Doll Ramblings: Ash Silverstone & Shanelle Onyx

Hi everyone!

I’ve been debating for a while who I should write my next Doll Ramblings blog about, but didn’t feel very inspired… However, I remembered that I partially opened the second outfit for my Ash Silverstone doll to steal his jacket for another restyle, and decided to free him from his box prison completely. I didn’t think there would be much to do with a boy doll (hence, no unboxing pictures), but his rock solid hair proved me wrong. I thought washing his hair once would be enough, but the flaky residue told me that I didn’t wash it very well (or that perhaps MGA uses way too much gel). Since the second wash was sure to be simple, I decided to also unbox the doll that I bought along with Ash during a sale: the gorgeous Shanelle Onyx!

I always knew Shanelle was a pretty doll, but for the sake of space (and my bank account…), I opted to wait for a very steep sale for her or to not get her at all. Once I took her out the box, though, I was speechless. I almost regretted not getting her sooner. I feel like Rainbow High dolls always look a little different out of box, but Shanelle was different. Again, I always knew she was pretty, but once she was in my hands? I really had no words.

_{The exact moment Shanelle rewired my brain.}

I’ve heard many good things about Shanelle’s hair, and I understand completely now that I’m able to feel it myself. It’s so silky and super long, and I was surprised to see how full she was rooted considering how she comes with a high pony! If you enjoy the hair play aspect of dolls and are able to add a Shanelle to your collection, I urge you to do it if you haven’t already.

_{Before and after their hair wash! Ash got his second hair wash, and Shanelle got a boil wash to remove the box hair bends, and so that her hair lay flatter on her head.}

Since Shanelle doesn’t have a part line, I separated some hair from the white streak to make a faux side part before the wash. That way, I’d be able to boil wash and set it so it doesn’t try to spring back in place. I also wanted a strand of hair to frame Ash’s face, so I pulled some hair down, shaped it using Volks Water Wax, and secured it in place using a strip of a cut zipper bag and washi tape. I waited for them to dry overnight to proceed with their restyles.

I’ll start with Ash since his restyle was relatively simple!

At first, I wanted to keep the slicked back hair he came with in box, but with the added strand of course. I put a little bit of Got2B Glued Styling Spiking Glue on a toothbrush and wet it with some water. I then gently pushed his hair back and shaped it as I saw fit. While the water wax did hold the shape of his little face framing strand, it unfortunately didn’t hold the position. Using more Got2B, I reshaped and repositioned until I was satisfied… It’s basically stuck to his face now, but it looks exactly how I envisioned it (at that moment) so that’s a win in my book!

To finish his look, I glued 1.4mm rhinestones using Got2B to imitate a horizontal eyebrow piercing and a helix piercing. I already love his streetwear/techwear-inspired outfits, so I kept everything the same about his main outfit and opted for his second outfit’s t-shirt instead.

_{I changed my mind about his hair last minute. Using a fine toothed comb, I pushed his hair to the side instead. Unfortunately, I’m honestly still not completely satisfied… I’ve never been very well versed in hairstyles, let alone more masculine hair.}

Now onto Shanelle!

Before I had taken her out of the box, I wasn’t too sure what I wanted to do with her hair. All I knew was I wanted to accentuate the white streak. At first, I wanted to take whatever hair was left in the white streak and do some microbraids with them (similar to the new Bratz Pretty N Punk Sasha doll!) and put her hair back into a high pony. After I had washed her hair, though, I decided I wanted to do a lot more. She had such long, pretty hair that I knew had to do something more intricate. I recalled seeing a hair tutorial pop up on my Twitter For You page and decided Shanelle would be the perfect doll to try it out on! (I personally don’t feel comfortable posting the tutorial here myself as I didn’t scan it, but if anyone is interested I can definitely share it in the comments or on Discord!)

I’m sad to say that I didn’t take many photos throughout the process because I felt like I was in the trenches trying to attempt it. The tutorial was originally written in Japanese for Takara Jenny dolls, and it’s pretty obvious that a Rainbow High head is not close to a Jenny head in the slightest. Because of that, I had to make minor workarounds. Regardless, I’m super satisfied with the results!

_{It took me approximately three hours to complete her hair, but I’m so happy with how she looks! Her face is so sweet and precious, and I think this hairstyle really compliments that energy she gives.}

To finish her look, I glued 1.4mm clear rhinestones using Got2B at her both eye’s inner corners and her outer lower lash lines. I decided to dress her in Natasha’s second outfit, and her own bracelet, earrings, jacket (second outfit), and shoes (second outfit). I also thought she would also look cute holding the Shadow High padlock purse from the Rainbow High Mini Accessories Studio Handbag boxes.

_{Ash has found a spot next to his bestie Nicole on my shelf…}

_{… and Shanelle will be hanging out with Kim on my desk for the foreseeable future!}

If you’ve made it this far, thank you so much for reading! I really appreciate your time. I’m once again debating who I’ll feature in my next Doll Ramblings, but I hope to see you there regardless!

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All images are my own. I am not associated with any brands mentioned, but it is still considered an advertisement if brand names have been stated.