Brian Jeffrey
It was early morning when 23-year-old Nguyen Ngoc Truc was still busy at a nail salon in District 6, HCM City, carefully applying makeup to a Baby Three doll.
The salon owner, Nguyen Ngoc Chi, commented on the growing popularity of the Baby Three doll beautification service, as young collectors actively seek out these items.
Launched in May, Baby Three dolls come in “blind boxes,” quickly gaining the interest of young people. However, buyers often found the dolls inside didn’t meet their expectations upon opening.
Many dolls were not particularly attractive or unique, often featuring flaws like squinting eyes. As a result, consumers frequently had to purchase more dolls in hopes of finding visually appealing ones.
To save on costs, many buyers opted to enhance their existing dolls, leading to the rise of beautification services for Baby Three dolls.
Currently, there are two main services offered: eye replacement and makeup application for the dolls. For those with squinting eyes, owners typically pay between VND20,000 and VND250,000 for eye replacements.
Makeup application is a more intricate process, requiring skilled makeup artists or professional nail technicians to handle it.
Chi elaborated, “Nail technicians can perform various enhancements, including facial makeup, eye and forehead painting, and even changing hair color and outfits based on customer preferences. We can also add custom paintings or designs to the dolls.”
“The primary goal is to enhance the dolls’ beauty and personality following the makeover, which necessitates the expertise of experienced technicians,” she added.
As interest in Baby Three dolls continues to grow, so does the demand for their modifications. Many makeup artists and nail technicians are now participating in this lucrative seasonal work.
Chi shared that her team meticulously completes 3-4 dolls daily, earning between VND500,000 and VND1 million in the process.
Ngan, a 25-year-old nail technician from District 1 with six years of experience, views this work as a profitable opportunity.
“Although the service is seasonal, it offers good earnings since new products are regularly introduced by the manufacturer,” she explained.
