As I said previously, one of the best things about Skin Fair is trying skins out by creators that are new to you.  They may be well established on the grid, but for whatever reason you’ve never actually tested one of their skins. This was the case for me and Step inSide.  I’d never worn one of Lany Jun’s skins before today, and now I realise that I’ve missed out. But still, better late than never!

This skin is Runa (in Tan) and is an absolute joy to wear.  I think I’ve found a new favourite for my avatar! (Who am I kidding? They’re ALL  my favourite so far!)

The base skin comes with plenty of options by way of tattoo layers for eye shadow, blush and lips, meaning that you can mix and match your look to your heart’s content. It’s great fun finding combinations that are really striking and then playing dress up with your wardrobe to find the prefect outfit and hair to match.

This is a skin that you WANT to wear and needs to be seen. The pictures I’ve taken here aren’t touched up in any way (apart from the main shot) so you can see that when wearing Runa in world it looks just as amazing as when photographed and ‘fannied about with’ as we say in these ‘ere parts. Ahem. I think that this is because there’s a crispness and an illumination to this skin that is almost ethereal. The skin is so well-coloured and highlighted that it is practically radiant. It oozes quality and panache, and is very adaptable to a myriad of looks.  Of course the tattoo layers add depth to the skin by way of different colour combinations, but even the base skin, when worn on its own, feels extremely substantial.  

It’s hard to put the sensation you get when wearing this skin into words because you’re going to think I am completely mad, but I’m going to give it a shot. To me, as an avatar, a true quality skin has a ‘weighty feel’ to it. It’s a combination of all the excitement you feel from wearing a beautiful skin and the effort and hard work that went into creating it by the skin designer. Runa feels like a heavyweight skin, and would strike out some serious blows in a boxing ring!

But there’s more. Zooming in for detail is satisfying; little touches such as highlight on the inner corner of the eye and gloss on fingernails do not go unnoticed by the wearer.  The ever important  eyebrow isn’t overly plucked, nor is it wild, but neat without being overtly formal. Colour is even across the body, and highlights denote key features satisfactorily.

Picking favourite elements of this skin is tough, but I really like the lips on this skin; they look juicy and moist and even more so when a lip colour is added. But for me the face is just beautiful. I *never* change my face shape in Second Life; I’ve worn the same shape for donkey’s years and sometimes I make myself fatter or thinner depending on mood, so the framework of my virtual chops always stays the same, and this skin ‘hangs’ beautifully upon them.

Runo is a sensation and I have no qualms in recommending Lany Jun’s work to anyone. When Skin Fair 2013 opens, be sure to ‘Step inSide’  and try on a demo. I’m sure that you will be extremely satisfied by the result,  I sure am!

Skin Fair 2013 opens on 14th March

Kitty wears in this post: 

• Runa Tan eyebrow 4 CL by Step inSide
• Bangles by Maxi Gossamer
• Earrings by Glow Studio
• Bikini (part of outfit) by Sassy