New: Tan Skin Line @ Million Dollar Skin Lab

June 6th, 2007 at 09:00pm Catero Revolution

Take a look at the homepage statistics. Though the economic numbers may fluctuate, the number of total residents will continue to climb as SL gains more formal and informal media. Recently we’ve gained exposure by way of a real world syndicated advice columnist counselling an emotionally torn resident, Kit Kat television advertising, and on-screen personality Bruce Willis promoting his upcoming movie (a promotional event which brings its own flurry of outside press). Not to mention all the real life brands and companies that are slowly establishing themselves in their own sims. Lacoste recently held a model competition for residents and Playboy will enter the market with its own bunny shaped island this month.

With the growth of our community come new ideas and more diversity by which residents choose to reflect their SL selves. This population expansion will also challenge creators in terms of connecting with and maintaining their future and existing customer bases. As communities grow people become more isolated and it will increasingly important to keep the lines of communication open in such a climate. The businesses that ultimately last are the ones that keep their ear to the ground, so to speak. Having the skills to add quality content to in-world markets will undoubtedly establish presence and creative prowess. And business-mindedness is needed to effectively improve and expand in a competitive retail climate.

Since opening in early April, Hybel Koba of Million Dollar Skin Lab (MDSL) has found that basing his product on customer feedback has aided in his creation of 3 different skin lines with approximately 17 skins in total. This approach has also enabled him to branch out from his first store in Ifrit with two satellite locations in Anala and Meyonohk - all within a 2-month period. The skin designer’s main goal was to start a business offering realistic skins at an affordable price.

When Hybel first joined SL he found that his own attempts to find a quality skin at a price he felt was reasonable were left unfulfilled. “It was a hard task without having 3000-5000L$ in the pocket, so I decided to start a male shop with skins that were affordable, natural and realistic. As a customer once told me, ‘It is nice to be able to look good without going broke’”. The success thus far shows that its important to pair skill with consumer response.

Koba has chosen to create a series of photorealistic male skins with a price tag that won’t break your budget at 900L per singles set. In mid-May all of his creations underwent major upgrades to improve shading, seams and details (birth marks, moles, body hair, etc.) which were based on customer requests.

His newest skin imitates the bronzed tan one might acquire while sunbathing on the beaches of Ipanema, Florida or Anguilla. MDSL’s Tan Skin, now available with the brand’s fu manchu and day old stubble with more facial hair options to follow, mimics the long-terms affects to the skin after time spent under the sun. One will immediately notice a lighter pigmentation across the upper cheek areas as well as the nostril ridges perhaps due to sporadically wearing sunglasses. The sunsoaked skin has matte, lustreless lips, and slight laugh lines frame the mouth. All telltale signs of a subscriber to the culture of sun and surf.

When asked what the motivation for creating this particular line was Koba replied, “Only 1 thing inspired us for the creation of the Tan Line: feedback from our customers! The 2 most requested features was chest hair option and a darker tan. The chest hair was quickly implemented, as an extra option to all our skins. For the tan request, I created a stand alone tan line”. As such, two skin versions are included in each purchase set (bodies with and without chest hair) and the tone range is quite generous. And the skin itself is an interesting concept.

Without this valuable information Hybel says he could not improve his product. He runs small surveys requesting opinion from random customers by which he is able to gauge where his design and advertising emphasis should center, stating, “The positive feedback gives me motivation and the negative is written down in priority order and used for improvements”.

In the future, Koba plans to add additional hair colour options to all skins in his collection as well ass setting up a skin shop to cater to male and female audiences of varying budgets.

It is important to note that the look of your avatar within any skin will depend, to a degree, on the shape. Shape designer Tato Dingson has created MDSL’s model shape for this line to ensure the features of the skin were best displayed to the creator’s satisfaction. So, do try the 2L demos before buying to ensure you’re pleased with the results. Skins are copy/mod/no trans, thus refunds can not be offered.

Million Dollar Skin Lab has two additional skin lines in brunette and blonde - each offering several facial hair options. All of the brand’s current skin products within the current collection are modifiable, so buyers can influence the degree of the skin shading as allowed by appearance mode. If you are in the market for a permanent tan for your avatar without the unhealthy side effects that go hand-in-hand with exposure to UV rays Tan Skin is available for purchase in Anala (172, 110, 62), Ifrit (254, 19, 30) and Meyonohk (7, 141, 30).

Disclosure: Seen in World: Yes | Review Copy: Yes | Friends List: No

Notes: On Catero: Shape, Custom by Catero Revolution; Hair, Men's Short in cinder (AVEDA Institutes / Elikapeka Tiramisu); Shirt, Global Warming Tee (L3 / Roberta Beauchamp); Shorts, Plaid Boardshorts in Turquoise/Yellow ([Indigo] / Chloris Hathor); Sandals, Aruba Beach Flip Flops (Last Call / Devyn Carmichael);Sunglasses, Aviator III Glasses - Gun Metal (FNKY! / Funk Schnook); Bracelet, *EMJ* Men's Gunmetal Diamond Cuff (EMJ / Elexor Matador)

Entry Filed under: Million Dollar Skin Lab, New Items, Skins