WITCHY WEEK: ‘Bia’ by Baiastice

September 13, 2015September 13, 2015 by Lisa Millar ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Make no mistake guys, this latest round of COLLABOR88 has been an absolute winner. Of course I’m bound to say that I suppose, seeing as the blog is called Kittywitchin’, I’m ‘The Kittywitch’, and the theme for C88 this month is ‘Muted Coven’, but even if I hadn’t been of a Pagan persuasion I genuinely feel it would have been a runaway success owing to the quality of the items.

In fact, I get the feeling that the COLLABOR88 team have taken some time out to think and assess what works and what doesn’t about the event. For a start, the majority of the items this month are bang on target with regards to the brief. I didn’t spot any startling faux pas as I have in previous months (Oh the theme is this month is flowery sparkles? I know, let’s have latex underwear, that works! (Said no-one ever)) The content itself including all the clothing, accessories and builds are astonishing which probably explains why it has taken me days to get in. It’s absolutely rammed (you stand a better chance of getting into THE ARCADE than C88!) C88 doesn’t do duff stuff but this month it’s in another league.

So because it’s all things witchy, and it’s all things bloody fabulous as far as this blog is concerned, AND it’s my RL birthday tomorrow (13th) I’ve decided to celebrate with WITCHY WEEK!

I’m not even an official C88 blogger (and they sure as hell don’t need the publicity!) BUT when you find things that are so far up your street as to be in your pantry pinching your crisps then YES I’m going to blog about them. (Edit: I do sometimes wonder what people who aren’t from the UK and/or used to my sense of humour actually think about the nonsense I write upon these pages; for that I apologise but what can I say, when I’m enthusiastic I verbalise drivel by the bucket load. You’ve probably noticed!)

So let’s begin ‘Witchy Week’ with something absolutely stonking, the ‘Bia’ collar and dress from Sissy Pessoa, the creative Goddess behind BAIASTICE.

To be honest, I don’t know what I can write about Sissy and her label that I haven’t said before. Her work is consistently outstanding and she’s been a right little trailblazer carving out her own niche in the SECOND LIFE fashion world with her consistently breath-taking designs. Sissy makes some of the best high-end fashion on the grid, and each release is as satisfying as the last. She uses the best textures, applies the most exquisite details and shapes each creation with style and panache that is only mastered by a handful of creators on the grid.

Her latest release, ‘Bia’, has all the hallmarks of a SECOND LIFE classic. This gown and accompanying collar scream haute couture with a twisted edge, yet are so adaptable that they could be worn at a Christmas Ball, a Yuletide extravaganza or a Halloween party. The paler versions of the gown lend themselves perfectly to weddings, and because this is ‘Witchy Week’ let me draw attention to the fact that any of the colours of the dresses could be worn by High Priestesses at Sabbat gatherings. Imagine casting a circle wearing this ensemble, oosh!

Here I am wearing two examples of the gown. I’ve chosen the brown version for my main shot because it feels very ‘Mabonesque’; by that I mean that we’re approaching Mabon, the Autumn Equinox, and it struck me that this ensemble would be perfect for that. The red would be wonderful for Yule, although I feel it would actually be more appropriate to a Pagan fire festival such as Beltane.You can wear these gowns without the long skirt, which adds a nifty twist to an already near perfect ensemble, and the matching collars with their feather embellishment really finish off the look.

To further enhance this beautiful ensemble I decided to add my ‘Moonriver’ hair by VANITY HAIR, along with the latest skin from ZOUL CREATIONS. This is ‘Brianna’ and by gum she’s gorgeous. As always, not only has SHANTIA SOULSTAR created a perfect base-skin, but the makeups are sublime, whichever lipstick and eyeshadow you choose to compliment your appearance. I really love the brows on this skin as well; they’re not overly thin and have a delicate arch which really sets the whole eye area off. The lipsticks really enhance the pout as well and each one is a real treat to wear.

I don’t think this is the last time you’ll see me wearing this particular outfit during ‘Witchy Week’, and I hope you’ve been inspired to try to get into COLLABOR88 and pick up this glorious gown. I promise you won’t regret it.

Kitty wears:

BODY: Maitreya ‘Lara’ V3.4

SKIN: Zoul Creations ‘Brianna’ SK3 Dk Brows chA

(First pic: Bronze 03 eyeshadow, Orangey 3 lip)

(Second Pic: Black 03 eyeshadow, Red 03 lip)

EYES: IKON ‘Triumph Eyes’ Armor / ‘Hope Eyes’ Crimson

LASHES: Hush ‘Flirt’

EARS: Mandala ‘Steking’ Series 5 (Pixie)

HAIR: Vanity Hair ‘Moonriver’ (Materials Ombres) (Crown worn with red ensemble was a free gift at the Vintage & Cool Event)

DRESS/COLLAR: Baiastice ‘Bia’ Dress and Collar (available in ten colours; Kitty wears Choco and Red in these shots) COLLABOR88

And then Kitty’s ovaries exploded..

September 6, 2015September 6, 2015 by Lisa Millar ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

After what has seemed like an eternity spent waiting (although very patiently so, obviously) the SLINK PHYSIQUE MALE has arrived. HALLELUJAH!

Guys, he’s *exactly* what I was hoping for. Like the SLINK PHYSIQUE FEMALE this is an accomplished mesh body that photographs well and is incredibly easy to wear and style. You know what I really like about though? It’s NOT a body for aspirational bodybuilder types. ‘ManSLink’ is toned and far more Hugh Dancy in build than Arnold Schwarzeneggar, and that suits me just fine. Obviously when you wear a mesh body it’s your underlying shape which plays a huge role in how the mesh will look, but this is the body worn out of the box on Jez and he didn’t need to make any changes, which is incredibly satisfying. ManSLink (the nickname for this body release; and it rather suits!) is built to fit the XS Slink hands and isn’t keen on too much additional body fat; fortunately for us Jez’s shape is lean and already has the requisite sliders turned down to 0. It really does fit him incredibly well. Something that is rather special about ManSLink is that he already comes endowed with an appendage! HUZZAH! OK, it’s flaccid so you can’t use it for more amorous moments, but it, err, looks authentic and even if you don’t really use one it’s nice to know that it’s there. Unfortunately for me at the time of writing Jez can’t get his underpants off so I can have a good look, you know, for scientific reasons, but that’s more to do with user knowledge and getting acquainted with the HUD functionality rather than an omission on SLINK’s part.
Perhaps one of the biggest wins for ManSLink though is pricing. It’s the same as the female Physique, L$1250, and that is a BIG deal. THE SHOPS mesh body is L$5000, and although that is indeed a very attractive body and one that Jez uses it’s incredibly expensive (despite the inclusion of hands and feet). Of course, don’t forget that when you purchase THE SHOPS you’re also going to have to endure the whole shopping ‘experience’ as well, whereas with SLINK you just visit the store then click and buy, which is infinitely preferable and a lot less hassle too. Oh, and have I mentioned Omega appliers? Yup, ManSLink is Omega applier compatible (the female equivalent will be too in the next update) and this is a pretty big deal indeed. I’ve seen reports of people using existing Slink tattoo appliers that were for female bodies yet work on ManSLink too; YRMV but it’s definitely worth testing what you have in your inventory to see if it works for you!What else is there to like? A good range of alpha options via the HUD, and plenty of clothing cuts that should hopefully enable you to wear your current mesh wardrobe, although a few finer ones around the neck and tops of the arms for more precise tee-shirt fitting would be nice. There are also items in store available to try too, Jez picked up a pair of the stovepipe jeans in ‘Indigo’ and they look bloody brilliant on him, so he’s very pleased.

Now ‘Manslink’ is out hopefully there will be a rush of content creators making appliers for skins. You can of course use the included tinting HUD to match, but appliers are exact and make lives so much easier, especially when you have no patience, like Jez.

All in all we’re both delighted with this release; already this is Jez’s favourite mesh body and he’s really enjoying wearing it (Although I really need him to figure out how to get his kecks off!!) The waiting has definitely been worth it and the end result is a really rather gorgeous mesh body that any male avatar should be proud to wear.

Congratulations to Siddean Munro on another epic SLink release!

A few of Kitty’s Arcade Faves

August 28, 2015August 30, 2015 by Lisa Millar ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

UPDATE: THE ARCADE SHOPPING GUIDE IS OUT! CLICK HERE

You know something very odd that I’ve noticed about Second Life is that even though we live in a virtual world where it can be whatever season you want, we still stick very closely to our actual seasonal pattern. I guess the real life influence is just too strong to resist in this case, and this is not a complaint, far from it. We’re actually entering what is (in my opinion) the very BEST time to be a Second Life resident. Once September hits we have some amazing things to look forward to. Most sim owners change their land to reflect the season so you have all the vibrant colours of Fall to enjoy, and then of course we have Halloween which every year gets madder and more fun. We’ll be spooking ourselves silly into November, and once Thanksgiving hits then generally it’s downhill (on a sledge, naturally) into Christmas.

Without a doubt the period of September-December is an absolutely manic time with events and parties and all kinds of occasions to look forward to, but my actual favourite starts next week, on Tuesday. Yup, it’s THE ARCADE. Love it or hate it THE ARCADE GACHA EVENT is now a firmly established event on the Second Life calendar. September has always proved to be an exciting round too, and this year is going to be an absolute corker, make no mistake. In this post then I’m going to be sharing with you some of the gacha that I am most excited about playing, starting with..

When I saw this ‘Bastet’ Collection from PIXICAT I very nearly peed myself with excitement. See, as the name of the blog suggests I am indeed an avid ailurophile and practising Pagan with an affiliation to the Goddess Bast. I am absolutely obsessed; there are statues of her all over my home, books about her. (My favourite being ‘Bast & Sekhmet Eyes Of Ra’ by Storm Constantine and Eloise Coquio Storm signed my copy when I attended her house for a Tarot course. Cool huh?) I try to make an annual pilgrimage to see ‘my’ statue, the Geyer Anderson Cat, at The British Museum every year too, so of course when I saw that PIXICAT had called their Gacha ‘Bastet’ it pushed all my buttons and it looks incredible. I’m hopeful I’ll get my paws on a jacket or two, and the kittys will look very at home in my sky-box too. I am desperately trying to reduce my belongings so that I can save some precious prims. It’s not easy because I have so much epic stuff in my virtual home that I just don’t want to part with…
Taking the sphinx cat theme that PIXICAT engineered so wonderfully and adding a witchy twist are BIRDY with their ‘Hocus Pocus’ gacha. This is another absolute must-have for me; I’m loving the toads, the cauldrons and spell books are rendered to perfection and the cats and owls are simply sublime.

My dressing table is absolutely choc-full with goodies form TRES BLAH featured at previous Arcade rounds and this month will be no exception; Juliette Westerburg has released another collection of must have decorative pieces that definitely need to find a home in my skybox! There are more make-up bags and brushes but I’m particularly after the cat-shaped trinket box and the pillow.

Of course there are many fun items to be had too; Seeing as I spend most of my time under a Slanket in real life I’ll definitely be throwing some Lindens towards COMMONER’s ‘Sluggie’ pile and wearing one while I chill out in-world…

I’ll also be trying to win Tweety the cockatiel in memory of Rocky who was my parents pet bird and constant companion for 15 glorious years..

Of course a LOT of things haven’t been previewed yet and I’m sure there are many content creators who are still working on their final productions, but the wondering, waiting and the longing are all part of THE ARCADE’s twisted charm. Of course none of us will be able to get into the sim for the majority of the first fortnight either, but if you’re anything like me you’ll be busy making lists and hitting the yard sales with haste. I do think I’ve left the best for last though. You should all know by now what a huge NYLON PINKNEY fan I am and I went absolutely ballistic in RL when I saw the pictured she’d released of her arcade goodies:

They’re cat rings and they are beyond perfect. I’m only annoyed that I don’t have 16 fingers so that I can wear all of them at the same time; I definitely will have every single one of these in my collection and I’ll wear them with serious pride. (I’ll also be sporting YUMMY’s Septum Ring collection too. So much to love!)

If you’re curious to see what goodies THE ARCADE GACHA EVENTS have in store for us this round keep your eyes glued to their FLICKR FEED. That’s what I’ve been doing and I’m hitting refresh constantly to see what has been added. There’s so much that it’ds almost impossible to keep up with it all; it’s very exciting and I cannot wait for Tuesday to come around. What are you looking forward to this round of THE ARCADE?

LOTD: Forever inspired by Amy

August 27, 2015August 27, 2015 by Lisa Millar ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

I remember one day about six years ago I was sat at my desk in RL work and was raging about how badly Amy Winehouse was being treated (yet again) by the press. It was clear that poor Amy was going through sheer hell battling her own personal demons, yet the press seemed to relish nothing more than hounding her as she seemingly self-destructed. I recall a colleague at the time saying to me in an astonished voice “You really do care what happens to her don’t you?” and the fact was yes, I did very much.

I loved Amy’s work. It wasn’t just the fact that she had a soaring voice and a vocal range that belied her young years, she also wrote lyrics from the heart that were totally relatable to. That said, I didn’t like her very much; she came across badly in print and on screen and it took me a while to see through how she was being represented, but once I did I understood (as well as I could) that her behaviour stemmed from the fact that she was deeply troubled. Her drunken TV appearances and completely crazed antics were fuelled by more than drink and drugs, they were acts of utter despair and cries for help that only now we seem to recognise. And yet either no help was offered, or for some reason it was refused. Of course, it ended tragically and we lost someone that we should have cherished and nurtured rather than criticised and condemned.

I won’t watch the recent documentary about her, not yet anyway, although this clip gives me the shivers..

I don’t think I can bear to watch the progression of her condition and the ultimate sad outcome. Many people scoffed when she passed that it was a certainty that she would die young, but did it really have to be so? I can’t help but think we were cheated by her death. She was an amazing artist but she could have become so much more had she lived, and when I listen to her I sometimes feel very angry because we lost her.

For me she was at her most beautiful when she was recording the album ‘Frank’. She had long hair, hooped earrings and an absolutely fantastic figure; she looked healthy and happy and stunningly beautiful. Contrast that image with her in the ‘Back To Black’ video and she looks completely different; styled to within an inch of her with the melancholy beginning to really show.

But I think the most enduring image we have of Amy is of the towering semi- beehive hairstyle and the powerful black eyeliner that she sported along with Fred Perry shirts, short skirts and ballerina pumps. That’s what I’ve been inspired to recreate here; using the outstanding hairstyle named after her from VANITY HAIR and my old favourite eyeliner from MONS.

Amy was almost ten years younger than me; she was born 14^th September 1983 (I was born 13^th September 1973) and since we (almost) share the same birthday I always raise a glass to her on mine, and thank her for the wonderful music she left behind. I’ll be doing that again this year and I’d like to think that wherever she is now she’s at peace, she recognises her own talents and finally feels the love and admiration that all her fans, myself included, continue to have for her. RIP Amy.

Kitty Wears:

Basic look:

BODY: Maitreya ‘Lara’ V3.4

SKIN: Glam Affair ‘Katra’ (Polar) August NB

EYEBROWS: Just Magnetized – Diva Brows – Brunette02

EYES: IKON ‘Triumph Eyes’ – ‘Armor’ GROUP GIFT

LASHES: Hush ‘Flirt’

EYELINER: MONS Black Eyeliner Series No.8

LIPS: PXL Sweet Lips

LIPSTICK: Arise ‘Jenn’ Reds 6 pack – VINTAGE & COOL FAIR

EARS: Mandala ‘Steking’ Series 5 (Pixie)

HAIR: VANITY HAIR ‘Winehouse’ (Ombres Naturals)

Outfit:

SHIRT: FOXES ( I cannot find a LM for this brand?!) ‘Throw back and tied-Red’

SKIRT: BUENO Denim Skirt -Midnight Dark (Ripped)

BRA: (Just seen) FOXES Brasserie ‘Animal’ COLLABOR88

Kittywitchin'

One of Second Life's Oldest Fashion and virtual living blogs, established 2007

Category: fashion

WITCHY WEEK: ‘Bia’ by Baiastice

And then Kitty’s ovaries exploded..

A few of Kitty’s Arcade Faves

LOTD: Forever inspired by Amy

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