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!
Second Mirage: The Grand Collection
The Second Mirage Grand Collection (SLURL) show took place on the evening of January 25th, and was one of the best shows I’ve seen thus far. Stunning models, beautifully fashioned pieces, and fantastic prim work are a few things that come to mind when remembering this exciting event. I had the honor of attending the press-only event (and I am such a loser for not blogging this sooner!).
I believe emcee Adrienne Arliss said it best at the beginning of the show, describing the collection as, “The Grand Collection is inspired by one of the most beautiful women of all time, Elizabeth Taylor, and the renowned jewels she loved to collect as much as hearts. Luxurious, decadent, and glamourous, the Grand Collection is a show-stopping showcase of indisputable brilliance! Precious stones set into glittering gold or platinum, the world’s most beautiful treasures are the must-have compliment for the world’s most beautiful women! The Grand Collection is quite simply the ultimate jewelry showcase for the ultimate woman.”
My favorite piece, by far, is the Luxuriant in Ruby (the last piece pictured below). A stunning piece of work by creator BritneyJ Crimson, this is an incredibly masterful necklace of delicate diamonds, gleaming silver, and sparkling rubies. Other available gemstones include diamond, emerald, and sapphire, ensuring that you will always have a choice for any outfit!
Another of my absolute favorites was a simple necklace of adorable daisies (pictured 2nd to last below) that evoked just enough spring-is-in-the-air feeling for the cold winter morning. Titled “Fresh” and perfect for any sun dress, this is a fashionably crafted piece of cheerful daisies crafted of platinum, diamonds and topaz that form a beautiful bouquet around the neck.
BritneyJ has truly outdone herself with this collection! Being one of the most beautiful and stunningly elegant collections I’ve seen in Second Life, and so intricately done, these pieces are a definite must-have for any serious jewelry connoisseur. With the sheer number of gemstones available, everyone is sure to find something to fit their tastes!
The Grand Collection pieces are priced between $75L and $800L and are available in several different gemstones: diamond, ruby, sapphire, and emerald being just a few! Hop on over to Second Mirage and feast your eyes on the beauty that is this exquisite collection of elegance: you most definitely will not be disappointed, and believe me when I say you will walk away with a smile on your face!
You may also visit Second Mirage’s blog for a “living showcase” of the Grand Collection!
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.
Lingerie and Animation Overriders
The lovely Cattrina Careless of Catt’s Creations (OnRez, SLURL) is not only an incredibly pleasant woman to speak with, but also very talented. I am happy to report that she is selling a rather lovely set of lingerie… in seven colors, with both boyshorts and a gstring thong (BONUS… I <3 the boyshorts!)… for $550L! That’s right. Five hundred fifty lindens. That’s pretty damn good for seven pairs of lingerie. Oh, and matching sheer black stockings too!
Now, for right now, this phat pack (you like that word play there? I keed, I keed!) is only being sold as a full set of all seven colors on OnRez until the 6th of January. So boys, this works out great for you… because you can buy it and have it delivered to your favorite girl with no trouble! Think of it as a belated Christmas present. And every girl loves lingerie! Isn’t OnRez grand?
After the 6th of January, the set will be available as both the fat pack and individual colors. And while we’re on the topic of colors, available ones are aqua, green, blue, red, pink, purple, and black). My personal favorite is the pink, and I kind of wish there was a white one too… because pink, white, and black are my favorites. But that’s just me… I’m a picky bish. And since I’m so frickin’ girlie… those are my staples. Ya know? A girl’s gotta have pink, white, and black!
For critical purposes (I know, I know, everybody’s a critic!) the only real thing I see on this lingerie that could use a little improvement is the cloth texture and shading. For example… under the breasts is an area that is commonly missed when it comes to shading detail. Without it, the fabric simply looks painted over the breasts, with no real depth to it. Remember designers… the shadows are as important as the light.
At $550L, you simply can’t beat this set. Ladies… well worth it if you’re a lingerie hound like me. Boys… your girlfriend/wife/mistress will love you. Check out Catt’s Creations on OnRez, or visit her main location in world! Go ahead. Be sexy… and click the image for a larger view!
I would also like to note that the poses used in these photos are actually created by the lovely and talented Roxana Demina of Dilemma (SLURL), an AO and poses shop. The poses displayed here consist of her as-yet unreleased line of AOs that will soon be available on the 1st of January! While the poses are meant to be used in animation overriders, they worked very nicely as model poses for this set. As an animation overrider however, they are some of the best I’ve seen, especially the sitting poses. Need a new AO??? Plan on creating one? Stop by her shop and have a peek! And don’t forget to come back after the 1st of January to see her new “Beachy” AO, my personal favorite!
WRONG’s Daily Free Gift Until X-Mas Eve!
I think this has to be one of the best PR ideas, like, EVER. Click here or the advertisement below to teleport on over to WRONG and start digging for pressies! NOTE: There are TWO trees in the store, and I believe only ONE will have an active present underneath it on any given day. Keep that in mind while diggin’!
By the way, this sale announcing thing, doesn’t bother anyone, does it? I just want to make sure I’m not scaring anyone off by trying to keep everyone up to date on the sales I hear about, ya know? :P
Coming Soon from Fuse!
The lovely Jonathan Hugo, owner and designer of Fuse (whose store I wrote a review on just yesterday!), sent me a wonderful surprise this morning as I logged in to check my IMs. Five FANTASTIC dresses — a sneak peak to his future female clothing releases and undoubtedly the beginning of a massive flood of, “More! We need MORE!” outcries from the female population. Mr. Hugo, I hope you’re prepared!
And girls,… you’re in for a treat.
The dresses, Audrey, were sent to me in the following colors: Aqua, Caffe (shown), Nero, Rouge (shown), and Verde, and are all simply WONDERFUL. The colors, especially the Rouge, are all exquisite and deep, and the detail on the skirt and boobs (why do I always look at the boobs? LOL) are fantastic. I simply cannot wait for a big release from this store.
I’m telling you girls, don’t lose track of this one! Pop over for a visit, landmark the place, and check back often!
Fuse Clothing: Mr. Hugo, You Are Da Bomb
I heard through the blogosphere (grapevine, locker room, whatever) that there’s a new designer in town by the name of Jonathan Hugo. His new shop, Fuse (SLURL), I felt was definitely worth a mention here, as it shows some SERIOUS promise in the fashion world.
While his shop (housed in one of Barnesworth Anubis’s newer builds, the BelAir) is small and very sparse at the moment, the few items he DOES have are VERY noteworthy. SO noteworthy, in fact, that I’ve commissioned my very good friend, Mr. Stephen Venkman, to model a few of his outfits for me.
Yes, ladies, this shop mostly has male clothing at the moment… there are a couple of female choices, though not many. However, I have high hopes for his future female fashion endeavors! If they are anything like his male clothing, I am sure the future is bright indeed.
Now, let’s get down to bidness!
A couple of things to note right off the bat about the jeans that Stephen is wearing… they ARE MODIFIABLE. When you initially put them on, they are, as Steph would say… “nut hugging”. However, you can modify them to be as baggy as you like, so DO NOT FRET if you put these pants on and realize that the tops of your rock star boots are no longer tucked away neatly below the fold. That can be changed. These jeans can be taught!
Each piece of clothing shown here is sold individually. I am especially fond of the polo shirts… they are beautifully made, fantastically textured, and I’m just such a sucker for realistic wrinkles.
The seams on these shirts match perfectly, right down to the triangular side seam traditional of polos. The texture has a good bit of depth to it, and as I mentioned, the wrinkles are fantastically done. The pectoral muscle shading is beautiful, giving off just enough “hint” of muscle tone beneath the fabric (I know how you boys just LOVE your muscle tone!). The only real problem I have with the polo shirts is I kind of feel that the shoulder cloth is a tiny bit… “over-wrinkled”? Is that even a word? But other than that, brava. These are beautifully done. The polos come in six different colors (Clay, Salmon, Olive, Lilac, Stone, and Earth), and are available for $110L per shirt.
The next item of business, Mr. Hugo’s wool jersey for men, is also incredibly well done. Like the polo, it is very well textured and superbly shaded right down to the subtle highlights on the long sleeves; not to mention that the perfection of the seams is almost scary. I have to admit, I am a huge pain in the ass when it comes to seams on clothing… and these definitely pass my test. Not even a MILLIMETER off center. Incredible. These fantastic jerseys are available in four colors (Earth, Mist, Sunset, and Thunder) and, like the polo shirts, are available for purchase at $110L per shirt.
I’d also like to mention here that all shirts are modify/copy/no transfer.
Finally, the jeans (playfully known as the “nut huggers” from this point on) lack very little in the way of denim texturing. Honestly, this particular denim texture has to be one of the better ones that I’ve seen on the grid. Thanks to the fact that these jeans ARE intially tight on your legs (but they ARE MODIFIABLE!), they DO actually look great on female avatars. I know. I tried them on myself, and I’m rather pleased with the results. If I could change one, tiny thing about them though, I would have to say that I’m not crazy about the fact that the zipper button is kind of a rusty orange color. I, personally, would lean more towards a silver or tin colored button. That might be me just being nit picky, but you never know. But, zipper buttons aside, these jeans are fantastic. I do declare, Mr. Beauregard… I believe I’m in love with the manly jeans! There are six pairs of jeans available at the price of $110L per pair, and they come in colors City (a grey-ish color), Factory (a black color) and Subway (a dark blue color) with your choice of regular texturing or gritty texturing. Everyone (ladies included) should definitely run out and snatch these up. I am sure they would make a welcome addition to any wardrobe, ESPECIALLY considering that they’re modifiable.
Yes, I do believe I am rather impressed by this little gem of a shop. Mr. Hugo, I cannot wait to see your future releases! And please don’t forget us ladies… we have plenty enough clothes, I know, but, but, bububu… we will love you for it. I promise!
The name is Fuse. Drop it a visit! You won’t regret it. Also, feel free to bookmark his blog. While pretty underdeveloped right now, I imagine it will soon be teaming with life like a koi pond in a Japanese garden.
PS: Ladies, there ARE female items available in the store (approximately 9 items). It is well worth the visit! Kimberly, if you’re reading this, I think you would look *STUNNING* in the Secretary outfit in red!
CJ (Claudine Jewell) Hair Review
Anyone that knows me, knows one of two things: the first, I change my clothes. A LOT. My wardrobe is ridiculous, and if you catch me in game, I will often change 3 or 4 times before settling on an outfit to wear. You also know that even if I DO settle on an outfit, there’s no guarantee that I’ll remain satisfied with said outfit — which often results in my changing AGAIN… and the cycle goes on.
The second thing you will inevitably know about me, especially if you know the first, is I like hair. I have what seems like a bazillion different hairstyles, in black alone (my color of choice). Which brings me to my post for today. My very first review! On … dun dun dun … hair!!! CJ Hair to be more specific.
I’ve seen this particular little shop circulating the blogosphere once or twice, so I decided to stop in and check the place out, as I’ve never been there (omg) and we all know that I just NEED MORE HAIR! So, I made the conscious decision that I was going to stop in, buy the best two styles I saw, and that was IT, because dammit I gotta stop SOMEWHERE… *fat chance*.
I’ll start out by saying that it is a quaint little store, tucked away in a surprisingly lagless little shopping district. The store is sparsely furnished (thank god — prim heavy shopping districts REALLY suck) and nicely laid out. There are only about eleven styles total in the shop, which is unfortunate, because they’re all so lovely… however, a store’s gotta start somewhere, right? So, without further ado, lets get down to the nitty gritty.
I’ve been looking for up-dos a lot lately, so the first thing I noticed when I walked in were the few she has available. I immediately purchased the demo of “Belle” and tried it on. With a little tweaking, I must admit, it looks beautiful atop my rather oddly shaped head. Being rather satisfied with this style, I decided on the purchase… for $85L!!! A steal. *buy*
The texture, while a little dark, is pretty decent, along with the highlights it sports. The black shade that I purchased could do with a tiny, tiny bit more highlighting (the blond demo I tried on was lovely), but other than that, really nice work. And, as with all designers, we all get better with time — so I imagine the best is yet to come! I should also probably mention that all styles come in a “large” and “regular” size, I imagine to better fit the shapes of our heads. Hahahaha. Brilliant thinking like that.
Moving right along to the longer hairs — three caught my eye in particular: “Grace“, “Summer“, and “Kia” (see? I’m already breaking my two-styles-only rule). I immediately purchased the demos, naturally, and busted them out. Grace’s and Kia’s demos came in a lovely java chip brown color and looked very flattering on my skin tone. Grace is a lovely longer style, wispy and beautiful while Kia is a fantastic long ponytail with a color changing headband. Summer’s came in a ginger red (very natural looking, I might add). All three designs are beautiful and elegant. Because of my three style rule, I actually decided on purchasing “Summer” in my favorite shade of black, which I’m happy to say looks STUNNING… it must just be the up-dos that need a tiny bit more highlighting. Because the longer hairs are FANTASTIC in their flexibility and texture-y goodness.
After patrolling the hairstyles on the wall, I took another quick peek around the store to find a couple of jewelry sets, and yet ANOTHER hairstyle that I REALLY WANTED……… but I must remain true to my two styles rule this week… *waits anxiously for next weekend* I can’t help it. I just have to have it. It’s THAT good. It’s called “Xtina” and is, what I can only imagine to be, a hairstyle inspired by Christina Aguliera. But it’s wonderfully done (as you can see) and only comes in one color — blond/black. Fantastic. Love it. Beautiful. *j’adore* In a nut shell, I am really looking forward to more of what this designer, Claudine Jewell, will produce in the future. I fully encourage all of my fellow hair-fiends to run out and visit CJ’s store. At $85L a color, you just can’t go wrong!
