Saturday, September 29, 2012

Full Frontal Spectacle


Pamela, Miss October
Through the 2012 season, we've seen the usual ups and downs that we see every year, but we're still looking for that "statement" Playmate who truly remains when all is said and done. This is a model that really puts a ribbon on the year, being the posterchild that truly personifies the Playmate class. Last year, it was Amanda Cerny. In 2010, Katie Vernola and PMOY Claire Sinclair left that mark.

It's already autumn now, but we still hadn't had that truly special girl yet. Shelby Chesnes and Alana Campos are great models, but they certainly aren't the memorable and impactful women that could carry on a real legacy. But, in October we find spunky Californian Pamela Horton being the featured Playmate. This woman has something to point out, that perhaps no one else so far in 2012 has done, and it's an exciting thing.

Before tackling that, let's go through the tangibles. Firstly, Pamela was featured on a fantastic magazine cover, where sadly Playmates are not featured as much as they used to be. The fully nude side-shot and a coy look really showed what Pam was all about here.

When you get to her pictorial, the first thing you immediately notice is Pamela's extremely slim body. At 5' 7", she has a moderately tall frame that looks that much taller due to her light weight. Her smooth, thin body might have been a departure from the archetype of the modern model, but you will also notice right away that she has one fantastic butt. For such a slim model, it's very unexpected. And because she's so thin (an unbelievable 22-inch waist), her waist-to-hip ratio is one of the smallest we've seen in more than four years (Ida Ljungqvist was a 0.6, while Pam is a 0.63).

Pamela's October issue cover
shows off her smooth body lines
What that boils down to is a very tapered waistline that cinches extra in photos because of the size of her hips. And add to that Pamela's comparatively small breasts, and you have a strangely unbalanced body style. She doesn't have the hourglass that is the norm nowadays, but in the end it's actually quite refreshing. This is a body you don't see in the magazine nowadays, and Miss Horton greatly benefits because of it.

Getting past the physique, we come back to Pam's great intangible qualities. This is a model who looks like nothing we've seen before, certainly not in the past couple of years. Her thin, flat hair sits atop a really intriguing face, with a very wide, intriguing smile and sexy, full lips. The look of her face is akin to Angelina Jolie at times, and is downright incomparable to any Playmate that we've seen recently.

It all comes together with a solid pictorial featuring a model who has the talent to back up her Playmate nomination. Initially, I was skeptical about this model coming in and looking raw and fresh, but she has proven herself. I don't know if there was a great Playboy transformation project here, but Pam is perfectly suited for the job, albiet flawed due to the imbalance in her body and some inconsistency issues.
  • Face: A-
    While not a classic beauty by any means, you can't compare Pamela to other models - it's apples to oranges in this category. Pam's face is full of passion and emotion, with a sullen, sexual look pervading her photos. Her mouth is particularly gorgeous, with a wide smile and exceptionally full lips looking like they positively pop out of the page. While she's not the bombshell with the voluminous hair and batting eyes, she's endearing in different ways.
  • Body: A-
    Having a very atypical frame, Pamela's very thin but strong body is juxtaposed with a great lower body. Her waist-hip-ratio is the lowest in years due to her spectacularly thin waistline. Her breasts are small in comparison, but fit her upper body well, and make for some fantastic full-frontal shots (although 360-degree looks suffer at times). Pamela looks particularly fantastic when she's shot at full-length, with some awesome body lines due to her unusual build.
  • Talent: A
    Pamela puts her body to as good a use as anyone could, and plays her strengths like a fine fiddle. She frames herself perfectly in many shots, squaring her sharp shoulders and delivering some dead-on looks and continuously physical poses. Although she isn't bombastic, she realizes that and unabashedly delivers some memorable shots.
  • Pictorial: A
    I can't fault Playboy on this one - after a couple of duds, they've shot Miss Horton wonderfully. It isn't a perfect pictorial, but the subject matter is portrayed nearly perfectly, with some awesome frontal photos that show off the slimness of the model quite well. They also do a good job of framing Pam's lower body, which is also one of the centerpieces here.
  • Centerfold: B+
    Pamela's centerfold is beautiful, but doesn't do a very good job of showcasing the intricacies of the model here. Pam is a great model who deserves more - I would have liked to see a more raw photo of her uncovered front profile (hips, shoulders, and all).
  • Overall: A
    In Pamela, we really get one of the most intriguing Playmate entries we've seen this year, perhaps in years. This is a complex, deep model with lots of talent, who gives a great performance. While she isn't picture perfect by any means - she could carry a more sparkling, glamorous style and have a more balanced body - she doesn't disappoint in terms of what she can do best. With an uncommonly natural body and an emotionally charged posing style, this is a woman who could make a charge for Playmate of the Year, as she bolts into my top two, right up there with Shelby. In the end, she carries the distinction of being far more memorable than her competition.

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Belle of Brazil

Alana, Miss September
Things are taking a turn for the better in the Playmate world. Although this year hasn't been one of distinctive, really hard-hitting hall of fame talents, we've still had a couple of greats, the most recent being everygirl Shelby Chesnes. Her endearing beauty set her in a certain class, but what about the real bombshells of the year? I'm talking about an in-your-face poser with glamor, class, and most of all, a hard, chiseled figure.

Fortunately for us, we have Alana Campos as our Miss September. Alana is an unexpected entry for this month, as most Playboy fans fully expected Danielle Burt in this spot. But, due to extenuating circumstances, we have Alana instead. I initially wasn't too high on the potential with Miss Campos, but she makes it damned hard not to like her.

Initially, busty Brazilian beauty Alana looks exactly like the kind of woman we've been looking for this year. She has the South American look, and has a tiny hint of Teles twins in her - some of the greatest Brazilian imports to grace Playboy's pages. Her posing style is akin more to Francesca Frigo from a few years back, who had more of a passive style and suffered due to an overly conservative pictorial.

Once you take a look through Alana's spread, you fear that she got the Frigo treatment, in a lot of ways. You'll immediately notice that what we have here is a sexy, obvious choice for Playmate. Alana's prized asset is her entire body - it's immaculate and well-balanced. While it won't hit you in the face with some bombastic breasts or a killer Brazilian butt (sadly), she's slim and silky. While she could use a bit of tone to really put her over the top, her figure is tall and slick.

So Alana's body isn't lacking. But what about the rest? Unfortunately, we don't get a model who hits on all cylinders here, and it's mainly due to her tame and generic pictorial. While Playboy got a hit with Shelby two months ago due to the perfect fit with the type of model she was, Alana gets an underperformed, underedited spread. Alana is a potentially physical and talented model, but a passable set of photos with some nice costuming is just not enough to vault her over the top.

  • Face: B+
    Alana's face is beautiful and exotic, but prevents her from overcoming a weak pictorial solely through her physical assets. She has a lovely smile that spreads from cheek to cheek, and exotic, angular eyes that are truly a sight. However, her face can sometimes come off a bit edgy, preventing her from giving off the subtle looks of a more low-key Playmate.
  • Body: A-
    As I said before, Alana packs a punch when it comes to her figure. It's extremely well-proportioned, with slim lines and sexy skin. Her breasts are just the right size, albeit not being very noteworthy. Her behind is lacking due to high expectations, but is certainly nothing to sniff at. All in all, she's right up there with the other great physical specimens of 2012.
  • Talent: A-
    While Alana doesn't quite deliver on the level of Shelby, she's easily one of the best posers of the year. She's vastly underutilized for her style and skill, but still delivers an above average showing. With a penchant for the camera, you can really sense her enthusiasm, and she sizzles at times, knowing exactly how to tailor her body to the situation.
  • Pictorial: B
    Unfortunately, what really holds Alana back is her subpar pictorial set. There's nothing that really pops here, as she goes between generic costuming, never really hitting her stride. The photos straddle a line between colorful and dark, never really figuring things out. I would have rather seen her take a bold, sensual stand in either direction, but the editors never let her break free.
  • Centerfold: B
    Alana's centerfold is plain and average, showing off a standing frontal shot that doesn't differentiate itself much from the bland flavor of the rest of the pictorial.
  • Overall: A-
    I see Alana as a model who falls between a B+ and A- rating, but I give her the higher rating purely due to her exotic uniqueness. She's immediately likable from the moment you see her, and that's what really pushes her through in my eyes. Her body may not be as stunning as Leola's or Shelby's, but ranks among the best this year. Her pictorial is drab, but her glowing appearance brings her up to my top 3 this year. While she may not stay there for long, I'd expect Alana to easily stay in my top 5 for the PMOY race, as she represents an great upward trend for the year.