How to Create Realistic Sims in The Sims 4

I know that many of us love Maxis' style. The cartoonish look has been in our hearts for a while now, and it's lovely as it is but let's be honest. Sometimes all we want is to create life-like scenarios and Sims. Maxis won't do that, then how do we do it? With mods, of course. But not only that. Today I'm bringing you some of my best tips and tricks for realistic Sims. I'm in no way the best at it, but I sure can help a little. So take your cup of tea/coffee, sit tight, and let's play! 1. Choose your references Pick a photo from Google, take a picture of yourself or an image from somewhere else, but whatever you do, do start with a reference. It's way easier when you have something to look at for inspiration. Look for the features you want in your Sim. It doesn't have to be one person. You can have the nose from one, and the eyes from another, and the body from yet another one. Mix inspirations. Be creative. 2. Start With the Base Pick the premade body type/face that best resembles your references. You can now modify it as you wish, making it as close to the original picture as possible. 3. Use Your Tools The Sims 4 comes with lots of CAS tools you can use to make your Sims look real. Use all of them. Click around and find out everything you can tweak and change. For example, did you know you can rotate the eyes of your Sims? Pull and push eyelids for a more dramatic/mysterious gaze? Change nose shape completely, opening and closing nostrils, pulling the tip up and down? If you didn't, it's time to get deep into that CAS editor! 4. Skintones/Skin Overlays One of the best assets to get rid of the clay look is by using Skintones and Skin Overlays. In the game, a Skintone is the skin itself and determine a Sim's skin color, texture, and details. A Skin Overlay works similarly but without adding any skin color. It means the color you choose in the skin palette will be the one your Sims will have. To use Skin Overlays, I recommend you to download at least one skin color pack because EA's are... Discolored, to say the least. Before - Maxis Skin / After - Skintone (Shinyskin 3.0)

These are some of my favorite Skintones, Skin Colors, and Skin Overlays, but you can go here -> https://www.simsdom.com/en/downloads/the-sims4/skintones <- to find more! Shinyskin 3.0

Download: https://www.simsdom.com/downloads/160868/s-club-wmll-ts4-shinyskin-3-0-sims4 Pilnar Skintone + Overlays

Download: https://www.simsdom.com/downloads/224234/pilnar-skin-by-sims3melancholic-sims4 Sophie Skin Overlay

Download: https://www.simsdom.com/downloads/246929/sophie-skin-overlay-body-blush-by-miiko-sims4 Jamie Skin Overlay

Download: https://www.simsdom.com/downloads/242467/jamie-skin-sims4 Aphelion Male Skintone

Download: https://www.simsdom.com/downloads/234904/aphelion-maleskin-by-terfearrence-sims4 Ms Blue's Skintone Set V3

Download: https://www.thesimsresource.com/downloads/details/category/sims4-skintones/title/skintone-set-v3/id/1346781/ Melanin Pack V2

Download: https://www.xmiramira.com/single-post/2016/11/10/Melanin-Pack-2 5. Face and Body Details After putting on your skin, it's time to add some details to it. Freckles, moles, birthmarks, acne, scars, everything you need to make your Sims' body tell the story of who they are. These are some of my favorite skin details, but you can find much more here -> https://www.simsdom.com/en/downloads/the-sims4/skin-details-668 Acne n03 + n04

Download: https://www.simsdom.com/downloads/236420/acne-n03-n04-by-moonpres-sims-sims4 Contour n5

Download: https://www.simsdom.com/downloads/239044/cosimetic-s-contour-n5-sims4 Contour n6

Download: https://www.simsdom.com/downloads/239282/cosimetic-s-contour-n6-sims4 Eye Bags 01

Download: https://www.simsdom.com/downloads/228222/eye-bags-01-sims4 Body Scars

Download: https://www.simsdom.com/downloads/211058/body-scars-sims4 Summer Body - Body Details for Fat Sims

Download: https://www.simsdom.com/downloads/226096/summer-body-body-details-for-fat-sims-by-uglysim-sims4 6. Eyes The eyes are the windows to the soul, and EA's look a bit lifeless to me. Works great with the Maxis Sims, but for realistic ones, it just won't do. You can find all sorts of eyes here -> https://www.simsdom.com/en/downloads/the-sims4/eyes <-, and I recommend you to have at least one set of realistic eyes to start. Pick one with lots of swatches if you prefer not to have that much CC installed. Default Maxis Eyes / Realistic Eyes (Holobiont Eyes)

Holobiont Eyes

Download: https://www.simsdom.com/downloads/148377/holobiont-eyes-sims4 Eyes N95

Download: https://www.simsdom.com/downloads/246013/seleng-s-eyes-n95-sims4 Crystal Eyes

Download: https://www.simsdom.com/downloads/242688/crystal-eyes-sims4 Clive Eyes

Download: https://www.simsdom.com/downloads/155291/eyes-clive-sims4 7. Eyelashes and Eyebrows That's something quite essential if you want to achieve a realistic look, you need to get rid of those cartoony eyebrows and eyelashes EA gives us. I tend to use eyes that don't have any lashes in my Sims, and then I apply 3D lashes. With brows, I download and test which ones go better with the eyes I chose or the character itself. Here you can find eyebrows -> https://www.simsdom.com/searching?q=eyebrow&g=sims4. The only 3D lashes I ever used were the ones from MMSIMS and Kijiko, both listed below, and I think it's everything you need lashwise. Maxis Lashes / 3D Lashes (MMSIMS V3)

Maxis Brows / Realistic Brows (Lucilla Eyebrows N139)

Rosie's Brows

Download: https://www.simsdom.com/downloads/248225/catemcphee-s-eb-08-rosie-s-brows-sims4 Eyebrows N88

Download: https://www.simsdom.com/downloads/242847/seleng-s-eyebrows-n88-sims4 Lucilla Eyebrows N139

Download: https://www.simsdom.com/downloads/140150/lucilla-eyebrows-n139-sims4 Kijiko 3D Eyelashes V2

Download: https://www.simsdom.com/downloads/73862/3d-lashes-version-2-sims4 MMSIMS 3D Eyelashes V3

Download: https://www.simsdom.com/downloads/157905/mmsims-3d-eyelash-v3-sims4 8. Hairline/Baby Hair No living human in the world has a naturally straight/clean hairline, so why would our Sims? And throw me some cute laid-down baby hairs in the bunch for my sisters. You can find more hairlines here -> https://www.simsdom.com/searching?q=hairline&g=sims4 <-, and more baby hairs here -> https://www.simsdom.com/searching?q=babyhair&g=sims4 Hairline 201901

Download: https://www.simsdom.com/downloads/153245/s-club-wm-ts4-hairline-201901-sims4 Hairline G4

Download: https://www.simsdom.com/downloads/173004/gpme-gold-hairline-g4-sims4 Baby Hair N2

Download: https://www.simsdom.com/downloads/50313/mimilky-babyhair-n2-sims4 Baby Hair N3

Download: https://www.simsdom.com/downloads/59829/mimilky-babyhair-n3-sims4 9. Hair I can't stress enough how much good hair can make a difference in our Sims' appearance. Those Play-Doh hairstyles have to go if you want to make your Sim look realistic! Maxis Hairstyle / Alpha Hairstyle (WINGS-OS0826)

Below are some of my favorite hairstyles, but you can find more here -> https://www.simsdom.com/en/downloads/the-sims4/hair WINGS-OS0826

Download: https://www.simsdom.com/downloads/91341/wings-os0826-sims4 Camila Hairstyle

Download: https://www.simsdom.com/downloads/247681/camila-hairstyle-requires-the-chromatic-collection-1-by-anto-sims4 Crewcut N1

Download: https://www.simsdom.com/downloads/247594/tsminhsims-crewcut-n1-sims4 Triple Treat Hair

Download: https://www.simsdom.com/downloads/246407/drteekaycee-s-reyix-triple-threat-base-compatible-sims4 Freeform Locks

Download: https://www.simsdom.com/downloads/244659/cs-free-form-locs-custom-content-by-crunchystufff-sims4 Ismael Hairstyle

Download: https://www.simsdom.com/downloads/218052/ismael-hairstyle-by-anto-sims4 Tanya Hairstyle

Download: https://www.simsdom.com/downloads/246800/tanya-by-leahlillith-retextured-sims4 WINGS-TZ1016

Download: https://www.simsdom.com/downloads/246431/wingssims-wings-tz1016-sims4 10. Nails Almost every human being has nails, and your Sims should do too! Below are my favorite sets of nails, but you can find more here -> https://www.simsdom.com/searching?q=nails&g=sims4 Crystal Gel Nails

Download: https://www.simsdom.com/downloads/224269/crystal-gel-nails-sims4 Diana Nails

Download: https://www.simsdom.com/downloads/240721/diana-nails-sims4 WM Nails 202008

Download: https://www.simsdom.com/downloads/227553/s-club-ts4-wm-nails-202008-new-mesh-sims4 WM Nails 202004

Download: https://www.simsdom.com/downloads/214627/s-club-ts4-wm-nails-202004-sims4 Pedicure 02 Rainbow

Download: https://www.simsdom.com/downloads/237636/yabppi-pedicure-02-rainbow-sims4 Some extra tips: • Makeup: The right makeup can do wonders for your Sim. You can find tons of beautiful makeup here -> https://www.simsdom.com/en/downloads/the-sims4/makeup • Tattoos: They can help tell a story and are a visual indicator of your Sims' personality. Use them whenever it seems fit! You can find lots of tattoos here -> https://www.simsdom.com/en/downloads/the-sims4/tattoos • Add teeth! If your Sim gets in fights often or is a homeless person, it can add to your character to have crooked teeth. Or maybe you want that girl to have a cute gap between the incisors. Whatever you want, you can find it here -> https://www.simsdom.com/en/downloads/the-sims4/teeth And I think that's it! I think I covered most of what is really needed to make cute realistic Sims, and I hope it was helpful. If it did, let me know! Happy simming!