If you don’t get excited about a nice pair of wings in Second Life, can you even call yourself a resident? Even though I own all types of wings, from angel wings to fae wings and even wings made out of branches, I still get that little spark of excitement when I find a new pair I don’t already have.
These Briar Wings from Sparkle Skye are currently at Midnight Order. They’re made with delicate branches, tiny pearls, leaves, and strands of twinkling lights that you can turn on and off. I don’t really know where I’m going with this look yet, but I’m honestly just so pleased that they match my dress perfectly.
And can we talk about skins for a second? Why are there so many good ones being released right now? I’m extremely picky, yet I just fell in love with the new Bryce skin from Glam Affair. This skin has some of the nicest lips I’ve ever seen. I honestly wish I could get the default lips on a tattoo layer so I could wear them with everything. Aida Ewing, the creator of Glam Affair, has also been absolutely killing it with the brows. I don’t usually love default brows, but lately I’ve been loving all of them. I still wear the tintable version though, just so I can make them light brown.
Even though I’ve already added enough of Izzie’s tattoo layers to make this skin perfect for me, I still tried on another skin anyway… and of course I love that one too. I’ll save that for the next post. Stay tuned!
Happy New Year! I think the future of Second Life skins is leaning into more textured looks, which adds to realism. I don’t usually love textured skins, but they do look so much more realistic than the smooth, flat skin we’re used to. That shift is really obvious with this new Madeline skin from Glam Affair. It’s very textured and very freckled, and while that isn’t normally my preference, I ended up loving it. I did tone it down a little with a few of Izzie’s tattoo fixes, which helped balance everything out.
That move toward texture feels closely tied to PBR, which is now being added not just to environments but to avatars as well. Because of that, I expect skins to keep changing in 2026, adding more depth in ways that make our avatars look more real and less flat. Even though PBR has some interesting moments, I still think it’s unfortunately a turn off for a lot of current residents. Change is difficult, especially when you’ve been around long enough to remember how things looked before. Maybe newer residents, who don’t have that comparison, will like it more.
All of this ties into the bigger picture of where Second Life is right now. When I decided to close my region at the end of 2024, I had a strong feeling that 2025 was going to be a difficult year in real life, and that it made sense to pull back spending in Second Life. I’m glad I stuck to that decision all year and didn’t bring the region back, even though I wanted to at least a dozen times. I also won’t be bringing it back in 2026 because of the economy, both in Second Life and in real life. There isn’t a lot of growth yet, and it feels like the Lindens are panicking.
I recently watched a snippet of an interview with Brett Linden on MetaRealities’ YouTube channel, and what really stood out to me was how much growth is needed for survival. Needed. Not just for Second Life as a company, but for the creators who make a living here. You can only get so much out of the current residents, which is why attracting new people feels so urgent right now.
So I’m ending one year and starting the next in a much calmer mindset. I rang in the New Year in this cozy Eboshi pajamas set from Aurun at Anthology. Comfort and chill is the vibe I’m going for this holiday season, so I paired them with the Not Tired Bow Slips from The Kiwi Co.
Now that my shopping blackout is over, I rembered that I wanted the Oaklynn Gown from Just Because. I collect a lot of their gowns since I love their style and color choices. When I’m not lounging in casual clothes, my other favorite style is Victorian lady, so I just fill my wadrobe with lots of gowns.
I went to Session Skin to try on the Charlize skin, mostly out of curiosity. I had no interest in looking like Charlize Theron, but I wanted to see if it looked good in-world. That led me to trying on a whole wall of face skins, only to decide they all aged me a little more than I would like in Second Life. The good news is that I still came away with a gorgeous new body skin.
I wasn’t even looking for a new body skin, but I’m always open if something suits me better. I tried on the Athena body skin and it looked great with a few of Izzie’s fixes. The challenge was matching their four skin tones to my Glam Affair face. It’s surprising that they only offer four tones and no neck blend, which leaves you on your own if you’re wearing anything other than a Session face skin.
Still, I made it work. I paired the Almond body tone from Session with Glam Affair L005 for the face. What you see here is not the bare Session skin since I added a couple of Izzie’s tattoos, but you get the idea. One of my gripes with the Ethereal Essence body skin I was wearing before is that the torso was too shiny, and they still have not released an optional layer to fix it. Another annoyance was how the inside elbow sat too high on the upper arm, which looks awkward when you bend your arm. Since I bend my arms a lot in Second Life, especially when holding things, I notice it right away. The Session body skin, however, has perfect shading at the elbow.
If you wear lighter tones and want to try a new body skin, these are worth a look. The toes are a bit of a blurry mess, but overall I liked it enough to fatpack. I would never recommend a body I would not wear myself. The definition is nice, and I managed to match it pretty well.
I’m a bit of a body skin collector and often change them depending on what suits my face skin. For years, I wore Pink Fuel body skins; they were my favorite because the shading was not heavy, and the texture was smooth with few imperfections. Even though I have several body skins that I’m happy with (including many tattoo fixes from Izzie’s), I jumped at the chance to try the free Next Level body skins from LAQ. If you use Maitreya, Legacy, Reborn, Belleza, Slink, or Omega (appliers), you’ll be able to wear these body skins. I am currently wearing it on the Maitreya LaraX body, and it’s just as good, if not better, than any body skins currently available from other brands.
I paired the LAQ 1.5 tone with my Glam Affair L005 face skin, but wanted it to be a touch lighter to match better. To fix this, I created body tint tattoos and listed them on Marketplace for L$10. If you want an exact match, like I do, be sure to check these out. You can easily tint the tattoo layers to match any face skin you’re wearing.
Recently, I found myself longing for a smooth body skin without highlights or shadows; I was tired of using dozens of body skin fixes to achieve the desired look. So, I am overwhelmingly impressed by this body skin. Mallory Cowen, the creator of LAQ, is a pioneer when it comes to texture skins in Second Life. She was among the first brands to create realistic skins with beautifully designed signature LAQ faces. I wore them for many years and think it’s nice to incorporate a bit of LAQ into my current look. I have also been asking Mallory to create some EvoX head skins, which I am know will be a success.
The generosity of some Second Life brands blows me away. Teleport to LAQ to get your hands on these free body skins.
Did I need a new body skin? No. Did I want a new body skin? Yes. Ever since Glam Affair and Not Found launched the new Ethereal Essence skin tones, I’ve been running around Second Life with a body skin from Velour that didn’t quite match. It was driving me crazy; even though I made it match reasonably well by using neck blenders, the body skin was for Velour tones, and I longed for a perfect match.
I had been eagerly awaiting the arrival of a matching body skin to complement my face, so I waited patiently until the Ethereal Essence body skin became available in LaraX. My initial impression of this body skin was that it had a significant amount of body shine and pronounced collarbone shading. I found the shine a bit intense for my taste, so I decided to add the Collarbone Cover from The Skinnery, which turned out to be a pretty good match and softened the collarbones nicely. You can find these in the Body Addons Bundle at The Skinnery.
Left: Ethereal Essence Body Skin | Right: with TheSkinnery Collarbone addon
I wanted to showcase the body skin without any tattoo fixes to give you a clear view of how it looks. Despite some areas that I wasn’t entirely satisfied with, such as the collarbone definition, the uneven armpit shading, and the overly dark butt shading, along with the excessive shine, I was still quite pleased with the skin overall. It perfectly matches my head skin, and I believe that with some adjustments and updates, this body skin could be truly remarkable.
While I could use a neck blender and pair another body skin with a close match, the neck shading never really complemented my previous skins; it often appeared flat. I feel that this body now aligns much better with my face than my previous body did, especially in conjunction with the new Ethereal Essence head skins.
My hope for this body skin is that updates will address some of these concerns or at least offer an add-on that provides wearers with options for the collarbones and lessen the body shine and shading issues. I think that Velour and The Skinnery also make excellent body skins, so I hope they release a line for Etheal Essence. Izzie’s offers many fixes that I’ll likely use immediately to make this body skin feel more like my own, but I generally prefer when brands update their products based on customer feedback.
Have you tried the new Ethereal Essence body skin? Let me know in the comments!
Glam Affair has announced the new Ethereal Essence collection, a collaboration of face skins and body skins with Not Found. This release includes new 2k face skins and body skins. First impressions: the Glam Affair skins are breathtaking. The Not Found body skins are only available for Legacy and Reborn, so Maitreya LaraX wearers like myself will have to wait a while longer to try these.
In my previous post about 2k BoM skins, I truly noticed a difference between 1k and 2k when comparing the same skin. Even the tattoo cosmetics that are 1k benefited from baking with a 2k skin. However, that skin was not designed for 2k, but these skins are, resulting in a noticeable difference in quality.
Of the four new face skins released by Glam Affair, I liked the Siu face best. It’s very pretty, showcasing just enough realistic pores and shine. I am not wearing the brows with this skin, but here it is as-is, without any additional tattoo layers on top. Those who appreciate high-definition and close-up details will undoubtedly love 2k skins! Yes, you can see the pores more, but to me, there’s a balance where it can be done well if the brand doesn’t increase sharpness too much. I am excited about the future of Second Life skins!
It’s interesting to note that Glam Affair has removed Velour tones from their skin line up. Now the skins will come with 20 new Glam Affair tones, so you’ll have to demo all of them to find your new perfect shade. I settled on tone 005, and I found that it’s a good match with some Velour body skins and some The Skinnery body skins.
Will these popular bodies update their tones to support Glam’s new tones? I hope so!
Previously, I also mentioned that I thought skin brands should provide free updates to 2k, but I no longer feel that way. I think that 2k skins are so high definition that the previous methods of shading and texturing may no longer be the best way to showcase it. It is time to look ahead and move forward. I know I will only purchase 2k skins from now on. Does this render my entire skin collection obsolete? Probably! While the difference may not be drastic, it is certainly noticeable, and as you all know, I appreciate details.
What do you think about the new 2k Glam skins? Are you excited about the next chapter of Second Life? We will begin to see higher quality decor and clothing as well.
Inspired by Philip’s journey in transforming his avatar in Second Life, I decided to embark on creating a male avatar. How difficult could it be? I felt quite nervous, as I hadn’t made a male avatar in over a decade. I have lots of knowledge about female fashion, but I am not well-versed in male fashion, aside from knowing that if I ever created a male alt, he would wear Deadwool. I have always thought Deadwool was perfection, so I made a male avatar just to wear it.
I created my alt last month during the Thanksgiving holiday, tried on a bunch of demos, and then logged out because I wanted to wait for the free LeLutka head. I had a general idea of which body I wanted to buy, and it would definitely be one of the bodies supported by Deadwool. Last night, I logged in again and decided it was time to give my newly created alt a makeover.
Meet George. Yes, that’s right; he is named after Gorgeous (Gogo), and he’s quite the shopper. I gave my alt L$10,000 lindens to spend on his wardrobe. Since the LeLutka 12 Days of Christmas event was underway, I didn’t need to purchase a mesh head, which saved me some money. When making an avatar in Second Life, it’s important to have both a body and a head before making any additional decisions. I am wearing the free LeLutka Camden head, which also included a very nice skin. Normally, I am quite picky about skins, but after trying a couple of free gifts from brands in the 12 Days of Christmas event, I thought that the default skin was the nicest. I wanted George to have manly vibes rather than look like Gogo’s twin; some of the other brands were simply too pretty.
With the head sorted, I needed to choose a body. I can’t recall why I opted for the Signature Gianni body over the Belleza Jake body, but it cost me L$3,900, which accounted for the majority of my budget. Deadwool supported Belleza, Gianni, and Legacy bodies, if I remember correctly. I opted not to purchase the Legacy body because it requires enabling media in Second Life for the HUD to function.
The remainder of my budget was spent on Deadwool clothing, with the most expensive item being the L$2,590 fatpack of Dean Jeans from Deadwool. I wanted a specific color in the fatpack, meaning George will have to wear these jeans forever since they were expensive.
The most challenging aspect of creating a male avatar was finding a suitable hairstyle. I have always loved Wings hair, so I visited the store and, for the first time, tried on male Wings hair. Last night was a night of firsts for me; I experienced multiple new things, such as trying on a male LeLutka mesh head and purchasing from Deadwool. I also felt insecure about my height, as many male avatars I encountered were significantly taller.
My friend suggested that I visit the Man Cave event, because the brands there are giving away lots of gifts for this round. I was already at Man Cave last month gathering demos, as it is one of the events that caters specifically to men. It seems this will become my go-to event for George whenever I want him to go shopping. If you know of any other similar events, please let me know in the comments! I’m a freebies junkie, so I grabbed a bunch of gifts and actually found a really nice suit, a couple of free tops, and some very usable cosmetics.
Initially, I was anxious about creating a male avatar, as I did not want him to resemble Gogo or appear as though he was made by a woman, although that might be inevitable. To minimize the similarities, I chose a tan skin and darker hair for my alt. The entire process turned out to be easier than I anticipated; everything came together in just one night. I think my experience with Second Life fashion (for women) helped, as the underlying concepts remain the same. I will try not to overthink the details, because I think George turned out really nice for now. Alting can be costly, but now I might be able to take the photos I want with Gogo, featuring outfits I want to showcase without relying on someone else’s help.
What’s next for George? An Animation Override, so he can stand and walk better. Additionally, I look forward to introducing him to Gogo! Are you interested in seeing male fashion covered on JuicyBomb? Please let me know in the comments!
During certain holidays in Second Life, you can acquire a mesh head for as little as L$10 or even for free! When I discovered that LAQ is offering a Black Friday Sale on the Era2 mesh heads, I teleported over to check it out. The Era2 EvoX head is available for L$10, while the full version is 75% off, priced at L$1,150. It had been a while since I last blogged about the Era2 mesh heads, so I took the time to become reacquainted with all of their features.
Let me begin by saying that I hold a great deal of admiration for Mallory Cowen as a creator. She has her own distinct style and has been creating in Second Life for a long time. LAQ has cultivated a loyal following. For many years, LAQ was my go-to destination for realistic, youthful face skins. Despite my feelings for Mallory and the brand, my reviews will always remain honest.
Now, let’s discuss the Era2 EvoX head. I was eager to try it on, especially since I could wear the new Paige (EvoX) skin from Glam Affair. I also noted that the teeth are now adjustable, which is fantastic! I have always wished to reposition the teeth to avoid them protruding when I adjust my face shape for smaller lips. Upon trying it on, I immediately observed that this EvoX head does not come with a HUD. It’s not a mistake; it simply does not include a HUD. Therefore, you cannot change the lashes, adjust the teeth, correct the skin texture appearing on the ears (which is a notable flaw), or utilize any of the animations included with the full HUD. If you own the full Era2 mesh head, you already have this HUD, including the EvoX head version. However, for residents who are experiencing LAQ for the first time, here’s a pro tip: Get the demo of the full Era2 mesh head, and you can utilize the HUD on the EvoX head. Thus, this L$10 sale is an excellent opportunity for those dipping their toes into LAQ for the first time and needing a functional head. In my opinion, it is a mistake not to include the full HUD. Even free heads offered by other brands come with complementary HUDs.
As always, even though the head is EvoX and the skin is EvoX, the fit differs from that of a LeLutka EvoX head. This variation is true across all mesh head brands; the EvoX version is always… interesting. Sometimes it works well, and sometimes it does not. In this case, I found that it works reasonably well, aside from some texture stretching on the shadow of the lower lips.
If you’re starting your Black Friday shopping early, be sure to check out the FabFree Black Friday Listing. Most brands are offering discounts of 50% or greater, which presents an amazing shopping opportunity.
I’m a big fan of Glam Affair’s “weird skins”—you know, their Halloween-inspired and dark fantasy creations. Recently, I tried on the Glam Affair Creature Collection, and I was particularly drawn to the Cyber Mask. This led me on a quest for the perfect body skin to match it.
Interestingly, Glam Affair teamed up with Not Found for the Aliens and Cyborg Collection, and I decided to explore what they had to offer. I tested out a few other face masks from both Not Found and LeLapeau while I was there, but Glam Affair’s is my favorite.
If you’re in the mood to go full alien, Glam Affair has a matching skin that’s absolutely stunning. For now, though, I’m all in on being a cyborg, and I have to say, this is the cutest cyborg look I’ve ever seen in Second Life! If someone were to create this entire outfit in mesh, I’d immediately buy it.
However, I did have some reservations about the Not Found skin. I noticed some noticeable seams on the sides, and certain parts of the skin appeared a bit AI-generated and blurry. Despite these flaws, I still forked over L$699 because I really wanted to sport it. So my advice? Always demo before you buy. You really want to think twice about spending money on a costume you might only wear once or twice.
While there are instances in Second Life where I overlook imperfections, I can’t help but feel a little disappointed here. That said, if I were into futuristic roleplay, I’d absolutely rock this look and save a ton of lindens on clothing. And yes, I’m totally rocking the naked look right now—you could say it’s also a wonderfully lag-free style!
If you asked me about my top two favorite skin brands on Second Life, they’d definitely be Amara Beauty and Glam Affair. Shout out to these amazing creators for making faces that are both sweet and easy to wear. My favorite brand at any given moment really depends on their latest release. I was a dedicated Glam Affair fan for months earlier this year, but around May, I switched to Amara Beauty. The reason? My favorite tone, Beige, started looking too orange. I suspected that PBR was affecting my tone preferences, so I tried a lighter shade, Flower. Still, it didn’t resonate with me. Given how much skin tones rely on shading and highlights, I made the switch.
I was happily wearing Amara Beauty for a while, but no brand is perfect. I still layered dozens of Izzie’s products on my face to fix the skin. This is why I don’t really do skin reviews anymore—it’s hard for others to replicate the look after I’ve customized it so much.
Anyway, today I’m back in a Glam Affair skin, and it’s not without its challenges. When I tried on the Nicta skin, I saw so much potential. It felt like “me” for a moment, though there were issues. I didn’t like the heavy highlights on the lips or the odd side highlight on the forehead above the brows. What’s going on there? I called my go-to skin doctor, Izzie Button (Izzie’s), and asked her to create a custom fix for the lips so I could wear my favorite lipsticks again and to remove the bizarre forehead highlight. She did it! One thing I appreciate about Izzie is that she’s always willing to create custom fixes for skins. If you need Dr. Izzie, feel free to message her in-world—she says I can tell you that. 🙂
Face Shine 25% Opacity & Face Shine 100% Opacity
Now that we have PBR lighting, I find myself drawn to face highlights, but not the overly baked-on kind. I like options, and Glam Affair included a Face Shine layer at 100%, 50%, and 25% opacity. If you prefer your own face shine, just wear the skin as-is and add on Izzie’s Highlighter Set to your liking.
This Glam Affair Nicta skin isn’t perfect to me, mainly due to the face and lip shine and the freckles on the nose that can’t be removed or fixed with Izzie’s tattoos. The freckles mean I can’t use Izzie’s Nose Shading fix, as it removes freckles only on one side. So you might be wondering, “Gogo, if you have to make so many adjustments, why wear the skin at all?” Just look at it! With Izzie’s help, I managed to fix about 90% of the issues, and now it feels like me. I decided that my new tone from Glam Affair is now Ivory, because it looks the best in PBR lighting and matches my current body tone.
Do you wear a skin without any additional tattoo layer fixes? Let me know in the comments, because I haven’t been able to do that in a very long time. I almost never wear the original brows that come with any skins—I guess I’m just complicated like that.
