Some new things, some old things, and some sweet flower necklaces.  These necklaces are big, bold, elegant, and full of visual impact.  I love ‘em.

Jewelry Sets, left to right:(...)
Read the rest of Flower Power? (111 words)

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Post tags: Aglaia, Clawtooth by Clawtooth, Dark Mouse, Icing, Kunglers, L.Fauna, Long Awkward Pose, Steelhead Shanghai, Tres Blah

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Four very different sets of eyes, each with its strengths.  What I find interesting:

How the colors of the eyes lighten and darken across the surface of the eye.  The first, for example, has a lot of natural irregularity in color saturation, as you’d see in the RL Version.  The last has a dramatic transition from dark to light from the left side of the iris to the right — this gives the eye a lot of impact.

Color.  Green?  Amber?  A true hazel, with gold in the center radiating out to a greenish color?  Is the color soft or crisp, delicately shaded or sharply delineated?

Subtle detail.  How well defined is the (...)
Read the rest of Eyes (115 words)

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Post tags: Beloved, Chai, Fusemelon, Riddle

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I love pearls, and I don’t think I wear them often enough.  I get stuck sometimes in the idea that pearls are only for old-fashioned ladylike Jackie O outfits.  Of course, pearls and beaded necklaces are far more expressive than we usually give them credit for.  Check out how each necklace below brings its own personality to the party.

Necklaces, left to right:(...)
Read the rest of Compare: Beads and Pearls (104 words)

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Post tags: Crystal Line, Dahlinks, Haunted Zuzu, Ingenue, Mirone, Spica, Tee*Fy, Tres Blah

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I love houndstooth.  I think it’s the dignified, ladylike Queen-Elizabeth-Jackie-O aspect that appeals.  Something about a lady on the street and all that.  At any rate, the pattern is an elegant choice for a light spring jacket, adding structure to the soft spring color palette and florals.

So, obviously, these are houndstooth coats, from a variety of virtual shopkeepers.  I’m partial to(...)
Read the rest of Spring Houndstooth (161 words)

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Post tags: Aoharu, BareRose, Bijou, DCNY, Lamb, Mimikri, Modern Gypsy, Muism, Musashi-Do, PureStyle, Tres Blah, Vanitas Vesture

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We talk a lot about shading, about the qualities that make a skin “good.”  And then we get to the makeups.  My face is the part of the av I spend the most time looking at, and I usually pick skins for blog posts based on the “look” — usually, that’s achieved through makeup.  If you don’t buy fatpacks of skins, it’s the makeup that determines which skin in a particular line we want to buy.  If a skin creator doesn’t have the makeup we’re looking for, we’ll often walk away.

Above, you can see three makeups each from three different creators.  The first row is (...)
Read the rest of Frecklefaces like makeup! (397 words)

© SarahTheRed for Red and Re-read, 2010. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: 5th & Oxford, Decoy, Djinn & Tonic, Maitreya, Mango

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But, what can I say, I’m a sucker for trends.  The cowgirl boot is in, and maybe I’m grown up enough (or immature enough) to accept and enjoy messing with peoples’ assumptions.

So, here are three cowgirl boots in SL.  First, about their SL-shoe-ness.  All three styles attach the boot at the ankle, rather than the foot.  This is good for photos, as you won’t get wonky broken ankles, but bad if you were planning on wearing pants with a cuff attachment.  The three boots fit differently — if you look at the comparision photos, you’ll see that the Adam n Eve boots sit very high on the leg, while the Kalnins sit rather low.  All three use sophisticated sculpt shapes, and all three are meticulously textured.

Now, about the boots.  The above criteria are really specific to the virtual world we live in; the next comparison points apply equally to non-virtual boots.  The most obvious difference in the boots is (...)
Read the rest of Cowgirl boots (412 words)

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Post tags: Adam n Eve, booN, J's, Kalnins, Little Rebel, Sand Shack Surf Co., Tyranny Designs

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From top to bottom:

Miriel Realistic Eyes in Muted Hazel are, unfortunately, no longer available in-world, but they remain favorites.  The coloring on these is perfect, with just the right shade of green around the edges, with the heavy amber haloing around the pupil.

I love the size of the irises and pupils in Eponym Fallen Eyes in Chicory, and the shading around the edge of the iris.  The hint of pink in the corners is nice, hinting at realism without getting too veiny.

Kunstkammer Surrealist Eyes in Olive Green really capture the detail of the human iris, with its weird structure, like transparent bits all layered over each other and jumbled a bit.  The muted coloring is very natural.

SLink‘s Eyescream Eyes in Flecked Forest are smouldering, with nice shading along the top of the whole eye, where the eyelid casts a shadow.  I also like the soft blurred edge of the pupil.

Disclaimer: I’m acquainted with some of the designers shown here.  However, I only blog things I like, regardless of affiliations or gifts.

© SarahTheRed for Red and Re-read, 2010. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Eponym, Kunstkammer, Miriel, SLink

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The high-waisted pants series continues! (Finally!)  You can check out Part One here.  Today, we’re looking at sailor styles.  The sailor style pant is an iconic example of fashion appropriation: first, the civilian world appropriated a military style, and then the ladies took the mens’ pants and made them their own.

There are a few features that stand out when comparing (...)
Read the rest of High-Waisted Pants: Sailor-Style (228 words)

© SarahTheRed for Red and Re-read, 2009. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: A-Bomb, Adam n Eve, Aitui, Clawtooth by Clawtooth, Emvee Cuba, Icing, Miel, Muism, Periquita, Veschi, [LAP]

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Yay freckles!  Four more freckled faces to look at.  As always, we’re looking at the quality of the freckle — color, darkness, size, scatter pattern across the face, carryover onto the body.  Take a good look at these faces, and see how the freckles feel: Do they look natural?  Do they suit the skin for a cohesive look?  Do they have that special something that makes a freckled face feel like your own?

Freckles are mandatory for me, of course, but they’re not the only factor when looking at a skin.  Today’s selection lends itself nicely to a discussion on (...)
Read the rest of Freckleface: On Shading (672 words)

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Post tags: Clawtooth by Clawtooth, L.Fauna, Malady Bog, Reel Expression, Sn@tch, Tyranny Designs, YoLo

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I seriously love shoes; just ask my husband.  You may have noticed I’ve blogged one or two pair of shoes for the Footwear Expo.  It’s closed now, but all the footwear is available at the designers’ shops.

I’ve saved my favorite footwear grouping for last.  The thing is, sometimes you don’t want to wear shoes.  Sometimes it’s nice to be barefoot.  Sometimes being barefoot is the best design decision, for a particular look.  But, but, the system feet are so hideous!  Don’t get me wrong, I’ve seen some very well-done skins, but skin creators don’t have a lot to work with, when it comes to our sad club feet.

Siddean Munro, creator behind SLink, has delivered us all from system feet.  I’ve been enamored with her bare feet since they were released; they were my first adventure in prim feet (I fought them for so long!)  For ladies, we have a choice of four foot silhouettes, from flat-footed to tiptoe, and the recently released extreme pointe foot.  (Gentlemen also have a few barefoot options, so men, you’re not left out!)

Now, I’m still not as good as tinting the feet as I’d like to be, but practice will make perfect, and the tinting HUD is very easy to work with.  The shading on the foot is incredibly detailed, with shadows between the toes, where light wouldn’t hit, and highlights indicating the underlying tendon structure.  Delicate subtle veins trace the top of the foot.  There are of course a variety of toenail options — both colored nail polish, and a range of natural nail shades to suit different skin tones.  I adore these feet, and if you’ve even once considered going bare-foot in-world, I’d suggest you give these a try.  Demos are free, after all.

Feet, left to right:
SLink- Jolie Pied Bare Feet, from left to right: Flat, Medium, Tiptoes, Extreme Pointe

En Scene Credits:
Hair: Tiny Bird – Precious Things – Stein Silver (tinted)
Skin: Imagen Skins – Irene 2.0 – Este – Natural (promotional sample)
Bubbles: Reasonable Desires Strippable Bubble Costume
Feet: SLink – Jolie Pied Bare Feet Tiptoes
Bathtub: The Loft – Oriana Bathtub

Disclaimer: Medium feet, Extreme Pointe feet, and Imagen skin are promotional samples.  I’m acquainted with some of the designers shown here.  However, I only blog things I like, regardless of affiliations or gifts.

© SarahTheRed for Red and Re-read, 2009. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Imagen Skins, Reasonable Desires, SLink, The Loft, Tiny Bird

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