Do you ever have the desire to dress up like somebody but don’t feel the need to look identical to them? That’s what the Inspired By series is all about! Feel free to use these short posts for a little inspiration of your own, whether it’s mix & matching some of the products used here or doing something completely new!
Wonder Woman
While she’s gained a burst of popularity with the recent blockbuster film, Wonder Woman (aka Diana, Princess of Themyscira, Daughter of Hippolyta)has been around in comics since 1941. The look used in today’s post is based on her classic (pre 1960s) appearance.
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.
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.
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.
Have you ever looked in the mirror after a new haircut and felt like a new person? A new ‘do can really change the vibe you give off to others! This is true for our avatars, too.
A change of color can be the breath of fresh air your avatar needs, or perhaps you want an entirely different style altogether. You may be surprised at just how much a new hairstyle can change your overall appearance. Take the images below, for example. The hair are the only differences between each image. The red and black cuts are actually the same hair with different styles selected. Notice how each look could be their own different character. Every hair in this post was created by TRUTH.
Truth hairs shown (from top left): Kitten, Horizon, Euphoria, Labyrinth, Kitten, Poetry
Need more mesh help or info? Check out our full Mesh Crash Course. Mesh hands and feet are a popular option for users with all types of avatars. For somebody who goes full mesh it’s a no brainer. Many system avatars also enjoy mesh hands or feet for various reasons including bento hand capability and …
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.
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!
I’ve had quite a few people ask about my male avatar, Zane, and how I made his base look. I wanted something that looked nice and was easy to customize. With a little research and a lot of demos he became the handsome man he is today. This post is just a quick explanation of the products used for his base look.
Slink
When I made Zane the most commonly used body type for men was Slink‘s Physique. The popularity of the body makes it easier to find compatible products which can be a bit annoying for male avatars. Slink’s body is Omega compatible which makes finding skins, tattoos, and applier clothing a breeze. The alpha layers make it easy to wear various mesh clothing too.
Every so often a product comes out that changes the way everyone thinks about that commodity. Take Vista’s bento hands for example. They were the first bento hands publicly available and nearly everyone was fascinated, if not addicted, to the new and future possibilities. This week TRUTH released a hair product that is doing the very same thing, this time with no extra Linden Labs technology needed.
A Brief History
If you’ve ever purchased hair in Second Life, and even if you haven’t, you’ve likely heard of TRUTH. Named for the founder and designer, Truth Hawks, TRUTH is perhaps the most popular and successful hair brand in Second Life. While he specializes in women’s hair Truth has also developed some clothing and accessories. His products are found at his in world store, the Marketplace, and various events across the grid. He even created Uber, a sales event that both customers and designers look forward to every round.
Note: While the images in this blog post are from 2017, the content has been reviewed and updated for 2020.
As you explore Second Life you’re bound to pick up some items along the way. Okay, who am I kidding, you’re gonna have WAY more than some. You’ll find that your inventory fills up super quick, especially if you’re visiting events or freebie areas. Second Life inventory management is something that everybody can benefit from. Whether you’ve been playing a week or a decade I can help you get that inventory under control. This post teaches you how to organize your inventory easily and without spending a single cent. If you’re interested in a more in depth system check out my post Visually Organize Your Second Life Inventory With Wardrobe.
Your Concerns
I know that there is at least one of you reading this with a mental dialogue of reasons why you can’t organize your inventory. I’ve made this list just for you.
“But Asia! I have SO many things! It’s impossible to organize this mess!”
I promise you it’s not impossible. It’s not even hard.
“But Asia, it’s gonna take forever!”
If you want to do it all at once it’ll get done fast but feel very time consuming.
If you do it little by little it gets done over time and doesn’t feel like it takes much work at all!
“But Asiaaaaaaa! I’m afraid I’ll stop halfway through and everything will be so confusing!”
Actually if you organize your inventory the way I do it is not confusing at all. You’ll have a fresh, clean inventory AND all your old stuff will be (almost) exactly where you left it until it’s sorted.
“But Asia I actually don’t need to organize. I can just use the search bar to find what I need.”
That’s wonderful when you know the name of what you want. What if you’re just looking for shoes to go with your new outfit but aren’t sure what matches right? Do you know the name of every pair of shoes you have? If not you can benefit from a little organization!
The Totally Not Overwhelming Step By Step Overview
I know, I know. This has a LOT of information. You don’t have to apply every little thing, simply take these ideas and tailor your organization to your needs. Here is the basic overview with link to each section for more info.
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Wonder Woman
