Ellowyne Wilde (and Neema!) by Robert Tonner

I've lived in New Jersey for four years at this point, and have just recently gotten around to installing some shelves and unpacking the majority of my doll collection.  Pretty lame, right?  But better later than never, I guess, and it's been a fun project.  I've uncovered a few obscure dolls that I forgot I owned, and gone on several feverish basement searches for dolls that I thought I'd lost.  I should do a whole post about that at some point, and maybe show you some of my shelves once they're organized.

My collection is much smaller than it used to be, but there are still quite a few Tonners in the mix--things like Patience, Rapunzel, Déjà Vu, Ella Enchanted, Agatha Primrose (she's one of the ones I forgot about...) and of course the Cinderellas.  It's a close call to say if I have more Tonner dolls or more Monster High dolls.  There are a lot of both.

In any case, as I was admiring my newly-unpacked Tonner collection, it occurred to me that I never got around to adding Ellowyne Wilde to the group--at least not permanently.  I owned an Evangeline Ghastly for a short period of time, who is also from Tonner's Wilde Imagination company, and I briefly had a basic Ellowyne with inset eyes who I couldn't bond with.  So, all these years later, I feel like there's a hole in my collection where Ellowyne should be.

I thought I'd lost my chance to buy an Ellowyne doll at retail price years ago when Tonner discontinued the line, but recently--and somewhat randomly--I discovered that Ellowyne Wilde is back!  In fact, she's been back for almost as long as I've lived in New Jersey.  I love second chances, so today I'll review one of the newer dolls from the Ellowyne Wilde line, and also an older doll, Languid, that I've always coveted and finally purchased:

Ellowyne Wilde Languid, by Robert Tonner for Wilde Imagination (discontinued).

Some long-term blog readers might remember way back in 2012 when I visited the FAO Schwarz in Manhattan, before it closed and was re-born as a glorified Target.

During that visit, I was able to see a lot of Tonner dolls in person, including several Ellowyne Wildes.  At that time, Languid was my easy favorite, but my silly husband didn't like her, so we didn't plunk down the $145 necessary to bring her home: 

So many regrets.  So much marriage counseling.

What makes this situation worse is that last night, when I showed that same husband a few of my better outdoor photos of Languid, he was like, "oh, wow.  She's beautiful."  Seriously?  I mean, I appreciate that his taste in dolls has matured and expanded over the years, but omg.  I had to spend almost twice Languid's original retail price to buy her last month.  Back to marriage counseling, I guess.

Anyway, let me back up for a minute, because I actually want to start this review by talking about the newer Ellowyne dolls, since they're more readily available and cost under $300.

I first learned about Ellowyne's re-emergence when I got a promotional email from Happily Ever After announcing the arrival of their exclusive Ellowyne, In the Hood:

In the Hood Ellowyne Wilde from Happily Ever After.

I pretty much freaked out when I got this email.  I was delighted (and surprised!) to see Ellowyne's distinctive face again after all of these years, and this is a particularly beautiful doll.  I love her combination of black hair and blue eyes.  I'm not as excited about her outfit, but oh well.

I rushed over to the website, but she had already sold out.  Or maybe there was a glitch in the system, because I think she came back up for sale later, but by that time I'd already purchased the two dolls in this review, which blew my budget.  Now she's sold out.

After I saw In the Hood, I did a bunch of internet research.  Ellowyne Wilde was first introduced in 2006, which is way before I started writing reviews.  Maybe I can use that as my excuse for not being more involved with this brand as a reviewer?  Anyway, after 12 years of success with the Ellowyne line, Robert Tonner discontinued all of his fashion dolls in 2018--including Ellowyne.

However, it turns out that shorty after the Tonner mass extinction event, Ellowyne was re-introduced under the Phyn and Aero label.  Phyn and Aero Ellowynes have taller, more mature bodies than the standard Ellowynes.  

Here's Ruffled Up from 2018, with the taller RTB-101 body:

Love her.

After the Phyn and Aero girls, there was another break, and then in 2021, the Virtual Doll Convention (VDC) picked up the sales and marketing of Ellowyne.

The VDC shop releases new Ellowyne dolls every so often, and they retail for just over $200.  Here's the current offering, Garden Variety ($235):

There's also a new Ellowyne Wednesday Addams doll, Any Wednesday, who was released yesterday ($235):

I feel like everyone is doing Wednesday dolls these days.

VDC also has Neema dolls for sale.  Neema is Ellowyne's new friend, who was introduced in 2022.  The current Neema offerings are And Then Some ($235):

And Soft Stuff ($225):

It's interesting to note that the suggested retail price for these girls is $100 more than the 2012 prices.  That's a pretty steep increase, but not as steep as the prices on eBay.  Most of the dressed, in-box, like-new Ellowynes that I've seen on eBay cost around $350.  Gulp.

The only VDC doll who was available back when I was doing my research was Life's a Beach Neema ($220):

She has a very basic outfit, but I think her face is gorgeous, and so this is the first doll that I bought to review.

Before I open Neema's box, I want to acknowledge that while this is the first Ellowyne review I've ever written, it's not the first Ellowyne review to appear on the blog.

N wrote a wonderful guest review of Flora, Fauna and Not So Merryweather back in 2014.  I'm eager to see how my impressions of Neema and Ellowyne compare to that review.

Flora, Fauna, and Not So Merryweather Ellowyne from N's 2014 guest review.

N's review includes a wonderfully concise description of the Ellowyne Wilde character, for anyone not familiar with her quirky personality:

"Ellowyne lives in San Francisco right on an earthquake line, and spends her time with Sybil (her cat of nine personalities), visiting thrift stores, or meeting with her psychologist to take care of her chronic ennui and melancholy."

I haven't been able to find a detailed description of Neema's character, other than that she has an "urban vibe and is straight and narrow."  That's not as compelling as Ellowyne's personality.

As far as I can tell, Neema's cardboard box is exactly the same as boxes from the early 2000s:

Ellowyne's name is written in the middle, with an elaborate border against an antique-looking beige background with small line drawings of Ellowyne:

The little drawings of Ellowyne are adorable--and surprisingly detailed:

The top of the box lifts off, and underneath Neema was tied against the backdrop with white satin ribbons and protected with crisp white paper:

I was disappointed to see that Neema didn't come with a poem.  I thought all Ellowyne Wilde dolls came with little poem cards?

There's a poem for this doll written on the VDC website, though:

Hm.  I bet Ellowyne's melancholy poems are more fun.

Neema comes with a telescoping saddle stand.  The stand can be quite short:

Or really tall!

However, with the help of her shoes, Neema is able to balance on her own:

Although she has to stand with her knees a little bent and her body tipped back slightly:

She makes that pose look good.

The tag on her left wrist matches the design of the cardboard box:

Here she is from the back:

Neema's hair feels nice, but it came out of the box looking messy:

The hair fibers are very curly, but quite long, so the hair can fall down and cover most of Neema's face:

I can't see.

I struggled for a while to get all of the hair in the right place:

Now I feel like an angler fish.

And by fluffing up some parts and tucking other parts in, I gradually got everything looking the way I wanted:

This feels good.

I think it looks great:

And the nice thing is, after I arranged the curls how I wanted them, they stayed in place remarkably well--even through several clothing changes and a trip in the car.

Neema has a dark skin tone that appears lighter in my photos than it is in real life.

Her face is gorgeous.  I absolutely love her dark red lip color, and the fact that her face is free from any other makeup.  She has dark shading above her eyes, which I suppose could be eyeshadow, but it looks natural:

She has hand-painted brown eyes with nice iris detail and subtle applied upper lashes:

She also has painted upper lashes, which is a bit strange, but at least if the applied lashes fall off, she won't be totally lash-less.

Her left sclera has a bit too much red in it, but that's hard to see from a distance, and it's better than the eye being plain refrigerator white:

Ellowyne has another Black friend, Lizette, who was released in 2012.  There was a basic version of that doll that I was obsessed with, but by the time I learned about her, she was way too expensive on the secondary market.  I found this very small and grainy promotional photo of her:

More regrets.

I still think Lizette is beautiful, but I actually like Neema even more.  So maybe good things come to those who wait.

Neema's outfit is a simple chartreuse belted romper.  It's very well tailored, with tucks in the bodice and at the waist:

It closes in back with metal snaps:

The belt is separate, and also closes in back with a metal snap:

The romper might be simple, but it's extremely well made.  It's fully-lined, and all of the edges are finished beautifully:

Neema's shoes are less impressive.  They're white strappy high-heeled sandals:

They don't fit very well.

They're made out of stiff imitation leather, and have a buckle closure that's hard to use.  Tweezers help a lot:

The shoes look okay, if a little cheap, but I found them difficult to manage.  The toe strap kept falling off Neema's foot while the buckled ankle strap was still in place.  So I had to constantly unbuckle the strap just to get the foot back in place.  No fun.

Naughty shoe.

Underneath her outfit, Neema has a plastic torso with vinyl arms and hollow plastic legs.  She has twelve points of articulation:

Her body has decent balance, but again, the knees have to be a little bent in order for Neema to stand on her own:

Here she is from the back:

Her body has a molded 2006 copyright:

Since 2006 was the first year that Ellowyne Wilde dolls were made, it seems like this is the exact same body mold that was used for the original dolls.  That's cool in an historical way, but I wish Tonner had added some rotation to the legs for these new dolls.  More about that later.

First, let's look at Neema's upper body mobility.  Her head can spin around, as you'd expect, and it can also tip back and forth:

And look up and down:

Her shoulders are rotating hinges that allow her to lift her arms straight up and away from her body to about 80 degrees:

Her arms also spin around:

There are areas on her right shoulder joint that look stressed.  I don't like how the plastic has whitened here, with a small crack on one side:

Neema's elbows and wrists are also rotating hinges.  Her elbows can bend to 90 degrees in some orientations, but not others:

She can't quite touch her face, but she can rest a hand on her upper thigh:

And she can run her fingers through her hair:

Neema has an upper torso joint that allows her chest to tip back and forth:

There's not much side-to-side movement in Neema's hips.  They go from here:

To here:

This amount of movement is not very impressive, but it's enough to help with balance a little bit.

Neema's front-to-back splits are much better!

She has only simple hinged movement in her knees:

This allows her to sit somewhat gracefully:

But she can't kneel on two knees without leaning backwards:

The telescoping stand helps Neema display her posing ability.  With the stand at its lowest setting, she can run really fast!

Zoom!

And with the stand at its highest setting, she can jump really high!

Whoa!

But the stand works best somewhere in the middle, where Neema is able to have at least one foot firmly planted on the ground:

Ahh.

I talked about Neema's hair earlier, but I didn't investigate the rooting pattern until this point.  The rooting is better towards the front of the head, like here:

But at the back of the head, the rows of hair are far apart:

That's a lot of visible scalp.

Still, I wouldn't really want the hair to be any thicker.  It has a nice, soft, dense feel, and the scalp is not visible without parting the hair.  So I guess it's fine.

At 16 inches tall (17 with her hair) Neema is significantly taller and larger than a standard Barbie.  Sela wanted to step in and try out the modeling gig this week:

Made to Move Barbie (left) and Tonner Neema (right).

Neema is about the same height as Tonner's Cami:

Tonner dolls Cami (left) and Neema (right).

And, even though these two have different body molds, they can share clothing reasonably well.  I even tried several pairs of Cami's shoes on Neema, and those worked, too.  Shoes for Tonner's standard Tyler body don't fit Neema, though; they're too small.

Here's Cami wearing Neema's romper and shoes:

The romper is a little baggy around the chest.

And here's Neema in Cami's underwear:

It's tight, but works well.

I was a little disappointed that Neema came in such a basic outfit, especially because the Ellowyne Wilde dolls are known for their intricate clothing...and also because she cost over $200.  I feel like the basic dolls should be less.

However, Neema's simple outfit gave me an excuse to shop around and see if I could find something more interesting for her to wear.

I started on Etsy, where I found this 1920s-inspired flapper dress made by Fancy Fansy:

It's nicely made and the colors are perfect for Neema, but the neckline is a bit too low.

I also found this flowy dress at Amy Doll Clothes on Etsy:

The tulle skirt is wonderfully dramatic, but it's very sheer, and the opaque part that hangs down underneath it is incredibly short.

This red dress from Jodie Creations looks amazing on Neema, but doesn't photograph very well in my studio:

My eyes are burning!

Also, the bright shade of red doesn't match Neema's dark lipstick.

Finally, I found this dress, made by Beestitched Studio, which looks great on Neema and has a bit of Halloween flair, which is perfect for this time of year:

I love the spiderweb print and the little spider accents at the neckline.  And the chiffon sleeves are so delicate:

I was hoping that the black and white stripes in the skirt would coordinate with Languid's outfit.

Some of the construction is a bit sloppy, like I wish the snaps for the overskirt were more symmetric and strategically-placed, but this is still my favorite Etsy dress.

I also dug around and found a few Tonner gowns that fit Neema, like this jewel-toned delight from Masquerade Ball Cinderella:

Masquerade Ball Cinderella does not have the Cami body, but her dress still fits Neema nicely.

I also like how Neema looks in Elizabeth Swann's dress:

I'd almost forgotten how beautiful some of these older Tonner gowns are.  They're made so well, with such luxurious fabrics.

And Neema looks good in everything.

After a lot of searching and deliberation, I think I'd like to dress Neema in an older Ellowyne Wilde outfit when I put her on display.  All the Leaves are Brown feels like the perfect match, but it didn't arrive in time for this review.  Maybe I'll update later.

I think those colors will go nicely with Neema's lips.

*Update: the outfit finally arrived, and I think it's perfect for Neema!

I love the bird accents, too.

I wish I'd had this sooner, because I bet it'd photograph really well outside.

*End update.

It was mostly love at first sight with Neema.  I adore her face mold and coloring, and once I figured out how to control her hair, I was able to appreciate that, too.  Her simple outfit doesn't give her as much inherent personality as some of the more creatively-dressed dolls, but it's still a well-made and well-tailored piece.  The shoes feel stiff and are hard to put on...and then they fall off Neema's toes a lot.  But at least they help with her balance.  I had a lot of fun dressing Neema in different outfits, and I'm excited to find exactly the right ensemble.

One complaint that I have about Neema and some of my other Tonner dolls is that the bodies--especially the legs--feel a bit cheap.  The hollow plastic in the legs is a stark contrast to the more solid vinyl arms, and does not seem worthy of the beautiful hand-painted faces or high-quality clothing.  And the legs are especially noticeable in a basic doll like Neema who's wearing short shorts.  I also wish that there was some rotation in the legs.  If Tonner had taken a cue from Made to Move Barbie and added rotation to the upper thigh, it would really help with Neema's balance and flexibility.

I also think that there should be more of a price discrepancy between dolls like Neema who have basic outfits and some of the other VDC releases.

But despite all of that, after meeting Neema, I felt myself edging towards an Ellowyne addiction.  I spent a lot of time browsing eBay, looking to see which of the older dolls are still available--and which ones I could afford.  I'd be curious to have a look at the more mature RTB-101 body someday, but those dolls are among the most expensive.

I found several Ellowyne dolls that I would love to own, but when Languid popped up for sale at a not-too-horrible price, I knew I had to have her.  She came in a box that is almost indistinguishable from Neema's box:

The inside of the box on these older dolls looks a little different from what we saw with Neema, though.  First of all, there's delicate tissue paper covering the doll instead of crisp paper.  Also, there's more foam padding:

Here's everything that was in the box:

My doll is not perfect, but I decided that her flaws were all things I could handle.

For example, I could tell in the auction photos that Ellowyne had some stray paint on her upper lip.  It's hard to see from a distance, but that area generally looks too shiny:

Up close, you can see the shininess and the discoloration more clearly:

She has a runny nose.

It looks like some lip paint dripped onto that area, but I was confident that I could fix it with a bit of Mr. Clean Magic Eraser--which I did.

Another flaw is that Ellowyne only came with one of her gloves.  I didn't mind this too much because the gloves are bulky and hard to use:

A third flaw, which I think is common among the older Tonner dolls, is that the heels of Ellowyne's shoes had fallen off.  Fortunately, the heels were included, so I used some hot glue to put them back on.

This doll also didn't come with her poem card.  I spent a lot of time trying to track down Languid's poem online, and managed to find parts of it visible in an Etsy sale photograph.  Then, to my delight, Séverine came to the rescue in the comments section with the full poem.  I'm so happy!  It reads:

I started the day 

hopeful and bright

A LANGUID vision 

of everything right; 

Maybe I'll travel 

to Paris, or perhaps 

Madrid?

(sigh) Or just stay in the house 

and pretend I did...

I really enjoy having the whole poem.  I feel like it's a piece of my girl's personality.  Thank you again, Séverine!

Ellowyne's hat was a bit dusty, but otherwise in good shape:

It can be held in place on Ellowyne's head with a rubber band.  The band on this hat has started to turn yellow:

I might just snip that off.

I popped the hat on for a quick preview, and I think it looks beautiful!

Ellowyne also came with her original stand, which is a saddle stand with a black base and a non-telescoping pole:

Like Neema, Ellowyne can balance fairly well without her stand:

One of the things I like best about this doll is that she has long red curls that fall down past her waist:

These curls still have their original styling gel, so they're crispy, but I don't think I'll ever disrupt them:

Classic Tonner curls.

With the stray paint cleaned off Ellowyne's lip, she looks great:

I love her bright green eyes, but it's strange that she doesn't have applied upper lashes like Neema.  I went back and looked at N's review and see that Flora, Fauna and Not So Merryweather (who has inset eyes) has applied lashes.  In fact, all of the inset-eyed dolls I've seen online have applied lashes.

But Languid (who is from 2011) doesn't have them, and they're not in her promotional photos, so it's not a defect:

Scrolling through some of the Ellowyne archives, I can see that the newer VDC dolls with painted eyes have applied lashes, and Wilde Imagination dolls with painted eyes from 2014-16 have applied lashes.  

So my best guess is that 2013 and earlier dolls with painted eyes did not have applied lashes.  But there have been so many Ellowynes over the years it's hard to say anything conclusively.

Ellowyne's lip color almost perfectly matches her eyebrows and hair, which is a bit of an odd choice, but I think it works:

I like it when things match.

Her only other makeup is some orange-ish shading above her eyes.  This looks a little funny, especially on the right side of her face, where there's a thick swath of color that reaches all of the way to the edge of her nose:

Here's a closer look at Ellowyne's hand-painted features:

Her eyes are so gorgeous.  I love the three shades of green and the delicate line of brown just under the pupil:

The beautiful, serene faces on these dolls are one of their most appealing characteristics.  And I like the hand-painted eyes much better than the inset eyes.  I also like that the dolls have larger heads than some of Tonner's other fashion dolls.  It gives them a more youthful appearance.

Another thing that makes these dolls so much fun is the diversity and creativity in their outfits.  If you have time, it's fun to look through the Ellowyne archives on Doll Scroll.  The outfits are everything from dark and gothic (what you'd expect from Ellowyne), romantic and opulent, conservative and highly-tailored, and even some colorful, whimsical options.

My favorite Ellowyne outfit has always been the one on the Tatters doll.  I tried once, a decade ago, to add Tatters to my collection, but it didn't work out.  Maybe I'll try again someday.

Languid's outfit is one of the things that drew me to her years ago.  It's a chiffon dress with a bubble skirt, three tiers of ruffles, and a big black bow in front.  The dress is paired with coordinating black and white striped tights:

You can see the structure of the dress better from the back, where the bow isn't obscuring the shape:

The dress opens in back with a row of metal snaps, and is easy to get off.

The delicate chiffon is completely lined with off-white satin, and the construction is excellent:

I especially like all of the detail in the skirt.  The black lace that accents the ruffles is so tiny!

Ellowyne's shoes, which were easy to fix with hot glue, are black imitation leather heels with fancy metal buckles:

They show a few signs of wear.  Some of the black coating on the imitation leather is coming loose, and the glue has yellowed:

They're still attractive, sturdy shoes that fit well and are easy to use.

Underneath her striped tights, Ellowyne is wearing sheer stockings.  These probably help reduce the chance of staining:

And, sure enough, despite all of the black elements in her outfit, Ellowyne does not have any stains on her body.

Her body looks exactly the same as Neema's, and has the same 2006 copyright on the back.  It also has Robert Tonner's signature on the back, with is pretty exciting!

Here are Nemma and Ellowyne together, so you can see the similarity of their bodies and the difference in their complexions:

VDC Neema and Wilde Imagination Languid.

Because they have the same body, they can swap outfits and shoes.  Neema looks amazing in Ellowyne's dress:

This is my favorite look for Neema, actually.  It'll be hard not to steal it from Ellowyne!

Neema's outfit is cute on Ellowyne, but the green of the romper doesn't quite match the green of her eyes.

Still, I think maybe each doll looks better in the other one's outfit!

I (reluctantly) put Ellowyne back into her original outfit for a few portraits.

Maybe this is the kind of outfit that looks great on everybody.

I especially like the drama of Ellowyne's black hat:

Rather than use the rubber band, I just perched the hat on Ellowyne's head, which looks fine.

I feel like without the hat, all of those red curls are at odds with the black and white outfit.  But with the hat added in, everything makes sense:

I was having such a great time with these two dolls, I decided I should take them outside for some more pictures in the natural light.

It's getting a bit too cold in New Jersey for shorts, so I left Neema's romper at home and dressed her in the black and white Halloween dress:

Ready for an adventure!

These two outfits don't coordinate quite as well as I'd hoped.  Neema's dress has stark white, while Ellowyne's clothes are off-white.  However, I like that both dresses share a black-and-white theme, both have stripes, and both feature chiffon.

I took the girls to a local garden, where Neema explored the winding paths:

She photographs beautifully, but, once again, something about the surroundings made her complexion look lighter than it is.

For reference, I took a picture from further away.  There are a lot of shadows here, certainly, but you can also see how dark Neema's vinyl is:

One side of the path was lined with a bush that had the most extraordinary red berries

Or are they cherries?

Neema has a special fondness for cherries and berries and wanted to take a bite:

She should know better, but I reminded her that it's risky to eat unknown fruit, and suggested we move on.

Further along the path, Neema stopped to explore some dramatic ivy-covered boulders:

It was a little cold in the shade, so Neema wondered if she might be able to use the ivy to climb one of the boulders:

With some effort, she made it to the top of a rock that was perfectly heated by the mid-day sun:

I don't know why so many of my dolls get the urge to climb everything in sight, but after her adventure on the boulder, Neema went looking for taller things to climb.

Hm...

Can I climb this tree?

I wasn't going to stand in her way, but I was secretly relieved that I hadn't dressed her in one of my fancy Tonner ball gowns.

She made it up to a high branch, and I have to admit that it was an excellent place for a few more photos:

Meanwhile, Ellowyne wanted to explore a different part of the garden, where some of the trees are showing signs of fall color:

This is depressing.

Neither of us can believe that it's fall already!

The leaves are dying.

Ellowyne's dark thoughts were interrupted by a sound:

Wait, I hear running water.  Like falling tears.

Around the corner, we found a pond with a fountain.  Ellowyne wanted to stop for a while to take in the view:

Maybe I'll sit here forever.

She's so lovely.

I don't feel like moving.

The bright leaves really bring out the green in her eyes, too.

So does the algae that's rotting in the pond.

We were both so captivated by the first fountain, we went looking for more.  At the other end of the pond we found a formal fountain:

The heel of her right shoe fell off again.

And Ellowyne had to strike the same sitting pose here that she did before, because there's no rotation in her legs.

Still, this fountain is really cute.  It has a sculpture behind it:

I think my dress is getting wet.

The sculpture is of two joyful children under an umbrella:

Their clothes are getting wet, too.

Ellowyne and I went in search of more fountains, but I think there are only two.  

However, by following the sounds of tears running water, we found an actual waterfall!

This is actually quite nice.

This spot was exposed to the full heat of the sun, and Ellowyne's fair complexion required the protection of her hat.

I'm feeling almost cheerful.

Maybe it's time to leave?

Tired from an afternoon of exploration, we started to head out of the garden towards home.  On the way, Ellowyne found some of the ivy that had intrigued Neema earlier, and wanted to have her own photo shoot in that area:

Does this pose make me look too happy?

I indulged her, because of course I did.  As my husband said: she's a beautiful girl.

Sigh.

Bottom line?  In retrospect, I realize that it's hard to do a thorough comparison between the older Wilde Imagination dolls and the newer VDC girls with this review, since Neema's outfit is so simple.  I wish I'd been able to get one of the more intricately dressed VDC dolls, since those would have made a better comparison to Languid.  

What I can tell you, based on the two dolls that I own, is that the standard of quality in the clothing appears to be mostly consistent from old to new, with the exception of the shoes.  Neema's shoes are simple, stiff, loose-fitting, and hard to use.  Ellowyne's shoes, even though the heels fell off, are nice-looking, well-fitted, and easy to use.  In fact, Ellowyne's entire outfit is incredible.  I love the unique style, the delicate fabrics, and the impeccable construction.  Neema's romper, while nowhere near as creative or intricate as Ellowyne's dress, is still carefully tailored with sturdy construction and cute details.  The dolls themselves are nearly identical in quality, with the exact same bodies, and both with beautifully hand-painted facial features and lovely hair.  One little difference is that Neema has applied upper lashes while Ellowyne does not.

Despite the inequality in the caliber of the outfits, I love both of these dolls the same.  The only complaint that I can muster, which is shared by both dolls, is with the legs.  The hollow plastic feels cheap in comparison to the rest of the body.  Also, the lack of rotation in the legs limits the balance and maneuverability of the dolls in ways that I struggled with several times throughout the review.  I wish Tonner had updated the body with a bit more flexibility for Ellowyne's latest incarnation.

Fortunately, the good qualities of these dolls dramatically overshadow any little complaints I can dig up.  And there's also a magic to Tonner dolls that I guess I'd started to forget about over the last four years--probably because all of my Tonners have been packed up and out of sight.  Ellowyne and Neema's faces have the same serene, romantic charm as the Tonner Cinderellas that I love so much, but with more youthful proportions, and with the wildly creative and diverse range of outfits that characterize the Ellowyne brand.  It's a delightful--and addictive--combination. 

I can't believe that it took twelve years from the time I first met Languid Ellowyne to the day I finally brought her home.  She definitely feels like a decade-old dream come true.  And, in a way, it's better that it took so long for her to get here, because when she finally showed up, she brought Neema along with her.  And these two delightful friends are here to stay.