Category: Skins

Witchy Wednesdays: Kitty Goes Gothic At Corvus

Witchy Wednesdays: Kitty Goes Gothic At Corvus

by Lisa Millar ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

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You may find it hard to believe, but I actually adore The Sisters Of Mercy, and growing up Siouxsie Sioux was a heroine of mine. I adored the Goth sub-culture; anything black and dramatic was seriously appealing to me. I never dressed especially gothically though, nor did I dye my hair black (until I was in my thirties, and immediately regretted it!) but I’ll always have a soft spot in my heart for Bauhaus and Dead Can Dance.

In Second Life there are many stores where you can find Goth couture, and one of the best is Corvus.

Corvus sells excellent dresses, skirts, tops, jackets and all sorts of Gothic/Emo/Heavy Rock wear, each item lovingly adorned with massive dollops of awkwardness and dread.  Each item is lovingly created by  Lori Stanton before being placed out for sale at either her in-world store or via her Marketplace listing.

There are some great designs on show; dramatic imagery and statements adorn tees and frocks with equal disdain. The palette in store is predominately black, grey, red and occasionally white, but you’ll be hard pressed to find many other colours. There’s not a pastel in sight, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing in my book..

Prices are pretty darn exceptional too, especially for mesh.  I don’t usually purchase many items featuring prints, preferring to wear plain, but some of these are too good to resist.  I was quickly drawn to the ‘Anger’ dress, pictured below,  which was an absolute bargain at L$50.

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The off-the-shoulder styling of the black mini-dress at L$80, seen below, makes it a great wardrobe staple.  It’s  a real statement piece, despite the bargain price tag, and proves that it’s easy to make a really classic, elegant look on a budget.

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There are some great freebies in store too. Seeing as it’s my lucky number I couldn’t resist the ‘13’ Dress which cost absolutely bugger all, yet looks brilliant in the graveyard shot at the top of this post. On the marketplace, I also found this freebie Witchy Tank, perfect for ‘Witchy Wednesday’.

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There are a variety of slogan tattoos available in-store, as well as more novel items such as bullet holes and neck scars. I really rate the make-ups too, including some interesting  variations of my favourite cat eyeliner , as well as some heavy facial shading and inscriptions.  There are skins available as well.  I didn’t demo these but they look pretty impressive; think pale and interesting, with dramatic, penciled brows and swoops of eyeliner making them the ultimate in Goth Chic.

This is the kind of store that Angelina Jolie would have felt very at home in circa her Oscar win, but you don’t have to be 100% Gothic to wear these designs. There are many items amongst the asymmetric and roll-neck dresses, crop sweaters and tees that work just as well on non-scene avatars. It’s definitely one of those stores that you have to experience for yourself.

But be warned, it’s certainly not a shop for the faint of heart. This store is totally Zodiac Mindwarp-ed onto a different level to the regular stores you’ll usually find featured on Kittywitchin’, but it’s really worth a visit.

Great mesh pieces, great prices and great Gothic design..what more could you ask for? (Well, seeing as you’re asking, some white foundation, a Brocade jacket and some bat-earrings wouldn’t go amiss…)

Weekend At Kitty’s

Weekend At Kitty’s

by Lisa Millar ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Image..is going to be a relaxed affair. Slobbing about and eating nonsense while the weather plays silly beggars outside. At least the sun always shines in Second Life eh? 

There are still LOADS of events to enjoy in world. The Arcade is still going strong, as is the Skin Fair, and you’ll find it a lot easier to get into both at the moment now that the initial hysteria has blown over. Both events are still busy though, and this pleases me. So much hard work goes into arranging and organising events such as these that it’s satisfying to know the contributors will be heartily rewarded with lots of lovely Lindens.

So, speaking of Lindens, I spied something nice and sassy to splash mine on earlier this week. It’s all Sable’s fault. She turned up at mine wearing a splendid shirt and sweater combo that it was all I could do not to kick her and her missus out of the house while I rushed off to grab myself one.

Quality meshwear is reassuringly expensive, and this ‘Cropped Double’ from Auxiliary is just that.  But that’s because it’s entirely original, created using Photoshop CS5, Zbrush and Maya by the brand owners Ivy Graves and Tyr Rozenblum. No templates are used here. It’s all hard work, and the quality shines through, with the textures perfectly applied and the shaping  made just right. Even though it’s a simple shirt and sweater combo it would be so easy to make a hash of it. Sloppy design and crude detailing are the undoing of many a mesh item, but no such worry here, it’s utterly spot on in the execution.

The plaid texture choice is perfect, the buttons and stitches are clearly visible and the shape of the jumper with its chunky cuffs compliments the attached shirt perfectly.  Something else that impressed me about it, daft as it sounds, was the sharpness of the collar. It’s well defined and sits beautifully on the body, and here’s another thing, the back of the Cropped Double is just as impressive as the front.  Where the textures meet at the back the item is finished well, and it sits in a pointed hem just above the centre of the buttocks. It wears very well indeed.

In fact, it’s not hard to picture wearing this in real life, and I also discovered  when wearing it I could wear a size smaller mesh than I usually sport, which was interesting to me…quality counts!

Probably the best thing for me about this piece though is that it looks like it took time to make, and that’s always what I want to see when I wear something in Second Life. When I splash the Linden-cash I want to be able to love what I’m wearing and know that I got good value for money.  I also want to make an impression for the right reasons, and Auxiliary is the kind of label that ensures that will always happen. Cropped Double is available in a number of designs  at L$300 a pop, and I think I’ll be making a return visit to stock up…

But that’s no hardship, the store is a joy to wander around, filled with enticing items that are clearly lit and well laid out.  I wasn’t the only avatar paying a visit to the store either, which is always encouraging.  It’s impossible NOT to make a shopping list during your visit either; I’ve got my eyes on the Owl ‘Slouchy Tank’ for example, as well as the very ‘Alluring Mini’ skirt range. I’ve also fallen totes in love with the brilliant ‘Bunneh Hoodies’, perfect for Easter of course!

A final note, just because this is a virtual world it doesn’t mean that  customer service should ever slip.  When I purchased my Cropped Double, Second Life was having a fit, so I didn’t receive my item. I’m pleased to say that when I dropped a notecard on  Tyr Rozenblum  with my transaction history it was remedied in a flash, no quibbles at all. That’s something that I always find reassuring and makes me want to return to buy more!

So however you choose to spend your weekend, I hope it’s a corker. Mine as you can see will be spent raiding the fridge for wine and cooking up a nice juicy steak..although I should really be wearing an apron to avoid splashing my nice new top! Ah well…toodles!

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Kitty wears:

Kitty Is Feeling Erratic..

Kitty Is Feeling Erratic..

by Lisa Millar ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

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Erratic is one of those stores that I would quite happily own *everything* from.

It sells sensational clothing; mainly of the street wear/urban/club variety and I’m totally in love with their mesh pieces.  The top that I’m wearing in this snap is a perfect indication of the quality that you’ll find on sale. The texture and shading on this ‘Carly’ sweater is superb. Yes, I know it’s just a plain black jumper, but detail matters so much, especially on the plain stuff. The gathering above the cuffs really looks the part, and the style of the fit, which is sloppy and sexy and baring one shoulder, is really neat.   Even better than that, there’s a natty zip detail on the back. Not something you’d constantly be aware of, but a great inclusion and it adds an authentic touch. There are loads of options available, but even better than that, there’s a 50% off sale!!

I swear to high heaven I would have bought tons of stuff (had I the lindens) but I settled for my glorious aforementioned ‘Cory’ Oversize sweater at the bargain price of L$165.  There’s a fat-pack available containing all twenty varieties of sweater, and there are some great colour combinations and patterns available, all of them expertly created. If I had the Lindens I’d invest, but alas, one is being frugal. Boo to frugal. But I digress; it’s well worth a visit to Erratic just to salivate all over this glorious knitwear (Ewww!) but while you’re there be sure to check the store out thoroughly. You’ll find some great truly essential wardrobe pieces, including the delicious’ Amy’ silk blouse. This is a great item, with no buttons and a loose fit that would look fantastic worn with flats and jeans, but can easily  be dressed up with heels and a mini in no time at all. Also worth your time is the ‘Carly’ hoodie and skirt combo.   It costs a measly L$190(during the sale) and features a fabulous sleeveless hooded top and long skirt.  It’s available in a variety of colours and designs, and any one of them would be an excellent choice but the pieces can be worn individually too. I chose the plain black option for my mix and match happy and I’m delighted with my purchase because I think I’ll get TONS of wear out of this particular ensemble. The sale lasts until March 31st and I urge you to pop along and spoil yourself.

Also worth your time this week  is The Boutique, featuring a sensational array of items filled with the joy of Spring! Alas there’s not a Daffodil in sight, but plenty of Sakura blossom themed items from a variety of some of the most acclaimed designers on the grid. You’ll find some new Belleza skins here (useful to know if you haven’t been able to get into Skin Fair 2013 yet!) and you’ll also find dresses, poses, hair and some fantastic eyes from Ikon. I really do feel that Ikon create the best eyes on the grid. They’re always great value too, the range of sizes included in packs is fantastic, and the group gifts are always a delight, just like the ‘Ardent’ eyes that are on offer here.  There are four colours to choose from; Skyfall, Blossom, Bone, Parchment and Growth. Each of them feature a blend of colour radiating from the iris, with the most fantastic light and reflection built in.  I treated myself to ‘Bone’ and ‘Growth’ and couldn’t be happier with them. They’re sensational and really add so much to your look. I also found some great poses from !Bang at the event, as well as a gorgeous mesh dress from Peqe, that comes with a hud for changing the colour of the belt. There’s LOTS to see and enjoy here!

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Last but not least I’m still rocking this ‘Runa’ skin from Step inSide. It’s taken a LOT to get me out of my Belleza skins but I’m definitely loving the way this wears. I’m having so much fun adding make-up layers to it from various sources (this fabulous eyeliner is by Mons) as well as use the specific makeups and lipsticks specific to the release. I strongly recommend it; don’t forget to look for it at Skin Fair 2013!

Skin Fair 2013 – Kitty is entranced by Isabella from Adam and Eve

Skin Fair 2013 – Kitty is entranced by Isabella from Adam and Eve

by Lisa Millar ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

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Less than 48 hours to go..are you excited yet? Well, you flipping well should be! Especially when there are exquisite skins like Isabella ready for the taking!

Isabella is the latest arrival from Adam and Eve. This skin has a HUGE wow factor. I know when I put her on I was just blown away by how beautiful this skin is, and also by how thoughtful Sachi Vixen had been in providing essential elements to the consumer,  like a glove addition for wearing prim nails, and even a dimple layer. The fact that you can add to your base skin with items like these, as well as Tango appliers, adds a whole new dimension to the skin wearing experience.  In fact, the dimple layer is a really unique and joyous addition; it makes the skin feel somewhat Cheryl Cole and because of that I added a posh frock and longer hair than I normally would wear to create this look.

ImageAdam and Eve, or AE, have been a long established skin name on the grid, and when you have attained those levels of success and reputation it would be easy to rest on your laurels, but Sachi  is continuing to push her skillset by creating new skins for our enjoyment.

And enjoyment is the key objective of this skin; it is so totally rewarding to wear. The tone is simply gorgeous as are the make-up options, but it was the face had me at ‘Hello’. It’s just so totally beautiful, delicate even, but strong on features that matter.

I know I’ve wittered on about eyebrows in my last few posts but honestly, they are so important on a skin. I’ve seen so many nice skins utterly ruined by eyebrows that just don’t work that I always zoom in on them first of all when I try a new skin out.

The brows on ‘Isabella’ are just sublime; my favourite so  far. They are perfectly balanced; not too strong yet gifted with enough substance to balance the face without overwhelming it.  You can really see the work that has gone into creating them too; all the delicate strokes and care that Sachi has taken as she built up the look.

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The professional touch is just as perfectly displayed on the eyes and the lips. There’s so much win  on display here. Everything shows consideration, it’s clear that Sachi has ruminated on how individual elements will work as part of the whole, yet the finished work doesn’t feel rushed or over-worked.  There’s some great pigmentation detail across the entire body of the skin, as well as some light-veining. All of this shows careful application and a keen eye for detail, and adds a strong element of realism to the skin.

This skin is perfectly balanced in every way and an absolute joy to wear. I was in a sandbox taking pictures when I was approached by another avatar complimenting me on my look and her first comments were “I love your skin!” This of course made me feel brilliant, but even more so I was delighted for the creator, because the fact that someone had looked closely at my avatar and was impressed by what they had seen has to be the best kind of praise.

Isabella is the kind of skin that will draw a lot of compliments when worn, so if you like having your ego stroked and don’t mind dealing with admiring glances be sure to invest.  I absolutely adore it. 

Kitty wears:

(Final note: I’m wearing mesh ears by Mandala and they were an absolute doddle to skin match with this skin..I highly recommend them!)