Kitty Plays ‘Catch-Up’

May 16, 2013May 16, 2013 by Lisa Millar ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

As I’m sure regular readers know I work in real life (Shh! I know we don’t like to talk about that!) so my time in-world is often limited. This means I have to play ‘catch-up’ when I finally come back in, and I have to say that at the moment Second Life is really overwhelming me due to the amount of events that are currently running on the grid. I shouldn’t complain too much though, it’s a good time to be an avatar, especially if you want to be a super-stylish one too!

Problem for me as a blogger is that there are so many events in-world that I know I can’t possibly do justice to them all on these pages. You have to appreciate that these kinds of occasions take weeks of planning and organising so it’s only fair that when they begin they receive the quality coverage they deserve.

Perhaps one of my issues is that when I attend an event I like to take my time and wander around them, and then I get distracted, go back to stores repeatedly and have another look, and then forget where I saw things that really caught my eye in the first place. I do actually have a notebook that I use to remind me of locations and places where I’ve seen fabulous items, but of course, that only works if you remember to write in it….DOH!

In a situation like this when I feel that there’s just so much going on that i don’t know where to start, I find a good visual aide to be invaluable. It saves me time if I can see what an event is offering by checking out a dedicated web-site,or checking out the feeds to see what other bloggers are covering.

Fortunately we are blessed with resources like Serpahim which seems to cover the majority of sales and events on the grid. To be honest, I’d be lost without that blog; it’s become my go-to on a daily basis to find out what’s happening and where, and a quick nosy at their snapshots always help me plan my spends ahead. I’m also finding myself glued (or should that be pinned?) to Elysium Hyne’s Pinterest selections for event reportage too. Here’s a huge thank you to Elysium and all the team at Seraphim for their hard work!

Anyway, let’s get on to the good stuff. I have managed to treat myself to a few lovely things this week, so I’ll do a quick post about a few things I’ve spotted at a couple of events before I scurry off to check out some more!

First up, The Liaison Collaborative has gifted us with ‘The Boutique’, which features a superb selection of fashion, accessories and poses. The theme is ‘Fresh’, and they aren’t joking, featuring zesty contributions from Baiastice, !Bang, Belleza, Bilo, Cae, CNS Emotion, E! Apparel, Earthstones, Elikatira, Essences, Flowey, Glam Affair, Gos Boutique, Half-Deer, Haste, Hopscotch, Ikon, Inside Lab, Ispachi, Izzie’s, Just Designs, La Petite Morte, Lassitude & Ennui, Lavallie, Leezu, Noodles, NYU, Olive, Rebel Hope, Valentina E. and Vanity Poses. Phew! I always enjoy these events; they’re not so large as to leave you feeling bewildered, and the selection of designers that contribute are all well-established, quality brands. There’s a real feeling of finesse to this event and I always get the impression that there’s been a lot of care taken by the planners behind the scenes to ensure that they have curated the very best goodies for the event. That’s why you find brands like Belleza showcasing skins, and how I wish they wouldn’t.

</me Kitty shakes fist angrily!>

Because yet again Belleza have adorned their sublime Mya skin with some utterly glorious make-ups and naturally I couldn’t avoid them. As I’ve said before, I love make-ups and it would take some serious coaxing to get me out of my Izzie’s skin and into another, but Ava proved way too hard to resist, with her winged eyeshadow perfection in a variety of colours. It would be just plain rude to not indulge. So I did.

And I look fabulous, see?

Don’t even get me started on the totally delicious array of IKON eyes at the event either; I had to walk away lest I spent my rent. Suffice to say that IKON are my favourite brand of eyes in world (I am wearing them in the picture above of course, but these are an existing pair from my collection) and seeing new ones made me all teary and misty-eyed. So to avoid further distress I swiftly departed on to my next destination, The 100 Block.

This is a ‘Depraved Nation‘ event and it features over 100 participating designers and artists. That’s way too many to list in this post, so if you click HERE you can go visit the official blog and review the selection yourself, but suffice to say I found it very satisfying indeed. I’ve been zooming all round the, erm, block, most of the morning with gay abandon and totally relishing the fabulous fashion on display.

There are some really special mesh items on sale and it’s nice to see that there are some goodies for the chaps as well as the ladies, and there’s also hair, piercings and tattoos.

I discovered a new brand of hair whilst I was at the event. In the shot above I’m wearing ‘Toffsy’ (Maroon) by Adoness and I really love it. It’s an unusual combination of bob shape with added oomph and curl, and I think that it makes for a winning combination.

But what’s also rather special is this fantastic frock that I discovered at the event. I’m all about Leopard print in Second Life, well, I am called Kitty after all, and I was really blown away by this stylish gown that I found hanging on the rack at Ellemeno.

I’ve blogged CarrieAnn Lemon’s label before and it’s a relatively new yet well-produced brand that is especially focused upon the mesh boobs market, but don’t let that dissuade you from investigating their goodies because you don’t have to sport mesh boobs to look sensational in them. I was going to wear my Lola’s for this shot, but in the end I thought I looked fabulous enough without.

Taking a traditional gown shape and bringing it bang up to date with Leopard print is a brave move, yet it works beautifully. Now I wear a LOT of leopard print and there’s one thing I’ve noticed, especially with mesh items. If the textures aren’t carefully applied, and to be frank if a decent Leopard print texture isn’t used in the first place, the result can be a bit..well, rubbish. But there’s no such worries here with this gown; the print really looks the part and the shape of this dress is nothing short of perfect.

I wish I could wear this in real life, but alas, I’d look like Bella Emberg channelling Bet Lynch.

But at least in Second Life I can look divine, eh?

So anyway, because I’m still playing catch-up I thought I’d share a small list of events that I really do think you will enjoy checking out, and to make things even more fun for you, I’ve included links (to either Seraphim or Elysium’s posts) so that you can have a peek at the good stuff before checking them out in-world.

Who knows, I may even bump into you at one of these!(You’ll recognise me, a bewildered looking idiot) Be sure to say ‘Hello’ if you do see me!

Happy Shopping! Oh and a thought, if you find something nice why not tell us about it in the comments below? Toodles!

Kitty Clean or Kitty Dirty?

February 27, 2013February 28, 2013 by Lisa Millar ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Clean or Dirty? Which one do you prefer? That’s the choice you’re being given by Ellemeno, who have launched a rather lovely lingerie set exclusively for the Whore Couture Fair, which begins Friday March 1^st.

It comprises of bra and pants with ribbon embellishment and authentic strap-detailing at the rear. as well as some special, erm, ‘enhancements’ for intimate occasions. The underwear is available in a delicious sorbet of colours; green, blue, pink, purple, red and yellow as well as black and white versions.

To be honest the undies in the coloured options are so pretty that you could use them as bikini, as I have done in my picture. The neutrals make great underwear, and the matching glasses really do add an extra layer of coordination to the look.

But of course you’re wondering what makes them ‘dirty’ aren’t you? Erm, well…

Let’s put it this way, we’re not talking the kind of dirty that involves laundry detergent.

What’s going on in the picture? Well, isn’t it obvious?! Kitty had an ‘accident ‘in the sauna when she was applying her ‘lotion’. (She was trying to do it carefully because she didn’t want to get the hose again) and as you can see clumsy Kitty spilled it all over her glasses and her frontage! (And there you were thinking it was something smutty! For shame!) What kind of a Kitty do you think I am? (No, don’t answer that question!)

Bra and panties set costs L$195 and you’ll receive both ‘clean’ and ‘dirty’ versions of the bra and pants plus Tango appliers. The glasses are available in a Gatcha at L$50 per play (The glasses are great, especially the pairs that have the ribbon adornment. Very Hello Kitty-esque!)

Incidentally, if you want to know more about the ‘Whore Couture Fair, then you’d better check out the blog, because it is going to be *huge*. It’s going to feature some of the brightest and best designers that the grid has to offer (obviously, seeing as CarrieAnn Lemon is taking part) and will probably dominate the Second Life blogosphere for the foreseeable..

Kitty Says ‘Ello To Ellemeno! (And QE and Waffle)

February 18, 2013February 18, 2013 by Lisa Millar ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

I’ve done a few hunts recently after becoming the proud owner of some fine virtual norkage, and I promised to write about some of the stores I’d discovered. So here’s me keeping my word 🙂 The main store that I want to tell you about today is called ‘Ellemeno’. It retails quality clothing for the female, busty avatar, and by quality I mean pretty darn good!

It’s the first store that caters to the bigger busted avatar that has, for me at least, evoked the experience that you get from some of the higher end retailers in world. I can’t quite put my finger on the reason for that; I think it’s because of the styling and presentation of the store. The graphics and photo displays look really professional, as does the way items are presented in store. It makes me want to shop there, and it makes me eager for more.

But of course, the most important aspect of the store is the merchandise. Ellemeno specialises in tops, jackets, dresses, lingerie and even a few costumes as well. All of them are well made and suitably displayed in store, inviting you to buy them and try them. There’s a presence on the marketplace too, although I did notice that not everything I found in store was listed on there.

So what kinds of goodies await you? Well, first of all let me tell you about this classic little black dress that I’m wearing. It’s actually a hunt prize, can you believe it? Nope, I couldn’t either. A simple style with a contrast belt making it bang on trend, and it was free as part of the ’Hunt For Your Inner Slut’, ahem. It’s also mesh! I was so chuffed, I teamed it a classic black bob courtesy of Elikatira ( last few days for that that sale guys, don’t forget!) and had a look Anna Wintour herself would be proud of! Incidentally I’m stood next to the pink version which is rather special as all the proceeds from the sale of this dress will go to the Susan G. Komen For The Cure Breast Cancer Foundation. It costs L$250 and is well worth investing in.

One of the strengths of Ellemeno are the gowns. It’s not easy to find a quality gown if you have norks that you don’t actually want to put out on display, but Ellemeno rises to the challenge. The ‘Long Formal Gown’, at L$250 is available in five colours, plus black, and has a high front with a slightly draped back. The gown is plain apart from an embellished pattern that fades after the waist leaving a plain skirt. It oozes quality and as the name suggests VERY formal and just needs an up-do with signature earrings and bracelet as well as fabulous heels to complete the look. The Tuxedo dress and Tiffany gown are also gorgeous too. The Tuxedo Dress, at L$250, is perfect for accompanying your be-suited fella to a virtual function. The Tiffany Gown however is very special, and the white version would make a spectacular wedding dress. I also really like the versions of the gown which feature rainbows of colour across the main body. You have to see them to truly appreciate the quality, but at L$150 for the coloured versions, and L$300 for the white, they’re great value. The Lulu Ruched gown and the Tori dress are also worth investing in; the former is perfect for a masquerade ball (as the accompanying poster in-store suggests) and the latter is ideal for a cocktail party or formal beach gathering.

While the weather is cold you’d do worse than popping on a Fairisle Sweater, and there are six to choose from at Ellemeno. I really like these because the texture and shading are just right, and they’d look great with tights and boots. Again, just L$250 a pop.

There are lots of wonderful items to see in store and I couldn’t possibly feature all of them here, but I do rate the vintage feel of the ‘Doris Dresses’, the selection of shirts and most of all the so-called ‘Open Sweaters’ (They’re hoodies, LOL 🙂 You don’t need to be the ‘Fallen Madonna With The Big Boobies’ (you will only understand that reference if you used to watch ‘Allo Allo’ )to get the benefits of these. They’re gorgeous, with some fantastic textures to choose from including cats (Yay! Cats!) mustaches tattoos and my own personal faves, owls and gaming gear. These are a great addition to your mesh wardrobe, and would look fab with baggy jeans.

Point to note: There are a couple of hunt items that are well worth picking up in store. One is a milk carton from the ‘Hello Titty’ hunt (which finished on the fifteenth so hurry!) There’s the ‘Hunt For your Inner Slut’ heart to find (go look at the gowns 😉

But perhaps the best thing is that selected items in store bearing a pink ribbon are reduced to half price, with 50% of the proceeds donated to Susan G. Komen For The Cure Breast Cancer Foundation.

Ellemeno is a store I’m adding to my favourites list, and I’m really looking forward to CarrieAnn Lemon’s future releases, in fact, I can’t wait for them! (NOTE: I visited both the mainstore and the satellite store at Cleavage for this post, all hunt items are at the main store)

Kitty wears: Hair By Elikatira, top by QE (at Cleavage), open sweater by Ellemeno and trousers by Sakide.

I mentioned the shopping sim Cleavage in the blurb above, so I want to give a quick shout out to two other stores I found there and really enjoyed; WAFFLE and QE.

QE’s satellite store had only a few pieces on display, but they’re all great, especially the Cashmere Crops, available in an array of colours for L$120 each or a fat-pack of three tones in the same colour range for L$300. I’m wearing a purple cashmere crop in the pic, under the ‘Open Sweater’ by Ellemeno. (It’s a hoody!!) The mainstore is located at Jersey Shore, seems it’s still standing proudly in Second Life!

On the opposite side of the street is WAFFLE, a satellite store with just a few items but all are well-priced and produced. My pick in this store is the Camo Drawstring tube-top. I really love this, and it’s a brilliant price at L$109. I wanted to see a lot more from designer Kiki Paine, so will be sure to check out her mainstore.

Phew! A TON of shopping happy for you there, dear reader! You’d better stock up on those lindens and get your shopping shoes on, it’s time to go pop some tags!