Doll-A-Day 2023 #101: Mary Makeup

   Today's doll is...ugh...Mary Makeup.

  I'm all for the natural look and  going without make-up. I almost never wear any myself. But Mary here could use all the make-up she can get. Of course, that's her purpose, isn't it?

  Mary Makeup was an 11 1/2 inch fashion doll, made by American Character between 1964 and 1967. She was described as 'The cosmetics doll'.

Must have been a bit depressing, to know that's all you meant to the world: just make-up.

  She has the same head as American Character's Tressy, (You can see some of my Tressy's HERE and HERE.), but Mary has been left pale and plain, because the idea was to be able to 'make-up' Mary Makeup. Her hair was also a pretty flat shade of blonde, because it was meant to be coloured, using markers for that purpose. Of course, Glamour Misty had hair that was meant to be coloured with her hair markers, and it still managed to be a decent looking colour.

Mary didn't have anything of her own. She was supposed to use Tressy's make-up and hair colour, and wear Tressy's clothes.  She even came in the same original dress as Tressy! (Or a navy blue version.)

"Change Mary's pretty face with Tressy's make-up kit! Change Mary's hair with Tressy's hair colouring kit! Make Mary even more glamourous with Tressy's high fashion clothes!" Holy cow! Give this girl something she can call her own! And if her face is so pretty, why is she so worried about changing it? Why does she need to change it anyway?!

Tressy must have gotten pretty sick of her. 

But aww. Look what good friends they are in Tressy's booklet.

  Tressy was sold as a regular grow hair doll, and as a make-up and hair colour doll, like Mary. Considering that they also shared a head sculpt, (And a body, {Except for Tressy's belly button hair extension feature.}Man! Mary really didn't have anything of her own!), I don't see the point of them being two different dolls. Mary didn't even have the cool grow hair feature. I will say that the make-up Tressy isn't quite as pale and colourless as Mary.

  Of course, I have to admit, these Mary's aren't that bad. 

I have seen waaaayyyy uglier Mary Make-ups than these. At least these girls have a pink complexion. Most Mary's I've seen are very pale, with faces that look like the kid washed off more than just the make up.

    As I said, Mary Makeup dolls generally have really colourless, washed out faces and horrifying heads of pale hair. The one in this ad has pure white hair.

Whatever it is, keep it a secret.

    Palitoy made a doll called Mary Makeup in 1980. That doll wasn't anything like this one though. She was a bigger scale doll, with a prairie type dress and a pinafore. 

  That's the doll for today. Tomorrow is a special 'tour'!