Doll Review: ZWERGNASE AZALEA!

So, she finally arrived!  My 2016 Zwernase Junior doll, Azalea!  After placing my order and waiting a very long, two weeks, the postman hand-delivered a package to my front door.  At first, I wasn't sure what it was, since the tracking numbers I had for this package said it was still going through customs, and I didn't expect it to arrive for at least several more days.  But then I saw the return address, "Petalina" in the UK, and I jumped for joy!  Receiving packages and other fun stuff through the mail is just the best!

Zwergnase dolls come differently packaged than most; after I unwrapped the simple brown shipping box, this is what I saw:  a simple, red, felt bag with a drawstring closure.  No plastic to cut through, or zip ties and rubber bands to wrestle with.  How refreshing!  I simply loosened the drawstring and lowered the top...

...and there was Azalea's sweet face poking out at me!

Close up of the tag on the bag

"Get me out of here!" I think I heard her saying.  "It's been such a long, stuffy ride all the way across the ocean to get here!"

Aside from her hair being a little mussed, she arrived in perfect condition.  I quickly ran a comb through her hair to get her a little more presentable for photos.  Can you see her sweet freckles?

I love her outfit.  So sweet and little girlish.  The dress opens up all the way down the back and closes with Velcro.  I wish they would use snaps, especially on a high-end doll like this, but I can overlook it.  Velcro is certainly easier, but you do have to be mindful not to get her hair snagged on it.

A trademark of Zwergnase dolls is their oversized shoes.  They are so adorable and beautifully made. They feel like real suede leather.

But once her shoes are removed, you can see that her feet are in proportion to the rest of her body.

Her face seems to take on different expressions when you look at her from other angles.  I love this pensive look.

She has a slender body and stands 19" tall.  I found it interesting that they gave her cut-off long stockings (like those baby leg warmers that are so popular right now!), along with matching socks.

Her underwear fits over her stockings.

I like that she can sit without splaying her legs too wide.

Gorgeous hair!  I picked this doll over the other one available (a curly headed brunette named Violet) because of her hair and her outfit.  Like I've mentioned before, I've really come to love red hair because of my red-headed daughter-in-law!  Azalea's hair is a pretty wig, which I've heard is a huge improvement over the rooted hair these dolls used to have.  The rooting was not done well, which left large areas of scalp showing.  I would definitely not have bought this doll if that was still the case.  But I'm happy to report that the wig on my doll is just beautiful.

The dress is nicely made out of what feels like a light-weight taffeta-type fabric.  Exposed seams are nicely finished.  My one gripe (besides the Velcro closure) is that the sleeve cuffs are VERY tight, which make getting the dress off and on slightly difficult.  Not too hard for an adult, but this would be very frustrating for a younger child, I imagine.  However, I don't plan on changing her much, and if I do, it will be into something I make for her.

I decided to see how she compared in size to my Petitcollin doll, Zoe.  They are both 19", slim bodied dolls.  Similar red hair (Zoe's is a little brighter) and blue eyes.  Azalea measures 9 1/2" in both her chest and waist, while Zoe is a bit slimmer with an 8 3/4" chest and 8" waist.

But they doll look a bit like sisters, I think!

I love this doll!  I think she's awesome.  Everything about her is top-notch.  I love her little character face that's different enough to be unique, but not too different to be weird.  She's a nice size, and her vinyl is smooth and firm.  She stands beautifully on her own.  I would highly recommend this doll. 

This is Violet, the other Zwergnase Junior doll available for 2016.  She is also adorable.  Those ringlets!  I think I've mentioned before that I buy my new, European made dolls from a company in Great Britain called "Petalina".  They have a huge amount of dolls available and great customer service.  The only bummer is having to wait up to two weeks to receive your package!  Here's their website, if you want to check them out:  http://www.petalinadolls.co.uk/

On a side note, I think I'll be renaming her.  While I don't have anything against her "given" name, I'm just not really feeling it.  For some reason, every time I look at her, the name "Susan Beatrice" just keeps popping into my head!  But I like "Lucie" a lot, too.  So we'll see.  I'll wait a few days and see what sticks!