new year

  • New Year, New Body… again?

    New Year, New Body... again?

    So last year, I wrote a blog post titled New Year, New Body, marking my transition from Pink Fuel body skins after over a decade of use. I opted for The Skinnery due to its breathtaking realism and incredible details. I wore it throughout the year, purchasing different tones and add-ons, and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. However, I noticed a few months ago that the body skin was too realistic for my smooth face skin. And here we are again—another new year and a new body skin.

    This time, I chose the Velour Picasso Babe line because I saw they had an update for LaraX a few months ago. This body skin is less realistic than The Skinnery’s Luna Body Skin, which is precisely why I decided on it. Overall, the Velour skin is smoother and offers fewer options, but it complements my face skin nicely. There is one detail I hope will be addressed: there’s a faint line along the ankle where the leg and foot meet. It may not be a significant issue, but it’s something that bothers me.

    I am currently wearing the Glam Affair face skin in Snow tone. When I tried the Velour body skin in Snow tone, I found it to be too pink, so I opted for a darker shade and am now wearing the Velour body skin in Valley tone. Although this tone is supposed to be a shade darker, it works well for me and shares the same undertone as my face skin. Included in the Velour Picasso Babe package are neckfix layers that can be worn above both the face skin and body skin. However, I found both the Snow and Valley neckfix options to be too dark, so I am using a lighter tone and tinting it to my preference. Skin matching can be tricky, but it’s great to have the flexibility to adjust things until they appear just right. Even though brands may label their tones similarly, they don’t always look the same. Therefore, it’s advisable to try out a few tones before making a purchase and choose whatever looks best for your particular skin.

    As for the order of your tattoo layers, it depends on how you prefer the items to blend. For me, the order is body skin > face skin > neck fix on top. Sometimes, I experiment with placing the face skin below the body skin if I don’t like the neck fade on the face.

    I noticed that the feet and hands on the Velour skin lack details, so I enhanced the appearance with Izzie’s Feet Details, Izzie’s Wrist Creases, and Izzie’s Palm Creases. This subtle change made it so much better and the blend is flawless.

    New Year, New Body... again?
    New Year, New Body... again?

    This is the first change I’ve made to my appearance in 2025—a subtle adjustment, yet I am already appreciating the overall look much more. I am still wearing the Maitreya LaraX body and have no plans to change that.

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    Happy New Year

    Happy New Year

    Aren’t these Gigi Balloons from Legna the best? I love that these numbers come with two really nice poses for each hand. Even though the balloons state they are no modify, it actually allowed me to modify one, and I tinted it a light shade of blue. You can also rez these numbers for any occasion.

    This is meant to be an early Happy New Year post, but I also wanted to share my reflections on last year. Overall, I feel I had a good year in Second Life! I upgraded from Lifetime Premium to Lifetime Premium Plus, which cost a significant amount, and at first, I was genuinely excited. However, as the year progressed, I began to worry about the longevity of Second Life.

    I was enthusiastic about the mobile app when I tried it early this year as part of the alpha program; however, I now think it’s completely hopeless. This Open Letter to Linden Lab clearly outlines why I don’t believe we will ever see a usable mobile app.

    I had a lot of fun in the Aurelias region with my friend Sparkle. Still, I ultimately decided to pull the plug when I recognized that the economy and the state of Second Life might be uncertain in 2025. It was actually an easy decision; when faced with uncertainty, it is prudent to eliminate an unnecessary expense. As much as I enjoy having a whole region, I also appreciate the freedom that comes with not having to maintain one. I told Sparkle not to let me bring the region back next year, even if I have new ideas and want another one. 2025 is not the year for significant land projects.

    What am I looking forward to in Second Life in 2025? I am looking forward to Philip Linden changing his outfit. Additionally, I am eager for the next Linden Home theme, although Linden Lab has gone silent on that topic! Will it ever come? Who knows. It has been so long since the next theme was chosen via a poll that I almost forgot we were promised Alpine and Tiki as the next two themes. I am also looking forward to cleaning my inventory; right now it stands at 77k, but I know I can reduce it to 50k if I put in some effort.

    What are you looking forward to next year? Let me know in the comments!

    Happy New Year
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