Tag: Belleza

Kitty pops into the Whore Couture Fair..and likes it!(Very much actually!)

Kitty pops into the Whore Couture Fair..and likes it!(Very much actually!)

by Lisa Millar ♥ 2 Comments

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Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock you’ll be aware that March 1st saw some quality shopping events launch upon the grid; The Arcade Gacha Festival and the Whore Couture Fair.

Having spent three days trying to get into the Arcade event, I gave up and have gotten most of  my winnings thus far from the second hand markets.  Fortunately the event itself is running until the end of March, so I’ve still got plenty of time to  go in and actually experience it, but I’d had enough of lurking on the edge unable to get in and go play Gacha. (I did get to explore The Grove Country Club though while I was waiting; what an utterly wonderful location!)

However I was delighted when I attempted the Whore Couture Fair and got in first try. Even though the event is mad busy, I was able to move around pretty freely because I was wearing an alpha, which meant I was completely invisible and not guilty of carrying any avatar pollution like lag-inducing scripts. (That said, there were plenty of people there who were guilty of it.)

Be warned that Whore Couture Fair is MASSIVE, with 206 participating stores listed on the map. It’s split into two locations, Ambon and Borderlands.  I have no sense of direction in real life and it’s even worse in my Second so navigating the stores could have been a challenge, but the layout is neat and easy to negotiate, which is a relief for the less spatially aware like myself:)   In fact it’s a really well- produced event, looks great and has been finished with professionalism and polish by the bucket load. It’s a thrill investigating each store and I warn you now you’ll spend some serious Linden!

I’ve not finished exploring yet; I’ve barely covered Ambon because I like to take my time and enjoy these events  so I’ve not visited every store,  but I am certainly enjoying what I’ve already encountered.  The content quality is second to none. There are some huge names exhibiting here, but there are also lots of stores that I’ve never seen before and am delighted to have discovered. This is why events like this are so important, you find so many new creators and designers, and it’s always exciting finding a new store that you can add to your list of favourites.

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In fact because of the WCF I’ve discovered something bloody wonderful. Mesh legwarmers with sneakers built-in! OK, these aren’t brand new to the grid, but they’re very new to me and so is ‘Blueberry’ (#15) where I discovered these gorgeous ruddy things. I’ll be investigating Blueberry in-depth at some point because judging by the quality of these the store is sure to be right up my street. Don’t they look wonderful? The woolen texture and mesh-wrinkles are just perfect, and they ‘hang’ brilliantly over the sneakers.  Blueberry is selling a range of them in plain and patterned varieties. I went for the black option because I can use them with more items in my wardrobe that way, but I think I’ll be investing in a job lot of them because they look so blinking brilliant! L$199 a pop too, not bad value if you ask me!

Another new brand that I discovered is ‘{PSYCHO:Byts}’ and that’s where this fantastic feline cross motif mesh jumper and also my denim skirt are from.  They have a small booth and the content just leaps out at you, inviting you in to take a closer look. (It’s store #118) I like the jumper very much. I love the long sleeve with thumb-holes, and it looks especially good if you’re wearing nails. As recent posts have shown I’ve adapted my shape to wear Tango breasts, so I had to take them off to wear this jumper because it doesn’t have appliers.  Fortunately the jumper is shaped perfectly and I didn’t need to change my shape to accommodate.  I felt a bit odd without my mesh-bewbs but not everyone is designing for them, and that’s fair enough. Wearing mesh jumpers of this quality more than makes up for my lack of Tangos, and I’ll be returning to the main-store to purchase the other jumpers in this range. I’ll probably do the same for the skirt too.  I don’t wear many skirts in-world  but that’s about to change I think, because  these denim skirts are available in a selection box of colours and designs, and it would be just plain wrong to not have them all.

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Finally Belleza are one of the sponsors of this event and have a number of skins at the event. I’m wearing a variation of Ava  available at the fair (#3)that has luscious matt red lips and blue eyeshadow detail. However I’ve become attached to wearing lots of eyeliner on Kitty, so I dropped lucky by discovering the range of fantastic eyeliner tattoos that Mons (#165) produces. I’m really starting to get into the world of Second Life cosmetics because they can really add an extra dimension to your favourite skin, without having to fork out loads of Lindens.   I think this eyeliner is astonishing worn with this skin, and it makes me want MORE!

I need to go back to Whore Couture Fair, but I think I’ll leave it for today as I expect it’s going to get really busy as the day progresses and more time zones start to log-on.  It seems the trick with these events is to hit them early in the morning when the US is asleep.   But  I must go back because I have a feeling that there are more goodies waiting for me to discover, and of course when I do I’ll share them with you here.

If you’ve found anything amazing at the event feel free to write a comment here and tell us all about it!

Saturday night, Sunday Morning

Saturday night, Sunday Morning

by Lisa Millar ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Like I said in my last post, I’m all about the kitty-prints at the moment!

It’s not hard to find Leopard print items on the grid and they can look both really funky and chic. I created two different looks for a weekend that both feature Leopard print.

My first look is perfect for a raucous Saturday night bash at a local rock club. In real life, this combo (wombo combo! Ahem, sorry ;P)  would be ideal ‘cos if you got too hot and sweaty at a gig you could take off the shrug and tie it around your waist, and the print pants just scream rock and roll!

My two key parts to this look are a mesh shrug with tube-top from Cynful, and some jeans from Waffle. 

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Cynful is a beautiful, high-end store that really stands out from the crowd. Walking into the store truly is a feast for the eyes with all the wares beautifully presented and the colours zinging out at you. It’s like a colour-swatch brought to life, making for a really enjoyable shopping experience.  I love whizzing around the store to see what’s new, and when I saw ‘Shruggable’ I knew it had to be mine!

‘Shruggable’ includes both mesh shrug and mesh tube top and comes in a glorious array of colours. I opted for black , so that I can mix and match both the shrug and top with other items in my inventory.  The shrug costs L$290 a pop, with an applier costing L$100.

This makes for an expensive item, but I think when you consider the versatility these pieces add to your wardrobe, as well as the fact that they’re mesh and beautifully textured (as is everything in store) the benefits outweigh the cost.  You’re paying for quality after all, Cynthia Ultsch’s designs are not cheap and the clothing sure reflects that.

Waffle! by contrast is cheap and cheerful and hurrah for that! This store comes straight from the imagination of the delightful Kiki Paine, and is located in the Dream Valley Plaza; a really neat and modern circular shopping zone.

Like Cynful the store itself is laid out in a really appealing manner and features some great items ranging from tattoos to underwear and separates, and you’ll find lots of outfits here that feature appliers as standard.  (I purchased my Camo drawstring tube-top from here, and that’s fast becoming a favourite of mine.) There’s a lot of choice in store, with the ‘Troublemaker Lingerie’ being especially alluring,  but my must-have item from here are the ‘Rock Chick Leopard Jeans’.  Not only are they a bargain at L$99 a throw, and come in a choice of five fabulous colours, but they look bloody brilliant worn  and go with loads of things lurking in my inventory, and looked excellent when worn with the Shruggable!

I teamed the outfit with a couple of necklaces; one which I’ve worn for a while now which is the Chinese motif necklace that’s sold as part of an outfit by Ducknipple. The Owl necklace was one of those things I’d forgotten that I had in my inventory, as you do. It was a happy find for me then, and funnily enough, it was from Happy Finds! (Run by the best named avatar in Second Life – Annoyingjapanesechild.dinosaur. Seriously!)  I’ve no idea how I forgot that it was there because I love owls, and this necklace is really well made and super cute to boot.

To finish I’m still wearing the Belleza skin, ‘Ava’ that I acquired a few weekends ago. I just LOVE the eye-make up on this skin, which is making it really hard to take off. (I’m into eye-make up on skins in a big way at the moment.) Fortunately by buying some lip colours I can make it more versatile, but I do wish there were more eye make-ups like this in store!

Finally the hair is by Elikatira. The sale was due to finish on the 23rd; and I confess that I haven’t visited in the past few days because if I had I would have probably bought the store. The sale sign did mention all styles would be retired once it finished; I have mixed feelings about that because part of me doesn’t want anyone else to miss out on the fabulousness that is Elikatira hair, but on the other hand I kinda like the idea of exclusivity that retirement sales bring. (Although judging by how many people purchased hair, most of the grid probably has this style anyway!) But here’s the thing, retiring these items means that new stock will be coming soon. Can you imagine? Squee! (And rumour has it that it will be mesh! Double yay!)

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Of course, after  Saturday night must come come Sunday morning, and my guess is that you’d be nursing a hangover and wanting something comfortable to wear.  (I picture Kitty about to go for Sunday lunch in this outfit. In real life I guess the skirt would be a teensy-weensy bit too short but hey, this is Second Life so I can wear my skirt how I want!)

For this look I teamed a lovely’ Nia’ jumper from Sn@tch with this scrummy mesh print skirt from Tentacio.  The sweater adds a little Schoolwear-chic, don’t you think? I’ve watched the store rise over the years and I’m so chuffed by how it has evolved and succeeded.   Ivey Deschanel works damn hard at her designs and there is some amazing clothing to be found there. 

There are now lots of lovely mesh items to choose from, and I’m delighted that her range of clothing with appliers is increasing, as this picture shows. Even if the darker side of fashion isn’t your thing, I would still pay Sn@tch a visit, and I doubt that you’ll come back empty-handed. (Trust me on this, you won’t.)

Once you’ve drooled all over my sweater, be sure to check out my skirt. I’m so excited by this mesh skirt! (Can you even be excited by a skirt? LOL)

I don’t wear skirts that often in-world  but since finding this wee beauty I’ve not taken it off. Even better there are a few more to choose from in the range and they’re a fabulous price of just L$70!  Incidentally if you haven’t checked out Tentacio before then I insist you stop reading and go there NOW. It’s just totally brilliant, oozing hipster styling from every pore and the prices are fantastic.

To finish the look I elected to wear my ‘Tassels’ necklace from Glow Studio, and the rather fetching Jamie hairstyle by Wasabi Pills, which is fast becoming a favourite hair store of mine. I love the textures that they use on their hair in store, and it’s a must visit for long-hair lovers. The Jamie style is beautifully crafted and I love the way it drapes over the shoulder and across the face.  (It doesn’t interfere with mesh bewbs either !)

So what do you think? I hope you like both these looks as much as I do, and I am certainly having fun wearing them. And speaking of fun, see the jukebox that I’m standing in front of? Isn’t it bloody glorious!  It’s from ‘The Stuff Store’, and the stuff that they sell is rather special indeed!  I first discovered them when I decided to buy Dad something nice for his new pad. I thought a juke box would be ideal to finish off the bar area against his home, so I did a search on the marketplace and found ‘The Juke’. This mesh creation evokes a golden era, as does most of the other retro ‘stuff’ in Crias Rowlands’ eclectic store.  It comes in both Modern and Retro versions, is mesh and weighs in at just 8 prims, which is astonishing when you consider the detail. It serves as a land radio featuring 80 stations, so there should be music available to suit every taste, and something I really like is the fluorescent tubing on the front of the unit which, when switched on, creates the perfect ambience.  It really is a stunning, substantial piece of kit and really turns your house into a home.

Well that’s me sorted for the weekend, I’m just gonna sit in front of my Juke and enjoy some tunes I think!

Whatever you’re doing in world this weekend, real or virtual, I hope it’s a corker, and if you’re bored why not check out the stores I’ve listed in this post? Happy shopping!

Hunting For Valentine’s Day Happy At Ricielli

Hunting For Valentine’s Day Happy At Ricielli

by Lisa Millar ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

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Gotta love FabFree. Any fashion loving avatar who knows their onions from their cashew nuts should check it out AT LEAST once a day to find out the latest freebies and deals that are hitting the grid.

Of course with Valentines Day peeking around the corner there’s already loads of appropriately themed goodies to pick from, and seeing as the day itself isn’t until Thursday there’s sure to be a shit-load of wonderfulness dropped onto the grid in the very near future.  (So ensure that you add Fabfree  to your favourites and keep checking in, lest you miss the awesome!)

Here’s an example, had I not checked Fabfree I would’ve missed out on Ricielli’s Valentine’s Hunt, as blogged by the beautiful Love Trill. And I would have missed out big time. ( I missed the Christmas one..bah humbug!) I checked my inventory to see how many items I had from Ricielli and it confirmed that I didn’t have many. Well, that has now been rectified, because not only have I got some fantastic hunt goodies I’ve also promised myself a return visit come pay day when I’ll be going back with gusto, and some space in my inventory to fill. It would be rude not to really!

There are 20 heart-shaped boxes in this hunt, each can be bought for L$15. Some people don’t mind paying for hunt items, others do. I don’t mind if I know the retailer offers quality items and if I have an inkling of what is in store. Well fortunately for us Ricielli has gone the extra mile by supplying a poster displaying ALL the hunt items, so you can select which items you want to get..

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This is so considerate! L$15 may not sound like much, but of course every Linden counts, and spending it on a hunt item that you may not wear is a tad wasteful. By sharing a picture detailing the goodies on offer, you can pick from the list and hunt down only the items that you want from the store.  The hunting part is so ridiculously easy that it’s not so much a hunt, just a stroll around the store looking at the lovelies, but that’s not a hardship. It’s a feast for the virtual eyeballs.

Note that EVERY item in this hunt is blooming stupendous.  Some items are more fabulous than others and are therefore more appropriate to my tastes, but I’m pretty confident that there is something here for everyone.  I blew my last few Lindens on my favourites, and I’m going to show them to you now.

I especially like the jackets , coats and dresses in the hunt.  These are wardrobe staples really, and they all look dazzling. To start, the photograph at the top of this post shows me wearing hunt item number 4. This jacket, in rose, is boxy and would look fantastic dressed down with jeans or dressed up with formal trousers.  I adore the colour of this jacket and the slight sheen on the fabric. (Note that item number 2 in the hunt is the same jacket, but in black)

Speaking of black jackets, up next is hunt item number 5, a bang up to date leather biker jacket. Not only that, you also get a brown version of the same in the pack. It’s a terrific jacket and evokes rock chick chic wonderfully! (For just fifteen Lindens. The mind boggles!) For the sake of saving you the embarrassment of looking at my nethers in this shot I slipped on an old pair of knickers on in an apt shade of red, rather than go naked (Note to self: Buy new undies) You wouldn’t want to see the jungle that’s hidden down there. However, there’s a bit of Valentine’s nipple visible in this shot. WAHEY!

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My next selection from the twenty is a coat, which is hunt item number 15 on the list. It’s a lovely green classically styled mac, with belt knotted at the waist. You could wear with boots, heels or wellies and all will look equally resplendent. It’s a marvellous mesh creation, with superb detailing and I love that the belt is tied into a knot rather than formally buckled; details like this make for a happy Kitty.  I also really dig the buttons and the scalloped edging upon the pockets and belt. Wonderful isn’t it?

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My other choices from Ricielli’s Valentine’s Hunt are dresses, and the first frock I selected is a rather refined example of the quintessential black dress. You can never have too many little black dresses in your inventory in my opinion. This one is number 12  and it’s is deceptively simple. It’s short and sleeveless with a subtly stylised band over the bust.   This kind of dress looks fabulous with short hair and statement jewellery.  I didn’t have a necklace in my inventory that I felt would do it justice, so I left my flesh bare, but I really think something large and expensive should be worn around your neck to truly compliment this mesh marvel.

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Hunt item number 17 will surely make your Valentine’s heart beat just a little faster when he(or she) sees you in this stunning short dress with puffy sleeves and spectacular glittery texture. The dress also leaves ample room for cleavage gazing <chuckle>. Not only that, this prize is a double pack because you also receive the same dress in black.  This dress is so utterly beautiful that it leaves me absolutely speechless, not only at the styling but also at the generosity of the creator and the unbelievable bargain price.  This classic piece with a modern twist creates great presence; so I chose to dress it up with a pair of classic pumps from my inventory, and wore my hair in the ageless bob. It’s a true fashionista look.

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But it’s not over yet.  When you’re doing the hunt be sure to pick up the little box behind heart number 11. It costs L$10 and is an item I presume from another hunt, but again it contains a lovely short dress festooned in magenta sequins. This would also be a winner for a Valentines date, as you can see below!

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So there you have my selection of choices from Ricielli’s Valentine hunt. The best bit is that all these fabulous items in total cost me just L$75. Can you believe it?! Even more impressive is if you buy all twenty items (shoes, jackets, dresses, separates, eyeliner and a skin as well, phew!) it would still only cost L$300. It’s practically an entire wardrobe’s worth.  Madness. You couldn’t buy a single mesh dress for that price at some stores, seriously!

I really must insist that you get yourself over to Ricielli and indulge yourself on this hunt.  Miss this one and you’ll be kicking yourself until next Valentine’s Day! (To help you make your selections, if you need a better look at any of the photos here just click on them to make them larger)

Note: This post features me wearing the Ava skin by Belleza which is STILL on offer  in-store at L$400. To add some extra pizzazz I invested in a pack of lip colours specifically designed to complement this skin for L$400 and they contain every colour I could possibly require in matte, semi-gloss and high gloss finishes. In total that means I’ve spent L$800 on one skin but when you consider I have all these alternate lip colours to play with too it actually feels like I have a fat pack of skins.

I’m also wearing a multitude of styles from Elikatira, which are still on sale at 70% off until the 23rd of February.

Incidentally, the canvas in the last photograph is from Pilot and was their Fifty Linden Friday offering this week. The Rage Face Dolls  were featured on the blog just yesterday and they’re from Common.   The wines in my kitchen are all from Amuse. All photos were taken in my humble abode, the glorious Arizona House from Bazar that I blogged a week ago. You can read my blog post about it further down the page, or by clicking here if you’re super lazy!)

Kitty Quicky – Bargains to be had at Belleza!

Kitty Quicky – Bargains to be had at Belleza!

by Lisa Millar ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

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Didn’t find out about it until today BUT Belleza is having a weekend offer where a selection of skins can be purchased for L$400 ($1.58/£1.01)

There are three female and two male skins to choose from. All are frickin’ amazeballs!

I’m wearing the rather splendid Ava in medium skintone.  I’m a sucker for glorious eye make-ups, and this winged shadow had me at ‘Hello’

L$400 is a bargain for a quality skin, and Belleza are amongst the best on the grid if you ask me.

If you’re interested, you’d better get to Belleza sharpish, because this offer will end at Midnight when we all turn into potatoes or something!

(Oh, and the hair is by [e], which is having a sale until Feb 28th, featuring a whopping 70% off! Will deal with that in another post coming soon. Besides, you’ve plenty of time to get there and enjoy, trust me, at the moment t’s packed and the lag was bloody awful when I visited earlier. But go you must, do not miss out on some of the most gorgeous styles on the grid!)