Category: Events

Skin Fair 2013 – Kitty is Gorgeous in Ganymede By The Plastik

Skin Fair 2013 – Kitty is Gorgeous in Ganymede By The Plastik

by Lisa Millar ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

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Skin Fair 2013 is almost upon us, featuring 80 of the best Second Life skin designers showcasing their wares across two sims, and I’ve had the privilege of taking a look around the location already.

Readers, it is going to be fantastic.  The event layout is simple and super-easy to navigate without any overtly-fussy details, and the skins that I have seen so far have been totally delicious and bursting with individuality, meaning that the event is going to be a huge success and will cost you squillions. But it will be totally worth it. After all, what are we in our Second Life without our skin?

A skin can say ‘I don’t give a damn’ or ‘Look at me, I’m gorgeous!’ It can help you blend into the crowd or stand out and be seen. They’re often an expensive purchase, but after all quality counts, and the very best skins are worth the investment. 

All of the skin designers participating this year have worked hard to bring their visions to the grid to help you perfect your look. From fantasy to reality, you’ll find a myriad of colours and designs at the event that you can use to create your perfect Second Life image.

Events such as these are good for helping you move a wee bit beyond your comfort zone and encourage you to try something a bit different. That’s exactly what I have done with the first skin that I am previewing from the event this year, which is by The Plastik.

I don’t normally try fantasy skins, tending towards realism with my looks. However, I definitely wanted to try new things out this time round, so approached Aikea Rieko for some demos of her line, and was overjoyed when she passed them to me.

I was given a preview of her Astrali line, and was overwhelmed by the choice, but out of all the demos I was presented with I opted for ‘Ganymede’. (Why? Well, don’t laugh but I like me some astronomy, and am rather keen on this particular moon. ) All the skins in the Astrali range have been named after astral bodies, a fact that I found very appealing.

There were LOADS of options in the pack with Ganymede.  It was hard to choose, but for my photographs I elected to wear the Astrali Skin Ganymede-Shadow.  I rezzed myself in a sandbox, took my place on a pose stand,set up a white studio box around myself and zoomed around to get a good look at all the nooks and crannies Ganymede has to offer.

And I fell in love. Ganymede is glorious! 

Because this is a coloured skin the shading is stronger than I’m used to, but it is beautifully applied.  There’s real artistry on show here. The important areas for me on any skin (apart from the face) are elbows, knees, clavicles and bottoms. A skin-maker that knows their salt will always pay attention to these areas, and make sure they look the part. Ganymede rises to the challenge and surpasses expectations. I didn’t notice any major issues with seams, and details such as the belly button and moles are rendered well. Shading on the chest shows care and displays a delicate touch that has been deftly applied.  Even the ears are exquisitely done!

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But the face is the most important part, and this one is scrumptious. All the important details work beautifully together to create a truly lovely face. Eyebrows are hugely important to me on a skin and if they don’t look right then they can bugger up the entire look. Fortunately, these are perfect and feature nice detail and a strong, but not overwhelming arch. Shading around the eyes is understated yet effective; creating a perfect base for make up (such as tattoo eyeliner and prim lashes.) The cheeks are flushed and warm without taking away from the dark quality of the skin.  The highlighting creates a beautiful profile, with the forehead, nose and philtrum perfectly enhanced.  The lips are gently coloured but not underplayed; blooming delicately and perfectly balancing out the face.

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Of course, just because this is a fantasy/alternative type skin it doesn’t mean that you have to wear it in a fantasy setting. I threw on an outfit from my inventory, and I’m delighted to say it worked beautifully, as I hope my picture demonstrates.

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So there you have it, my first skin choice from Skin Fair 2013. Come Thursday (not allowed to publish SLURL’s until then, sorry!)  I urge you to try the demos and see if you will be just as surprised as I was by how brilliantly this skin works.  It’s just astonishing, and if all the other skins are to this level of quality then we’ll be very spoiled indeed.

Skin Fair begins on 15th of March.

Additional items featured in this post:

Kitty wears hair by Dura from Fashion For Life

Top by American Bazaar (available at the Whore Couture Fair)

Bangles by Maxi Gossamer. 

Skirt by Psycho Byts

Legwarmers by Blueberry (available at the Whore Couture Fair)

Eyes  by IKON. (Monthly Group Gift)

Eyeliner by Damned 

Kitty Quicky: American Bazaar helps Kitty channel..Debbie Harry?!

Kitty Quicky: American Bazaar helps Kitty channel..Debbie Harry?!

by Lisa Millar ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

ImageA very kitty-quicky here folks!

I picked up this leopard print ‘Amira’ top from AMERICAN BAZAAR at the Whore Couture Fair and it’s really funky. In fact all the clothes that I’m wearing are from the WCF event; the skirt is from PSYCHO:BYTS and legwarmers from BLUEBERRY.  I added some bangles and necklace from MAXI GOSSAMER and changed the colour on my MAGIKA hair via the hud,  A bit Debbie Harry, no?

Honourable mention must go to the IKON group gift eyes in ‘Machine’ that I’m wearing in this picture…they’re an astonishing group gift and really add to the whole look. I love it. In fact, someone complimented me on my avatar which cheered me up no end.

Share the love in Second Life folks; if you spot an awesome avatar, take the time to tell them! I promise you’ll make someone’s day; that random compliment sure made mine!

Time To Visit The Mens Dept.

Time To Visit The Mens Dept.

by Lisa Millar ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

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The Mens Dept is as good an opportunity as any to get Jez to go shopping. Getting laddo to update his look is always a challenge, which is why events like The Mens Dept. make it a whole lot easier, and tons of fun for both of us too.

It’s a funky mix of fresh fashion, skin, hair and adornments as well as decorative pieces and homewares, with all items costing between L$75-L$150. It’s a great way to get your hands on some quality pieces and acquaint yourself with designers old and new.

The fashion is really substantial. All the items have been carefully selected and are beautifully presented in this tidy, well-lit location, and there are contributions from an eclectic mix of creators, from established brands like CHEERNO to lesser well known contributors, such as SHEEP DOOR (who Jez fell in love with an TP’d straight to their store after the event!)

Jez was especially enamoured by the BLEAK ‘Wisdom’ Shirts, as you can see by the picture above.  These are mesh and can be purchased in a number of options, but Jez wanted something bright so opted for the Aztec design. It fits like a dream and looks great, so was well worth L$135. The glasses from KUMAKI, with their fantastic range of textures, were also a must have at just L$150.

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Another favourite in the collection is the Assymetric Shirt from  22769.  This is also a mesh creation, and the style is obviously inspired by Japanese costume. Jez loves all things Japanese, so this was a must have and it fits extremely well.  It’s a simple design enhanced by coloured trim on the edging, and looks perfect when worn with jeans and casual loafers.  The outfit is enhanced even further by the leather bracelets, also from 22769. These are nice and chunky and are available in a variety of leather choices with different metal adornments. I really like bracelets and cuffs in Second Life, especially when taking pictures, because they hide those nasty lumps and bumps on an avatar’s hands nicely.  The shirt costs an extremely reasonable L$90, and the bracelets are just L$80 per pair. You’ll also spy a fabulous suit, great Cargo pants and a very cheeky lounge-wear set from HAVOK.

As well as quality fashion you’ll also find stylish home items from a number of designers including  MUDHONEY .  Rayvn Hynes has created the fabulous ‘Ryan’ Club Chair for the event. It looks really comfy and features 8 sitting poses. You’ll also receive a magazine rack and a fantastic candle set for your L$150. If you don’t think candles are especially masculine then you need to check these out, they’re billiard balls and look brilliant!

When cruising the homewares make sure you check out the beautiful Animal prints from VESPERTINE and the glorious ‘It’s a mens world’dresser  from KUSSHON which features a number of manly items like mini-TV, beer and a girly mag. There are also tattoos from VESTIGIUM, beautiful eyes from INSUFFERABLE DASTARD and a selection of fantastic piercings from PEKKA. Even if you’re not a chap this event is well worth a peek.

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Jez’s  favourite item from the event is of course the ‘Playing Games’ console from CHEEKY PEA. The boy is a total geek so was delighted to find this prop item. It looks very much like a console from his teenage years, so was a must purchase for our home and looks great next to our Ernst TV, also from Cheeky Pea. It’s a tad pricey at L$125, but it’s a beautifully created piece and really adds to our  living space.

Check out all the items at The Mens Dept by clicking here to see the fantastic post by Braydon Thirdborn on Seraphim SL covering all the goodies, and click here to visit the event.

Kitty says Hello Titty Tuesdays!

Kitty says Hello Titty Tuesdays!

by Lisa Millar ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

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If you own a pair of mesh bewbs then you really ought to be a member of the ‘Big Boobie Babes‘  group, especially because they’ve just launched an event called ‘Hello Titty Tuesdays’

Each week a selected number of designers will place an item in their store for L$50 or less, and every participant is guaranteed to feature appliers for various kinds of mesh boobs with their items. There are ten participants each round.

I picked up this rather dandy denim frock from Patchwork Heart  and added a scarf to it to hide my applier lines (that’s my latest trick, scarves, snoods and necklaces are good for hiding seams!) and it’s delightful, as are most things from PWH.

You can read all about ‘Hello Titty Tuesdays’ on the ‘Big Boobies Babes’ blog, which is an essential read if you wear mesh breasts.  Grab some Lindens and check out the list by clicking here.