I was informed yesterday after my review was posted that there has been some hoopla concerning Beauty Avatar and Minnu’s skins (DMCAs filed, suspicions arising, etc). While I read about said hoopla on Gogolita’s blog several weeks ago, I was under the impression that it had been resolved considering the comment made by Miabella Foxley, a Minnu representative I believe.
Now, I have actually never purchased a skin by Minnu Palen — however, out of my own curiosity, I did stop by this morning to pick up a demo and do a little comparison of my own. What can I say… I’m naturally inquisitive. Here are my results and an objective opinion on a sheet of controversy.
We’ll begin with the most obvious starting point: the face. Both skins will be compared in their natural makeup option, both in the tan skin tone available (Beauty Avatar’s will be Nemesis in Bronzed and Minnu’s will be Gen4 in Tan). Click on the shots to view the larger pictures, if you like!
My avatar has always had a rather “distinct” face. It changes, dramatically, 90% of the time, whenever I wear a new skin - as I’m sure most do. But rather than do a split screen comparison, I’d rather post a full composite of both faces, side by side, to demonstrate the obvious difference of each:
Aside from the (in my opinion, obvious) difference in faces, there are also subtle details to consider when comparing these two skins. For example, the philtrum (again, thanks, Winter!) on Minnu’s skins is almost the reverse of the one on BA’s skins … Minnu’s is notably narrower at the ends where BA’s is notably wider. The detail shading and highlighting I believe speaks for itself here, as well as on the bridges of the nose where BA’s extends further towards the forehead. The eyelid crease is only slightly higher on the BA skins, and the lip shading and detail — clearly different. The only real similarity to the face that I can see clearly is the painted on eyelashes — which could easily be a free-for-all photoshop brush (considering I have several of my own which I use for photography). To be perfectly honest and objective here, I believe the lips is where these kinds of suspicions arise — if I am not mistaken, Minnu was one of, if not the, first to have such pronounced and defined lips, dating all the way back to her Gen1 line. I can think of several designers whom have adopted this characteristic since then, and each time I see it I can’t help but wonder how many people’s eyebrows perk up at the thought that a scandal may have been born. Let’s continue to the rest of the skin though, shall we?
Here is another view point of the face and head, with the ears clearly in view (and notably different from each other).
The only similarity I can note in the upper abdomen and breasts is the muscle group shading, which is hardly grounds for suspicion. I myself have photoshop brushes that I’ve created with similar abdomen shading, which I use to add details to clothing that I make. Same goes for the shading under the breasts. The nipples are clearly not the same though both are obviously photosourced; the collar bone is much more pronounced in Minnu’s skins than it is with BA’s, and overall the BA skin is much smoother.
The abdomen, again clearly different from each other. The navel on the Beauty Avatar skins is larger and softer with a tiny beauty mark to the upper right side whereas Minnu’s is the traditional supermodel small-as-a-button navel. I do not believe the genital area needs any comparison, as you can probably see for yourself that they are clearly different.
The knees and legs — the knees at first glance look similar in their shading. However, upon further investigation (and I am sorry that I didn’t take the time to make an animated gif) by placing each pair of legs on top of each other and comparing them that way, I’ve found that Minnu’s knees are actually positioned differently on the legs — they are much further inward than are Beauty Avatar’s. Another subtle difference is on the Beauty Avatar knees — there are small muscle shade lines on the outside sides of each knee cap, which are not seen on the Minnu skins. The feet and toes — obviously different.
Another striking difference I noted was the elbows seen above — Beauty Avatar has virtually no elbow detail, whereas Minnu has a clearly defined skin patch of elbow detail.
Last, but not least — the entire backside. As we can see, Minnu’s shading and details are much more pronounced where as Beauty Avatar’s skins are softer and smoother. The bum highlighting is further up on Minnu’s bottom whereas BA’s highlights are more centralized. Both bum details appear to be photosourced in my opinion, however BA’s deeper shading appears to be focused more towards the lower half of the crack, whereas Minnu’s is much more pronounced in the center.
After reviewing both skins, I really must say — I just don’t believe that they are similar enough to raise suspicions, or even to support the claim that they are Minnu “inspired” (inspiration has many names — photosourcing alone, in my opinion, counts as “inspiration”, and as everyone has seen — nearly all skin designers do that). If I had to make a claim that Beauty Avatar’s skins were inspired by anything, my first judgment would be based on the feet and genital areas alone and would point to Eloh Eliot’s PSD files, which is, if it is true, perfectly acceptable. God is in the details, and using Eloh’s skins as a jumping off point to begin creation is fine for any creator, as is clearly stated on her blog.
No, what I think we have here is a new skin designer who has entered an already tense world of content creation. The good comes with the bad, I guess. But as Miabella stated on Gogo’s blog, people will shop based on quality — and I will gladly be visiting Beauty Avatar again.
/endopinionatedpointofview
Did you read the post title? If you haven’t… read it. It’s completely true.
I’m sure most of you that are reading this now have also read my previous review on Beauty Avatar’s (SLURL) skins. Well, I’m about to eat virtually every word I said in terms of what improvements were needed… sure, the Nefertiti skin needed some adjustments. But… what I’m about to show you makes up for all of them.
The newest line, Nemesis, released only a week and a half ago on April 17th, has got to be one of the most beautiful, soft, delicate and simply ~glowing~ skins I’ve seen in all my skin-reviewing tenure. Before I get into the details of the skin, I’m going to give you one, indisputable reason to head over to Beauty Avatar, right now, and at the very least try on a demo: I have officially made this my new skin. Without even consulting my friends (something I NEVER do). Anyone that knows me will vouch that I am a DEVOUT Vogue Skins girl… and my faith has been shattered. I have found my new God. Yes. They are *THAT* good.
Now, for the good stuff…
Creator: Sita Loire
Shop Location: Miami Island (SLURL)
Price: $1400L per skin / $24,000L per fatpack (22 skins)
Other Notes: None are needed. This review will speak for itself.
I was informed by the lovely Omnia Oh, after she read my most recent review on the Nefertiti skin, that the Nemesis line was released a short while back. It took me a couple of days, but I headed to Beauty Avatar and picked up demos — and immediately fell in love. Can you blame me? Not only has everything I mentioned on my Nefertiti review been fixed, but this skin is an improvement, times ten. Not one… single seam. And I LOOKED. BELIEVE me. Exquisite lips, an enchanting array of makeup possibilities… including a subtle and glittery eyeshadow in my favorite, and oh so hard to find, color… YELLOW!!! I swear, it’s like these skins were created for me. *sighs happily*
The face is just beautiful, as you can see above. The lips and makeup — no more is the 8-hour-workday lipliner. No more catlike corners on the lips. No more overpronounced philtrum (thanks, Winter!). Just… gorgeousness begging to be photographed.
The entire backside of this skin is Fantastic with a captital F. I especially love the smoothness of it… that’s what I really can’t get over about this skin. It’s just so SOFT. The bum is beautifully done just as it was on Nefertiti. The back and shoulder blades are strong yet delicate with just the right amount of shadow and highlight.
The nipples are strikingly realistic - likely photosourced as most are, but again so soft and supple. The shading beneath the nipple itself ads the perfect amount of “3d effect”, a detail I always love especially when photographing nudes. The highlighting is not too harsh but soft and even. These boobs make me want to press my arms together, just so I can see them squiiiiish!
Like the back, the entire abdomen is beautiful, carved from the clay itself. I LOVE the belly button, a cute little outie. The detail on the belly button is really fantastic, I can’t even begin to explain my love for it really — I much prefer the outies to the innies, and this is one of the best outies I’ve ever seen! Woo, try saying that ten times fast, chief! The abdomen muscles aren’t over shaded, which is nice - six packs just… don’t appeal to me on female skins. I don’t know what it is. No, this skin is… what’s the word, ladies? Smoooooooth. It’s like butter, baby.
The nibblebits (jolly parts, geneticulars… I’m going to think of so many names for this before I’m done) are great, with a small landing strip of soft hair. Something I find a little strange about them though is that… it’s small. I know I said in my Nefertiti review that I LIKE that and I DO… but this is a little… TOO small. If that’s possible. It was in no way a big enough problem to make me not want to convert to a Beauty Avatar lover, oh no… but it was something that struck me as odd was all. Excellent work, none the less. But — I do so wish there were a Brazilian option! *le sigh* A future development, perhaps?! *sending hopeful thoughts*
Nothing remarkable about the hands and palms really — soft skin, little detail, but likely able to be polished or prim nailed with minimal effort, so that’s a plus. I wonder, maybe some skin designers could start offering their own sets of gloves to wear over their skins for prim nails… gloves of the hand skin, sans nail detail. Wouldn’t that make life a tad bit easier for us prim nail girlies? Hmmm… Just a thought.
The feet are exquisite, as they were on Nefertiti and the knees are equally well done with the perfect shading and highlighting going on, as well as the ideal size for the leg. No small kneecaps here! The ears, while still suffering from “pasted on” syndrome (something I’ve all but resigned myself to… it happens — I should just deal :P), at least match the skin tone very well this time ’round. Excellent.
Yes, I must say… this newest development by the lovely Sita Loire has blown me through the roof. You don’t have to agree with me that they’re just fantastic, no, no you don’t… I know that makeup is a matter of taste, and beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but please… you be the judge — head on over to Beauty Avatar (SLURL) and try on a demo of the fantastic Nemesis skins. Who knows… you may just convert, too!
Sita Loire, the creator behind the Beauty Avatar line (Flickr, SLURL, OnRez), has undoubtedly become a contender in the great race that is skin design. A relatively new designer, she has released lines of clothing for both men and women, as well as shoes, shapes, and skins. Ahhh… skins. My poison. What else would we be talking about today?!
Creator: Sita Loire
Shop Location: Miami Island (SLURL) or OnRez (URL)
Price: $1400L per skin / $18,000L per fatpack (16 skins)
Other Notes: This will be a review of the Nefertiti line of skins by Sita Loire of Beauty Avatar. There are other skin lines available entitled Callisto, Rozen, and Nemesis. I have to say that the Rozen skin is also INCREDIBLY fantastic, and if you haven’t already, get over to Beauty Avatar and try on some demos. There’s also FREEBIES available for both MEN and WOMEN!!! Lovely gift boxes just waiting for you to snatch them up. The women’s gift box is located inside the skin shop, while the men’s is located inside the clothing shop.
Being the eternally grateful skin whore that I am, I recently came into possession of a pack of the beautiful Nefertiti skins in Bronze and I must say… I absolutely fell in love. Anyone that knows me at all knows exactly how picky I am about the skins I’ll wear. For instance, I really hate it when skins drastically change the look of my face. This does not mean I won’t WEAR pretty much any skin I come into possession of (what can I say, I’ve become a shape-for-skin tweaker), just that it’s a personal preference… I like my face. Ya dig? :P
I am happy to say that these do NOT change the look of my face. Barely at all, really. It makes me very happy. :D Yay for keeping mah purdy face!
Now, let’s get down to business.
The first thing I’ll comment on is the makeup. While I absolutely adore the colors of the lips, cheeks, eyes, etc… I have to admit that the halo-ed lip liner is a little off putting to me. It kind of reminds me of those older business women who, so entangled in their daily work lives, forget to freshen up their lipstick and are left with a line of lip liner around their lips. I always thought that was strange. However, the Nefertiti line seems to be the only one of the four available at Beauty Avatar that has this small, matter-of-preference pet peeve of mine. Another thing that’s quite strange about the face itself is the VERY over pronounced “line” from the top of the lip to the tip of the nose… I am completely unsure of what it’s called, but it is very dark in comparison to the rest of the skin and just looks very unnatural. And while some people I have read dislike the funky style of some of the eyeshadow, I must say I rather enjoy most of them! Being the artist and photographer I am, things like that are usually very good to have in a photo shoot… it adds character, if nothing else. Know what I mean, jelly bean?
The boobs are excellent, wonderfully shaded and highlighted, not too harsh, not too dark, a subtle hint of a tanlined on the rather beautifully textured flesh. The nipples are a darker tone than I’m usually used to seeing which I think actually works out great for these skins — it gives them a much more “exotic” look.
The ass is excellent… yes, yes, I know I have this strange fascination with all things buttocks-y. Hate me for it. But regardless, this is an awesome butt. Flawlessly shaded and squeezable, just the way I like it. A small, barely noticeable seam sits right above the waistline, which is something I notice with a lot of skins really… a rather tough spot to contend with, I know! However, with an ass like that… who’s gonna be looking?
I ADORE the naughty bits on this particular skin as well. It’s much… “smaller”?… than what I usually see. It sports a neatly trimmed puff of hair as well. Being the Brazilian girl that I am, I could live without the puff of pubic hair, but really, that could be just me… I’m strangely preferrable to the full-bare vaginal state. A little off topic… this is another reason why I am so in love with Starley Thereian’s skins. While her skins do have a small puff of pubic hair, she also offers a Brazilian option… in the form of an underwear layer, skin painted on, with no pubic hair!!! I love you, Starley. More skin designers should take that cue from you (*hint hint, nudge nudge*).
Another thing I am strangely attracted to about the lovely Nefertiti skin is the abdomen and navel. It’s just… beautiful. Soft yet defined and elegant. Gorgeous. I absolutely adore that… the little details. They always get me. *tears up a little*
The feet and toes are PERFECT. No, really! Just perfect. Save for the seams around the ankles, the toes are just heaven-sent and flawless in their composition. Absolutely adored in my book. With SL feet being so hard and ridiculous to work with anyway, I just love it when designers take the time to do their best and make their feet look as perfect as they can. Bonus. And while I did not get a picture of them, the knees on this particular skin are fantastic as well. Just take my word for it. ;)
The hands are great, beautiful detail. The nails are ready to be painted, which is exquisite because I love to shop for nail polish and prim nails. If you’re a nail polish girl, these skins are definitely the ones you’ll adore.
The ears… I must admit, not fantastic, but better than some I’ve seen. They definitely suffer from “pasted on” syndrome, and as with many skins it comes as no shock to me that ears are just… hard to work with when it comes to making them “blend in naturally”. And really… how many people look at your ears, anyway? :P I’m sure there are those who do… but I’m not one of them. At least, not unless I’m doing a skin review! Besides, my rats nest of a hairdo covers them 90% of the time anyway!
All in all, a fantastic skin and a really exciting jump start for a relatively new skin designer. I can’t wait to see what other skins Sita Loire comes out with… her more recent lines are just exquisitely beautiful, and are CLEARLY only getting better. If you haven’t had the chance yet, I really would suggest a trip to Beauty Avatar on Miami Island (SLURL, OnRez) where you’ll find the lovely line of skins, shapes, clothes and … well, beauty. Treat yourself a little bit on this lovely Sunday afternoon!
I had the pleasure of working with Truth Hawks of Truth (SLURL, Blog) recently and happily met his good friend, Ignite Nightfire of Arcane (SLURL, Blog). As circumstances would have it, I ended up with not one, not two, but THREE of the four makeup fat packs currently available for Ignite’s FANTASTIC skins. And being the skin whore I am, albeit a late one now (sorry, Ignite!) I just HAD to write a review on them. Because… well… mmm mmm MMM!
I have to start this post out by saying that these skins have the best boobage I’ve ever seen. Bar none. And I’m not just saying that because I think Truth and Ignite are awesometasticscrumbdiddleyumpcious people either. I’m saying it because, as a booby-booty girl, it’s true.
Let’s get down to the nitty gritty!
Creator: Ignite Nightfire
Shop Location: Truth Island (SLURL)
Price: $1100L per skin / $4000L per makeup fatpack (5 skins)
Other Notes: Let me state first and foremost that these skins are a STEAL for everything you’ll be purchasing with them which includes: the skin itself, a shape, prim hair (by Truth), eyelashes and a facelight. For $1100L you can go from newbie to “I just whipped the koala’s ass,” in 30 seconds.
While the skins are not transferable, there ARE gift cards available in denominations of $500L, $1000L, $2500L and $5000L! I wonder if it would be possible to change these denominations to something more like, $1100L, $2200L, $3300L, and $4000L… maybe? Just to better accommodate the purchase of a single skin, two skins, a fat pack, etc. */endpondering*
Skin tones available range from very light to tan and are very yummily named… Ghost, Creme, Fudge, Latte, and Caramel. All skins are available in four different makeup styles - Smoked, Vivids, Colors and Galaxy. My personal favorite - Smoked Sheer in Caramel - is what you will be seeing this morning!
One of the things I am most emphatically pleased with about this skin is the skin texture itself. It is very good in that it gives the illusion of pores on the skin without obstructing the skin “flow” itself. Know what I mean? It all blends together very nicely, especially on the legs and chest. Brilliant work! As I’ve stated so many times before, I am always so very happy when content creators throw in these extra little details that just add so much to the product.
Now, as I stated earlier, the boobs on this skin are FANTASTIC… I mean, I have honestly never seen more perfectly blended nipples on any other skin in game, and believe me when I say I’ve looked at a LOT of skins (zomg, you should see my skin demos folder… it’s redonk). The highlighting and shading is not too harsh, not too subtle, it’s actually just right… very photo realistic. The caramel skin tone almost looks fresh out of a tanning bed!
The booty is also superbly shaded and definitely passes “Ryker’s Ass Test”, as I’ve begun calling it. Unfortunately, I forgot to get a closeup, but I feel rather comfortable going on record as saying that it is, “bootylicious”. That’s right, I said it! Bootylicious.
Another thing I don’t think I’ve ever diliberately pointed out on a skin before that I am CRAZY HAPPY about on this one… the navel. Belly button. The spring break shot glass. It’s beautiful and lickable all at the same time, something that I’m sure many of you girls out there will enjoy come time for those intimate moments with your favorite honey. And while we’re on the topic of intimate moments… the “nether regions” are rather yumtastic too. Sporting a tiny landing strip, which I find incredibly cute, and the pussy itself isn’t ULTRA LONG… so it doesn’t blend into your butt crack when you bend over like it does on some skins I’ve seen, which I think is nice… LOL! I’m sure all of you know by now that I’m a Brazilian girl (not the country, the pubic hair preference), but this landing strip is actually a happy compromise to that crazy preference o’mine.
The knees are also superbly shaded and highlighted, not too small or too big. That’s one thing that ALWAYS drives me crazy about some skins… the knees are so tiny and knobby that it’s just ridiculous. Thankfully there are a few skin creators out there that have found the perfect balance of knee-to-leg ratio and have run with it, making for a happy Ryker.
The hands are lovely on this skin, and the toes and feet are, as usual, as good as toes and feet in SL are going to get… I’ve pretty much resigned myself to the fact that feet in SL are horrendous, and they’re just not going to get better (this is why God invented socks). But if I could throw out a recommendation here, if you’re a skin creator in Second Life and looking for a good foot template to work off of, I would highly recommend downloading Eloh Eliot’s PSD files and using her toe and toe nail shading. Hers are, by far, the best feet I’ve EVER seen in SL (Ever. EVER! Fucking EVER)… I would even go as far as to say that they’re as perfect as feet are ever going to get… but I would LOVE to see someone prove me wrong! Go feet creators, go!
The only, only, only, ONLY problem I see with this skin, and it’s a minor one at that, are the ears. They kinda look just… pasted on? I don’t know. But a little blending work there, and voila.. perfection. Considering this skin is virtually flawless (I didn’t even see a single seam… I looked… hard!), I didn’t notice the ears until someone pointed them out to me. A minor set back to a 99% perfect skin!
As first timers go, I have to say that Ignite is on his way to the gold. I don’t even think he COULD “get better”, because it’s obvious that this guy has his digital skin painting skills nailed down to a science. I am truly excited to see next generations, and this is only the FIRST. With the minor improvements he could make on these skins, they’ll undoubtedly be pinky-and-the-braining it all over the grid in no time.
What are you waiting for?! Head over to Truth (SLURL) and pick up some of these Arcane skins by Ignite Nightfire (Blog)! If nothing else, try on a demo. Your avi will thank you for it! And congratulations, Ignite, on your AWESOME skin launch! You’re a rockstar!
PS: While you’re at it, make sure to hit the hair section in Truth’s shop and pick up one of his latest hair releases! My absolute favorite is definitely his new, sculpted “Emma” ‘do (top left in the picture below), which I must admit looks smashing on my pretty little avi. I’m sure it would on yours too!
I had the pleasure of running across Stephanie Misfit’s shop a couple of nights ago while I was on one of my many, many shopping adventures. I remember seeing pictures of the skins on the Deux Looks blog, and thinking, “oh my god… those are B-E-A-UTIFUL!” So, naturally, I had to check them out for myself. I bought TWO of them, which in and of itself should speak for these skins… because I very rarely EVER buy skins that aren’t made by Hart Larsson or Starley Therian. For a first skin, I have to say I am EXTREMELY impressed by the outcome, and am glad to be giving a review to such an obviously talented person.
You guys know the drill…
Nudie shots below the cut! :)
The incredible Eloh Eliot has struck again, ladies!!!
Remember that blog post I did a little while back on her skins? Well those INCREDIBLE FUCKING SKINS are now on sale for $0L and FULL PERMS!!! That’s right. This is not a typo. I am not insane. ZERO LINDENS. FULL PERMISSIONS.
Have an alt that needs better skin? Are you a skin whore that just needs MORE skin (like me)? Are you looking to upgrade your skin with another one that has PERFECT TOES??? Look no further! Head on over to Eloh’s shop and pick these up for $0L!!! With full permissions!!! Omg… *runs off*
Nuuuuudie pictures below the cut. :)
Is it wrong that I ALMOST started singing the Mean Mr. Mustard song while I was writing this review??? LOL!!! *twiddles thumbs and sings, Mean Mr. Mustard, sleeps in the park…*
So here we are again, another day, another review! Muah muah muah!
As I settle down here at my desk, in my cozy little apartment, eating some much needed dinner (omfg, I’m starving!), I am happy to be going over the shots of this skin again, after having a week of reflection upon them. I think you guys are in for a treat.
The Technicalities:
Creator: Doofus Mayo (love that name, btw)
Shop Location: Shop on Sui Generis (SLURL)
Price: $600L per skin / $2000L for 4 makeups (4 skins)
Other Notes: Collection also includes eight shapes with 3 skin tones per shape, 4 makeups per skin tone, resulting in 96 total skins (if you were to buy the whole collection). I know this piece is a little confusing… it confused me a tad too! :P
Overall, this particular skin is very well done, save for a few problem areas that could use some work (which all skins have, really, so don’t fret).
I know this is a strange thing to start out with, but I just had to mention… I think the ears on this skin are fantastic. Their tone is not hugely different from the rest of the skin (big points) and I think the detail on them is beautiful. Just … had to throw that out there. *coughs* Moving right along!
I received three skins and three shapes in the package of review info from Mr. Mayo. I’ll be showing you the skins … you’ll need to head on out to Mr. Mayo’s shop to take a look at the shapes! They’re really seen much better in person anyway, I think. BUT… let’s talk about these magnificent skins! Most of the pictures I took are centered around the tan skin (Annalise is the package it came in, and unfortunately it is marked with “demo” unlike the darker and lighter versions of the skins), however I do provide a shot or two of the darker tone (Johari) and the lighter tone (Katsumi).
I am a rather big fan of the nipples on this skin. Albeit a little blurry, they’re actually quite nice in both size and color, on all three of the skins I received (I’m actually curious what Kitty would think of the nipples on the lighter version!). Highlighting on the breasts is top notch, lending just enough white light to just the right areas, giving them a very nice “smooth” feel.
My favorite part, the BOOTY, is VERY nice on this skin. Honestly, I think the shading and highlighting is perfect. I wouldn’t change a thing… and coming from me, the Ass Queen of the Universe, that’s saying a lot. I especially like the shading of the ass on the darker skin tone. The rest of the back is also very nicely detailed, showing a few spinal discs on the lower back, as well as distinctly shaded shoulder muscles. I do, however, think the shoulder blades could be a little more defined, but then again, that’s true with most skins I see… no love for the shoulder blades, I tell ya!
The abdomen of this skin is SUPERBLY shaded, with very intricate detail of all of the ab muscles. Always wanted well-defined abs? Now you can have ‘em! Just slap on this skin and you’re ready to go! An area of note, however, is that the bottom half of the abs (where the belly button meets the pubic area) the shading and detail just kind of… falls off. Almost to a flat color. An oversight, perhaps?
ANOTHER aspect of this skin that I really like is the knees and, surprisingly, the back of the knees. Their texture is EXCELLENT. Very realistic shading and the crease detail on the back of the knees is simply to DIE for. If I can see tendons, that’s freaking incredible. I don’t know why, but for some reason I feel like these little details mean so much, and Mr. Mayo has captured these areas beautifully. Such small things, that mean so much!
The feet and hands on these skins all come with painted nails, which, honestly, is a big breaking point for me. Clear nail polish all the way for this girl. However, I DO think it would be a good idea to sell various nail polishes (i.e. Naughty Designs). For those of us that don’t really like to have our nails painted odd colors (or who just like to be sure our nails will always match our clothes), this can be a real issue! Even if they were (are they?) tintable, that would be a considerable improvement in my book. However, the feet are lovely as far as SL feet go, and the detail on the inside of the hands is great, though the detail on the top of the hands needs a little more work. Think knuckles! :)
The pussy is tiny (are you guys ever gonna get tired of seeing closeups of mah snatch? *rofl*), and there is a very distinguishable clitoris hanging out down there beneath a tan-lined hood (there is no tan line on the darker skin version that I received, however, there is a small landing strip!). Despite that it is a little blurry, and the smudges that join the ass to the puss are a little harsh (and really, this is a hard thing to overcome, so I am quite impressed), I am actually quite satisfied with this detail. The thigh smearing is very minimal, and with a little sharpening, the tasty-bits would be excellent.
One tiny thing that bugged me about all three skins: the collar bone detail is a little… strange. Maybe a little too detailed? Is that even POSSIBLE? I don’t rightly know. But for some reason the collar bones gives me that “little old lady with unfortunate turkey neck” feel rather than the “sexy middle-ager sportin’ the moisturizer” feel. Am I wrong? Maybe I’m just looking too hard? I have been staring at these a lot… *loves the skins*!
Next stop: makeup. Like I noted earlier, I did get a tan, dark, and light version of the skins, all with their own distinct makeup flavors. I do believe I like the tan one the best, but I also think that the others, even the lighter version’s eye and lip makeup, are fantastic. I do not, however, like the eyebrows on any of the skins… they look a little too obvious in the “drawn on” way. This doesn’t necessarily make them bad, just… not realistic. However, I would like to point out that the detail on the lips is quite beautiful with just enough gloss to make me want to blot them. All things considered, if I could change one thing about the makeup and face detail, it would probably be the upper eyelids and eyebrows, something I kind of feel never gets enough attention to detail. When they’re good, they’re very good. When they’re not, I kind of feel that they can literally make or break a sale.
One more thing I’d like to point out, mostly for the creator’s sake, is the barely noticeable seam lines located on the skin’s body: the inner elbows (which are ALSO superbly detailed, I might mention), both outer thigh seams (left and right), and both outer elbows. The average buyer may or may not even notice, or even be LOOKING for, these lines, however, for the sake of an objective review, I thought I would throw them in here. Constructive criticism can only serve to help all of us, right?!
Now, there you have it! Mr. Mayo has provided us with some fantastic skins for $600L a pop (damn, now THAT’S a deal). And as I said with my last post, the holidays are coming up! Do you know someone who needs a skin upgrade? I bet you do! Why not treat them to one of this fantastic line? For $600L (or $2000L for the makeup pack!) you can beautify SL even further, one avi at a time. Head on over to the shop and pick up some demos, or grab a few in your favorite flavor. I am sure you won’t be disappointed.
Folks… I have to say, I am floored. For the first time in my Second Life, I just… don’t know what to say. That doesn’t happen often either, does it?
I ran across Mela’s blog post over on Grid Expectations yesterday, and saw a couple of shots of a body, some closeups of a face, etc. Pictures that catch your eye, you know? I mean… who doesn’t like looking at the nekkid avatars?
Now, as I’m sure most of you know, Mela makes shapes and has a fantastic little shape shop over on the Reina sim. She often posts pictures of the shapes she creates, wearing various skins, etc etc. However, most of the shots she takes of her shapes are actually clothed… which is why this particular post caught my eye. Nudity? Whiskey tango foxtrot, Batman!
So I had to investigate further.
As it turns out… this was no ordinary shape announcement. This was an announcement for the skin release of the YEAR… and by “skin release of the year” I mean “hold on to your butts, because you’re going to shit your pants when I tell you this.”
The magnificent, spectacular, beautiful, enchanting, somanythingsidontknowwhattosay Eloh Eliot has released a new line of her “E” skins at her little shop known simply as Another Shop (SLURL). And these are no ordinary skins for two reasons in my book:
1. The toes are perfect. PERFECT. Did I say perfect? I’m sorry, I meant FUCKING perfect.
2. The skin packs are $100L… for THIRTY-TWO SKINS!!! Yeah! THIRTY. TWO. Count ‘em!!! THIRTY-TWO!!! And that’s not a typo… they’re actually $100L per pack!
The Technicalities:
Creator: Eloh Eliot
Shop Location: Lippert Sim (SLURL)
Price: $100L per skin pack (32 skins)
Other Notes: All skin packs come with a shape, four bald hair bases that will change your eyebrow colors to red, blond, black, or brown and all skin makeup variations come with or without freckles. At LEAST seven different makeup variations.
Let’s charge right ahead here… to the TnA (tits and ass, folks).
The BOOBIES, as my girl Keiko would say, are fantastic. The nipples are the perfect size for me (I like ‘em cute and little). One tiny little thing I found a bit odd… there’s a little black dot right in the center of the aerola. Which is weird (giant mammary glands, perhaps?). But I’m sure that’s just an oversight and will likely be done away with in the next release. The shading on the boobs themselves is fantastic, especially from the side (which I regret not capturing a snap of). They look so round and firm that you just wanna SQUEEEEEZE them. Beautiful.
The ass is just as nice albeit a LITTLE under shaded (burned) on the bottom of the cheeks. I don’t know why, but I really love my ass cheeks to pop… and the only thing that really does that for me is the shading beneath the cheek. This skin needs a little more of that for my taste, but other then that… this is one scrumptious little boo-tay, and like it’s boobie counterparts, very squeezable.
The pussy is also fantastic, hairless (BIG POINTS in my book *big big Brazilian buff*) and beautifully shaded… it’s perfect, really. That’s all I can think to say. It’s perfect. And what makes it all better is it doesn’t smear down the inner thighs. There is a TINY bit of smearing there… but not much! And I especially love the shading of the flesh and hood of the kitty itself… it actually adds depth to the muscle structure beneath the skin and makes it all pop out even more. Guys… if your girl buys this skin, you’re in for a treat!
The feet are the best feet I’ve ever seen in SL, bar none. They ACTUALLY look like feet. I was shocked when I saw them. I don’t even know what to say except that I would buy these skins three hundred times for the feet detail and perfection ALONE. The hands are also nicely manicured, but could do with a little more detail on the TOP of the hand… however, the PALM of the hand is very nicely detailed and shaded. They might be the first hands I’ve seen the actually incorporate shading and creases on the palms. The legs and knees? Also just perfect, right down to the shading on the leg bones. Bravo!
The bottom line here really is, that for $100L for 32 skins… you need to go out and buy these. If you don’t, you’re missing out on some seriously gorgeous and INCREDIBLY steal-worthy skins. I don’t think, even if I said it a hundred times, I could stress enough just how much I adore these skins, and Eloh Eliot… you are my new goddess. I want to have your babies.
I can’t even come up with anything negative to say about these skins aside from some of the white highlighting being a little too harsh… and even THAT wouldn’t be enough to stop me from buying these fan-fucking-tastic skins.The store is Another Shop (SLURL). The deal of a Second Lifetime. Don’t miss out! Also, for more pictures and a second opinion (and a beautiful opinion at that! *hugs Mela*) check out Mela’s blog post on Eloh’s skins.
Oh! And for those of you wondering what the difference is between the demos and the purchased skins… there is no “demo” splattered all over the skin, this is true. BUT… take a look at your mouth. I’m sure you don’t want to walk around with teeth like that!!! :P
I do so love review requests. Just thought I’d throw that out there. *hint hint, wink wink, nudge nudge* Myrich McMillan contacted me today, asking me oh-so-politely to review this lovely skin set. I was flattered, naturally… and happily accepted the opportunity! Again, as with my last skin review, I will start out with the technicalities first for those of you who do not wish to read this whole post:
Creator: Myrich McMillan
Shop Location: None
Method of Purchase: SL Exchange
URL: Click Here (You will need to have mature content enabled!)
Price: $500L per skin / $2000L per fat pack (9 skins)
Total Variations: It looks like somewhere between 9 and 13 (unclear)
Other Notes: Comes with a free shape and face light
I’ll begin the review with a lovely note by Myrich to her consumers:
Thanks for trying one of my demo skins. Most likely the current skin you’re wearing sucks. You may have shadows hiding under your butt, your naughty bits are blurry, no palm prints, or whatever. It was for these reasons that I designed this line of skins.
As you’ll see when you try on this skin the seams are nearly invisible, there are realistic freckles over the body, there are no weird shadows under your boobs, you have palm prints, nicely painted nails, a shapely belly, knees, toes, toe nails….
The best test to see if it is worth buying this skin is to try on the demo, hop on a pose ball, and play with the lighting. As with all skins, an incredible amount of work went into this one. I promise you, this skin is one of the best.
If you see something you don’t like, IM me (Myrich McMillan). I’ll do my best to fix it.
If you are interested in other skins by me on SLEX, do a search for Myrich McMillan.
Have a great day!
Cheers,
MM
And now for ‘da good stuff!
Being as objective as possible, I will say that these skins have both their pros and cons… and they’re not even cons really. More like “room for improvement”, as ALL skins have. No skin is perfect. As with all things, practice makes perfect, and as first time skins go, this skin is actually VERY nicely done indeed.
As per usual, the first thing I notice on any skin I am looking at is TnA. That’s “tits and ass” for all you non-acronym folks out there. However, I’d like to do this particular review a little differently, just to make sure I get all the points I’d like to make across in an effective and efficient manner. Us fashionistas, always changing shit up… you know how we do!
I’d like to point out that these skins have a fantastically realistic skin texture. Freckles, veins, very realistic shading on certain areas of the body… it’s beautifully done, and honestly I’m impressed. The knees are splendid as are the shoulder blades in both highlighting and texture, two areas that I am for some reason very picky about. Another area I was very pleased to see go un-ignored, and SHOCKED to notice the realism of is the BACK of the knees… there are tiny veins and creases that add so much effect I was practically bowled over.
I feel like the vein point is an important one, because veins are something that too many SL skin artists overlook when creating realistic skins. When I saw them on the back of the knees, I was inspired to search over the rest of the skin and I am happy to report there are veins throughout the body… breasts, the left hip area, even the inside of the arms. We have BLOOD! Who knew???
Another point I’d like to make is the realism of the hoo-haa (kitty, vagina, pussy, genital area… pick your poison). It looks *delicious*. It’s sporting a very tiny landing strip (which honestly, I could do without… but I am really just biased to Brazilians) and is actually remarkably well detailed. As with many skins, there is some inner thigh smearing that needs work, but I am pretty impressed with the area for this particular skin, despite that it does have room for improvement.
Something else you’ll notice about this skin is the tan lines… I’m not crazy about them, but that could just be personal preference. As an addition to the skin, they’re not poorly done — quite the opposite — they’re actually very nice. But… I’m just not into tan lines. Maybe we could convince Myrich to sell both with and without tan lines??? Many options is always the best option in my opinion.
One thing I was ASTONISHED to see, that I’ve NEVER seen on another skin (maybe I’m just not looking hard enough?)… there’s an asshole. Literally. A tiny little sphincter-anus (I know, that’s not a word) painted right onto the lovely little booty. Granted, it’s kind of just plopped onto the skin right now… it needs a little shading work… a kind of “fade-in” to make it more realistic. BUT… bravo for initiative, man, because I’ve NEVER seen this before. As my good friend Codie would say, “I don’t know what made SL designers decide we didn’t need assholes.” *give this man a round of applause*
As for the ass itself, the cheeks need a little work. I am a sucker for the perfectly shaded ass, and it is a huge, HUGE deal breaker for me during a skin purchase… and while the tan lines add a little depth, if you take those away, you’ve just got a flat skin texture. Here’s hoping that a little bit of an ass-smash will take place on the next skin release! A little shading to give depth to the cheek goes a long way. Don’t neglect the boo-tay!
The hands are actually nicely manicured, as are the feet, however there is a big seam mishap going on with the fingers. Seams are a big problem for a lot of skin designers (there’s another long seam line on the legs), but with a little more blending work, this skin could be flawless in its match-up. Another very fixable thing that I noticed is the ears… they are a very different skin tone in comparison to the rest of the body. A little oversaturated, perhaps. However, I would like to point out that the ears are very nicely detailed and realistic and could be flawless with a little more work.
The demo skins I received to review (”Beth” in both Burgundy and Natural) are red headed skins and come with a full head of painted on hair, which I will be very honest about… I think is a BAD idea. While the drawn hair is actually not bad, seeing as how 99% of hair worn in SL is prim hair, if that drawn hair shows from underneath (which it did for my review)… that’s going to turn a lot of buyers off. In my personal opinion, unless it is a male skin and the hairline is VERY well lined up, skins should always, always, ALWAYS be bald. Another thing I noticed about the head of the skin… the nostrils are orange. I imagine this was just an oversight and will likely be fixed with the next release, so don’t fret! Also… the EYEBROWS on this skin are FANTASTIC. Very, very realistically done. I am actually a little unclear as to whether or not this skin comes in different hair shades (like I said, the ones I received are red-headed and thus have red eyebrows) but for you red heads out there, these red eyebrows would make you very happy!
My last point, and I’ll just be up front about this one — the makeup needs work. I actually do like the natural makeup versus the burgundy makeup more, mostly because the burgundy lips look very “painted on” and disproportionate. But the natural lips are actually quite lovely in their subtle pink hue. Same with the eye makeup… there is just too much going on with the Burgundy version. Less is more!
All in all, for the $500L you will pay (which also gets you a free shape and face light!), this is a VERY nice skin and INCREDIBLY well done for its value. Like many first time skin creations, there are areas for improvement — but I am very much looking forward to the next release by our dear Myrich McMillan. With this skin texture and the VEINS… I’m sure the next release will be better than ever!
Check out Ms. McMillan’s store on SLEX (URL) to buy demos and purchase these lovely skins. And don’t forget to share the wealth! The holidays ARE coming up after all… surprise someone with a skin upgrade! At $500L, you can’t go wrong. :)
Oh. My. God.
I almost had a fucking skingasm over what I’m about to write, so if you are of the light-hearted persuasion, I encourage you to prepare yourself. Because wow… this is intense. For those of you that aren’t easily weak-kneed, go pour yourself a nice glass of ice tea, sit back, relax, and let the tinglies come to you.
For the sake of those of you who do not want to read the entire review, I will get the technical details on each skin type out of the way first:
Hart Larsson, a man I can only describe as so-talented-I-could-faint, asked me to review his FRIGGIN FANTASTIC skin shop, PXL Creation Boutiques (SLURL), earlier today. So I walked in, I picked up a few demos to try on, right? I was NOT prepared for what I saw, and I’ll tell you why.
These have to be… seriously… some of the best skins I’ve ever seen in SL. Ever. EVER. And I’ll tell, no screw that, I’ll SHOW you why. Because this has to be the least smearing in the girlie-bits area I’ve EVER…SEEN:
Yeah. It’s THAT good. And I’ve looked at a LOT of skins. I have NEVER seen a skin that wasn’t completely smeared in the girlie-bits area on the inner thighs. Which makes this skin just incredible to me. So now that I’ve shown you the reason you should go out and buy this skin (becauseomgwtfnosmearingonthegirliebitsftw!), let me tell you more about why this skin will make an incredible, incredible addition to your inventory evolution.
We’ll start out with my personal favorites; the two things I look at first when deciding on a skin purchase: ass and titties (dude, I swear I’m a girl… no seriously). For technical purposes, the skin I will be reviewing is called “Chandra”, Tan, with Coffee eye shadow.
The nipples are incredibly realistic on all of the demos that I tried on. All match their skin tones beautifully. The breasts themselves give off a subtle white glow, highlighting the shadow beneath them. They look smooth and silky to the touch… as I’m sure they would be! *wink* I have to say, I’m actually most impressed by the nipples on the Chandra Tan skin, and the breasts in general. The shading and skin detail is top notch, and only makes you want to explore more of this perfect skin.
Now, I’ll start this next paragraph by saying… I have a pretty nice ass. It’s true. You’ve all seen it. It’s nice, right? Well get a load of THIS craziness.
I didn’t think it was possible to make my ass look any better… but Mr. Larsson has certainly proved me wrong. This has to be the most realistic looking ass I’ve ever seen grace the face of SL. The cheeks are just RIDICULOUSLY well done… and granted, there is only ONE tiny area that I see room for improvement on, and that is the shading beneath the “crack”… the lower cheek shading that seperates the lower bun from the upper thigh. Other then that though, the ass is just unbelievable. And coming from me, someone that is strangely proud of her ass (as again, you all know…), that’s saying something!
Now that we’ve covered my two favorite parts, we’ll move on to the more complicated, though less noticed areas. Knees, shoulder blades, hands, feet… The places you never think to look until you’ve purchased a skin and realize, “Oh, my God, I paid $1,000L for THAT? I can’t show my naked ass in public like this.” I am proud to say that this will not be the case with this skin.
The hands are beautifully done and very well detailed, right down to the pseudo french manicure on the nails. The hands and knuckles are shaded rather subtlely, but you can damn near make out the bone structure underneath the fragile skin. The feet are also very well done for being… well… Second Life feet. I’m sure you all know what I mean. Feet in Second Life just weren’t meant to exist… however, I am happy to say that I can clearly distinguish five toes, and even five toe NAILS on this skin,… something that is not always entirely easy to do!
The knees are also superbly shaded and detailed. They’re neither too small nor too knobby, something that always, ALWAYs irks me about most Second Life skins (I swear, you’d think some people have no sense of proportion). The shoulder blades, I have to say are a TINY bit under-detailed, but still nicely done. With a little more shadow to make them pop out from the spinal cord a tiny bit more, I think they’d be practically perfect.
A few more details about this particular skin: the makeup is fantastic. The lipstick is very nice and has just enough gloss for my liking. Not to mention that the lip texture itself is fantastic, almost lifelike, especially on the Cloe versions of these excellent skins. The eye shadows are very well done, blended and highlight the upper eyelids perfectly. The eyebrows are something you might want to keep an eye on when purchasing these skins and trying on demos, because they DO change from skin style to skin style.
Even the EARS are well done.
One more thing for all you oily skin lovers… the Cloe skin line comes in both regular AND oiled skin!!! That’s right… now you can grease up with that Crisco sheen WITHOUT using a clothing layer! That fact ALONE should be enough to cause some serious “Gaga, Googoo’s”.
*stands back and sighs at the marvelousness that is the PXL skin line*
I cannot stress enough how much you honestly need to run out and buy these skins. Right now. Hurry hurry. They’re excellent, and you will not regret it! :) And at $1500 a skin, they’re a steal right now. I’m sure at their quality, the prices will be skyrocketing before you know it! Get ‘em while they’re hot! However, as with ALL purchases, buy responsibly! Try on demos and make sure you’re getting what you want!
And if it’s true that artists only get better with practice, then this man’s going to be blowing us all out of the water soon. Bravisimo, Hart!
PS: There are also MALE SKINS at PXL!!! So all you guys out there, don’t hesitate to stop by. He’s got something for you too!
