Pixelapproved!

Some days I have a whole concept in mind before I even log in. Today was not one of those days. Today I found a pretty skin, put it on, stared at my face for a while and promptly started meddling with it. This is apparently becoming a recurring theme around here.

The face in question is Jennifer by Voguel, worn in Porcelain on LeLUTKA Lake 4.0. I started, as I always prefer to do with a new skin, by looking at Jennifer pretty much as she comes. No extra makeup, no freckles strategically scattered across my nose and, importantly, no attempt yet to turn her into my version of herself.

Jennifer is lovely in her original state. She has a very soft, almost bare faced quality, with delicate brows, a natural flush through the cheeks and beautifully neutral lips. She is distinctly photorealistic, with visible pores, subtle tonal variation and fine skin texture giving the complexion that lovely, natural finish. There is a softness around the eyes and mouth that I particularly like, and enough variation in the skin to keep it from looking overly smooth or polished. Overall, she is fresh and understated, which of course makes her an excellent canvas for what inevitably happened next.

Because naturally, I then started tinkering.

I swapped the original brows for Not Found’s Lorien brows. Yes, the same ones I was wearing in my last post. I love them that much, so apparently we are going to have to live with them for a while. From there I started building up the makeup, with LUCCI’s Lucky You eyeshadow and Top1Salon’s Pinkah eyeliner changing the mood around my Avi-Glam Zara eyes, while Poema’s Lashmania adds considerably more drama. WarPaint’s #IWokeUpLikeThis11 brings freckles, moles and more colour to the cheeks, while Avarosa’s Avana eyebags add a little definition underneath the eyes. LUCCI’s Sheen Queen gives the lips that gorgeous glossy finish, with Dotty’s Secret Cupid’s Bow highlight adding the finishing touch.

What I really like is that Jennifer doesn’t disappear underneath all of it. My finished version is obviously much more made up, with stronger brows, sharper eyes and considerably more going on across the complexion, but Jennifer is still very much there. The natural texture still comes through and the character of the face hasn’t been buried underneath all my additions. That is exactly what I enjoy about playing with a new skin. I want to appreciate what the creator made first, but half the fun is finding out how far I can take it before it becomes completely mine.

For the rest of the look I kept things relatively simple. Cheezu’s Elsie dress has a fitted navy silhouette with tiny sleeves, cream lace edging and that little tie at the neckline, so it really doesn’t need much help. I paired it with Salvadori’s Misha heeled mules and crocodile Giana handbag, keeping both pale so they pick up the cream details of the dress without introducing another colour. TRUTH’s Strawberry updo keeps the hair away from my face, which seems only appropriate considering how much time I spent fussing over it.

So Jennifer started the day soft, photorealistic and almost bare faced. Then I opened my makeup folders. She never stood a chance.

Fashion

Cheezu, Elsie Dress
Salvadori, Crocodile Giana Handbag
Salvadori, Crocodile Misha Heeled Mules

Beauty

Voguel, Jennifer Skin, Porcelain, Browless
LeLUTKA, Lake
TRUTH, Strawberry Hair
Not Found, Lorien Eyebrows, Blonde
Avi-Glam, Zara Eyes
LUCCI, Lucky You Eyeshadow
LUCCI, Sheen Queen Lipgloss
Poema, Lashmania
Top1Salon, Pinkah Eyeliner
Avarosa, Avana Eyebags
WarPaint, #IWokeUpLikeThis11, freckles, moles and blush
Dotty’s Secret, Cupid’s Bow Highlight