... sigh. With appreciation, wonder and more than a little longing. I've said before that I could quite happily blog about this site full time and still not run out of things to say. At the moment, these five sets have been gripping my imagination and not letting go.
We Never Kissed Goodbye (and who would be stupid enough not to kiss this gorgeous woman goodbye?!?) is @Dominga's latest set, shot by the wonderful @aymi who, amongst other things, shot @jacqueline's latest masterwork from a few days back. Dominga is beautiful. That much is obvious. But, there's a touching vulnerability to these pics - a kind of shy eagerness (if that's not too oxymoronic) that really touches the heart. While the set is fairly straightforward, Aymi does a fantastic job of not only teasing the viewer (the cushion shot is fantastic, for example), but also teasing out the personality of a girl who seems to be genuinely enjoying taking off her lingerie for our pleasure. I think Dominga's incredibly attractive and this set forges a connection with girl and viewer (well, this one anyway) which is palpable. Magical stuff.
@caraphernelia's set has just landed. I mean, literally about forty minutes ago. I try to be circumspect about new sets. You know, not get too carried away with them. (Well, there was that JessicaLou set a while back and then there's always Jacqueline... Never mind.) This just blew me away from the off, I'm afraid, and I make no apologies for mentioning it now. Caraphernelia is what I'd call a classic beauty: alabaster skin contrasting with rich dark hair; beautiful expressive eyes and a way of looking at the camera that... look just go and see the set, White. The capacity to tug heartstrings, stir emotions and inspire the sort of yearning that features regularly in 19th century Russian literature resides very definitely in Caraphernelia's gaze. I'm not ashamed to say that I think I might be in love - just a little - no matter how foolish that might make me sound. :)
@allinichole's set, Classic, also came out today. I was immediately struck, not only by Allinichole's gorgeous figure, but also by the almost visceral contrast between her beauty and the worn, run-down setting. I commented on the set that, to me, that contrast was a powerful reminder that beauty - true beauty - can be found anywhere, no matter how hopeless and derelict that place might be. In that sense, there is a philosophical as well as aesthetic power in play here. Plus, Allinichole is just genuinely stunning. With her hair up and wearing those sexy specs, she has real presence in this set and the photographer does a great job using the play of light and shadow to highlight Allinichole's jawdropping curves. A majestic, powerful set.
@anoukevil is a Russian beauty who has been on my radar for a while. The title of her latest set (You Can Leave Your Hat On) is perhaps a touch prosaic, but you don't need fancy words when your model is as breathtakingly beautiful as Anoukevil. Again, the set is fairly straightforward, but the photographer rightly keeps the focus squarely on Anoukevil's slender, sensual form and her incredibly pretty face. And Anoukevil really is pretty. Remember that sighing I mentioned earlier on? Yeah. I did plenty of that when I first saw the set and a fair amount on subsequent viewings too. There's delicacy, but also strength in that face - a tremendously attractive confidence that you can't help being drawn to. She is simply wonderful and very much deserving of your time.
Finally (for now) @neryeagle's debut set Gumball is fantastic. You have to be damn sexy to compete with a giant pink workout ball in your first Hopeful set. For Neryeagle, there is simply no contest. She's got the body, she's got a great sense of confidence and she is simply heartbreakingly beautiful. 'Gumball' is a study in curvy sensuality and Neryeagle reclines on, leans against and sits on the aforementioned pink ball with grace, poise and, in one or two cases, raunchy abandon. She's gorgeous and this set is one that will imprint itself pretty quickly on your mind. If you haven't done so already, you should really check it out.
That's it for now. There'll be more, of course. There's always more. The rate at which sets, both Hopeful and SG, get put up means that there's always the chance you might miss something. I've always appreciated the blogs and threads that have discussed recent sets and I hope you find these semi-regular updates useful, too. But enough from me - there are sets to check out, people! :D
