I do have some friends who don’t use them.  And I occasionally find it difficult to make out their facial features in certain light settings which can be frustrating.  So I’m guessing that it may possibly be the settings on my computer…a variable that we can’t all measure very well since we all have different levels of graphic cards and settings.  What you see and what I see will often be different.  So as a compromise, I’ve taken down the wattage of my facelights.  The powerful ones aren’t really needed anymore in Windlight…but I still want to control the shadows.  And I’ve now got the perfect solution which I will share with you all.

A good facelight will mainly illuminate your face and body with only a mild light cast elsewhere.  It will also cast an upward glow to your face to eliminate shadows and not washout details of the skin.

I used to use a freebie facelight with only one setting, for all occasions.  But a friend shared with me a wonderful facelight called  the CG Facelight 3.0.  It is an absolutely wonderful item!  You wear the facelight as well as the hud.  With the hud you can control the brightness level (dim, normal, bright, blinding), the radius, and light color for some pleasing effects with about 9 softly colored lights to choose from.  This amazing tool is not only well made….but its FREE!  You can find it here at CogNation where it is provided free and full-perm by the creator, Cognitive Gears.  What a guy!  You gotta love him for that…thanks Cog!!!  I just love the generosity of some people who use their powers for good and not eeeeevil!  In fact, according to his profile ALL of his items in his shop are free and full-perm!  Wooohooo!  I know where I’m going after I post this blog!

Another wonderful facelight that I just discovered at June Dion’s store, Bare Rose is designed to be used with Windlight.  It is also a complimentary gift and offers several lights for different effects.  You’ll find it here in the freebie/gift area of the sim.  I really love the first one in the pack called 2points/windlight.  It casts a soft glow that seems useful in many settings and lights up the body as well as the face for a great effect.  Especially good when showing alot of skin.  Thanks June!!!  (the post to Bare Rose is forthcoming…it’s a MUST SEE)

One tip is that the lights can be directional.  There are occasions to just light the face, and times you want to have a glow on your entire avi.  Some skins are designed to be lit up to enhance a glow effect, so keep that in mind.  This is why some skins don’t look as good to you after you buy them.  Lighting is everything.

So, my final word about facelights is this: use them with discretion and keep in mind that a little bit goes a long way.  Use good manners.  In sims where the light setting is set to midnight or low light settings, take off your facelight.  The light from your light source can ruin the environment for others.  When in doubt, do without.

CG Facelight 3.0 settings

If you think we don’t have this problem in real life, you should watch the episode on Seinfeld where Jerry’s date is either pretty or ugly depending on the lighting.  Funny stuff!  If only I had a rl facelight.

I’m looking for people who want to explore the virtual world of Second Life with me in order to find and review the best items and places in Second Life.  Are you tired of hitting those supposedly amazing sims only to find them empty?  Me too!  As a group, we can visit the poor, overlooked yet amazing and very deserving sims and give em a proper review while having fun.  Are you in?   Then look me up inworld and ask for a group invite or look up the group Meterverse Guide and join up for free.  Let’s get this party started!   Woooohooo!

p.s.   Don’t hate me for using LOL Cats speak.  I apologize profusely…actually, I’m not that proficient at it and hope that I used the proper form and diction.  I ordered the Rosetta Stone’s “Learn to Speak LOL Cat” tutorial.  Will let you know how it goes…

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Fruitatious/70/174/35

If you want some sizzlin’ styles that are flirty and fun, head over to Apple May.  There are TONS of smokin’ styles to choose from there where quality designs are plentiful and at a respectable price – with many of her items being under 200 L.   Also, group members are eligible for some special deals from time to time making it worthwhile to join up.  I recieved a hot  little number this way for only 10 L …was thrilled to get it!  And know what else I love about Apple May?  Her generosity doesn’t stop with the affordable quality items…she “pays it forward” by offering newbies less than 30 days old a room full of quality outfits for 10L or less!  Gorgeous outfits!  I even mistakenly tried to purchase one (which you can do on xstreetsl if you choose for 100L) because these aren’t some ugly outdated items, but lovely wearable current fashions.  I only wish I knew Apple May when I was a noob!

Look up more of Apple May’s designs here:  http://applemaydesigns.com/