Series

Fantasy Avatar: The Broken Doll

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You’ve seen many fantasy avatars by now, from vampires and demons to elves and nekos. Today I bring you something a little different: a creepy broken doll.

Get The Broken Doll Look

Most of this look can be achieved with products you may already have. The main part that makes the doll is the tattoo layer discussed in the ~SongBird~ section below. Everything else is just added bonus! Any skin will work, though I love the super pale skin since it gives her that extra creepy, fragile vibe. If you’re using a mesh body parts you can utilize the shiny options to really make the glass doll effect pop.

Aii The Ugly & Beautiful

The porcelain skin Astral Allure is a wonderful base for a doll. The skin itself is a pure, simple look that comes with various customization options. Please note that Astral Allure is simply the skin used, the cracks and doll joints are actually a separate product.

The HUD below shows all but the nipple color options that Astral Allure comes with. It’s really versatile and great for fantasy styles.

Click for full view

By setting the shiny option on the body and head to max I was able to give the doll a great polished glass look. While the effect is slightly visible in the photos it’s really noticeable when moving through a well lit area.

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Free Dove Friday: June 23, 2017

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Since discovering The Free Dove, I’ve decided to showcase one look a week with items from the store. Welcome to Free Dove Friday!

This week showcases a casual set from Masoom and Shiny Stuffs.

Fast Facts On The Brands

  1. Masoom
    • Clothing and accessories
    • Products for women
    • Marketplace store has over 100 items
  2. Shiny Stuffs
    • Cosmetics
    • Products for women
    • Marketplace store has over 100 items

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How To Look Like A Million Bucks On A Budget

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Note: While the images are from 2017 products, the content has been reviewed and is up to date as of July 2020.

Second Life and some of its many avatars may be free, however a large portion of us invest money into the game. Avatar customization can turn into a very expensive hobby if you have the desire and the funds. That said, you don’t have to be rich to look awesome. If you want to spend some money on your avatar but need to stick to a budget you can still look great.

What To Spend On

The important thing to remember is that your avatar is yours and what’s important to others may not be important to you. Maybe you don’t care about cool clothing but you want a high quality mesh body. Perhaps you love the system body and want to invest in quality clothing and hair. It’s entirely up to you. Here are some things worth investing in when funds are limited.

The Basics: Body, Skin, Hair, Etc.

A high quality base is a great starting point. If you have some of the more popular mesh body parts you can find low cost and even free clothing, appliers, and accessories quite easily. What you should purchase is entirely up to your preferences and budget. This section lists some of the most popular brands alongside which genders they support so you have a place to start. This is by no means a complete list, it just includes the most popular brands to consider.

Mesh Body Parts

If you’ll only be purchasing high quality body parts (and looking for deals on skins and appliers) I recommend sticking with the more common mesh body options. Their popularity makes it very easy to find low cost and free products to use with them. I highly encourage you to demo all your parts together before purchasing to ensure they give you the look you want. 

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Free Dove Friday: June 16, 2017

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Since discovering The Free Dove, I’ve decided to showcase one look a week with items from the store. Happy Free Dove Friday!

This week showcases an outfit from Lillou’s Designs.

Fast Facts On The Brand

  1. Lillou’s Designs
    • Shoes, clothing, and accessories
    • Sells products for men and women
    • Marketplace has over 1,000 items.

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Free Dove Friday: June 9, 2017

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Since discovering The Free Dove, I’ve decided to showcase one look a week with items from the store. Welcome to Free Dove Friday!

This week showcases a casual set from Sweet E’s Designs and a necklace by TEMPESTUOUS.

Fast Facts On The Brands

  1. TEMPESTUOUS
    • Jewelry, accessories, and attire
    • Products for women
    • Marketplace store has over 50 items
  2. Sweet E’s Designs
    • Clothing
    • Products for women
    • Marketplace store has over 800 items

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Free Dove Friday: June 2, 2017

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Since discovering The Free Dove, I’ve decided to showcase one look a week with items from the store. Happy Free Dove Friday!

This week showcases looks from KingbalStores, Apple May Designs, and Shoeddiction.

Fast Facts On The Brands

  1. KingbalStores
    • Shoes and clothing
    • Sells products for men and women
    • Marketplace has huge selection
  2. Apple May Designs
    • Skins, shapes, clothing, shoes, and accessories
    • Main store focuses on women
    • Marketplace store has more options for men
  3. Shoeddiction

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Free Dove Friday: May 26, 2017

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Since discovering The Free Dove, I’ve decided to showcase one look a week with items from the store. Welcome to Free Dove Friday!

This week showcases a cute retro outfit (dress, scarf, sunglasses) from Caged Butterfly and shoes from Emerald Couture.

Fast Facts On The Brands

  1. Caged Butterfly
    • Clothing
    • Caters to men and women
    • Marketplace store has over 300 items
  2. Emerald Couture
    • Clothing
    • Serves men and women
    • Marketplace store has over 300 items

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Mesh Crash Course: Selecting A Body

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Note: While the images are from 2017 products, the content has been reviewed and is up to date as of July 2020.
Need more mesh help or info? Check out our full Mesh Crash Course.

Mesh bodies have become extremely popular in Second Life. They offer more realistic curves and higher levels of modification than the classic system avatar bodies. With so many mesh bodies to chose from you may need a hand narrowing it down. Not to worry! Today’s post covers what to look for when researching and demoing potential mesh body purchases.

Main Considerations

As always you must remember that what is right for others may not be right for you. It comes down to your own needs and preferences. There are a few things to consider when demoing (yes, you should be using demos) and narrowing the options for your personal taste.

Proportions

Some people love fairly realistic avatar bodies. Others love giant booties and chests. Some love small, petite bodies, and still others want to be child sized or feral animals. All of these are possible but work best with different bodies. While many bodies allow for a level of customization there is only so far you can go. Altering shapes too drastically can result in issues with clipping and jagged edges. You’ll want to ensure the body you select will support your own vision. Keep in mind you may have to get separate products (such as third party breasts) for some of the more extreme looks.

For the initial browsing of what body types you may like I highly recommend Mesh Body Addicts. You can browse by gender and quickly get an idea of what style you may prefer. If you’re looking for a child or very petite body you may not find what you’re looking for there. ToddleeDoo is a very popular brand for toddler avatars and UTILIZATOR‘s Kemono is a well loved petite body that works well for anime avatars or petite humans/furries. Sking is a popular brand for those who want huge chests and booties.

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Mesh Crash Course: Selecting A Head

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Note: While the images are from 2017 products, the content has been reviewed and is up to date as of July 2020.
Need more mesh help or info? Check out our full Mesh Crash Course.

Mesh heads are extremely popular due to their smooth, seamless look in comparison to system heads. Whether you’re looking for your first mesh head or your fifth there are a few basics that can help ensure you pick the perfect one for you.

Main Considerations

Of course what is right for others may not be right for you. It always comes down to your own needs and preferences. There are a few things to consider when demoing (yes, you should be using demos) and narrowing down the options for your personal taste.

Bento vs Static?

One of your biggest choices is if you’d like a bento or static head. I won’t get in too deep as we’ve already covered this, however it’s still important to touch on. The main difference between bento and static heads is the shape customization. Bento heads respond to the shape sliders so you can get various looks with the same head. Static heads don’t respond to the sliders and always have the same shape even if you alter sliders. Bento heads can work with bento animations, even from third party creators. Static heads are more limited and will not change with bento animations, but instead rely on the HUDs from their developer.

Alpha Options

Many people like to use different eyes, ears, or teeth instead of the standards that may come with a purchase. If you’re one of those people (or may be in the future) you’ll want to ensure your head will allow for it. If the head comes with those components you’ll want to make sure they are either equipped separately or can be hidden. Otherwise you will likely run into clipping issues and a weird mix of double features.

If you’re not sure why anyone would want to use something aside from the standards take a peek at this list. I’d hate for you to pick a head that didn’t let you hide ears than decide you wanted to be an elf in a few weeks!

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