Second Style Magazine

Update [CT]: Storma pushed back her grand opening by 24 hours due to the extended grid downtime this morning. Exotica Island will open Sunday at 12:01 am.

Storma Amarula is the lead designer of X2: Exotica, a clothing and skin emporium. Like many other designers and design houses, she’s taken the leap to the next level: a private X2 shopping island, which is opening to the public this Saturday at 12:01 pm SLT. In addition to a stunning new store build and some gorgeous landscaping, there are a ton of brand new goodies, as well as refined updates to older releases such as the X2 HyperReal skins. As an initial teaser, here are two of the new X2 releases: the drop-dead-gorgeous Succubus lingerie set (using the brand new X2 Blush Rose skin set — more on that after the cut), and Storma’s very large, versatile Urban Warrior (a set which comes for women and men — for the men’s releases, please see my colleague Nick Shaftoe’s Men’s Second Style blog) camo chic set.

Urban Warrior comes with around 15 different clothing items — different colored tanks (on undershirt layer), shirts (on shirt layer) and military styled jackets (on the jacket layer, naturally) all in camo complementary colors, along with camoflagued capris, pants, shorts and short-short “micro shorts” (for those, you will probably need to wear a “fully waxed” skin to avoid any embarrassing Chewbacca moments.) Storma’s even included set of 5 eye-hole combat boots and a pair of dog tags for a look that’s completed right down to the accessories. As if that wasn’t enough, in the final release package, Urban Warrior will feature a sleek laptop, cell phone and wristwatch designed by prim-slinger goddess Francis Chung. (Read on for lots more pictures of brand new lingerie, tops, and what may be the most amazing pair of sandals in Second Life!)

To the left is another new lingerie set, the second of three caled “Angel.” I’m not sure if it’s an homage to the RL lingerie collection with the same name (the same collection that features 6 supermodels in its ads — and when they come on TV, you cover your boyfriend’s eyes for him? Yeah, that one.) There are certainly a lot of very delicate and pretty details in this set which are not in the edgier, harder Succubus collection. I am especially enarmored of the detailing on the bra. Each set comes with gloves, stockings, a thong panty and a “boxer” panty which is cut more like boyshorts, along with the bra.

I also wanted to take a moment to show off the incredible body shading of the new X2 skins. The highlighting around the butt looks especially good in thongs, and this skin has abs of steel — definitely the kind of abs you should have to wear midriff revealing clothing to its full effect. These skins come in three base makeup configurations: dark liner for evening, a glamour collection for super dramatic makeup, and light liner appropriate for day-time looks. Within each of those bases, there are five makeup choices, from “Jolie” — nude lips and smokey eyes to “Blood Red” which is exactly what you think: blood red lips and complementary eye makeup. Each makeup comes in two packages: no highlights, and “facial highlights” which are essentially highlights baked on to the skin texture itself. I don’t personally care for these latter, but I can see in the right situation (say, you’re a dancer and there’s a spotlight on you) where they’d be especially appealing to mimic what a RL effect might have on a skin.

But it’s not all skins and lingerie, either. This is the grey version of a collection named “RetroSport.” It’s super cozy, super casual track suit set, complete with logo tee and low slung comfy track pants. RetroSport comes in several different colors from Blue to Grey (as shown). The attention to the little details here are also remarkable. Look at the layering of the tops, and the piping along the waistband of the track pants. There are also noticable seam lines, as if this were an actual garment constructed of fabric rather than a masterful manipulation of pixels.

And here are two of the new tops that will be a part of the new X2 collection. On the top, I’ve chosen to feature the brown “dress shirt”. This collection of separates comes in two versions: a longer version and a shorter cropped and tied version. Each of those comes with a semi-sheer and opaque option. The dress blouses come in many different colors too, with all of the patterns working in colors and hues which accent the primary color. I just love how the brown and tan work together in the top. I paired the blouse up with a brown-belted prim skirt from Luminosity’s bloviation pack (heh) and I was all set.

In the second photo, I took the semi-sheer “open dress shirt” and paired it up with a black bra from the “Retro Lingerie” collection. Notice the prim cuff detail and the subtle shading around the bust area. It’s difficult to see it cleanly with the Beach Hair I’m wearing in the picture, but the collar is also gorgeously detailed and shaded. This collection, like the set above comes in a “fully open” version and a “buttoned” version (I’m wearing buttoned), and four different opacity options from opaque to 30% sheer (I’m wearing 30% sheer). If you dare to bare (and you’re in a Mature sim) maybe lose the bra for a ultra sultry, uber sexy night out. The open dress shirts come in many colors as well, from pink as shown to charcoal, blue, red and more.

And here I’ve saved the coolest thing until last. I’m modelling another variation on the dress shirt tops I’ve written about before. This is the sheer purple “swirl” (the brown set is from the “leaf” collection) blouse. With the prim tie and the beautiful fabric choice, this is every bit as pretty and feminine as the other dress shirts I’ve written about. (I paired the blouse with Callie Cline’s “basics” pants in ‘rock’.) But what I really want to draw your attention toward are the shoes I’m wearing.

Notice anything about them? 10 toes!! 10 prim toes attached to the shoe itself, so finally, finally your poor SL feet don’t look like a gargoyle’s. (OK, sold right there.) That is a stroke of genius but wait — there’s more! Storma created a HUD to control the nail polish color, the toes’ skin tone and the actual texture of the shoes themselves. There’s 20 different nail polish colors to choose from, 20 different toe skin tones (from ubergoth white to a rich deep brown), and about 30 different colors to choose from for the shoes (times 4 texture overlays for the shoes — you can make the shoes do crimson leopard print with two mouse clicks.) So as much as I love the entire X2 clothing and skin collection, these sandals are the reason I would be camping in line to get a copy when the X2 sim opens up tomorrow.

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