Category: Skins

LOTD: Forever inspired by Amy

LOTD: Forever inspired by Amy

by Lisa Millar ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Amy x

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 14th September 1983 (I was born 13th 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

If it’s vintage then it’s definitely cool!

If it’s vintage then it’s definitely cool!

by Lisa Millar ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

If it's Vintage, it's definitely coolIs it me or has August been crazy?  There’s been an absolute deluge of must-have items flooding the grid in a tsunami-like manner since the beginning of the month and it’s been a nightmare, albeit a wonderful one, with so many incredible items on sale that I’ve no doubt purchased and promptly forgotten, or even worse I’ve bought them twice!

Anyway, another awesome event has launched this weekend and this time it’s the turn of the VINTAGE & COOL FAIR to make a massive hole in your Linden balance. I’ve been looking forward to this event with a serious amount of anticipation and on the whole it does exactly what it says on the tin by showcasing numerous styles and furnishings from times past.There’s some absolutely cracking stuff on sale but there are also some very jarring submissions too that are way too modern to include (unless you count things from the middle of last week, which I don’t).  I’m not naming names but you will see items at this event which will make you laugh out loud at the absurdity of the inclusion. We’re seeing that a lot at recent events too, and that’s something that I’m writing about in a bigger post that I hope to feature on these pages when I am brave enough to publish it!

What I am sure of though is that organising events cannot be an easy task, and if a creator turns up last minute with contributions that don’t meet the brief, what do you do? Refund them and have an eyesore of an empty store or let them participate and hope nobody notices?  The latter option is where the problem arises.  In common parlance vintage tends to be used when referring to the ‘Golden Years’ of the 1940s, 50s, 60s and 70s.  It’s only recently that the 1980’s and even the 1990’s have started to be included into that category. With so much source material to choose from it almost feels like there’s been laziness on the part of some creators who have added some very bizarre items into the event bucket.

Fortunately there are plenty of nice things to buy at VINTAGE & COOL that more than meet the bill and rest assured that you will be impressed by the extraordinary effort from all the parties concerned. It’s an easy to navigate event with some seriously satisfying shopping to be enjoyed, just try not to laugh too hard as you walk by the stores which clearly thought they were coming to something else entirely!I really enjoyed having a wander around and spied some classic retro styling from the 1950’s with plenty of voluminous skirts and neckerchiefs and lots of polka dots too.  There are also some great mini-skirts and dresses from the 1960’s and some cracking flares if 1970’s is more your thing, and has been an incredibly popular influence on fashion this year.  I wasn’t really shopping for anything clothes-wise in particular so left myself pretty open to all the choices that are available, but I did have one thing I had to have above anything else..vintage_002

 

There’s been a huge amount of buzz around this beehive hairstyle because it went  ‘SLviral’ on Flickr and Plurk a few days before event release which  of course drove the shopaholics into a frenzy. It’s not surprising  because it’s  beautifully made and really evokes the inspiration behind the name (which, if you don’t know, is of course Audrey Hepburn).  It’s a nice, weighty style which suggests that it would be heavy on the neck, and has acres of volume on the crown.  The back is neatly finished into what was called a ‘DA’ in the late 50’s/early 60’s.  That stands for ‘Ducks Arse’, and it was a particular favourite of teddy boys who created the style with brylcreme and a fine comb.  (Alex Turner from Arctic Monkeys has been doing similar recently too).   I find Ombres the most versatile of shades for my needs I opted for the pack filled with a selection of them and I’m incredibly pleased with my purchase.  I will have to venture back to the event once it’s calmed down a bit though; there’s a free hairband that can be worn with this style in the booth and I don’t want to miss out on that. (Which would of course make this style perfect wedding hair..let’s not go there, OK?)I’m still wearing the astonishing GLAM AFFAIR ‘Katra’ skin that I picked up during last week’s FIFTY LINDEN FRIDAY.  Like I wrote last week, it really does serve as an exceptional base for make-up layers and now that we have the facility to apply SIXTY wonderful layers of nonsense on our bodies you’d better believe I’m all about the eyeliner and the lipstick and all that jazz.  Fortunately there are some brilliant cosmetic brands at this event, and I’m incredibly impressed by a new-to-me brand, LA BOHEME. The make-ups were heavily discounted. Would they be any good? Well, the evidence speaks for itself; as soon as I put them on I knew I was, to coin a Charlie Sheen phrase, ‘Winning’. They’re excellent.  Totally un-touched picture above peeps, and my make up looks ruddy fantastic doesn’t it?  This shot is of me in my bedroom testing out my hairstyle and make-up layers and as you can see this LA BOHEME  Glamour Eyes ‘Hecate’ eyeshadow is simply nothing less than sublime.  Isn’t it a treat? I bought a few packs and I will enjoy using them in forthcoming posts I think (I’m ALL about the eyeliner, I really am) but I tell you what I really like about this eyeliner in particular; it’s quite sharp. Oftentimes the lines look quite smudged and shading can be a tad off, but this is practically perfect and that really pushes all my kitty-buttons.  Turns out LA BOHEME is a brand that is more than happy to supply amazing make-ups at a fraction of the cost that is usually charged in-world.   In fact, the brand has been around since *gulp* 2004!  I actually took a quick trip over to the main store too for a quick nosey; and I’m inclined to think that the store owner is a bit witchy due to the naming conventions applied to her wares..(touches nose in a knowing fashion).  Needless to say once the event has calmed down a bit I’m heading back to her booth and buying everything in the store, it would be rude not too!

Of course I haven’t removed my MANDALA ‘Steking’ Version 5 ears at all yet, and I’m loving the options that they come with too.  You can’t go wrong with a jam-packed HUD crammed with lovely tattoos and pretty jewel colours can you? I’m even wearing the Pixie style rather than my normal human lobes, but how could I not try them when they’re shaped so beautifully? (They almost hint at my feline persuasions..) They really are an incredible product and I’m determined to get the very best out of them.Something else that I haven’t removed recently are my PXL SWEET LIPS.  In fact, I find myself wondering if it’s worth moving on to the newest version? These are the originals and they serve me incredibly well,  and I much prefer them to any of the other virtual gobs out there on the market, but still I do wonder if it’s worth upgrading? ANYWAY, enough of that because I invested in some Sweet Lips-specific lip colours at VINTAGE & COOL too from a brand called ARISE.

Like my LA BOHEME purchases I was so impressed that I treated myself to a number of packs.  Here I’m wearuing a lovely red from the ‘Jenn’ red pack and it is divine. There are 6 different shades of red in the collection and I have no doubt I’ll be wearing all of them pretty frequently.  ARISE is a brand I am often tempted by and I always find their products to be very professional indeed; I think I’m going to splurge out on them a lot more and of course I’ll share my results here with you.  I have no doubt I’ll look virtually fabulous of course!

To finish then, I’m wearing a favourite shirt from my inventory, along with some old LEAGUE bracelets and a recently acquired necklace from the KIBITZ Gacha at Kustom 9. This isn’t really a ‘Look Of The Day’ post, more of a kitty mess-about but here’s an extensive shopping list just in case you fancy any items that I shared today!

Kitty Wears:

Basic look:

BODY: Maitreya ‘Lara’ V3.4

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

EYEBROWS: Just Magnetized – Diva Brows – Brunette02

EYES: Nar Mattaru ‘Just The Basics’ Green

LASHES: Hush ‘Flirt’

EYELINER: La Boheme Glamour Eyes ‘Hecate’ S4 -10  – VINTAGE & COOL FAIR

LIPS: PXL Sweet Lips

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

EARS: Mandala ‘Steking’ Series 5 (Pixie)

Clothes:

SHIRT/DRESS: Erm..this is embarrassing! I’ve forgotten what it was called! I’ll name it here when I find it again…

Accessories:

NECKLACE:  Kibitz ‘Cat Charm’ (Gacha) No 3  KUSTOM9

SEPTUM RING:  Cae ‘Septum Piercing’ COSMOPOLITAN SALES ROOM

LOTD: Marsala Mondays

LOTD: Marsala Mondays

by Lisa Millar ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Saturday_002

Sometimes Fifty Linden Friday throws up an absolute blinder of an item.  Over the years I’ve seen all kinds of absolutely brilliant bargains featured every week, and this Friday past was no exception when I TP’d into GLAM AFFAIR and purchased their latest offering at the bargain fifty linden price. ‘Katra’, as she is called, is an absolutely cracking skin, but not because of any particular make-up style or enhancements.  She’s actually pretty plain and almost boring really, but POW! does she make a cracking canvas to add colour to, as I hope the photographs featured with this post prove; ‘Katra’ is an absolutely beautiful skin.  There’s a reason AIDA EWING is one of the most popular skin designers in-world, and this skin serves as a firm reminder  of that fact.  ‘Katra’ was available  in the ‘Polar’ tone (which is about as pale as I’ll go when it comes to skins) and it doesn’t feature much facially other than a hint of blush swept across the cheekbones and some very simple shading to the eye.  However, once I threw my PXL Sweet Lips into the mix in a gorgeous shade of Crimson, and added some eye-liner then ‘Katra’ really seemed to come alive.   The base tone (when viewed in CalWL) has an almost translucent quality to it, and it looks beautiful across the entire body, not just the face.  This is a skin that wears very well indeed. I decided to adorn myself in the No Brow version of the skin which meant I could add my NAR MATTARU ‘Nova’ brows into the mix.  I’m really into changing the way my skins look by way of eyebrows and hairbases at the moment,  and these ‘Nova’ brows are an excellent addition to any inventory, offering a lovely sculpted shape that I would absolutely kill for in real life.  Thank goodness for Second Life, eh?

I’m still wearing my absolutely sensational ‘Emily’ hair from ACTION INKUBATOR at the moment too, and it will take nothing short of a miracle for me to wear a different style at the moment because  I’m way too in love with this style.  so instead of new hair, I added some new ears,  (Only in Second Life can you write a sentence like that!) with my chosen tabs being the latest version of the popular STEKING ears from MANDALA.

Mandala’s original STEKING ears were my very first mesh-ear purchase in-world and I recall at the time wondering if they would be worth it.  Many blog posts later I can confirm that yes, they were indeed worth every single linden because they were, and still remain, absolutely brilliant ears to sport in-world and just add that extra element of authenticity into the mix.  I have a number of pairs of mesh ears in my virtual box of delights nowadays and I really don’t feel virtually dressed without them.Snapshot_006

What’s different about this  latest STEKING release are the options that are included; you have the choice of human, pixie or full blown elf-ears along with piercings and best-of-all, tattoos.  Not just your common or garden tattoos either; these are full-colour and are either positioned along the main part of the ear, along the cartilage or at the very tip. It’s the tattoos at the tip that are particularly attractive and make these ears so striking however you choose to wear them.  In fact, if you’re a regular FLICKR viewer here’s a challenge for you – count how many store ads and modelling shots you see these featured in.  That’s how I discovered them myself.  (They are pretty ubiquitous at the moment  BUT please don’t let that put you off purchasing them. There’s often a reason something becomes so popular in Second Life that everyone you see seems to own it and that’s because said item is so well-made that you’d be foolish not to indulge!)

So onto my actual outfit which  this rather adorable dress from MUKA.  It’s incredibly simple but well-shaped and *just* qualifies as a dress (although you can add a denim skirt/shorts underneath with ease).  You know, I’m turning into my mother, I really am, because when I first saw this I was convinced it was a top, rather than a dress.   (Another example? OK well there’s a cracking denim skirt at this round of KUSTOM 9 but my first instinct when I saw it was to scoff “Skirt? SKIRT? Bloody belt more like!” I’m blaming such a reaction on age…) Anyway, top or dress it doesn’t really matter because it fits well (I used the bespoke Maitreya fit included in the pack) and looks very pretty too.

I raided my inventory jewellery box for something that would work with my look in a relaxed manner, and found the ‘Savannah’ bracelets from the ever-amazing MAXI GOSSAMER were just the ticket.   Around my neck I’ve added this absolutely outstanding ‘Spirit Animal’ necklace from ATOMIC at COLLABOR88.  I’m wearing the owl design because cats for some mad reason aren’t included but fortunately for me owls are my other favourite animals (Great Greys in particular, I love their massive moon-like faces) after my feline obsessions.

To finish I elected to add some body art and to that end I’m sporting an astonishingly awesome leg tattoo that would surely make even Cheryl Cole wince.  This absolute beauty of a body art piece is from RECKLESS and is actually an old group member gift. I love it when brands offer their group members treats such as this one; it really makes joining a group worthwhile and definitely makes you feel that as a customer you’re held in high regard…
shoes_001
..which is evidently what Gospel Voom must think judging by the absolute stormer of a group gift he’s bestowed upon us this month.    His ‘Skull Chain Sandals’ have proved to be a real hit in-world and it’s not hard to see why; they’re beautifully crafted and absolutely worth your time zooming in and out in a shoe-loving frenzy.  They’re so bloody pretty!  Like all of Gos’s footwear releases  these  shoes look so real that it feels like you could reach into your monitor and pick them up.  They’re beautifully styled and the small skull is incredibly well detailed for its size.  And just when you think it couldn’t be any better these shoes are gifted to us in the sensational ‘Marsala’ shade, which is the Pantone colour of 2015, don’tcha know. (If you follow that link it will take you to a page that displays colour pairings for the Marsala shade-handy when you’re looking to match something fantastic with these shoes, and trust me they deserve nothing less!)

I love it when a look comes together, and I do think this one is rather special.  What do you think Kitty Readers?

Basic Look:

Skin: GLAM AFFAIR – Katra – Polar – August NB

Eyeliner: NAR MATTARU Zoe Makeups (Eyes) Liner

Brows: NAR MATTARU Nova Brows (High) Black

Hair Base: GAJA X Celebribase – Fran

Ears: MANDALA ‘Steking-Season 5’

Eyes: NAR MATTARU Just The Basics : Green

Lashes: HUSH Lashes – Flirt (bottom)

Lips: [PXL] Sweet Lips  v1.4

Mesh Body, hands and feet: MAITREYA ‘Lara’ V 3.4

Outfit:

Hairstyle: ACTION INKUBATOR ‘Emily’

Dress:  MUKA Sophia – Peach – M

Shoes:  GOS Skull Chain Sandals – Marsala – [Maitreya]

Accessories:

Nose Ring: MONS  – Dreamer Septum Ring (style-4) black COLLABOR88

Bracelets: MAXI GOSSAMER – ‘Savannah’

Tattoo: RECKLESS – Joon II (Group Gift)

Necklace: ATOMIC ‘Spirit Animal’ – Owl COLLABOR88

LOTD: A Purple Kind Of Mood

LOTD: A Purple Kind Of Mood

by Lisa Millar ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

A Purple Kind Of Mood..I’m in the kind of mood that would be described around my local area as having ‘Seen my arse’. It’s a quaint old saying that means you’re not a happy bunny.  The query would be, “What’s the matter with you-have you seen yer arse?” to which you would probably mumble some obscenity in reply, and skulk off meaning that yes, you had indeed seen what was implied and that you were most definitely in an absolute corker of a grump!

So what brings this not-quite-blue with sadness, and definitely-not-red with anger, but incredibly-purple-with-epic-arseness type mood to me? Windows bleeding 10, as it shall henceforth be known.  I naively thought that my previous issues were rectified but alas, they were not.

I’m having difficulties full-stop with my PC and logging into Second Life is becoming incredibly difficult.  It’s not just logging in but staying logged in too, which  means  that blogging so far this week has been nigh on impossible.  I can’t sustain my in-world status and I wish there was some sort of virtual Viagra to cure what ails me.  Sadly there isn’t, and until a proper fix appears on the wibbly, wobbly, interwebz I’m going to have to suffer my affliction as best I can, and those around me will be cursed to endure my somewhat lilac shade of temper.

Which brings me to my LOTD.  I had to do something quick yet satisfying so rummaged in my inventory to see what I could find, and I found undies! Glorious, lovely undies that are both incredibly sexy to look at and incredibly funky too.  These are the ‘Delice’ lingerie separates from ERRATIC for the latest round of COLLABOR88 and they’re an absolute must-have item. They’re super pretty and if you zoom in they stand up to close scrutiny very well; with great shape, texture and colour working harmoniously together.  They’re available in both print and plain and I’ll be cavorting around my skybox in these for a while to come! (I’m wearing the thong in this shot, the set includes a fuller pant with suspenders and stockings that looks equally sensational).

I teamed my underwear with some new hair,  (I’ve spent a bloody fortune on hair recently; people need to stop making amazing hairstyles and releasing them!) and this style is from ACTION INKUBATOR.  I spotted their ad in one of the groups on FLICKR, and off I went.  I haven’t worn bobbed hair in an absolute aeon in world and although this ‘Emily’ hairstyle isn’t quite a bob it has similarities in shape and in particular the way that it frames the face, so it sort of qualifies. I really love it, and although it’s a tad pricier than styles from  other leading hair brands  the satisfaction I get from wearing it more than negates the cost. Besides, I had to have it because I look sodding amazing in it.

I finished my look with my ‘Tombstone’ tattoo from WHITE WIDOW, a lovely, simple black nose ring from MONS @ COLLABOR88 and a little black bow collar from BOOM that I’ve had for yonks yet always works wonders for hiding unsightly neck seams when things aren’t quite rezzing in the way that you want them to.

Last but not least I’ve thrown on an old favourite skin of mine, ‘Zoe’ by NAR MATTARU which always makes me sing THIS when I wear it.  Jade Glazner’s skins, along with Shantia Soulstar’s, are in my opinion some of the best out there on the grid and are often over-looked in favour of the more well-known brands. They have an edge to them that’s hard to put into words but they do suit the alternative, darker scenes incredibly well.  Also, this skin is over a year old now and it hasn’t dated at all;  it still has a fresh feeling to it and has proven beyond doubt that it can stand up to repeated wearing and will serve me well long into the future I’m sure.  I’ve added some slender brows and some beautiful eyes, also from NAR MATTARU to finish my look and I have to confess, I’m not nearly feeling quite so purple as I was when I started.  But boy does this colour suit me or what?

Kitty Wears: 

Basic Look:

SKIN: NAR MATTARU  ZOE Tone 03 +  Zoe Makeups (Eyes) Liner

BROWS: NAR MATTARU  Nova Brows (High) Black

EYES: NAR MATTARU ‘Just The Basics’ Green (NEW)

EARS: AITUI Gen 4 ‘Heart Plugs’

LASHES: HUSH LASHES ‘Flirt’

TATTOO: WHITE WIDOW  ‘Tombstone’ Women

MESH BODY + APPENDAGES: MAITREYA  Mesh Body – Lara V3.4

Hair:

HAIRBASE: GAJA Celebribase – Fran

HAIRSTYLE: ACTION INKUBATOR HAIR ‘Emily’

Clothing:

CHOKER: BOOM Precious Bow Choker (neck) pitch

LINGERIE: ERRATIC ‘Delice’ (Purple) Maitreya COLLABOR88

SEPTUM RING: MONS Dreamer Septum Ring Style 4 COLLABOR88

Poses:

Selection from Bounce This Poses – Mega Pose Pack

Windlight – Calwl

Post-processing: Picmonkey.com

NB: I can’t stay logged in long enough to fully update this shopping list with links, bear with me and I’ll update it as soon as I am able, until then, search is your friend!