Another Fifteen-Minute Second Life Avatar Makeover: A Complete Head-to-Toe Mermaid Makeover for Only One Linden Dollar!

Photo by Annette Batista Day on Unsplash

Mermaid and merman role-play in Second Life is perennially popular (sometimes combined with pirate role-play). I have had a mermaid avatar in Second Life for as long as I can remember, although I must confess that I do not pull her out that often nowadays.

Here is what my mermaid avatar looked like before her makeover, a system-layers-and-flexiprims look cobbled together from various freebie mermaid outfits I picked up over the years (the lovely mesh tail was a recent free hunt gift from Solas NaGealai of BlueMoon Enterprise):

Mermaid: Before Look

Well, I decided to give my mermaid one of my patented fifteen-minute avatar makeovers today, to move from a classic, system avatar to 100% mesh!

Here is what she looks like now:

Mermaid: After Look

This avatar is wearing:

Mesh Head: the Freya Bento mesh head from Catwa (free group gift; the Catwa group is free to join; more information here). TODAY IS THE LAST DAY YOU CAN PICK UP THIS FABULOUS FREEBIE!

Lipstick: HD Lipstick (part of the Freya package, this comes in a wide variety of colours).

Hair: this absolutely perfect mermaid hair is called Spring Briar Fae Hair, which I picked up for free at a Crazy Hair Hunt many years ago now. I combined it with a hairbase from the Catwa Master HUD, tinting both it and the eyebrows on the Freya head to match.

Mesh Body: Classic mesh body by Meshbody (L$1 group gift; The Shops! group is free to join; more information here).

Choker: This beautiful golden Nefert choker is a free group gift from Poison Rouge at the current round of the Très Chic shopping event (you can join the Très Chic group for free). It hides the slight mismatch between the skin tones on the Freya head and Classic body perfectly!

Mermaid Bra and Tail: This is a freebie, too! Just join the Arata Shouten group for free, and check the group notices for this lovely gift (which was my impetus for making this blogpost). You’ll need to alpha out your legs, of course, using the included Classic Meshbody HUD.

Mermaid Animation Override: I picked up this mermaid AO as part of a free hunt gift at FallnAngel Creations many years ago. (If you hunt around at the various mermaid role-play areas in SL, you might find a freebie mermaid/merman AO.)

TOTAL COST FOR THIS AVATAR LOOK: ONLY L$1! (for the Classic mesh body from Meshbody). Everything else was free!

Fantasy Faire in Second Life Runs from April 23rd to May 10th, 2020

Celebrating its twelfth year, Fantasy Faire 2020 is the largest gathering of fantasy designers, enthusiasts, role-players and performers in Second Life, and a major in-world fundraiser for the American Cancer Society.

So I decided to dress up Vanity Fair in full-blown fairy godmother mode, and go explore the 18 beautifully-decorated sims!

There are 13 shopping regions, with a wide variety of merchandise, some exclusive to the Faire, plus dance and theatre performances, DJ parties, auctions, questing, a Literary Festival, fantasy art, events and role-playing, as thousands of Second Life residents and creators bring their own visions together to help support the American Cancer Society’s vision of a world without cancer.

Fantasy Faire is the perfect time to pick up that winged horse you always wanted!

Fantasy Faire’s extremely talented sim designers do such an amazing job each year. Here are just a few pictures I took in my travels:

If you’ve never been to Second Life before, Fantasy Faire is your perfect starting point! Why not come and join in the magic today? Here’s how to get started for free.

I’ll grant you three wishes!

Vanity Fair is wearing:

Gown and Wings: the Fairy Godmother gown set in dreamy blue by Silvan Moon Designs

Hair Roses: Light blue roses tiara (part of the Ninde gown set, a 14,000 members group gift from PurpleMoon Creations, a store which has since closed down after ten years operating on the grid, but still has a few items up on the SL Marketplace)

Jewelry: Antigone silver and ice earrings and necklace (a long-ago free gift from Kouse’s Sanctum, another store which has closed, but still has a few older items on the SL Marketplace)

Magic Wand: a free hunt prize from a long-ago hunt, I forget where I got this!

Shoes (not seen): Betty ballet flats by Damien Fate on the SL Marketplace

Hair: Meadow hair by Magika Hair

Animation Override: This is a gown AO by Kamilah Hauptmann selling for L$1,000 on the SL Marketplace, which has settings for various sizes and styles of full-skirted ballgowns. I bought this years and years ago and it has certainly served me well, but if I were starting out from scratch, I would purchase the Southern Belle & Woman in Ballgown Bento AO from Tuty instead, as it is only L$650 and has more natural upper body animations.

Particle Effects: Mystic Shower Sparkles in white from FallnAngel Creations (a free hunt prize from their amazing semiannual hunts; this store has since left the grid)

Face and Body Lights: Sometimes you just need a good, strong set of face and body lights to show off a look you’re proud of! This high-wattage version was a freebie from House of Heart, a hair store that has long since left the grid.

Vanity Fair is also wearing:

  • the Kimberly Catwa Bento mesh head
  • the Maitreya Lara mesh body
  • Daria skin by The Skinnery
  • and Realistic eyes in strong green by Miriel.

See you at Fantasy Faire!