That Vista theme by KOL, it has so nice glows on the titlebar buttons, something you can't see with MSStyles but you will see with WindowsBlinds

Windows Classic
Luna Element 4
XPMC

1. Mafia
2. Opus Natural
3. No... I'm picky. I'll just go with unskinned.

Not in any specific order...

Luna Element 3/4
OS Minimal
OpusOS

lol @ kol mentioning his own vs's

HmmXP
Extensis
Watercolor

I feel obligated to say that im using LE4 right now,and for the most part love it. but its my first time of using a theme like this, my top 3 were pseudo-os looking instead of eyecandy..

edit: how you can you guys like both LE4 and longhorn 5023 enough for both of them to qualify your top 3 spots. Aren't they more similar than diffrent..

1. Post-Modern 2 by Grayhouse
2. OpusOS by b0se
3. Inspiriat (any version, they're all great themes) by stefanka

1. Launch
2. Luna Element 4
3. LunaRoyale

1. Hacked Classics (Frutiger Klassik)
2. Nano
3. Shaded

Not in any particular order...

Longhorn "5203"
XPMC RC3
Nano

Luna Element 4 in Default Blue
Lunua Element 3 in Nomral or Classic
Waning Luna

Royal Four (Black n Blue)
Opus Luna (Luna but good)
Sentinel (keeping it old skool)

Most of these themes are great looking and showcase a lot of skill by the authors, particularly the Luna Element theme.

However, as much as i like the look of most of these themes, they very rarely prove very useable on a day to day basis.

Luna element 3 was pure Genius and is my favourite. The gradient shading on the taskbar and start menu was nothing short of perfect.

Luna element 4 is a close second. The gradient shading is harsher and doesn't work as well as 3. Also, as good as the window buttons look, they aren't as functionally useable as those in 3. I'm using LE4 now, but only to see if i can get used to it.

As Em said suggested though, i'm going to start to try and make/edit Visual Styles of my own. I'm going to start with LE3 or LE4 i think to see what I can improve (before LE5 of course).

I bought SkinStudio, so i hope this is the best tool for the job.

Out of interest, what does Em of Luna Element fame use to make his VS's?

As Alsheron says some skins are impractical, I have used all the ones I listed for a significant time.

5203 longhorn
Vista inspirat
Longhorn Mistic thin

Classic

KoL's Longhorn 5203
Royale Glass
KoL's Tiger

Inspirat SE
Royal four (Blue)
Sustenance

Thats mine

;)Vichu

xpmc
hmmXP
classix 10k 2.0

RhodiumX
Vintage Premium
dogx

Why? I don't think it's good if you release a bunch of stuff you aren't happy with... and it sounds like KoL is happy with his. =)

anything by stefanka or kol

Google is your friend. It does not take hours to find a theme.

Reluna is not mine. Most of the time I use only my themes. Like grimman said, Im happy with releases.
Ohh and I need to add Tiger and Fresco to that list too

Waning Luna - loving the black appearence
Luna elemet 4 - great colours
Vista - love the next os style

Vista B1 VS
Reluna
windows Classic

HmmXP
Opus OS
Luna Element 3 / Watercolour Lite

1) XPMC
2) System5
3) Infini8

Luna Element 4
Luna Element 3
Royal Inspirat

Luna Element 4 by em3
Windows Classic by Microsoft
Longhorn 5203 by KoL

Haha, arrogance looks good on you bro. Hopefully you know I'm teasing.


My top 3:

Vanderoh by Grayhouse
Odyssey by Lennard
DeanachM by sonus

Stylebuilder... ...and a little ResEdit for final tweaks.

LE4 hands down as 1, 2, and 3. It's as close to perfect as you can get. While all other themes mentioned are honorable, they aren't perfect. I mean take a look @ LE3, while it does indeed look quite secksi, quite possibly better than LE4, the hover effects in the start menu are displaced and look all funky when it starts to go to 2 rows of programs. While Kol's Vista looks pretty, a pixel border is missing on the tabs on the right sides, in XMPC you open up Photoshop and you get these butt ugly minimize and close buttons along with that ugly start menu that both Kol's Vista and LE3 get. I am a total perfectionist, and LE4 is pretty much as close as you get to perfection. Everything else can be modded out. But to LE4, you don't need to, you just mod to your own tastes. This is achievable due to em3's dedication and hard work that he puts into his themes. He's a one man Support & Development team, unmatched by any other themer. Like I said before, he takes criticisms and doesn't put them down, he works on how to fix it, and if he can't he does pretty damn good trying. My props to you em3! (Remember when he said he wouldn't make that Alt start button? Yeah, he's a cool liar...)

i don't mean to troll, but , come on ... LE4 PERFECT ?

with the pimp gold bar and the Uber-glossy look ... ?
get a grip ...

I like Apple themes, I use Tiger most of the time, sometimes smooth stripe. But I also like LE3, and Reluna

yeah sure, it may not be fit to everyone's taste, what i meant by perfect is COMPLETE without bugs or what not...and in addition to be loved by the majority...i mean it wouldnt have gotten that many replies and views if it werent good would it? im sure it's worthy of one of the elite + it's completeness make it = one uber ultimate theme regardless of the opinions of minorities (trolls)

happy to be a troll , better than SHEEP ...

(trolls have sheep for breakfast ... )

... enough, sorry for getting off topic.

this is a matter of personal taste, so, ... whatever.

i'd be a sheep under the watch of em3 the herder any day he's the pwner of trolls

I agree.

Personally I loved Luna Element 2, but somewhere along the way, Lune visual styles didn't have the appeal anymore.

I would have to say that XPMC classic is on the top of my list for best VS, but things to change and so do preferences.

well i might have considered xpmc classic if those 2 bugs were fixed (i'm so a perfectionist). i'd also use it if i were running on 1024x768 res. having my screen at 1680x1050 res doesnt really help me when it comes to minimal themes. i'd have to strain my eyes. windows luna is pretty perfect for my res and is very useable, but damn butt ugly. that's why i go with the next best alternative...le4!

1. MetalColor
2. Panther
3. Tiger by Kol

XPMC
Reluna
Classic mods (3DCC etc.)

XPMC
Ashen
Black mesa

classic style: Nano DT (4IMP)
bright style: Emerald.v2 (4IMP)
modern style: Inspirat (StefanKa)

Actually I like all the minimal styles made by Whistl3r and Co (4IMP) but I picked the two mentioned above because I always return to them when I'm fed up with the modern styles which are are eyecatching at first but become boring after a certain time. Although LE4 seems to be very promising but time will show.
Inspirat (I and II) was just a breakthrough in visual style design because of the innovative creativity of StefanKa. Mentioning him here is just paying homage to him.

My three favorites are not permanent, but for now:

Milk2 by Lennard
Luna Element 4 by Tornado5
System_5 by AndyMorum

definitely reluna, esp. aluminium.

Watercolor > All.

I just have one, Luna Element 3.

Please, give me the link for your suggestion.

Mine:
VXP
LE4
LDE2

K

VXP, LE4, and HmmXP