Category: Marketplace

Any colour, as long as it’s black

Any colour, as long as it’s black

by Lisa Millar ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

JUDE_001I think I’ve mentioned before on these pages how much blogging has changed in general since I started all those years ago.  These days there’s far more emphasis on designers seeking out a select few bloggers to actively promote their wares, rather than bloggers approaching them directly.  The latter still happens, but I guess these days it’s a bit passe.  The general consensus is understood to be that you find out who’s looking for bloggers, and you see if you meet their criteria.  If you do meet their requirements then job’s a carrot and you apply and hope/pray/sacrifice to the Gods that you’re accepted.  Now there’s nothing wrong with this approach, but it does have flaws.  For example, designers can have certain criteria that some bloggers find very difficult to attain.  A recent example of this was DEAD DOLLZ.  Now, I’m a huge fan of the brand but I didn’t stand a cat in hell’s chance of being accepted as a blogger for them. Nor did a lot of other people, cue tantrums and snark and cries of “It’s not fair!” Perhaps it isn’t, but here’s the thing, if you make something and you’re going to give it away for free then I think it’s your right to choose who blogs it. Suck it up Buttercup, move along and if you like something THEN BUY IT! Yes, I know it seems to be the same bloggers who get the goodies every time; well, look at their work and you’ll see the reasons why they’ve been chosen. It sucks not to be selected, I get that.  After all my time in-world I still apply for events and I don’t qualify for many more, but I never give up.  (It comes down to this; blog for yourself, for enjoyment above all else, and anything else that comes along is a bonus!)

Anyway, I went to  THE BLACK FASHION FAIR 2016 this morning after a considerable lie-in (boy, I needed that!. ) I rezzed in-world and zoomed over to the event and I was generally very impressed by the quality of the wares on display.  I was also very pleased by the layout of the place; it’s easy to navigate and makes shopping very accessible. There’s a lot of lacey numbers on display, along with plenty of tops and short slinky dresses. I spotted some gorgeous gowns too, and some great jewellery.  (You’ll also find quite a few quality freebies, including a set of three poses from PURPLE POSES that you mustn’t forget to pick up.  PURPLE POSES are a great pose brand and I do like their work, so anything free from them is a proper treat!)

Anyway, going back to my intro I picked up this cracking dress with suspenders by DEAD DOLLZ at the event and I think it’s a bit of a corker. It’s called ‘Jude’, and is made for my Maitreya body so fits perfectly. The HUD that comes with it allows for a few texture change options along with metal and fabric colours for the suspenders, and three different stocking styles.  I’ve teamed it with a hairstyle that will be available at TRES CHIC.  It’s by BEUSY, and it’s called ‘Lolita’. This is a prime example of my trying something that I wasn’t too sure about and it working utterly perfectly.  I love the plait across the crown and the tendrils that frame the face. It’s also very easy to resize too, which helps!

Of course,  I’m still wearing my ‘Lucie’ skin that I blogged yesterday, along with DEESSES eyeshadow to emphasise my peepers, which are from BUZZ at THE EPIPHANY.  It takes a lot to get me out of my IKON eyeballs, but this brand is a close favourite of mine, and I luckily dropped a rare on my first try! I’m also sporting a few freebies in this shot.  First of all these earrings and my black manicure are all gifts from THE BLACK FASHION FAIR 2016, along with an aforementioned pose by PURPLE POSES. Last but not least my location is actually a prop that I won in a Gacha at TRES CHIC from L’etre.

Here’s your shopping list! Happy Saturday!

Kitty Wears:

SKIN: AMARA BEAUTY ‘Lucie’ CATWA applier /MAITREYA body applier in 02 Fair (worn with lipstick from matching lip palette) Available from WE ❤ ROLEPLAY 

HAIR: BEUSY ‘Lolita’ TRES CHIC

EYES: BUZZ  ‘Glacier Eyes-Storm (RARE)’  THE EPIPHANY

EYE MAKE-UP: DEESSES ‘Fierce’ Eyeshadow set (Catwa)

DRESS: DEAD DOLLZ ‘Jude’ THE BLACK FASHION FAIR 2016

SHOES: REIGN ‘Onyx Heels’ (Maitreya High)

EARRINGS: SN@TCH ‘Akasha’ Earrings – FREEBIE- THE BLACK FASHION FAIR 2016

MANICURE: PICHI ‘Black Manicure Nail Lacquer’ – FREEBIE- THE BLACK FASHION FAIR 2016

POSE: PURPLE POSES ‘Callie 02’-FREEBIE- THE BLACK FASHION FAIR 2016

PROP: L’ETRE ‘Contemporary Hall’ (From Gacha) TRES CHIC 

I Love Lucie

I Love Lucie

by Lisa Millar ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Pure & Simple..and I do, I really do. It doesn’t matter how many skins I wear (and I must have worn hundreds during all my years in Second Life) nothing, and I mean NOTHING, beats the feeling of putting on a new skin and realising it’s the closest thing to perfection you’ve ever encountered. Well, at least that’s until the next slice of perfection comes along, which is pretty frequently in our virtual world these days, but forgive my capricious nature and allow me to indulge myself when I say for that moment nought comes close to that skin that you’re inhabiting.

I refuse to believe that I’m the only one in Second Life who gets giddy when it comes to these things. You cannot stop camming in upon yourself and  you find yourself practically drooling into your keyboard as you twist and turn on your pose-stands.  Ever experienced that? It’s a real rush as you rummage through your inventory to find the perfect styles, the perfect make-ups and the absolute must-have outfits to match the dream skin you’re sporting, and you become ever-so-slightly obsessed with it to the point that you’re disappointed when you look in your real life mirror and don’t see that skin looking back at you..those blurred lines between your reality in the virtual world and the physical one are never more fuzzy than when you find something so perfect.

So, what am I prattling on about? My latest skin obsession, which is LUCIE from AMARA BEAUTY. If there was ever a skin that could shine bright like a diamond then folks, this is it! Amitie_001 I’m wearing here my CATWA ‘Gwen’ head, IKON eyes and MAITREYA ‘Lara’ body, along with my MANDALA ears. Nothing else, no make-up or additional in-world lighting; this is just a raw shot from my skybox. Gorgeous ain’t she? 

 What makes her so special for me, in particular, are a couple of the component features that Shantia Soulstar has used so expertly to create this beautiful face.  I’ve written on these pages many, many times about brows being ‘the coathangers of the face’ and how skins don’t work properly if the brows don’t work. It never ceases to amaze me how many esteemed designers in-world just don’t understand that simple fact! You can apply as much shade and tone to the base skin as you like but if your brows are dodgy then you may as well just throw your dice in the bin, do not pass ‘GO’ and go straight to jail.  Fortunately,  this is something that Shantia Soulstar has proved that she understands very well because the brow featured on ‘Lucie’ is the very definition of ‘on fleek’.  This is a thick, well-defined slim arch that sits beautifully upon the browbone of the mesh underneath.

The next critical feature is the mouth. Both brow and mouth need to balance out; I’m talking in terms of their weight and feel rather than colour. Again, some designers struggle with mouth shapes, and when you throw a mesh-head into the mix that complicates matters. Again, we aren’t let down here; this is a substantial lip that a certain Jenner girl would covet. Worn bare it’s plump and pouting; add lipstick and you’ve found your canvas.

The body is of course just as crucial to matters as the face, and anatomical details have to be present and correct.  To that end you’ll find everything in check here; highlights fall upon natural curves and shading accentuates the parts that matter.  Nipples look right whichever skin tone you choose (I’m wearing 02 Beige throughout) and knees, elbows and ankles ( all those bony bits!) have been worked upon to blend  into the rich base tone.

Shantia never skimps on the extras either: the lip palette that is available for LUCIE features an entire spectrum of juicy shades but of course, you can find appliers galore across Second Life to wear with her. As a base for make-up she’s a real treat; I’ve been revelling in everything that DEESSES produce recently for both my LELUTKA ‘Stella’ and CATWA ‘Gwen’ head, and I’ve found the DEESSES ‘Fierce’ eyeshadow palette and the ‘Luxe’ eyelashes set both work absolutely beautifully with LUCIE.

But back to the topic at hand: this skin is an absolute winner. She’s versatile and I’ve styled her in countless ways over the past few weeks that I’ve been wearing her, and I am so enjoying her.   Even though there have been recent skin releases from brands that I really adore I haven’t flinched, I’ve stayed true to LUCIE because she’s just resplendent.  Of course, I’m a fickle mistress and I will change to another skin soon enough I’m sure, but for now I am quite honestly happy to simply revel in her.

**Find ‘Lucie’ exclusively at WE LOVE ROLEPLAY until the end of April (booth 29)**

Kitty Wears (top picture): 

SKIN: AMARA BEAUTY ‘Lucie’ in 02 Fair (worn with lipstick from matching lip palette)

EYES: IKON ‘Triumph’ Eyes ‘Storm’

EYE MAKE UP: DEESSES ‘Fierce’ Eyeshadow Palette

HAIR: LITTLE BONES ‘Thoughts’

TOP: ZAARA ‘Ruhi’ Layered Blouse (Ivory) COLLABOR88

NOSE RING: ZAARA ‘Goa Party’ Baga Nosering

POSES: Picture 1: RK POSES ‘Cara’ 5  Picture 2: AMTIE ‘Aire’ 5

 

MBA: The BEST khakis in SL!

MBA: The BEST khakis in SL!

by Lisa Millar ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

In this post, you can see me wearing my new favourite trousers. Now, I very rarely wear trousers in-world, probably because I live in them in real-life, BUT I think that’s about to change because of these amazing ‘Shinoda’ khakis! They’re from the very well regarded in-world brand, VINYL, and you’ll find them at the MESH BODY ADDICTS BI-MONTHLY. I’ll tell you why I like them so much; for a start, the way that they’ve been ‘cut’ and shaped makes them look excellent. Creases in all the right places along with just the right amount of ‘slouch’ make for a realistic looking pant. I mean, just look at them, can’t you imagine lounging around in these, or grabbing your car keys and going out to shop in them? I know I can.  I want them in real life!Snapshot_003 They’re also available in an absolute plethora of colours too, and  I’ve no doubt you’ll see me wearing the majority of those a lot in-world, and on these pages. It’s not very often that I recommend fat-packing something (because it’s not often that I do that myself) but I genuinely recommend that you do that with these ‘Shinoda’ khakis because I guarantee they’ll go with anything and everything in your wardrobe! Hurray for my new favourite pants!Snapshot_002I’m wearing mine with a subtly-sexy vest and bra combo from VALENTINA E, along with some great flats that I acquired earlier today from KUSTOM 9 via the MOMENTO gacha machine. To finish I’ve opted for long and luscious locks, courtesy of this fabulous SPELLBOUND release from WHORE COUTURE FAIR 5. SPELLBOUND really are a magical (excuse the pun!) hair brand, and this style is no exception. I’m absolutely loving the waves that tumble over the front of the right shoulder, and the subtle plaits that tidy the hair to each side. It’s a very easy to wear style and works incredibly well with my CATWA ‘Gwen’ Mesh head without too many worries about fitting (the style is rigged) BUT in my opinion, you do need to wear a hair base with this style for best effect, so I am! My accessories are simple, a pair of tortoiseshell glasses from ISON and a necklace from YUMMY and I’m all set for a Kitty adventure with Jez in his new pad this weekend, how exciting! Look, I’ve packed a suitcase and everything! (LOVING this pose set from FROZEN poses at COSMOPOLITAN, it’s called ‘Luggage’ and you can have a LOT of fun with it creating scenes like this one!) Snapshot_008KITTY WEARS:

BODY: Maitreya ‘Lara’ V3.5

HEAD: Catwa ‘Gwen’

SKIN: Amara Beauty  Beige Maitreya Lara applier SKIN FAIR 2016 (Sim 2, booth 10)

HEAD APPLIER: Amara Beauty:’ ‘Kat’ (Beige) Catwa Applier  SKIN FAIR 2016 (As above) (Worn with Kat lipstick palette, shade is from the ‘Petal’ trio) 

EYES: IKON  ‘Sovereign’ Eyes– ‘Field’

HAIR: Spellbound ‘Your Ghost’ (Chapter I- Earth Tones) WCF 5

TOP: Valentina E Gwen Tank & Peekaboo Bra MAITREYAFIT Khaki

TROUSERS: Vinyl – Shinoda Khakis Lara in Orange – MESH BODY ADDICTS BI-MONTHLY

SHOES: Momento – Ballet flats (maitreya wine) KUSTOM 9

NECKLACE: Yummy Repurposed Charms Necklace – Eclectic – (Old N21 Exclusive)

GLASSES: Ison ‘Pegley’ glasses (Tortoise)

MBA: Crazy For ‘Carrie’and ‘Hera’

MBA: Crazy For ‘Carrie’and ‘Hera’

by Lisa Millar ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

fave place_001This, dear Kittywitchin’ readers, is my bedroom.  It’s a place you should all be pretty familiar with by now, because it serves as the backdrop for a lot of my posts.  Why wouldn’t it? I spend a LOT of time chilling out with my many cats and trying out poses and new clothes.  I also spend a lot of time snuggling Jez here, and well, I’ll leave the rest to your imagination!  I genuinely love my bedroom, but since I introduced my BAZAR Glam Closets I love it just that little bit more. But of course despite all my newly found closet space, I still cannot find anything to wear..ever. However, fear no more! The latest round of MESH BODY ADDICTS BI-MONTHLY has landed and as a result, I am impossibly happy, because I get to wear awesome things like this dress and these shoes. HURRAH!gladiator_003Now, far be it for me to blow my own trumpet, but I look bloody outstanding don’t I? That is due to a number of things.  First of all, this AMAZING skin from AMARA BEAUTY (formerly ZOUL CREATIONS) that can be found at SKIN FAIR 2016. (You can read all about it in the previous post on this blog!) The skin is one that you just have to show off, and I can think of no better way to do that than by wearing this absolutely divine frock from JUST BECAUSE.  It’s called ‘Carrie’  and it’s a short and incredibly sexy wee number. I immediately fell for this because straight away you can see how well modelled the mesh is: there is creasing galore, and you would expect that because this is a silky dress, so that’s a win! But what I also like are the straps and the lacing detail at the back….gladiator_007See what I mean? Stunning isn’t it? What could make it better? Well, I can answer that actually-HUD DRIVEN HAPPINESS, THAT’S WHAT! Yus; the dress has texture change options via a HUD, and even better than that, KNICKERS! (No, I’m not being rude!) This frock is made super-special by the fact that it includes panties that are also colour change (and may also be removed, should you not require them for any reason…) I’m pretty stoked by this dress, but was struggling for footwear ideas. For some reason, I just didn’t fancy heels, nor a full-on boot. Luckily for me, ILLI stepped into the fray with their rather excellent ‘Hera’ Gladiator-style  sandals (alas, no Russell Crowe in sight!) These fit my Maitreya frame incredibly well. They’re a substantial build and when you zoom in there are spot on with their rivets and stictching and leather effect finish.  I always like it when I see elements that add authenticity to a clothing item; these have a zip at the back so win on the realism ticket for me! gladiator_002I really feel that the MESH BODY ADDICTS BI-MONTHLY is an event that’s going from strength to strength, and when coupled with all the shopping and information at the dedicated MESH BODY ADDICTS sim you really cannot be living in the dark-ages anymore.  There’s just too much quality shopping to enjoy, and I hope you can see that when I say quality I really mean it.   Do yourself a favour, click HERE and go get some seriously satisfying shopping done!

KITTY WEARS:

BODY: Maitreya ‘Lara’ V3.5

HEAD: Lelutka ‘Stella’  1.3

SKIN: Amara Beauty ‘Beige’ Maitreya applier SKIN FAIR 2016 (Sim 2, booth 10)

HEAD APPLIER: Amara Beauty:’Kallie’ (Beige) SKIN FAIR 2016 (As above)

EYES: IKON  ‘Hope’ eyes– ‘Denim’

HAIR: Magika ‘Plenty’

TATTOO:Arise ‘Lisa’ SKIN FAIR 2016 (Sim 2, booth 45) 

SEPTUM PIERCING :Chary ‘Septum Ring’ 7 (RARE)

ENGAGEMENT RING: Cae ‘Cherish’

DRESS: Just Because ‘Carrie’ MBA EXCLUSIVE

BOOTS: Illi ‘Hera’ Gladiator Sandals MBA EXCLUSIVE

*Kitty quicky: Looking for a perfect Greek Goddess look? This dress in white, with the straps in gold + the gladiator sandals make for PERFECT Aphrodite inspired apparel!