Automat Annie!

P.B.D.S. Client – #0037

From the collection of Victoria!

All dolls have secret lives as we all know…here’s a peek into one of them…

Annie’s a new client here at the Pink Bubbles Doll Spa and we have Madge, our world-renowned manicurist to thank for introducing all of us to her. Now being in the nail business all these years, the absolute first thing Madge notices about anyone is the state of their manicure. She just can’t help it. I tell you your hair could be on fire and she’d be checking your fingers for chipped polish!

Now Madge always visits the Automat in the morning for a quick cup of coffee and a danish before she clocks in. According to her, she had just dropped a quarter into the slot for her pastry and was opening the little glass door to take it when the plate holding her breakfast suddenly began to slide inwards away from her! Now no one keeps Madge from her morning Bear Claw, so she gave the plate a rather firm tug back and out it came…with the server’s hand still holding onto the other side of the pretty jadeite green dish! Quickly letting go, it disappeared back into the compartment and out of sight.

Peering into the little opening, Madge shouted “You there! What’s the big idea…and what’s going on with those nails!” Reaching into her handbag, she took out one of her cards and placed it inside the compartment. Leaning in, she shouted “Come see me!” before closing the tiny door. Well according to Madge, not more than ten minutes later, a young girl clutching her business card appeared at her table where she sat finishing up her breakfast.

“Hi, I’m Annie.” the girl said. “I want to apologize about the danish…I was just trying to swap it out for a tuna on rye for the lunch crowd.” “Don’t worry about it Honey, frankly I’m more concerned with the state of your nails. I’m down the street at the Pink Bubbles Doll Spa…you should come in. In fact, we have a special spa package deal going on right now that not only includes my services, but the works… skin, hair, make-up…anything you need. Come on by. Ask for Madge!”

And guess what? She did!

As you can all see, Annie’s nails were the least of her beauty problems! She did end up taking advantage of our special spa package which included everything she needed for her day of pampering. After her relaxing Pink Bubbles Beauty Bath for Face & Body, Daffy noticed and removed a broken earring post in Annie’s ear that had begun to corrode. Thankfully, the dreaded “green ear” had only just begun to form and she was saved from that fate in the nick of time! She then had her hair washed and deep conditioned, which was a good thing as it took quite a while to untangle.

I’m always amazed at how lovely a girl’s hair can actually become with a little effort! (Well, maybe more than just a little!)

With her pretty red hair returned to its former glory, I then addressed her make-up needs. For starters, she had no trace of eyebrows left at all, so I had to start from scratch, which is always a challenge. Shade and placement being key, I think hers turned out quite lovely. Next, I repaired her shadow and lids. Satisfied with these results, I moved on to her lips. A new application of red, mixed to match the remnants of her original shade, did the trick. And for a finishing touch, as always, a light application of blush. She then left my station and reunited with her new best friend Madge, where she spent the remainder of her visit just “soaking in it!”

Below are Annie’s amazing results!

Annie was so pleased with her new look that she promised to tell all her girlfriends about our spa. And as a very special thank you, she gave each of our staff five shiny new tokens each, good for anything our hearts desired that may lay behind the shiny glass compartments of Madge’s favorite morning stop, the Automat!

Thanks Annie, we’ll be stopping by soon!

Thank you Victoria for once again sending one of your “wayward” girls to the Pink Bubbles Doll Spa!

P.S. Don’t forget, we do have appointments open. Treat your own doll to a day of beauty at the Pink Bubbles Doll Spa!

I’ve listed specially priced spa packages on eBay this afternoon, so check them out. Just search for “Pink Bubbles Doll Spa” under “Dolls” in the search engine.

Have a great weekend everyone and look for a new make-over tale next week!

Blending in!

P.B.D.S. Client – #0036

From the collection of Sue!

All dolls have secret lives as we all know…here’s a peek into one of them…

Now I know there are some of you dolls out there who wouldn’t dream of leaving the house without your make-up on. It’s O.K. to admit it! Some have to have the whole shabang, while others at the very minimum wouldn’t be caught dead without at least a coat of mascara and an application of their favorite Bonnie Bell Lip Smacker. Mine’s “Orange Pop”…what’s yours!?

Hey, we all want to look our best! I’m in the beauty business after all, so I know all about it. Quick question…what’s the biggest beauty blunder you can make? I know, I know, there are a lot of them, and trust me I’ve seen all kinds pass through the doors of the Pink Bubble. In my professional opinion though it’s this…matching your foundation to your skin color as close as possible. Secondly, blend darlings, blend! Use a clean make-up sponge and don’t stop at the jaw line ladies, after all, your skin doesn’t. Apply a little foundation color to your neck as well. I’m sure you’ll all agree that there’s nothing worse than a white pasty neck under a tanned and blushed face, no matter how perfect the rest looks.

My newest client Daisy was a good example of not matching her foundation to her complexion. But Daisy gets a pass and I’ll tell you why…she was a little confused, and I can’t blame her! You see Daisy, a gorgeous #3, is a transitional gal. That is, she has the pale head and torso color of a regular #3 and the tanned arms and legs of her later #4 sisters. Ask yourself…what color foundation would you choose? Do you match your face to your torso or do you go for the sun-kissed color of the rest of you? What a predicament to say the least. Especially during those hot summer months when you have to wear shorts!

Well, the best advice I could give Daisy was this…embrace what makes you different and don’t cover anything up, just be yourself and show off both! After all, you’re a rarity, be proud of your place in Barbie doll history. You’ll find that very difference is what makes you special and probably the most interesting girl in anyone’s collection!

Deciding to take my advice, Daisy and I began our afternoon together starting as always with our recommended Pink Bubbles Beauty Bath for Face & Body. And boy did she need it! I’d guess Daisy may have been wearing her foundation for years, but with a little elbow grease it was all removed.

After a good session of hair prep with Daffy, who washed and conditioned her brunette locks, she returned to my chair for her comb-out, set and style.

Here’s a quick shot of her refreshed ponytail, before and after her hair session:

From there we moved on to her make-up. She needed some attention and repair work to her brows. Happy with the results, I moved on to her eyes, replacing the missing color on her shadow and lids. Next, beautiful new lips and of course a bit of blush. Gold hoop earrings were the obvious missing accessory and these of course were brought to us by the ever helpful Beatrice. Thanks Bea!

Here is a beautiful photo of Daisy’s results!

Enjoy her “Before & After” pics as well!

I guess the old adage “Less is more!” certainly applied to Daisy’s dilemma. Now, her two-toned body is her best feature. No need to hide it Daisy…you’re a special doll indeed!

A great big thank you goes out to Sue for sending Daisy to the Pink Bubbles Doll Spa! In fact she was so excited with Daisy’s recent results, that she wanted to share her with you all right away!

P.S. Don’t forget, we do have appointments open. Treat your own doll to a day of beauty at the Pink Bubbles Doll Spa!

I’ve listed specially priced spa packages on eBay this afternoon, so check them out. Just search for “Pink Bubbles Doll Spa” under “Dolls” in the search engine.

Have a great weekend everyone and look for a new make-over tale next week!

“Heads Up!” Miss Barbie!

P.B.D.S. Client – #0035

From the collection of Steven!

All dolls have secret lives as we all know…here’s a peek into one of them…

Usually I get clues as to what a new client may need as far as services when they visit me here at the Pink Bubbles Doll Spa. Traces of long-lost paint color on her face or nails can be used to color-match and repair faded or damaged make-up. Even a single hair plug salvaged from the scalp can give you an idea of her original hair color.

So it’s rare a gal comes in as “clean as a whistle” condition as Miss Barbie did just this last week. Not a trace of her previous life could be detected from the shoulders up. The only color on her face came from her bright blue eyes…which by the way could open and close. That’s pretty rare…and pretty unsettling as I soon discovered.

As I was adjusting her smock…and without warning…her head fell from her shoulders and right onto her lap! I stared down at her lovely face, her flirt-y eyes were closed in peaceful slumber as she faced upwards to the ceiling. Not missing a beat, Miss Barbie gently replaced her noggin back onto her slim neck. Now folks, I’m rarely speechless, but I was in fact at a loss for words!

“I’m so embarrassed!” she cried. “It’s happening more and more lately. At least it landed in my lap this time. Why, you should have seen the commotion at the supermarket yesterday. My head fell off, bounced twice and rolled right over to the ice machine as I was looking down at my coin purse at the check-out register. I’m lucky it didn’t crack…I’m at my wit’s end!”

“Now dear, I’ve seen everything (except this) here at the spa, and whatever it is we have to do, we’ll just figure it out together!” I told her, patting her shoulders…gently! My mind began to race as I hatched a plan to keep her head on her pretty shoulders…but how? Scotch tape? No, too obvious. Rubber band? Too temporary. Hot glue gun? Too unprofessional. It was clear. I had to address the cause of the problem…the deteriorated rubber washer used to secure her head to her neck so many years ago.

Now I don’t claim to be a doll hospital, but I can rise to the occasion if necessary. A quick trip down the block to the hardware store while Miss Barbie enjoyed a hot cup of tea rose to the top of my “to-do” list. I returned triumphant with what was needed to do the trick. As her head finally snapped back firmly into place, she twisted it back and forth looked up a down and all around, blinking her eyes with delight! “I haven’t felt this good in years!” she cried. This feels better than it did when I left the factory in 1964!

With her neck repair behind us thankfully, we discussed what was to be done as far as hair and make-up. I knew from my Mattel Beauty School Correspondence Course that the correct hair color for her was reddish-brown, but she confided to me she always dreamed of going blonde. With those baby blue’s, I agreed with her and thought it was a terrific idea. Why go with what’s expected?! Pretty new brows in a dark blonde tone and a full lips of orange-y pink brought her unique look together. And what’s Miss Barbie with out her trademark headband? I sent Daffy over to Beatrice to fetch me one from her stock in shocking pink, a tribute to the shade of Miss Barbie’s original swimsuit. All in all, a fabulous and quite striking new look to say the least and certainly unexpected for Miss Barbie fans!

A ‘Plain-Jane” no more, Miss Barbie hopes you enjoy her transformation pics below!

Thank you Steven for sending Miss Barbie

to the Pink Bubbles Doll Spa!

P.S. Don’t forget, we do have appointments open. Treat your own doll to a day of beauty at the Pink Bubbles Doll Spa!

I’ve listed specially priced spa packages on eBay this afternoon, so check them out. Just search for “Pink Bubbles Doll Spa” under “Dolls” in the search engine.

Have a great weekend everyone and look for a new make-over tale next week!

Pink Bubble’s Double Bubble Trouble!

P.B.D.S. Clients – #0033 & #0034

From the collection of Pat!

All dolls have secret lives as we all know…here’s a peek into one of them…

Happy New Year Everyone!

Many of us start off the new year with a bit of the bubbly. In fact, Vera’s New Years Eve bender still hasn’t worn off…she’s wearing her dark sunglasses at her desk as we speak and it’s been three days! She won’t discuss it and I’m not going to ask. Must have been one hell’eva night though. Don’t worry, she can’t hear us…she’s just gone back to the lounge, probably looking for more aspirin.

Anyway, I thought this sparkling pair of Bubble Cut sisters would be a perfect way to ring in another great year of fabulous make-over stories here at the Pink Bubbles Doll Spa.

First up is Ada, the red-haired Miss of the bubble-haired sister duo.

She looks a bit on edge doesn’t she?! Well, the thought of another year without a trip to Pink Bubbles would make any girl a nervous wreck. A “New Year means a New You!” is what I always say! So hop into my chair Ada, and let’s go!

Ada started her transformation with the help of Daffy who assisted her with her Pink Bubbles Beauty Bath for Face & Body. She then had her hair washed and conditioned before she returned to my chair for her comb-out. With her face scrubbed clean I saw that she had no eyebrows at all and her smudgy lips were gone as well. Anything other than original face paint always comes off during our special cleaning process.

Now everyone knows I love a blank canvas and Ada needed the works! But first things first, I started with her hair and chose to style it away from her face with pretty curls at the temples before I set it.

New brows, work to her eyes, eyeshadow and lids revealed a lovely set of peepers! A fresh application of new lip color and healthy blush revealed what I knew was there all along, an elegant gal ready to face the new year!

Hang on to your hats and blow your party horns folks…here’s the new Ada!

I sometimes can’t believe it myself!

Enjoy her before & after pictures below:

Now let’s meet Ada’s sister Ida!

After seeing Ada’s new look, Ida couldn’t wait for her turn! Once seated, she teased me that only one of them still had their natural hair color and could I guess which one of the two sisters were the “real deal”? Well honey, I’m a hairdresser and I knew before they even made it past Vera’s desk!

Can you guess which one still has her natural-born color readers? I’d tell you, but it wouldn’t be polite discussing my clients personal business. I’ll leave you all to guess, but remember, only her hairdresser knows for sure!

While I had been tending to Ada, Ida was in the capable hands of Daffy and was already prepped and ready to begin. I combed out her bubble and reset the style so it was closer to the head. I love big hair, but let’s keep it under control ladies! (By the way, Ida blamed her inflated bubble on the windy trip here in her sisters Corvair convertible. I knew it was really due to missed hair appointments… but you didn’t hear that from me!)

Unlike her sister, Ida had her original brows, which by the way, were a lovely shade of natural blonde (Hint – hint!) Her great looking eyes only needed a light touch-up and I evened out her blue shadow and repaired her chipped lids. I then whipped up a close match to her original lip color and filled them in. A final touch of cheek blush was all that was needed to finish her up and she just loved her results!

Ida treated both herself and her sister to lovely pairs of new pearl earrings provided by the ever vigilant (and commissioned) Beatrice from our gift shop, who by the way eyes my clients progress and knows just when to strike, I mean appear, with her tray. She’s saving up for a new color television and is relentless!

Take a peek at Ida’s results below:

With their afternoon of beauty treatments behind them, the sisters decided to show off their new looks and have lunch out before returning home. I had Daffy fetch me a pair of complimentary Pink Bubbles head scarves. They’re so chic! Clear plastic with pink bubbles printed on them and a handy snap closure at the chin. “Keep those bubbles safe girls on the way home. Especially if you keep the top down!” I whispered to them as they tip-toed passed an elegantly snoozing Vera!

Thanks Pat for sending your gals to the Pink Bubbles Doll Spa!

P.S. Don’t forget, we do have appointments open. Treat your own doll to a day of beauty at the Pink Bubbles Doll Spa!

I’ve listed specially priced spa packages on eBay this afternoon, so check them out. Just search for “Pink Bubbles Doll Spa” under “Dolls” in the search engine.

Have a great weekend everyone and Happy New Year to you all!