2014 Fantasy Faire: Future Found

I'm only wearing a couple of Fantasy Faire things, picked up along my wanderings through Asperatus. Tucked in my hair is this fun and animated hair stick from Curious Kitties, and I really adore it. It spins and sparkles, and the ribbons are flexy so they curve beautifully as it moves. My other accessories include some lovely wings from Una which I've shown many times before - they are a longstanding favorite, and though the black hides more of the details than the other shades, it is a lovely counterpart to my gown and the flowers tucked into to joins are so adorable. My lipstick is one of my favorite reds from L. Fauna, and is one of the few bits of color in all the black; the other bright red is in my nails, an oldie but goodie from A:S:S - one of my favorite nail color stores. The shades are always so vibrant, and the styles so interesting.

My clothing is also a Fantasy Faire donation item, and it is a really charming Victorian era gown in rigged mesh. It comes in a variety of colors, but I'm showing off the simple black with gold buttons - it also can have silver buttons - and I paired it with some boots from Lassitude & Ennui from the same era. I really love the layers to it, and how the bustle is fit over my skirts. The length is also really fun, long enough to be decorous but short enough that I can show off my shoes. I just wish the bustle section and gown had come separately or were mix-and-match in some manner; it would have been really fun to be able to combine different colors either through wearing two different, rigged things, or by tinting them separately. All in all, though, I look a proper Victorian Miss in dress, even if I can never aspire to be one in behavior.

The last day of Fantasy Faire, and I'm slowing down; I won't be able to do everything I'd hoped I would, with posed pictures taken on every sim, but I will be able to take pictures of every sim, so that's something. I'm on the last sim in my rotation, and my Fairlands story is beginning to pick up some speed, so hopefully I'll be finished before the Fantasy Faire Flickr Group is closed again, and everything rolls up for a year.

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: Izzie's, Irene
Sparkles: Folly, Rainbow Sheen
Hair: Magika, Safe
Hair Stick: Curious Kitties, Elemental Hair Stick (Fantasy Faire)
 Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Eyes: De La Soul, Rainbow
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Lipstick: L. Fauna, Red 1
Wings: Una, Steampunk Wings
Hands: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands
Nails: A:S:S, Glamour Silk
Clothing: Lassitude & Ennui, Henriette (Fantasy Faire)
Shoes: Lassitude & Ennui, Phoebe

Pose: !bang

Location: Asperatus
Light Settings: Sim Default
Water Settings: Sim Default

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Twisted Color Challenge: Week 3 - Artsy Fields

The third Twisted Color Challenge was a fun one - a peculiar pale green and a bright red labeled Artsy Fields; the former was a challenge to find (I tinted all versions of it in this look but the eyeshadow) but the latter was all around, aided by the fact that the tippet and cuffs of this coat were separate from the amazing coat - all from G Field. I am, in fact, dressed almost head to toe in G Field products - boots, stockings, coat - and would have tinted one of her roses to match if only it hadn't been no modify. Woe for the pain caused by cruel permissions denying me my color completion! I ended up bringing out a flower from Fuel (who doesn't seem to have a store - woe!) to match the rest, and I think it looks lovely (though G Field's roses remain my favorite). I have the fatpacks of all of the pieces, which means that I have endless opportunity for mixing and matching. G Field is leading the charge in HUD based recoloring, and I used that to texture all kinds of things - sadly, since the boots were a single figure, I couldn't tint them separately to match the coat & tippet, but I think the effect is carried regardless - and I rather surprisingly like this combination of colors, though I'm not sure why. They don't seem like they should work together, and yet the contrast is appealing.

I carried the tints and hues of my clothing over to my appearance, and found it worked pretty well. For hair I'm using the newest release from Underscore (formerly Secrets Hair and Tribal Soul Designs), a sassy short cut with a textured, modern edge. Underscore is also on the tint-via-HUD bandwagon, and may I say it is a glorious wagon? If only I could lure the rest of the grid there, I would be a very happy fashionista. For her new releases, Underscore has reworked the textures, and I really like how they are both bright and softly textured. This red was perfect, and I reflected it in my cosmetics with layering of lipsticks - L Fauna under Mock. The L Fauna gives the depth and brightness to the color, while Mock adds her characteristic shiny, glossy effect which really sells it. The eyeshadow was completely untinted, and oddly was the only Artsy Fields color not tinted by me! And I added it last. Made by Virtual Insanity, I've been waiting for a look it would work with, and this finally met that goal.

( More pictures here. )

Credits:

Skin: De la Soul, Aestali - Cream Rose
Eyes: De La Soul, RooMee Eyes - Rainbow
Eyeshadow: Virtual Insanity, Spring - Margarita
Eyelashes: SLink, Mesh Eyelashes
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Lipstick 1: L Fauna, Red 1
Lipstick 2: Mock, Mizu Venetian Red
Hair: Underscore, Herein Hair (promotional item)
Ornament: Fuel, Flowery Peacock
Wings: Fancy Fairy, Azarelle
Hands: SLink, Mesh Hands
Dress: G Field, Winter Coat "Natalie" (gift)
Stockings: G Field, Print Tights - Rose Red
Shoes: G Field, Fur Cuff Boots "Sasha"

Poses: Glitterati

Location: Annwn Willows
Light Settings: TOR, SCIFI Noxumic
Water Settings: Glassy

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Ginko

I watch a lot of anime, and have for many years now. I'm not quite a Nipponphile, but I have a great deal of appreciation for Japanese aesthetics and style; the characteristics of simplicity, purity, and nature are those sorts of universal things that can lead to beauty. Ginko leaves always make me think of Mushishi, one of my favorite anime/manga series, and a flower I made once out of ginko leaves in the fall.

Matsushima, the name of this dress/shirt from R2 Fashion (available at Collabor88), is a region in Japan that was very hard hit from the March 11 Earthquake and Tsunami, Matsushima is a collection of rocky islands covered with pines that were identified as a natural and national treasure in Japan. The Matsuo Bashō Haiku about it is particularly funny to me, since it is such an elegant way of indicating speechlessness with a twinkle hidden inside.

Matsushima ah!
A-ah, Matsushima, ah!
Matsushima, ah!

Each of the Matsushima dresses is styled off of a different flower, which to my untutored eye greatly resemble kimono fabric textures. This one is kiku-zakura, a type of pinkish-white chrysanthemum, rendered in a variety of shades of pink and gold. I love how starkly they stand out against the solid black of the background, making for an extremely dramatic look. I left a very red lip, a combination of L. Fauna and Mock, to match the drama, but kept under the dress simple, pulling out an old pair of pants from The Black Canary, which has been closed for a long while now.

The other two main pieces of this look are also from Collabor88, which is actually how I came to the combination; shallow reasoning, but fun! The hair is a combination hair from D!va, with the updo part unrigged and the ponytail rigged mesh, combining the best of both worlds - it can be modified to fit a variety of heads, but the pony tail will remain hanging over the shoulder as one moves. It's not immediately obvious in these poses, but if you look closely you'll see how my head is moving while the ponytail remains tethered while still appearing natural. Finally, these amazing boots are from Schadenfreude; I ended up being unable to buy the fatpack at Collabor88, but the creator very kindly allowed me to purchase them directly from her. At the fatpack level, different sections can be recolored to mix and match in amazing ways - leading to these two-tone spats and bright gold buttons. I especially love the texturing and shape around the knees and ankles, where the fabric bunches a bit very naturally; it's that extra bit of verisimilitude which is the mark of a superior creation. The final touch came at the last minute, when a friend and I briefly crossed paths and he passed me a bunch of wands from Curio Obscura, available at the Arcade Gatcha Event. I haven't gotten there yet, but now that I see these awesome wands I'm hoping there's space for me soon!

( More pictures here. )

Credits:

Skin: De la Soul, Aestali - Cream Rose
Eyes: De La Soul, RooMee Eyes - Rainbow
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Eyelashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Lipstick: L. Fauna, Red 1
Lipgloss: Mock, Mizu Venetian Red
Hair: D!va, Asami (December Collabor88)
Wings: Fancy Fairy, Azarelle
Hands: SLink, Mesh Hands
Wand: Curio Obscura, Scepter of Hearts (December Arcade Gatcha Prize)
Shirt: r2, A/D/E Dress "Matsushima" (December Collabor88)
Pants: The Black Canary, He Lurks in Darkness
Boots: Schadenfreude, Winter's Bite Leith Boots (December Collabor88)

Poses: Adorkable Poses (Advent Gift)

Location: Japan Project Garden
Light Settings: Abracadabra2
Water Settings: SNAKE!!

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Mardi Gras in New Toulouse

Most of you probably don't know this, but I started on Second Life participating in various philosophy events. Philosophy is not often associated with fashion, but I was also very interested in style and appearance and spent a good amount of time dressing myself up. This was in rather sharp contrast to a lot of the other people, who tended to have basic skins and very basic clothing, often several years out of date, and who usually wore the same clothing. I didn't try to make a big deal of it, but I discovered how noticed it was when one of the men made a point of my dress - characterizing it as attempts to attract men, and solely that. I often feel like the outside being stylish and carefully put together tends to make people assume the inside is rather vapid - and being a blond (most of the time, obviously I'm not here) probably doesn't help.

My personal philosophy centers aesthetics as a high value - less out of choice, and more because over time I've noticed that part of how I determine something is moral includes whether it is also aesthetic. It is moral to show grace toward other people, and patience, and kindness, but it also creates beauty in the spaces between people - where you and I meet - and I value that beauty as an integral part of morality. I also think beauty has value of its own to bring about peace of mind, encourage attention and care, and simply make a world in which it is worth living and loving. Although modern US culture degrades beauty, art, and creativity as unnecessary and vapid - I consider it both central and critically important.

Speaking of beauty, the first Flux event is going on and the theme is Mardi Gras. I've never done much with Mardi Gras, but I have to admit I really enjoy the combinations of colors - purple, green, and gold make for gorgeous contrast. The hair is a recent Wasabi Pills release, an over the shoulder pony tail which I'm wearing in a bright shade of green. It's mesh, which means head positioning is a lot easier but the people who might be able to see it are fewer. The Cross Cosmetics from Nuuna were a purchase at 4.44.444 a few months back - something I grabbed on impulse, thinking it might be neat to layer in different cosmetic effect in the future - and it turned out to really pull my look together.

The L.Fauna purple lipstick is a perfect match for the other colors, and placing it over the cross of yellow really made a striking contrast. I layered on top the eyeliner from Adore and Abhor, which is available at the Flux event. They're set up to obscure the eyebrows in favor of blocked in black, and while usually I don't aim for such a theatrical effect, I have to admit I love it here. I also love the mask from Frooti with it's feathers, perfect for a masqued ball, which came with a number of poses. Sadly, none of them were easy masque-in-front-of-the-face poses, but I did what I could! I also added in an adorable beaded and feathered necklace from Forsaken. I'd love some bracelets and anklets to match - they would be so fun!

The dress from katat0nik is really the central point, though. It comes in three different colors - this is the traditional Mardi Gras colors, but there is a pink based one which would be sweet for Easter, and a red one which seems very Queen of Hearts. it comes with these cute little hand cloves I layered over long white gloves, as well as the adorable little Jester Crown. The staff in my hand is a separate purchase, but it can color change to match each of the different dresses. The dresses also come with three different skirts. The one you see has a masque on it hanging form a chain - all of which is three dimensional sculpting which gives it a truly lifelike effect - like it was sewn on. The second skirt is a bare panel. The third skirt is a transparent one, perfect for a sexy little look and to show off the cute panties with their bow-topped garters.

I finished the whole look with these wonderful Alice Project shoes which are tintable in a wide variety of colors - platform, heel, shoe, and strap all separate in their tinting (and with a huge number of heel options, from platform to the spike heel you see above). I also added in these very inexpensive stockings from Eclectic Firefly in place of the ones included with katat0nik's dress; I love the faded diamonds and the confusing mix of diamonds which make it look multi-layered and ease over that tricky ankle line with aplomb. My only complaint, and it is a small one, is that the socks go only to the ankles and the underwear adds up tot he waist; I would love thigh highs to go with my cute little garters, and they would have made the stockings even more useful in a variety of Mardi Gras outfits.

( More pictures here. )

Credits:

Skin: De la Soul, Aestali - Cream Rose
Eyes: De la Soul, RooMee Eyes - Rainbow
Ears: Illusions, Mystic Ears
Eyelashes 1: Flugeln Bise, 05-A Planty
Eyelashes : *X*plosion, PrimLashes
Eyeliner: Ador & Abhor, Checks Face Paint
Facial Cosmetics: Nuuna, BodyCoss Makeup - yellow
Lipstick: L. Fauna, Lipstick - Purple
Hair: Wasabi Pills, Taleen Mesh Hair - Grass
Wings: Fancy Fairy, Azarelle
Necklace: Forsaken, Feathered Harlot Beads
Dress: katat0nik, Jester Dress - Purple
Gloves: Swan Lake Gown Gloves
Mask: Frooti, Mardi Gras Mak
Staff: katat0nik, Jester Staff
Ring 1: Earthstones, Eternal Blossom Ring
Ring 2: Alchemy Immortais, Nestling Finger Talisman
Stockings: Eclectic Firefly, Mardi Gras Leggings
Shoes: Alice Project, Faelin Pumps

Poses: Frooti, Carnival Masquerade

Location: New Toulouse
Light Settings: TOR, NIGHT That Spells Moon 3

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping only

Color Challenge: Week Fourty-nine - Wenge

Wenge honestly makes me think of the word whinge - best defined as the word used by upper class Brits to make their whining sound somehow categorically different from the whining of everyone else. In honor of this thoroughly fascinating word, permit me a moment to whinge - despite my neither being upper class nor British.

The gorgeous headpiece I'm wearing almost wasn't. I remembered seeing it, or something like it, on one of the fashion feeds as a deal, but I hadn't picked it up for several reasons, including that I don't often wear skulls. When I was putting together this outfit, I felt the desperate need for a small skull with some kind of black thing behind it; I remembered the skull as vaguely bird-like. I went to the first place for searching for things in Second Life - the marketplace - and was frustrated by the fact you can't search within subcategories.

After six 96-item pages of accessories and about five searches with additional keywords to try to narrow the field, I started asking in groups - one fashion-oriented and the other goth-oriented. No dice. I went back through about two months worth of discount reviews. No dice. Finally, I did a broad search through a search engine, found a mention of this on one of the blogs along with it being a 1$L deal at some event. It even included the store name - Ripe. Yahtzee! Plugged Ripe into inner-SL search (I prefer to purchase in sim if I can, so the Linden-tax isn't applied). Three places popped up - teleported to each.... no ...dice? Went back to the blog post - the person had included the creator name! Yahtzee! Opened up the profile, looked in picks... no dice. Looked in classifieds. No dice. Checked webpage.... and it led me back to the marketplace.

WTF, Second Life?

On a more pleasant note, I'm decked out in clothing from one of my favorite people, jewelry from the second, and a skin from the third, which makes me a very happy Deoridhe. The dress is from Falln Angel Creations and it was one of my dresses in my "photograph before sorting" folder - that lives in my inventory and accumulates clothes. I've been trying to go there first when I'm looking for things to wear because, well, it would be nice if things in there got sorted! The jewelry is from Little Boy Blue, and was part of a massive Linden-drop into his random vendors last Halloween. If we're lucky (unlucky?) he'll put them out again and I'll be even poorer this year! As it is, I managed to accumulate most of the Sugar Skull set, and I adore it so much! It reminded me of these awesome set of horns from Rue, that were from a Sugar Skull Hunt a couple years back - I'm delighted to have a chance to wear them again. The skin is my usual lovely one from De La Soul, and this time I tinted my Illusions ears to match a bit more closely.

The eyeliner is my usual Adam n Eve Hepsut, and I've paired it with one of Elymode's hunt specials - autumn eyeshadow. I'm really enjoying her fades of color for eyeshadow, especially since I can often match them up to my outfit or mood. The lipstick from L.Fauna is another new favorite. I was drawn to it when I saw it at the 50 Linden Friday special, but I'm definitely planning to go back for some more lipstick. The colors are sublime, and the match to my lip line is perfect, even though it's a completely different maker. Finally, I have to take a moment for a word about the new hair from Calico Ingmann Creations. I love the curves and style of it (there's also a version with longer hair) and I had a ball playing with the streak colors - I made the streak white then manually recolored the hair to match my Sugar Skull Accessories.

I ended up back on Immersiva, which has to be one of my favorite regular haunts. Ms. Oh brought the skeletons and dandilions she had at Anna's Many Murders and festoon them across a mountainous scene with some bones thrown in to make things interesting. The black box with it's changing, glowing interior has also reprised here from another show, and the tower from Daughter of Gears is still in place to climb up. My only wish might be for some ways to sit on top of the different dandelions - but then I always like to insinuate myself into the drama created by other people.

( More pictures here. )

Credits:

Skin: De la Soul, Aestali - Cream Rose
Eyes: De La Soul, Roomee - Rainbow
Eye Shadow: Elymode, Autumn Leaf Mix
Eyeliner: Adam n Eve, Hepsut
Lipstick: L.Fauna, Red 3
Ears: Illusions, Mystic Ear - Fairy
Horns: Ruin, Horned S.E. Sugar Skull Shaman - Ivory
Hair: Calico Ingmann Creations, Genevieve 1
Hair Skull: Ripe, Elegant Raven Skull Hat - black
Wings: Fancy Fairy, Azarelle
Necklace 2: Little Boy Blue, Sugar Skull Set
Dress: Falln Angel Creations, Fellice Dress - brown
Ring 1: Alchemy Immortalis, Nestling Finger
Ring 2: Earthstones, Eternal Blossom Ring - Bouquet
Shoes: Lassitude & Ennui, Skully Pumps - black

Poses: Glitterati

Location: Immersiva
Light Settings: London 2026
Water Settings: TOR, Eyeballin'

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping only