Category: Skins

Gothmas By Gaslight: Jalwa, M.V, Sakide and W&W

Gothmas By Gaslight: Jalwa, M.V, Sakide and W&W

by Lisa Millar ♥ 1 Comment

Image

More glorious Gothmas By Gaslight nicies to share with you today.

First up is this absolutely outstanding skin from Jalwa. It’s called ‘Coven’ (I’m bound to like it with a name like that aren’t I?) and it is absolutely divine. In fact, it is absolutely everything I need in a skin; gorgeous base tone, attentive detailing and scrummy, yummy make-up.  What I really love about this skin are the details: the eyeliner and brow-shape are striking and the lips are just astonishing; very moist, with a beautiful shape and detail. In fact this skin has made me hungry for more from Jalwa; I’ve visited the store and picked up a few demos to try. Oh, I must just point out something else I spotted on this skin that I really like; there’s a mole on the right bewb and it just looks really quirky and pretty (and REALLY draws attention to your norks in a good way!) Trust me on this, it’s well worth investing in! I don’t know much about Chandra Masala as a designer, but I do know that I am now incredibly keen to know a LOT more!I’m also wearing a beautiful dress and necklace from M.V. You can *just* see some of the frills that adorn the ‘Translate’ dress in-shot. This is a fabulous number, with more than a hint of dandy about it, featuring full length, fluted sleeves, a stylish corset and a skirt with a high front, making it an incredibly effective and dramatic dress indeed. It’s an inspired creation from Lokii Violet.  I’ve teamed it with another M.V release, ‘Aggy’s Necklace’ in tarnished silver, which  is a Gacha prize and is nothing short of exquisite.  It’s so pretty and very Gothique!  The red jewel makes it very festive, but of course you can wear it all year around. It’s a great piece, and there are a number of colours available including a very lovely rare.

ImageIn my next shot I’m wearing one of SAKIDE’s contributions to the GXG extravaganza, the ‘Silent Dress’. Now, this is a VERY flouncy little number which would suit many different kinds of role-play needs. It’s going to work extremely well for Goth-Lolita styling, and features a gorgeous bow to the rear, with a pattern to the front on the chest area. You can’t really go wrong with SAKIDE, it’s a label that I’ve really come to admire in 2013  and I always really enjoy Kinu Mayako’s releases. She  always goes that extra mile; for example on this dress a real stroke of genius is having the underskirt and bow HUD-driven, so you can change their colour and your look depending upon your mood. It’s a fabulous item, and you can also purchase it in white too. Check out this entry on Elysium Hyne’s Pinterest board for more details.

Last, but not least at all are these fantastic, sparkly red heels. Aren’t they divine?! These are so Dorothy-esque as to be ridiculous, but they’re utterly perfect and teamed with these black socks are very Gothtastic indeed! These stunning red shoes, called ‘Stardust’, have been lovingly made by Taydra Zsun, of WHIMS & WISHES fame.  They’re also the perfect match for this dress, but I can see them looking excellent layered with tights, a short skirt and jazzy jumper.They have a classic shape but it’s the glittery accents  that make them extra special, and super-seasonal too in this scarlet shade. (There are some matching mens boots available as well so the guys aren’t left out!)  I intend to get me some serious wearing out of these!

Gothmas By Gaslight is turning into a bit of a corker, don’t you think?

If you haven’t visited yet then you must; don’t forget that it’s split over two sims but both of them are packed to the rafters with awesome treats. Click HERE to visit the official blog.  Elysium Hynes has comprehensively covered the event, as per usual, on her Pinterest Boards, which I strongly suggest you check out. And don’t blame me if you drool all over your keyboard! 

It’s the most wonderful time of the month!

It’s the most wonderful time of the month!

by Lisa Millar ♥ 1 Comment

Image

No, not that! It’s time for another round of Collabor88 guys and gals, and of course, just like always, it’s a corker!

Each time Collabor88 comes around I think, “Nope, I ain’t gonna go mad at it this time. No, there won’t be anything I want, I’m sure of it..” I adopt a firm disposition that lasts, ooh, about ten seconds and then flies straight out of the window. Then I spend all morning trying to get in, and leave with ALL THE THINGS!!! I have zero willpower, it’s pathetic. But can you blame me for being so weak-willed when you consider just how awesome C88 is?   It’s always jam-packed with quality lovely stuff and things and this month isn’t any exception at all; if anything I think it’s possibly one of the better rounds of recent times. Not that any of them have been duff, but this one is FULL OF JUMPERS amongst other niceies, and you all know how much I love jumpers. And coats.  And basically all things warm and snuggly..and there are plenty of those to be had…oh JOY OF JOYS!

First up is this bloody amazing, huge and super snuggly coat from Maitreya. Now there’s something a little Mod about this; the shape reminds me of London street-stylings, and it’s more than a little Crombie-coat-esque. Can you imagine wearing this in real life? It is HUMUNGOUS. This is the kind of coat you wouldn’t  need to wear a jumper underneath because you’d  have a hot flush.  The shape is fabulous actually, and it’s made even more blinking fantastic by the fact that it comes with sleeve extensions that change this  from a three-quarter sleeve into a full-sleeve coat.  You know, a lot of the time I gauge an item in SL against the likelihood of my wearing it in real life. Rightly or wrongly a lot of what I wear in world is an extension of what I’d love to wear in real life, had I the cash/figure to wear it. Needless to say but  I would so wear the shit out of this coat. I would wear it in blinking summer I love it THAT much. Yes, I might die from heat exhaustion, but I’d die looking outrageously awesome.

The over-sized shape allows a lot of space for a glorious texture, and it’s finished really well, which is just what you’d expect from Onyx Leshelle.  Onyx is a creator par excellence and whenever she release anything new to the grid you can practically hear the rumble of a squillion avatars feet running towards it.  I love everything about this coat. I could even lick the ruddy buttons I love it that much. Best of all? It’s just L$188, which is a bloody scandal really. It’s available in six variations and every single one of them is as delicious as the other, but for me it just had to be this gorgeous red, called ‘Syrah’.  I’m sure Jez could fit in this with me, which would be super cosy indeed!

Incidentally, I’m also sporting a new GLAM AFFAIR skin that can be found at C88.  It’s called Mokatana, and is simply stunning. I’ve become totally enamoured with the GLAM AFFAIR brand this year, and Mokatana is a stunning addition to their exquisite skin-stable.  So what does this skin have that attracted me so much? Allure, dear heart, and then some.  Like every GLAM AFFAIR skin it oozes personality from every virtual pore; add to that the fact that  they are so darn pretty; they have beautiful body shading and great make-ups and you’re onto a winner. They also have sweet optional additions such as moles and freckles, something that I’m festooned with in real life. (RL Titbit: I used to think the moles on my body mapped out the constellations as a kid.  Mad I know, but kind of a nice thought!) The real selling point on Mokatana though are the lips. These are the kind of lips that are made for kissing, and biting, and basically ravishing. They’re dewy and soft and just so gorgeously, mouthwateringly perfect that basically I went into squee-spasms when I tried this skin on. So I had to have it, natch.  The other vital selling point for me are the brows; Aida Ewing knows how to make GREAT brows, and various brow colours are very thoughtfully included in the skin pack.

Snapshot_005For my second look I’m wearing another make-up from the Mokatana line, and I’ve teamed it with a comfy combo comprising of this divine sweater from COLOR.ME.H.O.F. and the skirt/leggings combo in black from BAIASTICE.  This is another great sweater and again, an example of a quality texture that has been perfectly applied. I love the height of the neck and the inverted ‘v’ pattern on the front of this. It looks like a very expensive, designer sweater, don’t you think? The sleeves are styled to be large and shaped before finishing just on  the wrist. The body-length of this is good too; I get a bit annoyed with jumpers that are too short in SL, which is a bit daft really because it’s not as if I’ll feel a draught while wearing them, but it’s just a bug-bear of mine.  It was hard not to buy all of the range, but my favourite shade of red (In this case it’s called ‘Oxblood’) just had to be mine.  Moving on to the skirt/leggings and it’s hard to believe that I first blogged Baiastice way back in 2008. It’s simply marvellous that Sissy Pessoa’s brand has become one of the fashion benchmarks of Second Life, and she goes from strength to strength. It would be easy to dismiss the skirt and leggings as relatively simple mesh creations, but that would belie their strength. They’re extremely well created, the fit is great and the incorporated belt can be worn in either a gold or silver finish.  Speaking of finishing, the detail on the front of the skirt really adds something extra to an item that would have worked just as well had it been left plain, but it’s this attention to detail that has always made BAIASTICE creations stand out amongst their peers.

So there you have it, just some of the goodies available at this round of C88. But there are tons more, and I’ll endeavour to feature some of those very soon too.

But if you can’t wait, here’s your taxi!

 

So Much GEEK!!!!

So Much GEEK!!!!

by Lisa Millar ♥ 1 Comment

So the Geeks And Nerds Fair, a hugely anticipated event, has finally hit the grid, and it is rather good indeed.  If you’re a proud Geek or Nerd in real life then you will really appreciate the time and effort that has gone into producing this event, and the quality products that you’ll find on sale. There’s a predominately Sci-Fi vibe to the event, with nods to Star Wars and Doctor Who, as well as the obligatory Harry Potter inclusions and a few old school references as well. 

I’m a total Geek so wasn’t really paying much attention to the Nerdy stuff  but I can vouch that Nerds are well accommodated here, although the event seems to be predominately Whovian, which is to be expected because it began during the Doctor Who 50th weekend.  I sure as hell ain’t complaining! You’ll find all sorts of Who-related gubbins, from Tardis teapots, to necklaces as well as the celebrated range of Whovian inspired outfits from Damien Fate. If you want to be Doctors 11 and 12, or the companions Rose Tyler and Amy Pond, then at last , courtesy of Damien’s mad mesh skills, you can be.  Damien’s costumes are fantastic re-imaginings of the clothing worn in the show and the ladies outfits in particular stand up to being worn in their own right. They’re pricey, but if you’re a committed Doctor Who fan these outfits are essential additions  to your wardrobe.

This is quite a compact event , ripe for photographs (look out for the Dalek and K9!) and I came home laden with goodies.  I particularly loved SECOND SPACES array of power strips and cables, joypads, cartridges and the Tardis pencil-holder. MISH MISH have produced two fantastic collectibles based on famous, nay, iconic Sci-Fi characters for the event, Mr. Spoon (NOT the guy from ‘Button Moon’) and Princess Donut. The best thing about these is they look just as awesome in their packaging as they do out! Something else that I really love is the  ‘Bird Nerd’ set from LARK.  As usual, Sienia has failed to disappoint with her creations and has used beautiful textures in her work. These have been applied with a delicate touch, which has added to the realism of this set. Everything a bird watcher would have in their fancy is included; Binoculars, field guide, calendar, and other assorted bird-watching finery, including an astonishingly pretty desk.ISON clothing are well represented at the event too. and the Wookie bag. I have raved about ISON before on these pages, and guess what, I’m doing so again. They’re selling a sweater/shirt combo at the event that you can manage via a hud. This means that you can change the shirt textures, and also choose to display an embossed logo on the chest area of your sweater. It’s fantastic; no issues when worn and fits straight out of the box, which is exactly what you need! I’ve never had any issues with ISON clothing and I don’t think I ever will, they’re just such a good brand:) Finally  you MUST check out Elephante poses at the event. They’re super-creative, enabling you to suggest motion perfectly in your snaps. There are a number of pose-packs from Elephante (and other equally awesome pose-makers) at the event but I must draw your attention to the ‘When We Were Young’ pack which I am using for these images.  These are Gacha winnings and evoke whimsy beautifully. You can take a cheeky peak at all of these items and more by checking out the Seraphim coverage of the event.

Snapshot_015

Finally, while we’re on a Geeks & Nerds trip, Strawberry Singh’s weekly Meme challenge was all about the same subject this week.  Here are my answers!

1. What do you consider yourself to be? Geek? Nerd? Dork? None of the above? All of the above? I’m a Geek for sure; but there is also a nerdy side to me too. I adore History, and Archaeology, especially Ancient History. Egyptology is probable my favourite topic, and I pay an annual pilgrimage to the British Museum to get my history fix. (This year we saw an exhibition there about Herculaneum and Pompei which was pretty spectacular.)

2. What was the first computer you ever owned? The first computer I ever owned was a Toshiba MSX! It was BRILLIANT, but was a bit of a niche item in the UK. MSX never really caught on like Spectrum and Commodore, which was a shame because it was pretty superb for the time graphically if I recall correctly!) I used to buy MSX magazines and my Father and I would code in the games . It would take an afternoon to type in all the code and by the end all we would have achieved would be a crappy tank rolling across the screen, but it was a huge bonding experience. I used to buy my games on tape from a market stall on Chesterfield market. They were Mastertronic games,  and I’d zoom home happily to insert them into my tape recorder and play them.  To think, these days kids won’t experience the joy of loading a game from tape. Remember the sound it made? “Deeee-doop. Deeee-dodopdkddopdkdpskspsss….” There was nothing worse than waiting ten minutes for a game to load only for it to crash as well…

 3.When and how did you first get on the internet?  I think I first got onto the internet in 1996. I had a website and my own domain at one point that I just used to stick crappy photos and shitty gifs on! I used to use a program called ‘Pirch’ for IRC chat, and would spend my evenings chatting to people all over the world on that.

 4. Which Geek fandom do you subscribe to?  LOTS of them! I love Sci-Fi, and am a huge fan of Star Wars, Star Trek, Doctor Who,  Battlestar Galactica and Fringe. I also adore The Walking Dead, and Breaking Bad. I collect comics and Catwoman figurines, as well as erm…My Little Pony plushies!  In fact I love so many things it’s scary! I wear tees and hoodies that declare my love to all around me and I am a very proud 40 year-old geek indeed.

 5.Star Wars or Star Trek?

Are you kidding me?! BOTH!!!!!

 6. How Geeky are you? Apparently I’m 74% Geek, and I’m quite chuffed by that result because it was a tough quiz! I don’t think I’ll ever change, indeed I hope that I don’t. I love being a geek and being passionate about it, even though it really can be very alienating. (never has a phrase been more apt!) Mind you, I live with a Geek.  My fella collects Arcade Machines and is a World Champion after all, so I doubt that I’ll ever change!

Drifting Into Autumn

Drifting Into Autumn

by Lisa Millar ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Snapshot_002

 

DRIFT has released some lovely knit frocks for the Autumn season.  

The shape of this dress is one that a number of designers are using in their work at the moment, and I really like what people are doing with it. I’ve seen it Gothed-up courtesy of  SAKIDE, and now it’s been given a lovely warm knit texture, courtesy of DRIFT.  There are five colourways available for this ‘Solid Knit’ dress; I’m sporting the gold knit for this shot taken in the wonderful skybox decorated by Editorial Clarity-Flux, subject of a previous blog post. If you haven’t visited yet you really must! 

Snapshot_001

Incidentally there are matching  and co-ordinating ‘Solid Knit’ leggings available too which may be worn with the dresses or mixed into different outfits.  I’m wearing it with the outstanding  ‘Harley’ hairstyle from TRUTH (please make more styles like this!)  along with the GLAM AFFAIR ‘Vera’ skin which has been getting a LOT of press, and rightly so, because it is simply divine.

Here’s your LM to DRIFT.