*Street Dermatology* Review

31May09

Hello, i’m doing my first skin review today and i’m slightly nervous as i don’t want to mess it up hehe. Here i am reviewing the recent skins from Akila Rondelstein’s store called *Street Dermatology*. Not only does this shop specialize in ethnic skins, it also sells a variety of styled afros, cornrows and hair. These are not just suited to the dark skins, as they would look good with any skin if worn the right way. *SD* also sells a range of pale skins with the same ethnic features but can suit anybody with the right shape :) The first skin i present is the *S.D.* Kissable Sudan Natural + Bare HB Skin v.4 from the most recent range. Skins with “HB” in the name mean that they include a hairbase which is a very useful feature for skins if you want a low-prim, more simple hairdo. Especially useful for shopping when you’re trying to reduce lag :)

After looking at this closeup for a while i’ve realised that the eyebrows are very well done, and you can always tell when skin designers pay attention to detail with features like this. Something i cannot stand is when you see a skin with a very well done face, but eyebrows that look like they have been drawn on with a felt tip pen, this skin though, definitely does not fall into that category. I also think the nose has been very well shaded, with dark shading at the edges of the nostrils which accentuate the shape of it, which corresponds with the usual wide nosed shape of the ethnicity this skin is aimed at. I feel the eyelid area could have been executed better as i feel the eyeliner should have been a bit darker, also an eyelid crease should be added as i’ve noticed quite a few skin’s lack. I’m not fond of the harsh ‘edge’ where the eyeshadow ends, but all round i like the face, and something i’ve noticed about all of the *SD* skins is their very realistic skin tones. They range from the palest tone ‘Fair’ to their darkest ‘Congo’ which is a rich dark chocolatey brown, so these skins cater to every skin tone as they have the more “asian” tones inbetween such as ‘Algeria’.

After speculating these bodies in great detail i have very high regards for them as not only are they well shaded but the dedicated attention to detail is impressive. Such as the nipples for example, they are specially suited to a skin of it’s ethnicity as Akila could have easily used nipples which are acceptable on all skin types, but she has specially used some which are suited specifically for darker skins. The under breast shading is a little dark for my taste but the all round shape and sheen on them is very nice. Also the tummy shading is very well done with a natural look to it, as i personally don’t like skins that make you look like you have a six-pack! :P Also i noticed when i first wore this skin how well the knees are done, and some of the most realistic i have seen on SL. The bum is incredibly cute and has a lovely ‘shine’ on it, which i adore. I feel the back highlights could have been blended more, but it isn’t very noticeable. The only thing i can see that lets the body down slightly is the lack of collarbone shading, which if it was improved a little, would leave an expertly made body :)

Hands and feet are an important part to any skin because they show the designer’s dedication to a skin because it’s very easy to leave areas like this out and forget about them. But no, this skin has beautifully painted glossy pink nails on the hands and feet with very well done soft shading in between the toes. The hands have a good highlight but i feel the lines are a bit too thick/dark for my taste. The little toes are totally cute though :3

Here is a closeup of the skin where you can see the hairbase with delicately painted whisps of soft black hair which are perfect for afro hairs so you don’t look like you’re wearing a wig but create a very realistic base for hair. Unfortunately on the back of the head the skin around the hairbase didn’t quite match the skin of the neck, although this is not visible from the front.

This second face i show you is of the Hime Gyaru set, which one of my favourite tones called RedBone which lusciously glossy lips and a soft blue shadow. I have the same concerns with the harsh line/eyelid and blending of the eyeshadow as i do in the first face but i feel these eyebrows are very well done also :) The glossiness is very believable and looks fabulous with a shape with pouty lips like mine :D The shape i’ve worn in this last photo is a custom shape i made specially for these skins and will be setting up a vendor in the *SD* store in the near future where you will be able to buy shapes specially suited to your skin :D A brilliant feature this skin includes is being able to semi modify the lip colour of these skins from a clear pale gloss, or to pink just by using the makeup sliders in the appearance menu. The skins that include this feature will have a notecare contained in the folder telling how how to edit this perfectly :) Aside from all that i would give this skin an 8 and a half out of 10. With a few improvement on the specific areas i mentioned, it would easily be a 10 :)

I hope this review has turned out well, and i recommend *SD* as a good candidate for anybody seeking ethnic skins or who are just looking for something new :) Many thanks to Akila also.
GG Sideshow, over and out <3

Filed under: Uncategorized   |  8 Comments
Tags: ethnic, hairbase, review, skins, street dermatology