Avatar for under 75L$ Challenge

[Maitimo]

So @Meredith8888's request for a cheap mesh head for her challenge to put together an avatar for less than 75L$ made me want to try this myself. So I set myself a few rules. 

• Must include mesh body, head and hair.
• Must include at least one set of makeup.
• Must include at least one casual outfit, one formal outfit, plus lingerie and swimwear.
• Group gifts allowed if the group is free to join.
• Hunt gifts and other temporary gifts not allowed - Item must be at its permanent price.

And here's what I ended up with:

Here's the deets:

• Skin - LAQ Natasha (BoM) - Group gift in mainstore - Free
• Sahara Head 2 (BoM) - L$29
• Body - RuthToo - plus the extras pack for the high feet (BoM) - Free
• Shape - Included with the Sahara head, with my own modifications.
• There was a big gap between the head and neck, which I fixed by using a neck extender intended for furry avatars. In this case it's not extending the neck, just filling the gaps. This is from  Apricot Paws (BoM) - Free
• Eyes - Library starter avatar, Monty - Free
• Lashes - Oceane - Free 
• Hair - Truth Kyoko and Truth Astra, Gift in mainstore, both Free
• Hair (Formal outfit) - Exile Instant Crush - L$1
• Eyeshadow - Xena Style (BoM) -  L$1
• Lipstick - Ottilie (BoM) - L$1
• Lingerie - Sharodie's (BoM) -  Free 
• Bikini - Seren's (BoM) -  Free 
• Casual outfit, Jeans - Jellyroll (Best fit - Belleza Venus) - L$1 
• Casual outfit, T-shirt - Jellyroll (Best fit - Standard) - L$1
• Casual outfit, Sneakers - Furtacor (Maitreya fit) - L$5 (I am totally in love with these)
• Formal outfit, Dress - Free Dove store (Best fit - Fitmesh M) - Free but I have had this a while and it may not be still available
• Formal outfit, Shoes - Shey (Maitreya fit)-  L$5 
• Formal outfit, Jewelry - Lazuri - L$1

Total spend - L$45 - so I still have another L$30 to spare for a few more outfits. I'd probably want to add a sexy clubwear outfit, a fantasy outfit and a winter casual outfit, but by this stage I was all worn out.

So what can YOU do with L$75?

[Rhonda Huntress]

Drop the L and that's my budget for an avatar

 

[Orwar]

3 hours ago, Rhonda Huntress said:

Drop the L and that's my budget for an avatar

   ... ... Drops the L, then wiggles by hips as I lean over to pick it up again.

[auntiemisha]

How does the Sahara Head 2 compare with the free RuthToo head for you? Pictures please?

[Gregorian Chant]

Here's what I have so far...

Head: RuthTooRC3 Bakes On Mesh Female Body Version RC3  ( @auntiemisha, here's a Ruth head for you.)
https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/RuthTooRC3-Bakes-On-Mesh-Female-Body/18174055

Body: eBody Curvy, free version
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/AJUDA BRASIL VOLUNTARIOS/56/40/23

Skin: Belleza - Ava Oct Gift Med Dk
(Join group for free, pick up group gift)
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Belleza/107/55/26

Hair: !!Firelight !! -Group Gift Mar 2019 - Katey O'Barley
(Join group for free, pick up group gift)
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Idunn/64/28/115

Eyes: Poetic Colors - Summer sky eyes
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Strata/89/228/903

Shape: self-made

Bikini: TS-Bikini-Kaitlyn-Coral-SE
https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/TS-Bikini-Kaitlyn-Coral-SE/17597065

Necklace (to hide the seam): Corvus Cross Choker Gift
https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/Corvus-Cross-Choker-Gift/10619395

The alt had picked up so much make up and clothes, it will take her at least a couple of weeks to get through them all.  It's late in the night, I'm tired, so the outfit showcases will have to come another day.

Total spent: L$0

Edited February 29, 2020 by Gregorian Chant

[Pauck]

Formal

Dress: *COCO*_Gift_CutoutMidiDress(DarkRed)_MT (Free Group Gift)

Shoes: *Patulas House Ribbon Heels (UPDATE 2017) (Marketplace)

Hair: Exile - Instant Crush (Marketplace) L$1

Lipstick: [mock]Lucir LipColor Venom [lip 0] (Free tester)

Casual

Top: *COCO*_Gift_ScoopNeckCropTop(5colors)_MT (Free Group Gift)

Pants: *COCO*_Gift_StepHemCroppedPants(Pink)_MT (Free Group Gift)

Shoes: [ VERSOV ] SANDOV__White_Croco (Free Group Gift)

Hair: Sintiklia - Hair Ira - Cocktail pack LL (Free Gift)

Swimsuit

Bikini: *COCO*_Gift_BandeauBikini (Free Group Gift)

Hair: Sintiklia - Hair Arella - Cocktail pack LL (Free Gift)

Undies

Lingerie Set: The Sea Hole - Catalina Lingerie Set - Raven (Marketplace) L$1

Hair: Sintiklia - Hair Angela (Free Gift)

Included in all outfits

Mesh Head & Body:  RuthTooRC3 BoM Mesh Female Body (Free)

Skin: .::WoW Skins::. Ryanne Tan (SLFO Free Group Gift)

Hairbase: Amacci Hairbase Tattoos - FAT PACK (Free)

Lashes: (Chemistry) Long eyelashes (Marketplace)

Eyes: Amy - Eyes (Library)

Shape: Pauck

[Skell Dagger]

Figured I'd try 'hard mode' and do this with a male avatar

I only spent a couple of hours on it, since a burgeoning migraine put the kibosh on my search for good stuff, forcing me to crash into bed for a healing 10-hour sleep, but I think I have plenty of fodder for a blog post after just that short time. I didn't accept the 'makeup/underwear/swimwear' portion of the challenge, mainly for that 'incoming headache' reason, but I got one formal and three casual looks together, and - if I'd had more time - the base sections (skin etc) could have been improved on with some additions, but I was pleasantly surprised with some of the free male clothing that I dug out.

However, you do need to know where to find this stuff and then have the 'SL nous' to work with it and put it together into something coherent - which a lot of newbs (who are those that might benefit from something like this) won't have until they've spent some time here.

My four looks, all created with an alt who had 75L in his pocket and still has plenty of spare change (and a lot more stuff awaiting a look-over in his inventory) -

Maximum spend was just 2L on looks 3 & 4. Places visited: Gabriel's 1L corner, The Free Dove, Gild (group gifts - free to join), Ajuda SL Brasil, Marketplace, the free House of Curios collection at Stillman Bazaar, Kauna at Time Portal shopping location, plus the inventory library.

Credits

01. Total cost = 1L

• Body & head: Altamura - Max Free Bento Full Body (Ajuda SL Brasil) - 0L
• Suit: Gabriel - Black Three-Piece Suit Big Stripe (Gabriel 1L corner) - 1L
• Shoes: MV Creations - Formal Shoes (Ajuda SL Brasil) - 0L
• Hair: Modulus - Cole Fatpack (Marketplace) - 0L
• Glasses: Wuzan - Sunglasses (Marketplace) - 0L
• Skin: part of the Altamura mesh head & body - 0L
• Hairbase: part of the Altamura mesh head & body - 0L

02. (Bakes on Mesh) Total cost = 1L

• Body & head: Onupup - Male Mesh Body (Marketplace) - 0L
• Shirt: Gabriel - Corduroy Shirt Gray (Gabriel 1L corner) - 1L
• Pants: Gild - Skinny Jeans Black (group gift - free to join) - 0L
• Boots: Brii Underground - Trail Boots (Ajuda SL Brasil) - 0L
• Hair: Modulus - Cole Fatpack (Marketplace) - 0L
• Necklace: Gild - Round Studs Necklace (group gift - free to join) - 0L
• Glasses: HoC - Rectangle Frame Glasses #001 (Stillman Bazaar) - 0L
• Piercing: Beloved Jewelry - Lip Ring (The Free Dove) - 0L
• Skin: CH Design - Andres M0 System & Omega (Ajuda SL Brasil) - 0L
• Hairbase: CheerNo - Hbase Brunette5 (Ajuda SL Brasil) - 0L

03. (Bakes on Mesh) Total cost = 2L

• Body & head: Onupup - Male Mesh Body (Marketplace) - 0L
• Jacket: Gabriel - Side-Zip Leather Jacket Black (Gabriel 1L corner) - 1L
• Pants: AnaSTyle - Stefano4 Jeans Classic (Ajuda SL Brasil) - 0L
• Shoes: from LL default avatar Gabriel - 0L
• Hair: Modulus - Cole Fatpack (Marketplace) - 0L
• Glasses: Kauna - Safety Glasses (Time Portal shopping region) - 0L
• Skin: Swallow - Daniel Ivory Skin Gift (Marketplace) - 1L
• Hairbase: CheerNo - Hbase Ginger 4 & 5 layered (Ajuda SL Brasil) - 0L

04. (Bakes on Mesh) Total cost = 2L

• Body & head: Onupup - Male Mesh Body (Marketplace) - 0L
• Cardigan - Gabriel - Shirt & Cardigan Gray/White (Gabriel 1L corner) - 1L
• Pants: Kauna - Boot Jeans Black (Time Portal shopping region) - 0L
• Boots: Kauna - 4Mat Boots (Time Portal shopping region) - 0L
• Necklace: Gabriel - G Chain Necklace (Gabriel 1L corner) - 1L
• Glasses: HoC - Goto Glasses (Stillman Bazaar) - 0L
• Skin: from LL default Jaxon avatar - 0L
• Hair: from LL default Jaxon avatar - 0L

This weekend I'd like to search out some other free heads and bodies and see what I can do with them. One thing that I noticed - having worked so extensively with major brand mesh heads - is that the free mesh heads seem much less responsive to the sliders, and it can be difficult to pull them away from their (often a bit... uh... shall we say 'distinctive'?) base look, even for someone who has a lot of experience with slider work.

Edited February 29, 2020 by Skell Dagger
Forgot to credit the skin on look #3

[Maitimo]

16 hours ago, auntiemisha said:

How does the Sahara Head 2 compare with the free RuthToo head for you? Pictures please?

This is the RuthToo head.  There's something about it that I don't like, I can't seem to get the eyes and mouth looking right, no matter what I do with the sliders. But, at least the ears are in the right place...