Demo Day at Kittys! Collabor88 Feb 2020

February 8, 2020February 8, 2020 by Lisa Millar ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Calloo Callay! It’s ‘Demo Day’ at Kittys! What better way to spend a very blustery Saturday afternoon (we’re supposed to be getting a storm later, it’s called ‘Storm Ciara’ and frankly she can just ruddy well bugger off) than trying on all the things currently on sale at Collabor88?! I bloody LOVE C88, it’s one of my favourite regular in-world events and I’m always excited each month to see what treats lie in store…

I had a look at the catalogue on Seraphim, and then zoomed on over to the cam-shopping platform and had a quick cam around, noting a few items that I really liked the look of and thought that might be worth a try-on session at home. Laden with virtual bags I TP’d home (in the first few days of an event it’s always better to try on at home or at a sandbox because loitering keeps other people from the event, and frankly that’s just not on) and threw them all over the floor as I set about my demo session. I ALWAYS demo before I purchase; it’s just not worth the disappointment of investing in a purchase only to get home to find that it doesn’t work well on your body at all. I’ve learned my lesson on this the hard way. If something’s been rigged badly and you’ve just bought a fat-pack of something divine, you’re going to be in for one helluva unpleasant shock when you realise it’s borked.

All of the pictures I’m sharing with you here have been taken with my graphic settings ramped up high, using bright lighting to enable me to see details properly. The windlight setting that I tend to use for such purposes is ‘Bree’s Apple blossom’, should you wish to give it a try. I haven’t post-processed or enhanced them in any way, they’re just as they appeared on screen. Click on a picture to see a larger version.

First of all I’m trying on this beautiful ‘Marie’ hairstyle from DOUX. I own a lot of this particular brand’s hairstyles and it’s a nightmare because I ALWAYS say to myself that I’ll get the basic pack, and end up getting the ruddy deluxe one, but no matter. I definitely think DOUX hair is worth your attention and investment; I’ve always found their styles to be consistently high-quality featuring beautiful textures, colours and styles along with well designed hair-bases, which makes the styles infinitely wearable. Plus how did we ever manage before stylist HUDS, huh?

‘Marie’ is a side-swept, layered and waved style that evokes a classic feel. It’s more or a medium length and sits just past your shoulders at the back. It’s also a bit nice, I fell for it as soon as I put it on! I mean, just LOOK:

I generally don’t go for brighter colours like the ones above but I felt really drawn to them while I was trying the style. Of course, they’re colours that are in the Deluxe pack because of course they are, and they’re each individually worthy of high praise. This is just three photographs mind you, be aware that there are ….. in the HUD for the Deluxe pack. Which is nice. Ugh, I have no self-control where virtual hairstyles are concerned and this one is just so pretty that it would DEFINITELY make ‘fetch’ happen…(Think about it.. you’ll get the reference!) I love it. Damn you, DOUX!

Moving swiftly on then and next is the latest skin from INSOL. I couldn’t try the LELUTKA one as I don’t have the latest head but no matter, I’m more than happy with my GENUS ‘Baby face’, and even more so after I tested ‘Lena’ upon it. I don’t wear many INSOL skins, and more fool me because this one is very pleasant indeed. What attracted me to this particular skin was the brow shape built into it; I’m a total virtual brow whore. I love them, and I’m a huge fan of wearing a no-brow skin and adding brows from other content creators to create a totally unique look. However, this is a skin that I would be more than happy to wear with the built-in brow, which has a lovely strong arch and frames the face perfectly. The detail on the face itself is great too, especially the central highlighting and shading, which renders a subtle look to the face making for a great base to layer virtual make-up on. (With a trowel, obviously!) The big thing for me when I’m buying a new skin tends to be will I have to buy the facial skin AND a new body applier HUD? This generally then leads me to scrabbling around in my absolute nightmare of an inventory and either feeling defeated or elated. I’m delighted to say that today was the latter; I did indeed have an applier for my body colour of choice, ‘Peach’, and when I added this to my Maitreya 5.1 Lara Body it just made me fall completely in love with the skin. The INSOL skins are L$888 each (L$2588 for the fat-pack), but VERY worthy of your time and investment. ‘Lena’ is available in 7 skin tones at the event.

Next up we have the first clothing item that I tried. This is the TETRA ‘Velvet Mini Dress’, and I was attracted, but slightly wary of the shape of the mesh. It’s been a recent trend in Second Life fashion to have dresses that fall off the shoulders BUT occasionally the mesh shapes just don’t work with your AO (Animation Over-rider) or dancing animations. This is a really important point to make so listen closely gang; when you’re trying on frocks, tops and what-nots that are off shoulder or super baggy switch your AO on and go for a walk around. Then stick your favourite dancing animations on and try again. If the mesh seems to fit and flow with your body well, then you know you’re onto a winner. You may find that for super safety you have to alpha-out areas on your body (quite often I have difficulties with the fit around my armpits/boobs where I have to deploy the alpha layers) Also, if it’s a dress, does it come with pants? Some do, dome don’t. Can you wear mesh pants underneath (should you want to?) or apply layer lingerie to hide your virtual lady garden from up-skirters? (Yes, there are people like that in Second Life, you literally cannot be free of the chuffers in either life. HEX THE LOT OF THEM I SAY!) Ahem. Anyway, I stuck my arms up in the air and swung them around like I just didn’t care, which I didn’t. I zoomed in, I zoomed out and I had a proper look. Unfortunately, there is a wee glitch under the right armpit that I cannot resolve with alpha-layers alone, so I need to have a think about whether or not I invest. That’s a shame, because it’s certainly a pretty frock and I really like the overall shape. It’s textured well and the HUD features excellent details such as changing the metal upon the belt eyelets and the fabric on the belt buckle and buttons. I really like that, it means you have styling options to play about with to make your perfect dress. I think it will work well with heels (can I just say I literally CANNOT WAIT until someone starts releasing kitten heel styles for the new foot shape that’s been added to MAITREYA. I’m desperate to get my kitten heels on, I’ve always loved them. Come on shoe-makers of Second Life, crack on! Cough *Gospel Voom are you there?* Splutter…

JUST BECAUSE is a brand that has been on fire with quality releases recently, and this month is no exception. The ‘Alicia’ gown is old Hollywood styling with voluminous sleeves leading to tight cuffs at the wrist, a cinched in waist and beautiful draped skirt. You can use the included HUD to change the colours of your dress and the flower adornment, changing the colour of the petals, the pearls in the centre and the leaves. I love having fun with elements like this; you can create a myriad of looks and this dress would be great for virtual occasions of any kind but honestly, to me it screams “WEDDING DRESS!!!” especially when worn in the ivory or white colour choices. To be fair though it’s lovely in any colour and works beautifully with the DOUX hairstyle. It’s as if they were made for each other; simple earrings and a pearl necklace would be perfect for a wedding look, with perhaps a flower decoration in the hair (or an up-do with tiara, veil, the whole works) but this isn’t a dress that you need to overpower with embellishment. It’s stunning as is. Problem is, it’s not the kind of dress I would invest in because, well, I’m not a classy bird that goes to lots of grand occasions where I could wear such a show-stopper. I’ve not even got wed in Second Life, but if I did want to I’d give this dress serious consideration, and with Valentine’s Day fast approaching it would be a sensational choice for a romantic dinner date with your beloved. That said, I might treat myself to one so I can swoosh around at home and pretend to be all glam…

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about my trying-on session, and there are still lots more lovely things at this month’s round of C88 that I haven’t had the chance to test out yet, but I’m thinking I might do a video featuring a few things..what do you think?

Is there anything you think I should demo and share here?

Let me know in the comments!

Be My Valentine?

February 6, 2018February 6, 2018 by Lisa Millar ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Is it me or has FAMESHED really knocked it out of the park the past few months? I’ve enjoyed their recent editions more than I have in a long time, and I congratulate them on managing to keep it fresh and fantastic when other events can look stale by comparison. I made a number of absolutely cracking purchases there this round, let me tell you all about them!

First of all, my frock. The dress I am wearing is called ‘Gia’ from REBEL HOPE DESIGNS. I really like the simple styling that’s accented by fluted sleeves and a lace panel at the rear. I also really like that it comes with options, us girls love our options after all, and you can choose a delicate sleeve (which is what I am wearing in the photo) and change the colour of the lace panel at the back. The large sleeve option is very romantic so perfect for Valentines Day, but don’t go near any naked flames, because if you knock a candle over you’ll be barbecue!On my tootsies, I’m sporting a pair of GOS’s finest, the ‘Lady G’ pump. I was hoping for a leopard print or patent, version of these but I couldn’t see one (I am as dizzy as a bat though when I’m shopping at events so that doesn’t mean there isn’t one for sale, although if there isn’t please make them!) so I opted for my ever favourite red. Now, Lady G is a bit special; GOS describe her as a “… classic high platform pump that is anything but basic. Four shoes in one, choose between a sky-high stiletto or block heel and an open foot or Mary Jane strap..” I opted for the classic heel, thicker and more substantial than a stiletto with a chunky pointed toe (the kind of toe that if you kicked someone in the nethers they’d know about for at least a week) and the aforementioned Mary Jane strap detail across the top of the foot. Now, one of the things I have always loved about Gospel Voom‘s footwear is the attention to detail. The texture is spot-on, it looks real and zooming in to check out these shoes is very satisfying. Look at the clasp, it looks like it’s been fastened properly and you can even see a hint of the fastening bar behind the leather strap. I love the attention to detail like that. The shoes are equally well textured inside, even though you’ll never see that element because you’ll be wearing them, and they sport branding on the sole. They’re perfect.

Last but not least an honourable mention: I’m sporting new brow happiness from NAR MATTARU. Jade Glazner has long been a favourite creator of mine and I love her brows as much as I adore her tattoos and skins. These brows are her latest and how I wish they were mine in real-life, I need more than some ABH brow pomade and concealer to shape these babies! Fortunately, in Second Life I can look utterly perfect, and these TARA brows work beautifully upon my AMARA BEAUTY ‘Hanna’ skin. They come with a HUD that allows you to choose from five colour variations, including a white brow option. Glorious!

Finally shout-outs to the poses I’m using in this post; first-up for the main shot I’m using a nifty wee pose from AUTHENTIC POSES called ‘Confidence 04’, and the neon heart and pose are from a set called ‘Lovely Poses (Bento)’ by CNZ. Both are from THE CHAPTER FOUR.

KITTY WEARS:

HEAD & EYES: CATWA ‘Kimberly’ and ‘Mesh Eyes’

EYES APPLIER: ARTE ‘Supernova’ THE CHAPTER FOUR

BODY: MAITREYA ‘Lara’

SKIN: AMARA BEAUTY ‘Hanna’ POWDER PACK EXCLUSIVE (December 2017) (Worn on CATWA ‘Kimberly’ mesh head and MAITREYA ‘Lara’ mesh body) Worn with Powder Pack January exclusive Amara Beauty makeup

TATTOOS: NAR MATTARU ‘Hold Fast’ tattoo

EARS: RANDOM MATTER

NOSE RING: YUMMY

HAIR: ‘Jen’ WASABI

SPECTACLES & RINGS: YUMMY ( Rings exclusive to N21)

NECK BOW: Bow by BOOM

DRESS, SHOES, BROWS AND POSES ALL DETAILS ABOVE/LINKS IN TEXT

LOTD: Marsala Mondays

August 17, 2015August 17, 2015 by Lisa Millar ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

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.

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…

..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

Kitty’s Getting Ready For Shoetopia-ARE YOU?

November 12, 2013 by Lisa Millar ♥ 3 Comments

You know, I was never really a shoe-girl.

In real life you’ll find me trudging around in a pair of Crocs (yes, I know I’ve committed a supposed fashion-crime by wearing them, let alone loving them, but I do so there!) or my battered red Converse. I have some fabulous Catwoman Converse, too, and some Hello Kitty Vans. Oh, and I have a pair of flat pumps in a burgundy leopard-print for work/going out, and a nice pair of clumpy faux-fur boots that I adore. But that’s it; hardly a collection, let alone a fashion statement!

To be honest in real-life I’ve never understood how women could go all ‘Hello Lover’ at a pair of heels so cripplingly high that they would give you a nose bleed and bunions as soon as you dared to put your toe into them. As if that wasn’t enough, the price of the ruddy things is completely beyond me. I don’t care if Manolo Blahnik himself made them, if you can’t guarantee that by wearing those shoes I’ll win an arse-kicking contest with a porcupine then I am just not interested. In my eyes if you see nothing wrong with spending the equivalent of a mortgage repayment on a pair of heels then there’s something very wrong with you.

To begin with in Second Life I wasn’t much of a shoe fetishist. For a long time my go-to heels for my posher virtual outfits were an old pair (well I guess you’d call them vintage now) of TESLA heels. They were a gift many years ago from the ever-amazing Codebastard Redgrave, and I still wear them. Tesla Miles made brilliant shoes; I do miss that brand!

But this year I’ve started to get wise to the wicked ways of the (virtual) shoe.

It’s the GOS BOUTIQUE shoes that started my transformation from footwear luddite to convert; Gospel Voom’s fantastic brand of heels and boots that are nothing short of pornographic. I swear to god, the Angelina peep-toe heels in ‘Black Python’ are the virtual equivalent of making mad, passionate love to Ms. Jolie herself. They are ASTONISHING.

ILO’s workboot collection for THE ARCADE spoke to me in a way no other boots ever have in-world, and I became obsessed by them. As a result, I’ve barely taken them off, and most of the time you’ll find me trudging around the grid in a pair of my gacha-won treasures. They were created and textured so perfectly how could I not love them? Oh, and don’t even get me started on Siddean Munro and her amazing SLink feet and footwear..GAHHH!

As you can see, my conversion once it started came on suddenly , and I would now consider myself well on the way to becoming a Second Life Shoe Addict.

And there isn’t a cure, in fact, my addiction is going to fully reveal itself come November 15th (Friday folks, FRIDAY!!) when SHOETOPIA 2013 opens to the public.

Now, I did a VERY SILLY thing by not entering the photo contest to be an official blogger (Damn you real life!!!)but no matter because some of the very best bloggers that Second Life have to offer will be covering the event for you. And what an event it promises to be! Readers, there are OVER FIFTY (gulp) footwear designers contributing to the show.

There are Gachas too (because we’re all addicted to those, right?) and all of this will take place across two sims that have a ‘Shoe Heaven’ theme. (Check out the fabulous photo on Moka’s Way-isn’t it breathtaking?!)

The event will last from November 15- November 30 2013, a total of 14 days, which is good because I imagine it will packed solid when it opens and will prove very difficult to get into.

But the very best thing, apart from all those beautiful, fabulous shoes, is that the event supports the charity SOLES 4 SOULS. The fact that it’s supporting such an amazing charity is reason enough to go and splurge all your Lindens, but Soles4Souls have committed at least 200,000 new pairs of shoes to the rescue, recovery, and rebuilding lives effort in the Philippines following this weekend’s dreadful typhoon disaster.

You can see a few of the treats in store by visiting the official Flickr group, and of course I’ll be showing you my lovely purchases once I’ve managed to get in!

This is one event that you really won’t want to miss; I’m considering camping on the sim border for the opening. Sell a virtual kidney, pawn all your virtual jewellery!

Fabulous shoes + Money for charity = WIN!!!