Second Style Magazine

Forgive me for this “meta fashion” post — but when I find a great tool I want to spread the word.

Saeya Nyanda — to this point — has been creating interesting “post apocalyptic grunge” furniture and prefabs and is the co-editor of the fabulously designed PWND magazine. But recently she created Photosphere, which is a fantastic professional photo studio rig for Second Life photographers and fashionistas who pretend to be photographers. The Photosphere weighs in a mere 10 prims (compared with >100 for other photo studios), lets you take photos from tons of different camera angles (bottom, top, side perspectives) without losing the background, comes with a helpful texture picking HUD, three easy-color lights built in, a starter pose stand, and is completely expandable and customizable with your own backgrounds and backdrops. Saeya already had 7 others — and just released three more: gothique, animal prints and (cute) skelleys. Each texture pack is L$300 and can be easily added to your photosphere. My parcel in Amicitia has a Photosphere permanently rezzed on top of our house.

You can use the photosphere to turn out pictures like this one — featuring a new top by Launa Fauna, new jewelry by Cailyn Miller and new Deimos boots by Etain Peregrine. In fact, over the last three weeks or so I’ve been taking pictures for this blog pretty much exclusively inside the Photosphere. (Good thing for me, my parcelmate moo Money has every texture pack!

The photosphere is L$1500 comes equipped with a “basic” texture pack to get you started. You can check it out, along with all of the texture packs and the other “kyoot” pre-fabs at Isla dela Vida 131, 220, 385. Saeya says that in the near future she hopes to release a line of prim based “post-apocalyptic” accessories for avatars. We’ll be waiting!

Seen in world: Yes
Review copy: Yes
Friends list: Yes

Bump: Just wanted to post this photo of the tiara and Little Jimmy Brown. I had a chance to see it in person last night, and it’s incredible how light reflects off the facets of the prims. Anyway, the finals for the event are today, at noon SLT, on Aspire Isle 112, 99, 27.

Bianca Darling posted the 20 finalists for the title of Miss L’Oreal Paris in Second Life on the Aspire blog. They are: Sayara Suen, Happy Elytis, Alissa Bright, Sandrine Beauchamp, Louange Mathys, Saty Beleza, Ana Lutetia, Natalia Zelmanov, Kelly Bellman, Iris Seale, Violet Xingjian, Megan Morigi, Cindy Crimson, Colleen Desmoulins, Celebrity Trollop, Callie Cline, Stephania Marx, Jaydei Benmergui, Isabella Sampaio, and Kryptonia Paperdoll.

The finalists will be taking part in a pageant next Saturday, March 31st at 12 pm SLT. Each contestant will be showcasing a classy casual, swimwear and formal look for a panel of L’Oreal Paris beauty experts who will determine the winner. The winning avatar will have her image shown on a special L’Oreal website, win a supply of L’Oreal Paris cosmetics for her typist and receive a modeling slot with the Aspire agency.

As if that prize package wasn’t enough, renowned Second Life jewelry creator Random Calliope will present the winner with a one-of-a-kind (virtual) gold draped 25 facet diamond encrusted tiara valued at a whopping L$125,000 plus a set of Random’s latest creation “Little Jimmy Brown” (shown left) a stunning 373 prim necklace and earring extravaganza. Plus, each finalist will receive her choice of a set of Random’s WorthWhile jewelry collection.

Good luck and congratulations to all of the contestants!

Honestly I didn’t think I would be having such a hard time picking an outfit from the ones you have posted on Snapzilla, but I did. Lots of outfits have inspired me to be creative with my own wardrobe, and some of you have truly made lovely photos too. However, I can’t post them all here, so I’ve chosen an outfit that is not entirely mainstream. Moire Georgette’s Middle East inspired photo and outfit shows us how beautiful and rich ethnic clothing can be.

This is what Moire writes about the outfit: “I’m in a middle eastern feel, as you can see. Picture taken at the beautiful Chebi Mosque. Kaamiz (tunic) and dupatta (scarf) are from the emerald shalwar, from the International House of Style. Pants are the tweedledum pants from Shai, jewelry (solaria bracelet and ring, plus the retro leopard earrings) from Earthtones, no shoes because it’s polite to take them off at the Mosque. Hair is city gurl by Gurl6, skin is ether-never by Last Call/ Celestial, eyes are forest, by Miriel, manicure is radiant darkness by Skin Deep”.
Now that kaamiz & dupatta are items I’m surely going to take a look at, because it’s so elegant and yet so modest compared to all the generous cleavages you usually see around SL. Moire, you look awesome in it.

And ok.. because picking one was so hard… here’s  a second photo. I love this photo it’s strong and the environment is so desolate. Ryntha Suavage wears an outfit I’m not likely to put on, but it looks so hot on her.Top by Zoe Llewelyn. Skirt and suspenders by Kaysha Sion. Shoes by Poe Tatum. Ryntha, I’d love to hear in the comments what hair and skin you are wearing.

[UPDATE GH] Thanks Ryntha for the additional info on snapzilla: “Skin is Zoe Gold (Glaze) by Ambyance2 Anubis. Hair is Karei-[brown] by Kin Keiko.”

Ok, that’s it for this round, keep those lovely outfits coming on Snapzilla. Submitting is easy, just read this old entry for instructions. In a forthnight Celeb or Jaydei will pick a new outfit to feature on Second Style blog.

Linden Lab widened the voice beta yesterday, making it official with this post on the Second Life blog. I downloaded the beta voice enabled viewer last night and after some really annoying problems getting my various hardware components to work correctly — especially the microphone — I finally got all of the issues worked out and could to listen to and speak with my fellow Second Lifers. I found that “push-to-talk” actually worked the best for our little group last night — especially for people with a lot of background noise or heavy breathers (ohmy! Adjust that mic, you perv!). As of right now, it seems that only “parcel enabled public chat” works. But LL will be adding the ability to “IM voice chat” and “group conference voice chat” in the near future.

There’s only a handful of voice enabled sims on the preview grid (and actually, the stability of these sims seems to be a bit dodgy.) Preview grid Lusk, for example, died while a group of about 10 of us were talking (well, I was listening because my microphone didn’t work!) I’m now hiding out on Pulveria which seems to be a bit more stable. Other voice enabled sims on the preview grid are: Abbotts, Spaceport Alpha, Morris, Da Boom, Tehama and Balance.

I know some residents might feel a bit ambivalent or opposed to voice chat, but my sense is once you start using voice chat, you won’t want to be without it. Several of my fellow residents made comments to the effect that they were just going to stay in the preview grid until voice was unleashed on the main grid. Plus? L$50,000 free shopping money — ok, you can’t bring your purchases back to the main grid, but it’s fun to spend someone else’s money anyway!

I definitely recommend downloading the voice beta viewer — it’s synced with the 1.14.0 release — and checking it out. If you see me on the voice preview grid, make sure to come say “Hi!”

Bump: Grazia told me she’ll be choosing her Reader Style photo this weekend.

We’re going to be bringing back Reader Style as a bimonthly feature here. Reader Style is “sort of” like Fashion Challenge, but it’s not themed and there’s no fabulous cash prize. Basically the idea of Reader Style is showing off your favorite outfits and locations in Second Life. Like the fashion challenges, it has its own submission email at snapzilla and its own snapzilla photo tag “readerstyle.”

Next week Grazia will be selecting one of the photos in the reader style collection to feature on the blog here. It could be you — but only if you submit a look to share with everyone. For more information about reader style, please see this post.

You can also see all of the photos that are currently tagged as “readerstyle” on snapzilla here.

Last week I saw a fantastic post about some new hair designs by Queue Marlowe of Analog Dog on the Aspire blog written by Isabella Lazarno. She had photos posted of several of the different styles available and I just flipped. As soon as I could I headed over to buy three of them — two in dark, one in light, and I have to say they are probably the most technically ambitious flexi hair construction I’ve seen in world. Normally I wear blonde and red hair textures, but my favorite texture of the ones Queue’s working with is a deliciously auburn streaked brunette called Brown Sugar. But even though I found the light pack to be a touch on the brassy side — it looked incredible on model Cindy Crimson.

My favorite designs are the C curl, N curl and Soma. But all of the designs are so impressive — depending on your own personal taste and style any of them will be sure to impress as your avatar makes her way sexywalking around the grid, nodding as she types. I was so totally impressed by the way these hairs move that I decided that static pictures wouldn’t really do full justice — I wanted to shoot a machinima. And with the help of Isabella Sampaio and Cindy Crimson, here is the result.

I realized that shooting a good machinima is really really difficult and takes a lot of time. Just transcoding Fraps to an iMovie compatible AVI format took over 8 hours. (OK, so it was 3.5GB of raw video footage, but still!) I also owe a huge thank you to Queue Marlowe who really jump started the whole project by generously supplying copies for myself and my models to use while we were shooting.

Shop Analog Dog at Pomponio 241, 210, 56. Seriously, these hairs are like chips (for my UK peeps: crisps); you can’t buy just one.

Seen in world: Yes
Review copies: Yes
Friends list: No

Fashion Victim blogger and new designer Dakota Buck has made the cutest shorts with prim leg attachments I’ve ever seen!!!!! I totally fell in love with them and personally I think there is only one flaw in them…. they only come in this colour… so far. I could wear these always, well ok, not for a formal occasion, but they go well with either a casual shirt & sneakers or with a more dressed up top and a pair of stilettos. I wear it here with Nex Brennan’s (Brutal Gear)Highwayman Brown leather jeacket that he released for Relay for Life and my own, not for sale Shopaholics for a Cause/Cure RFL team tank that Ashlin Leandros (Mixer’s) has made for all our team members. Oh and because I’m in the fundraising mood, the hair is Calla’s Narcissus in the special Relay for Life black texture.

Speaking of which, a lot of designers are releasing special Relay for Life products. If you are one of them, please let me know…. I always make time for blogging cute special items. So this is the deal: if your have a RFL release, please send me a notecard with a picture (full perm, so I can download it to my hard disk) of the item as well as a landmark to the shop and preferably a team name too (if you are not part of a team…. never mind). I’ll look into them and pick my personal favourites for a weekly Relay for Life round up. Please don’t send me the actual product as I have little time to step on my modelling table, and besides… If I am so crazed about it… I’ll probably rush to your shop and donate for it. Because that is why you have made it in the first place.

Landmarks: Savvy? at Fashion Victim,Southern Marvel (17, 212, 25), Brutal Gear at Callatropia (175, 53, 25) , Calla at Callatropia (125, 194, 24 )

Seen in world: yes  ~ Review copy: yes (shorts)  ~ Friends list: no

Demoness Pharaoh will be hosting a fashion show featuring the work of Ariel Black — the owner of the Rising Phoenix label. This event will be on Friday, March 30 2007 from 7-9pm SLT and will feature both recent releases and brand new unreleased designs. You can see Ariel’s work on her blog here. The Gallery is located at APart No More (21, 239, 25) Aside from the new fashions, 1 male and 1 female avatar will leave with L$400 and a new RPD outfit. After the show, Ariel will be on hand to answer questions.

New modeling agency Haute Mode is producing Nouvelle Spring (Not printemps nouveau? Non!) featuring designs by Nuclear Boutique, Zagoskin Haute Couture, Popfuzz, and L.A.M.E. The show will be this Sunday, March 25 2007, 8pm SLT at Herons Point (166, 84, 22). Producer Leera Tesio also mentioned that after the show there will be a L$1000 Last Call gift certificate give away.

Bump: There’s only a few days left to get your pin up photo posted and collect enough votes to be eligible for the three finalist positions. Voting on snapzilla will end on March 28th at 11:59 pm SLT.

Challenge #1 winner Shizuka Hayashida thought up a super great challenge for contest #2. It’s time to show off your sexiest, most glamorous pin up look. The winner of the second contest will win L$250, the right to pick our next theme, and other goodies as they come along. (Winner #1 got schwag from Catwalk City Fashion Mall and Oh What A Neat Boutique.)

How do you enter the Fashion Challenge? That’s simple.

1. Create an outfit that meets the challenge theme. This challenge’s theme is “Sexiest pin up girl.”
2. Submit your photo to snapzilla using the special Fashion Challenge email address: fc@slpics.com (Learn how to submit photos to snapzilla — it’s really easy!) Please, one entry per person.
3. Rate your photos and other photos submitted. (See all fashion challenge submissions.)
4. Second Style bloggers and magazine staff are not permitted to enter or win (but we can vote on submissions!)

I’ll take the top three rated photos with more than 20 votes. (Yes, going to raise the bar on this a little…) Then we’ll vote here on those photos. The top voted photo will be the winner!

Voting goes from now until March 28th, 11:59pm SLT. Then we’ll vote on the top three the last few days of March and crown our next winner on April 1. (No foolin’!)

Winter officially took its leave of us last week. In comes Spring, the time for rebirth and romance. The time for wedding venues in the RL and SL grids to become overbooked. The time to look around your home, sigh, and start that lovely Spring Cleaning ritual…and if you live where I do, turn on your air conditioning, because it’s already too hot. And, most importantly (I don’t need no stinkin’ clean house!), the time to pull out those skimpy sundresses and leg-baring babydolls, attract the poor unsuspecting mate of our dreams, lure them into our lairs and eat them. The best time of year!

Ok, heh…well more than likely you’re not planning on eating your mate. After all, you have to keep somebody around to compliment your fabulous bod and wonderful taste in clothing! And in these new releases from Bossa Nova, compliment they will…if they know what’s good for them.

The first dress I’m showing is called Joana, and is a charming sundress with polka dots along the bustline, a solid colored skirt and a prim bow. This is certainly a romantic piece, with very feminine touches. Available in five different color variations.

All of the hairs that I’m displaying are from Calla’s new releases. I love love love their styles, and was thrilled to receive review copies from Tigerlily a few days ago. This hair is called “Honeysuckle”. The skin is by PanJen.

Celebrity had mentioned in her post about Nomine’s new skins that the second skins she had bought in Second Life came from Nomine. It made me laugh, because my very first skins came from there. So, in keeping with the retro feel of the clothing, I decided to show you all my first Nomine skins (though not the same shape…thank goodness!) Enter, Noob Jaydei in rockin’ new clothes:

The dress on the left is called Leia. The top is a wild party of differently sized dots , and drops down into a babydoll skirt, where the bottom is trimmed with, you guessed it, more dots. It’s very original and a teensy bit quirky. Available in four different color variations. (Hair: “Sweet Violet” by Calla)

The second freebie in her “Copa” collection is displayed on the right. A very alluring dress, it shares the wavy black pattern of the bikini set (also a freebie) that Moire uses for this line, emulating the pattern of the Copacabana boardwalk in Brazil. There’s a prim bow attached to the back, so you have a bit more sway to the dress when you’re performing your acts of seduction to the mate of your choice…or if you want to turn heads at your next summer party. (Hair: “Daphne” by Calla)
If you dig this style, the Mariana dress is also available. It’s the same style of dress, but with a striped pattern and 3 color variations.

These dresses can be found at Bossa Nova.

Seen in world: Yes | Review Copies: Yes | Friends List: No

There is this slight shiver of excitement running through me when I read my e-mails and I see that Nephilaine Protagonist has offered me inventory. It will temporarily go away once I find the time to go in world and see what she has been sending me, only to quadruple when I try on her latest designs. OMG, she is good! I second Sabrina on Linden Lifestyles… she’s outstanding!

Four new quality releases! She spoils us. Fiore, shown here to the left in black, has a lovely floral and lace pattern that softly glows as a silk fabric. Aire the sweet denim dress is suberb in it’s simplicity and perfect in detail. From the buttons on the shirt and prim skirt, the totally sweet poofy sleeves and the adorable tiny wings on the back. Baile, here in ivory, has an awesome texture. The roses on the shiny fabric are to die for and I have fallen in love at first sight with the assymetrical skirt that also features on the fourth dress, Amore, which I wear in a lovely sage. Low backed and with the heart on the stomache that leaves your skin bare, this is such a seductive little number. All dresses come in a lot of different colours so there is plenty to choose from… maybe even too much. You might want them all.

Pixeldolls is located in Port Seraphine: 185, 81, 27

The hair in this photo is ETD’s Sadie in Smoke Burnt, and the skin is Tete à Pied’s Twiggy inspired Mars skin in bronzage light, which will be on sale only till the end of tis month!

Seen in wordl: yes  ~ Review Copies: yes  ~ Friends list: no

When Sol Columbia showed me her new dress Lisbon I was delighted. Not only because of the dress itself, but because it’s so good to see Sol back at creating after having missed her for quite some time.

Lisbon is sweet. Like the capital of Portugal is has an antmosphere of it’s own. You can loose yourself in Lisbon. In the narrow alleys of the old city and in the atmosphere, the saudade, that typical portuguese mix of melancholy and sensuality. Listen to some old recordings of Fado singer Amalia Rodriguez and you’ll know what I mean. Sol’s Lisbon is the on the bright side of the city’s character. A lovely floral design that has a hint of orientalism, maybe referring to the former portuguese colonial presence in the east, and rich vibrant colours that reflect sunny Portugal and the cool Atlantic ocean. Spicy red like chilies, Silver like the full moon over the city during a summer’s night, Gold like the sun that is gentle in spring and torments in the summer and the loveliest Aquamarine blu for the water that set portuguese sailors to sail off and discover the unknown part of the world in the 15th century. I’m loosing myself here.

Anyway, what I meant to say is that I really love this new dress. Could have left it just at that… but I thought that it would be nice sharing how fashion sometimes makes me dream off and reminisence about places I’ve been to or fantasize about places that I would love to visit.

Sol’s Luminosity is located at Luminous Island (83, 117, 31)

In this photo I’m wearing: Windsome I in pearl black from Naughty Designs and Lovey Darling’s caramel tone skin Cafe

Seen in world: yes  ~ Review Copies: yes  ~ Friends List: yes