Red and Re-read

Tiny Bird at Hair Fair 2009

Just how many favorites can one have?  When we were kids, we were only allowed one per category: one favorite color, one favorite ice cream flavor, one favorite movie.  Now, though, it feels we’re not so limited.  I can have lots of favorite hair designers across the grid.  Or, maybe, I should pull out that thesaurus and choose another word for favorite.

To the point, › Continue reading

Tags: Adam n Eve, Tiny Bird

Beauty

I read that when Sachi Vixen of Adam n Eve creates skins, she mentally creates unique characters for each skin, and it shows.  Each of her skins has a unique personality, which for me is both interesting and attractive.  I have my everyday av, which I adore, but I’ve been playing with new looks lately.  Anyway, I’d just picked up wings and ears to create my first real fairy concept when Adam n Eve released the lovely Beauty skin.  It was a Eureka moment — Beauty suits my regal fairy queen to a tee.  Now, you may not be looking to be a fairy queen, but keep in mind the Beauty skin is stunning on human types, too.

One of my favorite parts of Sachi Vixen’s skins is the highlighting.  Her skins shimmer, without looking like body oil.  They have a slightly iridescent quality, subtly catching the light.  I particularly love the way the light catches the thighs and collarbone. 

The joints, I think, are stunning on this skin.  Take a look at the knees (front and back), the elbows, the toes, the backs of the heels.  (I’m a sucker for a great heel in SL.  Don’t know why.)  Also, please notice, the abs.  This girl is ripped.  The tone is well suited to a leaner shape.  The muscularity, for some reason, puts me in mind of a marathon runner — all muscle, while maintaining a lean shape and not looking all bodybuilder-y.

The makeups, like all of Sachi’s makeups, are elegant and delicately handled, with an emphasis on realism.  You won’t find extreme makeup here, but rather, perfectly applied makeup for the real woman.  Soft smooth face, perfectly glossed lips, perfectly blended eyeshadows with the eyeliner smudged just so.  The drawn-on lashes are enough for when you want to skip wearing prim lashes, but not too much to interfere with prim lashes.  The eyebrows are perhaps my favorite of the Adam n Eve skins, with a well-groomed natural arch.  (I should note that Beauty has a wide mouth, so you’ll need to tweak your shape slightly.  I have my mouth width cranked down to almost zero here.)

I also really enjoy the more mature look of this skin.  Beauty isn’t some girl dreaming of what she’ll be when she grows up; she’s a woman living it.  Beauty looks as we all wish we could leave our twenties — with a hint of wisdom and the killer cheekbones, without any wrinkles or sagging.

Now, about the hair. Beauty is Adam n Eve’s first skin with painted-on hair.  It has a very natural hairline, with a realistic blonde shade.  You get both a traditional bald skin and a skin with hair base, as well as a prim mussed bun with strands around the face.  I really like the included hairstyle; it’s simple and elegant, and the strands help to soften what could be a severe look.  In addition, there is an add-on pack of three hairstyles available for sale to match the Beauty hair base.

A few final notes: Beauty is available in four skin tones.  I’m wearing the lightest, T1, as it best suited my fairy.  There are a total of eight makeups available for each skin tone.  Each skin purchase includes the two skins, the bun, eyebrow shaper, and manicure/pedicure to match the lipstick.  Individual skins are $L1200; fatpacks of four are L$3000.

Credits:
Skin: Adam n Eve Beauty, t1 tone, Blossom and Natural Gloss makeups
Eyes: Miriel Realistic Eyes in Gilded Plum
Ears: Illusions Fairy Ears – Natural
Top: part of Casa del Shai Soleil Lingerie Set – Lila
Bottom: Tuli Worn Denim Mini Skirt in Pink (pants layer only)
Wings: Fancy Fairy Azarelle Iridescent Wings
Poses: [LAP] Long Awkward Poses

Tags: Adam n Eve, Casa del Shai, Fancy Fairy, Illusions, Miriel, Tuli, [LAP]

Freckleface

Freckles, oh freckles.  I not particularly fond of my real-life freckles; I wish I had a smooth, creamy complexion.  However, I won’t wear a skin without freckles in-world.  Odd, right?  Skins just don’t “feel” right on me otherwise.

The thing is, not all SL freckles are created equal, and we freckle-fiends are picky.  Fortunately, there are lots of freckled skins to choose from, in a variety of price points, each with unique freckle patterns, thanks to the talented creators we have in SL (y’all rock!)  From delicate barely-there freckles, to big fat freckles with a distinctly hand-drawn look.  From just a few, scattered across the nose, to freckles that cover from hairline to toes.

So, without further ado, I present freckles.

A few notes: All pics are taken with the same shape and the same windlight settings.  When possible, I’ve worn the provided eyebrow shaper for each skin.  Several of the makeups shown are previous hunt prizes or group gifts, but you should be able to find a selection of makeups offered from each store shown.

There are several skins above that are personal faves of mine.  And a part of me wants to talk more about them.  But really, this post is about the freckles, not about my own biases.  So scroll back up, and take another look.  Click to see larger sizes.  Choose your own favorites. 

Special thanks to [42], Blowpop, D-Skin, Fleur, and Genesis, who all generously sent review copies.

Credits:
1.  [42] Angel Kisses, Neutral tone, makeup 02.  L$300 for a set of four makeups in a single tone.  Two makeup sets and three tones available.
2.  Adam n Eve Devon – Red Special Edition (previous picks reward gift).  L$1200 per makeup; L$3000 set of four.  Four tones and eight makeups available.
3.  Adam n Eve Bliss – Tone 1 – Freckly makeup.  L$1200 per makeup; L$3000 set of four.  Four tones and four makeups available.
4.  Blowpop Infinity line, Elizabeth face, Heavy Cream tone, makeup 5.  L$1000 per skin; L$3600 6-makeup fatpack.  Three tones and six makeups available.
5.  Blowpop Mellie3 line, Honey tone, Burlesque Queen, brunette.  L$1200 set of four makeups; L$5000 20-look fatpack.  Six tones and 20 makeups available.
6.  Cupcakes Lovespell line, Lace tone, Spring Fling makeup (Easter hunt gift).  L$1000 per makeup; $5000 for fatpack of 10.  Five tones and 35 makeups available.
7. D-Skin Skin 64, F1_E0_L1 makeup.  L$1000 per makeup.  Many faces, each with 6 makeups available.
8.  Fleur Allure line, Bare set, Truffle shade, makeup 3.  L$1000 per makeup. A total of four makeups on six tones are available with freckles.
9.  Fleur Boutique Parfait 2 line, Strawberry tone, Makeup 2.  $L 1000 per makeup. A total of three makeups with freckles are available on three tones.
10. Curio Lovely face, Petal shade, Dark, Firehouse makeup.  $L1000 per makeup; $L3000 for fatpack of six.  Five faces in three shades, each with six makeups available.
11.  Curio Radiance Shade, freckle demo.  L$700 per makeup; L$2000 for fatpack of four. 10 shades and 44 makeups available.
12.  Genesis Eden line, Sugar tone, Reluctant makeup.  L$1000 per makeup; L$15000 for fatpack of 20.  8 shades and 20 makeups available.
13.  Heaven’s Skin&Shape yuka Prototype1N F.  Free.  A small selection of free skins, some freckled, available.
14.  Imagen Irene line, Este tone, Humo makeup (current lucky chair prize).  L$995 per makeup; L$2985 for fatpack of four.  Four shades and 16 makeups available.
15.  KA Lost Special Evangeline Lilly Skin (part of a complete avatar — free).
16.  lessthanthree Sugar Skins, light tone, Godiva gift makeup.  L$600 per makeup; L$3500 per fatpack of eight usually — fatpacks on sale for L$240 through April 24th — yes, that’s $L240.  Three shades and 8 makeups available.
17.  LF Chai, Ginger tone, Antonia makeup. L$250 per makeup.  Six tones and and 45 makeups available.
18.  LF Chai Double-Shot line, Tone 3, Brisk makeup (previous hunt gift).  L$950 per makeup; discount fatpack cards available in different amounts. Eight tones and 35 makeups available.
19.  Pulse Climax line, Tone 1, Makeup 2 demo.  L$1200 per makeup; L$10,000 for the fatpack of ten makeups.  Four tones and eleven makeups available.
20.  PXL Creations Grace Line, Natural Tone, NudeEyes NudeLips BrownEB F makeup.  $L1500 per makeup; L$4000 per fatpack of four; L$7000 per fatpack of seven.  Five tones and and 28 makeups available.
21.  Redgrave Laura face, Bronze makeup.  I don’t see this one in the store right now, so it may be slated for an updated rerelease.
22.  Rockberry TMRHE Gift Skin 4.  L$1250 for a set of 6 makeups.  6 freckled sets available.
23.  Rockberry Megan A Natural Freckles (current lucky chair gift).
24.  Skin Within Adhira line, Profile Gift.  L$1200 per makeup; L$3600 for a set of six makeups.  24 makeups available.
25.  Skywalker Halloween Gift Skin [lash].  L$800 per makeup.  L$2000 for a fatpack of 5.  A variety of faces available, with about 10-15 makeups available for each.
26.  Tuli Elizabeth skin, Fair tone, Enticing makeup.  L$750 per makeup; fatpacks for L$1275/3 makeups and L$2125/5 makeups.  Seven tones and 15 makeups available.
27.  Tuli Kalista skin, Light tone, Valentine makeup (previous hunt gift).  L$850 per makeup; L$4500 per fatpack of seven.  Three tones and 21 makeups available.
28. Tuli Natalie skin, Light tone, previous group gift.  L$1000 per makeup; L$3000 per fatpack of 5.  7 tones and 10 makeups available.
29. Tuli Sumi Beauty Red.

Non-skin Credits:
Eyes: Genesis Au Naturel Eyes in Hazel
Lashes: LeLutka Seductress Lashes
Hair: Truth Ana Lu in Auburn

Tags: 42, Adam n Eve, Blowpop, Cupcakes, Curio, D-Skin, Fleur, Genesis, Heaven's Skin&Shape, Imagen, KA, lessthanthree, LF Chai, Pulse, PXL Creations, Redgrave, Rockberry, Skin Within, Skywalker, Tuli

Posemaker Challenge: Dove Love

So, Achariya challenged bloggers, and Dove motivated bloggers — to do what we should be doing anyway.  I admit, I haven’t been the best about crediting posemakers.  All my poses are all jammed into a single posestand, and I have a tendency to flip through them all in one photoshoot.  But I’m trying to be better about being aware of whose poses I’m using, and crediting that person’s work.  And I’m starting with the posemaker who takes up the most space in said posestand, for good reason.

Achariya gave specific parameters for the challenge: choose FIVE poses from ONE posemaker to feature.  Well, I’m not the best at following directions.  This is part one of two, and I’ll feature as many poses as I please!  So without further ado, I present the poses of Dove Swanson, the posemaker for [LAP] – Long Awkward Poses.

I probably use [LAP] poses more than any other posemaker.  What initially attracted me to [LAP] was the attitude.   You know that girl that’s so sure of herself that she doesn’t give a damn what other people think?  That’s Dove’s poses, at first glance.

As I collected more [LAP] and spent more time with these poses, I discovered layers of depth, beyond that surface attitude.  These poses are who we are, who we want to be.  Sometimes confident and self-assured, sometimes terribly alone and vulnerable.  Sometimes glamorous, sometimes everyday ordinary.

Poses are one of the most expressive tools we have in SL.  And it’s thanks to posemakers like Dove Swanson that we make use of these tools.  Hell, Dove makes me look good, and helps me to communicate with the body language of my avatar, even when I’m just standing still.

Credits:
Hair: Artilleri Chrissy in Red (discontinued)
Skin: Adam n Eve Bliss T1 in Freckly makeup
Earrings: part of Dark Mouse True Metal Cross set in copper
Shirt: Armidi Sheer Ribbed Tank Top in Black (worn on multiple layers for opacity)
Paint Spattered Arms: part of MUWU Painting Madness outfit
Belt: Manna Boutique Montmartre (Ladies)
Pants: Frozen Turquoise Valentine Wide Leg Jeans
and of course, all poses from [LAP] Long Awkward Poses
Store names shown in bold; for locations please visit http://slurls.wordpress.com

Tags: Adam n Eve, Armidi, Artilleri, Dark Mouse, Frozen Turquoise Valentine, Long Awkward Poses, Manna Boutique, MUWU

Sheer Elegance

I’m trying a new layout for this post; I hope you like it.  My outfits are usually a mashup of things in my inventory, and I thought it might be beneficial for you so see how the item is sold, particularly when I’m borrowing bits and pieces from sets.  In addition to pictures of my ensemble, I’m showing clickable thumbnails of the clothing item, as the designer sells it.

As soon as I saw Philotic Energy’s new release, Katalin, I knew I had to have it, immediately.  It appears to be inspired by the character Roxie Hart in Chicago, and I love it.  The simple, swept-back retro style exudes quiet elegance and sophistication.  For those who fear the odd hairline of no-bangs hairstyles, don’t stress — the hair sweeping down from a center part is a lot easier to fit than most no-bangs styles. 

Zaara’s recent release, the Isis shirt, immediately came to mind when I began building a look for my lovely new hair.  It’s a long-sleeved, button-down sheer blouse, with pintucking running down the front and along the lower half of the sleeves.  As always, the texturing is delicate and beautiful, with subtle shadows giving the impression of real folds of cloth.  I picked up the neutrals pack, looking ahead to wearing the hell out of this versatile item.

Now, the Zaara Isis blouse IS sheer.  So, a more modest girl like me is going to be rummaging through the inventory for just the right layering piece, with just the right neckline.  I wanted a simple spaghetti-strap tank, and I found it on Persona’s Feathers Dress.  It works well for layering, with wrinkles that show through a sheer blouse.  Of course, the original piece is lovely, too.  The short feathered skirt with the feather brooch make for a great flirty cocktail dress. 

I had a hard time finding the right bottom for this outfit.  I started out with skirts, but they made the outfit too girly and reserved, and Iwanted something more playful, so I went looking for some shorts.  The High and Waisted Shorts, by Random Fashion, are a freebie from The Gnubie Store, and had the perfect cut.  (I left out the jacket layer, left.)  The pants layer comes up to touch the shirt layer, so I avoided the dreaded belt of belly peeking through layers.  They were a too bit light in color, but with a little tinting, matched the outfit perfectly.

Up to this point, all the clothing has been on system layers, and the silouette was a little slinkier than I was going for.  The answer?  Prim cuffs for my shorts.  I turned to my Elephant Outfitters Jordyn shorts and borrowed the prims.  You may wonder why I didn’t choose these shorts in the first place — after all, Armidi items always have lovely textures.  However, they were too low-waisted for this particular outfit, hence the frankenstein-shorts.

I have to tell you about my tights.  Do click on the pic for a close-up, so you can see the pattern.  I knew I wanted to wear tights, to keep some of the sophistication of the hair and blouse.  I also knew they had to be fun and sexy, with a subtle pattern, and soon had my heart set on leopard.  I started my search at Sn@tch, and ran into the designer there.  After she heard what I was looking for, the amazingly awesome Ivey Deschanel dropped these on me, and they’re perfect.  They’re not available for sale yet, but they’ll be part of an upcoming release, so keep your eyes open.  Anyway, the sheer tights mirror the sheer Zaara blouse, and with a bit of tinting, they had just the right rich black color to flow with the overall look of the outfit.

ETD’s Starley Pumps are some of my favorites.  For this outfit, the retro style helps to frame the look, tying in with the retro hair.  The classic rounded toe makes these a wardrobe staple, and I picked up a fat pack back when ETD had their big sale.  Unfortunately, ETD still seems to be closed, with no news as to when it will reopen.  Keep your fingers crossed.

 The bracelets are from Aesthetic (formerly TRip).  Unfortunately, they’ve been discontinued.  But I still love them.  They’re black.  And shiny.  I like black shiny bracelets. 

Balderdash jewelry makes my heart go pitter-patter.  The tiny sculptwork is exquisite, even if it does take an extra minute to rez.  While sorting hunt goodies, I came across these lovelies, and have been wearing them for a while now.  I like the scale of them — you can definitely see that I’m wearing earrings from a distance, but they’re not huge.  Their delicacy supports the girliness of the outfit. 

 Finally, we arrive at the skin.  I do love me some Adam n Eve Bliss skin.  This is the T2 tone, a medium-light skin color, with the FrecklyCat makeup.  The sweep of the eyeliner adds a touch of exoticism to the eyes, and I like the berry-red richness of the lips.  I can never get into the nude lips that are so popular right now — they make me look washed out. 

Of course, all my pictures would be lame without poses.  Second Life’s AO is not that interesting, and we’d all quit taking pics if we didn’t have awesome posing options.  Today’s poses are all from Reel Expressions, which is one of my faves.  All her poses have an innate elegance and grace.

I hope you enjoyed this extra-long chock-full-o-pics blog post.  This format won’t be my norm, simply because it was time-consuming, but I do like showing individual items, as you’d find them in stores.

Tags: Adam n Eve, Balderdash, ETD, Miriel, Persona, Philotic Energy, Random Fashions, Reel Expressions, Sn@tch, TRip, Zaara

Fashion Relay Challenge: Post 11

Ah, so it’s my turn in the Fashion Relay Challenge, organized by the lovely Sasy Scarborough.  I’m excited to be part of this, and even more excited to be following Kallisti Burns of Discord Designs.  I admit it — Kallisti is way more bad-ass than I am.  And I’ve been looking foward to stealing a bit of her edginess and making it my own.

I chose the Needful Things Death Raven Armor Bracers from Kallisti’s appearance as her boy George.  For me, they feel like futuristic, post-apocalyptic bangle bracelets, and I have a weakness for bangles!  The hand straps and included fishnet gloves really help to integrate the bracer into the outfit as a whole.

For the bulk of this outfit — the shirt, skirt, and boots — I chose pieces with easy-wearing, everyday versatility.  The shirt I’m wearing is MichaMi’s Fearne in Black.  Its higher neckline keeps things from being too flashy with the short skirt, and the rich texture of the shirt is reminiscent of a favorite old t-shirt, worn and deliciously soft from years of wear and washing.  It includes the belted sash, and is sold on all layers for versatility. 

The Jules Jeanskirt, shown here in Dark, is one of Maitreya’s newest releases.  While the denim miniskirt is just as iconic in its own way as cigarette pants or a classic white buttondown shirt, it brings its own its own personality.  The short length and denim fabric give the outfit a playfulness that would otherwise be lacking. It includes several options for the prim attachment, including a belted version not shown here.

I love a knee-high boot — they lend both formal structure and a bit of toughness to any outfit.  These are the Maitreya Billow Boots in Black.  Maitreya’s shoes always have the most exquisite textures, and these boots are no exception.  They’ve become a staple in many a fashionista’s wardrobe, with their slouchy, casual, boho-style.  I also think part of their appeal is their RL impracticality — I don’t know about you, but I’d be forever tugging at them to keep them from slipping, and the leather would quickly wrinkle and look worn, losing its suppleness.  The boots come with three sizes, and a pair with resize scripts, so they’re guaranteed to fit you, with minimum effort.

Now, on to the accessories.  First are the Celeste glasses from PrimOptic.  These were my first glasses in-world, and they remain a favorite.  The shape of these frames is retro without being vintage, and I like that.  The glasses include an awesome script that allows you to change the color of the frame, the tint of the glass, and the position of the glasses on the head — on the nose or pushed back on top of your head.

Black Pearl earrings from +Plus, shown here in Silver, are one of my current obsessions.  I love a big earring in-world, the kind that would be so heavy in RL that your earlobes would ache after a few minutes.  However, I do not care for the giant SLut earrings.  This pair is the perfect balance in size and class, in my opinion, and the shape and texturing are lovely.

The Broken Long Strand Pearl Necklace from Caroline’s has been around a while, but it’s still a playful twist on a classic, and I still like it.  I like the goody-two-shoes aspect of the pearls, combined with the bohemian recklessness of wearing a broken necklace.  I’d like to point out that while the necklace is no-mod and the long length almost guarantees a poor fit, the designer Caroline Apollo offers free resizing.  She’s very professional to work with, and I had resized pearls in less than 24 hours.

Last but not least, we arrive at hair and skin.  I’m wearing Truth’s Victoria style in Auburn.  Proceeds from sale of this style benefit the Australian Red Cross, to help with Victorian bushfire relief.  And, it’s my absolute favoritest style on the grid.  I love the careless curls piled on top of the head, with that artfully-messy-yet-elegant feel.  Works equally well with jeans or a gown.

It’s no secret that I have a huge crush on Adam n Eve’s recently released Bliss skin.  There’s such a naturalism to it, without looking overly photosourced.  This makeup, one of the four freckly skins in the line, is FrecklyCat, and features almost-black tipped cat-eye eyeliner and rosy red lips.

I’ve had a great time with this challenge, keeping with the spirit of things and pushing the boundaries of my usual wardrobe choices thanks to Kallisti Burns.  I now pass the baton to Arcadia Nightfire of Fashion 360, and hope she enjoys the challenge as much as I have! 

Credits:
Hair: Truth Victoria in Auburn (tinted)
Skin: Adam n Eve Bliss T2 makeup FrecklyCat
Glasses: PrimOptic Celeste Glasses
Earrings:  +Plus Black Pearl Earrings in Silver
Necklace: Caroline’s Broken Long Strand Black Pearl Necklace
Top: MichaMi Fearne in Black
Tattoo: Aitui Fire Fish Tattoo, worn
Wrist Gear: Needful Things death raven armor bracers (punk ninja gothic style)
Skirt: Maitreya Jules JeanSkirt Dark
Boots: Maitreya Billow Boots – Black
All poses in the post are by Dove Swanson of [LAP] Long Awkward Poses

Tags: +Plus, Adam n Eve, Aitui, Caroline's, Maitreya, MichaMi, Needful Things, PrimOptic, Truth

Something pretty

So, I found this pretty dress while sorting inventory the other day, and haven’t wanted to take it off! I feel so ladylike in this ensemble!

The 122 Classical dress from Kuri Style is a rich brown with a nice soft sheen, delicate white flowers scattered about, and green vegetation along the hemline and the bodice.  The dress also includes a navy long-sleeved polka-dot under-blouse, but I like the simplicity of the dress alone with its notched strapless bodice.  

For accessories, I wanted subtle details — pieces with enough character to stand on their own, but wouldn’t distract from the whole of the look.  The Supernova strappy wedges from Shiny Things are the perfect balance between dressy and casual, great for everyday.  I’m particularly fond of these shoes, as I own a very similar pair in real life.  And the Porte des Reves jewelry set from Kunstkammer, which includes earrings, bracelet, and necklace, is delicate perfection.  I love love love the necklace —  from far away, it’s simply an ornament to compliment the dress; up close, it’s a beautiful tiny vignette.   (Click the link for a close-up.)

For skin and hair, I wanted to continue the pretty-girl-next-door look.  The skin is Adam n Eve’s Bliss skin, in the Freckly makeup.  I’ve been crushing on this skin since it came out; it’s soft and smooth and approachable, with a gentle scattering of freckles across the nose and cheekbones.  Hair is from Truth; I’m trying to wear all the hairstyles I stocked up on during the sale!  This style is how my RL hair often ends up — half-pulled-up, with pieces falling out, a bit wavy, the ends piecey and sticking out a bit.  Of course, Truth’s version looks quite a bit more polished than mine usually does!

Credits:
Kuri Style 122 Classical dress
Shiny Things Supernovas in Sand Bloom
Truth Caitlin 2 in Auburn (tinted)
Aitui Tattoo – Fire Fish Sleeves – Method - Worn
Adam n Eve Bliss t1 makeup Freckly
Kunstkammer Port des Reves jewelry set
Please visit http://slurls.wordpress.com/ for store locations

Tags: Adam n Eve, Aitui, Fashion, Kunstkammer, Kuri Style, LOTD, Shiny Things, Truth