First doll: custom or default makeup?

not worth it...only redo the lips? you'd rather purchase a blank one and create the look you want, and then let the artist know about it and ask her/him to do face-up for you.

I purchased 4 heads, 2 of them are with make-up. I don't have any intention to redo anything. it's great when it's ok, if not?...uwaaaaaaa!!!!!!! (TxT)

I don't have a lot of experience with BJD. so i purchased 2 heads with make-up and 2 blank head.
I choose the make-up head the one i want it to be looked as it is on the picture i saw on the store (-.-)'...

 

Im new to all of this too ! i wouldnt have been brave enough to have sent my first BJD off for a face-up it was all so alien anyhow ! It felt safer to go with her default face ( which was the sweetest little thing anyway ).

 

For my first BJD I didn't choose the safe road of the default face-up. Instead I ordered her blank, and decided to try giving her a face-up myself first. If I'd fail miserably, I could always retry or send her off to someone. But in all honesty, I thought it would be more fun to do it myself, and it would help me bond quicker I think.
Besides, it didn't come out bad at all

 

The only thing I don't like are how faint her lips are.

That right there tells me her faceup isn't perfect because it's not exactly what you're looking for. Personally, all of my dolls have the company faceups because I don't like the look of the bare faces and I like the Luts faceups (though I'm about to find out if that holds for the white dolls as much as for the normal skin dolls...). I got the company faceup for my first doll because I didn't like the look of the blank faces, didn't trust my own faceup skills, and didn't want to get my doll only to send her or her head off for another month or so right after she arrived. If I disliked a part of a company faceup enough that I was considering sending the doll off for a new faceup/partial faceup immediately after the doll arrived, I think I would just save my $60 and skip the company faceup. That's money you could better put towards buying faceup supplies to do it yourself or towards shipping her off to the faceup artist of your choice. That said, keep in mind that the way the lips look on your screen might not be what they look like in person. I've always felt that my Kid Delfs' lips look more brown in real life than they do in the company photos -- especially my Bory, Kaoru. His lips are a lot more beige in real life than they are in the Luts official pictures. Your doll's lips might also look different in real life.

 

I would just do it by myself based on what i like

 

My first doll didn't have a default face-up option, so I had to get him painted. I loved the process, though, and the end result ended up being bang-on what I had imagined for him.

If you only half-love the default face-up, you can save yourself sisxty dollars and send her to a reputable face-up artist here on DoA - there are plenty of amazing customizers who carge LESS than sixty dollars for a face-up, and you'll be able to tell them exactly what you're looking for. The process can be really fun and exciting if you choose the right artist, and in the end you may find you feel closer to your doll because she's EXACTLY what you wanted, not just "sort of."

If you really do love everything else about the face-up, it isn't hard to have only her lips redone either; just be aware that, in the end, the redo will cost you more overall - sixty plus wahtever a retouch from an artist will cost - than a brand new custom from an artist may cost. That may also be a factor in your decision!​

 

My first doll came with a default makeup and although I love it - Buddy Doll, I believe has one of the most awesome face ups ever - I'm going to commission someone to give him a new one soon enough. I'm pretty sure I'll be ordering my next dolls blank or with custom face up. I like them looking somewhat different. There are quite a number of brilliant face up artists on DOA. I'm sure they can create the look you want. Just browse through their portfolios. (:

But if you're unsure, you should definitely try asking for custom face up with the company.

 

My first was a fullset LUTS SDF and has a beautiful limited faceup, so I didn't want to wipe it so quickly.

 

I payed 20 dollars for a custom, and in my opinion, now she's much better than she would be if I had chosen the default faceup.
So I'm happy.

 

For some reasons until recently I've never really thought about getting my doll blank and doing her faceup myself or sending her off for a custom face up. But the more time goes by the more I'm considering it. I think I'm going to get my first doll with the company face up because I really love it, but all my other dolls are most likely going to have custom face ups. I guess it all really depends on you.

 

For my first doll i decided to do the face-up myself. I think i will choose this every time because it's the best way to make sure your face-up is as original as possible

 

I liked the way mine looked with the company face-up so I left it, even though I knew an artist on DOA I really wanted one done by. The thing was, I had waited soooo long to get get her that I didn't want to wait an entire extra month to ship her face off, have it done, and then have it shipped back. Plus I was apprehensive about it getting lost/damaged and the like. I didn't want to have a bad experience with my first one. My second one which is in the works will also have the default, but just because I like it, otherwise I would save some money, get it blank and have it commissioned.

 

I ordered my first (Tomato) with faceup just because she was my first and well I adored the Blue Fairy default faceup. But I know that wasn't what I wanted to keep even when I ordered that faceup since the default looks kinda... timid. So soon after I got her and played with her for a bit, I wiped her face and gave her a new faceup. It wasn't perfect, and not quite what I imagined, but it did make her character closer to what I had in mind. Not to mention it was fun to do. I have not had her for even a year yet I think she had at least 5 different faceups I've done on her... each time closer to what I have in mind.

So... if the default isn't a hundred percent what you wanted and you don't mind taking the time to get to the perfect her that you want. Order her blank and either get someone to do it the way you like or try it yourself. :> Lips seems like a small thing but if you notice it all the time and it bugs you then it becomes big.

 

My first boy, Ilú, had a custom faceup from Luts. I think it's really important to be 100% happy with your doll's faceup so from the sounds of it ordering him/her blank and then sending them away for a custom face from someone else if you already know that the company faceup isn't going to cut the mustard is absolutely what you should do

 

If Fairyland does custom face-ups, you could ask them for the default face-up, and for them to darken the lips. Just be really specific with what you want; providing a picture of the lip colour you wanted would be ideal.

If a face-up is not exactly what you want, then it's not worth the $60 because there is always someone out there who will be able to provide what you're looking for.

 

Like others have said: If you're not happy with the default face-up then $60 is too much money. You could contact the company and ask if they do custom face-ups as well. Perhaps they can change her lips for you.

Personally, I've never kept the default, but sent them to a commissioner right away. I love how different a doll can look with a custom face-up and I love the process of finding an artist who's style you like and reflect with him/her what your doll is going to look like.

 

A lot of the default faceups are really nice. I got the default on my BBB Espree and its beautiful!

 

All of my boys have custom face ups... but I also have a very good friend who does AWESOME face ups for commission.

 

For my first doll, i got for a default faceup. I trought it was better to see how a profesional work looked like before attempting at any faceup work or having a custom one made. Plus, my first doll wasn't going to be any particular character.
I can't help but think about custom makeup as some kind of "advanced" option...

 

I think $60 is far too much if you don't like the faceup. I normally get the default faceup, however my favourite company is ResinSoul and a faceup is only an extra $10. Anything more than that and I would do the faceup myself now that I have some reasonable supplies.