'stachetastic ultimate

Available in the app store.  

Cost: $3.99

Buy it here: 'stachetastic ULTIMATE

'stachetastic ultimate is a collection of several apps that allow you layer items on top of a photo. Most of these items are related to hair or clothing accessories, but the occasional hottie or buck-tooth dog appears.  Plain old 'stachetastic is available for $1.99 and works great, but we recommend the ultimate version.  You get $10 in apps for just $3.99 and can use all of them in a single interface.  The interface has changed slightly between versions but has a small learning curve and the essential elements remain the same. Like most of the better photo manipulation apps out there, you can take a picture in-app or open one from your library.  I rarely take a picture in app, but to each his own.

Step 2

After pressing "open picture" your photo library opens up.  You can choose any photo in your library to 'stache.

Step 3

After opening your photo, the default 'stache is applied, the magnum'stache.  The bottom half of the page is a list of item galleries.  You can press the gallery name and it will open.  Doing this while the current 'stache is selected will replace it with your new choice. Or you can press the down arrow or current 'stache and the gallery will minimize.

Interlude

A quick note here about the downloading of galleries.  Beginning with version 3.7, 'stachetastic ultimate only came with the 'stachetastic gallery of items pre-loaded.  If you select another gallery, you receive a message asking if you want to download the content.  When this feature was first introduced, many people were skeptical, including John and I.  We thought you would have to download items every time you wanted to Stache. Fortunately, these folks have done it right.  You only have to download the gallery the first time you use it.  After that the items are always available.  Each gallery took less than 30 seconds to download, but your mileage may vary. My advice to new users is to download all your galleries thru WIFI as soon as you can after getting the app.  I hope this will allow the developers to load new content without having to go through the inconsistent app review process each time.

Step 4

Whatever item is selected will have a transparent rounded corner box with an X in the top right corner.  Using two finger pinch gestures, you can expand and contract your 'stache.  You can also rotate the 'stache by rotating your two fingers.  This usually works very smoothly with the occasional gesture hiccup (probably my fat fingers). Using a single finger will simply move the 'stache around.  Pressing the X will delete the 'stache.

Step 5

Here we have the 'stache in its final placement.  It can take some trial and error to get it just right, but the best 'staches are placed perfectly.

Time for some tweaking.

Step 6

Pressing the color wheel in the bottom right corner of the screen will bring up some tweaking options.  You can adjust the base color and then lighten and darken the effect.  Pressing them multiple times will layer and intensify the effect.  I've noticed that repeated color or lighten/darken presses will lose the definition of the 'stache so less is more in this part of the app.  When you are done tweaking you can press on your 'stache or the down arrow (middle right) to minimize.  Virtually unchanged options from previous versions and wouldn't hurt from a refresh at a later date. 

Step 7

When you are ready to add more 'stache items, click the + symbol in the bottom center of the app.  The list of item galleries is restored and the default magnum'stache appears.

Step 8

This is an example of a darker magnum'stache as adjusted with the color wheel.

Step 9

This is an example of a lighter magnum'stache using the color wheel.  Doing this repeatedly will turn the 'stache pure white (which is useful when you are trying to simulate bodily fluids).

Gallery Overview 1 - 'stachetastic

This covers the gamut of facial hair with some head hair thrown in for good measure.  As in all of the galleries, the 'stache is named after it's inspiration (magnum'stache, grizzly'stache, pervo'stache, yep they're all there).

Gallery Overview 2 - mulletizer

You guessed it.  Lots of mullets and their accouterments, cigarettes, beer, guns and the infamous Rhett Dangler.

Gallery Overview 3 - d-bagifier

as in douche-bag.  Lots of bling, tattoos and the chin strap.

Gallery Overview 4 - 80's hair

if you grew up in the 80's, you may want to skip this gallery of boom boxes, keytars, and the lauper.

Gallery Overview 5 - hair salon

Simple, straightforward hair-do's.  Mostly women, but a few unisex ones thrown in for good measure.

Gallery Overview 6 - zombifier

My personal favorite gallery.  All the trappings of zombie life, bloody eyes, bloody mouths, bloody spots (yep, lots of blood) and the odd festering wound.  I could Stache zombies all day long.

Gallery Overview 7 - the 70's

Rainbow ringer, the power cane, hair, hats and a weird princess costume.  Makes me wonder what the hell my parents used to wear.

Gallery Overview 8 - glam rok

Now your talking my language.  I grew up with glam rockers and the best elements are here including grape smugglers ('nuff said).

Gallery Overview 9 - hipster

Lots of items your metrosexual "I'm not gay" friend would recognize with some neo-hippy artist type stuff thrown in for good measure.

Gallery Overview 10 - pimpster

I'm not gangsta' in any sense of the word, but with this gallery, I can hang with any of the Yo MTV Raps crowd (is that show even on anymore?)  Personal favorites...benjamins, deserted eagle, pimp cane.

Gallery Overview 11 - sunglasses couture

Rounding out the list at #11 is a large group of sunglasses. Many of them are semi-transparent, and seeing your eyes thru them is very cool.

Step 10

When you are done creating your 'stache click the "redo" arrow in the bottom center of the app.  A whole slew of options appear, including twitter, facebook, email and the 'stachetastic gallery online.  I personally prefer to go directly to my iPhone photo library, then outward.

Which brings me to my biggest gripe with 'stachetastic ultimate.  If you exit the app to take a phone call or any other reason, you have to start over including loading your photo.  This really pisses me off when I've been perfecting a Stache for 30 minutes and I get a phone call I absolutely have to take.  Some of the newer apps I've been using save your place in the project when you exit so you can return to where you left off.  I would pay another $.99 for this feature in 'stachetastic ultimate.

Interlude

Speaking of the 'stachetastic gallery online, it's available from the application home screen.  You can view the latest or greatest Staches submitted by users just like you and vote for your favorite.  A whole gamut of work is here from really crappy to really intricate (like #2 greatest, Toe Jam - awesome job).  I'm pretty sure some of the submissions used more than just 'stachetastic to complete, but that is just my opinion.

The END

And that takes us back to the beginning.  This is the app for mocking your friends, family, co-workers, random person on the street.  Apps on my phone come and go, but this one has stayed on my home screen since I first downloaded it.

With 'stachetastic ultimate, you get a well designed user interface, consistent and responsive controls, multi-touch gestures and 11 galleries containing over 300 separate items to apply to a photo, creating a world of infinite possibilities.  All this for less money than it would take to feed a starving child in a third world country for 2 weeks.  I ask you, isn't that a steal? I think so.