Worlds of Pink and Gray

I always set myself higher bars for Fantasy Faire... and I always fall short! This year was no different, but as always I had fun and really adored taking pictures. Towards the end, I managed to sneak in some shots of the outfit I build before the Faire began, and one I quite enjoyed wandering around in! It's very monotone, but I had fun layering blacks and grays, and was proud I managed a degree of body coverage which is nothing short of remarkable; despite this, the look - I flatter myself - still looks quite sexy.

It's the latest release from FATEplay and FATEstep which my whole look revolves around. There are five color options but I went with the lightest one, a soft gray with brown accents primarily in the wonderfully slung ammo belt. It may not be immediately obvious, but the outfit is four pieces - the long pants which are cut to fit into boots, the ammo belt which is slung low and rigged to stay on top of the pants, the half top with its cunning buttons, and the mask, which tucks up over the lower part of the face, and tucks into the loose cowl of the top. The mask is deceptively simple; it seems to be made of two pieces: one which is a loose hood that catches over the mouth, which quite realistic wrinkles, and the second which is a very long, narrow scarf wrapped around the neck with the long ends flying out behind.

The mask is rigged to the face, neck, and chest but the long ends remain static, and offer a nice hint of movement in an otherwise static world. The top is similarly well rigged, with wrinkles around the elbow and upper arm which make the fit seem much more natural and helps conceal the awkward elbow joint which is the bane of so many creators! My favorite part is the cowl and buttons combination, with the buckling between the buttons and the curves as the cowl falls against the top. The pants also sport these wonderful wrinkles around the calf, as if the fit wasn't quite right. I'm really struck by how the wrinkles add verisimilitude, bunching appropriately against skin and making it seem as if skin and muscle lurk right below the layers of cloth. And the ammo belt is one of the first I've seen that sits well on the hips and seamlessly rides over the hips as I move - fantastic rigging, and a whole lot of fun to wear!

The boots are also from FATE, FATEstep this time, and have the enormous wealth of options available in all of his shoes. They are fit perfectly over the bottom edge of the pants with a three-band style around most of it except for the smooth back. Like the clothes, his shoes have a wonderful attention to detail. The smooth back starts at the zipper and ends under the long three bands down the side; the bottom band makes a complete circle. The bottoms of the boots are rough textured perfect for hiking and riding across abandoned wastes, or marching around the Fantasy Faire tracking dirt through thirteen sims. The final touch are the spurs - although at a distance they look like they are built into the boots, up close you can see that they are actually built as a separate piece, with bands over the top of the foot and along the base of the heel, and the thicker metal of the spur itself.

Everything is color changeable via HUD, and the HUD also includes several pre-set slots - including the gray arrangement I'm showing in these pictures. They are also highly editable - in fact all of FATE's clothing is; you can select the entire item to tint or select faces to tint subsections of the outfit. I love the sheer versatility; this can be made into anything from the simple gray I'm showing here to the brightest combination of colors you could ever wish for.

I accented the FATEplay ensemble with a few touches form a dark future, or in one case a mechanical past. The corset around my waist is from Rosal and is steampunk in design, though I thought it really worked with the overall futuristic and mechanistic effect. I have to admit I splurged on almost the entire set, even though I only showed one piece of it here; there are two types of boots, gloves, and a neck corset in the same style. The combination of metal and matte was pleasing to me, as was the pinstrip effect of the fabric texture.  I also added my new wings from C L A Vv, which are my go-to choice for rough mechanical these days. The rope-dangles work particularly well, echoing the fall of the scarf if not it's ultimate angle. On my face I pulled out the Noctis bike goggles from a past Genre; the dark color of the frame matches up with the rest of my look while the lenses offer one of the little bits of color I wore. The other bit of color is my hair, a lovely, bushy style from Underscore (a store no longer in world, but one of it's creators, Syndel Daviau, has some wonderful releases under the brands Asset and Tribal Soul Designs) which looks pleasantly windblown and wild; I liked it for how thick it was, with lose and heavy curls.

Among the cherry blossoms, even an apocalypse looks beautiful.

Genre: Rebel Yell

This is a bit of a departure from my usual look.

The theme for Genre this month is Sons of Genre, and Bikers have taken over. This is the biggest break from my style that I've ever done; the Apocalypse and Dark Magic both brought out the power of Dark Deo, but I still managed something clean cut and even a little sweet or Medieval at times. This time... there is no sweet left. There is no cute, no giggle, not even the shine of gossamer wings outside of the flash of rainbow on my Noctis biker goggles. Available alone or combined with a wide variety of scary helmets (we'll see if I can work any of THEM into a look!) the rainbow lenses are only one of the five options, and the goggle section itself has three metal designs. The goggles are also editable, which means if you want to fit the strap to a finicky bald head, like I did, it's totally easy.

My spikes and eyeshadow (the latter a little concealed, I'll admit!) are both from The Stringer Mausoleum, whose style seems oddly perfect for this intersection of grimy reality and dangerous fantasy. The spiky head is also editable so I could make sure the flat part of each spike fit nicely to my skull, and the effect is striking - if distinctly non-Deoish. There are five other colors besides this metallic blue, for all of your "HEADPETTERS BEWARE!" needs. And finally, tucked over my Rosal corset neck (not available at Genre) is a thick chain necklace from Painfully Divine, which looks both divine and somewhat painful! I love how heavy it is, each link easily as wide as two fingers, and the curve around the neck is perfect - especially over a particularly thin neck. It's available in three dark and heavy colors, but I'd love to also see it shined up and in even more shades - it walks a line between decorative and substantial that I find quite appealing.

Continuing the theme of "not your average Deo," even my wings have been traded in by the cutest bit of my ensemble - this backpack from Distorted Dreams. I tremble to call it cute - I am a scary biker chick who eats glass for breakfast! - but it really is adorable, and would work as well on the back of a schoolgirl as it does as the wings of a terrifying creature like myself! It is also editable - I'm sensing a theme here! - which means the sometimes irritating shoulder pieces can be changed to fit an outfit or a pose; a blessing for backpacks! My final accessory in an outfit which seems to be more accessory than outfit is a pair of terrifying skull-wing rings from Eclectica. There are two color sets available, one the darker rough-and-tumble shades and the other slightly brighter, as if maybe there could be a happy ending once the enemies are put in the ground - or at least a hardcore drive off a cliff! The black outline on them gives an almost comic-book feel, the edges sharp enough to cut.

All of my accessories combine to support the jeans-and-chaps and tank top combo from The Annex. I'm used to seeing flowing dresses and ruffles from them, so this brief and somewhat hardcore offering is eye opening - and one of the reasons why Genre can be such fun. The tank is embellished with a loosely laced opening in the front and the sizes would fit a whole range of avatars on Second Life. I ended up combining the large top and the extra small pants to pull off my usual hourglass shape; one advantage to a two piece look like this is that it allows for a wider variety in body shapes. The Jeans and chaps are amazing, and one of my favorite bits of clothing available at this event. The hip fit is very low, which isn't even close to my usual style, but which works with this outfit, and the added layer of leather over the legs and bucked around the waist draws a lot of attention to some of my nicer features while still seeming realistic. The added large buckles down the sides, and the stud detailing of the belt, makes this seem like something a Scary Momma would wear when out on a ride - though I'll admit the white bodystocking from Reasonable Desires and all of the corsetry from Rosal (neither available at Genre) is a tad less realistic. Although this is a lot less skin than I often show, it feels like it's a lot more due to what skin is shown off and how - I think I pulled off dangerously sexy pretty well, even if I do say so myself!

Genre: Reversal of Fortune

I am not only decked out in a bunch of amazing Genre exclusives, but I also built a fun set in the moonlight from the same source; the Dark Arts has been fertile for pushing my style in directions it doesn't often go and this time I did a cool teal look for an icy fortune teller, in contrast to the fiery fanatic of my first look. I also went significantly sleeker and more modern, wanting a high contrast with my prior appearance.

My outfit is actually a combination of items from two stores - a mini-dress turned shirt from Vengeful Threads, and a pair of leggings from Sn@tch that match so perfectly that they seem made for each other. Both of them are textured with rich colors - a deep black with pale gray highlights, and a wonderfully rich teal that fades in and out of the blackness it is placed upon. The teal seems almost enameled, with hints of the black base beneath and some lovely light edges around the flames of the halter top. The Vengeful Threads halter top itself is quite sexy, with the teardrop cutout and low slung sides holding up a spiked waistband. I love the shift from dominant teal to dominant black, with the veves glowing magically out of the darkness of the skirt. This same effect is echoed on the leggings from Sn@tch - a black background with a pattern of inverted crosses glowing out of it. The effect is nearly a smooth one until the ankles, when the fabric buckles naturally and forms a perfect base for either the standard Second Life foot or the SLink feet I used here. The two together work wonderfully together and make a cohesive look that forms the basis for a truly impressive selection of accessories.

The first set of accessories all come from one store - Zanzibar creationZ - and work together wonderfully. Firstly the circlet with the soft sea green sliver of moon is one of a variety of crowns with a similar design but different seals on the gray metal "shadow", each representing a different demon from the Ars Goetia. All of the colors come with a different sigil and is named for the demon represented by that sigil - so take care whom you place upon your brow! They come in packs of two - for example, my Leraje circlet also comes with Amon in red. Also from ZcZ is the rings in blackened metal on my fingers - worked in the shapes of runes from Norse and Germanic cultures. Manaz, Uruz, Othilo, Dagaz, and Sowilo make up both hands, placed on various fingers with Sowilo tucked before the second knuckle. They're fit for the SLink Relaxed hand but each ring is editable independently to fit them to any hand of your choice. They are also resizable, which means that even on my unusually sized girl paw it was a matter of stretching them a little to make them fit. At the same time, I added the symbolic black and white manicure and pedicure from ZcZ, including a variety of other symbols - including the anhk one I'm using. I love them for their simplicity, and for symbols with directions there are options for coloring the nails appropriately.

ZcZ set a high bar for accessories, but luckily the rest of my accessories clear it handily! Over my eyes is an amazing mask and horns from BluPrintz with lovely dangling crystals. It's color change between several options - I'm showing bone horns with a black mask and yellow jewels, but there are tons of other options for other looks. I found the fit to be easy and there are even small bands which hook over the ears for verisimilitude. I paired it with the lipstick from Sn@tch - also featured above for leggings - a dull color with simple sheen which is a perfect match for the brighter, gleaming eyeshadows you can pick up with it. The final touch to my whole look is this amazing, color change via HUD necklace from LOULOU&CO, which comes in eye and gem styles. I chose the eye, of course, since I even seers need some way to see! It fits perfectly into the keyhole of my Vengeful Threads dress, and the petals and beads can all be shifted to different colors and patterns. It's a creepy and yet lovely accessory that I think all of the blind seers will be selecting from now on!

The backdrop I build is in the forests of Lasting City, a lovely sim designed and created by my dear friend Charlie. I shamelessly took over a grove, filling it first with the fountain and stone surround from Frogstar, which also include the curving stone frame and the hanging glow stones. I love the use of materials on this in particular - the stone looks slightly damp in the moonlight, catching the light sharply in contrast with the softer and duller ground. In the center I placed an enlarged crystal ball from Noctis - the one with the skeletal hands holding the stone in place. It also moves as you look into it - an eerie effect even in a much smaller globe. Arranged around the fountain are a set of candles in cross bases from Artisan Fantasy, seven total candle colors available. The wood is set to gleam glossily and the candles themselves give off a soft, golden glow. And finally, tucked off to the side and captured above in the shot that took in my non-Genre shoes is a wonderfully programmed Tarot Deck from Anachron which uses the Rider-Waite Tarot Deck that passed into public domain. There are a bunch of spreads available, and more astonishingly the deck is set to give a short description of the card, with additional notes if it's reversed. It's an amazing set for Tarot Readings in Second Life, and I can't recommend it enough!

Genre: Surprise Party

I'm squeezing in one last Genre post - this time doing my best to show off some of the decorative items which are available through the end of today. My outfit - this confection of balloons somehow attached to my body, is from DeviousMind and is a great deal of fun! It comes with a ton of appliers for different bodies - L.inc, Belleza Venus, and Lolas Tango - some textured pieces to cover the critical pieces, and different versions of the bustle as well as particle ribbons for the hand which kick in when one moves. It's enormous fun for a burlesque outfit or similar style event, which is what inspired me to pull out the Bliensen + MaiTai party cake, which is set up for a dancer hopping out of it and performing for the crowd! It comes with two hiding locations, plus several "pop out of the cake" events (singing, clapping), and several more dances. It also delivers accessories for each appropriate step, like a microphone for singing to the crowd, and even a cake top hat! I'm definitely keeping this in my inventory for someone's surprise party, or even as a club crowd pleaser.

Once I got started, I couldn't help but fill in the rest of the room. First I pulled out banners and star lights from Spyralle, all of them brightly decorated with Spyralle's signature bright patterns. They are editable, with the banners flexi on large boxes which means they can be resized to fit different areas of the house and made either fullbright or not. I absolutely adore the colors and brightness they bring to the party! In one corner I set up a table with party accessories in red and green from Bauwerk. This is one of my first times interacting with their creations, and they really are lovely. The accessories can all be mixed and matched as you wish, and I love the random combination of the cups and letters spelling out "Happy Birthday."

This set could also work well for Christmas, being the proper hues, and it's all copy-ok, meaning you can fill a wall with chairs to park the pizza on, like I did. The pizza is from Lost Junction, and is nicely textured. It includes full pies and single pieces on plates, which I was able to set down here and there as if this were a snapshot in the middle of a party. They also put out a gift of pizza slice nails for everyone who nibbles when nervous! And finally, tucked off to one side I placed a sideboard from Frogstar, all set up for sending invitations and wrapping gifts. This would be a charming addition to any living room, indicating one is the type of householder who is always at the ready - I particularly liked the touch of blackboard squares to write the contents of drawers on, and may end up stealing that idea for offline drawers.

Upstairs, I set up the perfect little nest for a little girl. Hanging overhead is a lovely runner of cloth from Paper Moon, available with and without tassels and including simple wooden beams for hanging from ceilings. Under it I placed this gorgeous trundle bed from Noctis, it's blankets and pillows texture-change between four colors which can be mixed and matched. It's also available with the trundle pulled out or pushed in, and there's a lovely set of accessories to be fitted on top and into the built-in shelving. This is perfect for a guest room, or even the bed in a loft. Finally, tucked between the bed and the window I put a lovely children's tea set from Distorted Dreams, the tablecloth a lovely mix of blues. The tea set can come either attached or not, and there is an additional tea cup for drinking as one feeds ones teddy bears the best imaginary tea! There's less than twenty-four hours left before the Genre Celebration ends, but I hope you have a chance to swing by and pick up what catches your eyes - be it the perfect party outfit, or some fun furniture for entertaining.