diff --git a/interface/resources/shaders/blendface.frag b/interface/resources/shaders/blendface.frag
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ad37e514b9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/interface/resources/shaders/blendface.frag
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+#version 120
+
+//
+//  blendface.frag
+//  fragment shader
+//
+//  Created by Andrzej Kapolka on 10/14/13.
+//  Copyright (c) 2013 High Fidelity, Inc. All rights reserved.
+//
+
+// the diffuse texture
+uniform sampler2D texture;
+
+// the interpolated normal
+varying vec4 normal;
+
+void main(void) {
+    // compute the specular component (sans exponent) based on the normal OpenGL lighting model
+    float specular = max(0.0, dot(normalize(gl_LightSource[0].position + vec4(0.0, 0.0, 1.0, 0.0)), normalize(normal)));
+    
+    // modulate texture by diffuse color and add specular contribution
+    gl_FragColor = gl_Color * texture2D(texture, gl_TexCoord[0].st) +
+        pow(specular, gl_FrontMaterial.shininess) * gl_FrontLightProduct[0].specular;
+}
diff --git a/interface/resources/shaders/blendface.vert b/interface/resources/shaders/blendface.vert
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5556000b0e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/interface/resources/shaders/blendface.vert
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+#version 120
+
+//
+//  blendface.vert
+//  vertex shader
+//
+//  Created by Andrzej Kapolka on 10/14/13.
+//  Copyright (c) 2013 High Fidelity, Inc. All rights reserved.
+//
+
+// the interpolated normal
+varying vec4 normal;
+
+void main(void) {
+
+    // transform and store the normal for interpolation
+    normal = normalize(gl_ModelViewMatrix * vec4(gl_Normal, 0.0));
+    
+    // compute standard diffuse lighting per-vertex
+    gl_FrontColor = vec4(gl_Color.rgb * (gl_LightModel.ambient.rgb + gl_LightSource[0].ambient.rgb +
+        gl_LightSource[0].diffuse.rgb * max(0.0, dot(normal, gl_LightSource[0].position))), gl_Color.a);
+    
+    // pass along the texture coordinate
+    gl_TexCoord[0] = gl_MultiTexCoord0;
+    
+    // use standard pipeline transform
+    gl_Position = ftransform();
+}
diff --git a/interface/resources/shaders/skin_blendface.vert b/interface/resources/shaders/skin_blendface.vert
index d3d833d6fe..2bd1e35525 100644
--- a/interface/resources/shaders/skin_blendface.vert
+++ b/interface/resources/shaders/skin_blendface.vert
@@ -16,9 +16,12 @@ uniform mat4 clusterMatrices[MAX_CLUSTERS];
 attribute vec4 clusterIndices;
 attribute vec4 clusterWeights;
 
+// the interpolated normal
+varying vec4 normal;
+
 void main(void) {
     vec4 position = vec4(0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0);
-    vec4 normal = vec4(0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0);
+    normal = vec4(0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0);
     for (int i = 0; i < INDICES_PER_VERTEX; i++) {
         mat4 clusterMatrix = clusterMatrices[int(clusterIndices[i])];
         float clusterWeight = clusterWeights[i];
diff --git a/interface/src/avatar/BlendFace.cpp b/interface/src/avatar/BlendFace.cpp
index b438769f5e..b0992488d5 100644
--- a/interface/src/avatar/BlendFace.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/avatar/BlendFace.cpp
@@ -28,30 +28,32 @@ BlendFace::~BlendFace() {
     deleteGeometry();
 }
 
-ProgramObject BlendFace::_eyeProgram;
+ProgramObject BlendFace::_program;
 ProgramObject BlendFace::_skinProgram;
 int BlendFace::_clusterMatricesLocation;
 int BlendFace::_clusterIndicesLocation;
 int BlendFace::_clusterWeightsLocation;
 
 void BlendFace::init() {
-    if (!_eyeProgram.isLinked()) {
+    if (!_program.isLinked()) {
         switchToResourcesParentIfRequired();
-        _eyeProgram.addShaderFromSourceFile(QGLShader::Vertex, "resources/shaders/eye.vert");
-        _eyeProgram.addShaderFromSourceFile(QGLShader::Fragment, "resources/shaders/iris.frag");
-        _eyeProgram.link();
+        _program.addShaderFromSourceFile(QGLShader::Vertex, "resources/shaders/blendface.vert");
+        _program.addShaderFromSourceFile(QGLShader::Fragment, "resources/shaders/blendface.frag");
+        _program.link();
         
-        _eyeProgram.bind();
-        _eyeProgram.setUniformValue("texture", 0);
-        _eyeProgram.release();
+        _program.bind();
+        _program.setUniformValue("texture", 0);
+        _program.release();
         
         _skinProgram.addShaderFromSourceFile(QGLShader::Vertex, "resources/shaders/skin_blendface.vert");
+        _skinProgram.addShaderFromSourceFile(QGLShader::Fragment, "resources/shaders/blendface.frag");
         _skinProgram.link();
         
         _skinProgram.bind();
         _clusterMatricesLocation = _skinProgram.uniformLocation("clusterMatrices");
         _clusterIndicesLocation = _skinProgram.attributeLocation("clusterIndices");
         _clusterWeightsLocation = _skinProgram.attributeLocation("clusterWeights");
+        _skinProgram.setUniformValue("texture", 0);
         _skinProgram.release();
     }
 }
@@ -288,7 +290,10 @@ bool BlendFace::render(float alpha) {
             } else {
                 glPushMatrix();
                 glMultMatrixf((const GLfloat*)&state.clusterMatrices[0]);
+                _program.bind();
             }
+        } else {
+            _program.bind();
         }
         
         glBindTexture(GL_TEXTURE_2D, texture == NULL ? 0 : texture->getID());
@@ -349,7 +354,10 @@ bool BlendFace::render(float alpha) {
                            
             } else {
                 glPopMatrix();
+                _program.release();
             }
+        } else {
+            _program.release();
         }
     }
     
diff --git a/interface/src/avatar/BlendFace.h b/interface/src/avatar/BlendFace.h
index 9a6d87f275..6add54d6b8 100644
--- a/interface/src/avatar/BlendFace.h
+++ b/interface/src/avatar/BlendFace.h
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ private:
     QVector<glm::vec3> _blendedVertices;
     QVector<glm::vec3> _blendedNormals;
     
-    static ProgramObject _eyeProgram;
+    static ProgramObject _program;
     static ProgramObject _skinProgram;
     static int _clusterMatricesLocation;
     static int _clusterIndicesLocation;