Sunday Squee: A:S:S Nail Polish

The Sunday Squee is when I can talk about things that make me happy and excited. The main focus will be on different things people created, from books to movies to television shows to podcasts, and my effort will be to highlight less commonly known things as a way to share what I love. If you want to join in the Sunday Squee, please link back to me so I can enjoy what you love!

It was a challenge to select three images for this post highlighting A:S:S's dramatic nailpolish style. I'm only showing three of a truly impressive panoply - at the top is an example of his graphic designs, drawing from inspirations like gemstones and (as shown above) butterfly wings. These are by far the most unlikely nails offline, requiring either wraps or steady hands and a lot of time, but in world they're available at the touch of a button. For obvious reasons, the butterfly variants (ah! if only there was a rainbow one!) are one of my favorites, but the Gold Thread abstract designs and the crisp lines of his pastel Tiara and bright Rainbow are equally striking and work with a variety of outfits, either as a complement or a contrast. Sometimes he adds in more subtle textures, like the seemingly embossed Royal Purple, or the Victorian Velvet I need to pick up soon, and the variation in texture given he's working with a static surface and has to accommodate different lengths of nail is impressive.

He does equally well with solid colors, as you can see above, and earns my eternal gratitude by usually including all six of the main rainbow colors; orange and gold are in shorter supply in my inventory, so when I need them I almost always turn to A:S:S. He also makes a mean teal, and when I can find perfect matches to one of his colors, well... its bliss. These single colors, either dark or pastel, are among the more offline-realistic of his shades, but there are also some which straddle the line like his Superglitter nails or the Mahi Mahi sparkle-tips shown below. I've actually replicated a Mahi Mahi adjacent look offline with a brighter color - it has to do with layering glitter-polish over a solid shade. For the realists among us he even offers up a set of chipped polish in shiny and matte, in addition to his basic shades and dirty nails.

A:S:S is mostly known for his mens clothing - and believe me, someday when I'm feeling generous I'll be back to kit out my poor mAlt Quatre - but his nails are wonderful for the ladies as well, and they really make me happy! I also feel the need to note that there are lucky boards in his nail store, and I and the alphabet alts may be making a showing in the next few days in the drive to get me shiny, glorious nails.

Mannishly

Emboldened by the androgyny I was inspired to through Genre, I decided to give menswear a whirl with FATEwear's latest release - the Jordan jacket - and found it fit well and was a lot of fun, despite being rigged to the male instead of female frame! I was particularly pleased with the sleeve length, as it covered the wrist without clipping my hand, and the asymmetrical folds and wide spaced collar is wonderful. I very much like how thick the entire coat seems; the edges are all rounded and thick, even on the sleeve detailing. This gives a real sense of the weight and reality of the coat, making it's folds over my hips and gaping at the waist all the more realistic. I also like how the pocket is three dimensional instead of simply a texture on the fabric, and even the buttons are three dimensional - which makes some of the angled shots I took amazing. It's very well rigged through the body and to the legs, leading to an excellent fit even in more complicated pose. All of these are little details, but combined with the soft texture of the jacket - there are a variety of colors and event he option of a color-changing HUD with the fatpack - the jacket manages to straddle the border of Second Life and offline life beautifully.I have always loved FATEplay's female clothing, and FATEwear is equally impressive.

With the masculine quality of the jacket, I decided to go ultra-femme in the rest of my look. I began with this corset from Rosal, part of a complicated set but equally impressive on it's own. She just re-released it with updated colors and I highly recommend it both as a set and as an individual piece. I went with the narrowest waist - unrealistic offline, and gorgeously easy online. The fit of the jacket demanded a pair of pants, and I found those in a pair of jeans from Decoy that I picked up during one of the sale events and squirreled away in my inventory for just such an occasion. They are hip huggers, leaving that fascinating band of flesh between hips and belly exposed. I almost ended the look topless - the jacket actually covered enough to preserve modesty - but I ended up deciding that was a little more risque than I preferred and I used an old favorite, a texture-top from G Field - to finish my outfit. The flower for the halter-top was too voluminous for the narrow opening at the top of my FATEwear jacket, though, so I substituted in an old prim collar from Plastik that has the distinction of not only being modify-ok, but also set up so the different bands around the collar can be tinted separately. The close fit of the collar also maintained the illusion of layers that I was going for, as it fit beautifully into the gaps left by the jacket.

So far, my look was equal mixtures of casual masculine style with high fashion, ultra-femme touches, and I wanted to push the latter over the top with the remaining pieces of my style. First I went with an extravagant updo, the newest release from Ploom being released at The Kawaii Project. It is a whirl of braids and curls, editable mesh which meant I could shift the odd curl here or there out of my ears and make it a wonderful updo from every angle. I went with one of her candy hair textures, a wonderful blond with a fade of pink tips to echo the pink of my jacket. I also went with very dramatic cosmetics - a heavy, glamorous shadow around the eyes from .:Soul:. and dark black lips from MiaSnow. The goal was to maintain the predominance of black in my entire look, leaving the pink in only two places, and also to continue the thread of evening-wear despite my casual jeans. My nails were equally dramatic - a gorgeous pair from A:S:S on a black base with silvery sparkles set in a fade from the tips, like snow falling on a dark night and just barely catching the moonlight. The final touch, absolutely required to keep the styling over the top, are my sleek and delicate shoes from Lassitude & Ennui. One way to dress up jeans is through stylish shoes, and these do that job to perfection.

Genre: Apocalyptic Sunday

I have become, by way of accident, a tertiary fan of various works. I couldn't read more than the first half of A Game of Thrones, and have little to no interest in the television show, but I adore retellings of it - mostly about the quirky women who run the world - and the items inspired by it. Likewise, my love for apocalyptic matters is largely second or third removed, and often in the form of something I can wear.

Enter Genre.

The apocalypse is an often dark and gritty place, but sartorial glory can be found even there, and Genre is bringing that this time around.

First my hairstyle from Adoness is a rooster-comb of hair over a shaved base with patterns shorn in the length.I'm using the white hairbase tinted a soft gold and despite it not being my usual style at all, I rather like the effect; it feels a bit like I'm dragging out the Androgyny genre with my manliest look yet!

When I saw the clothing available for this round of Genre, I was powerfully reminded of the anime and manga series Trigun, and it's goofy main character Vash the Stampede - a humanoid natural disaster. Vash is one of those interesting, multifaceted characters who strides across stories and into the hearts and imaginations of those who encounter him. My trench coat might not be crimson, nor bullet-scarred, but it is a lovely offering from 14 FL OZ, fit to hold off the stinging sand in any post-apocalyptic wasteland and to impress even my enemies. It comes with a tank top, a pair of shorts and boots I'm not showing, but which are similarly well made. I love the design of this - the wide V at the top with the answering V to show off lets, boots, and whatever might be used as prosthesis in the hereafter. I'm wearing the jacket entirely without an invisible layer, though one is included, and I'd imagine it would work well over mesh as well as over the textured top and jeans I'm wearing in this picture - that makes it wonderfully useful in terms of outwear wear for a variety of looks - even ones out of the desert! Speaking of prosthetics, I simply couldn't resist the lure of a do-it-yourself stick leg made up of a bat and several extraneous weapons - or used to hold those weapons? - attached around the edges. This Death Row Designs special comes with a boot for the off leg, which I'm wearing here as well. It comes in two pieces and is modifiable, which means there's a lot of room for making it larger or smaller as needed. I find it incredibly charming - quirky and fun and dangerous.

With all of this flash and style showing up in my clothes and person, I needed truly over-the-top accessories. My eyes are decorated with two different effects - firstly a simple shadow from #adored which tints around the eyes, and then a facial tattoo lining under the eyes, from NOX. The latter has a lovely feathery effect over my cheeks. The combination is striking but subtle, and a little bit of color in an otherwise brown and tan presentation - a hope of things to come. A similar tint is in the gas mask from :{MV}:, though that is largely black. I like that it's little hints of hope hidden amongst an otherwise unremarkable look - that seems to fit well into both the post apocalyptic genre, and the western genres I'm referencing here. I finished the whole look off with a gold and black flask from Squishy Fluff, which seemed necessary since the end of the world would drive one to drink! It's editable, which is nice since I was able to resize the band to fit around my trench-coated arm. The final touch of verisimilitude were these dirty nails from A:S:S with a variety of hues to match anyone's skins. One can wash one's hands, but somehow a little cruft always seems to lurk beneath the nails!

Genre: Sacred

I've never been accused of being particularly androgynous; if anything, I tend sharply toward the femme end of the spectrum, being a fan of skirts, frills, ribbons, and shiny jewels. That's part of what makes Genre so fun, though - offering up opportunities to go against the grain stylishly. One thing I particularly liked about what I've seen so far is that contrary to the tendency for "androgynous" to be most often translated to menswear for women, Genre offers up several types of womenswear for men, and some truly lovely clothing that meets in the middle - like this long skirted suit by A:S:S. It's available with and without boobs, and somehow manages to meld together feminine and masculine in both pieces - the narrow simplicity of the suit top complements slighter builds while the length of the skirt is reminiscent of robes worn as much by men as women, especially historically. I'm not normally a suit wearer, but this one tickles my fancy much more than I would have otherwise expected. I echoed the narrow tie in the earrings from claMberry, which feature silver findings (gold is also available) and long, thin ties. They're quite fun as an accessory, especially with an androgynous theme.

I wanted relative simplicity for the rest of my look, and so focused immediately on this neutral, extremely pale skin from Even Tide. It's delicately shaded, and would work as well on a man's shape as a woman's; the body shading is delicate and lets the mesh shape do much of the work. It also comes with a selection of tattoo layers for different effects and shadows, but I wore it plain and it is lovely without a single addition. It doesn't come with appliers for any of the body add-ons, but I was able to match the skintone using SLink's basic utility. Even with the more feminine touch of my Mock lipstick, the effect is much more boyish than my usual. I wanted a similarly boyish hairstyle, and so went with The Stringer Mausoleum's wilted mohawk in a startling shade of white called, happily, "Unicorn." I love the jagged edges of it, and how it drapes beautifully over the temple. There are a bunch of other colors, but I found a certain glee in going white on white under the darkness of my severe suit. Speaking of severe, by far my clompiest accessory is these amazing boots from C L A Vv, in shiny patent leather. I adore the weight of them, and the angled shine. My poses are all suited for men or women, and are from Mien. They're fairly straightforward overall, with arms set wide enough to not cut into the body whether boob bedecked or otherwise!

And finally, Schadenfreude not only released a treat bucket, but she released four - one of them as a special gift for members of the Silent Sparrow group and at the tail end of a lot of up and down stairs, because that store is a three dimensional labyrinth. If you aren't one of the lucky members, you can get a free brown and orange one at Schadenfreude's store as well, and if you're a member of that august group there's also a group-only bucket hidden somewhere around the elephant, but I love my red and blue carnival bucket so dearly! I also have it on good authority that katat0nik has a similarly individualized and fun bucket in melon shades for her group members, which means one can match trick or treat buckets with almost any look.

Genre: Time with the Elephants

Genre's back again and covering Southeast Asia, which not only encompasses a lot of India, but touches lightly on Indonesia and Thailand with some charming mashups around the edges - all set to the sound of screaming peacocks showing their feathers. My Luminary dress, a lovely calf-length fall of skirt with an empire waistline, is reminiscent of a long Kameez without the accompanying pants and scarf that would make it a Shalwar Kameez, which is found across Southeast Asia as a comfortable and beautiful type of outfit meant for both men and women. This is a more girly cut, though, low in the bodice with an empire waistline, and with a modern, calf length. I love the fullness of the skirt, with big loops of fold which move in an interesting way with various poses. The mesh edges are finished well with the texture going well up under the skirt, high enough even for the most finicky photographer.  One touch I really loved is how seams are included into the texture, giving it a real verisimilitude, and the additional gems set into the front and back make it really unique and fun. For shoes, I really couldn't do better than the toe loop sandal from Bliensen + MaiTai in a variety of bright colors and patterns. I simply adore the textures here - layers of bright, contrasting shades which offer up some real variety in what they can be worn with, and a velvety-seeming base in a variety of shades as well. I also really like the style; many sandals of this style have bare to no coverage on the front of the foot, but in this case there is a wonderful triangle of brightness in the middle of my foot which is quite cheerful. It comes for the SLink mid foot, and also for CMFF and The Mesh Project.

My accessories are numerous and gorgeous, and all pretty much come from Genre this month. Across my brow and set carefully into my hair is a gorgeous, color-change, low-set diadem which can be worn high along the hairline, or lower as I am so that the large jewel in the middle sits right between the brows. It's a new release from Souzou Eien, and combines simple chain with a profusion of beads and the large, central medallion. The color change part is the chain and the gems; the black beads hanging down appear inexorably jet. It matches the additional jewelry from A:S:S nearly seamlessly; both combine circles and dangle in the same charming manner. I'm not normally a nose-ring sort of girl, but with ones this lovely I might well change the habit! I'm also wearing A:S:S nails, though they're part of an older pile of gorgeousness and not a new release. My eyeshadow is dark with bands of bright color across the lids, a release from #adored which adds real drama to any look; I love the smokey edges and solid liner. Added into my hair is a lovely flower from NSP Florals - one of a whole slew of colorful hibiscus flowers set upon delicate gold leaves. My necklace is from yet another choice store, Storybook, and it is a fantastic collar style with large openings and uneven edges which give it a natural, crafted air. The circle of pure metal below the chin is a fantastic touch as well, and echoes the overall "circles in jewelry" theme I have going. Completing the jewelry, on my wrists are the thickly soldered rings of stones from Sad Harlekin, which echo the same colors but offer in more irregular yet still rounded shapes. They are all of a piece with varying sizes up the wrist so that they sit well on my forearms.

The main European touch is this fun hair from Asset, shown in blond in complwte defiance of all of Southeast Asia. The large, loose braids over the skull are really fun and work seamlessly into the long braids over the chest and held with metal bands. It doesn't quite fit around my ears, but that's a minor note for such cool hair.

Fit for a Princess: Lacquer and Gilt

We're heading toward the end of the month and the wrapping up of Fit for a Princess, the romance edition, and I managed to make an entire outfit out of things available at the event. For instance, I'm wearing the cutest mini dress ever, from Nomi, with gorgeous detailing in the shape of elegant chandeliers and dangling chains. It's designed as overall style bands over either a white or black top, and rides the line between casual and elegant beautifully. The skirt and top look like different pieces but aren't, and sadly they're no modify, so you won't be able to tint your white shirt interesting shades of puce. The edges are extremely well done, however, with no jaggedness or oddness around the edges, and it's fully lined. It's also very well rigged and moves well in a variety of poses, even in the always difficult shoulder area. I also really liked the fit round the neck and over the bust - it's plunging without being indecorous, and necklaces layer well under it. It comes with a HUD which allows you to change the shirt color and skirt color - two colors for the top and four for the bottom. I love the growing trend of bundling colors under a HUD, even if it makes my sorting them more complicated. My largest accessories are all from Cila; the wings, bracelet, and ring all echo the same design and are pleasantly chunky. I really love the layered curves and curls which are reminiscent of wood carvings painted in gilt. They are a gacha prize, with gold as the rare set, and the other options are all pale pastels in red, green, orange, blue, and white - all lovely and tinted as if a soft lacquer was layered over them, ending up heavier in the cracks.

I paired the heavier Cila jewelry with a more delicate necklace, tiara, and earrings set from Cae. The design is curving metal woven in and out of each other in a lovely manner, with a single gem set in the larger pieces. Again, there is a fantastic HUD included; two sets of metals and a vast plethora of stone colors. The curve of the metal is the best part - smooth with delicately curling ends. I also love the idea of two sets of metals to mix and match for greater effect, though I chose a solid gold in this case. I echoed the gold in my delicate slippers, made for the SLink flat feet by Dysfunctional Designs. They are a simple round toe base with delicate metalwork over the top and down the sides. I ended up looking really closely, and those delicate balls sewn into the shoe? They actually are three dimensional. The texture of the rest of the shoe is equally well done, complicated enough to fade into interesting lights and darks from a distance, and simply lovely up close. Finally my nails, from an old favorite A:S:S, provide a variety of fleur de lis in a variety of colors, all of them simply perfect. Using just shades of a single color, A:S:S uses different shades to make the fleur de lis stand out and seem like it's shining of of each unrealistically elongated nail. Absolutely a class act.

The only part of my look, in the end, that doesn't come from the hallowed halls of August's Fit for a Princess is my Adore & Abhor hair, which was a Hair Faire release and is now available in their main store. It's a lovely, slick updo with the cutest hairbuns ever, and I completely fell in love. My favorite touch has to be along the back of the neck, though - always a challenging part of the head. In this Adore & Abhor hair, though, it is a perfect curve under my skull. It is also made up of a number of shapes, which means that if your head is not the same as the creator that you can resize things to cover the necessary ground. It also fits beautifully behind my ears, which is always a bonus with updos and pulled back hair. If you're looking for something cute and perky, this hairstyle is one to try the demo of.

SLBA "Law Day" Festival

Until May 31 The SLBA "Law Day" Festival is going on. It is a month-long event held by the SL Bar Association and Justitia Virtual Legal Resource Village. There is a vendor market featuring new, law-themed merchandise from a bunch of awesome stores. There are also displays all over the area about how the law affects users of Second Life and other virtual worlds, and a bunch of very cute virtual law offices. Did you know lawyers like lakes?

I took a picture of each of the virtual kiosks and hunted out as many magical boards as I could, and also picked up a few virtuous items myself, and I really encourage everyone to check it out and then stand by the Magical Boards of Highlights and Shiny Black Words for some Virtual World Knowledge. If you want to go to a specific one, click on the links below to grab a landmark.

Items for the Purchasing

Theosophy - Chess Board, Banana, Gazelle Head, and Stack of Books

!bang - One set of Single Poses and one Couple's Pose

Yummy! - Gavel Necklace and Scales of Justice Earrings

Ison - Lawyerly Briefcases

oOo Studio - Four sets of Single Poses (two men, two women) and one Couple's Pose

A:S:S - Two sets of free, Natural Nails and three sets of Novelty Nails

Magical Boards of Knowledge and Shiny

Fair Use and the Internet

Second Life Terms of Service

Copyright Issues in Social Media and Virtual Worlds

Copyright and Fair Use

2014 Fantasy Faire: Flitting About in Wiggenstead

Wiggenstead Mooring was a charming sim, with large, rounded islands for each of the stores and narrow hanging bridges between them. It was easy to get turned around - one bridge looks much like another - but the little details like fences and piles of rocks are really quite charming, and I especially liked how the floating rock stores had different little details upon the top and dangling from the sides. I wanted a bright and cheerful outfit to match, and so I pulled out something I picked up on the first few days of the Faire - this gorgeous dress and puffy wings from Epic. It's a tutu style, which means you had better put something on underneath or you will develop a fast following - I ended up adding a set of panties from Cupcake in a shiny gold lame. The whole Epic outfit combines a translucent-seeming color with sparkles, and it's quite one of my favorite finds for the faire - I always like Epic's over saturated colors, but in this case the shape and color together are simply smashing. The slightly tamer panties, though, inspired me to calmer accessories - I echoed the bright yellow in the gems of my Aisling crown, but the gold itself is a softer, gentler hue. I really love the fade from a sort of shadowed-gold to something brighter, as well, and the butterflies all over it simply made me gleeful. I was able to fit in the lovely collar which comes with it as well, this time, which made me very happy. It fits well, with an open metalwork which makes it easy to adjust to necks great and small.

I pulled the shade of my hair from the crown as well, the brighter gold on the tines perfectly matched the shade of hair from a new store I just found out about called KOY. I love the curls of this hair, and the angled but simple front which made it a perfect base for the Aisling Crown, while the hair still had some lightness and playfulness in the rigged curls. I also pulled out these wonderful shoes from Sax Shepherd Designs, which I adore as much for their hanging jewels as for the wide variety of hues I can tint them into. I went with opal and diamond this time, shading the rest of the shoe in white so that no darkness could undermine my look. The final, and bounciest note, though, is my nails - from A:S:S. I've been looking for something cheerful enough to bring out these rainbow nails, and this was definitely the time. The rainbow band is bright and cheerful, and the nail set also has every color of the rainbow as a base - in this case I chose orange. I really had a lot of fun putting together a Summer Faery Look, and I hope you enjoyed it too - and enjoyed the fantastic Fantasy Faire, which is now winding down.

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: Izzie's, Irene
Sparkles: Folly, Rainbow Sheen
Hair: KOY, Kyra
Crown: Aisling, Sumiana
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Eyes: De La Soul, Rainbow
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Eyeliner: cheLLe, Cleo Called
Lipstick: Pink Fuel, Metallic Lipsticks
Wings: Epic, Celestial Butterfly Wings
Hands: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands
Nails: A:S:S, Rainbow
Clothing: Epic, Sparkle Faery Tutu
Panties: Cupcakes, Fringed Panties
Shoes: Sax Shepherd Designs, Mata Hari Jewelled Stilletos

Poses: Adorkable Poses

Location: Wiggenstead Mooring
Light Settings: Sim Default
Water Settings: Sim Default

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

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

Fit for a Princess: Under a Full Moon

The month is over half done, which means we're nearing the end of the first Fit for a Princess Event - and the theme for next month has already been announced: Floral. I'm looking forward to seeing things made more around a theme, rather than the grab bag which was the first month. This is my first time of doing an event of this scale, and I have to admit I really loved it - the opportunity to try new things, to try a lot of different outfits and hair, and to try to present what at first blush seems like a singular idea in a variety of ways was really fun. The sheer volume of things was both exciting and a little overwhelming, though I think I did a pretty good job of covering most of my bases - and my stores. It was interesting to try to keep up the pace of a post a day for a while; I managed fifteen days before I stared into this box and simply didn't have anything to say at all, or any pictures to show. The featured item for this look is this gorgeous gown from Kouse's Sanctum; she has largely shifted over to jewelry - now and then she wows us with something bigger, though, and I'm really glad she did. This dress features a low cut bodice and layered skirt - a style of dress seen in a few different textures, but gleaming and glowing in the moonlight. The one flaw to the gown is the leg rigging; the dress is rigged to the waist and hips, but not at all to the legs, which means it floats wide for most poses but can move awkwardly with an AO. I adore it despite this, though, especially with these amazing textures.

My hair is from Tableau Vivant, and was sold at the Cutie Moon Faire and isn't currently available at the mainstore, but it is gorgeous and fun and the stock there definitely deserves a second look. The hair and the head fluffy bits were sold separately, and the fun thing is that you can mix and match the hair ring things and the longer, elegant base hair. I ended up picking up a couple of different color combinations, and they were all set up to match the various Sailor Scouts - an awesome, unique addition to any inspired look. The jewelry I'm wearing, including the tiara tucked in between the headdress loops, is from Krystal, which is the jewelry brand for Kouse's Sanctum. It's color changing on touch, which offers a lot of options, and it comes in silver or gold base. It's also available at Fit for a Princess, and it goes perfectly with the gowns she released. Keeping to the same clear, pastel shades as the gown, I added a set of nails from A:S:S which have a lovely tiara edge to the colors. I added in a very simple lip to finish the whole look - one of the many shines from Mock which I have the pleasure to have in my inventory. It has a sparkly edge to it which stands out despite only being the texture. The eyeshadow is from MiaSnow and looked a lot brighter on the ad. I was very glad to try it on and see how clean and simple the colors are in it, and how it added to the shine of my whole look.

( More pictures here. )

Credits:

Skin: Izzie's, Irene
Hair: Tableau Vivant, Moon Hair (Cutie Moon Faire)
Headdress: Tableau Vivant, Moon Headdress (Cutie Moon Faire)
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Eyes: De La Soul, Rainbow
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Eyeshadow: MiaSnow, Blurr 3
Lipstick: Mock, Micare LipGlimmer
Wings: Deviance, Sidhe
Hands & Feet: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands & Feet
Jewelry: Krystal, Purity Set
Nails: A:S:S, Tiara (Fit for a Princess)
Dress: Kouse's Sanctum, Anna Gown (Fit for a Princess)

Pose: Glitterati

Location: Kats Beach
Light Settings: Phototools, Moon Light 02
Water Settings: Mirror Water

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Fit for a Princess: Conjunction of Fairy Tales

I usually don't make sets and photograph within them, but one of the nice things about review items is getting a chance to do things we don't normally do - and building a tower for my princess was surprisingly easy with the gorgeous tower from Alouette, a bed from Positure Poses, and a lovely office set from Krystal augmented by the most adorable princess bookshelf from llama. For the end of the story - one which started with a Pea, continued with a long spot with no exit but my long hair, bound up in a braid, and finished in a glass coffin from Free Bird, waiting for my prince to come. It's a rather confusing and sad storyline - especially since there's no sign of my Prince! I felt the Pea, though, so at least we know I'm a real Princess.

The Tower from Alouette is a pleasing, round shape with several windows evenly spaced and a trap door in the floor, easily concealed by a rug and table so that I could never find my way out. The door and window open at a touch and stay open, making them perfect for looking out or posing for pictures. It's large enough for several areas to be established, but not to large that it no longer seems like a tower. There are also windows going up the stairway along the side, something which would help my captor more than I, unless I moved that particular rug. The bed from Positure Poses is clearly out of The Princess and the Pea, a warm stack of mattresses with a ladder to the top. I particularly like how the mattresses are all different - some are half the size of others, and the patterns they make together are pleasing while also looking mismatched. I also like that the bedstead looks like a standard one - it's a tall four poster but obviously not originally meant to have four feet of mattress. It's simply a fun, entertaining piece, that I really enjoyed playing with.

The office set, which includes a chandelier as well as little details for the desk, is from Krystal - who I usually know for her clothing and jewelry but who, it turns out, makes really nice furniture as well. The bookshelves come with a variety of colors, and there are some color change options so that things can be mixed and matched and you can shift away from the bright pink I showed off to mellower greens, sweet and soft blue, and dark black. I really love all the details, from the adorable diary, to the tiny votive candles, it's all sweet and simple and a lovely addition to any home. They are gatcha items, which means you need to bug your friends to pull together a full set, but at only fifty linden a pop it's not a huge money sink, and even a few items will add some fluffy personality to your home. The final accent I added is a really adorable wall-hanging bookshelf from llama. It really is styled more for the budding princess' bedroom, with tiny dolls on it and lovely, simple details and books, but I thought it fit in with the Krystal office really well.

Outside, I placed the simple glass coffin from Free Bird, with a pose for me - the Snow White princess - and another for my prince, should he ever happen along. It's not connected together so make sure to rez it in edit mode so you can place it smoothly. Luckily it is copy-ok, which means that if you mess it up a new one is only a click and drag away. While I was waiting for my prince, I decided to get all gussied up in some lovely clothing, and here the Fit for a Princess event delivered as well. This princess is very different from the last two, neither a wild elven wanderer, nor heir to a dragon's throne; I figured I'd go traditional with a simple green gown of satin from Luminary, which is as beautiful as it is modest. It covers from neck, to wrists, to ankles, with large, regular folds in the skirt which means that it poses well. The only flaw is that the edges are unfinished, meaning that there's a hard edge line where the dress ends and it's invisible inside; from most angles it isn't visible, but it does mean certain angles simply don't work.

I added some lovely hair from Calico, which is a simple, slightly curling at the ends style with a soft wave framing the face and a few long strands which fall in my eyes. It's solid to the waist in the back as well, and it's rigged well. I picked up the fades pack and it made it really fun - in this case my pink tips set off the mossy green of my gown to perfection, and I still get to be a blond. Tucked over it, and over the high neck of my gown, is Evie's Closet's Alatariel, a silver version of her filigree leaf jewelry set which is simply exquisite. It's a remake of an older set of hers, and you can really see how mesh has improved on old prim and texture work. My nails are another set from A:S:S, this time a bright colored one with white tiara detailing along the top edge of the nail; I chose the yellow version, but like all A:S:S nail sets, you get a lot of choices in one HUD. Finally, my tiara embossed toes are further embellished by these shoes from Hopscotch. They have a tiara clasp holding the band on one side, and also have a nice chunky heel, good for a princess who wants to keep her bling but not fall over. I'm wearing the bright pink set, which really stand out among the rest, but there are also more sedate colors and even some black and silver or gold neutrals for the classy princesses among us.

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: Izzie's, Irene
Hair: Calico, Kismet (Fit for a Princess)
Crown & Collar: Evie's Closet, Alatariel (Fit for a Princess)
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Eyes: De La Soul, Rainbow
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Eyshadow: Mock, Dk Green (light ice)
Lipstick: Mock, Red Berry
Wings: Deviance, Sidhe
Hands: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands
Nails: A:S:S, Tiara (Fit for a Princess)
Dress: Luminary, Grace (Fit for a Princess)
Shoes: HopScotch, Dorothy (Fit for a Princess)

Furniture:

Glass Coffin: Free Bird, Sleeping Princess Glass Coffin (Fit for a Princess)
Tower: Alouette, The Princess's Tower (Fit for a Princess)
Bed: Positure Poses, Sweet Pea (Fit for a Princess)
Furniture: Krystal, The Princess Study (Fit for a Princess)
Hanging Bookshelf: llama, Princess Bookshelf (Fit for a Princess)

Location: Imagine: The Plateau
Light Settings: TOR, SUNRISE Teaching
Water Settings: Mirror Water

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Fit for a Princess: Future Ruler of Dragons

The first Fit for a Princess Event is beginning today, April Fool's Day, and if it's a joke please don't ever tell me because everything on offer is completely lovely and there is even a shopping guide for people who want to look before they go. It goes until shortly before the end of the month when the sim will close for creators to set up for the next round of royal loveliness. There is a solid mix of clothing, hair, jewelry, shoes, poses, and some items to decorate a home - and even a tower to put everything in. The color scheme is highly variable, from pale pastels to rich, dark colors, and I decided to show some of them off with a very dark skin in honor of De La Soul making SLink appliers for his Lumi skins. This skin started on petites and then was sized up for the regular avatar, and I really adore the speckles on it and the magical shading. The dots continue all over, but you'll have to try it out yourself to see! The horns are from Lassitude & Ennui, and they are from We <3 RP; I initially wasn't going to keep them, but then the idea of a Dragon Princess occurred to me - and I ended up really liking the effect! Pretty much the rest of my look comes from Fit for a Princess, and you can see how amazing all of the offerings are. In particular, I want to note these poses from a new-to-me store named an lar; I particularly liked that for one of the front holding poses (see below) there was a regular version and one for a poofy skirt - those kinds of options really make a set of poses more versatile.

The hair, a long braid down the back, is from Milk and comes with a color-change HUD for easy tinting options. I'm wearing a pale blond, but there are all kinds of natural colors and several unnatural, so you have a lot of options. The long braid-tail is well rigged and moves with your lower body. I love the open front of the style, perfect for diadems and forehead jewels, and it comes with a leather band but I substituted in a crown from Keystone, which hang easily on the brow with tiny gems dangling down. Keystone's diadem comes in gold, silver, and onyx, and I really like how it fits across the forehead, though it gets lost a little in my spots. The gown, from Fission, is one of several offerings - including a shirt gacha - and is definitely fit for a princess. The style is a little more 1950s than 1250s, but princesses didn't stop being themselves when the Enlightenment happened, and I love the subdued Modern Princess Diana edge to this gown. The nails are from A:S:S and are a brilliant purple with subtle tones embossed on them - in this case I have little crowns - and it's one of several nail HUDs available. The final touches were a purse and a shoe set from Sysy's; the purse is one of many from a gacha and is simply lovely. It has a simple, sleek design and a slight bit of shine in the texture of the body. The shoes go with the SLink Medium feet and have a cute, offset bow with the same sparkles as the clutch, and a sweet open-toed design. Fit for a Princess really has made my dreams come true.

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: De La Soul, Lumi
Hair: Milk, Spell Bound (Fit for a Princess)
Horns: Lassitude & Ennui, Spring Horns (We <3 RP)
Crown: Keystone, Vaika's Jewels (Fit for a Princess)
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
Purse: Sysy's, Scarlet Clutch (Fit for a Princess)
Nails: A:S:S, Royal Purple (Fit for a Princess)
Dress: Fission, Lisa Dress (Fit for a Princess)
Shoes: Sysy's, Shoes (Fit for a Princess)

Poses: an lar (Fit for a Princess)

Location: Skyrah
Light Settings: AnaLutetia, outdoor
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