The cutest little Kittywitch!

October 9, 2015October 9, 2015 by Lisa Millar ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

I’m the kind of girl who really does appreciate a quality group gift. Of course, you have to be in a quality group to begin with, and there are many of them in SECOND LIFE.
One example is MAGIKA hair, and this seasonal gift is nothing short of absolute Halloween perfection. It’s called ‘Sorcery’ and includes a mesh hat + hair just for being in the group, and the style couldn’t be anymore enticing if it tried. It has an almost coquettish quality to it, and is the perfect shade of Halloween green, although if you purchase the latest release, ‘Darkness Falls’ you’ll find that the colour packs are compatible with the gift.

I teamed it with a lovely shirt, jumper and jacket combo from APHORISM. This is part of the ‘Autumn Jackets’ collection that is available from THE SEASONS STORY (beginning 10th October) and the textures on this are nothing short of perfect. Zoom in and you’ll see chunky knit and stitching and a lovely, clunky belt that ties the combination together perfectly. The Jacket comes in 6 colours, Black, Charcoal, Grey, Pale Grey, Blue and Brown, and also included is a texture change pad with 6 colour options for the sweater. Even better than that, Maitreya Autohide is enabled too. HUZZAH!

My skirt is a jazzy wee number from R3VOLT called the ‘Heather’ skirt. I chose it because the HUD featured some grimy textures that were perfect for this look. They’re a label that I’m quite fond of actually and produce a great range of urban-styled pieces to mix and match together. I’m also rather keen on these ‘Strap Leggings’ from ABRASIVE, which is another of one of those stores that once you find it you need to LM it for future reference.

I still feel the need to wear these exceptional NCORE ‘Alexandra’ boots at every opportunity but they’re so darn wearable and the HUD sock options alone make them a fantastic purchase for and edgy fashion look.

To finish I added my favourite eyeliner and a glorious lip stain from ADORED, a sweet Kitty septum ring from CX @ UBER and one of my favourite bracelets, ‘Eternal Life’ by YUMMY. Gearing up for Halloween in style aren’t we? WEEEEE!!!

Kitty wears:

BODY: Maitreya ‘Lara’ V3.4

SKIN: Glam Affair ‘Katra’ Polar (NB)

EYES: Fashism (Now ‘Ikon’– these eyes are from 2011!) ‘Sunrise Eyes’ in Eggplant

LASHES: Hush ‘Flirt’

EARS: Mandala ‘Steking’ Series 5 (Pixie)

HAIR: Magika ‘Sorcery’ (includes hat) GROUP GIFT

TOP: Aphorism ‘Autumn Jacket’ from THE SEASONS STORY (Opens October 10th)

SKIRT:R3volt ‘Heather’ Skirt

TIGHTS/LEGGINGS: Abrasive ‘Strap Leggings’

BOOTS: N-Core ‘Alexandra’ Boots @ KUSTOM 9

Accessories: Lipstain (worn on PXL Sweet Lips) from ADORED, Eyeliner by MONS (black eyeliner, series 3) Eyebrows by JUST MAGNETIZED (Diva Brunette 01) Feline septum by CX from UBER and ‘Eternal Life’ bracelet by YUMMY

Boho Kitty Happy in APHORISM and ZOUL CREATIONS

April 7, 2015July 13, 2015 by Lisa Millar ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

I’ve done very little to this snap other than add a background and fix a dread that was sticking through my torso; I want you to bear that in mind BECAUSE I want you to click on the picture, zoom in and take into account the absolutely awesome textures that are at play in this snap. The two main elements, the skin and the top/cardigan combo are from two of my favourite designers on the grid, SHANTIA SOULSTAR and RUCY BYRON, the names behind the brands ZOUL CREATIONS and APHORISM respectively.
First of all now that SKIN FAIR 2015 has finished I’m surprised to be reviewing a new skin release so soon, but this is ZOUL CREATIONS we’re talking about after all and if you recall Shantia is all about releasing quality skins to the masses at cracking prices. The skin that I am sporting is called ‘Tara’ and she’s a beauty. I’m wearing her in the palest skin tone (01) because it’s my favourite to wear when sporting a Shantia Soulstar creation, it’s on the pale side but with a real warmth to it. The tone is always utterly fab on Shantia’s skins, I never have any complaints.
The visage is beautiful and really benefits from the fabulous brow that Shantia has added to this line, which totally rocks the heavy brow look but offers a little less hard definition than your standard full-on Kardashian brow. The eye make-ups are corking as always, there are plenty to choose from and Shantia offers a choice of three intensities for each style, which means you can be as subtle or as dramatic as you dare.
The thing I like about Shantia and her skins is that she offers so much for your Linden, and her skins are genuinely top-notch. I’m not just saying that; I really believe that we have someone here who offers a hell of a lot to the skin genre and for that should be applauded and celebrated. Like NAR MATTARU skins ZOUL CREATIONS prove that you don’t always have to follow the big brands in-world. Not that there’s anything wrong with that as I’ve said many times on these pages, but gosh isn’t it grand to have alternatives?

Shantia has just released a FREE Maitreya body applier in-store. Let me read that to you again, FREE APPLIER. I cannot stress enough how awesome that is! (Look I don’t mind paying for appliers if and when I need them but the fact that a designer is kind enough to let you have them for free is pretty bloody fantastic.) ALSO do NOT miss the APRIL 2015 group gift. This will give you the perfect feel for Shantia’s skins if you have never worn them before, and bear in mind that appliers are free, and it’s free to join the group as well, making this freebie a positively unmissable treat.

‘Tara’ is available at THE MAKEOVER ROOM where you’ll find the skin on sale for just L$299 (two tones in each pack). Eyeshadows are available with a pack of ten styles (in three degrees of intensity) each L$75 FOR THE LOT. Lipsticks also come as a pack of ten and cost L$75 for the complete pack as well.

Appliers for the following are available FOR FREE at the Mainstore (remodelled and looking lovely too!) Slink (physique and hands/feet), Maitreya, Omega, Lolas,Linc Azz, Wowmeh and Evebody. Amazing!

Moving on to my outfit: I’m wearing APHORISM’s latest release for THE SEASONS STORY. It’s such a treat, yet again something I would happily wear in real life! This is a rather lovely longline cardigan and sleeveless crop-top that fits like a dream, as do all of RUCY BYRON’s mesh endeavours. The shape of the longline cardigan is very authentic; sleeveless and loose with the top sitting snugly underneath. You can of course mix and match them or wear them separately with other items, something that I’m sure I’ll be trying over forthcoming blogposts. Aphorism items are always a real joy to wear and it’s a credit to Rucy’s imagination that he comes up with some amazing collections time and time again.

Check out his epic Facebook page too!

Some cracking stuff on display here peeps. To complete my look I added dreads and bangles and some of my favourite LIVALLE (L. WARWICK) shoes to make a boho-look that’s definitely not too shabby. In fact, I think I look blinking awesome. List of all vendors below, happy shopping!

Kitty Wears:

Hair – ‘Cosima’ (Brunette) by DISCORD DESIGNS

Ears – Gen 4 Heart Plugs by AITUI

Eyes – ‘Hope’ eyes in Denim by IKON

Skin – TARA in SK1 – ZOUL CREATIONS @ THE MAKEOVER ROOM

Sleeveless Cardigan & Crop Top – APHORISM @ THE SEASON’S STORY

Denim Skirt – BUENO

Shoes – ‘Elation’ in Choco/Caramel L WARWICK (LIVALLE)

Tattoo Choker – XYZ

Pendant Choker (Just visible!) – YUMMY

Rings – ‘Laura’ Rings by leQED

Bangles – 22769

Nose Stud –MONS

Tattoo – ‘Mucius’ by THINGS

It’s the time of the season….

January 13, 2015January 13, 2015 by Lisa Millar ♥ 1 Comment

THE SEASON’S STORY is one of those events that is as much fun to wander around as it is to buy glorious, wonderful things from. This quarterly event is always beautifully landscaped with imaginative details that make it as satisfying to the eye as it is disheartening to the old Linden wallet. In other words, it’s a treat, and the Winter edition has just begun and you would be utterly foolish to miss it. Foolish I tell you!

There are a vast array of designers selling both clothing and accessories, along with some corking gacha items. But let me draw your attention to the selection of gorgeous winter coats on offer from APHORISM.

Yes, Rucy Byron has done it again, and you will find these astonishingly glamorous coats only at THE SEASONS STORY-WINTER. You will find both plain and patterned varieties, the patterned variety adds a South American flavour to the loose, fur trimmed styling. The shaping of the mesh is bang-on, along with the choice of textures that has been deftly applied, as per usual, by Rucy. Chaps these coats wear incredibly well and fit easily, and you have the option to wear each one with or without a hood, they look pretty awesome either way.

To my mind, the patterned coats work incredibly well against a snowy backdrop, the bold colours standing out against the stark, cold landscape. That said, they can be worn in a variety of ways. There’s a real hippie/boho feeling to them, and I can imagine the paler colours teamed with cut off jeans, beads, guitar cases, long hairstyles, boots and cut-off tops. Yes, that would work very well, don’t you think? Think Kate Hudson, ‘Almost Famous’, and you’ll get my drift.

To get your hands on one of these luxurious coats catch a TP by clicking HERE. If you want to see a selection of items that are being retailed at the event, check out this link which will take you to the always brilliant resource EloquenceSL, where you’ll find a full catalogue of all the goodies that are on offer!

‘Winter Coat’ by APHORISM is available for L$350 in five different patterns and three sizes.

Kitty Goes 3D!!!

September 12, 2013 by Lisa Millar ♥ 6 Comments

A couple of years ago, for my birthday, my beloved invested in a really snazzy monitor for me. Boasting a glorious widescreen it was (and still is) a thing of beauty.

To be honest guys I don’t know the first thing about tech, but I do appreciate a good gadget when I see one. It was, and still is a great gift and shows how completely in tune me and my fella are with each other; he recognised that my Second Life was important to me and bought me something to enhance my enjoyment of it even further.

If that’s not true love then I don’t know what is, and and I adore my big monitor, I really do.

But in all the time I’ve had it I’ve only used it to within a fraction of its potential. Why? Because it has 3d capabilities, and was purchased under the sadly misguided impression that surely one day Linden Lab would introduce a 3D viewer.

Thing is I don’t play any games as such. Second Life is the only virtual reality that I occupy my time with so I was counting on the lab to get their arses in gear and release a 3D viewer. And of course it never happened. You really do have to question the priorities of our overlords sometimes..

So even though I use my beautiful monitor on a daily basis, the accompanying glasses have been carefully secreted away in their packaging with all hope fading that a 3D viewer would ever appear.

I’m pretty sure they would have stayed hidden away in their box had I not thrown a proper virtual hissy fit on Sunday. Second Life was being a pig and not loading for me, so I decided to have a nosey on the wiki page and see what other viewers were out there. (I don’t bother with alternate viewers as a rule; I have dabbled, but the standard release viewer has always been more than enough for my needs. ) I was being sassy and thinking that if the official viewer wasn’t playing ball, then perhaps an alternate held the key to my getting back in the world. (Like that’s ever worked before, right?)

So I loaded the page and began scanning the contents. I wasn’t sure what I was looking for, and then these magical words leapt out at me: The CtrlAltStudio Viewer has been set up to try out and share a number of ideas, the first being stereoscopic 3D display.

I squealed. Jez came running, and we both rubbed our eyes at what we saw; a 3D viewer release. OMFG! Could it be?!! Could it even work on my monitor? We checked the specs. Yes, in theory it would. But I didn’t dare get my hopes up, what if it didn’t work once installed? It took a while. There were various issues with my machine and my 3D glasses had been out of action for so long that they didn’t have any charge. Also, my graphics card was way past its prime and I was having enough trouble logging in anyway without the extra stress that a 3d viewer would surely impart.

Fortunately for me, beloved had a winning card up his sleeve. Most women on their Fortieth birthdays would, I’m sure, be happy with a bouquet of flowers, some fine wines, Belgian chocolates and perhaps a piece of statement jewellery. I on the other hand am clearly not like most ladies and asked for the one thing that I knew would make my life rather more smashing than it already is.. brand, spanking new graphics card! Jez allowed the birthday fairies to deliver and install my card early and it was with some apprehension that we loaded the 3D viewer..

And there it was. Second Life in 3D. I’m not exaggerating but my eyes were moist!

I panned around my virtual abode and I was seriously overcome with emotion. THIS was the one experience I’d been desperate to have in my virtual life. I wanted to really feel the dimensions of the space around me, and live just a little more in my virtual guise. By the power of 3D (not Greyskull) I finally could.

Not only that but the objects around me were suddenly more dazzling to me than ever before. I felt I could reach out and grab the Schadenfreude Chibi cats I had arranged neatly in a row. The pages from the Lark Imaginarium Librarium were floating in the sky desperate for me to reach out and take them. The cup of coffee on my desk was steaming and inviting me to take more than my usual virtual sip.

This was no longer my Second Life, it had suddenly become something much more real, and all through the magic that is 3D.

You know, I actually think that it’s fate that I should discover this viewer now. The introduction of mesh has been fully embraced by the grid, and now more items are being made that are materials ready. It all adds to the virtual experience, and my stereoscopic enhancement was taking it to another level. Walking around my home (and you know how much I treasure my virtual space) I really was blown away. But just as it got good, it got even better. Just for devilment I decided to try to rez at The Arcade. Things have quietened down now after all, so I figured I would stand a good chance of getting in and it struck me that the environment would be ripe for in-depth exploration of the 3D kind.

Oh I wasn’t wrong. The experience was nothing short of sensational. Walking down the pier to The Arcade entrance I was captivated by the benches and lamps that I passed. They were within touching distance, and they were real! It was uncanny. As for the concessions stand? I could practically reach out and grab the pretzel and really hold it in my hand. If only I could take a bite! Walking into the venue was another experience entirely. Suddenly every Gacha stood out like never before as I passed, each one just begging me to reach out, touch and play them. Panning up to look at the roof for the first time was an experience I’ll never forget; here I was in a virtual world yet it suddenly, totally felt like I was gazing out into the sky watching the clouds pass by.

It’s been a few days since I enjoyed my initial 3D experiences. I’ve had no issues at all with the 3D, although for some reason my movement using my Space Navigator is completely awry when using the CtrlAltStudio viewer (if I switch to the normal viewer it’s fine). No matter; for the sake of enjoying this experience I can certainly live with having to navigate my Second Life the old-fashioned way.

Today I’ve visited The Seasons Story in 3Dmode and I can tell you it was absolutely dazzling. It seems to me that well-curated shopping events are even more enhanced when viewed this way. Not only that, but so is interacting with other avatars. I was very nearly whipped by the tail of a she-devil as she walked past me earlier; I actually flinched at my desk as she walked past expecting a hefty clout from her appendage! It’s true to say that this 3D interface has taken my immersion in-world to an even greater level. I really, really hope that this viewer is cultivated and supported by fellow avatars keen to experience their virtual lives in 3D. If you have the equipment please consider trying it out and I promise you won’t be disappointed. I am so excited by it, as you can probably tell!

As I finish this piece I want to send a huge thank you out to Strachan Ofarrel who has brought this viewer to the grid.

Strachan, your work has truly made a difference to how I’ll be experiencing Second Life from now on, and you’ve finally enabled me to enjoy a birthday present that I received (almost two years to the day )and had sadly resigned myself to never using!

I really do think it was fate that finally intervened and helped me find my way to the downloads page and discover your viewer, and I wish you every success with it.

Oh, and a final note dear reader, you know the Lab are working on an Oculus Rift compatible viewer?

You’ll already find one on Strachan’s page…jus’ sayin’!

CLICK HERE to visit CtrlAltStudio