Category: Places to Visit

JUST JEZ – The Mens Dept Has It All!

JUST JEZ – The Mens Dept Has It All!

by Lisa Millar ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

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I don’t know what Jez would do without THE MENS DEPT; it’s just such a boon to Second Life men’s fashion. It constantly  features excellent designers to fall in love with* and offers fabulous on-trend items and home-wares.  This month is no exception either; a range of absolutely sensational gear that is very easy to wear and is guaranteed to turn your fella from Ebbe Linden stylin’ to street chic in less than the time it takes you to read this post!

My particular favourites this month include this fabulous style from INK HAIR, this gorgeous tee and tied shirt combo by HOWL and these epic pants from APPLE MAY DESIGNS. 

INK HAIR is definitely Jez’s brand of choice and it always looks fabulous on him. Their colour range is particularly good, with the brown shade suiting his over-all look perfectly.  I find that their hair-bases always wear well too; they don’t look as though someone has gone crazy with the boot-polish on his scalp.  This style, ‘Flow’, is really substantial and frames his face beautifully at the front. It blends into the hair-base well and doesn’t look ‘stuck-on’, as can often be the case with such styles.

The HOWL tee is a real find.  It’s mesh, and I did notice that to get a good fit on the sleeves he had to adjust his pecs ever-so-slightly, but no matter, such sacrifices must be made in the name of fashion.  If you’re willing to shell out some extra Lindens then you can boost your package (ooer missus!) with a HUD that features a number of tee patterns and shirt colours, so this piece will definitely see Jez through Summer 2014 in style.

I have to confess that I usually despair at baggy-crotch pants, but these ‘After Shorts’ were too good to pass on, although I really do find myself wanting to give Jez the most epic of wedgies every time that he passes me, hence his voice being a little squeaky at the moment! (I may have pulled a little too tightly last time! Oopsy!) The style of these is actually pretty nice, and they’re textured really well, something you would expect from APPLE MAY DESIGNS. Plus if he wasn’t wearing the tied-shirt, you’d be able to see that he’s wearing pants too. Rather than going commando, you get the briefest glimpse of boxer shorts in these bad boys. Yum!

To finish he put on his old fave EUDORA trainers, which were a group gift (although there are some spangly new space-age ones in THE MENS DEPT this month) and added some jewellery from a previous TMD round from MANDALA  (another brand with some epic new releases at the event)  (The bracelets are old group gifts from RONSEM).

I really love this look on Jez; he looks cool and stylish with a polished, urban edge, and it wasn’t a painful experience getting him to go shopping at THE MENS DEPT at all, in fact, truth be told, I think he enjoyed it!

And so will you, I guarantee it! Here’s your TAXI! 

Jez wears:

  • Shape – Jez’s Own
  • Skin – ‘David’ by REDGRAVE
  • Tattoo – ‘Japanese Sleeves’ by AITUI
  • Eyes – ‘Ascension’ Eyes in Pewter by IKON
  • Hair – ‘Flow’ by INK
  • Necklace – ‘Kotowari (Full) by MANDALA
  • Shoes – ‘Blaze’ Hi-Tops by EUDORA 3D (Group gift)
  • Tee/Shirt – ‘Rui’ Summer Outfit by HOWL (I wonder if he has a moving castle?! Sorry..)
  • Shorts – ‘After’ Shorts in Dark Denim by APPLE MAY DESIGNS
  • Bracelets on both wrists were group gifts from RONSEM

*The majority of items on this list, with a few exceptions, were from designers Jez discovered because of THE MENS DEPT; which just shows how effective these kinds of events are. Whenever Jez goes shopping now, these are the designers he tends to check out first…just sayin’ ;P 

Tantalised by Taryn from Nar Mattaru

Tantalised by Taryn from Nar Mattaru

by Lisa Millar ♥ 2 Comments

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When it comes to writing about a new skin, putting the pressures of Skin Fair to one side, I like to really take my time and ‘live’ in the skin for a few days. It’s like anything new; you need time to become accustomed to the changes, to feel the benefits of the change and also to notice any quirks that emerge due to your new appearance.

Over the past few days I’ve been enjoying the latest Nar Mattaru release. Her name is Taryn and oh my word is she special. Guys, I adore her. She is an absolute beauty, with excellent detailing in all the places that matter. There are seven tones to choose from catering to every possible taste; I opted to try ‘Suntan’ and found it to be a rich, caramel shade that really suits my shape. As you can see, I look pretty hot, even if I do say so myself!

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The face is the main selling point for me with this skin. To be fair, I guess it’s the same for most skins I wear;  if I don’t immediately ‘click’ with the visage on a skin I won’t wear it. I know there’s a trend for unusual faces in-world, and fair-play to those that sport them, but my style has always been tailored towards what I guess you would describe as ‘classically beautiful’.  ‘Taryn’ is certainly that. Her face fit onto my shape perfectly and just evoked glamour from the get-go.

Seriously if you covet a beautiful look then ‘Taryn’ is not to be missed. I found her to be adaptable to many styles that I tested her with and wasn’t disappointed in any way, shape or form. Thing is, her make ups are utterly scrumptious. They’re really perfect in the choice of colours and the application; my particular favourite is ‘Canary’ which features the most delectable splash of colour and winged liner to compliment. There’s no end to the fun you can have with the make-ups either, there are 12 lipsticks and 7 eye make-ups to play with. I particularly enjoy wearing the lip gloss with the more avant-garde shades, such as the vibrant blue and punkish black lipstick…it really adds a slick of polish to a very modern look!

The other strength in this skin is her sculpted brows and the options for contouring and blush that are available too, in fact Jade hasn’t missed a trick when it comes to options for Taryn, with appliers for practically everything available separately; Slink, Azz, Wowmeh and Tango.

One thing I particularly love about this skin is that it photographs well. If you enjoy taking photographs of your avatar, the make-ups alone make Taryn a sound investment. She’s getting some excellent press too, and frankly I’m not surprised; there are a lot of bloggers out there who are just as enamoured by her as I am. Willow Zander has waxed lyrical about this skin’s many virtues, as has Elle Avanti, to name-check a few of the blogging celebrities out there currently enjoying this fabulous release.

nar mattaru_002Playing about withPicmonkey, as well as some of the make-up options, enabled me to create this rather vintage snap above.  There’s no denying the beauty of this skin really, is there? 

NAR MATTARU was a new name to me until I went to Skin Fair earlier this year, and I had a hunch then that Jade Glazner was a designer to watch.  For me Taryn has completely confirmed my judgement, it’s an excellent release and deserves to be worn and enjoyed by many across the grid.  The fact that she is so versatile and has so much to offer makes her an absolute must have for any skin addict.

Taryn comes with:

  • FOUR cleavage options (Small, regular, large and push-up)
  • FOUR brow options (Blonde, brown, ginger and black)
  • Make-up pack (Lip-gloss layer plus Eight lipsticks and seven eye shadows)
  • Tintable moles, blush, contouring and freckles

You get a LOT for your L$1000 making her a very sound investment indeed, and you can purchase additional appliers at the main store as I mentioned before.  What’s not to love?

Click HERE for your taxi and if you see Jade, tell her Kitty sent ya! 

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Skin by NAR MATTARU, Eyes by IKON, Hair by SPELLBOUND.

AND THEN JEZ TOOK AN ARROW TO THE KNEE…

AND THEN JEZ TOOK AN ARROW TO THE KNEE…

by Lisa Millar ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

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I’m not really a fantasy chick. Now, don’t get me wrong, if Aragorn romped my way brandishing his sword at me in a wild and happy manner I wouldn’t say no, nor would I kick Jon Snow or Rob Stark out of bed if I’m honest, but on a day to day basis fantasy isn’t really my bag. I like to dabble in it on occasion for sure, but  I’m more likely to be sporting a pair of yoga pants and a tee rather than a pair of winged sandals and the Holy Hand Grenade Of Antioch. That could all be set to change though as a result of the Fantasy Gacha Carnival though, especially the fantastic APHORISM contributions.

ImageHead on over to the event and drop L$75 into their machine and in a matter of seconds you could find yourself  sporting one of these fantastic helmets. There are 8 commons and three rares to try to win, and my particular favourites are the Pagan Skull and Winged Viking design (both of which Jez is kindly sporting above.)  They look fabulous and I’m sure would be a real find for the most earnest of role-playing types. I confess I find Jez very, erm..alluring in this kind of head-wear and it might lead to another kind of role-play not catered to at this event..!

Moving swiftly on I should mention that APHORISM have also crafted some fabulous leather tunics and chain-mail for both male and female avatars that are available at the event too.  Of course they look perfect with the helmets, and best of all the rares feature ‘Arrow Attack’, a HUD controlled feature that includes fantastic battle animations for role-playing. You can check out some pictures of Jez sporting a few of the designs on my FLICKR, and they really are impressive items indeed. APHORISM is a brand that never disappoints and it’s so nice to see that they don’t compromise their standards for Gacha prizes, and dare I say it, their offerings are to my mind some of the highlights of the event.

Be sure to visit the Fantasy Gacha Carnival by clicking here. 

THE HOME SHOW 2014 – THE TANTALISING TORONTO LIVINGROOM AND BATHROOM

THE HOME SHOW 2014 – THE TANTALISING TORONTO LIVINGROOM AND BATHROOM

by Lisa Millar ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

The TORONTO sets have been, I’m sure, a roaring success for Ria Bazar. Every single one has been an astonishing release, and none more so than the TORONTO BATHROOM and LIVING ROOM, at THE HOME SHOW 2014. Of course there’s a house to match the sets so you can have a fabulous, complete look from top to bottom, but I’ve found that these pieces work extremely well in a skybox setting, and because they’re mesh and prim-light they’re a perfect choice for a Linden Home with their ridiculous 250 prim limit. (Would it hurt to make it 500 Linden Lab, WOULD IT?)

ImageSo what can I tell you about them? I always wax-lyrical about Ria’s work upon these pages, and I ain’t about to change, especially when you consider how awesome these latest releases are. The living room is fresh and funky and works beautifully in both male and female abodes.  When I visited THE HOME SHOW the sets were proving exceptionally popular. (There was constantly a crowd checking the displays out which was great to see, but a bugger for taking photos! However in the end I got a few snaps to share, and then I want to show you what I’ve done with them in my skybox)

The strength of the whole TORONTO collection has always been the industrial chic elements combined with classic lines and modern yet tasteful accessories. This is amplified in the living room, with a statement sofa (colour-change, natch) that can be used with or without a decorative throw, and two metal chairs. One of them is available with a cushion which you’d need, as I imagine that it would be a bit uncomfortable upon the old derrière if you didn’t use one! There’s a very stylish leather pouffe to compliment, along with an epic combination of a standard lamp that is reminiscent in styling of a builders hand-held lamp, and a very striking main fitting that looks a bit like a spider! These elements are tied together by some beautifully decorated bookcases, a plant, a globe and some great photo frames ready to fill with your fave snaps. As always the accessories are just as fabulous as the main pieces and I really rate the wire candle-sticks and world-map that bring the suite together. It’s perfect to use on its own, or to add to, which is what I’ve done in my skybox below…

ImageThe TORONTO BATHROOM carries the factory vibe even further and a word to all Steampunk aficionados, you will need this in your life. The metal finish adorning all the key pieces can be colour changed to suit your needs, and the lighting echoes that in the living room; functional yet completely on-trend. The emphasis on metal textures and pipe-work, along with the wire accessory baskets, traditional stamped signs and brilliantly executed accessories make this an absolute winner, and that’s before you even consider the animations and rezzable props that can be applied.

ImageIt never ceases to amaze me how many extras that Ria fits into her furniture sets at no extra cost. They are always incredibly useful for scene-setting and you can make some gorgeous photographs with them, or use them to just enjoy spending time with your loved one. The TORONTO BATHROOM has to be my absolute favourite yet; it’s just so imaginative and will work in so many modern spaces, lofts and skyboxes. It’s absolutely made of win. And of course you can style these items in a myriad of ways, and you’re guaranteed a satisfying result. This is how I’ve done my bathroom, isn’t it glorious?

Bathroom_003

The reason I feature BAZAR so frequently on these pages is because Ria excites me so much as a designer. The work she produces consistently offers fabulous quality and value for money.  From the classical stylings of the FLORIA range to her fantastic residences, Ria has provided something for everyone in her collection, and I’ll awlways be proud to feature her on my pages.

 You can visit her in-world store by clicking HERE, her marketplace HERE or check out these two TORONTO releases at THE HOME SHOW 2014. Here’s looking forward to her next release, I wonder what it will be?