Blowpop’s Latest Deliciousness
The lovely Annyka Bekkers has outdone herself this time around!
Not only has she produced a skin that is beautiful, and liiiiickable (*wink*), but she’s also answered virtually every single one of my skin-creator prayers. It’s like she just reached into my itty bitty heart, pulled out my every piss-and-moan and did exactly what I begged for.
I’d like to introduce you to Tuesday from Blowpop (SLURL, Blog)!
The specifics:
Creator: Annyka Bekkers
Shop Location: Fuzzy (SLURL)
Price: $950L per makeup (4 skins) / $2850L per makeup fatpack (16 skins)
Tones Available: Vanilla, Cream, Honey, Caramel, Cinnamon, and Cocoa
Other Notes: This is where we talk about my dreams… Does everyone remember how I complain so much (I know you do) about pubic hair and eyebrows? It’s a pet peeve of many people, and creates contempt in the hearts of skin lovers everywhere. Well… we all know that Annyka is spectacular about offering options with eyebrows/pubic hair colors. With Tuesday, she’s taken it the extra step… the skins are all pubic hairless (*ohm nohm nohm*) and she is offering two underwear layers for both brown and black pubic hair options. Need hair? Throw on the underwear! That’s a sentence you don’t get to say everyday! And the eyebrows… each skin you purchase will come with your choice of brown or black eyebrows. Like freckles? She covers that too! Each makeup comes with and without freckles. My god, I love you, Annyka.
While you can see the dozens of makeup options available on her blog, I’d like to say that the Aden series in Honey is definitely my favorite.
Top down! The face is beautiful. Absolutely stunningly beautiful. So beautiful, in fact, that I made a shape to go with it (face pictured above). It’s simply stunning. The details are magnificent in their couture-level hand drawing (HAH, I love that phrase :P), and the lips are excellent, as they have been in Annyka’s previous releases. The nose shading seems to get exceedingly darker as the skin tone changes (it’s PERFECT on Vanilla thru Honey, but seems to get just a touch too dark on Cinnamon thorugh Cocoa), but that’s really my only nitpick. The eyebrows are much softer than those from the Mellie 3, which makes me very happy. *sighs happily*
The entire torso is spectacularly well done, I especially love the belly button and collar bone which are both EXCELLENT. The nipples are fantastic for being hand drawn, and the highlights on the chest I absolutely LOVE. They add just a little something different; that extra touch to make the art your own. Know what I mean?
Like I stated before, the genital region is hairless and beautifully done. The detail is spectacular close up, and with the added pubic hair (not pictured) for you hair lovers, it looks very tasteful. Again, there are two pubic hair color options offered with each skin purchase (brown and black)!
The legs and feet are very nicely done, with just the right amount of highlighting on the knee caps and shins. I especially love the toes, which are a big step up from the toes I normally see. I’m so glad to see so many skin designers taking extra care with this particular body part… the one that is SO HARD to get right. I applaud you all. Really, I do. The future of feet in Second Life (TM) is bright indeed!
The hand detail is excellent, especially the fingernails and knuckles. Speaking of fingernails, another thing I wish some skin designers would do (and this really is just pure conjecture) is create glove layer nail polish for their skins. Or a glove layer fingernail cover up for those who purchase prim nails. Just a thought. /endrandommusing
I LOVE the ass on this skin, especially the highlighting on the cheeks and above the crack. Those of you that know me, know that I have this strange sense of pride about my butt, and I love ANY skin that makes it look good. The lovely Tuesday is no exception. In fact, it may be the rule. Look at that ass! :P And that little mole on the left cheek? DETAILS DETAILS DETAILS! Love it.
The shoulder blades are SPEC-TAC-ULAR. I am deeply impressed by their detail and flawless lighting. The back in general is just very soft and touchable (lickable?) and even the elbows are wonderful in their detail, with those little creases on the patch of skin.
I would highly recommend these skins to anyone (especially the Honey line!). The fact that these skins come with pubic hair OPTIONAL just made my entire day. My little skin whore heart is all a-flutter. *bats eyes* Run, dash, hop, skip on over to Blowpop and grab some demos and a few skins while you’re at it! You won’t regret it.
SLink: She Sure Is Purdy
I am such an ass!
There. I just thought I’d get that out there, up front and personal. I suck. Hard. Why, do you ask? For waiting this long to bring you this skin review. Siddean Munro of SLink (SLURL) released two LOVELY sets of skins back on April 25th, and I am only now getting around to blogging about them. Forgive me, Siddean!!! Real life took over for a few. *sadface*
With all of that said, I’d like to introduce you to Cate and Madison… the beautifully designed skins made especially for all your skin collection needs (click the small shot for a larger photo).
A few details for those who don’t wish to read further (I know you exist!)…
Creator: Siddean Munro
Shop Location: CG Heart (SLURL)
Price: $800L per makeup / $2400L per fatpack (6 skins)
Tones Available: Milky, Fair, Sunkissed, Coco
Other Notes: These skins come with a hair-base brow shaper, but only one eyebrow color option. I do so wish that skin creators would go the way of Eloh Eliot (and other skin creators since) and offer a wider variety of eyebrow colors with their bald hair bases… I don’t know about everyone else, and I know this is purely a matter of opinion and all, but… I really don’t like bright red eyebrows when my hair is raven black. Ya dig?
Let’s work from the head down with this one.
I’d first like to point out that I don’t believe the ads that were made for these skins do the faces justice. It is actually quite pretty… at least on my shape (pictured: Cate in Sunkissed). I do so love the lips, but I know that the glossiness of them is pretty hit or miss with a lot of people. The philtrum is not overly pronounced (I’m never going to stop using that word, Winter!), and the eye lids are shaped nicely, with just the right amount of crease above the eye. I kind of feel like the eye shadow is just a touch too harsh on some of the makeups, but that again is just a matter of opinion. The ears are also rather nicely done, however the skin tone is only slightly more pink than the rest of the skin. I urge you to try a demo out yourselves, because as I said… the ads for these skins do not do the faces justice. Don’t judge a book by its cover! The remainder of this review will focus mainly on the Cate skin in Sunkissed.
The torso of this skin is lovely, with some very nicely shaded abs. There’s a spot just below the belly button where the highlight is just a tad too pronounced, but other then that… god, I wish I had definition like that in real life! If you look closely, there’s even an added little touch to the breasts of these skins… VEINS. That’s right! Someone has FINALLY taken the time to add veins to their creation… and I am MADLY in love. Say it with me people: details, details, details! This is what sets you apart. And they’re not just on the breasts, oh no. These little signs of life exist all over this skin… subtle in some places, more pronounced in others; but we’ll get more into that in a minute.
The nipples are quite lovely and actually sit rather unobtrusively on the breasts. For some reason, I am rather impressed by how nicely they blend with the skin tone, something I know is hard to do with photosourced nippular areas.
The hands… brace yourselves. The hands (and wrists) not only have spectacular fingernails (offering nail polish soon, perhaps?) but they also have some of the best vein detail I’ve ever seen on any skin in game. I. Am. In. Awe. To be perfectly honest, I looked at the wrists and top of the hands and my jaw hit the floor. It’s not too blue, not too subtle… to me, it’s just right. I *love* this detail. Thank you so much for this, Siddean. And seriously… how about that nail polish?
I’d like to say that the va-jay-jay of this skin get the Ryker Beck seal of approval in that, while small, it’s beautifully done and quite seamless. The pubic hair is pretty unobstructive, and not overly bushy — something I tend to see all too often. And considering my blatent love for the bald Brazilian, for me to say that I love the pubic hair on this skin… says quite a bit. The inner thighs are also virtually free and clear of any harsh shading seams, which I LOVE… there’s nothing like looking at a perfectly beautiful skin and then you spread your legs and BOOM… a giant shadow seam right in the center thigh. It greatly pleases me to announce that this skin suffers not from the dreaded Triple S (shadow seam syndrome).
The legs, feet, and knees of this skin are in a word… wonderful. The toes themselves should be plastered all over the Second Life forums with a title like “the way they aught to look”. I am always so very happy when skins have lovely feet… a feat that is so rare to accomplish with the current avatar model. There’s only one real thing I see with the legs that strikes me funny… and that’s the shading on the knees. It could just be me, but they look a little… dented… with the shadow in the middle of the knee cap. Know what I mean?
My favorite part, the back and booty of the skin, is really the only part of this entire skin that I have an ounce of beef with. The butt, in my opinion, needs further detailing in the “crack” area. Clearly photosourced, but not nearly dark enough, which in turn negates some of the realism of the skin. I could be wrong, but I really like my crack shading to be a much darker tone than the skin. Other than that… I really love the back details, right down to the shoulder blades and the highlights at the base of the spine. Beautiful work! That’s some serious muscle definition… like it was chiseled out of stone. Lovely.
To sum up… these skins are definitely worth the trip to, at the very least, try out a demo. At $800L a piece, I just find it hard to believe that you could go wrong with such fine craftsmanship. I must admit, I am rather excited to see future releases! Do keep me in the loop, Siddean!
Now, before I close out this post, there is one more thing I’d like to mention about SLink (SLURL)… and that is that there are some FANTASTIC boots lurking in that store. Sculptie, leather, and several colors available at $300L a piece. They’re so good, that I just couldn’t go without giving a proper mention to them. Click the photo below for a larger view. :) Ryker, out!
Correction: Apparently, these skins are all hand-drawn, therefore making my above comments about photosourcing moot. Wow! I am impressed. :)
Beauty Avatar, Take Two: I Think I Saw God
Did you read the post title? If you haven’t… read it. It’s completely true.
I’m sure most of you that are reading this now have also read my previous review on Beauty Avatar’s (SLURL) skins. Well, I’m about to eat virtually every word I said in terms of what improvements were needed… sure, the Nefertiti skin needed some adjustments. But… what I’m about to show you makes up for all of them.
The newest line, Nemesis, released only a week and a half ago on April 17th, has got to be one of the most beautiful, soft, delicate and simply ~glowing~ skins I’ve seen in all my skin-reviewing tenure. Before I get into the details of the skin, I’m going to give you one, indisputable reason to head over to Beauty Avatar, right now, and at the very least try on a demo: I have officially made this my new skin. Without even consulting my friends (something I NEVER do). Anyone that knows me will vouch that I am a DEVOUT Vogue Skins girl… and my faith has been shattered. I have found my new God. Yes. They are *THAT* good.
Now, for the good stuff…
Creator: Sita Loire
Shop Location: Miami Island (SLURL)
Price: $1400L per skin / $24,000L per fatpack (22 skins)
Other Notes: None are needed. This review will speak for itself.
I was informed by the lovely Omnia Oh, after she read my most recent review on the Nefertiti skin, that the Nemesis line was released a short while back. It took me a couple of days, but I headed to Beauty Avatar and picked up demos — and immediately fell in love. Can you blame me? Not only has everything I mentioned on my Nefertiti review been fixed, but this skin is an improvement, times ten. Not one… single seam. And I LOOKED. BELIEVE me. Exquisite lips, an enchanting array of makeup possibilities… including a subtle and glittery eyeshadow in my favorite, and oh so hard to find, color… YELLOW!!! I swear, it’s like these skins were created for me. *sighs happily*
The face is just beautiful, as you can see above. The lips and makeup — no more is the 8-hour-workday lipliner. No more catlike corners on the lips. No more overpronounced philtrum (thanks, Winter!). Just… gorgeousness begging to be photographed.
The entire backside of this skin is Fantastic with a captital F. I especially love the smoothness of it… that’s what I really can’t get over about this skin. It’s just so SOFT. The bum is beautifully done just as it was on Nefertiti. The back and shoulder blades are strong yet delicate with just the right amount of shadow and highlight.
The nipples are strikingly realistic – likely photosourced as most are, but again so soft and supple. The shading beneath the nipple itself ads the perfect amount of “3d effect”, a detail I always love especially when photographing nudes. The highlighting is not too harsh but soft and even. These boobs make me want to press my arms together, just so I can see them squiiiiish!
Like the back, the entire abdomen is beautiful, carved from the clay itself. I LOVE the belly button, a cute little outie. The detail on the belly button is really fantastic, I can’t even begin to explain my love for it really — I much prefer the outies to the innies, and this is one of the best outies I’ve ever seen! Woo, try saying that ten times fast, chief! The abdomen muscles aren’t over shaded, which is nice – six packs just… don’t appeal to me on female skins. I don’t know what it is. No, this skin is… what’s the word, ladies? Smoooooooth. It’s like butter, baby.
The nibblebits (jolly parts, geneticulars… I’m going to think of so many names for this before I’m done) are great, with a small landing strip of soft hair. Something I find a little strange about them though is that… it’s small. I know I said in my Nefertiti review that I LIKE that and I DO… but this is a little… TOO small. If that’s possible. It was in no way a big enough problem to make me not want to convert to a Beauty Avatar lover, oh no… but it was something that struck me as odd was all. Excellent work, none the less. But — I do so wish there were a Brazilian option! *le sigh* A future development, perhaps?! *sending hopeful thoughts*
Nothing remarkable about the hands and palms really — soft skin, little detail, but likely able to be polished or prim nailed with minimal effort, so that’s a plus. I wonder, maybe some skin designers could start offering their own sets of gloves to wear over their skins for prim nails… gloves of the hand skin, sans nail detail. Wouldn’t that make life a tad bit easier for us prim nail girlies? Hmmm… Just a thought.
The feet are exquisite, as they were on Nefertiti and the knees are equally well done with the perfect shading and highlighting going on, as well as the ideal size for the leg. No small kneecaps here! The ears, while still suffering from “pasted on” syndrome (something I’ve all but resigned myself to… it happens — I should just deal :P), at least match the skin tone very well this time ’round. Excellent.
Yes, I must say… this newest development by the lovely Sita Loire has blown me through the roof. You don’t have to agree with me that they’re just fantastic, no, no you don’t… I know that makeup is a matter of taste, and beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but please… you be the judge — head on over to Beauty Avatar (SLURL) and try on a demo of the fantastic Nemesis skins. Who knows… you may just convert, too!
Beauty Avatar’s Beautiful Skins
Sita Loire, the creator behind the Beauty Avatar line (Flickr, SLURL, OnRez), has undoubtedly become a contender in the great race that is skin design. A relatively new designer, she has released lines of clothing for both men and women, as well as shoes, shapes, and skins. Ahhh… skins. My poison. What else would we be talking about today?!
Creator: Sita Loire
Shop Location: Miami Island (SLURL) or OnRez (URL)
Price: $1400L per skin / $18,000L per fatpack (16 skins)
Other Notes: This will be a review of the Nefertiti line of skins by Sita Loire of Beauty Avatar. There are other skin lines available entitled Callisto, Rozen, and Nemesis. I have to say that the Rozen skin is also INCREDIBLY fantastic, and if you haven’t already, get over to Beauty Avatar and try on some demos. There’s also FREEBIES available for both MEN and WOMEN!!! Lovely gift boxes just waiting for you to snatch them up. The women’s gift box is located inside the skin shop, while the men’s is located inside the clothing shop.
Being the eternally grateful skin whore that I am, I recently came into possession of a pack of the beautiful Nefertiti skins in Bronze and I must say… I absolutely fell in love. Anyone that knows me at all knows exactly how picky I am about the skins I’ll wear. For instance, I really hate it when skins drastically change the look of my face. This does not mean I won’t WEAR pretty much any skin I come into possession of (what can I say, I’ve become a shape-for-skin tweaker), just that it’s a personal preference… I like my face. Ya dig? :P
I am happy to say that these do NOT change the look of my face. Barely at all, really. It makes me very happy. :D Yay for keeping mah purdy face!
Now, let’s get down to business.
The first thing I’ll comment on is the makeup. While I absolutely adore the colors of the lips, cheeks, eyes, etc… I have to admit that the halo-ed lip liner is a little off putting to me. It kind of reminds me of those older business women who, so entangled in their daily work lives, forget to freshen up their lipstick and are left with a line of lip liner around their lips. I always thought that was strange. However, the Nefertiti line seems to be the only one of the four available at Beauty Avatar that has this small, matter-of-preference pet peeve of mine. Another thing that’s quite strange about the face itself is the VERY over pronounced “line” from the top of the lip to the tip of the nose… I am completely unsure of what it’s called, but it is very dark in comparison to the rest of the skin and just looks very unnatural. And while some people I have read dislike the funky style of some of the eyeshadow, I must say I rather enjoy most of them! Being the artist and photographer I am, things like that are usually very good to have in a photo shoot… it adds character, if nothing else. Know what I mean, jelly bean?
The boobs are excellent, wonderfully shaded and highlighted, not too harsh, not too dark, a subtle hint of a tanlined on the rather beautifully textured flesh. The nipples are a darker tone than I’m usually used to seeing which I think actually works out great for these skins — it gives them a much more “exotic” look.
The ass is excellent… yes, yes, I know I have this strange fascination with all things buttocks-y. Hate me for it. But regardless, this is an awesome butt. Flawlessly shaded and squeezable, just the way I like it. A small, barely noticeable seam sits right above the waistline, which is something I notice with a lot of skins really… a rather tough spot to contend with, I know! However, with an ass like that… who’s gonna be looking?
I ADORE the naughty bits on this particular skin as well. It’s much… “smaller”?… than what I usually see. It sports a neatly trimmed puff of hair as well. Being the Brazilian girl that I am, I could live without the puff of pubic hair, but really, that could be just me… I’m strangely preferrable to the full-bare vaginal state. A little off topic… this is another reason why I am so in love with Starley Thereian’s skins. While her skins do have a small puff of pubic hair, she also offers a Brazilian option… in the form of an underwear layer, skin painted on, with no pubic hair!!! I love you, Starley. More skin designers should take that cue from you (*hint hint, nudge nudge*).
Another thing I am strangely attracted to about the lovely Nefertiti skin is the abdomen and navel. It’s just… beautiful. Soft yet defined and elegant. Gorgeous. I absolutely adore that… the little details. They always get me. *tears up a little*
The feet and toes are PERFECT. No, really! Just perfect. Save for the seams around the ankles, the toes are just heaven-sent and flawless in their composition. Absolutely adored in my book. With SL feet being so hard and ridiculous to work with anyway, I just love it when designers take the time to do their best and make their feet look as perfect as they can. Bonus. And while I did not get a picture of them, the knees on this particular skin are fantastic as well. Just take my word for it. ;)
The hands are great, beautiful detail. The nails are ready to be painted, which is exquisite because I love to shop for nail polish and prim nails. If you’re a nail polish girl, these skins are definitely the ones you’ll adore.
The ears… I must admit, not fantastic, but better than some I’ve seen. They definitely suffer from “pasted on” syndrome, and as with many skins it comes as no shock to me that ears are just… hard to work with when it comes to making them “blend in naturally”. And really… how many people look at your ears, anyway? :P I’m sure there are those who do… but I’m not one of them. At least, not unless I’m doing a skin review! Besides, my rats nest of a hairdo covers them 90% of the time anyway!
All in all, a fantastic skin and a really exciting jump start for a relatively new skin designer. I can’t wait to see what other skins Sita Loire comes out with… her more recent lines are just exquisitely beautiful, and are CLEARLY only getting better. If you haven’t had the chance yet, I really would suggest a trip to Beauty Avatar on Miami Island (SLURL, OnRez) where you’ll find the lovely line of skins, shapes, clothes and … well, beauty. Treat yourself a little bit on this lovely Sunday afternoon!
Arcane Skins: The Next Big Thing
I had the pleasure of working with Truth Hawks of Truth (SLURL, Blog) recently and happily met his good friend, Ignite Nightfire of Arcane (SLURL, Blog). As circumstances would have it, I ended up with not one, not two, but THREE of the four makeup fat packs currently available for Ignite’s FANTASTIC skins. And being the skin whore I am, albeit a late one now (sorry, Ignite!) I just HAD to write a review on them. Because… well… mmm mmm MMM!
I have to start this post out by saying that these skins have the best boobage I’ve ever seen. Bar none. And I’m not just saying that because I think Truth and Ignite are awesometasticscrumbdiddleyumpcious people either. I’m saying it because, as a booby-booty girl, it’s true.
Let’s get down to the nitty gritty!
Creator: Ignite Nightfire
Shop Location: Truth Island (SLURL)
Price: $1100L per skin / $4000L per makeup fatpack (5 skins)
Other Notes: Let me state first and foremost that these skins are a STEAL for everything you’ll be purchasing with them which includes: the skin itself, a shape, prim hair (by Truth), eyelashes and a facelight. For $1100L you can go from newbie to “I just whipped the koala’s ass,” in 30 seconds.
While the skins are not transferable, there ARE gift cards available in denominations of $500L, $1000L, $2500L and $5000L! I wonder if it would be possible to change these denominations to something more like, $1100L, $2200L, $3300L, and $4000L… maybe? Just to better accommodate the purchase of a single skin, two skins, a fat pack, etc. */endpondering*
Skin tones available range from very light to tan and are very yummily named… Ghost, Creme, Fudge, Latte, and Caramel. All skins are available in four different makeup styles – Smoked, Vivids, Colors and Galaxy. My personal favorite – Smoked Sheer in Caramel – is what you will be seeing this morning!
One of the things I am most emphatically pleased with about this skin is the skin texture itself. It is very good in that it gives the illusion of pores on the skin without obstructing the skin “flow” itself. Know what I mean? It all blends together very nicely, especially on the legs and chest. Brilliant work! As I’ve stated so many times before, I am always so very happy when content creators throw in these extra little details that just add so much to the product.
Now, as I stated earlier, the boobs on this skin are FANTASTIC… I mean, I have honestly never seen more perfectly blended nipples on any other skin in game, and believe me when I say I’ve looked at a LOT of skins (zomg, you should see my skin demos folder… it’s redonk). The highlighting and shading is not too harsh, not too subtle, it’s actually just right… very photo realistic. The caramel skin tone almost looks fresh out of a tanning bed!
The booty is also superbly shaded and definitely passes “Ryker’s Ass Test”, as I’ve begun calling it. Unfortunately, I forgot to get a closeup, but I feel rather comfortable going on record as saying that it is, “bootylicious”. That’s right, I said it! Bootylicious.
Another thing I don’t think I’ve ever diliberately pointed out on a skin before that I am CRAZY HAPPY about on this one… the navel. Belly button. The spring break shot glass. It’s beautiful and lickable all at the same time, something that I’m sure many of you girls out there will enjoy come time for those intimate moments with your favorite honey. And while we’re on the topic of intimate moments… the “nether regions” are rather yumtastic too. Sporting a tiny landing strip, which I find incredibly cute, and the pussy itself isn’t ULTRA LONG… so it doesn’t blend into your butt crack when you bend over like it does on some skins I’ve seen, which I think is nice… LOL! I’m sure all of you know by now that I’m a Brazilian girl (not the country, the pubic hair preference), but this landing strip is actually a happy compromise to that crazy preference o’mine.
The knees are also superbly shaded and highlighted, not too small or too big. That’s one thing that ALWAYS drives me crazy about some skins… the knees are so tiny and knobby that it’s just ridiculous. Thankfully there are a few skin creators out there that have found the perfect balance of knee-to-leg ratio and have run with it, making for a happy Ryker.
The hands are lovely on this skin, and the toes and feet are, as usual, as good as toes and feet in SL are going to get… I’ve pretty much resigned myself to the fact that feet in SL are horrendous, and they’re just not going to get better (this is why God invented socks). But if I could throw out a recommendation here, if you’re a skin creator in Second Life and looking for a good foot template to work off of, I would highly recommend downloading Eloh Eliot’s PSD files and using her toe and toe nail shading. Hers are, by far, the best feet I’ve EVER seen in SL (Ever. EVER! Fucking EVER)… I would even go as far as to say that they’re as perfect as feet are ever going to get… but I would LOVE to see someone prove me wrong! Go feet creators, go!
The only, only, only, ONLY problem I see with this skin, and it’s a minor one at that, are the ears. They kinda look just… pasted on? I don’t know. But a little blending work there, and voila.. perfection. Considering this skin is virtually flawless (I didn’t even see a single seam… I looked… hard!), I didn’t notice the ears until someone pointed them out to me. A minor set back to a 99% perfect skin!
As first timers go, I have to say that Ignite is on his way to the gold. I don’t even think he COULD “get better”, because it’s obvious that this guy has his digital skin painting skills nailed down to a science. I am truly excited to see next generations, and this is only the FIRST. With the minor improvements he could make on these skins, they’ll undoubtedly be pinky-and-the-braining it all over the grid in no time.
What are you waiting for?! Head over to Truth (SLURL) and pick up some of these Arcane skins by Ignite Nightfire (Blog)! If nothing else, try on a demo. Your avi will thank you for it! And congratulations, Ignite, on your AWESOME skin launch! You’re a rockstar!
PS: While you’re at it, make sure to hit the hair section in Truth’s shop and pick up one of his latest hair releases! My absolute favorite is definitely his new, sculpted “Emma” ‘do (top left in the picture below), which I must admit looks smashing on my pretty little avi. I’m sure it would on yours too!
Hugo Designs & Some Fantabulous Hair
Just in time for Valentine’s Day…
First and foremost, I’d like to say – I am such a bitch. I can’t believe it took me this long to get this review up here, despite that it’s been sitting in my “for review” folder for over a month now. For that, I PROFOUNDLY apologize. I got so busy, and had a whole wedding to plan in like a week, and a class to put on, and a shop to organize, and and and… well, you get the idea. But all is not lost (I hope)! These dandy little numbers are just in time for that risque Valentine’s Day look I’m sure several ladies out there will be trying to achieve at one point or another this week — in the club, or in the bedroom!
With all of that said, I’d like to present you with the very fantastic designs from the mind of Erik Hugo, of Hugo Designs (SLURL). Click for larger photo:
This man has been incredibly patient with me, and frankly I wouldn’t deny him the chance to pimp slap me all over the grid, or cover me in peanut butter and set me out for the birds to peck at, for not getting this all up sooner. But better late than never, right? And besides, after taking another look at his shop, I have to say that I am ashamed for not bringing this to you sooner!
The thing that caught my eye most with these designs was not the skimpy and revealing nature of most of them (though that did play a part!), but rather Erik’s rather creative use of drop shadows and lighting on the clothing. I always love it when designers add little details like this… drop shadows, realistic highlights, the mark of any true artist in my book. As an artist first and foremost, I always feel confident when saying that God is in the details, and the designers that take the time to add the subtle ones the way Erik has are aces.
The fantastic outfits you’ll see pictured above are, from left to right, Tiana in White (which also has a GORGEOUS camisole included in the set that is not pictured), Lita in Black (the panties are not included, but are a piece of another set in Erik’s shop called Jane), The Classic in White (all pieces pictured in picture three and four above are included in the set), and Ava in Red. My favorite of the group so far has to be the Classic, but I have to say, despite that I haven’t had the chance to snatch it up yet, the latex this man has been rolling out with is rather impressive (click for larger photo):
I have one word: Yummy.
If you’re not completely convinced yet, I’d like to invite you all to drop by Hugo Designs (SLURL) and check it out for yourself. With prices ranging from $95L to $395L+ and the little details I hold so dear (drop shadows, *drool*), this place is definitely one for the landmark huddles. I do hope to see Erik get more into class lingerie as well… I can never get enough of that! *hint hint*
Now, while we’re on it… I’d also quickly like to share with you the FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC hairdo I’m wearing too (pictured right, click for larger photo). This is the Kaori hairdo from a little shop called H2L (SLURL) on one of the (many) fantastic Japanese sims. I tell you, those Japanese sims are a haven for the fashion trends awaiting to happen. I have no idea if this has been blogged yet or not (I know I’ve seen a few of the men’s hairstyles from H2L mentioned on SL Men), but if you have never been to this shop: you simply must drop by and grab this hair style. It’s a little pricey at $350L per color, but it is WELL worth it in my opinion. I didn’t really see any other styles there that tickled my fancy (and really there are only about 10 styles, half of which are men’s, in the whole shop), but who knows, YOU may!
And last, but certainly not least, all poses in the above photos (excluding the ad shots from Hugo Designs) are provided by DILEMMA (SLURL). Creator Roxana Demina is really on a roll with these new poses, titled the Glitz and Glam set. You are only seeing three in the above photo, but there are ten in this particular set, ALL of which are FANTASTICALLY chic modeling poses — with just the right touch of oomph and attitude.
Some fantastic shopping opportunities here, ladies! What’s better for an impromptu Valentine’s Day card for your honey than a shopping trip for some sexy little outfits, a new hairdo, and some seductive poses? And for you anti-Valentine’s Day girls and guys out there, go ahead and treat yourself anyway. All this fabulousness is not to be missed!
Baiastice: For the Fashion Elite
These are the things that make me so glad to be a member of the Second Life fashion blogosphere.After reading about the excellent awareness post over at MichaMi (one of my absolute favorite blogs on the SL fashion feed, I might add), I was very pleased to discover the elegance of Baiastice (SLURL), a FANTASTICALLY chic, beautiful, detailed, runway-worthy fashion stop. While I’m not a big fan of the Seagull jacket that Milla posted, I decided that a shop being described as “as couture as pixels get” was simply worth the trip.
My. God. I can’t tell you how happy I am that I went.
Now, my wallet’s been taking a strain these days (planning a wedding, holiday bills to recover from, etc) but I picked out three outfits from this incredible collection and I simply can’t WAIT for the opportunity to go back for more. However, until then — let me share with you the fabulousness that is Baiastice in what little quantity I can. And I will just get out ahead of this right now: go. Seriously. Just go. You won’t regret it.
The first outfit I saw and nabbed for $850L was the Opera dress (pictured above). It is a beautiful, BEAUTIFUL (and did I say *BeAuTiFuL*???) long, flowing gown in an almost golden copper color. The detail on this dress is MAGNIFICENT, especially on the chest where patterns tend to blur and distort. The flexi skirt is the perfect length and it’s elegant train makes me feel like the Belle of the Ball, as I’m sure it will you. It’s straight out of an Italian fairy tale, and you’ll feel like a princess wearing it! I want to just skip right off to the Oscars, sip some Cristal, and brush elbows with the movie stars.
This next outfit, which I paired with onyx Liah boots from Vamp, Suite 17 Jet Dark Black sunglasses, and Lynne II hair from ETD, is the utterly gorgeous ensemble which I will lovingly refer to as “The Manhattanite” (though its actual name is Madama T — picture right). It’s a sexy yet sophisticated dress with matching long black gloves and a look that kills. Can you say, “Look out, Prada!”
And we’ll wrap up with the dress I hope to make my bridesmaid gowns if I can ever muck up the cash to do it between now and the wedding date (I’m getting married, by the way… did you know??? LOL!). The dress is called Histoire (pictured left)… an elegant golden camel dress, perfect for your next cocktail party or art gallery opening. Whether you’re dancing the night away or attending a very… planned… out… wedding… (woot!)… you’ll look stunning in this gown.
I am so happy that Milla pointed this place out, and so incredibly excited to see what other releases may come from this diamond in the rough. Baiastice (SLURL) is the name folks, and bring your checkbooks! You’ll need them!
Damn, I wish SL had layaway… *feels her inner trailer park showing* Meep!
ViciV Fashion: Dresses to DIE For
No! I’m not dead! I know, it’s been such a long time since I’ve blogged on anything, and I have SO MUCH to catch up on it’s not even funny. The last two weeks or so, I’ve dedicated pretty much all of my time to the art class I gave (and will be giving again TODAY at 9AM SLT!) at the Avatrait Gallery (SLURL), and I haven’t really given any thought to anything else. But fear not! I’m back and working on new releases for the jewelry store in time for Valentine’s Day (including a line of engagement rings… more news on that later!), have a TON of things to blog, and lots of group notices to send out!
A good friend of mine, Kimberly Mirabeau, introduced me to the store I’ll be sharing with you today (and provided me with the stunning pictures you will be seeing!) — ViciV Fashion (SLURL). In this lovely shop you’ll find several things to tempt your checkbook… from wedding dresses and veils to elegant evening gowns, this store is definitely one not to be missed. Being that I’m actually in the market to find a wedding dress (yes, I’m getting married… Ohmahgawd!), naturally these were the first things that Kim and I looked at. The veils are just GORGEOUS and the wedding dress are utterly fantastic. There are demos to try on of each dress, so it’s no “buy before you try” as with some shops, which is simply brilliant — I love it when vendors think this far ahead. Let me try these clothes on if you want me to dish out $1500 for a dress! But, with this store? You may not even have to try the dress on. Just buy it. Seriously. And for you freebie hunters, there is a LOVELY freebie dress (available in both short and long versions) available for your grabbing!
There is on particular dress that we both bought (I bought the long version, Kimberly the short version) that we absolutely fell in love with. A stunning, limited edition, butter yellow gown called “HarMonica”. There are only 35 remaining, and they sell for $1,500L, but let me tell you — WELL worth it. This dress sports a beautiful silver design pattern on the bodice, and a fantastic fabric texture that closely emulates sleek satin. It has to be one of my favorite dresses in my inventory… slippery smooth and elegant to boot! Highly recommended for your next formal retreat. But again… there’s only 35 left! So head over there and grab it while you can!
Among the other limited edition dresses is a beautiful long red satin gown, perfect for Valentine’s day or a romantic evening out with your honey. Aptly named “Valentine”, it is sure to turn heads … all eyes on you! And this… this is my favorite part. The exclusive collection also includes a dress modeled after Halle Berry’s Oscar Awards dress — an absolutely stunning combination of flowing skirt and sheer top with fantastic floral design. Another must have for you elegant dress (and Halle Berry) fans!
Prices in this shop range from $300L to $1500L+, and again — well worth it. The lovely shop owner, VictoriaV McMillan has outdone herself! I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for this exquisite shop. Head on over there and take a peek! A girl can never have too many of these fabulous dresses.
Now… where are those veils… *breaks out the wallet*
PS: Photos displayed in this post are all provided by the lovely and talented Kimberly Mirabeau, photographer extraordinaire and my keen-eye-for-fashion shopping partner. If you’d like to see more of her work, she will be having what will surely be a knock out gallery opening at the Avatrait Gallery (SLURL) on February 2nd at 5PM SLT! Honestly… this will be an event not to be missed. Block a little time to join in in seeing one of SL’s best photographers, mingle with other SL artists, and party like a madman!
WOW! Steer Clear of The Quad!
As most of us already know by now, Last Call’s $100L sale launched today (11 Jan 08)!
This will be the last chance for any of us to obtain merchandise owned and created by Ginny Talamasca, Devyn Carmichael, and Katterina Dagostino… this means Last Call and Moderno fans need to get their butts on over there, pronto, before they lose their chance to own these fantastic designs… because they will be permanently retired once the sale ends. Again, the Dazzle sim will NOT be closing down… simply changing hands at the personal choice of the respective owner. You can read up on that information at the Last Call blog.
WITH THAT SAID…
Four sims. Three sales total. And a WHOLE LOT of shakin’ going on. I mean, you can literally hear your computer groan with disbelief at the sheer amount of people contained within the quad at this very second. And just to prove that I’m not kidding? Here is a snapshot of the quad, just moments ago…
It’s like Woodstock for the fashion lovers of Second Life. The mother ship is calling us all home, and we need our sustenance so much, that we’re actually waifing through the lag to get to it! AH, MOTHERLAND!
I can honestly say, I’ve been standing at this 50% off sale at Wintermoon on the Canimal sim for the last 20 minutes now (I’m not even going to TRY to get to the ETD sale)… and only HALF of the items have even rezzed enough for me to peek at. Oh, and as for TPing out? You’d better pack a lunch and plan to stay for the DAY. You won’t be going anywhere, unless you log out and reset your log in to your home location. It’s THAT crowded.
Despite all of this lag, hustle, bustle, and overall craziness… this sale has me so excited I could just die. Granted, I’m most certainly not excited that Ginny Talamasca has left the building… but seeing so many people jump at the opportunity to own his creations before the end of an era makes me smile.
Shop on, my friends. Shop on.
The Blog Round-Up
There’s so much going on, I don’t even really know where to start. So I’ll do this in an orderly fashion, really… all bullet-pointy and stuff.
The Second Mirage jewelry store is having a Flickr Contest for which first prize is every piece newly released in 2008. THAT… is a sweet deal. For all us girls out there that love jewelry, this is a hell of a reward for taking a few decent snapshots. Perhaps even the guys could get in on this… wonder if Serenity would be willing to forward the prizes on to one lucky lady should a guy win? Hmm… well, anyway, here is the scoop:
Take a photo featuring you in Second Mirage Jewelry and post it to the “Second Mirage” group on flickr! Enter as many times as you like, but only ONE submission per named set/item though, so pick your best shot for each! All submissions to the group need to be before January 22nd! The winner will be unveiled at the upcoming Second Mirage showcase to be held over the weekend of January 25-27!
Any questions, contact SerenityVal Alcott inworld or by email at serenityval[@]gmail.com.
Also, as I’m sure many of us in the blogosphere have heard by now, Last Call (AND Moderno) will be having their “final shebang” beginning 11th of January during which all items for sale by Ginny Talamasca, Katterina Dagostino, and Devyn Carmichael will go on sale one final time for $100L a piece. After the sale, all items by these designers will be permanently retired — more details as follows:
Starting Friday 1-11-08 at 9am SL Time, all Items created by Ginny Talamasca, Katterina Dagostino, and Devyn Carmichael will go on a final $100L sale. All Items will be marked as Modifiable and Transferable but will NOT be Copyable. So please be careful with items you purchase, once this sale has concluded all sale items will NO LONGER be available in SL from their original creators.
I will continue to honor all Gift cards up until 7am Tuesday morning 1-8-08 when I shall close off the island to begin reprogramming the vendors and their respective inventories. I know that not everyone will get this notice before the deadline, so let me be clear. I will honor Gift Cards submitted after Tuesday morning and for the duration of the sale, BUT they will only be redeemed for the ORIGINAL item’s price NOT the sale price. Once Last Call has closed its doors following the conclusion of the sale all gift cards will be considered Void. The sale will run for approximately one month or possibly longer demand permitting.
For those of you wondering if the Dazzle Sim will be shutting down for good, don’t fret. Lyra Muse assures us that that is in fact NOT the case… simply that Ginny Talamasca has virtually “left the building”… a tragedy in itself, but from the sounds of it, a personal need. I wish him all the best, and sincerely hope the rest of you do too.
Moving right along…
The current Second Life hair texture guru (in my personal opinion) has released some new styles over at RaC (SLURL). I simply LOVE these hair textures… I’ve never seen them more real. I have to say that my favorite one is definitely “Silk”, closely followed by “Princess”. To see some shots of these awesome new styles, head over to Melanie Kidd’s blog and check them out. Then, while you’re at it, head on over to RaC and buy them!
Raskella Canadeo, lovely designer of Blooberry (SLURL, OnRez, SLEX), has announced that she will be completely redoing her storefront, including a new building, new posters, etc. Until previews are ready on her blog, she also has some quite lovely new releases for us to enjoy. A little sample:
I don’t know about the rest of you guys, but I’ll definitely be shimmying my little butt right on over to Blooberry to grab this cute lil number! Along with the other new releases she’s proudly displayed on her blog.
And finally, another thing I’m sure most of us have heard about… Simone! has opened her fantastically fantastical $100L discount outlet store (SLURL), full of LOTS of $100L clothes for all of us to play with. I know I stopped by the other day and spent a cool $2k pretty easily. If you’re on a budget, this is probably THE place to stop and shop, so I’d recommend polishing off those wallets and getting on over there to do some serious comfort shopping.
WHEW! Lots going on… So much to do, so little time!
