faceup I Have Some Questions....

I'm new to the world of vinyl dolls, and I just got Hatsune Miku, my first Dollfie on December 28th.  I have some newbie questions, I hope that you all don't mind answering.

Are Dollfie faceups sealed?  Is there some substance I should avoid, like isopropyl alcohol or nail polish?  If they touch her, will she melt? 

I'm asking that because I would like to give Miku her classic bangs, and I was considering using hair gel, but not if it'll melt her face!  I'm really reluctant to take her wig off, since it was a fight to get it on her head.  Should I use white glue instead? 

I was told that vinyl dolls don't yellow even in the sun, is that true?  Do they have a low temperature range I should avoid?  I'd love to take her out and do a photoshoot in the snow...when we get some.  (Climate change sucks!)  Is there a top heat range I should also worry about?  I'm guessing leaving her in a hot car is also a no-no.  I know that there are high and low temp limits with resin BJDs, but I've taken mine out in the snow and on a sunny summer beach with no problems.

How often will I need to take her apart and tighten her?  I play with her pretty often, right now she's sitting next to me watching me type and watching music videos.  I often watch TV/movies with my BJDs as well, especially late at night. 

I'm sure I'll think of other questions, and when I do, I'll probably ask them in this thread.  Feel free to link me to threads that may answer my many questions.  Thank you everyone!

 

Ryu

Edited January 3, 2023 by RyuichiSakuma13

7 hours ago, RyuichiSakuma13 said:

Are Dollfie faceups sealed?  Is there some substance I should avoid, like isopropyl alcohol or nail polish?  If they touch her, will she melt? 

Dollfie Dream faceups are not sealed by default, but since they are mask painted the faceups are still fairly stable. You can choose to seal them yourself if you wish but either way they have the same rules as resin for trying not to touch the face too much. You might accumulate oils by touching, or even wear off blushing over time. Some of my dolls I have sealed and some I have not, it depends on my mood at the time and if I think I might ever edit the default faceup. The benefit of not having them sealed is that you can still do things like carefully remove the eyebrows only so that you can repaint them, and it won't leave obvious edges where the sealant is missing.

Many people use isopropyl alcohol or uncolored nail polish remover to remove faceups, but they do have the ability to change the vinyl so if you do this make sure to wash it off immediately and thoroughly. 

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I'm asking that because I would like to give Miku her classic bangs, and I was considering using hair gel, but not if it'll melt her face!  I'm really reluctant to take her wig off, since it was a fight to get it on her head.  Should I use white glue instead?

As for hair styling, I can't comment too much about gel since I don't use it. I prefer Got2B Glued.

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I was told that vinyl dolls don't yellow even in the sun, is that true?  

Not exactly, you still shouldn't keep them in a sunny window since this can cause damage over time, including bleaching of the faceup, eyes, and clothes, and potentially yellowing of the vinyl and exposed frame parts.

However just being out in the sun for a meetup or photoshoot will not be a problem. I have heard of certain types of resin being unstable and changing quickly within only a few hours, and vinyl doesn't do that.

In my experience though, there are certain vinyl formulas that will yellow no matter what you do and others that are very stable if you treat them normally for a collectible. My Saber Alter v2 has gone from very white to very slightly yellow-white. The instability of the white skin color is why they discontinued it. I've also had some older Obitsu bodies have their limbs be a clearly darker and more yellow color than the torso since the limbs are hard vinyl and the torso is soft vinyl. Some of them I can just replace but the old discontinued bodies I live with.

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Do they have a low temperature range I should avoid?  I'd love to take her out and do a photoshoot in the snow...when we get some.  (Climate change sucks!)

The vinyl itself can take very low temperatures, but the worry here will be the frame since it can get brittle in the extreme cold. You can still ho out and do snow pictures, just be careful in changing the poses- move each joint individually and slowly. When you come back in you can wipe down the outsides but wait until the frame warms up to room temperature before checking for moisture inside.

One thing about cold that's interesting though, is that it can help you remove hot glued default eyes. You can put a head in the freezer for about 5 minutes and the take it out and push at the temples. The vinyl can still flex but the hot glue will be brittle and it will pop right off.

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Is there a top heat range I should also worry about?  I'm guessing leaving her in a hot car is also a no-no.  I know that there are high and low temp limits with resin BJDs, but I've taken mine out in the snow and on a sunny summer beach with no problems.

I wouldn't leave them in a summer hot car, but heat is actually necessary to take care of a vinyl doll. You will need a hair dryer or a hot water bath to help stretch the vinyl or release a stuck joint if you need to disassemble or reassemble. The vinyl can take more heat than your hands can. I once had a head get damaged by my cat, and there were tooth mark dents. I put the whole head, factory faceup and all, in boiling water (don't let it touch the bottom of the pan) and it popped a majority of the marks out.

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How often will I need to take her apart and tighten her?  I play with her pretty often, right now she's sitting next to me watching me type and watching music videos.  I often watch TV/movies with my BJDs as well, especially late at night. 

On this we'll need someone else to chime in. I've only had to tighten my DDP's ankles once, but I don't change poses daily, only for photoshoots or changing clothes.

9 hours ago, RyuichiSakuma13 said:

I'm asking that because I would like to give Miku her classic bangs, and I was considering using hair gel, but not if it'll melt her face!  I'm really reluctant to take her wig off, since it was a fight to get it on her head.  Should I use white glue instead?

Ryu

I don't have Miku, but I do have 3 Miku wigs. I find they slip on really easily. I think you're supposed to line up the fringe then pull them down from the back. It might depend on which Miku you have. I found the Rin Daughter of Evil wig to be the only truly evil wig I possess - it was a nightmare to put on her and I ended up spoiling the hair at the back. It was the same on Rin and Kizuna AI's heads. Such is life.

As for taking them out... I'm the insane guy who takes my dolls to the beach (it is only 100M away from my house though). I had one body staining issue with my first Dollfie but that was cleared up with teen acne creme (human teens not doll teens lol).

If you're going to take your dolls out then consider getting a carry case. I have the Miku one and it's really great for carrying dolls between photoshoot locations. A cheaper option are the doll sleeping bags available on AliExpress.

I've never had any clothing or wig staining issues... while I do use bodysuits I think the UK isn't generally hot or humid enough for staining to be an issue. Having said that Towa's original bodysuit shows light staining on the thighs - I don't know what outfit caused that.

Most of my girls don't have any problems with their joints. DDdy Towa's thighs are a nightmare (she can't sit) and my MDD Mochi-Ashi is a real mess... I don't know what her previous owner did to her in her short life.

Back to wigs, and if you have the money you can buy Miku's wigs separately from time to time. They're on Volks Japan (the green one) and I picked up the Snow Miku wig on Mandarake. The Empty Sekai wig is amazing - this is likely to become a very sought after outfit (and wig).

24 minutes ago, Xiongmao said:

I don't have Miku, but I do have 3 Miku wigs. I find they slip on really easily. I think you're supposed to line up the fringe then pull them down from the back. It might depend on which Miku you have. I found the Rin Daughter of Evil wig to be the only truly evil wig I possess - it was a nightmare to put on her and I ended up spoiling the hair at the back. It was the same on Rin and Kizuna AI's heads. Such is life.

Actually for any styled wigs- ponytails, twin tails, buns, etc. you're supposed line up the back hairline and then gently tug the bangs forward until they're in place. If you tug on the back hairs that are styled into place they will end up pulling out of the style. 

It's the opposite of how you put on a normal hair down style wig, where yes you would hold the front in place and then pull down the back.

Basically you only want to be pulling on hair that's loose.

14 hours ago, Jezrah said:

Dollfie Dream faceups are not sealed by default, but since they are mask painted the faceups are still fairly stable. You can choose to seal them yourself if you wish but either way they have the same rules as resin for trying not to touch the face too much. You might accumulate oils by touching, or even wear off blushing over time. Some of my dolls I have sealed and some I have not, it depends on my mood at the time and if I think I might ever edit the default faceup. The benefit of not having them sealed is that you can still do things like carefully remove the eyebrows only so that you can repaint them, and it won't leave obvious edges where the sealant is missing.

Many people use isopropyl alcohol or uncolored nail polish remover to remove faceups, but they do have the ability to change the vinyl so if you do this make sure to wash it off immediately and thoroughly. 

As for hair styling, I can't comment too much about gel since I don't use it. I prefer Got2B Glued.

Not exactly, you still shouldn't keep them in a sunny window since this can cause damage over time, including bleaching of the faceup, eyes, and clothes, and potentially yellowing of the vinyl and exposed frame parts.

However just being out in the sun for a meetup or photoshoot will not be a problem. I have heard of certain types of resin being unstable and changing quickly within only a few hours, and vinyl doesn't do that.

In my experience though, there are certain vinyl formulas that will yellow no matter what you do and others that are very stable if you treat them normally for a collectible. My Saber Alter v2 has gone from very white to very slightly yellow-white. The instability of the white skin color is why they discontinued it. I've also had some older Obitsu bodies have their limbs be a clearly darker and more yellow color than the torso since the limbs are hard vinyl and the torso is soft vinyl. Some of them I can just replace but the old discontinued bodies I live with.

The vinyl itself can take very low temperatures, but the worry here will be the frame since it can get brittle in the extreme cold. You can still ho out and do snow pictures, just be careful in changing the poses- move each joint individually and slowly. When you come back in you can wipe down the outsides but wait until the frame warms up to room temperature before checking for moisture inside.

One thing about cold that's interesting though, is that it can help you remove hot glued default eyes. You can put a head in the freezer for about 5 minutes and the take it out and push at the temples. The vinyl can still flex but the hot glue will be brittle and it will pop right off.

I wouldn't leave them in a summer hot car, but heat is actually necessary to take care of a vinyl doll. You will need a hair dryer or a hot water bath to help stretch the vinyl or release a stuck joint if you need to disassemble or reassemble. The vinyl can take more heat than your hands can. I once had a head get damaged by my cat, and there were tooth mark dents. I put the whole head, factory faceup and all, in boiling water (don't let it touch the bottom of the pan) and it popped a majority of the marks out.

On this we'll need someone else to chime in. I've only had to tighten my DDP's ankles once, but I don't change poses daily, only for photoshoots or changing clothes.

Thank you for all your answers, they are really helpful.  I'm taking notes, since Dollfies are so different from BJDs.  

 

Ryu

Edited January 4, 2023 by RyuichiSakuma13

You might want to look for products specifically for synthetic wigs. The water wax Volks sells works nicely for simple styling; presumably other brands should be fine as well. I don't think it's strong enough for anything too gravity-defying, though.

My boyfriend's had his Miku for two and a half years, and her joints haven't needed tightening, but she doesn't do much posing that would require stiffer joints. She's fine sitting down or standing with support, but I think they might need to be tightened if she wanted to stand unsupported, especially in a more precarious pose.

Speaking of Miku and joints, if you have the original version on the DDIII body, the shoulder joints are a known weak point. If they break, you can get replacement parts from CoolCat. The site also sells aluminum sheaths for the shoulder joint to reinforce it.

Volks sells water wax and mist spray specifically for doll wigs styling. Personally i am cheap and have been using basic white glue no problems (just either take the wig off while styling until its fully dry, or be sure to cover up the doll's face-up while working with it. Don't wanna risk accidentally staining something that shouldn't)

You can absolutely take the dolls outdoors for photoshoots! Just remember if you get them wet (melting snow, fountain, pool edge... whatever!) you may need to disassemble them to make sure everything fully dries. Mine have been out there in freezing snow and hot summer days - a couple hours did no harm. Grass stains were a much higher hazard than anything

 

On 1/4/2023 at 12:06 AM, RyuichiSakuma13 said:

Dollfie Dream faceups are not sealed by default

Wow! I didn't know this, why is it? Does it make faceups more prone to damage? If not planning to make any changes to them can they just be sealed? 

55 minutes ago, puxlavoix said:

 

Wow! I didn't know this, why is it? Does it make faceups more prone to damage? If not planning to make any changes to them can they just be sealed? 

Can they be sealed with MSC?  I have some from my sad attempt at doing BJD faceups.

 

Ryu

Edited January 12, 2023 by RyuichiSakuma13
Clarification

On 1/4/2023 at 9:20 AM, Tira said:

You might want to look for products specifically for synthetic wigs. The water wax Volks sells works nicely for simple styling; presumably other brands should be fine as well. I don't think it's strong enough for anything too gravity-defying, though.

My boyfriend's had his Miku for two and a half years, and her joints haven't needed tightening, but she doesn't do much posing that would require stiffer joints. She's fine sitting down or standing with support, but I think they might need to be tightened if she wanted to stand unsupported, especially in a more precarious pose.

Speaking of Miku and joints, if you have the original version on the DDIII body, the shoulder joints are a known weak point. If they break, you can get replacement parts from CoolCat. The site also sells aluminum sheaths for the shoulder joint to reinforce it.

AFAIK, my Miku is an original one.  She was MIB when I got her from a seller in Japan, and from what I've seen, Reboots say "reboot" on their box.  Is there another way I can tell which version she is? 

I like to pose my dolls in different positions for pics, so I may eventually need the sheaths.  Or should I eventually get the new body?   

On 1/4/2023 at 10:24 AM, Anna-neko said:

Volks sells water wax and mist spray specifically for doll wigs styling. Personally i am cheap and have been using basic white glue no problems (just either take the wig off while styling until its fully dry, or be sure to cover up the doll's face-up while working with it. Don't wanna risk accidentally staining something that shouldn't)

You can absolutely take the dolls outdoors for photoshoots! Just remember if you get them wet (melting snow, fountain, pool edge... whatever!) you may need to disassemble them to make sure everything fully dries. Mine have been out there in freezing snow and hot summer days - a couple hours did no harm. Grass stains were a much higher hazard than anything

Miku's wig was super difficult to get on her head, so I'm reluctant to take it off and potentially messing it up even more. I've never done the face wrap method with my BJDs, but now might be the time to try it.  Someone mentioned using Got2B hair gel, I think I'll try that, since I sometimes use it when I cosplay.  It gives me an excuse to buy more. 

 

Ryu

Edited January 12, 2023 by RyuichiSakuma13
Clarification

5 hours ago, RyuichiSakuma13 said:

Can they be sealed with MSC?  I have some from my sad attempt at doing BJD faceups.

 

Ryu

They can be! I've sprayed over my Snow Miku's default face up so I could update it + de-Snowify her.

That said, you don't need to seal the default DD faceups - they're durable enough as is. The default faceups aren't done in the same way you might do a DD faceup at home or on a resin doll.

7 hours ago, RyuichiSakuma13 said:

AFAIK, my Miku is an original one.  She was MIB when I got her from a seller in Japan, and from what I've seen, Reboots say "reboot" on their box.  Is there another way I can tell which version she is? 

I like to pose my dolls in different positions for pics, so I may eventually need the sheaths.  Or should I eventually get the new body?   

She should be on the DDIII body then. The sheaths can be used to reinforce the original parts, or you can just keep it in mind as a replacement option if something goes wrong (since you can't get the parts from Volks anymore).

8 hours ago, RyuichiSakuma13 said:

Miku's wig was super difficult to get on her head, so I'm reluctant to take it off and potentially messing it up even more. I've never done the face wrap method with my BJDs, but now might be the time to try it.  Someone mentioned using Got2B hair gel, I think I'll try that, since I sometimes use it when I cosplay.  It gives me an excuse to buy more.

I bought the standalone Miku wig from Volks Japan and it slides really easily on their heads. It's also easy to use with a wig cap. I don't know if they still sell this wig though. The Snow Miku wig was an easy fit too. I think I have the standalone Snow Miku wig. I'm not sure if it was sold as a standalone, but it came in its own plastic box. I found it on Mandarake.

Wigs that are troublesome are the Rin Daughter of Evil wig plus the SD wig that comes with the doll that arrived today. Rin's wig is super tight and I wrecked the back trying to put it on. I tried it on Kizuna AI and Rin and it's the same tight fit.

7 hours ago, hellFlower said:

They can be! I've sprayed over my Snow Miku's default face up so I could update it + de-Snowify her.

That said, you don't need to seal the default DD faceups - they're durable enough as is. The default faceups aren't done in the same way you might do a DD faceup at home or on a resin doll.

Well, since I'm used to having BJDs, not touching their faces is a normal thing to me.  I was more worried that "because their faceups are painted on vinyl, they might not be as durable."  I'm glad to find out I'm wrong!  Thanks!

4 hours ago, Tira said:

She should be on the DDIII body then. The sheaths can be used to reinforce the original parts, or you can just keep it in mind as a replacement option if something goes wrong (since you can't get the parts from Volks anymore).

I think I'm going to look further into these sheaths, and get some a bit down the line.  I love to pose my dolls for pics, so I may eventually wear the joints out.  Is there a thread or info somewhere that explains a bit more what is likely to go wrong?  I'm so new to this aspect of doll collecting that I'm not quite sure what part is likely to wear out. 🤷‍♂️

 

I suspected that that's the body she was on.  I read somewhere about the "f3" body, should I invest in getting one of those instead?  Is it worth it to do so?

3 hours ago, Xiongmao said:

I bought the standalone Miku wig from Volks Japan and it slides really easily on their heads. It's also easy to use with a wig cap. I don't know if they still sell this wig though. The Snow Miku wig was an easy fit too. I think I have the standalone Snow Miku wig. I'm not sure if it was sold as a standalone, but it came in its own plastic box. I found it on Mandarake.

Wigs that are troublesome are the Rin Daughter of Evil wig plus the SD wig that comes with the doll that arrived today. Rin's wig is super tight and I wrecked the back trying to put it on. I tried it on Kizuna AI and Rin and it's the same tight fit.

Right now, after buying Miku some of her canon outfits, I'm not ready to spend $110+ on a wig.  Besides, chances are I'll rarely put her Snow wig on her since I'm loving her regular hair color right now.  Maybe later on down the line.  Who knows? 

Getting a stand-alone wig is definitely something to consider, especially since I also wrecked the back of Miku's wig putting it on her.  Another reason why she's going to keep this wig on for a while. 😅

 

Ryu

4 hours ago, RyuichiSakuma13 said:

Is there a thread or info somewhere that explains a bit more what is likely to go wrong?  I'm so new to this aspect of doll collecting that I'm not quite sure what part is likely to wear out.

If you search “Cool Cat” you should be able to find threads talking about them, but this did come up in a thread I started a while back (which is how I learned of them too):

The main trouble with the DDIII frame is cracking in the shoulders and hip joints. The sheaths that Cool Cat sells are tiny aluminum rings that cradle the joints to prevent cracks, or to reinforce the joint if it’s already cracked.

The joints were revised several times over the life of the DDIII body, so they come in different sizes. I can’t remember when the original Miku was released, but if it was after 2012, she probably has the larger joints. You’ll have to dissemble the body and measure them to know for sure which size sheaths to order.

http://us.sk-coolcat.com/front/bin/ptdetail.phtml?Part=v_dd2&Category=382741

4 hours ago, RyuichiSakuma13 said:

I suspected that that's the body she was on.  I read somewhere about the "f3" body, should I invest in getting one of those instead?  Is it worth it to do so?

Depends if you want to spend an additional ¥35,000 or so plus shipping and customs. The new body is nice, but the DDIII is still functional. Some of my girls are on the DDIII body and I have no plans to upgrade unless the frame breaks (and even then, I’d probably try to find replacement internal parts somehow). One of them can’t be upgraded anyway because she’s white skin 😅

I think Cotindoll do Miku style wigs. I've ordered one of their mystery boxes so I'm hoping for a Miku type one.

My original Miku wig is kind of wrecked at the back, but that seemed to mostly happen due to attempting to brush it. I guess the wig could be re-tied, but that would probably be an epic nightmare. It's been worn almost constantly for two years though, so we've had some decent mileage out of it (including several outdoor photoshoots).

I have a few Miku outfits stashed away. Miku stuff goes for crazy prices, though the Do Re Mi Fa one wasn't too bad. I've just secured one of her outfits that I absolutely adore.

The Empty Sekai outfit is great, but it does require eye surgery. The wig that comes with it is epic. I wish they sold the eyes separately because the red one is stunning. I'd feel dumb buying two outfits just so I can acquire the set of matching eyes though.

For any lurkers seeking Miku, she sometimes appears in FB Groups at decent prices, but you have to be quick.

@RyuichiSakuma13  I'm going to second Xiongmao- while I don't have any Cotindoll wigs myself, I've heard nothing but good about their quality, and they have a variety of different styles in both Miku's original aqua / teal and Snow Miku blue should you want to enjoy her with default hair colours but not risk the official wig. As a bonus, Cotindoll are noted as one of the few brands that don't tend to stain. I half-wonder if they are an offshoot of Leekeworld, because they borrow Leekeworld's colour charts from time to time. They have a far more limited palette though.

On 1/13/2023 at 1:25 PM, Xiongmao said:

I think Cotindoll do Miku style wigs. I've ordered one of their mystery boxes so I'm hoping for a Miku type one.

My original Miku wig is kind of wrecked at the back, but that seemed to mostly happen due to attempting to brush it. I guess the wig could be re-tied, but that would probably be an epic nightmare. It's been worn almost constantly for two years though, so we've had some decent mileage out of it (including several outdoor photoshoots).

I have a few Miku outfits stashed away. Miku stuff goes for crazy prices, though the Do Re Mi Fa one wasn't too bad. I've just secured one of her outfits that I absolutely adore.

The Empty Sekai outfit is great, but it does require eye surgery. The wig that comes with it is epic. I wish they sold the eyes separately because the red one is stunning. I'd feel dumb buying two outfits just so I can acquire the set of matching eyes though.

For any lurkers seeking Miku, she sometimes appears in FB Groups at decent prices, but you have to be quick.

I've seen the Miku-style wigs that Cotindoll has, and they are great!  I will more than likely order from them in a few months.  Gotta pay off the credit card some first. 😅

I've only brushed Miku's twintails, and braided them.  There's no way I'm going to try and take them apart to fix the back that got messed up while trying to put the wig on her!  I'll just leave it as it is for now, and get the Cotindoll version.  I'll probably end up braiding that one as well, just because its easier to deal with.  I love that Cotindoll also has Miku-colors in different styles, I'll probably end up with quite a few of them because of that.

 

Ryu

57 minutes ago, RyuichiSakuma13 said:

I've seen the Miku-style wigs that Cotindoll has, and they are great!  I will more than likely order from them in a few months.  Gotta pay off the credit card some first.

I have a few for my Miku, and my Snow Miku. Their quality is great, and they're one of the few places that makes ponytail wigs. 

Does anyone know where there is a "English list/list of what Miku's owners have named" all of Miku's hands?  I have three pairs so far, and I'd like to try and find the other six sets of hands for her. 

I have heard one pair of hands called Miku's "open hands," but I'm not sure if that's an actual translation or just what they're called by those that have her.

 

Ryu

2 hours ago, RyuichiSakuma13 said:

Does anyone know where there is a "English list/list of what Miku's owners have named" all of Miku's hands?  I have three pairs so far, and I'd like to try and find the other six sets of hands for her. 

I have heard one pair of hands called Miku's "open hands," but I'm not sure if that's an actual translation or just what they're called by those that have her.

 

Ryu

As far as I know, they're the same as normal hands when it comes to the names. Coolcat lists all of them using the same names (or almost same) as Volks USA. http://us.sk-coolcat.com/front/bin/ptdetail.phtml?Part=v_o&Category=215921

In general some of the hands translate weird by machine, i.e. "open goo" hands lol... but there are "official" names from Volks USA and I've always seem the Miku ones follow that, just with Miku in front. They're just ordinary semi-white skin hands with teal nails. 

28 minutes ago, Emil said:

In general some of the hands translate weird by machine, i.e. "open goo" hands lol...

Kek 😆

The hands use shorthand for rock-paper-scissor in Japanese (guu, choki, paa where choki is scissors and paa is paper) because the game is so ubiquitous here, but these don’t auto-translate well and they sound stupid out of context in English (“Paper Hands”?? Where’s the Diamond Hands?? 😉)

On 1/20/2023 at 3:57 AM, Emil said:

As far as I know, they're the same as normal hands when it comes to the names. Coolcat lists all of them using the same names (or almost same) as Volks USA. http://us.sk-coolcat.com/front/bin/ptdetail.phtml?Part=v_o&Category=215921

In general some of the hands translate weird by machine, i.e. "open goo" hands lol... but there are "official" names from Volks USA and I've always seem the Miku ones follow that, just with Miku in front. They're just ordinary semi-white skin hands with teal nails. 

SWEET!  Thanks you for the link! 

I think I'm going to end up getting Miku quite a few different styles of hands, and perhaps try to paint them myself.  It was suggested during today's Zoom meetup to have a pair that's for dark-colored mittens and gloves.  I'm definitely going to have one pair for just that. 

 

Ryu