Second Style Magazine

Wow, it’s been awhile since I posted here, hasn’t it? If you’re curious, I’m Iris Ophelia, The managing editor of Second Style Magazine, and boy oh boy do I have a treat for you today.

It seems like our photoshoots are getting bigger and bigger (and can you blame us, there so much amazing stuff out there to showcase!), so would you believe that there is more to the Valentine Date photoshoot in this month’s issue of Second Style? 6 more outfits, to be precise! But but but, Valentine’s Day was last week! Well, do we really need a calendar to tell us what day we can show our love on?

On Dakota
Skin: Sierra Pearl 2-100 by Stumbelina Ophelia of Cake
Hair: Miyabi in Brown by Rei Gully of Zero Style
Clothes: Elysium in Ruby by Annette Voight of Decoy
Accessories: The Dauphine Necklace by Caliah Lyon of MUSE
Shoes: Shiny Vixens in Silver by Tesla Miles of TESLA.

On Dakota
Skin: parfait 1 by Roslin Petion and CJ Carnot of Tête à Pied
Hair: Gillian in Black by Truth Hawks of TRUTH
Clothes: Queen of Hearts by Nyla Cheeky of House of Nyla
Accessories: Cinnamon Hearts Umbrella by Nyla Cheeky of House of Nyla
Shoes: Webbed Pumps in Pink by Chloris Hathor of G.L.A.M.

On Dakota
Skin: Crushed by Launa Fauna of Chai
Hair: Windblown in Blonde by Aden Breyer of Aden
Clothes: Chastity in Pink by Shai Delacroix of Casa Del Shai
Nails: Scarlet Long Nails by Roslin petion of Tête à Pied
Shoes: Vidalia in Metallic Noir by Lola Marquez of Armidi
On Catero
Skin: Osiris by Khai Sinister of The Abyss
Hair: Delinquent in Black by Avant Scofield of The Good Life
Clothes: Basic Boxer Briefs in Pink by Shai Delacroix of Casa Del Shai
Accessories: Heartbreaker Necklace by Keishii Roo of Goth1co

On Dakota
Skin: Pin-Up 1 by Roslin Petion and CJ Carnot of Tête à Pied
Hair: The Soho in Blonde by Lola Marquez of Armidi
Clothes: Waldorf in Cabernet by Jonathan Hugo of Fuse
Accessories: marguerite Feather Necklace by Caliah Lyon of MUSE
Shoes: Gwyneth in red by Tesla Miles of TESLA
On Iris
Skin: Saba Cerise by Ayesha Bisiani of Skin Within
Hair: Jyoti in Chestnut by Aemilia Case of Philotic Energy
Clothes: Valentine in Red by Ciera Bergman of Vitamin Ci

So wherever you are, and whatever day it is, I wish you all the love in the world– and in the grid!

Following suit with Celebrity’s last post, yet another stunning hairstyle to strike Second Life. I loooove long hair, in both lives. I’m passionate about it. My inventory reads like a who’s who when it comes to the straighter long styles. Well December has been a great gift for us long-hair lovers, including the Ember releases from Calico Creations and the Party Girl releases from Naughty Designs in the past week. For me, Viletta by Babyboo Glitterbuck of Here Comes Trouble takes the prim cake.

This style is a mix of big, sweeping waves and spiky, straight flyaway strands with just a little bit of flex to keep it interesting. Unintentionally I ended up taking quite a yearbook worthy picture, in a pretty odd way. The hair itself is very classic, but something about it moves it back and forth between stilettos and sneakers in my mind. Viletta’s not a tomboy, she’s not a priss, she’s got an identity all her own.

Seen in world: Yes
Review copy: No
Friends List: No

In this photo: skin: Alina (Glimmering Angel Pink lipstick) by Lost Thereian, Naughty Designs; eyes: Romantic (Rose) by Portia Sin, Sin Skins; lashes: Dramatic by Lynnix Muse, Lynnix Lashes; hair: Viletta (brown) by Babyboo Glitterbuck, HCT; earrings: Hoops by Santana Lumiere, Nevermore; overshirt: Vintage Torn V-Neck (white) by Lost Thereian, Naughty Designs; undershirt: Torn by RedX Boyoma, Parallax View; bra: Intime (rose) by Ginny Talamasca, Dazzle

When I first read this post by JellyBean Madison at Appearance Mode, I’ll admit I didn’t run right out to check out Maia Blackthorne’s store, MAIA, and let me tell you that I’m regretting that choice quite a lot. Maia’s release tonight was the tipping point, and I ran out (after sending a few enthusiastic instant messages) to grab Instinct.

I’ve got a thing for fishnet, I won’t lie. I would buy this outfit for the stocking alone, which have a smaller version of the panther that covers the left breast on the back of the left calf. As for that main panther however, it had me a little concerned. When it comes to adventurous necklines, you have to be careful about which skins you wear them left to avoid pulling a Tara Reid. I tried this dress out with about a dozen skins and had no problem.

If you don’t like the belt, a version of the skirt is included without it. I don’t normally like oversized belts, but this one offsets the panther very nicely. This dress isn’t a traditional party dress, but it’s something so original and sexy that it’ll bring out the punky gal in any priss.

Seen in world: Yes
Review copy: No
Friends List: No

In this photo: skin: Rose Medium Vixen (Berry) by Roslin Petion, Tête à Pied; eyes: Deep (Violet) by Starley Thereian, Celestial Studios; lashes: Dramatic by Lynnix Muse; hair: Ginny (chestnut brown) by Elikapeka Tiramisu, ETD; outfit: Instinct (pink) by Maia Blackthorne, MAIA; boots: Old Laceup Boots (black) by Fallingwater Cellardoor, Shiny Things

Who spends her holidays in SL or blogging about SL? Someone who already opened all her presents, naturally. But you know most of us don’t always get what we wanted. You smile and you’re grateful anyway, because it’s family and they (usually) tried their best. Sort of like when you were little and every pair of socks you unwrapped was like a dagger in your heart… All you wanted was a golly gosh darn toy or four. Well this isn’t going to be a booming day for releases, but Chicanery Turnbull has set this floppy pink and blue patchwork pup, the Little Fricking Dog. In his forum post, he says:

People come up to me all the time and say wearing Little Fricking Dog makes them not want to go around punching people in the face and now you can too.

And just because Aunt Mabel who always gives you cheese baskets probably can’t take another dislocated jaw, pick up this floppy little friend to make up for those little holiday pitfalls and get you through to New Years. Unless you’re single, then maybe a few days past New Years.

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

In this photo: skin: Charmed Glitter (Snow) by Starley Thereian, Celestial Studios; eyes: Romantic Obsidian by Portia Sin, Sin Skins; lashes: Spike by Lynnix Muse; hair: Party Girl II (drift wood) by Lost Thereian, Naughty Designs; shirt: Long White Tied Top by Chloris Hathor, G.L.A.M; jewelry: Inamorata (snowflake set) by Lyra Muse, Dazzle

Browsing SLExchange for a HUD photo organizer, I came across something rather startling. Camo high heels. Now I’ve been in SL and on this planet just long enough that that in itself isn’t very startling. What was startling was that they were on the front page… at the top… and searching a half dozen SL Fashion sites, I found nothing– NOTHING! Now I don’t know how old these shoes are, but I’m pretty sure they’ve been out for more than a few days (where their absence from the fashionistas’ watchful eyes would make more sense).

So okay, down to business. Why are these shoes so exciting, or is it just the egg nog talking? The Commando Pumps by tatoo Korvin of D2TK come with 10 walk animations to choose from, as well as your choice of 70 camo textures and optional “sparkle”, all controlled by clicking the right shoe. The camo textures might be a deterrent, except there are so many variations for every colour, running the gamut from traditional-looking camo to the peachy-keen pink camo shown in the snapshot over yonder. I had considered shooting them with some sort of Block-style outfit before I realized there was a texture that would even work with the pseudo-professional outfit I was already in.

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

In this photo: skin: Alina (Lily Shine) by Lost Thereian, Naughty Designs; tattoos: Cute by Scarlet Singer, LUSH; hair: Cyberpunk (brown black) by Kin Keiko, Kin; eyes: Deep (Aubergine) by Starley Thereian, Celestial Studios; top and pants: Pixels in Pink Tuxedo by Elikapeka Tiramisu, ETD; shoes: Commando Pumps by tatoo Korvin, D2TK; manicure: RFL Pink Ribbon by Lexi Morgan, Ink Slingers

Some stores just make shopping less about money than it is about fun. Not just wall of products, not just nice clothes. Antonia Marat’s home base, artilleri, has got to be one of the best examples of this. Her main store in Gama is a 1950s diner dream, complete with vintage prim gas pumps, and store branches usually feature elements of this theme as well, like booths and jukeboxes.

But this isn’t new, and she’s not the only one who goes after ambiance as much as sale space. She also arranges everything to be extremely helpful to her customers, and a great demonstration of this? Today, Antonia released the Lulu bracelet, which is as you can see a collection of bangles printed with Antonia’s familiar rockabilly flare. Next to these bracelets in the NEWS section? Two suggestions for matching the shade of green that dominates her new accessory. A lot of long-time fashionistas may have no shortage of green, but flashback to when you were a little newer… Cute bracelets, that’s a given, but do you have anything to wear them with? Maybe the only greens you have are pastels? How much time would these extra three prims save you? (Should I stop speaking interrogatively?) Realistically this can’t be done with every product in an entire store, but it’s a pretty thoughtful idea to whip out now and then, especially with things like jewelry.

Seen in world: Yes
Review Copy: No
Friends List: No

A little aside here; a great freebie to pick up if you don’t already have something similar is Mystical Cookie’s MystiTool HUD free edition, from Mystical Cookie Designs. While the full version (which is on sale right now for 50% off) has more features, the freebie alone has avatar radar, animation stop button, bug scanner, poser, emoter, a sit shield, sky platform rezzer, chat-range notifier, flight assist, reset all scripts function, and even a particle sparkly thing button (Edit: This is actually a non-physical vehicle, not just a random shiny doodad maker like I thought). For free. FOR FREE. This is nothing new for most seasoned players, but getting a Swiss-Army-HUD like this one is a necessity for everyone, and did I mention that this one is free?

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

I’ve got a soft spot for kitties. The animal I’m most allergic to is the animal I am most fond of, so I’ve got quite an array of kitty accessories for someone who rarely ventures outside of their own species.

I’ll mention that I’m absolutely ashamed that I hadn’t tried Miriel Enfield’s eyes before she dropped the Natural and Unnatural Cat Collections on me. They’re quite glossy and luminous, and more to the point, hyper-realistic. Eyes are one of the most important modifications you can make to a basic avatar, and these are great windows to the kitty-cat soul inside.

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

Quite a change of pace is mentioning Sunnivah Jiutai’s supremely unique hairstyles from MAU’s & MEJ’s. This store has everything from clothing to weaponry, but the hair section features some of the most striking styles that I’ve seen in months.

There are some plain-Jane long and straight hairstyles, but what I’m talking about are a half dozen styles that will ring bells for fans of Chinese fairytale films like “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”, “The Promise”, and the soon-to-be-released “Curse of the Golden Flower”. Hairstyles fit for a Chinese princess from dynasties long past, draped in trembling silk and dipped in jade ornaments. Shown is Padma, which I originally intended to wear with some sort of long-sleeved oriental gown… which I realized I don’t have any of. For the sake of accuracy a kimono would look ridiculous, so my focus changed from Chinese princess to Chinese demoness assassin. …I take my costuming very seriously, so stop laughing and enjoy the hair.
Seen in world: Yes
Review copy: No
Friends list: No

In this photo: skin: Beach Brat (m3) by Ambyance2 Anubis, Naughty Designs; tattoos: Body Graffiti (asian theme) by Canimal Zephyr, Canimal; hair: Padma by Sunnivah Jiutai, MAU’s & MEJ’s; eyes: Unnaturals (red) by Starley Thereian, Celestial Studios; lashes: Pretty by Lynnix Muse, Lynnix Lashes; dress: Espionnier by Ginny Talamasca, Dazzle; shoes: High-heeled sandals (red) by Jackal Ennui, Lassitude&Ennui; earrings: Kef (black silk) by Random Calliope, Shy Neon; sword: Tek Yakiba by Ayame Musashi, Musashi Blades

Well I wouldn’t quite call this a sneak peak, since I don’t think most of you will see it before the actual outfit is released. The Glacier Ice winter LE is the most recent addition to Callie Cline’s vibrant collection at FUNK. So what makes Glacier Ice stand out from the other luscious LE’s that are out for the holiday season?

Un: A beautiful snowy version of Callie’s must-have accessory, the Rainbowa.
Deux: An oh-so-Callie sequined textile that brings a classic and calm dress design up a notch.
Trois: A long, trailing fanny-bow.
Quatre: A special version of Jackal Ennui’s Eva pumps made specially for this set; the Evas in snow, with diamond-studded straps.

The LE set will also include a pretty little bracelet as another perk, though the review copy doesn’t come with one, so I look forward to hearing from lucky customers how swanky it is.

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

In this photo: skin: Innocence (Aerial01) by Canimal Zephyr, Canimal; hair: Peppy (Ginger brown) by Elikapeka Tiramisu, ETD; dress/gloves/boa: Glacier Ice LE by Callie Cline, FUNK; shoes: Eva (LE Diamond) by Jackal Ennui, Lassitude&Ennui

Every now and then, an outfit makes me go “Whoah!”. A reaction of being purely impressed, and knowing that I absolutely must have it, at any cost. Luckily in the case of Catherine from Vitamin Ci, it was pennies for an outfit that’s pure gold. Or silver. Or red. Whichever one you like the most.

This so-close-to-a-halter dress comes with a short and knee-length skirt options, but even the short version looks super classy, especially with that coy little scarf. Can I take a moment to gush about this scarf? It’s getting more and more common, grâce au flexi prims, for scarves to be included with outfits. Typically they have just one texture, but Ciera Bergman’s gone the extra mile and doubled it up, using the single tone and the fancy tone-on-tone brocade.

If you’re stubbornly only wearing Holiday clothes right now, then don’t forget to earmark Catherine for later, and if you’re like me and you just can’t wait that long… Just think Christmas in Santa Cruz!

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

In this photo: skin: Black Cat by Gala Phoenix, Empyrean Emporium; hair: Cassie by Lost Thereian, Naughty Designs; dress/scarf: Catherine (silver) by Ciera Bergman, Vitamin Ci; shoes: Eva (Coal) by Jackal Ennui, Lassitude&Ennui

It’s been a few months, but while I’m on my winter vacation from the collegiate grind Celebrity’s given me a place to scratch my blogging itch, and we’re going to get the ball rolling with some stocking stuffers that won’t break your holiday brandy budget.

These are just a few of the freebies you can pick up at Shy Neon, Random Calliope’s modest shop/studio. While some (not most, I apologize) of the jewelry does have a Gorean market in mind (the earring shown, “Kef”, comes in three traditional kajira silk colours, for instance), they have a fantastical flavour that could translate just as easily into casual day-to-day wear. Also shown is the necklace from “But I’m Not the Only One”, and the necklace and headpiece from “Slither” (which has a gazillion colour combinations and comes in a Free to Copy golden cobra).

Categorizing the style, these pieces in particular are in the same abstract to art nouveau vein as Miriel Enfield or Jackal Ennui’s respective jewelry work. These stunning creations are at least 95% primwork, with incredibly precise detailing. I especially love the graceful curls in the Slither set… And yes, they are free. Well, L$1 per set, and I can’t imagine that would put anyone off!

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

In this photo (I’m sorry if I forget some details, but the grid went down right as I started this section): skin: Tasty Skin (Vanilla Mocha) by Posy Trudeau, Miau Haus; hair: WLSB Faith MidNyte by Zyrra Falcone and/or Hosequeen McLean, Panache; eyes: Deep (Aubergine) by Starley Thereian, Celestial Studios; top: Deese by Ginny Talamasca, Dazzle; jewelry: all by Random Calliope of Shy Neon

Bumped: Today’s there’s a RFL charity fashion show and auction starting at 4pm SLT (SLurl) and sachi Vixen is donating the proceeds from ALL of today’s sales in her store (SLurl) to the Royal Marsden Cancer Hospital in the UK. (I also seem to remember that it’s sachi’s RL birthday: Happy Birthday!)

sachi Vixen posted in the forums today that on July 16th she will be donating all the Lindens spent at her store, Adam n Eve, to charity. This is not 100% related to the Relay for Life as sachi explains in her post:

I’ve been reading with admiration all the great effort for the American Cancer Society going on in SL and I’ve wanted to become involved but have had a small dilemma as I am English. I lost a dear friend a few years ago to Leukemia, someone much too young and a mother to young children also and the more I think about it, the more I feel a need to make my charitable contribution to the hospital where she died rather than a charity in another country. I do hope that my customers will understand this very personal effort and support it. So I have decided after much soul searching to donate all the proceeds made on everything in my store for one whole day to the Royal Marsden Cancer Hospital.

I intend to support sachi’s choice. The fact that she is making contributions is the important part, not who she’s contributing to, so I hope everyone else will support her. See the original post here.

Every now and then Celebrity throws down an opinion piece, and we get to see the gears behind the fashion metronome (do metronomes even have gears..?) Well, this is something that has been bothering me and, especially since I don’t want to use Celebrity’s blog as a soapbox, I want to know what you think. Thieves.
Before you moan about this being brought up again, hold on…
There are a lot of content thieves in the fashion world of Second Life, unfortunately. Most are eventually caught and exposed; some leave Second Life, some make secret alts, and others continue on with their stores and products lines. The new products have not been fingered as stolen designs, but that black cloud still looms over the name…
So here’s where I need your input. Do you buy these new products? If you were a fashion blogger or writer, would you review and publicize them? Or you you shun these people and place them on a shopping blacklist? How do you respond to texture and design thieves not stealing, but “moving on” afterwards? Comment or IM me in world, I really would like to hear back.