Jalwa Skins – Kittywitchin'

I got to wear my first ever Jalwa skin last year, ‘Coven’, and it’s been a firm favourite of mine ever since. Chandra Masala makes blinking fabulous skins, and her Skin Fair submissions this year are nothing short of fantastic. When I saw the line up I KNEW I had to get my sticky-kitty mitts on ‘Meenakshi’ in the Cardamon shade, and that is precisely what I did.

For a start I love the colour of this skin. It has a really earthy, warm tone making it ideal for all kinds of wear. I imagine it would fare well in role-play for some reason, it just has that exotic, spirited air about it. In fact I got a real vintage vibe from it when I was playing around with different looks. I don’t know why that is actually; perhaps it’s just me but whatever spurred that feeling on I used it to great effect when styling this look. But I digress, let me tell you about this skin.

‘Meenakshi’ has a stunning face. She’s incredibly beautiful, with striking eyebrows that are skilfully sculpted, almost as though they are hewn from stone. But even though these brows are high drama, they don’t detract from the look. Instead they balance out the visage perfectly, complimenting the strong cheek shading and balancing out the perfectly rendered lips. When you try this skin on it’s worth increasing your lip size, even if it’s just a bit, just to get the full benefit of the scrumptious lips that Chandra has blessed ‘Meenakshi’ with. They really are a virtual sensation.

Onto the body and it’s just as elegant as the face, with details accentuated well and the suggestion of a blemish or two. I really like the cleavage on this skin, and the fact that there is a mole on the breast to draw your attention to it. This is a skin that looks great naked by the way, intimate details are extremely well done with a neat ‘private area’, ahem. One thing I especially like about this skin is the generous use of highlight on areas like the thighs. This is the kind of skin that looks excellent when worn in beach-wear for example, and I think if you’re a virtual beach-bunny then you’ll find this a very rewarding wear. Set your windlight settings to sunset and bask in Meenakshi’s warm, spicy glow. Utterly delicious.

So onto my snaps, which are a little bit 1970’s, hence my referring to them as vintage. I styled this skin in the fanatastic ISON suit that is available at this month’s Collabor88, and coupled with this fabulous ‘Harriet’ bob from Truth and rather ostentatious bow necklace from LARK came up with this rather funky look. It’s further enhanced by some make-ups that I picked up at Skin Fair 2014 (and will be further writing about) from MADRID SOLO, my new make-up label of choice. I’m wearing an eyeshadow and lip-colour from the ‘Seductress’ range, along with my favourite MONS eyeliner.

Incidentally, Meenakshi comes replete with her own line of eyeshadow and lip options too. They’re absolutely scrummy, and are featured to great effect on Sydd Sinister’s fantastic blog (Sydd is a ruddy fantastic blogger and if you’re new to her work check it out, she’s one of the most accomplished bloggers on the grid in my humble opinion. I’ve long been a fan:)

But as I’ve said before, it doesn’t matter what you wear on top, it’s the base that counts.

And in Meenakshi I’ve discovered an absolute winner. A skin that’s versatile and ready to be styled in whatever way I fancy, and every time I wear it I KNOW I’ll look good.

Can’t ask for more than that really can you?

CLICK HERE TO VISIT JALWA ON SKIN FAIR 1

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.

In 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!