Category: second life fashion

NAR MATTARU LEAVES ME SPELLBOUND!

NAR MATTARU LEAVES ME SPELLBOUND!

by Lisa Millar ♥ 2 Comments

Spellbound_005

SPELLBOUND is a brand I am really digging at the moment, full stop. For a start they have really nailed their branding; the whole witchy-vibe is obviously something that’s going to appeal to me, but there’s more to it than that, it’s presented so damn well. From the store itself, to the font used on the packaging, it’s utterly perfect. And I’ll tell you what else is perfect, the latest Spellbound hair release, ‘Toothbrush’.

Spellbound_006To be honest it strikes me that the creator, Kohana Xue,  MUST have a background in Witchcraft/Occultism because the symbols on the logo and the way they’re presented is done just a little too well. Either that or they’ve a serious Harry Potter addiction! There are witchy books, potion bottles galore, and even a cauldron on the counter. ( I wish there was a Second Life Witchcraft store like this!) There’s also oodles of cat print and teak- texture giving the place a retro feel. It looks so good and frankly it just makes me want to loiter in the store with intent!Nar Mattaru leaves me spellbound

But the hair, oh the lovely, lovely hair! Gorgeous colours and shades in styles that hint at diverse influences from Kawaii to rockabilly. They look brilliant when worn (I own a few styles from here now) but I have to be honest and say that I think ‘Toothbrush’ is my absolute favourite so far. Reason? Well just look at that epic plaited fringe, the shaggy bob styling and the loose bow. It’s ruddy gorgeous.  What I don’t understand though is why it’s called ‘Toothbrush’?  For a start, it in no way resembles a brush, nor would I want to stick it in my gob. That said, I’m not going to lose any sleep over the name, it could be called ‘Donkey Nadgers’ and I would still have bought it and worn it with pride. Anyway, I got myself the Brunettes pack from C88 for a steal at L$188, and it includes HUDS for both ribbon and hair. You can also wear the style without the bow if you’re kinky like that. Why you would want to is beyond me though, it’s just beyond perfection as is.

Incidentally I MUST tell you about the skin I am currently inhabiting. It’s from NAR MATTARU and is called ‘Maya’, and bugger me it’s nice. I’ve seriously fallen in love with NAR MATTARU, I really have.

Jade Glazner is one of those skin creators that just gets it. Her make-ups are divine, and the brows are just the most delicious kind of awesome. Since discovering her work this year I’ve become transfixed by it and wearing it is an absolute dream. One of the things that I really love is her make-ups, they’re inspired. She’s clearly not afraid to try new and unusual colour combos making her skins a great choice for a more edgy, punkish look. But don’t be put off by that, they’re so pretty too that they’ll lend themselves easily to any look you can possibly imagine.

MAYA is available NOW  at the OMGacha July round. I’m a bit late in posting about her, sorry about that, but you still have five days to go and throw your lindens at the machine to try and win all six makeups (plus the bare/no-makeup Rare version). She’s  available in six tones (I’m sporting Tone 3) with Slink (hand/feet) appliers included at just L$99 per play. You’ll also be able to find Physique appliers in Jade’s store too,something I swiftly invested in so that I could get the most out of Maya.

I think the NAR MATTARU ‘Maya’ skin and the SPELLBOUND ‘Toothbrush’ hair make for an absolutely fabulous combination, and I shall be wearing them with pride.

I think you might enjoy doing the same. Care to join me?

Kitty wears: 

  • Hair by SPELLBOUND ‘Toothbrush’ Brunettes @ C88 
  • Skin by NAR MATTARU Maya in Tone 3, Goth Chic featured in the main image.  (Other make-ups featured are Spring Fling, Goth Chic, Smoky and Pinup Girl.  Not featured are Bare or Emerald but they’re equally spiffy!)@ OMGACHA
  • Eyes by IKON (Destiny Eyes-Maya)
  • Septum Ring by MONS (Style 1, Gold) @Dressing Room Fusion
  • Lashes by HUSH (‘Flirt’)
  • Tee by PIXICAT (‘Cutout Tie Top’ (Grey))
  • Skirt by BOOM (‘Tweed Mini’ (Graphite))
  • Bag by MILK MOTION (The Cat Bag, black)
We wanna get loaded and we wanna have a good time..

We wanna get loaded and we wanna have a good time..

by Lisa Millar ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Loaded

As a brand APHORISM genuinely never disappoints.  It constantly  features diverse product lines, especially over the past few months. Great shape and attention to detail is for me where the label excels, and they’ve proved that again at this month’s edition of  THE MENS DEPT.

You will definitely want to check their latest release out, because it’s a bit of a dazzler. It’s called ‘Loaded‘, and features slim jeans and tees, with a twist…The jeans have a handgun down the front of them. Yikes!
(Cue zillions of “Is that a gun in your pants or are you just pleased to see me?” jokes…)

Smart jeans and tees ALWAYS work, in real life or Second. APHORISM always produces great denim, their ‘Men’s Regular Jeans’ being a firm favourite of Jez’s due to their texturing and colour. These ‘Loaded’  jeans are slimmer but no less detailed, with tonnes of creasing and fading in all the right places across the range. The tees look aged and slightly worn and wear well on your frame. Worn together it’s a classic, ever-so-slightly vintage combination straight out of Hollywood. Think heist movies, think fast cars and dark heroes; this is what ‘Loaded’ is all about, and it’s incredibly evocative as outfits go. I’m not a fan of guns in any way so wearing this felt a little out of my comfort zone, but I have to say I think he looks ruddy swell and swoonsome, don’t you think?

To finish Jez’s look I treated him to some snazzy footwear courtesy of  2REAL. These ‘Max Crystal’ trainers really are the dog’s cogs; when you wear them and zoom in the level of detail is gasp worthy. I know for a fact laddo would wear these in real life so it was very satisfying to see him wear them in Second. There’s a nifty HUD which enables you to wear your shoes with laces or without; he doesn’t have a preference apparently, but like me he really digs the pattern that embellishes these and the window in the sole giving them a retro look suggestive of Nike Air Trainers.  I do love it when you zoom in on something and it looks absolutely amazing, don’t you? Pro-tip: Buy these in a really bright colour as a contrast to your outfit to get heads turning!

Loaded 2

Last but not least, another shout-out to the ever-amazing SIGNATURE Mesh Avatar ‘Anthony’  that Jez is sporting, which I discussed in this previous post. I think he is the epitome of sexual chocolate wearing it,  and it was really easy to get his APHORISM clothes to fit perfectly courtesy of the HUD.  I really can’t wax lyrical about it enough, suffice to say if you have L$300 in your pocket that is burning a hole go and treat yourself to some mesh body happiness.

The Mens Dept. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, it really does serve the males of Second Life (and their partners) incredibly well indeed.

Get yourself over there!

*Note: It’s pretty obvious BUT The tees are made specifically to work with the jeans; they have a special tuck and shadow on them so that they’ll work perfectly when worn together so don’t buy a tee on its own unless you want to look a bit odd.. And both the APHORISM ‘Loaded’ ensemble and the 2REAL trainers are available for both male and female avatars.  Winning! 

Oh and yes, I DID listen to this while I was writing this post, how could I not?!

COLLABOR88 – ON SAFARI WITH KITTY

COLLABOR88 – ON SAFARI WITH KITTY

by Lisa Millar ♥ 1 Comment

Jacket front

 One of the reasons I’m so addicted to Second Life, as I’ve probably said many, many times before, is that I get to live vicariously ‘through’ my avatar. 

For example, Kitty gets to wear things that I can only ever dream about.

In real life I’m a bit of a chunky monkey, not that I care especially as I’m happy just the way I am (The horror! Someone who is fine about their flab! Have I no shame?!), but in Second Life I tend towards a more slender yet curvaceous figure.

In other words, I actually have a waist instead of a spare tyre..oh the humanity, so boxy jackets have become a thing for me in recent months. You may have read my post from December 2013  where I waxed lyrical about the  EMERY Denim Jacket, which is to my mind still one of the best jackets in-world and brilliant for teaming with other items like long dresses and skirts and the like, but I’m always on the look out for another for my collection.
And I’ve just  found it.

Now, when I heard that C88 was going to be a ‘Safari Chic’ theme I have to confess I was a tad disappointed because to me Safaris automatically conjure up images of Victorian moustached men-types proudly showing off the latest beast that they’ve shot and are shipping home to their parlours to be stuffed. I can’t say I’m keen on hunting, especially big-game which I think is the most pointless and cruel kind. So my initial thoughts were that I’d give C88 a miss this round.

But I haven’t, and boy am I glad I changed my mind because if I hadn’t ventured forth and battled my way through the crowds I’d have missed out on so much. In fact, I’ve brought an absolute shit-ton of amazing fashion at this month’s event already, and I’ll be sharing it with you this week, but by gum I MUST tell you about this jacket. OH MY GODS JUST LOOK AT THIS RUDDY JACKET! Isn’t it PERFECT?!

It’s from THE SECRET STORE and is the kind of jacket that I have been after for an absolute age. It’s more formal than my denim number, but still casual enough to wear anywhere without looking out of place. It’s one of those items that you see and automatically stop in your tracks and squeal “I NEED THIS!!” in a pathetic manner. It’s a banquet on a stick of jacket happy.

For a start the shape is beautiful. There are no sharp angles or zips, just undulating curves and a lovely, slightly raised neckline too. I’m incredibly taken by the fact that there is no random frippery and fanciful decoration to the front either. To be honest I’m sure it would have looked swell with buttons and adornments of all types, but for me it is absolutely stonking just as it is, with pockets to the breast that are neither fussy nor boring, instead they sit flush to the fabric and are just enough to stop the front from looking too plain.

The shoulders do see some militaristic detail; there are buttons, but they don’t scream “Look at me! I’m a military jacket!” at you, they’re quite subtle and unobtrusive really. The sleeves are a delight; a little gathered at the top to create a slightly puffy appearance, but not so much that the jacket tips into the Gothic realm. They are finished nicely too, with the cuffs ending neatly on the wrist.

Jacket back

The back of the jacket is just as excellent as the front. It’s gathered into the middle and is finished with the same button detail that featured on the shoulders, but again it’s not too ostentatious. The detailing on the buttons is rather good and the creasing that is etched into the whole item is very authentic looking. I can’t quite work out what the fabric is; in close up it seems to be some sort of herringbone linen/cotton mix, but I can’t tell. (I do know that if you swap the buttons for some with a touch of bling and change the fabric to velvet you’ll have the perfect going out jacket for Autumn/Winter- there you go THE SECRET STORE, you can have that idea for free! )

But I digress. This is a really smashing item and one that you really should include in your virtual wardrobe. I’ve invested in the black option, BUT there are ten colours available and if you can splash out on the fat pack at L$888 then I’d strongly suggest that you do. This singular item will finish off so many outfits beautifully that it would be almost scandalous to not own the ‘Noah Jacket’ in every tantalising option.

I’ve teamed it with another absolutely cracking find, the Kafue Mini-Skirt by BAIASTICE. It always gives me a lot of pleasure to see Sissy Pessoa’s latest designs because she’s worked so hard to become one of the most successful labels on the grid and really deserves her place among the fashion elite. The Kafue skirt is another example of a simple idea executed beautifully by Sissy, featuring a stylish belt that sits on the waist and a skirt in either pattern or plain fabric. Sissy always makes great fabric choices I think, and this skirt offers some great options and will offer heaps of wear. Of course, I had to have the cat print, but there are ten colours and six prints to choose from in the range at just L$88 a pop.

SHOES
Last but not least, on my feet I’m sporting some rather splendid recycled tyre sandals courtesy of BOOM. This work so well that I think I’ll be wearing them for the entirety of my virtual summer! You all know what a texture whore I am, and these have been textured perfectly to represent their origins; when you zoom in you can ‘see’ the dimples and roughness that suggests they’re recycled items. There’s a tarnished look to the buckles and a suggestion of a cork inner-sole too. They look really comfy actually! They can only be worn with SLink flat feet, but that’s no hardship; throw on your favourite nail lacquer and your feet will look a treat!

Finally, I found some cracking poses at COLLABOR88 that I really do need to mention. They’re from PURPLE POSES (a guest at this month’s event) and I confess I hadn’t heard of the brand before. As soon as I’d purchased these I knew I wanted more, so I popped over to Audrey Guter’s studio where I was pretty dazzled by the range on offer all at really decent prices too! The set available at C88 is called ‘Rachel‘ and they’re really nice modelling poses that I can see myself using lots in the future, not just in this post. Sometimes you just want a pose that isn’t too Avant-garde, but still suggests movement and will look great in photos without too much hassle; these poses fit the bill and are just what I was after.

I would say go and buy all of these items right now, but seeing as it’s day one of C88 you don’t need me to tell you that your chances of getting in first try are slim to none!

Instead, why not check out the Flickr feed or the official blog for a while before you try your luck. And trust me when I say it’s definitely worth it!

KITTY WEARS:

I’m ALL ABOUT ANTHONY…

I’m ALL ABOUT ANTHONY…

by Lisa Millar ♥ 3 Comments

mesh body_cut I make no bones about my love for TMD- The Mens Dept. It’s entirely possible that I look forward to it more than FAMESHED or even COLLABOR88 ( and that’s saying something!) especially when you consider I’m not a male avatar! But the fact is that each month it sells some bloody glorious stuff, it really does.

I’ll be honest, the fact that it’s expanding in size fills me with both hope and dread; hope because I think this means that male avatars are finally being seen as just as important as female, especially when it comes to fashion, but dread because I’m worried that the standard of the showcase will slip. I’ve got to be honest here and say a couple of the brands included this month were a little bit, hmm how can I put this? ‘Not up to the usual standard’, shall we say, BUT hopefully they’ll use the opportunity of being part of such an auspicious event to improve their products and prove that they’re worthy of inclusion. The one thing you have to say about TMD is each month it’s an absolute roaring success. It’s always jammed to the rafters and filled with some utterly gorgeous avatars too..not that I go looking or anything, ahem! Now that little intro  is out of the way let me tell you about what Jez and I fell in love with when we visited today. A MESH BODY FOR MEN. GAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!

Now, when you consider we’ve just had the release of the SLink Physique and there’s a number of other female mesh bodies on the market it had to be that the fully-fledged male equivalent was just around the corner, and it seems that it’s been launched at TMD.And you know what? I really, REALLY like him. Take a look. That shot at the top of the page isn’t touched up in any way, shape or form, I’ve merely trimmed the picture for the blog. Is your jaw still on the floor? Are your pants ever-so-slightly damp? I know mine ruddy well are!  LOOK!!

mesh body_005

Isn’t he an absolute dish? His name is ‘Anthony’. He’s a SIGNATURE MESH AVATAR creation, and comes complete with body, shape, four skin tones and Alpha Hud.  

The product itself is straightforward to fit- there are alphas for full body and one for the head, meaning you can use your own chops should you want to. However, this will prove tricky due to skin tone matching; there are just four shades to select from and unless you plan on wearing polo necks you’re going to see seams UNTIL we start getting appliers for this product. (Skin creators are going to be an incredibly busy bunch in the next few months aren’t they? APPLIER ALL THE THINGS!!)

Fortunately ‘Anthony’ has a very lovely face. In fact, he is incredibly handsome. There’s something a little, hmm, Nordic or even Baltic about his face, and I’m not complaining about that in any way, shape or form. In profile he is a sensation, with his nommable lips and thick, shapely brows making him an extremely attractive guy. I love his nose. He looks good bald, but he’s a real treat when worn with some rather surprising hair choices; for some reason I decided to try some Dura hair on him, not for a moment thinking it would work…and just LOOK AT HIM! He’s a sensation isn’t he?! OOF!!! The skin tones, whichever one you opt for, are each pretty darn lovely featuring great shading, blemish details and tone. He’s a very realistic guy. I always thought that Jez looked great in his REDGRAVE skin before, but now there’s just no comparison and I don’t think there’s any going back, he looks way too good in this!   Of course, this being a mesh body means he has decent feet and hands. I’ve always held a special loathing for the bog-standard male avatars hands and even though SLink produced some amazing male add-ons Jez ain’t my avatar so I didn’t fork out for them, and subsequently whenever I’ve photographed him I’ve tried to do it in such a way as to hide his shovel-like claws.

For some reason, and I’m sure I’ve not been the only one to notice it, whenever Jez posed his hands would occasionally look really ‘off’. It wasn’t something I ever really noticed replicated by the female avatars, but I often saw it with Jez and ruddy hated it.

I don’t need to worry about it now, because he has nice hands and they work beautifully with the rest of the mesh. In fact, his body is rather ruddy delightful. (I predict this torso will be one of the most photographed in SL over the next few weeks!)

You know, upon reflection It’s just ever so slightly possible that I’m a wee bit more impressed by this than I am the SLink physique  mesh body, even though it’s not something I’ll ever wear, and I’ll tell you why that is. I wasn’t convinced that a male mesh body would be as successful as a female. For some reason my kitty-fried brain just didn’t think it could be achieved; I knew Siddean Munro would nail her mesh body creation, but when it came to the boys I had no expectations really, so it’s great to be so pleasantly surprised. I guess I was a little narrow-minded in my expectations, but I’m so chuffed that they’ve been surpassed!  It’s not perfect though, of course it’s not. There’s room for improvement. I’d like to be able to change my eyes for a start, and I’d also like to see eyelashes. I’d like the ear shape/detail to be slightly improved, picky puss that I am. But these are relatively minor quibbles on my part (and perhaps something I can change anyway, I just don’t know it yet) but as I keep saying to myself, it’s ‘early days’. I mean, look how bad mesh clothes were in the beginning against where we are now. Who’d have thought it eh?

Incidentally Jez is wearing ‘Anthony’ against his usual shape, and that’s something that I really like about this mesh, it fit onto his frame without any alterations needing to be made and looked good from the get go. The HUD is also exceptionally easy to use and works a treat, no problems there at all.  In fact, the only problem that I did encounter with fitting was a serious case of bug-eye, but that was swiftly addressed by using the sliders.

I can’t wait to see how my peers are going to style ‘Anthony’ on their blogs, and I have a really good feeling about him. In fact, this Kitty is about to go and test him out in the bath..you know..for science or something. Oh, and a final point. This mesh avatar is just L$300 at THE MENS DEPT. Which is so cheap as to be scandalous, so what are you waiting for? I’m guessing the price reflects that he is a ‘Lite’ version, whatever that means, but even so it’s an absolute gift at that price. Go and try him out!! (Also check out the SIGNATURE MESH AVATARS Flickr and Facebook pages, where you can leave comments to help with product development, something I always love to see!)

Congratulations to Brox and all the team behind this epic creation, now you must excuse me as I’m being called from the bathroom..apparently the water is warm, the champagne has been poured and I’m being missed….LUCKY KITTY!!

mesh body Jez

Jez wears: