Hi everyone!
Firstly an apology. I've had this doll since the beginning of December and I've been to busy/lazy/forgetful to put my review up, so I'm hoping you'll all still find value in what I have to say :)
As soon as I saw the upcoming trademark 'Gloom and Bloom' I KNEW it'd have to include our favourite eco punk, Venus! The line is pretty much made for her :)
The layout of this box is GOREgeous, I love how Mattel are experimenting with the box designs. The old ones were cool but they grew a little boring in my opinion. I love how they're mainly plastic now; I don't remove mine from their boxes, so a clear box means I can look at them in closer detail <3
I absolutely LOVE the big bold artwork on the front of the boxes now!!
The same artwork is on the back of the box, along with a little story to go along with the theme (sorry for the blurry writing!), I can't wait for the webisode!
Appearance:
I'm gonna start doing this little comparison of my doll to the promo picture of the doll because quite often they make the promo pictures look better than the doll itself.
Here you see that THANKFULLY the makeup comparison is pretty spot-on, the hair is less voluminous, but that could be due to how it is fastened to the box. The promo doll's face looks a lot fatter than the actual doll and it makes her look like a totally different person :/
Venus is back to having OTT makeup, after a nice break of looking a little more grown-up through her Coffin Bean doll :) She wears a hint of green eye shadow under her eyebrows, hot pink eye shadow all around her eyes and lined with sky blue. Her lipstick is hot pink.
Venus has gone back to the pink/green/black hair colour combo that has appeared in her Zombie Shake and I Heart Fashion dolls. Her hair is collected into a high ponytail and looks quite greasy, unfortunately.
At first I thought that Venus had forgotten to shave her head!! But the shaven part is there... It's just strangely moved to the back of her head... Not sure how I feel about that.
I love this outfit.
Venus wears what I would describe as a 50s style dress in a silky, Venus Flytrap-print fabric. I would totally wear that!
On top of this she wears a bolero in a black mesh fabric. Would also wear :)
Such a simple outfit, but so fitting for a garden party :)
A nice shot of Venus's lady garden... Ahem.
Accessories:
My least favourite part of this outfit is her simple boots. I know it's best to dull down your shoes when your outfit is so detailed, but I feel these are a little too boring.
However, I LOVE her vines. She has Venus Flytrap vines on her legs and in her hair (shown in above photos). She wears a simple black belt, black vine earrings and a black vine necklace (all shown in photos above).
Venus comes with a healthy looking Venus Flytrap and a plant pot (a younger sibling, perhaps? Or Chewlian's babies?!), although I feel that these could be more detailed, and a lovely ornate looking watering can.
I like:
Her hair (overall)
Her outfit
The Venus Flytrap accessories!
Her watering can
The new box and the box art
I dislike:
The shaved patch on the back of her head... WTH?!
The lack of detail on the potted plant
The shoes
Apart from the new vinyl figures, I've not seen any mention of upcoming Venus dolls, so we may be taking a break for a while! But I'll keep my eyes peeled for any news and I'll get the post up straight away this time ;)
Promo picture from: http://imgkid.com/monster-high-gloom-and-bloom.shtml
Back of head picture from: http://monsterhighactually.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/venus-mcflytrap-gloom-and-bloom.html
I don't know why it's taken me soooooo long to write this because for a while now it has been known that Venus will appear in a new line of Monster High dolls called Gloom and Bloom Party.
And of course she's involved in anything with flowers in, Venus is the original Eco-Punk!
And doesn't she look lovely? Mattel are certainly enjoying the 'grown-up' look of Venus and they are carrying on that elegant style into this line. In fact, where is the shaved side of her hair? I'm hoping it's just hidden on the above photo.
I am absolutely in love with her hair accessory and her outfit and it looks as though each doll comes with her own plant and gardening tool :)
There is no set date of release yet but we are thinking some time in early 2015 in time for Spring :)
I got my photos from:http://monsterhighactually.blogspot.co.uk/p/colections.html
Thanks for sharing <3
The budget lines are always my favourite Monster High dolls just because the themes are so random and I look at all the new ones that are coming out and WISH for a Venus! For example, wishing for a Dead Tired Venus and a Ghoul Sports Venus <3 A Fearleading Venus would be a bonus <3
I don't like coffee (or coffin, I guess) at all, but I love the idea of this :P
I've noticed over the past couple of releases that the front box art is getting bigger and bolder, I love it! Look how cute this box art is! And so detailed, even down to her tiny pink fingernails <3
Apperance:
I bloody love how grown-up she looks here, it's all down to the lack of garish makeup and crazy hair, which I guess is very un-Venus but very welcome in my collection :P She looks really elegant here.
Venus has gone for a lovely bold pink eyeliner and green eye shadow in true Venus style. Her green lips suggest she's not wearing lipstick or has perhaps gone for a gloss (I honestly believe her lips are naturally this colour!) and it's this that gives her that casual look.
Look how cute her hair is! In the promo picture we see that's it's been curled and thankfully, though it doesn't look exactly the same, in the box it has been curled into a lovely big ringlet.
Venus is wearing a pink mini dress with the usual black, green and white vines on it. This time she wears a black sleeveless top too, which is slit open to reveal the dress underneath. It's casual without being tooooooo casual :)
(Bad photo, sorry! Her feet are well and truly hidden in this box!!)
Oh no, shoe recycle alert! She is wearing a less detailed version of her signature shoes which is a tad disappointing but I guess because it's a budget line I can't really complain.
Accessories:
Only one accessory this time! It's a green glass cup filled with Venus's 'coffin' of choice, some crazy-ass vine drink. Erm, cannibal much?
Two things disappoint me about this, firstly, EVERY OTHER DOLL on this line has a better looking beverage! Secondly, why did they have to put that horrible plastic around it? Mine will stay in the box forever more and I'm sure they could have done that in a much better way :/
I like:
Her hair
Her makeup
Her clothes
The theme
The box art
I dislike:
Her recycled shoes
Her beverage choice
Packaging choices :(
I got the promo pic from:https://www.facebook.com/EverAfterHighDolls?fref=tsThanks for sharing <3
We're getting experimental now with the Monster High ghouls and I had to stop and think for a second if ClawVenus counted as a Venus McFlytrap doll! I eventually decided that even though she has BARELY any resemblance to Venus, she still counts. First impressions? Ugly. But now I have her in my possession, she's actually got a cute face, so I may grow to love her in time!
Straight away I noticed how cool the box is! I love this new design, I hope they'll use it for future dolls too :)
The box art is unlike the art used for other lines, I think this is due to promotion for the movie, which will come out some time in the Autumn. It's cool but I would have liked to see it in the regular, 2D art.
Appearance:
So as previously mentioned, this is ClawVenus, a fusion of Venus and Clawdeen Wolf. The first thing I really disliked about this doll was her skin colour. It's not a nice green like Venus's or a pretty brown like Clawdeen's, it's a swampy, muddy, blergh. Personally I think they should have picked a colour rather than trying to mix them, but that's just me.
Her makeup is way OTT. Not sure where her purple eyebrows come from as both Venus and Clawdeen have brown, but they match her hair. She has pink and green eye shadow which relates to Venus and there is some leopard-print detail on her cheeks that is more Clawdeen's style (and I love it, it looks very cheerleader-y!). Her eyelashes are purple leaves which in my opinion are a nice mix of Venus and Clawdeen together :) ClawVenus's eyes seem to be Clawdeen's shape but the same colour as Venus's. She has Venus's pink lips and SEVEN fangs (Venus usually has six, Clawdeen two).
I'm not an expert but I think she shares the same face mould as Clawdeen, I doubt that they've made new moulds just for this line.
Her ears are up on the top of her head like Clawdeen's, but have a leaf-like appearance. Freaky. I love them! However I wish they'd done something about the strange gap on her head where Venus's ears were supposed to go, it looks a bit weird. Maybe they could have brought her hairline lower?
She wears an earring in each ear, in the left is a gold spiral and in the right is a gold spiky hoop.
ClawVenus's hair is really something. She has Venus's shaved pink patch but over the entire front of her head. She then has Venus's long green hair neatly pulled into a sleek Mohawk in the middle and one on each side and is then wrapped around to act as a hair tie for Clawdeen's lovely long purple ponytail.
What stuck me most about this outfit was the fluffy jacket. I think they wanted to include Venus's signature denim jacket with a Clawdeen twist and this is what they got. To me it looks a bit cybergoth which is not either ghoul's style, but they've tried to include colours that both Venus and Clawdeen would enjoy.
Moving on. Under this, ClawVenus wears a thigh-length dress. The top of the dress is made from a tight black net fabric which I can't place... Is this more Venus or Clawdeen? The rest of the dress is silky and has a purple leopard-print design which fades into a green plant / Venus Flytrap design, a blend of both. Venus almost ALWAYS wears a belt around her waist, but this belt looks a lot more Clawdeen than Venus to me, just because of the thickness and the colour of it. It looks like four studded, gold belts all clipped together with one big gold buckle.
Not the greatest photo here, but ClawVenus's shoes are black, peep-toe and cut out at the ankle. They have simple laces at the front, I would say that these are quite Clawdeen. She also wears an anklet on both legs which are pink and spikey in true Venus fashion.
ClawVenus wears a gold spiral bracelet on her left arm and a gold spikey bracelet on her right, which are Clawdeen and Venus's styles respectively. Even ClawVenus's bag has been fused! It's a very simple bright green clutch with leopard spots and a long vine handle. None of the buckles / zips have been painted silver unfortunately :/
Just take a second to notice ClawVenus's hands, they have long fingers and the leafy pattern on the back of them like Venus's but have pretty nails like Clawdeen making them appear even longer... I quite like them!
ClawVenus also comes with a yellow Monster High brush and a yellow stand (which you can JUST about see on my terrible photo!), along with a diary.
So there she is! She sure has given me a lot to write about!
I got my ClawVenus from Monster High One Stop Shop (they also have a Facebook page) who are great for UK fans :)
I like:
Ok, her face is cute.
Her shoes
Her yellow hairbrush and stand :)
Her ears
Her earrings and bracelets
Her hands
Her box
I dislike:
Her skin colour
Her outfit :(
Her hair. I think they could have done a lot better
Her bag
Her art work
Conclusion? It's a proper mixed opinion! I half love, half loathe her but I'm glad I have her. I had a chat with a few more fans about her appearance and they agree that she would have been better paired with literally any of the other ghouls in the line!
There's only one more Venus to wait for this year that has been confirmed so far and that's Coffin Bean Venus! I'm really looking forward to getting her, she looks so grown-up and lovely :) And of course I'll let you all know if there is any word of any more Venus's being released :D
'Til then!
Say 'Hello' to Venus number seven! I have longed for the Zombie Shake line since it was first announced at the beginning of this year. I love anything zombie so I was so excited to get this doll <3
Zombie Shake Venus comes as a two-pack with Rochelle! For AGES I umm-ed and aah-ed about whether I was going to start a Venus collection or a Rochelle collection so you understand how happy I am that they are paired together (for the second time! They were also together in the Ghoul's Night Out four-pack!) :D
I got mine from One Stop Monster High Shop, they're also on Facebook and are amazing for UK and Europe fans as we don't usually get our dolls on the same release date as the American fans.
Appearance:
I love the OTT makeup on these dolls! There has been a few arguments online between those like me who LOVE how over the top it is as it adds to the effect, and those who think it's a little too much. Zombie Shake certainly shows a darker, scarier side of Monster High, but it's all in good fun!
Venus's makeup consists of hot pink eyeliner and eye-shadow in various shades of green that reaches right up to her eyebrows and down tot he tops of her cheeks. An asymmetrical vine pattern has been drawn around her eyes and cheeks on both sides, which is very special in my opinion :) I hope to see more stuff like this in future designs. This is also the first time Venus hasn't had red or pink lips - They are a lovely dark green which suits her very well.
Venus's hair is drawn into a high, fluffy ponytail. Her hair is her usual colours, green and pink, but like the I <3 Fashion line she has black streaks here and there, which I adore.
(Terrible photo, sorry!)
Her shaved side is back on the right side of her head (it switched to the left for the I <3 Fashion line) and there is an adorable brain pattern painted on there! I LOVE IT. She only wears one earring in this line, and that's the huge vine that you can see on the picture above :)
Venus's hair is tied up in these gorgeous vines. I love them because they curl here and there and add to the messy look of her ponytail.
Not sure if you can see this but this is the first time Venus doesn't have a green shine in her eyes. It's not white (which makes more sense in a design sense because she has enough extra green on her face with all the makeup).
More vines appear around Venus's neck, wrists and legs, it gives her an overgrown plant-monster look ;)
She wears a black dress which is striped with thick, shiny, green stripes and thin white stripes. The edge of a dress is tattered (again adding to the zombie effect). There is a pink tulle part of the dress that overlaps this and makes up the straps and flares out at the hips. This is speckles with pink glitter <3 This girl loves a good belt! We've got a new belt for this doll, it is green and has a fang-like design to it.
I LOVE these shoes! Bright pink shoes seem to be Venus's favourites, they have a Lady Gaga heel and fangs all over, they're gorgeous <3
Accessories:
Venus takes a simple, but cute, little green clutch with her to the dance. Little silver details are highlighted which include the zip (love it), a couple of buckles and a few studs. Venus wears a spikey black bracelet on her right wrist.
Can I also point out how CLAWSOME her hands are? Proper zombiefied. URRRGGHHHHH.
The also come with a stand each and a diary.
The art work on the box is lovely, I really like it. I think Rochelle looks a bit scary (she's usually so cute!) but other than that I love it. You can also go on to the Monster High Website to learn the Zombie Shake dance moves (and yes, I WILL learn it!) which is also really cool :)
I like:
The makeup
The dress
Her dance partner!
Her hands
Her hair colour
The shoes
I dislike:
The bag is a bit too simple for me
Her hair is a bit too messy (I'd like it to look sleek and curly like the promo pics)
Most photos are mine (the crappy ones) but you are free to use them if you link back :)
I got the other pictures from these guys:
http://shadowbinders.com/new-monster-high-at-toyfair-2014/
http://mismonsterhighcoleccion.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/custom-de-venus-music-festival.html
Thanks for sharing! <3
There's not much Venus news going on at the mo, so I thought I'd just share some of my favourite one of a kind (OOAK) Venus dolls :)
