Oh wow, thank you so much :OO ♥ It's flattering that you want to know about that look but I'm not even sure if I did anything particularly special with it! I think I used some tips from this tutorial by raiindust: http://aintafairytale.livejournal.com/42375.html about the variations/masking thing, and also I remember using this tutorial by an_aiko as a loose reference to get started with the yellows: http://prettymuchcrazy.livejournal.com/6467.html, but mostly that River icon is just a '32423534534 vibrancy layers + some textures = done' project :p

Besides your colorings are free of flaws so don't say you couldn't make that look work cause that is just not true!! :P ♥