Pixelapproved!

There are skins you put on, admire for five minutes, and then immediately start fiddling with. A different brow. A little contour. Maybe some blush because the face needs something. And then there is Cyra by Not Found, which I put on and basically thought: oh. OH.

Cyra is ridiculously beautiful. There is so much happening in this face, yet none of it feels overworked. The complexion has that gorgeous slightly flushed quality across the cheeks and nose, with tiny variations and freckles that keep the skin from becoming too polished. The highlights are particularly good. Look at the bridge and tip of the nose, the cheekbones and that little bit of light above the lip. They give the face dimension without turning it into the hyper glossy, permanently damp look that can so easily take over an SL skin. Up close, Cyra gets even better. There is texture. There are pores. There are tiny irregularities. She looks like skin.

And then I put her on LeLutka‘s Sasha.

Good grief.

I love what Cyra does to this head. Sasha already has a wonderfully strong face, but Cyra brings out something softer and rather expensive looking in her. The brows frame those slightly heavy, almond shaped eyes beautifully, while the nose and mouth retain enough definition to stop the whole thing becoming generically pretty. And that mouth deserves its own moment. The colouring, the soft definition around the edges, the highlights and those tiny creases in the lips are just delicious. Even in the wider portrait, where all that close up detail could easily disappear, the face still has presence. That is usually my test of a really good skin.

And here is the slightly ridiculous part: I paid 50 L$ for her. Cyra was Not Found‘s release for Fifty Linden Friday, which feels frankly criminal for a skin this good. And that is for the fatpack. Yes, you did read that correctly. FLF may technically be over, but if you’re fast, Cyra is still out at the store and still discounted. So this would be the moment to stop reading me raving about her and go grab the demo, because I have no idea how long that price is going to remain there.

I also love that Cyra doesn’t dictate who the avatar has to be. She has enough character to be recognisable, but she isn’t doing all the work for you. Change the shape, the makeup or the styling and I can see her going in completely different directions. On Sasha, with very little distraction around the face, she becomes elegant, modern and just a little severe. Exactly the sort of face that makes me want to take far too many close ups.

Which brings me to Suri by Studio Exposure, because apparently today we’re simply piling beautiful things on top of beautiful things. This updo was made for showing off a face like this. The scraped back centre part keeps everything clean around the forehead and cheekbones, then Suri suddenly gives you that fabulous textured knot at the back. From the front it is restrained. Turn your head and there is all that gorgeous volume and texture. It feels sophisticated without drifting into bridal hair, which is harder to find in SL than it ought to be.

So yes, I am raving. Not Found’s Cyra is one of those skins that reminds me why I still get excited about trying on a new face after all these years. Worn on LeLutka Sasha and topped off with Studio Exposure‘s Suri, she is giving me exactly what I want from an avatar right now: beautiful without being bland, detailed without becoming photorealistic, and polished while still looking unmistakably Second Life. I may have taken a few close ups.

Okay. Quite a few.