the huge glob of glue inside Frankie's head.  Her head is rock hard (bad sign) and when I finally managed to yank the earrings out, they were coated in icky yellow glue.  Barf.

Made in Indonesia!
I have to say, as addicted as I am to the wonderfully creative Monster High dolls, this glue-in-the-head thing is starting to turn me off in a serious way.   I mean, what is going to happen to this glue over time?  I wish there was a way to tell where the dolls were made before buying them.  

Anyway, Frankie's elaborate face distracted me from the glue, at least for the time being.  This doll has some of Frankie's hallmarks--like her mismatched green and blue eyes and facial scar, but the colors are very bright and there are several additional details, like her bright candy stripe lips:


Frankie's blue eye is a very bright, pale blue, and the same color is used for her eyebrows and her scar.  She also has crooked blue swirls under each eye.  This blue color seems overused.

She has broad bands of pink around her eyes and little black dots at the tips of her eyelashes.


Her left eye is a bright primary green.  The pupils of both eyes are oddly shaped.  They are not circular or symmetric. 


I am not sure why the pupils are this shape--perhaps they are supposed to look like pieces of candy?  Or maybe it's just to increase the sense of unease around this doll's outlandish face.  To me, a focused gaze would have been a nice anchor point for all of the craziness.

Frankie's hands are painted with red and black fingerless gloves.  She's also wearing bracelets on each wrist, but both bracelets are red.


The right arm has a red glove and a red bracelet that looks like a ring of dripping red candy balls:


There's some red paint spray on the fingers:



The left arm has a shiny black glove and a red twisted bracelet that reminds me of licorice:



There's a lot going on with Frankie's outfit, too.  She has a black and white striped dress, a shiny red vinyl jacket tied with a belt, and a red and black striped tie...that hangs under her neck bolts.

It makes my head spin!
The tie comes attached to Frankie with clear rubber bands:


The tie has a piece of black and red candy for the knot.  This would have worked better if it was white and black, like a real peppermint candy.  I think Mattel just decided not to break out the white vinyl for this doll--all of the accessories are red or black.


The belt is black bendable vinyl, and has a swirly, dripping design.  I think the belt is great and reminds me of Dr. Seuss (as do many of the outfit's elements):


It has a small peg and hole clasp in the back:


Under the belt. Frankie's jacket has a small velcro closure.  The jacket has an oversized collar and an uneven hem cut to look like it's dripping:


The black stripes in the dress are also made to look like they're dripping:

Why is all of the candy melting?
The jacket has a back seam and is nicely fitted:


There's a lot of detail crammed into this jacket--it seems a bit tortured.  It doesn't lay flat, and has several puckers and creases.  Granted, it looks much better on the doll (and with the belt) than off the doll all by itself.


I really like the oversized collar and the black cuffs on the sleeves:




Under the jacket is an adorable striped sundress with a short, full skirt and a dropped waist.  The dress is made out of a very stiff, shiny fabric.

I love this dress.
The dress closes in back with velcro.  The fold that you might notice in the back of the skirt is because there's a bunch of extra fabric in this area of the gathered waistline.  There are actually several large puckers in the waistline of this dress where it isn't gathered evenly.



There's a tinsel-lined tulle underskirt on this dress which looks wonderful:

Again, this is very reminiscent of Dr Seuss.

I wondered if the belt could be worn with just the dress--it can, but it doesn't sit in an ideal location for the low waistline:



Frankie is wearing red sandals with straps that twist and drip their way around her lower legs:


The straps are very flexible, and can be pulled up to reach Frankie's knees, or scrunched down to a mid-calf height.


The shoes have black, dripping wedge heels.  These look great, but the doll is not able to stand up in these shoes because the soles are bumpy and uneven:




All along the border of the heel, there are little red candy decorations:


Here's Sweet Screams Frankie undressed, next to my Scary Tales Threadarella Frankie.  You can see that even without their clothes, these dolls are quite different.  Sweet Screams Frankie has larger, wider eyes, and all of her scars are painted bright blue and silver--rather than Threadarella Frankie's traditional black and silver.

Scary Tales Frankie, Sweet Screams Frankie.
Also, Sweet Screams Frankie (on the right, below) has plain grey neck bolts--not metallic silver like my other Frankie dolls.


I have to say, I much prefer the precise, metallic look of Threadarella's scars.  Sweet Screams Frankie's body paint does not seem as carefully done.

After I was finished taking all of my pictures for this review, I decided to let Frankie's lovely hair down and see what the style was like underneath that headdress.


The hair decoration is thin and black and mine has two bent prongs that were meant to stick into Frankie's bouffant.


Here's the hair without the plastic ornament:



The bouffant is achieved with a doubled-over ponytail.  I undid the tie at the back of Frankie's head first, and this revealed a section of hair that was folded back toward Frankie's face and tied with several clear rubber bands:


The hair is really messy with all of the rubber bands removed:



I never like boiling the hair on dolls with glue-filled heads.  I often get some glue leakage into the hair, and the smell isn't good.  I did a very quick dip for Frankie, just to get all of the kinks out.  You can see how her hair has two areas of red--one towards the back of her head, and one near her face:


Here's the hair after it has dried--now it's easy to see the band of red hair that is close to Frankie's face:


The hair is nicely rooted all over, and feels great.  It could be fun to re-style this hair and play with the two bands of red.


I am not wild about the plastic hair ornament, but I will admit that I prefer this doll's hair up in it's factory style.  I am not sure how well this style would withstand heavy play, especially given how poorly attached my doll's headpiece was.  Still, I'd recommend keeping the up-do intact for as long as it will hold.  It really compliments the overall appearance of the doll. 

Here are a few more pictures of Frankie, taken before I released her hair.








I was constantly thinking about candy as I was playing with this doll--her black and red theme made me covet Twizzlers, in particular.  So, I made Frankie a sticky little Twizzlers couch:



She finds it very relaxing--I just hope it doesn't remind her too much of her nightmare!



This doll also makes me think about striped peppermint candies.  Yum.


Frankie thinks they are the perfect accessory!


Sweet Screams Frankie



Bottom line?  This doll is too over-the-top crazy for my taste, but I like the creativity in her design.  She is not like any other Monster High doll I have owned.  Everything from her neon, mind-bending box to her dripping outfit and psychedelic face paint are distinct...and a little unnerving.  I am a big Monster High fan, but have been feeling like lately many of the releases look too similar.  Dolls like the grinning, yellow-haired Clawdia and this sticky-sweet Frankie are welcome standouts in the ever-growing crowd.

The quality control issues with my doll are about the same as I have experienced with other recent Monster High purchases.  There are no huge flaws, but the sloppily-sewn dress, wrinkly jacket and loose hair piece were minor distractions.  The biggest problem I have with this doll is that her head is filled with disgusting glue...that oozes into her hair and sticks to her earrings.  I am finding this to be a serious deterrent when I consider purchasing a new Monster High doll.

Despite the flaws, this doll has some wonderful elements.  Her dress is cute and looks perfect with her striped bangs.  The jacket's bold, shiny red color fits nicely with the candy theme and looks great on the doll--especially with the belt.  The shoes are typically fantastic, with their vine-like straps and dripping heels.  I just wish the bottoms of the shoes had been flattened so that Frankie could stand on her own.  The little Watzit figure is a clever addition, although he looks a little spacey.  I think the red streaks in Frankie's hair add something special, making this my favorite Frankie hair ever.  

Candy usually evokes such happy thoughts, so the idea of a candy nightmare is bound to produce conflicting emotions.  This doll and her packaging produce a lot of mixed feelings in me, which I suppose means that the theme has been successfully conveyed at some level.  Frankie's many bold features pull together to create a zany, slightly disturbing interpretation of a candy nightmare.


41 comments:

  1. Ahh, I really want Sweet Screams Draculaura. But my collection is lacking enough Frankie. But still, lovely doll! I wish I could get them both. OuO I like your pictures too!!

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    1. Why can you not get them both? I don't see what the problem is....O.o

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  2. If you look on the bottom of the box, it will say Made in Indonesia or Made in China. Indonesian ones are usually the ones with the glue problems, if I remember right. Unfortunately I think it goes by line for the most part, not individual doll, so if a doll you really want is made in Indonesia there is no other option.

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    1. Indonesian ones are the ones with the glue problems. I customize dolls and I have taken a peek almoust every Indonesian doll's head which I own (+30 dolls and from different lines) and I have every time found glue inside :( And yes, you can see where doll is made from bottom of box.

      Here is more about MH dolls' glue problems:
      https://www.change.org/petitions/mattel-stop-using-glue-in-the-manufacturing-of-dolls

      Sorry about my english, I'm from Finland so english it's not my native language :)
      This was a great review like always :))

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  3. Can't, see blinded by box! They should have made her eyes crossed & watzit should have came with a licorice leash.

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  5. Wow, this doll had a lot going on. Sweet screams draculara's outfit looks a lot more coherent, and is probably my favorite of the two (although this had some nice pieces, like the coat). The blue swirly make up could have looked cool on its own, but combined with her normal eyeshadow it looks a bit overloaded.

    While i'm not entirely sold on the sweet screams dolls, I probably would buy a twizzler couch. :)

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  6. This is the only Frankie I own and I thought the pupils were bolt shaped in theme with her "bolts" I guess I was wrong?
    I really like this doll, I did not like the sweet screams Draculaura at all but I am not really a fan of the Draculaura or Frankie dolls in general.
    I always look forward to your reviews!!

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    1. Actually, I think you're right - they're supposed to be bolts. Draculaura's pupils are heart-shaped if I recall correctly.

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  7. Frankie looks fab in black, white and red! I'm not too crazy about the (imo overused) "drip" motif that Monster High has been using on stuff since Draculaura's Sweet 1600, but I think it works pretty well for this sticky-sweet concoction. I think Draculaura (whose pupils are hearts) has the second part of the dream/story in her doll's book, but it's hinted there might be another doll or two in the series in the future.

    One thing that the blue color accents/lines do imo is soften the doll's features and make them more cartoonish and indistinct. Like a dream!

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  8. Wow now starting to wonder how crazy Frankie's nightmare was! She has the exact same hairstyle as Ashlynn Ella whose hair I was brave enough to take down! I ended up buying Ashlynn Ella and Hunter 2 pack and my parents surprised me with Apple's Fainting Couch too! I went on Sunday but sadly in my Toys r us there was no sale. My mom went back today to see if they had a sale for president's day but it was for online orders only. Anyways I realized that with Ever After High not only do you have to check for sonny eyes but you have to check for the signature reflective dots on the lips. My doll's dots are faint and pretty good but on my friend's Briar the dots are HUGE!!!! I could swear they were bigger than her mouth! Lol! One last thing, this may seem random but I don't advise storing them somewhere cold for a while. I have my Monster High dolls in a mini suitcase in the attic ( the one place other than the garage where there is NO heat) Now all of my doll's limbs are loose and even Draculaura's leg ripped off! :( Anyways sorry for my lengthy comment!!!!!!

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  9. In my Barbie collecting days, I always used to try to find dolls marked made in China. All the ones made in Indonesia had glue problems or wonky face paint and seemed to me made of a poorer quality vinyl with less definition to the facial features. I imagine it's the same with Monster High, both being Mattel, they're probably made in the same factories. But like Olive pointed out it often seems to be divided by what line the doll is in, where it is made.
    Don't like this doll. Frankie is my favourite Monster High character but i don't get this doll. She's too busy and WHY is everything melting?! Her face paint reminds me of a cutie pop but not in a good way. She's creepy but in a way that I'm not sure she's intentionally creepy.

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  10. I must say, I LOVE this doll!! She is one of my favorites, and I can't wait to she the rest of the dolls in this line. To me, she looks like a combination between sweet and gothic lolita. So cute! Lolita tends to have a lot of stuff going on. But it seems to me that she is aimed more at the adult collectors, then kids. All I have to say, though, is that I am going to get Frankie as soon as possible!

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  11. Wow, at the end there those are some really creative photographs, yo! Gotta admit, it's a bit dizzying how much is going on in this little doll's box tho! xD Couple Monster High questions: are there like different sizes or something? Cause yesterday at the store the CAMS I saw definitely had bigger heads than my two dolls, and I swear I think some of the normal line dolls have bigger bodies and limbs too... Or I am crazy. Also, collecting multiples of the same doll is bothering meeee... And right now I only have one duplicate- both Jinafires. I wish they had made an actual version of her pet. :c I would actually buy a triplet if they made her pet. o: As it stands now, I think I'll be donating one of my Jinas (with some different clothing) to the next little kid I befriend. Too many of the same dolls in the same place might make the universe explode. O:

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    1. Jinafire doesn't have a pet, she says so in her profile. Here is a copy from the MH website: I do not currently have a pet because it is a decision that takes many years for dragons to make. I have narrowed my list down to 50 so I expect that in another couple hundred years, I’ll have a top 20.

      Some of the dolls are taller/bigger (Nefera and Clawdia) and some are shorter (Twyla and Howleen) not sure about the CAM dolls though.

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  12. I saw this doll in Target, along with the Sweet Screams Draculaura. I was convinced I was going to get Draculaura, but in person I thought her accessories looked too cheap and plastic. So I got Cerise Hood instead.

    One thing I did notice was Draculaura's pupils were shaped like hearts - I'm guessing the blocky look of Frankie's pupils are supposed to be bolts. I have no idea why they did this, but it was really strange and noticeable in Draculaura's doll.

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  13. I've loved this line ever since I first saw the promo pics. Draculaura was my fave but after your review I'm also completely CRAZY about Frankie! I really do need to get a Frankie at some point. I wish this Frankie could be my first but Mattel had to make these exclusive again. I just don't understand why they keep doing this. It's really frustrating for collectors like me. Stop the exclusives, Mattel! Besides, they could make so much more money if they released the exclusives here as well so I assume that's not the problem.

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    1. Omg I totally forgot to compliment you about your couch Emily, it looks ghoul-tastic hahaha!

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  14. The concept for the doll is great, though I feel that it didn't work out as well in practice. Though I understand how the insane box fits with the nightmare theme, it makes my eyes burn! The outfit design is nice, but it could definitely use some more color (actually, I wish that they'd used more color variation and less insanity everywhere, not just the outfit). I also wish that they had gone with the standard metallic silver and black designs on Frankie's body instead of the crazy blue detailing, but overall the theme sounds fun and I can't wait to see the rest of the line. Thanks so much for this review!

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  15. She's really pretty.
    The spiral on the back of the package made me think of Pink Floyd's The Wall and I got a bit drowsy. LOL
    Her photo shoot with the licorice chair are stunning. Thank you for another fascinating review.

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  16. Love her!
    I have her and my doll also has a ton of glue inside if her head . I boil washed my dolls hair but wile it was still in the fancy hair style, it is now 10 times softer but it never helped the glue situation it is leaking from almost all of her head

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  17. WOW! That licorice couch is so neat! I love it!

    I really love this Sweet Screams line, especially Draculaura, and rumor has it that the next wave consists of Ghoulia and Abbey. I can't wait to see how they turn out, especially Ghoulia. However, I wish that it's Rochelle that is included on the next wave of Sweet Screams. I can already imagine her looking all bubblegum-ish with rock candies all over her heels. Clawdeen could also be in this doll line looking all chocolaty.

    One last thing, Frankie's hair reminds me of Vampelina's. You know, like the White, Black, and Red color scheme. Hmm...

    Thank you so much for the review Emily! I was waiting for someone to do this review and I am so happy that you did it. Thank you so much again! (^-^)/

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  18. Great review, as always :) I like the creativity of this doll but somehow I'm still not sold on her. I like the extra design elements (different boxes, storybooks) that go into these Target exclusives but this Frankie is just a little too crazy.

    Anyway, I just wanted to point out, although I wouldn't be surprised if someone had already done so in another post, that you can remove the leaked glue from these dolls' hair with a grease remover called Super Clean (picture here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/caribbeanboyjay/9246741210/). I bought some at Autozone and it worked MIRACLES on some of my Monster High girls' hair! Apparently you can also try baby powder or tea tree oil (https://www.flickr.com/groups/1453928@N21/discuss/72157634313446438/), but I haven't personally tried either of these methods. It's annoying to have to remove this greasy glue, but at least it's fixable. And not too difficult, either.

    And one more comment about the glue-y hair... I always thought this was a problem isolated to the Indonesian made dolls, as everyone here has also seen evidence of, but I have the China-made Powder Room Draculaura, boiled her hair to get rid of her box frizziness, and it made the grossest glue mess I've ever seen on one of my dolls. Her head is also hard like all of the glue-y Indonesian dolls. Is this typical for this particular doll, even though it was made in China? It's so frustrating! (Although thanks to the Super Clean, her hair looks pretty straight and silky now, fortunately!)

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  19. I have to agree with so many other comments - I love the couch! Furniture making is not my forté, but if you cold provide more pictures of it, I bet one of my brood could figure it out (and watching them fight the urge to eat it afterward could be entertaining too)...

    Anyway, as I am new to the Monster High world, I read all of your related reviews with interest, but I think this doll's packaging would do me in. Mattel seems to have these cycles of great products, then cheaping out, so I'm not surprised by the comments about the first dolls being better made. The glue in the head thing is new to me though. I'm going to have to check out my collection, because I have very few, if any, Barbie dolls with hard heads. I've also found, at least with the Barbies, that I preferred the Indonesian dolls because they had better facial screening. I've learned lots of interesting things here today! I will probably give this doll a miss, unless is shows up on a wishlist, but I'm certainly looking forward to seeing it in person, even if it's only to say "Aaaah! My eyes! How did Emily look at this for so long?"

    Sorry for the jumble of thoughts - reading this at lunch is not always a good thing!

    Joette

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  20. Your monster is perfect!
    I`m from Portugal! Visit my blog and follow me.http://rosesvioletsandpink.blogspot.pt/

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  21. The box design reminds me of the newer version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I recently purchased this Frankie because she is so different from what is normally available. I can't wait to see the second wave of this line, I hope they are just as creative and unique. Thanks again for another great review.

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  22. I sent you an email Emily (I heard sometimes they get sent to spam)
    I actually really like Frankie in this getup. While some things do annoy me (the color combinations in her lips, the dripping candy) I think she pulls it off enough for me to pick her up if I see her. I did see Sweet Screams Draculaura at target yesterday, and her hair was such a big turn-off I could even bring myself to pick up the box for a closer look!

    ~Pabu

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  23. This doll is so beautiful. But your right about that gross glue in the head. Its a major problem in the dolls. Well best of luck on your next monster high adventure. Hopefully no glue. In the head next time!! ;)

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  24. I've been wavering so much about this line, I didn't like them, then I saw awesome pics of Frankie on Tumblr and really wanted her, and now I'm back in the "meh" box.
    Not even sure they'll make it here, being a Target exclusive, which we don't have, but other Target exclusives has been sold at BRleker and ToysRus, so..
    At least your review has confirmed for me that I'm not going to get her if she doesn't arrive here.

    Thank you for the awesome write-up, and your pics of Frankie with the sweets are awesome, some of my fav. pics of yours, ever!

    Also love the couch you made!
    I just can't seem to find some 1/6 scale furniture for my dolls; I want classic, pretty, neutral chairs and a couch, not the pink Barbie stuff, and I seems Etsy might be my only option?
    Wish I could make furniture like you!

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  25. Ah, There's a way of avoiding the dolls with glue seepage.

    Look at the bottom of the box at some point it'll say "Made in China." Or "Made in indonsia"

    AVOID the indonisan ones, They have horrible glue in the heads.
    The one's from china never seem to have a problem for me.

    ^^ Also thanks for the pictures. I was happy to see the details of this doll close up.

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  26. As usual your photos are wonderful and I love your licorice sofa. I bought this pair to send to a friend who wanted them- and I really liked the screaming colors. I wind up re-painting most of my dolls- but I would leave these 2 alone if they were in my collection.

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  27. I am _completely_ in love with the Sweet Screams dolls, and have been eagerly awaiting their arrival in the UK since I saw the promo pics (it's sad to learn they have glue problems, though). I've been feeling a bit disenchanted with MH in general, of late, until this year with Honey Swamp, Sweet Screams and the Fusions dolls (Mermaid and Centaur, oh my) -- Mattel clearly want all my money. SS has actually managed to make me break my rule of only getting one of each doll (generally the basic line with pets), and now I have a second Draculaura on the way to me! She was my first ever MH doll (and still possibly my favourite character), so I guess it's kind of appropriate that she's my first second one, haha. I'm very tempted to get the Frankie, too, but with the Disney Princess Lego line also being released recently over here I'm feeling a bit strapped. Decisions, decisions...
    I also _love_ your Twizzler couch, it's so creative and well done!

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  28. Yes, the head glue has been a turn off for me as well for some time now. Sadly. :( Also, you can tell where the doll was made by looking at the bottom of the box. It'll either say China (usually glue safe) or Indonesia (glue pits of hell). :)

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  29. Excellent review! I always love reading your viewpoints on these (any many other) types of dolls! Oh--btw, the 'made in Indonesia' can be found on the bottom of the each doll box. I avoid all Indonesia dolls, these days, as the glue breaks down and wrecks the hair.

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  30. Do you think this whole Sweet Screams lark is a subliminal message about not eating sweets just before bedtime?

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  31. Cool pictures!

    While these Sweet Screams dolls aren't my favorite Monster High dolls, each one is interesting in some ways (I like Frankie's lip colors!), and they arrive with cool booklets and pets!

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  32. there are ways to get rid of the sticky hair

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