Style HotLine: Staring at the Sea with PixelDolls

I meant to blog this when it was released but my good intentions got eaten by the monster that is First Life. Better late than never I suppose, and this set certainly deserves a second look.

I don't buy fatpacks or full collections very often but when I do it's usually at PixelDolls. The Revenait Au Rivage collection hooked me from the moment I saw it on the designer's blog. Like the Innocent Dans L'Amour set, this is a complete avatar: shape, Stella di Roccia skins (each gown has its own makeup to suit), AO, light, eyes, lashes, hair, complete outfit *including* boots. Whew! This time there are four colorways in the collection: Ocean (pictured to the side), Midnight, Seaglass and Iridescent. The cost is normally 400L each, with a reduced price fatpack, BUT until Tuesday they are on sale for half price at the Chartreuse location only. As in the Innocent sets, some items (eg. lashes) are the same across colorways, but this time each outfit has its own eye color (and they are lovely). The ad copy mentions a HUD, but I didn't see one in any of the folders so I'm not sure if it's to change the colors of the boots or the hair, or if it's a typo in the ad. I also found the item permissions in the Revenait set a bit confusing: the outfit and skin are transfer only (boo!), while other items are no-transfer. Please note that I bought my fatpack when Revenait was first released, so things may have changed since then.

As every fashionista knows, price is less important than a gorgeous dress. Revenait is an interesting mix of elegance and edge, with torn fishnets and fabric that looks water-spotted. The lines of the off the shoulder bodice and tiered skirt are familiar to PixelDolls fans, and they work very well with these textures. The movement of the skirt is lovely too. I also like the versatility of this dress; I've worn it dressed up or mixed with casual pieces and it looks great either way (even for something as silly as seahorse riding - see picture at end). I'm always trying to streamline my overstuffed inventory, so I value pieces that aren't limited to working with one style. As is normal for PixelDolls, the designer has supplied each piece on every possible layer for ease of making your own outfits.

I'm happy to say that I liked the hair colors from Revenait a lot more than those in the Innocent set. They're unusual multihued colors, but quite striking and they suit the style of the dresses well (unfortunately I forgot to take pictures of them). I also like that they're only 14 prims each - I'll be looking to these next time I'm headed to a fashion show or other laggy event.

The skins are lovely, though I would prefer a less heavy brow. The makeups are dramatic and certainly not ordinary (clockwise from top left: Iridescent, Midnight, Ocean and Seaglass). I can't really pinpoint it, but the Stella di Roccia skins I've tried have a certain tone or lustre that gives them their own feel that is different than any other skins in my rather large collection. I don't feel quite myself in them yet, but I like them very much and find myself reaching for them more and more. They do make my avatar look more mature than many other skins I wear, which for me personally is a welcome addition to my skin repertoire.

The more I wear this set, the more I like it. Once again, PixelDolls has brought the grid something special at a price almost anyone can afford.