Genre: Polynesia - In the Wilds

I'm all decked out for Polynesia, this month's Genre theme. The US has two named territories here - one is the state of Hawai'i, known for it's laid back nature and rich heritage, and the other is American Samoa, an unincorporated protectorate that is largely unknown to most USAns. Both are island chains grouped in with the rest of Polynesia, enjoying tropical weather. American Samoa, along with a lot of Polynesia, was annexed by other countries during the continuing colonization of the late eighteen hundreds, finally ending up under US. The President of the US remains the Head of State, though American Samoa also has it's own Constitution and elected government separate from that of the US, and they send a non-voting delegate to the US House of Representatives. Culturally, American Samoa and Hawai'i have many similarities through their mutual connection with the US despite having different original cultures. Also, most residents of American Samoa are Samoan, while a lot of Hawai'i is Asian immigrants with the native population greatly diminished and their cultural heritage interrupted by laws denying them their language and practices until very recently. I can't imagine what it would be like to be denied your past only to have people transform it into something for sale - part of me wonders at putting on the colors and dress of a place that is still here but so separate from me, but I can't deny the beauty of the islands and an attraction to cultures of respect and mutuality.

A Tattered Page: Living Blade

"She was known as Scarlett. At that time she was selling arms, although it was beginning to lose its savor. She never stuck at one job for very long. Three, four hundred years at the outside. You didn't want to get in a rut.

Her hair was true auburn, neither ginger nor brown, but deep and burnished copper.. color, and it fell to her waist in tresses that men would kill for, and indeed often had. Her eyes were a startling orange. She looked twenty.. five, and always had."

We first meet Scarlett, one of the four Horsepeople of the Apocalypse in the book Good Omens (from whence all my quotes come), on the last days of her arms dealing with a broken down truck. She quickly shifts gears to become the most successful war correspondent in the world - she always seemed to arrive just as war was breaking out. She has peers, of a sort, spread out across the globe, each embroiled in their own concerns, waiting for a very particular day.

21 Shoe: Lassitude & Ennui

Lassitude & Ennui is offering up some sleek and gorgeous heels for SLink and Maitreya. A matching set of black and white, the large bow which curves high against the heel and falls almost to the base of the heel is color changeable between four colors - black, white, dark red, and lavender. The initial design is simple enough, a very high pump with a slight platform. The bow is a lovely sleek waterfall of color, though, rendered for a smooth fall and realistic hang. I love the color change, and like all Lassitude & Ennui shoes, these can be tinted. The pump and shoe are on different faces, so you can modify to your hearts' content!I especially appreciate this with a white shoe, since I can tint to match or contrast with just about anything.

My body and feet are all from SLink, the latest releases which work beautifully under the skin from Fallen Gods. It's an interesting effect - much smoother than the default mesh and helping to make close ups look more polished in a straightforward shot. Fallen Gods is matching his skin beautifully to the SLink shape, and included a ton of other appliers with his latest mermish release. The SLink applier is particularly nice - converting hands, feet, and body all with a single button.

On the 21st of this month, both of these shoes will be available - two for the price of one. I encourage you to swing by Lassitude & Ennui and pick up a pair!

2014 Fantasy Faire: Helping in Heavenslough

I'm having such fun purpling it up from the various donation items at the Fantasy Faire - white there are a number of stores which offer different colors as their donation items, they seem to be overwhelmingly purple. It offers some consistency as I'm trying to zoom my way around the sims snapping pictures, and makes matching colors across stores a bit of a dream. My hair is a fun design from Analog Dog which combines the flexibility of a mesh updo with the flexibility of a flexy ponytail in curls. They layers of transparency can cause some problems, but overall I really like how the hair looks, and how futuristic the extended braid is. I also added a new feature from a new store called Folly - rainbow sheen. It's essentially a faint rainbow glow on the skin as a tattoo layer, and I am completely in love. It covers a lot more than my pictures show - though sadly there aren't SLink tattoo appliers; given how variable the glow spots are, though, I doubt many people will notice. I'm planning on keeping this about a lot - it adds a subtle rainbow edge without being overwhelming and comes in a variety of levels of transparency and brightness of shading. My mask is from Star Kinder, and I really adore the delicate mesh around the eyes, and the single jewel. There are matching earrings, but I ended up pairing it with a crown and necklace from AZE, which are simply lovely. Usually they would be more appropriate on a mermaid, but even we landlubbers can enjoy the bounty of the sea. I adore the shape of the shells and the delicate pearls and curls of coral. I also added some cutely curling earrings from Plastik, which come with matching ears but which can also be worn with other ears. They have a wonderful, thick curve to them which I really enjoy.

My dress from Sublime Shroud Kreations is actually in three rigged parts - the gown section, a corset section with the jacket hanging down, and sleeves - giving you a great deal of room to make alterations. I would imagine the corset could even work over other dresses, which is really nice - one of the things I miss about the old texture-and-prim clothing is the ability to relayer, and mix and match. I adore the texturing, from the shiny leather of the bustle section, to the softer leather of the gown, to the intricate lace-like pattern which decorates the rest of the outfit in bands. The sleeves are long and fun, with a fall over the hands which fits around my SLink hands perfectly. I particularly like that the fabric appears pulled and rippled in the texturing, so that it looks more natural. Finally my shoes, which I've shown off before, is from De La Soul. Lovely cephalapod beauties clinging to my feet, this time with a mottled pattern that shows off the materials Charlie used perfectly. I made the eyes rainbowy, as I'm wont to do, and went with a simple purple on the little suction cups - the body, eyes, and cups can all be tinted separately using a HUD, and once you purchase one set of shoes, you can hunt down some add-on HUDs to diversify the available colors. The Fantasy Faire special is, of course, all sorts of purples, from mottled materials-rich shades like this, to fades like the last one I showed off. 

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: Izzie's, Irene
Hair: Analog Dog, Ever (Fantasy Faire)
Sparkles: Folly, Tintable Rainbow Sheen (Fantasy Faire)
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Earrings: Plastik, Malei Earrings (Fantasy Faire)
Eyes: De La Soul, Rainbow
Mask: Star Kinder, Curlicue Mask (Fantasy Faire)
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Wings: Deviance, Sidhe
Hands & Feet: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands & Feet
Nails: De La Soul, Cthu Nails (Fantasy Faire)
Jewelry: AZE, Golden Topaz Fluted Scallop Jewelr (Fantasy Faire)
Clothing: Sublime Shroud Kreations, Moroi Ensemble (Fantasy Faire)
Shoes: De La Soul, Cthu Shues (Fantasy Faire)

Poses: Exposeur

Location: Heavenslough
Light Settings: Sim Default
Water Settings: Sim Default

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

2014 Fantasy Faire: Between Courts

One of the nice things that Fantasy Faire does every year is set out a few no lag outfits, most of them excuses for going about without any clothes. I agreed with this basic premise, mostly because Trap style skins can be seen best with as little clothing as possible. I started with the skin, a collaboration between Trap and Gauze that is truly lovely in application. It also comes with a hair and eyes, not shown, all of them zero script. I augmented my look because, well, I'm me; first I added these wings from Deviance and ripped the scripts out of them to make them no script. I did the same with a copy of my awesome ears from Illusions - since they are manually tintable I could have kept the recolorable ones I use for these situations, but I wanted to make a complete low-script look for ease of use in the future. The hair I added is from Ploom, and I did the same thing - copying it, tinting it with the HUD the way I wanted and then cruelly emptying it of any and all scripts; I've covered this hair before, and I really love how it falls along my back. Since the Gauze and Trap skin did not have SLink appliers, I used a fade effect created by Orc Inc to smooth between the hands and my arms. I also tinted my nails with De La Soul's latest tentacley release, though this time in fingernail form. The only place where my script removal didn't work was with my SLink hands and feet, which stymied my every attempt to de-script them, but it still leaves me with only six scripts and a very low kb count, which I think makes this still work even with my vanity intact.

For the sake of these pictures, I added a new gacha release from Sax Shepherd Designs, a gorgeous set. There is a rare HUD which has twenty-four total stone and pearl shades, and a ton of commons which come with a simpler, twelve-option HUD. Bracelets and anklets are available in addition to the usual necklace and earrings, this gorgeous belt I'm wearing, and a lovely circlet that didn't work with my hair. You will very likely see it again - this is one of my favorites of his releases.

We're six days into the Fantasy Faire and I'm a little behind, which I always seem to be - eleven days is never, ever enough. In my defense, I've been trying to cover another event and I've done walkthroughs for one hunt and one hunt-like-event, but really I'm feeling quite behind. The sims are lovely, though, and I really encourage you to seek them our while the faire is still going on - we have until the eleventh before it all vanishes like mist.

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: Gauze & Trap, Dragon Koi (Free Fantasy Faire Skin)
Hair: Ploom, Camille
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Eyes: De La Soul, Rainbow
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Wings: Deviance, Sidhe
Hands & Feet: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands & Feet
Nails: De La Soul, Cthu Nails
Fades: Orc Inc, Blend Hands & Feet
Jewelry: Sax Shepherd Designs, Nia Moon (Fantasy Gacha Carnival)

Pose: Don't Freak Out

Location: The Faery Court
Light Settings: Places, Abracadabra
Water Settings: Mirror Water

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Adore & Abhor's Sixth Anniversary

Adore & Abhor is having a sixth anniversary, and she's throwing a party where the Special Releases are all for us.

Adore & Abhor was one of my first stores, back when it was very small, used a lot of system skirts (remember skirt shapes?). I was almost tempted to wear one of her fifty linden friday purchase in bright pink and blue... but then I remembered this amazing Valentine dress she made in mesh based off of one of the first dresses she ever made, and I simply couldn't resist. The overall color scheme is more 'mature coral and teal' than 'brilliant hot pink and neon blue' this year, but that doesn't mean I've abandoned my hot, neon roots - and neither has Alice Project, who released three ombre hairstyles for the party, shiny and sparkly enough to make me a very happy faerie. They really are a throwback to oldskool Adore & Abhor, which makes me so happy. I found then initially through a hunt and was drawn to the bright colors and cheerful setting - and ended up chatting with one of the owners before I realized she was the owner. It wasn't until much later that I became a blogger for the store and got a better idea of little things like... there being two owners; I had met both Airedine and Sileny - in the context of Adore & Abhor even - and somehow just been continually confused about who owned the store, instead of sensibly thinking there were two of them. I can be a little bit of a slow study - ask them about the couple of months where I sent each of them complements about something the other had done!

A lot of the rest of my look is either from Adore & Abhor, or being released in honor of the sixth anniversary - like my really cute skin from Pink Fuel. I picked it up and the SLink appliers to match - you spend about a hundred linden per skin tone and limb, and there are appliers for just about everything else under the sun. The shade is a lightish-medium one, and comes with a panoply of rainbow colored eyebrows; I'm planning on keeping it handy for any future improbable hair moments. I embellished it with some cosmetics from Adore & Abhor, but please believe me when I say it's adorable on its own as well. Pink Fuel was actually on the short list of skins I was considering when I did my skin change. My shiny little crown is another Anniversary Special, this time from Krystal, and it reminds me so much of Adore & Abhor's crown theme that it simply makes me wriggle all over with glee. I finished the look with bright and sparkly things form elsewhere - a mismatched pair of heels from Boom which caught the colors in Alice Project's hair perfectly, and lovely wings from Una which I managed to mismatch even though they're gacha; lets call that proof I have a problem, hmmm? I had such fun dressing up in pink and blue; I can't wait to do it again soon.

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: Pink Fuel, Sora - Sugoi
Hair: Alice Project, Steph for A&A
Crown: Krystal, Miss Imperial
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Eyes: De La Soul, Rainbow
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Blush: Adore & Abhor, Princess Star Blush
Lipstick: Adore & Abhor, Princess Arisen Lipstick
Wings: Una, Steampunk Wings
Hands and Feet: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands and Feet
Dress: Adore & Abhor, Valentine Lolita
Shoes: Boom, Locale Heels

Poses: Don't Freak Out

Location: Mysterious Wave
Light Settings: TOR, SCIFI Lilack
Water Settings: Mirror Water

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Artsy Sunshine

I ended up taking advantage of the two unworked LEA sims for some water pictures I often don't get a chance to - enormous water settings. I love playing with reflections, and now I get to see how reflections and shadows work together to make a complete image. I also ended up making a monochromatic look - all in shades of yellow - which was rather fun. I was inspired by this dress from Lark which had been on sale for a twenty four hour window I missed (damn you, time), but which was still more than lovely at it's full price. The second I saw this bright, clear yellow I knew which I wanted; I'm not an enormous yellow fan in general, but this one was so bright and astonishing that I simply couldn't resist. I also really liked the shape - a casual and loose shift with and angled hem. It's very simplicity is what makes the bright color work; anything more ornate would be overpowering. I paired it with jewelry from Virtual Impressions, though in this case the included yellow wasn't quite bright enough to match, and so I ended up tinting it. I was aiming for something as simple as the dress, and these floating pearls fit the bill beautifully. My one wish would have been for a bracelet to add to the set, something simple but dripping; I tried filling in a few things from my inventory, but nothing quite worked, so in the end I went bare. I did move the hoop earrings out to the tips of my ears, though, which is something I often do when my hair, in this case a loose cut from Wasabi Pills, covers the earlobe.

My boots are another recent release, this time from SLink, and are yet another style for her high heels. I simply adore the cutouts, and I keep my fingers crossed that we might have lace in our future - tall boots with lace detailing down the side are one of my favorites. The styling of this pair reminded me vaguely of the strappy shoes worn in Roman times, and I thought they took a casual look and elevated it a little higher into bold garden party. My cosmetics are a lips and eyeshadow combo - unusual for me - and are from Beautiful Freak. I love the pastel color of it, especially on the lips. It rides a little high on my lower lip, which lead to this lovely fade form yellow to pink which I found terribly charming. My nails are an amazing new release from A:S:S which mimic different gemstones, which makes me unbearably happy in a way I find difficult to describe. The second I saw these on Flickr I was going to the store and seeking them out; semiprecious stones are so gloriously gorgeous. I was trying for deliberately artsy and emotional pictures this time, in honor of this being an LEA sim even if there wasn't an actual artist in residence, and the all time best poses for artsy is Flowey. To be honest, I'm not entirely sure what emotions I was going for - serene? Casual? (Ironically) Reflective?

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: Izzie's, Irene
Hair: Wasabi Pills,
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Eyes: De La Soul, Rainbow
Cosmetics: Beautiful Freak, Frozen Makeover
Eyelashes: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Wings: Deviance, Sidhe Wings
Hands and Feet: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands and Feet
Jewelry: Virtual Impressions, Daniella
Nails: A:S:S, Precious 2
Dress: Lark, Savannah Dress
Shoes: SLink, Quinn

Poses: Flowey

Location: LEA10
Light Settings: Lo Light 04
Water Settings: Glassy

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Twisted Color Challenge: Week 52 - Deck the Halls

This is the last twisted color challenge - Deck the Halls - and I think I've come up with something rather delicious to round out the year. I've started playing around a bit with the expressions in Second Life, and it gives a little more life to otherwise doll-like inexpressiveness of my avatar. Up close the expression changes are cartoonishly enormous, but at a distance the hard edges are softened into moods and manner - sly smiles, bored expressions, a moment of laughter. I wish there was a smoother set of expressions - its one of the aspects of the Second Life avatars which is an artifact of how old they are, and the low bar they set for appearance. I keep wondering if down the pike some new avatar meshes are coming out way - after all of the mesh add-ons, the hands and feet I'm displaying in these images, for example, which greatly improve on the basic avatar, but which have seems and additional restrictions which can be challenging.

It's interesting to think about how minimally important the initial creators of Second Life found the avatars - just stand-ins for themselves, often unchanging for years - along with how baffled they were by how much people wanted to recreate the world of cars and houses that exists outside of the virtual world. Second Life is a world of imagination, but imagination is not as unmoored from reality as I think people often believe; we get our inspiration from the world around us, our life experiences, and the things which are important to us. One of the fascinating things about a low-investment thing like Second Life fashion, where high fashion can be purchased for under five dollars, is how varied and interesting peoples' fashion senses are. In a world without accidents, where bodies can be augmented and can fit the most demanding or extreme style of body - from the thinnest, to the most voluptuous, personal style becomes not just the meeting point of bodies and cloth, but also a fully realized dream of what we could be if only we could chose everything.

My dress is from LivGlam, and was - if I recall correctly - part of one of her holiday hunts. She does completely dreamtastic hunts; I think my favorite part is the enormous images of every possible prize, so if one has an inventory the size of mine, one can pick and chose what works without having to pick up and try everything. If one doesn't have an overflowing inventory, though, or one seeks to expand into new areas of style, one can pick up everything and have an awesome working wardrobe right out of the gate. Her store is worth a good look, too; in addition to taking part in half a dozen weekly events, her prices for just her standard clothing are such that there's little guilt in picking up a few "must have" items. In this case, this is outside of my usual style but actually reminds me strongly of a shirt I had - and loved - with the flower-and-animal-print motif. It's subtle enough to not be overpowering, and the rich red color was perfect for Deck the Halls.

The rich, tomato red was echoed in my nails - from the always exemplary Orc Inc - and in my lipstick - from one of my go-to brands, Adore & Abhor. To balance out the black of the bodice (check out that awesome open back, too) I added a necklace I simply couldn't resist picking up from Cyrious, and which came with three other colors bundled with the same style. I love the shape of it, like little faerie wings holding the dust in the vial. My shoes also managed to match, a recent collabor88 purchase from Hucci. From the top they seem like a single lacy style; it isn't until you're diving into the river that you realize the red can be overpowering. The notes of pale, yellowish green are much more subtle; I tinted my amazing wings from Deviance just slightly enough for the green to stand out from the other iridescence, and I pulled on these amazing tights from Cannibelle, with tiny, perfect angel wings on the calves. Both they and the shoes are SLink ready, which is really a blessing in this day and age; one of the major bonuses of SLink is how smoothly they cap a look - so smoothly you hardly notice them. Finally, as I flitted around the grid, it quickly became obvious I was going to flash everyone, tights or no tights, and so my darling katat0nik came to my rescue with a cute set of green panties. You can see them in a shot or two, so I figured they were worth a shout-out even if you weren't really supposed to be able to see them.

( More pictures here. )

Credits:

Skin: Izzie's, Irene
Hair: Wasabi Pills, Emily
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Eyes: De La Soul, Rainbow
Eyeshadow: Adore & Abhor, Mono V2 3
Lipstick: Adore & Abhor, Shreveport Lips
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Wings: Deviance, Sidhe
Necklace: Cyrious, Fairy Dust Vial
Hands and Feet: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands and Feet
Nails: Orc Inc, Rich Darks
Dress: Liv Glam, Boutique - You Send Me Flying
Panties: katat0nik, Holiday
Stockings: Cannibelle, Angel Wing Tights
Shoes: Hucci, Kasos

Poses: Flowey

Location: <a href="http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Vana/200/100/32">Vana</a>
Light Settings: Phototools, Dead End Sky
Water Settings: TOR, Impure

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

On the Edge of Purple

It's always difficult to know how far to push light and shadow in windlight; too much light and the skin becomes washed out - which can be artistic but also too sketchy; too much shadow, and the images don't catch peoples attention or stand out at all. In this case, I started with a very misty windlight, modified it from being colored throughout to pale and smokey, and then I darkened the sky and made it electric to catch the same tints as my lips. Offline, I rarely go for neutrals; I like electric and bold colors. On Second Life I find that barrier, like so many, bending and warping even while I fit those bright colors I like into the frame in what I hope are unusual ways. In this case, outside of the electric purple sky, the only color in my look is lipstick from Adore & Abhor; it's a rich, vibrant color that really stands out against all of the peach, gold and black. The windlight I modified also included a rich, dark shadow to echo the black of my gown for Coquet, which was released at FaMESHed this round. It's an interesting kind of setup - you buy a wrap dress of one of three colors, with the cutout a plain white, and then you can add on texture changes for the white section - in this case, I went with the peach set because I thought it was an amazing high-contrast look. I was tempted by the rest - and I may go back and pick them up later - but I'm trying to watch my pocketbook. Part of me also wished there were more options, though three different patterns per set is a lovely thing. The inside of the dress is textured fairly high as well, though sharp angles upward will catch sight of nothing where something should be - I ended up adding in Fateplay's thigh shadow from his Sailor Fuku set for some verisimilitude, and I think I may well just keep a copy of it handy in my Normal Kit folder. It was one of those touches I didn't realize I wanted until I had it, and now I can't easily go without it.

The jewelry I'm wearing is from Amorous, but I modified it to add an anklet. One of my sadnesses about Second Life jewelry is how rarely it includes things like bracelets and anklets; both are fantastic for adding a spot of color or darkness to long limbs; the nice thing is, this set was modifiable, so I was able to copy the bracelets and turn one into a secondary use with only a little tweaking of it's size and location. This is why I love stores which leave their accessories modify-ok; while it is a deviation from what I purchased, it really adds value to the overall look. My hair is a new, windswept style from Wasabi Pills that was released at the Golden Thread Event - a clothing release by Miamai for a new line which seems to be combining natural forms and shapes in innovative ways - I was particularly struck by a flower afro which may soon be joining my inventory. Second Life offers fashion something completely unique to virtual worlds - the opportunity to bend the laws of physics and reality to create entirely new clothing and avatars. Much of Second Life is about imitation; shoes are often styled off of existing shoes - and when spike covered heels became big across the fashion blogs I was unsurprised to see it showing up in Target. Most of this outfit is realistic; my only consistent unrealities are my wings and my eyes - the wings should be obvious, but the eyes are rainbow. My shoes, however, the Hera heels from SLink, are an example of something which looks realistic but which could never actually be worn offline without additional transparent bits to hold everything in place. The curve of the shoe and how it never really meets itself; the bare nub of an impossibly high heel; even the smoothness of the curve over the top of the foot all would fail if they were attempted offline. The overall effect is a subtle one, though, and one where I doubt most people would think they're looking at anything unrealistic. I hope SLink - and other creators - continue to push the boundaries of what can be worn in Second Life; it makes dressing so much more interesting than offline.

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: Izzie's, Irene
Hair: Wasabi Pills, Mia (The Golden Thread)
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Eyes: De La Soul, Rainbow
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Eyeshadow: Mock, Pantone Fall eShadow
Lipstick: Adore & Abhor, Fluff Lips
Wings: Deviance, Sidhe
Hands and Feet: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands and Feet
Collar: Ginza, Milk Crown Necklace (Advent)
Jewelry Set: Amorous, Antiquarian (anklet made from bracelet)
Dress: Coquet, Twist (FaMESHed)
Dress Shadow: Fateplay, Rena
Shoes: SLink, Hera Wrap Heel

Pose: Grafica

Location: Binemist
Light Settings: TOR, FOGGY The Pink Tower (highly modified)
Water Settings: TOR, Eyeballin'

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Mahou Shoujo

Honestly, when it was first talked about in Second Life, it never occurred to me that I would be able to see Materials. It wasn't until this year that I was able to render shadows in Second Life and not have my browser die, and I still don't run things on ultra, mostly because I'm sure my laptop would catch on fire. It wasn't until I was setting up lighting on one of Fatewear's older releases - which I finally picked up because a) SALE!!! 8D 8D and b) I really wanted at least one mesh fuku in my inventory - that I even realized I could see materials and the subtle but profound effects they have on adding verisimilitude to a look. The back of the ribbon, tinted blue because I got the white fuku so I could tint things with wild abandon, catches the light in a manner entirely different than the duller texture of the shirt and skirt, and yet it's subtle enough that it isn't hopping out of the picture screaming, "Look at me!" This is the sort of texturing which could have been aped by a clever texturer, but which would never respond to light quite correctly. One other thing Fatewear did, besides excellent materials texturing, was also to include a shadow tattoo for the upper thighs under the fuku - one I plan on swiping for other similarly short skirts. Combined with the black interior lining, the shadow does an excellent job of combining no panty shot with non-obvious invisiline; it looks so natural that even when I was reflecting up under my skirt in another picture it simply looked as if the shadows were too dark for one to see anything. Simply flawless.

The rest of my look coalesced around my new favorite fuku; I wanted a simple, youthful style for the hair even though I hope I don't look like a high schooler anymore. Wasabi Pills delivered with a special release for FaMESHed, complete with a perfectly tinted pink bow. I carried the pink through on my lips, once more combining Adore & Abhor with Mock for the perfect glossy finish; I wanted something on the dark side of bubblegum - what happens to a bright pink when it ferments down into reality. My nails are an adorable release from Alice Project, who finally got into the nail business; I love the dual heart with the subtly different shades of this one. On my shoulder, I brought my talking companion, the tiny a watermelon-eating bat who scolds me when I oversleep or am late for work. It was from Pink Fuel, but I don't remember the context of getting it - perhaps an old-school gatcha? It's completely adorable, though. Finally, on the tips of my toes are one of the new colors that SLink released for her ultra-high heels. She did some surveys to pick additional colors, and then those of us who had bought fatpacks got extras - and I bounced all over when I got mine. While the included Fatewear boots were quite nice, I really like the added effect of a completely different style of boot, and my color scheme actually started from here, even as the outfit began with the fuku.

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: Izzie's, Irene
Hair: Wasabi Pills, Sally
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Eyes: De La Soul, Rainbow
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Eyeshadow: Mock, Liz Shadow in Smoked
Lipstick 1: Adore & Abhor, Shreveport Lips
Lipstick 2: Mock, Bella Vetro Gloss
Wings: Illusions, Apsara
Pet: Pink Fuel, Watermelon Bat
Hands and Feet: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands and Feet
Nails: Alice Project, Two-Tone Hearts
Outfit: Fateplay, Rena
Shoes: SLink, Demi Boots

Pose: Don't Freak Out

Location: Steampunkables
Light Settings: TOR, MIDDAY - Vintage Village
Water Settings: Glassy

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Advent of the Holidays

'Tis the season of giving, and getting, and an awful lot of Advent events start the first of December. FabFree has a lovely list of them, but personally I keep a folder of links for east of transport, and to weed out the places which don't suit my style as well. This year I want to try to open advent gifts each day, instead of having them build up, and I even managed to add a few to this look I'd been slowly building around Bare Rose's Bremen Players hunt prize from ages ago. Bare Rose does the best hunts, though I always seem to be missing them despite being in their group; I like the stories as much as I like the outfit one assembles at the end. This dress is a combination of unrigged mesh and flexible prims to make a simply stunning gown; it came with Lola appliers included, and I dearly hope that sooner or later they will include SLink appliers as well. I had to play a bit fast and loose to keep my SLink hands on without an applier, though; I paired lace gloves from Adam n Eve with a copy of the ribbon Bare Rose used at the upper arm to top off the gloves in order to cover the band of flesh where the Adam n Eve gloves ended and the SLink hand ended. I think it's actually fairly seamless from most angles, and the ending effect might be better than simply having glove ends.

My hair was shamelessly poached from a dear friend of mine and is a new release from LCKY, a new-to-me store which re-opened recently. I completely fell it love with it and had to have it the second I saw it; the shape, the flow, it's all so fun and unique. It's rigged mesh, of course, and moves pretty well overall, though the shoulder pieces have a tendency to go through the shoulder depending on the pose. Definitely a store I'll be checking out in the future, though, and they have a couple of men's hairs as well as another woman's hair besides this one. My earrings are day one of Virtual Impressions' Advent Calendar, and I simply love them. The bow is almost offensively shiny, just like actual Christmas ribbons, and I love how the bow is echoed at the earlobe itself. My necklace is actually the packaging for Ginza's Advent Calendar, and quite as enjoyable to wear as the lovely earrings in blue and pink which are contained within it. I love thoughtful packaging, and this one is like getting an extra trinket as well. My poses are from !bang and show the smooth simplicity of her poses off well; I especially like the slight sway to a lot of her poses, which make them look less rigid and posed than the common model types of poses. The lovely place where I took these pictures is hosting another Advent, a slightly more complicated one than the usual. You have to hunt around Sway for little gold stars which have fallen to the ground to give us all notecards with a password, one each for each day of the Advent and each giving a new prize. They are usually charming little items for your home, and this is one of the advents I've been doing for years simply because it's fun.

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: Izzie's, Irenel
Hair: LCKY, Drugs
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Earrings: Virtual Impressions, Advent Gift 1
Eyes: De La Soul, Rainbow
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Wings: Deviance, Sidhe
Necklace: Ginza Jewelry, Advent Cage 1st
Hands and Feet: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands and Feet
Gloves: Adam n Eve, Lace Gloves
Dress: Bare Rose, Bremen Hunt Gift
Shoes: SLink, Hera Wrap Heel

Poses: !bang

Location: SwayLand
Light Settings: Phototools, Meni Light 1
Water Settings: Glassy

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Twisted Color Challenge: Week 47 - Dawn in Bayou

For Dawn in the Bayou I wanted a simple, casual style. I actually started with an entirely different outfit in mind, but the pink ended up being all wrong, and the teal wasn't quite right, and so I shook my inventory a bunch and this outfit fell out. I ended up really liking it, for all that it was mostly happenstance; I'll start at the toes, just because I normally don't, and because that's the pink I ended up using as my basis. These amazing shoes from SLink are a 100% Donation Item to Soles for Souls, and also feature her new very high heeled feet. I love the color on this, ad the open cutwork along the calves. The medium shoe was a little fatter than my calves, but even up close the divergence is not obvious. There is either a pointy toed add-on to them, or the open toed version I'm showing here. I set my toe nail polish to match, picking Nine Inch Nails' Deco set for a dusky pink; she does awesome things with dusty colors. I added in these amazing rigged shorts from G Field which were released ages ago, and which I'm wearing in large because it fits my rounded stomach, and I love how it flutters down over my thighs really well. The only other bit of pink is my lips - a lovely shade of opal from Mock, with a lovely pearlescent finish. I kept it as close to nude as I could so that my teal eyeshadow - also from Mock - would stand out more.

At belly button level is a gorgeous belly button ring from De La Soul, part of the Glaive set, which are not only color changing, but which also have a really fun design as well - all curls and dangles. I added teal nails from A:S:S, which are a lovely vibrant color that was a perfect match for this Sn@tch top which had been part of a fishing prize. I really recommend staying alert for Sn@tch's fishing changes, as the outfits which can be gotten that way are well worth the hundred dollar purchase of a fishing rod. I have an alt who fishes for me, and I'm always up for a trade. This top isn't mesh, the prims that make it up are snappy and cool, and those outfits usually include everything, from cloths to shoes to jewelry. Speaking of jewelry, this really cute necklace from AZE Designs has been hanging around my inventory for a while, and I still really like it. The shell design keeps it casual, and the turquoise is simply lovely. My hair is a recent release from Wasabi Pills, the jungle color almost right with a little bit of extra blue to make it match the teal. I love the short, loose hair which fluffs out at my cheeks. Finally, my cute and fun poses are from Don't Freak Out. What I like most about them is how natural and quirky they are - not only do I rarely have to content with twisted limbs, but I think the attitude of these poses really add something to my images without making me look like I'm a model on the sidewalk.

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: Izzie's, Irene
Hair: Wasabi Pills, Mila
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Eyes: De La Soul, Rainbow
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Eyeshadow: Mock, Glitter Pop Eshadow
Lipstick: Mock, Opal Lipcolor Matrix
Wings: Deviance, Sidhe
Hands and Feet: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands and Feet
Finger Nails: A:S:S, Glamour silk
Jewelry: AZE Designs, Flux Turquoise & Puka Shell
Shirt: Sn@tch, Velvet Top (Fishing Prize)
Bellyring: De La Soul, Glaive Piercings
Shorts: G Field, Frill Shorts
Toe Nails: Nine Inch Nails, Deco
Shoes: SLink, Demi Boots Blush (Shoetopia Donation Item)

Pose: Don't Freak Out

Location: Miri's Club at the Station
Light Settings: Phototools, Got It light
Water Settings: Glassy

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Twisted Color Challenge: Week 44: Autumn Grasshopper

Autumn Grasshopper makes me think of a new show I just found called Omaki-san and her Seven Companions, a story about the Wolf, the Hunter, and Red Riding Hood which just happens to also have the slothful Grasshopper and the industrious ant (along with a number of other fableline creatures). It is supposed to be a story about how sloth is bad, and industry is good, but re-imagined with Okami-san, it can also mean that what appears to be sloth is sometimes cleverness, and what appears to be industry is... well, it's still getting a lot of things done, but this time with a sarcastic comment as well. I love revisions of old, simple stories that mess with and remake their messages, and Okami-san and her Seven Companions does this over and over again in a thoroughly entertaining manner, all at the whim of the Jinn.

In stories, large groups usually function smoothly, with regularly timed conflict so that everyone can learn a lesson and grow a bit older. Outside of fiction, this is a much messier prospect - allies and enemies are much less clearly defined, and people can want to help each other and do it so ineptly that they end up no longer friends. While sometimes there is actual malice involved, a lot of times it really is a matter of people becoming so caught up in their own way of seeing the world that they miss where the other people are in it. I've seen times when people are saying the exact same things using different words and seemingly fighting over it; it's both amazing and enlightening to the many difficulties in connecting between people. Communication is a lot more of a fraught thing than people think, with flaws both in expression and reception.

I'm decked out in several of my old favorites today - katat0nik with Wasabi Pills for hair, jewelry from Lassitude & Ennui, a gorgeous mask from Spyralle, and feet by SLink. It feels like I've been doing a lot of things outside of my comfort zone lately, so it feels really nice to return to a bunch of stores that I've worn and loved for years. The dress, from katat0nik like I said, is actually the texture-changing fatpack. katat0nik has been experimenting with HUDs and not only does my inventory thank her, but also it offers up a bonus in the form of two areas to texture change, so I could mix and match orange and yellow between the gown and the apron section. You have to buy a fatpack for this kind of service (ouch, my aching pocketbook), but man is it ever fun and worth it - and I'm not just saying that because she leaves cute messages on most of my pictures (ilukat).  This cute, short hair is an example of why Wasabi Pills is, in many ways, "my" hair store. When I'm not sure what to wear or what I feel like, I go traipsing through and usually end up in something from them; the mesh fly-away detailing is part of why - look at those thin strands of hair which a year ago would have been a texture, but now is fully realize locks of hair. Simply splendid. It also interferes with my wings less than the textured hair strands do - mesh textures often make each other disappear when alpha is involved. The bird I tucked in among the locks is from Birdy, a new-to-me store; isn't it completely adorable? It comes in a set of three with blue and pink shoulder birds, but I love the effect of a bird on the head (worth two in the bush).

The really fun mask is one of a long line of gatcha prizes (damn you Kerryth) that I obsessively collected with the exception of one. In the continuing dramahumor of me and gatchas, I got multiples of both Rares but not one of the Commons - it's rigged, I tell you. Rigged. 8D Anyway, the mask is from Spyralle using a form she put out ages ago for some awesome emotional masks, but the textures on these are simply divine. I chose a delicate Mandelbrot of yellow over pink for this look, but there's a reason I gatchaed until I had as many as I could - each one is a tiny work of art for your face. The jewelry from Lassitude & Ennui is an old release for Harry Potter, and marks me inaccurately as part of Gryffindor (I'm actually a Ravenclaw girl, but the blues clashed). I thought it was a super cute idea when I saw it, though - little symbols to wear to show your affiliation; nothing flashing or extravagant, but simple and clear. Finally, hands and feet both are by SLink, and so are these thri-colored shoes which keep mysteriously ending up on my feet for Twisted Color Challenges. Honestly, it's so hard to resist the urge to cover the color spectrum of the challenge on ones feet, and I am quite lazy, all things considered. Also, these are simply stunning shoes which I can return to time and again for both casual and dressing looks.

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: Izzie's, Irene
Hair: Wasabi Pills, Cora
Bird: Birdy, Lil Tweet
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Eyeshadow: Mock, A touch of Magic (Group Gift)
Eyes: De La Soul, Rainbow
Eyelashes: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Mask: Spyralle, Samhain Mask 7
Lipstick: Mock, Machine Envy Lip Jelle
Wings: Illusions, Apsara Wings
Hands and Feet: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands and Feet
Nails: Virtual Insanity, All Hallows Eve 1
Necklace: Lassitude & Ennui, Heraldic necklace
Dress: katat0nik, Choco Dress
Bloomers: Sn@tch, Bloomers
Shoes: SLink, Tri-Colour Wedges

Pose: Don't Freak Out

Location: Collins Land
Light Settings: TOR, MIDDAY - My Noon
Water Settings: Nam's Beach Scene

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Twisted Color Challenge: Week 43 - Beach Club

Beach Club is a really cute color combination, and I ended up with a fun summer outfit even as the weather grows colder. I took the pictures around the Isle of Amras, the roleplaying sim I was staff for which closed recently - we're beginning to make plans for an entirely new roleplay, which looks like it will be a lot of fun and a real change of pace. Probably the most fun thing about it is being part of a large group of people hammering out the details of a fictional world together. Watching the social dynamics, how writing things out work, how having fun and actually getting things done need to be balanced somehow (usually on the backs of our few organized, sensible folk) is very, very fun. It's also exciting to see a bunch of people with very solid opinions and natures go head to head and try to hammer out differences. All in all, I'm having a lot of fun, even if there are the occasional moments of "Mommy and Daddy are fighting. 8( 8( 8(" It helps that everyone is a lot of fun to be around and play with - and I really think that what we make together is going to be amazing. The hard part is setting up the bones to build upon and getting everyone on the same page; once that's done, I think things will go a lot more smoothly. I'm most excited at the thought of having a whole new build to begin to take photographs in, especially one where I have full rezzing rights, so I can set down projectors inside of buildings and really make some awesome images.

My hair is an amazing recent release from Underscore which is very unique and Nordic style. I really liked how the four-strand braid reacted to light and shadows - look at how distinct and round it is. I also really like the curls of the bangs and how the hair is uneven along the top; there's a natural effect to it which I really enjoyed. I'm a huge fan of waist length hair, and this one also comes with a boobs-friendly version as well as one for my ...slightly less busty than Lola's figure. My jewelry is from Virtual Impressions and is one of the lower-price new releases I picked up a while ago; their group is one of the most profitable I've ever joined, as for the first week anything new is release, group members get it on a significant discount. I always get the color-changing version, which comes with a HUD, and the jewelry can also be edited for fine refinements. The surplus of options simply makes me squee. My lacy shorts and hairflower are both from the same place, G Field, which is probably one of my favorite stores of all time. I've been seeing more of her creations hit the major fashion blogs, and it makes me so very happy. My amazing and fun shoes are from SLink and are a perfect fit for my SLink feet (SLink hands also shown). I like how the thin ribbons curl up the ankles and how delicate and summer like they are. Finally, my very cute and bright green nails are from Nine Inch Nails, who has an amazing selection of very pretty, formal and informal nails for pretty much every occasion.

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: Izzie's, Irene
Hair: Underscore, Olisa
Flower: G Field, Rose Hairpin
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Eyes: De La Soul, Rainbow
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Wings: Illusions, Apsara Wings
Jewelry: Virtual Impressions, Wendy
Hands and Feet: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands and Feet
Nails: Nine Inch Nails, Deco
Shirt: Tiny Bird, St Augustine (dress)
Shorts: G Field, Frill Shorts
Shoes: SLink, Ilena Sandals

Pose: !bang

Location: Isle of Amras (now closed)
Light Settings: Places Betham
Water Settings: Glassy

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Music by Moonlight

I was last here for the Surrealism Challenge, but I vowed to return for more shots and I finally made it back tonight. Musiclandia is a lovely sim full of musical instruments, water, and whimsey, and it looks lovely under moonlight.  I had some fun playing around with windlight this time - shifting where the moon is, adjusting the cloud layer, making the stars larger and smaller as it suited me; you might be able to tell now and then from the hue of the light that a lot of things have change, but overall I think the changes are seamless. In one picture, I used an attached light to make things brighten up; can you figure out which one?

I've been bouncing around in this outfit for a while, thoroughly enjoying it. The gown is a quite old one, but still lovely; Blue Blood makes the most exquisite clothing, and I think her wide-hipped ones like this are my favorite. I love the sleeve design, too, and the gray and white quality of her whitegoth styles. I substituted lovely stockings from Stellar for the included ones, though, so that they could slip over my SLink feet - feet I'm rather loathed to go without, these days. Luckily for my sense of completion, though I didn't angle a shot to see this, the Blue Blood gown included garters separate from the stockings - so there are still little hearts holding everything up under my skirt. I had to wear my SLink feet, you see, because of these sweet, simple update on his shoes, slipped to me on the sly by Sax Shepherd Designs - like the other SLink shoe I reviewed, these have a color changing HUD which changes pretty much every part of the shoe; bliss for my inventory. This time I went for a soft set of gold hues to catch the threads of gold and the hearts in my dress - something small to tie the whole look together. In the same way, I covered up the fact that my SLink hands cut a little high on the Blue Blood dress sleeve by moving up the prim finishing piece on my wrist so it becomes a forearm design instead - just another of the many ways one can alter prim and texture clothing with rigged mesh attachments; I doubt you'd notice the alterations unless you were looking for them.

The rest of my look was calculated to echo the whimsy of the Musiclandia - sweet, a little geeky, and exquisitely textured. My dear reptilian friends are a release from Silent Sparrow - the latest in her quest to populate all of our inventories with the cutest animal friends on the grid. For a single purchase, one gets three rezzable, single prim turtles and two wearable ones - I'm showing off both wearable locations; the forearm turtle also comes with an included pose to keep him up against your chest. The green of Mr. Keylime on my head modulated beautifully with this strawberry patch headpiece from the Gatcha machine for World's End Garden, which can be found at her RMK store (I have extras of most of them, gained in my failed quest to get them all); remember her full sim is closing later on in the month, so make sure to swing by and enjoy it one last time. Sadly, a lot of the more complicated builds that had been there are gone, but there are a couple very simple ones, and if you move to the right spots, you can find the same soothing music that used to comfort me for so many hours. I added katat0nik's recent group gift strawberry glasses to this, just to tip us over toward geeky in the best way; these have the most adorable pink strawberries along the edge, and the green was a perfect match for my Head Turtle. My Clawtooth hair is another gatcha prize, but this time an extra from a dear friend so I've no idea which event it's part of;  Finally, I echoed the red again in my lips, a sumptuous color from Adore and Abhor that was exactly the color of my World's End strawberries; mmmmmm... tastes of flame and apocalypses.

( More pictures here. )

Credits:

Skin: Izzie's, Irene
Hair: Wasabi Pills, Jade
Hairflowers: World End's Garden, Primavera K
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Eyes: De La Soul, Rainbow
Eyeshadow: Virtual Insanity, Spring
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Glasses: katat0nik, Strawberry Glasses
Lipstick: Adore & Abhor, Fluff Lips
Wings: Deviance, Sidhe
Hands and Feet: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands and Feet
Nails: Flair, Set 98
Pets: Schadenfreude, Turtles
Dress: Blue Blood, Inima
Stockings: Stellar, In Bloom
Shoes: Sax Shepherd Designs, Frills

Pose: Don't Freak Out

Location: Musiclandia
Light Settings: Phototools, Moon Light 03
Water Settings: Glassy

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Twisted Color Challenge: Week 39: French Quarter

French Quarter is an amazing combination of colors, a soft dull brown and a gleaming gold, and I was instantly inspired to something a touch more... sensual than is my usual style. This gorgeous, flirty bit of lingerie from Baiastice seemed perfect for a burlesque review when dressed up with stockings and spike heels, and the color was simply perfect when I saw it at My Attic. It's corset-centered with soft, fluttery cloth over the top of my butt. I really love the shape and style of it, especially when I could dress it up with a flash pair of heels, like these beribboned ones from SLink. The steel heel is a particularly nice touch - perfect for keeping off customers who get a little handsy. These were the first SLink heels I picked up, and what really sold me were the thin ribbons wrapped around the foot - I simply adored how it looked, and now that is can add these stockings from Adam n Eve over top, they're simply sublime.

I added these amazing wings from Illusions and tinted them to match - the gold is one of the vein textures included, but you can edit the membrane separately to tint it to any color you want - which is such a boon to rainbow fairies like myself.Topping my head, and rounding out the brown a little bit, is this new hair from Wasabi Pills - this really cute, casual style worked surprisingly well with the higher glam style of this burlesque outfit. I really like how loose and easy the braid is - it looks natural and fun. I added some bright red lips - a combination of Heartsick and Mock - to make sure the whole look didn't get too casual. I love Mock for the glossy and rich color it adds to solid colors below. Finally, my amazing jewelry from Eclectica rounds out the gold end of the French Quarter - this is one of her older releases, but I really love the chunky style of it, and the double chain. It also comes with a bracelet (worn) and a belt (not shown), which really add to the set as a whole. Finally, a look is only as good as the poses which show it off, and I was able to pull out some of the more fun dance poses from Grafica to show off, thanks to the abbreviated bottom on my outfit, and I really had a ball. I need to invest in some more micro-minis so I can show off the rest.

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: Izzie's, Irene Skin porcelain
Hair: Wasabi Pills, Akiko
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Eyes: De La Soul, Rainbow
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Lipstick 1: Heartsick, Morticia
Lipstick 2: Mock, Mizu Venetian
Wings: Illusions, Apsara
Hands and Feet: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands and Feet
Nails: Nine Inch Nails, Deco
Jewelry: Eclectica, Deco Knot
Outfit: Baiastice, Lingerie Corset (My Attic)
Stockings: Adam n Eve, Brown Seam Stockings
Shoes: SLink, Lulu

Poses: Grafica

Location: The Looking Glass
Light Settings: Abracadabra 2

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

SL Disney Bound – Week Twenty Six: Mr. Walt Disney

This is the last of the Disneybound Challenges, and I'm both sad and glad to end things with Mr. Walt Disney; he is an interesting figure, very much of his time, and so my feelings about him are highly mixed. I've had fun with this challenge, though, even if I regularly escaped the bounds of reasonable clothing and well into standard Second Life glamour and impossibility. It will be a bit of a relief to finish out a challenge, though, and as it is I'm several weeks late.I bit off rather more than I could chew, even though a few challenges went by the wayside - I think from here on out I'll limit myself to only a couple of challenges, instead of the four I attempted briefly over the summer. I'm increasingly feeling a drive to become more expressive, though; to try to capture my emotions through these images and somehow find a relief from my suffering. Recent time has been very difficult offline, with pressure high, and sometimes I feel like I'm boiling inside - my center molten and no longer steady. I've been trying to escape through a variety of vehicles, but I think the hardest part is looking into the mirror and not being sure I like what I see. I don't know how to be any better, though, and so I stumble along dragging lives with me in ruins, and I weep at the world around me as it burns and freezes. There are twists and curves I can't manage, and I am left with only, "I don't know what to do." And so, the world or me failing, what can I do but get dressed up and take pictures?

My hat is an old purchase from Glam Affair which I really adore - a simple cap with bows as butterflies over a single branch; elegant, artistic, and I can tint it if I want, rendering it perfection. I tucked it over a loose updo from Luletka that was blessedly unrigged mesh, so I could narrow it from to back and fit the cap more easily on top. I love how it's half pulled back and half unraveled, as if the cares of the day have driven it out of it's morning's perfection. The jewelry which dominates this look is from Mandala, and it's glorious; I have it in white and red from the marketplace, and I'll be seeking out the other colors in world when I have some time to breathe - I adore how it shimmers, and how enormous the jewels are. Large jewels work well in contrast to the simplicity of this dress from Valentina E, special release for the Liaison Collaboration, a double slit, formal gown with a lovely silhouette and enough skin showing to be alluring without losing the elegance. My nails, stockings, and ring all come from Stellar, released as part of the Flowers in my Attic, and are part of the SLink Enhancement system, which means the stockings work perfectly with my SLink feet which are stuffed snugly into these awesome tri-colored heels from SLink proper.

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: Izzie's, Irene Skin porcelain
Hair: LeLutka, Alvina
Hat: Glam Affair, Oly Hat 07
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Eyes: De La Soul, Rainbow
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Wings: Deviance, Sidhe Wings
Hands and Feet: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands and Feet
Nails: Stellar, In Bloom (Flowers in My Attic)
Earrings: Earthstones, Timeless Pearl Earringd
Jewelry: Mandala, Milky Way Set
Ring: Stellar, In Bloom Ring (Flowers in My Attic)
Dress: Valentina E, Anna Dress (Liaison Collaboration)
Stockings: Stellar, In Bloom Tights (Flowers in My Attic)
Shoes: SLink, Tri-color Wedges

Poses: Glitterati

Location: Skye Neist Point
Light Settings: Phototools, Dream Book Light 02
Water Settings: Nacon's Lake Water

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

SL Disney Bound – Week Twenty Four: Mushu

I went full on theatrical for Mushu, but I'm afraid I've long left behind the idea that any of these looks would be casual ones for going out into the community, unless that community was Second Life, in which case I took this look dancing last night. The eyes are a release from Tacky Star that I thought really embodied the draconic spirit; I particularly like how dark the pupils are, like pools deep into my brain. This style is available in a wide variety of colors, too, each of them delicate and crisp, and you can change the size of the iris through clicking the eye itself, as these are prim eyeballs. The lips are from an old Adore & Abhor set which I return to time and again because they're so unique, delicate, and fantastic. I love the effect of layering the smaller lip color over larger lips. It's especially fun in the "toothsmile" setting, where it ends up pulled thin and tight. My skin is a fantastic release from Fallen Gods which I've been sitting on a while, and I'm really struck by the delicate texturing on the face. I like how it gives the illusion of movement even though I'm perfectly still; it looks lace-like in it's delicacy, and the pattern continues, as you can see below, everywhere. I also really, really like the teeth - which fit into the color pallet perfectly while still adding a creepy effect when I smile. The texturing also continues over the hands and feet, but I played a bit of a conjuring trip because I wanted to make use of the SLink hands and feet, and Fallen Gods doesn't (yet?) release appliers for them. I used Orc Inc's arm and leg fades to bring in a similar enough shade of red - you can see the fade point below about mid-upper arm. I sort of wish Orc Inc had included a lower fade, and I may end up playing some more myself with forearm fades to see if I can correct for other fantasy skins; I adore using them, but more often than not they don't release the necessary appliers, and the tones are unusual enough that it can be difficult to find an applier that would work from another skin line.

My hair is a gorgeous new release from Underscore with some new texture options, like this layering of different shades of red which I thought set off my skin so beautifully. I love the lighter bits over the bangs, giving depth to the color. I topped it with roses, this headdress from Glam Affair which got rather a lot of play on the feeds back in the day. I love the simplicity of it, and how well the curved base sits on my hair; it also works well tucked up against an updo. My wings are one of the rares from Deviance's gatcha for the Fantasy Gatcha Event, not available at her main store to suck all of the lindens out of your pockets. I don't have words for how much I love these wings; the simple fact that they effectively haven't left my back since I got them should speak for itself. My outfit is another older release, this time from r2; I had considered looking for a skirt to go under the sheer top, and I may still see what I can find for the other shirt tops as I am certain they'll make their way through this blog. One problem with mesh separates is that they are much harder to layer due to the different shapes people use, and this is made doubly difficult with sheer - but the quality of this top is so high I think the effort is well worth it. You can see how delicately it meets the chest, how elegant it is while being completely alluring. Finally, my shoes - from Syl - are part of an ever-increasing stable of shoes made to complement the SLink feet. I particularly like these because of the unusual shape and the strappy style; you can see them up close in this picture, how well they are shaped and textured, and the open work of the heel. This is the lower platform - there is also a higher platform which might require you to edit your shape to stand taller. I love these sorts of artistic, unusual shoe styles, so when I saw these and thought through my rather extreme stylin for this look, these seemed simply perfect - and I think you'll agree they are.

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: Fallen Gods, Onyrica Mimic Bordeaux
Hair: Underscore, Chiara S
Hat: Glam Affair, Framed Headdress
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Eyes: Tacky Star, Amber Burning
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Lipstick: Adore & Abhor, Silent Star
Wings: Deviance, Sidhe Wings
Hands and Feet: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands and Medium Feet
Nails: Orc Inc, Goth
Arm and Leg Fades: Orc Inc, Blend Red
Outfit: r2, Sheer Shirt & Skinny Pants
Shoes: Syl, Climbstra Platform Sandals

Poses: Grafica

Location: China
Light Settings: Phototools, Lo Light 02
Water Settings: Default

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only