It is my pleasure to (re-) introduce you to Elate, designed by Kellie Iwish. After trying on the first dress, the super feminine and wonderfully flouncy Annalisa night dress (2^nd left) I rushed over to her shop and uhm… basically bought a bit of everything. After all, blogging has always been my excuse for retail therapy, and one thing was sure right from the start… this is what I call blogworthy. So from left to right: Raeva Fire… I should have put that one later in the photo.. because it is the only one I found a little flaw in… on the arms there are 2 tiny white dots, possibly to indicate the waist, as it is spot on. Nothing that the eraser tool and a new upload cannot fix in a mater of minutes though. Second, mentioned already, the Annalisa dress. Very lovely surprise to find that in your inventory on a cloudy Wednesday afternoon. In the middle, Phoebe and that is lovely feathers on your pixelperfect body. The primwork on this one is just so pretty too. Felicity, dress number 4, here in cobalt, is a sassy little strapless dress with a multi layered skirt that is really wonderfully textured. Felicity is available in quite some colours. And last but not least, Mae, the cutest lace tube dress. I often have issues with this type of skirt prim, but on this dress it just works perfect. I forgot to put on the matching grey stockings for this photo… but hey… it’s been hot here today, so who cares about tights.

Credits: Skin by Roslin Petion and CJ Carnot @ Fleur: Vivant bronze Terre 3; Hair by Onyx Leshelle @ Maitreya: Amy in Jet and the shoes (honorable mention, because I’ve been drooling over them since I first saw them) are the Babii pumps by Damen Gorilla @  Adam ‘n Eve. Rez one before wearing them and join me in drooling over the intricate finishing of these shoes.

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

So what makes Birthday Suit special? Rosemary Galbraith was one of the first skin designers I know that started using color in the inner crease of the eye — she was about 3 months ahead of this now-trendy real-life look. It was a look which Rosemary let bleed into her Second Life from her First Life. Second is the body shading. Birthday Suit is a photosourced/hand-drawn hybrid skin and by working together on this project, Mimi and Rosemary were able to really do some great shading work. Look at the veins on the hands! Just incredible attention to the shadows and highlights. I happen to think the darker skin tones show off this shading the best, but that could just my personal bias talking there.

I’m really looking forward to seeing more work from Mimi and Rosemary, including, no doubt more makeup choices.

You can shop for Birthday Suit at ROSEMAR in Popfuzz (60, 128, 35).

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

NSFW nekkie skin poster behind the cut (produced by the fabulous flickr photography fashionista Ryker Beck.)
(more…)

Since I already mentioned one of my favorite Canadians in my last post (Hi Alaska!) I wanted to write about another Canadian Second Life fashion favorite, Nyla Cheeky of House of Nyla. Nyla is known for creating some really amazingly unique and beautiful couture fashion in Second Life and in real life. She’s also honoring another Canadian tradition this particular week by offering a big half-off sale at her stores, including her big store at Starax (192, 117, 25).

Above is (if you will forgive me) an absolute cheeky denim micromini. This is just one configuration of the multiple clothing layers, prim pieces and more included in this purchase. And to the left is one of the best examples of using sculpted prims in fashion design inside Second Life that isn’t shoes or hair. This Dragon Corset gown has multiple skirt options if runway couture isn’t your thing. The prim work associated with this gown is just fabulous and Nyla even threw in a great pair of gold filigree sandals as the cherry on top of this fashion sundae.

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

Everyone in Second Life can be a model, if they want to put the effort (and Lindens) into it.

At the risk of sounding too Carrie Bradshaw, in a world where everyone is a model, how do you stand out? Beauty is always a touch subjective at its core. I wrote about my own personal standards in a mega-review of professional shape makers’ products. If you’re an aspiring model or just looking for some guidance on making your own shape from scratch, I highly recommend this excellent shape tutorial by Alaska Metropolitan of Metro Models.

Generally, I find symmetry and proportion the be the hallmarks of a really good shape. Since every model in Second Life has roughly symmetrical and proportional body the best opportunity to separate yourself from the pixel perfect masses is in the creation of a memorable face.

The memorable to me starts with something that’s out of the ordinary. Some observers might label such a distinction a “flaw,” but its really a strength in disguise because it gives your avatar’s appearance a hook that the conventional (and less memorable) can’t compete with. When you’re tweaking your shape, I’d recommend a proportional body shape, a skin which flatters your entire shape, and a very memorable face.

For Second Life avatars conventional, hum-drum and bland does not a model make. Second Life is a unique environment where the standard of beauty is raised to new heights simply because with only a little effort any avatar can be “conventionally beautiful.”

Kristianne and her business partners have rounded up quite a roster of memorably beautiful models. So far they’ve been especially adept at finding models with unique styles and shapes. I think that’s why the exclusive-to-Aspire agency is going to succeed for them.

Special thanks to Aspire models Aealla Illyar and Masumi Desade for letting me shoot them on short notice.

When I put the word out to designers that I was planning this series Callie Cline contacted me and offered to lend me her “one-of-a-kind” Funky Princess outfit to show you. This has sadly already been sold at silent auction for an unknown price to an unknown bidder but it is just SO gorgeous I had to show it to you (plus I couldn’t resist getting to try it on myself).

Moreover, it is a stunning backdrop to Random Calliope’s “Heart And Soul” jewellery set. Random’s own words sum up Second Life Relay For Life better than I ever could :

“Compassion is contageous, I believe. I also believe compassion is a trait we share with our animal cousins. With this I feel that the ability to organize ourselves around this deep feeling within ourselves is also a shared instinct. Being human, being humanitarian, gives us the unique ability to organize with intelligence and a network of complexity that allows truly amazing things to happen.

When we, as a species, are confronted with, and each personally devistated by, an affliction such as cancer, acts of seemingly random compassion take place in villages, towns and cities around the world until we are each touched and inspired by them. Individually we yearn to do something about it and we reach out until we find the collective that can and will have the greatest impact.

This collective is Relay For Life.

To expand further, the phenomenon that is Relay For Life in Second Life, brings out the best in a new world teeming with individuals who do not fear admitting they love one another, and thank each other daily for being part of one another’s lives. One can only imagine the impact such shared emotion can have if we all contribute, just a little as we can.”

I’ve chosen Calla’s Azalea hair with this outfit in the “Relay” colour, a soft pale lilac. Each of Calla’s Relay For Life hair packs comes with six colour variations, a real bargain for the suggested donation amount.

From a funky princess we move on to… well, a grungy one.

One of my joys is putting together items that wouldn’t naturally fit together, in an almost irreverent way, but a way that works, and I have to say I love the look I’ve put together here. The key pieces are all designs made for Relay For Life by top Second Life designers.

Worn with Rebel Hope’s Laurie dress, the dramatic skin is one of a series of “Missing Person” skins made by Ina Centaur of IC Skins and Skin City. Drawing inspiration from newspaper advertisements of missing people the monochrome skin represents, in Ina’s words, “fatal cancer kidnapping you.” The eyes, also from IC, are the newly released for RFL Ezaret Eyes in Blood which pick up perfectly the colours of Alienbear’s “Princess Carita RFL Special” jewellery. Together, this edgy yet feminine look is a style that you could possibly only get away with in Second Life - all the more reason for loving it.

My next princess couldn’t be more different, venturing into the realm of fantasy. Nicky Ree’s Winter Flame series is one of my favourite of her designs and the Snowy light blue Relay For Life version is evocative of the snowy landscapes of Narnia.

Available for RFL as the combo pack, this set isn’t cheap but there are so many different ways of wearing the different skirt and top styles you will definitely get your money’s worth. Take away the wings and you have an elegant ballgown with no less than three skirt varieties, or wear the short skirt for a more casual look.

Tigerlily Koi’s Gardenia hair in Relay with white tips works beautifully with this dress, picking up on the hint of lavender in the fabric. This is followed through to the shoes, Spring Stilleto’s from Shiny Things (not RFL). I’m wearing an IC-skins Missing Person skin again here, and the Ezaret eyes in “Original”, a delicate soft grey, a Relay For Life limited edition.

Three beautiful and very different styles, all supporting the same cause. Most of the RFL items are only available until the relay itself on July 19th, so hurry!

::What I’m Wearing::

Landmarks are, where possible, to the RFL item.

Outfit 1::

Relay For Life Items
Dress:: CaLLie cLine - funky princess RFL one of a kind by caLLie cLine [already sold]
Hat:: CaLLie cLine - funky princess RFL one of a kind by caLLie cLine [already sold]
Jewellery:: Random Calliope - Random Calliope RFL Heart and Soul Limited Ed Set
Hair:: Calla - Calla Azalea Relay for Life (Relay)

Non-RFL Items
Skin:: The Abyss - *<TheAbyss> Jadzia_Noxious SR[2]B
Eyelashes:: Cake - Cake - Flutter lashes - Tintable
Eyes:: Skin Deep (now The Body Politik) - Skin Deep Real Hazel eyes/Twinkle Eyes

Outfit 2::

Relay For Life Items
Skin:: [IC-Skins] - RFL Missing Person Ivanna Qi
Hair:: Calla - Calla Sunflower Relay for Life (White/Relay tip)
Eyes:: [IC-eyes] - Ezaret Eyes :: Blood :: RFL LE
Dress:: Rebel Hope Designs - Laurie Dress
Jewellery:: Alienbear Design - *DIS- Alienbear Design (Princess Carita RFL 08 Special)

Non-RFL Items
Eyelashes:: Cake - Cake - Flutter lashes - Tintable
Manicure/Pedicure:: Skin Within - [SW] Plum Manicure & Pedicure
Shoes:: Maitreya - Maitreya Grace Heels (black)

Outfit 3::

Relay For Life Items
Skin:: [IC-Skins] - RFL Missing Person Ivanna Qi
Eyes:: [IC-eyes] - Ezaret Eyes :: Original :: RFL LE
Hair:: Calla - Calla Gardenia Relay for Life (Relay/White tip)
Outfit:: Nicky Ree - Nicky Ree Winter Flame Combo Snowy L Blue

Non-RFL Items
Eyelashes:: Cake - Cake - Flutter lashes - Tintable
Shoes:: Shiny Things - Spring Stilleto (Lavender Blossom)

Seen in World :: Yes
Review Copies :: Yes
Friends List :: Some

Sachi told me that on reopening there’s going to be a lot of great new releases and brand new vendor designs too including this dark skin set called Robyn. But there’s another dark skin tone set too called Alanna which has more of a Carribean element to it.

Like other Adam ‘n’ Eve skins, it has some really beautiful body shading including abs of steel and lovely looking shadowing on the joint creases. Another feature I really love about Sachi’s skins is that she gives you the matching mani/pedis for your makeups on the glove and sock layer. That doesn’t always work when your outfit needs one (or both!) of those layers, but she did a great job giving the polish the kind of satiny sheen I wish lasted longer after a visit to the nail salon. (Pixels never chip, I suppose would be the moral of that story.)

You can see the sheen really well in this photo here of the “Scarlet” makeup for Robyn. I’m also sporting a pair of strategically placed thighs — all the better to show off the textures in Damen’s Seductress stiletto pumps, which Linden for Linden may just be the best looking shoes for the price in Second Life (I bought mine for L$200 per color - almost impossible to beat the quality for that price.) Not only do they come in a gleaming rainbow of colors but they are also superbly crafted sculpted shoes.

After the cut is a full on nekkie photo of Robyn wearing the coral makeup.

You can visit Adam ‘n’ Eve to shop for skins, shoes and hair (I’m wearing one of Sachi’s curly textured hairs called Whimsy in these photos) at Genesis.
(more…)

In the colourful shop, total cuteness awaited me. 99% of the small inventory is unisex (although mostly shown on male models) since the shading on the clothing is quite neutral, so you won’t get boobies that look like your boyfriend’s trained pecs :-P. The textures are wild and colourful and the clothes are well designed. With textures like these, you will inevitably have seams, but your RL clothes have them as well.. so,  since they are done neatly, I think it is ok. Most in the shop is about mixing and matching, but there are some outfits too.  I decided to just show some of  my new favourites. The blue dots shirt and the orange/purple/teal pants are both separates. The pink python jacket comes with the green dotted shirt. I paired it with a simple 5-pocket jeans from Pixeldolls. The little bird shirt, my personal favourite, comes with the plaid trousers. I’ve also tried them with a pair of white leather pants and a high waisted belt, and then you get a very classy and fashionable look. But with the plaid trousers, the effect is very casual and that is just my mood today.

Credits: all hair in this post is by Maitreya (Loelle in copper, Loose bun in charcoal and Sunday in Natural Blond). Skins are from PXL Creations, Linda light (coffee lips, dark eyes) Linda Dark, (pink lover make up) and Linda Sunkissed (passion lips, natural eyes). Furthermore I’m wearing Tesla’s Catalina wedges in Burgundy, Blaze’s Classic Pumps in green and Adam ‘n Eve’s Scamander Heels in black. The earrings I wear with the python jacket are from Persona.

Review copies: no ~Friends list: no

The long empire waist is still in as a design element this season in RL fashion, although the trend fromt the runway seems to have confused skirts for belts. But this would still be quite a beautiful statement for a semi-formal occasion or just look sharp shopping around the summertime sims.

Next is a short mini-dress called Coste in one of the most stunning sequin textures I’ve ever seen in Second Life. I wanted to shoot it in green, one of this summers trendiest colors, but it’s also available in some absolutely stunning metallic shades as well. Perfect for an evening party with that special someone or a girl’s night out pretty much anywhere on the grid. This is a dynamite design from one of Second Life’s freshest new talents.

Last but not least comes another KA newer release in another super trendy summer color, this sunny yellow charmer called Batavi. With it’s princess-y puff cap sleeves and square cut bodice, it neatly falls into another summer trend from RL - and that’s romance. Yes, girly girl romance is back a big way from flouncy ruffles to sheer fabrics and lace everywhere. I always picture this dress as a prelude to a picnic in a gorgeous setting somewhere near a lake. But that just might be idle daydreams away from work and the pressure of everyday RL.

One of the really nice things about KA is that the quality of design is high and the prices are very reasonably, usually right around L$250 or so. It’s a good way to get a great value in Second Life.

KA Designs is found on KA Design Island (151, 78, 46).

Skins by Redgrave, hair by Cake.

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

I’m hopeful that these issues will be resolved and we will be ready to release issue #20 within the next 10 days.

Concerns about this delay should be sent by email (celebrity dot trollop at gmail dot com.) We’re disappointed by this development, and thank you for understanding.

For my first post on Second Style, I wanted to give you some tips on how to spruce up your snapshots to show off to your friends! I would like to show you some ways to take your pics, using Adobe Photoshop, from [original.jpg]:

(If you want to practice along, save this image and follow the steps along with me.)

to [seven.jpg]:

For the purposes of this tutorial, I will assume, lovely reader, that you have a basic working knowledge of PS, and a pretty decent eye when it comes to photo composition. (If there is interest, I can touch on those two skills in future tutorials.)

1] One of the first things I do, after opening my snapshot to PS, is to crop the image to a square. (Meaning the image has the same height and width, e.g. 512H x 512W.) Doing this, you can cut out undesirable portions of the original image, as well as make it the right ratio for best translation back into Second Life. SL has a tendency to skew textures that aren’t the correct ratio. *Please note, however, that if you plan to re-upload the image for use on your profile or in a classified ad, it’s best to leave the image at the original height to width ratio. Consider the appropriateness of image size you are working with, as well.

2] After cropping (or not cropping) the image, you’ll want to go to Window > Layers, and make sure your Layers window is visible. From here, make a copy of the background layer, so you have two identical layers, as shown [prntscrn1.jpg]:

Click the eyeball icon on the upper layer, so that you’re not viewing it, and select your bottom layer. You’re going to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur, and are going to put a light blur on the bottom layer. You can see below, on the example image, I used a 3.7 blur radius. (You can experiment with different blur strengths in the future.)

Now, click the eyeball on the top layer to view the original look of the image again. In your Layers window, you will see “Opacity”, and you can turn this down to around 25-35%. Basically, what we’re doing here is to soften the hard edges on our avies, to make them appear more “real”. Your image will look something like [two.jpg]:

At this point you need to go to Layer > Flatten Image. This merges the two layers into one. Many people who frequently work in PS like to leave the layers separate until the image is totally complete, however, these two layers will have to be merged in order to carry on with these next steps.

Go to Image > Adjustments > Brightness / Contrast… now to tweak the brightness and contrast of the image. This re-sharpens the blurriness above, but keeps that “real” look. (Here, I did Brightness: +15 and Contrast: +32, but go with what looks good to you.)

3] This is a good time to take your “raindrop” tool, and blur the sections of your avvie that still don’t look quite right, e.g. under the left breast where there’s a funky fold. Another good idea is to turn your raindrop tool into the triangle tool, and sharpen any areas where you’d like to maintain detail (such as the eyes, lashes, lips, or highlights in the hair). Then, make your triangle a pointer finger, and smudge (Strength set to 12-16) the funky looking bits of prim hair. Be gentle with these tools!

4] Now, for the really fun part! Go back to your layers window and hit the “New Layer” button at the bottom. This layer should be on top of your image layer. Take your pencil / airbrush tool (you’ll have to judge the correct size according to your image), and select white. As shown below, draw in some highlights on skin areas where highlights would naturally be.

I’ve done cheeks, chin, forehead, cleavage, arms, lower belly, and right leg. Basically, the spots where the skin is bright already. You don’t need to do it in dots the way I have, this is just an illustration. You’re going to apply a gaussian blur to the highlights layer, to create a lovely glow on the skin.

I used a 5.4 blur, but you do what looks good to you. For best results, create a layer for each section of highlight. You can also use the same method for adding additional colors to the skin (e.g. a golden summer glow, or rosy apple cheeks), just by changing the highlight color from white to whatever. Adjust the opacity of the highlights like in step 2.

Flatten it all again, just like before, and adjust Brightness / Contrast to make the image look unified.

5] Lastly, (and optional) I sometimes like to frame my avvie with a nice shadow or mist around the edges of the image. You can do this by turning up your pencil to about 100, drawing a frame on a separate layer (in the desired color), and applying a blur to this. Again, you’ll probably want to adjust the opacity.

6] Don’t be afraid to experiment with filters, saturation, color balance. With the Hue / Saturation tool, you can decide if you want your image more colorful, or more on the drab side. If you really want to punch up a certain color (in this case, I liked the yellow highlights in the water), you can use the Color Balance tool to emphasize those.

I hope this has been useful for you, and I can’t wait to see the amazing images all over Flickr!

Skin: CHAI Cin by Launa Fauna
Hair: TRUTH Polly by Truth Hawks
Bikini: SHAI Hamptons Bikini in Blue by Shai Delacroix

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