Tuesday 8 September 2015

Freak du Chic Jinafire Long

I hope no one is sick of Freak du Chic yet, because I've got two more reviews to do for this line! I might take a break after Jinafire and switch it up before I finish off with Frankie...but we'll see! I still have Geek Shriek Ghoulia to review, as well as Boo York Nefera (who I just purchased today!), so if there's something you want to see next, let me know in the comments! 

But let's get onto today's business, which is reviewing Freak du Chic Jinafire! I've always loved Jinafire's dolls, ever since I actually had to go out of my way to order her original Scaris doll from someone online since I was unable to find her around here at all. I'm so glad I put in the work to get that doll back then, because today, Jinafire had become one of my favourites. I always look forward to seeing what they're going to do with her, and this Freak du Chic doll definitely isn't a disappointment!


Let's have a closer look, shall we?




Doing so many dolls from the same line does feel a bit repetitive, in terms of showing the boxes. Still think they're great, still love the art!


As with the others, Jinafire comes with a stand, a poster, and a few plastic accessories.



Here's a better look at her poster. I really need to come up with a way of displaying all these posters with the dolls...maybe I need to figure out how to make some kind of backdrop or something. Could be a fun project!


Her first accessory is a green flaming fan. This is a cool accessory because it just fits her theme so well. Fans have always been a part of Jinafire's look, certainly due to her Chinese inspiration, but they are also something that fire performers use as part of their acts. It's a neat way to tie her heritage into the act she's performing at the circus! As a bonus, she can actually hold it! I tend to have it attached to her hand with a rubber band, but it's totally possible to fit her fingers through the handle, and she can hold it just fine.


Her other accessory is the piece of fire she's breathing. It pops into a hole between her lips just like Freaky Fusion Ghoulia's fangs or Ghoul Sports Clawdeen's bubble gum. I took it out for most of the photos, and it's very easy to take in and out.


And this is Jinafire! Her colour scheme could read a little Christmas-y, but I think the darker colours as well as the general style of the look help keep her from going too holiday,


Her makeup is bold in terms of the shape of it, but the colours are actually almost muted. The green above her eyes as well as the red below are slightly transparent, allowing her bold eyeliner and the designs below her eyes to take centre stage. She's also wearing brick red lipstick which is lovely against her gold skin. Here you can see the hole in her lips as well. It's noticeable for sure, but I don't think it's off-putting, if you wanted to redress her or display her without the fire. You can also see the addition of the red streak in her hair here, playing off the usual grassy green and black. I'm definitely not a tinsel person in doll hair, but I bet Jinafire would be stunning with some gold tinsel!


In her hair she's wearing a translucent red headband, with flames across the top. This headband has a pretty hard time staying put, even with the rubber bands it came attached with. I think it's because of Jinafire's pointy ears pushing the headband back a little, but after removing the bands I was able to fiddle with it and get it to sit well.


Jinafire's dress is one piece, and definitely belongs in the same collection as Honey's and Toralei's. It has the same mix of patterns, except in red and green, along with a scalloped hem and tulle detailing. In Jinafire's case, the tulle is red and black and seen as a jagged underskirt and trim on the sleeves.


The skirt of her dress is asymmetrical, with one side being pretty drastically shorter than the other. So short that I kept tugging on it during my review, thinking it was riding up! It's not that 's really all that short exactly, but the fullness of it plus the stiffness of the material and the volume of the tulle makes it stick out a bit rather than drape down.



She's also wearing a large plastic collar that looks like flames curling around her neck. It's the same translucent red plastic as her headband, and I think it looks pretty cute with the outfit, even if it does compete a little with the sleeves and asymmetrical neckline of the dress. The outfit looks kind of incomplete without it, I think, so I'm leaving it!


Lastly, her shoes! Interestingly, her shoes don't match any of her other accessories. They're a more brick red than her headband and collar, and they also have a shimmer to them, like Toralei's accessories. The front of the shoes feature a dragon face, and the heels are made up of flaming fans. The rest of the shoes have details of tassels, scales and closures that remind me of those on traditional Chinese garments like qipao. A lot going on, like usual on Monster High shoes, but it all works.


And that's it for our firebreather, Jinafire Long!


I don't think it's a big surprise to find out that I love this doll. Freak du Chic is probably one of my favourite lines Monster High has done, if not my very favourite.


Jinafire is just gorgeous, like always, but I love seeing her included in one of these "special" lines for the first time. She's such a perfect fit for this line, and I really enjoy how Freak du Chic featured some of the less common characters in the more deluxe line. Everyone deserves a turn in the spotlight!

So, as I mentioned up top, I have one more Freak du Chic doll to review (Frankie) and I have Geek Shriek Ghoulia as well as Boo York, Boo York Nefera...what do you want to see up next? Finish off Freak du Chic, or take a brief break before jumping back in? Let me know in the comments, as well as what you think of Jinafire!

5 comments:

  1. I would like to see Frankie first, because it completes the wave and would be a nice closure. Also, I am in love with her top-hat boots and want to see them in detail from your pics. As I already possess a BY Nefera I would selfishly suggest you post her last because I am already basking in her glory. ;)

    It's a pity that Jinafire's skin is already gold, because that is a favourite costume colour amongst traditional Chinese perfomers. I would've liked to see more flame patterns on her dress and orange accents but it would probably clash like crazy given her skintone. She's definitely dressed as an American/Western styled act but I just wish they had taken a bit more from the rich traditional performing arts styles in East Asia.

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    1. Alright, Frankie will be up next! I haven't opened Nefera yet, and she's pretty glorious even just sitting in her box on my kitchen table, honestly

      I would love to see orange/gold on Jinafire, actually...I bet they could find a shade that would compliment her skin tone. And I totally agree! There's such a rich history of various performing arts in China, there really would be so much for them to pull inspiration from.

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  2. This is a very good line! I'm waiting for your review of Frankie :)

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