Friday, July 11, 2008

Duck Diving with Argrace

Creativity goes a long way when it comes to the fashion purchases that I make, Argrace is definitely no exception to the rule. Upon going to the store to see the new releases I immediately fell head over heels in love with the new hats with hair along with the new shirts. After inviting over a few friends I knew that I had to blog all about it.

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I decided that I wanted to show the two new styles for the ladies and thus decided to ask my good friend, Emmy Benigni, over for a shoot at my studio and to put together her own look with the hair.

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We both wore our hats with hair from Argrace as the base and went from there. The hats are scripted by touch to size and to select from a variety of colors and textures from a Second Life pop-up menu. I am wearing my hat style in red and hers in pink. All that shoppers have to do is choose the style and color of the hair. There are other varieties of hats and hair to check out if you have never been. I think I probably own at least one hair shade in each style.

To finish the look I opted to wear the new shirt that I picked up from Argrace in Navy while she went with a cute tank from Riddle. Both wearing awesome styles of blue jeans for the relaxed style from Decoy and Armidi. Even our shoes somewhat matched wearing chucks from PornStar and Akeyo. For all the other details be sure to check out the picture for a complete listing.

Special thanks to Emmy for shopping and posing with me.

SL’s Next Fashion Icon - Full of Runway Fashion

WOW!

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After 3 full months of various challenges, the SL’s Next Fashion Icon competition is now down to 5 finalists:
  • Miss Aleida Rhode
  • Miss Lyra Nitely
  • Miss Venus Petrov
  • Miss Wynn Whitfield
  • Miss Zoe Demar

The finale is scheduled for June 28th, but please watch for blogs and such in case the date changes! Please click on through to see more fashion and to read a bit more about what happened on Saturday the 31st of May!


10 lovely ladies went through a fashion show showing their style in swimwear, casual, and formal. We were all judged on our catwalk, attire, and questions which occurred after the show! Post-show I was brain fried and ecstatic but now that a day or two have passed, I really wanted to give a special shout out to all the wonderful gals that have partaken in this competition! I know it hasn’t been just a walk in the park. I honestly feel like everyone can keep their head held high for accomplishing sooo much as individuals. I look forward to seeing everyone again and hope to know you all better for it!

The second reason for this blog is to give out a shout-out to the creators for their awe inspiring designs that really make it possible to have a full experience in SL. It takes a lot of creativity, skill, and dedication to really pull of what we have in this virtual world!

And a HUGE shout-out to Shai Delacroix who personally designed my formal gown for this stage in the compeition! I am in awe and humbled that she would take me up on such an offer. As I told some of the ladies, I shake my head every time I think about it, because I felt like the luckiest gal in SL just to walk down the runway in one of her creations. I started the competition wearing her safari swimsuit and thus wanted to be wearing her again now.

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(To those wanting to purchase this gown, it will be out for sale probably by the end of June) The outer skirt is made of sculptie, which fans will also see present in one of her new releases out now, along with flexi-prim skirt which is more mesh than what is shown in the picture. Other details are the flowers on the sculpted skirt that swirl into a magnificent green. I kept this simple for my formal as I really wanted to show off the gown and thus only paired it with a simple accessory - shoes by Storm Schmooz, 24Carat. The skin is by Minnu and was sold as part of a fundraiser back in 2007 (no longer available). I thought it was perfect to add a subtle accent that would pop and blend enough at the same time. The Forest Green eyes by Glanz is also a very well added feature to really make the whole look fit whimsically along with the flowing hair by Truth. I liked how it mimicked the skirt with the same type of flow.

As for my other outfits, I had to go with Icing’s Angel Food Cake which I previously blogged about.

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I went with the Aden style, “Nicole” in dark brown to really hit up that iconic feel with the heavy bang. Keeping to classics, I chose some EMJ jewelry called, “Royal” that hit the gold retro feeling that I was going for. Having the cuff styled bangle really made me feel like I was going to walk along the boardwalk and catch some eyes. Paired up with the gold strapped shoes, by Armidi Gisaci, it really anchored the look and kept the rule of three in perspective. The simple bare rose skin by Naughty Designs is my personal fave that I had to keep for this look. Being out in the sun wearing a ton of make-up just doesn’t fly with me, so I love the simple hue in the lips and eyes.

For my casual attire, this to me is always the hardest category as sooo many things can work for it! There are ways to dress formals down and spruce up extreme casuals to hit a good medium, but I really didn’t have to think too hard of what I wanted to wear.

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The very classic and stylish denim jumpsuit by G.L.A.M. is perfect for my personal style. Denim is something that has been around forever, and how can someone go wrong when pairing it when a clean white top! The outfit contains shorts, wide leg prims instead of skinny, and another collar option. Letting the hair down was really what I wanted to go for here, and thus the new style called, “Sexy Hair” by Shop Seu fit the bill perfectly! I did decide to tint the ”part” so it wouldn’t been too distracting but love how it draped down over the shoulders to pull of the smoky look with the skin by Naughty Designs. The shoes were a little tricky but as soon as I slipped on the Paper Couture strapped diamond heels I knew I could slip on the logo charm bracelet and lock in the look.

Thanks for reading! And be sure to give all the lovely ladies your support throughout this process! And please be kind to Kylie Gears, one of the heads over at InStyle. She has been working very hard throughout this competition taking care of all of us and really deserves some extra praise! Also thanks goes out to all of the judges that have given their time throughout this competition!

Fun in the Summer Sun!

After spending all last week working on attempting to clean my computer of a nasty virus, I ended up having to reformat, which took precious time away from otherwise sunny days! I’m happy to be back up and running and taking pictures once again! This post is inspired by the newest Icing addition by Miko! Very vintage feeling, but so cute I couldn’t resist posting this blog about it!

Summer-Fun

Paired up with a long pony tail with the full curtain bang hair by Aden called Nicole, I really felt that it played up that 50’s vibe that I was trying to go for when pairing up the swimsuit.

I also decided to finally try on the group gift skin that Tuli sent out! Its her new S6 skins. I decided that I liked the Emily skin on my body shape (in coal make-up), but she has a nice variety to choose from that I’m sure will suit most body types. She has eyebrow color and freckle options that everyone should try out for the summer look.

The best thing about this look, is that the Icing outfit is that it is versatile! Though I don’t have an image of it here, the swimsuit also comes in a lovely dress style too! Great for those summer beach evenings or other events where one would want to glam it up a bit. And though I didn’t say it before, it is called Angel Food Cake which is definitely yummy enough to wear!

And though it isn’t necessarily fashion related, I picked up some of the Photosphere backgrounds that really kicked off this image into the flair that I wanted to pull off along with using Reel Expression animations.

Feel free to use this image as your style card for something new for this summer!

Paper Couture Jewelry Spring 2008 Collection Feature

Are you broke with all the major releases lately?

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I’ve been happily shopping again and am sure most fashionistas have been to Tableau’s Paper Couture store enjoying the Spring 2008 collection. Being the fan that I am, I knew it would be a dangerous location for my precious lindens! Where I didn’t hold back was the jewelry! Every piece of jewelry that I own from the multiple collections has been a very welcomed piece to my overall wardrobe. From bee rings to diamond bracelets, divas are sure to find something to satisfy every occasion.

Here are a few of my favorite highlights from the Spring 2008 Jewelry Collection:

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The Heirloom Pendant, long and elegant reminding me of mother of pearl gives a very dramatic and classic design.

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The Sapphire and Diamond Set is surely a way to set off any formal gown in pure extravagance!

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The stunning and simple Sensual Amber Necklace is a timeless piece illuminating the color.

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The detailed Knights Honor Set will capture the eye.

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The Font Closure Necklace is a personal favorite because I always enjoy necklaces that don’t require a team to latch.

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The stand-out Art Deco Earrings will make a lasting impression!

One of my favorite things about the entire Paper Couture jewelry collections is because the pieces make a statement. I’m a big fan of Vera Wang and I overheard her mentioning about how she prefers larger pieces to accent her clothing and to be seen. To me it allows the accessories to make a statement rather than a dainty, barely there, diamond. I’m not saying that smaller pieces do not have their place in the fashion world, but that I find myself leaning towards something that makes a statement and Paper Couture is definitely no exception to that rule!

Blooming for Spring

After living in a climate without a “real” winter, I found out how much I missed snow! Lucky for me I have had a TON of snow this winter and as much as I love it, I always look forward to spring and the flowers that tend to blossom with it. It is what inspired today’s outfit.

Blooming for Spring

I have been wearing the Marly’s hair for awhile lately. The hat tied together with the hair reminds me of 20’s glam, an era that I’m very fond of the fashion. Though the hat and hair are lovely, the real inspiration for this outfit is the flower skirt from Luminosity. The designer has been out of game lately but recently blogged after being MIA for quite awhile. Hopefully this might be a sign that she will come back into the scene a bit, but I’ll keep my fingers crossed! Luckily the outfit I pulled the skirt from is still available at her sim store on Luminosity Island.

To tie in the skirt I knew that I wanted to wear the Fuse blossom ring that I picked up recently from his store. It is nice to see designers pulling out some jewelry along with their clothing line. Miko from Icing has done the same and luckily the pearl necklace and earrings set also followed a bit of a flower motif and fit well enough with my outfit to add it in. The chain shirt by Armidi Gisaci blended very well with the bronze color found within the texture of the mainly silver colored skirt. I did do a bit of modding to raise the jacket layer up a bit to seam the outfit together more, but no other adjusting was necessary.

To finish the look, I paired up with Paper Couture’s (P.C.) Lierre Ankle Wrap heels. These are one of my favorite pair of heels that I own. I’m not 100% sure if these will still be available with the release of their upcoming Spring Collection, but you might check their other open location in Barcola. If you haven’t been by to check out the new Canimal skins you should take a moment or two to get some demos. I really like how they look on my current shape and the lipstick color from the Earth make-up seems to blend flawlessly with the bronzed Armidi top. I’m also wearing stunning eyes by Tuli in bright blue to make my eyes pop thinking about clear blue spring skies!

What season is your favorite to dress for and why? Please use the comments below to talk about your season of fashion choice. I would choose fall because it is the season to be able to wear a sweater without a jacket. It also includes my favorite colors to wear such as grays, browns, deep reds, and maroons. I look forward to reading about yours!

PS – If you ever need help locating a store or finding a product, send an IM to Zoe Demar and I’ll be happy to help get a slurl or LM for you –

Special Edition

Someone might notice that I’m posting a little bit differently today as I am considering this a special addition post. I switched up my usual look so that it might stand out a bit more as I’m celebrating my 2 year rez-day with a little help from designers! (actual rez day is the 4th, btw but had to post as soon as I saw this dress!)

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Bring on the champagne and glam with this special limited edition outfit from Rebel Hope released today!! She is celebrating three years of content making!! I first discovered Rebel Hope in June of 2006 and have been visiting ever since. When I saw the message pop up I knew that I had to get this gown and make sure to share it with everyone! Rebel Hope also recently celebrated her 3rd year rez day on December 29th. Another person celebrating more of a release than anniversary is Tuli Asturias. I first discovered her designs back in June of 2006 when her label was Lollypop. I was saddened when I saw the brand disappear and then discovered some tattoos that I had purchased but under the label of Tuli! Now she is releasing her S5 skins next week on the 7th! With the gorgeously designed “glam” skin and simply stunning “anniversary” gown I am almost ready for a night out on the town! Tuli will be celebrating her 3rd year rez day near the end of October 2008.

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Going glam I knew that it was time to bring out the sparkly! I have a few items to choose from but loved how the shorter necklace of Nonna’s floral fit perfectly with the high collar of the gown. Keeping the matching earrings made sure my appearance was classic and fit with the shorter hairstyle. I went with Elkia’s red shade in the Maaliyah style as it is one of my personal faves and my original trademark of red hair. ETD is another place that I luckily was introduced to when I first started my journey into SL. My dear friend Loniki pulled me into game introduced me to the newly released to-die-for flexi styles. To stylize the look more and draw flow away from the neckline, I added a boa made by Callie Cline who made it to go with Insolence’s Jade White lingerie. I like the realistic feel of the textures as it glides eyes down the arm to the simple but classic pillbox purse by Rebel Hope. I pulled it from one of her previous iconic gowns, “The Rebel Hope”. It was a silky blue much like the glittery one from today. I like combining the old with the new. To add some more glitter down on my tootsies, I completed the look with the strappy diamond heels from Paper Couture (P.C.) in granite.

If any are celebrating, I would highly recommend this look for a glamorous night on the town…or bowling, whatever your preference may be.

Punky in Pink

One might say this outfit screams more of something from the 80’s with the bright color but I couldn’t keep this outfit hidden into one decade as history always has a way of repeating itself.

Sculpties are being used more in the SL fashion design. This traditional moto jacket in candy pink by Muism is a good example and the inspiration for today’s outfit. They designed the piece with using the jacket layer and then matched it up with detailed sculpties and prims. There are many other jacket styles and colors available.

Punky Pink

Pink turned punk when I paired up the jacket with Canimal’s Sinister shirt and skirt, gray striped arm warmers, and ripped fishnet stockings. To pair up with more pink to follow my theme, it was an easy choice to go with the metallic tights from Armidi. I finished the lower half look with some Maitreya Slinky Stilettos to mix some glam into the edge. As far as accessories, I used one of my favorite necklaces from Canimal and some musical note particles headphones from Gritty Kitty. Pair it off with some funky hair from Here Comes Trouble (HCT) and wild skin from Canimal’s Innocence collection you get some Punky Pink! Perfect to rocking out to your favorite tunes.

*please note that Canimal’s sinister outfit and flower necklace may no longer be available for sale.

Warming Up for Winter

It’s cold outside for the majority of people playing Second Life, though our avatars are lucky they don’t have to worry about the weather before stepping foot/paw/other outside.

Warming Up for Winter

When it comes to fashion I feel like I have seen much but do not know all. Through the work of Creators Stamp Rally 2007 (CSR) I discovered some not so traveled stores and picked up this cozy winter jacket from Double Paradox. The originality of it and the work of prims make it a one of a kind. Though not pictured, the prim sleeves have a cute button detail that match those found on the hoody collar. The prim ties on the jacket make it feel like it has been naturally worn instead of being perfectly closed. The prim ties and lower jacket come in large and small sizes and can be easily manipulated to match your shape with basic builder’s knowledge. When it came to pairing up the jacket to complete an outfit I luckily had already been wearing some finger cut gloves from TorridWear from part of her Dominus outfits which completes the jacket by extending it out more over my hands. I had a hard time choosing the right top to work with what I was going for but pulled out my extremely reliable Celestial Studio Trixie Tank in Dim color. I find the tanks to be a must have item when as they come with multiple layers and multiple colors. Next I wanted to pair it with some white pants which are very difficult to make for SL because the natural default when making SL clothing is blank white. It isn’t easy pulling out white and not making it feel default. I finally picked these slacks from an outfit from Nyte’N’Day. The Cute Kitty Snow Boots are from Boneflower Designs located on the Temenos sim. They are known mainly for Neko skins but have a big selection of all sorts of items.

To top off the outfit I choose Slow Jamz by Hiccup. Hiccup is pretty new to the scene but has created some very original hairs. I’m always watching in anticipation for what they come out with next. After completing the look I wanted to add some sort of jewelry item and choose small earrings from Illusion’s Cherished set. Make sure if you visit to know what metal and stone you want before you buy as there are many options but a friendly vending system. The eyes by Miriel are two-toned and called Late Sunset for their blue and purple tones. The two-tone design is something that I first discovered at Miriel. Last but not least, the skin by Karamia. I play around with body shapes more for fun but also to give a different perspective in photography. The skins by Karamia are very unique and felt like the completed the look I wanted to represent. I love how the blush on the cheeks highlights the face along with the glossy lips in this skin called Sandflower. ­­

I hope that this outfit inspires you to go out and find yourself a beloved winter jacket.

Go for the Gold!

Today’s trends have made popular opinion to wear silver, white gold, and platinum. But it’s hard to not still turn an eye to yellow gold.

Go For the Gold

I designed this outfit around the Armidi Gisaci’s Sequin Bodice Dress in Gold but switched it up for a more fun formal affair by switching the flirty frills skirt to a hot black mini that typically goes with Nyte’N’Day’s dot outfit. Paired up with some gorgeous gold shoes from Armidi and one of a kind shoulder brooch and chain from Muse, this outfit surely makes a statement. To anchor the accessories, I added a bracelet in gold and black from Miriel. Many must check out other items by Miriel like her eyes. The ones pictured here are two toned in a stunning green and yellow amber shade. To top it off, I am wearing a classic skin and hair from Naughty Designs. The darker skin tone makes the gold pop off of the body to really dazzle all eyes and the dark black pearl intimacy hair’s name says it all. All the items pictured are available currently in stores. With Last Call coming to an end I realize that when I mix up outfits, it will be hard to say that all items are still available so I made a point to not use a single item designed by Ginny.

Thank you for checking out the blog. Please feel free to comment as I like to know what everyone thinks.

All About Orange!

Hi! I’m back and hope that you enjoyed my last blog. I enjoyed putting it together and as soon as I was done was already thinking about what I wanted to blog next and here it is.

Zoe Springing for Orange

I wanted to feature something in the color orange for this blog. After recently stopping by the Armidi sim, I stumbled into their new Elephant Outfitter’s area and spotted this top. It’s not often that you see orange as a common color choice for designers. I also picked up the shirt in another color as there were plenty of great choices. I decided to accent it with a pair of Armidi’s classic colored jean capris. Perfect for spring and summer even though many are still stuck in our winter dreads for a few more months. And since I am going for a warmer climate look I paired it up with some sandals that I have enjoyed wearing due to the cute use of the simple jeweled medallion. On my upper half, I had to pair the outfit with Muse’s beautiful and organic color inspired Kailena bracelet and necklace that I love. It reminds me of something that I used to wear of my mothers in my first life until the necklace broke. The hair also reflects what I always wished my hair would do naturally in my first life, curl! It is by Fetish which isn’t quite as “main-stream” as other hair designers. I have enjoyed their unique styles and have a few other styles in my inventory tearing at me to blog. I heard about these eyes from Glanz via Sofia’s blog, “The Diary of a Second Life Socialite.” I love the reflectivity, but am on the fence as they feel a little too large for my personal avatar. To finish the look I slipped into some Cupcake’s skin. I like the way it appears soft and smooth but makes the eyes pop and is different from other skins currently available. Now it is time for a bit of a twist.

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What? A GUY!?!? I had been playing around with the idea in my head and decided to just go for it. Why not? I have no alts in SL and decided that I wanted to focus a bit on the side of men. I thought about using my hubby’s avatar but didn’t want him to be pulled into the position, but did use his shape to develop my own. I’m calling him “Joe” because it’s close to Zoe. I’m reflecting my feature color of orange and again was thrilled to find this orange polo shirt at Elephant Outfitters. Dressing him down a bit I put him in some black shoes by Shiny Things which pull off a rugged feel due to their great job at texturing. If you’re going to own one pair of shoes, especially for the man that dresses down and not to the nines daily, you have to pick up a pair! I went with a pair of old look tattered jeans from Naughty Designs to match. On the upper half I have him in a pair of fully prim sunglasses made by Gudshu Glasses. The glasses help me prove a point that people can wear accessories on a guy that a girl might own in their inventory. I’ve had these with Zoe for a very long time and absolutely love the quality. It comes as smoke or chrome along with a hud for even more personality. You’ll be sure to be seeing these again in this blog as they’re another “must-have” in my collection. Finally the skin and hair are from Naughty Designs. I know they’re not the only guy skins around but I wanted to focus on having a blond haired guy as typically I see only black and brown hair on men. I might have him go a bit redder on occasion, but we’ll just have to wait and see.

Here’s the pair matched up and ready to hit the beach or local venue.

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Thanks for reading. I appreciate all comments and suggestions as long as they are constructive. I also want to know your take on blogging on the guy side. What do you think?

Cocktails and Movies

I want to repost some of my blogs from my past writings on FACES to allow readers a sense of who I am.

Classic Never Goes – And Neither Will Ginny

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For my first outfit, I pulled out one of my favorite little black dresses of all time. With the “Last” Last Call sale starting this Friday, I thought it would be appropriate to highlight one of Ginny’s designs with something back from the Dazzle days. Sorry to say it, but it is something that is no longer available to new shoppers. For those that knew Dazzle, check your inventory and bring back the some of the great designs of the time. I picked this little number up back in October of 2006 and still love the classic lines and simple graphic detail. To accessorize the dress, I paired it up with a Gurl 6 hairstyle that tends to bring out a casual elegance from today’s generation. I also brought out one of P.C.’s chandelier earrings to keep in the classic lines and kicked in matching color with the Princess Ring also made by P.C. (not available to current shoppers). To tone down those legs to complete the silhouette I slipped on a pair of lined hose from Bettie’s and classic black stilettos from Last Call to end the outfit to the present known Ginny line. I hope you enjoy this little number as much as I do.

Dressed to the Edge in Comfortable Jeans

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My second outfit features one of my favorite jeans of all time. They come from Tres Blah called JuJu Og Jeans. You’ve already heard them mentioned on one of the FACES’ blogs but when it comes to favorites – I do believe they all need an encore. I mixed in the casual jeans on both ends with some awesome sneakers from Redgrave and wheat colored textured tank from Celestial Studios. I like going a bit more edgy with my looks so I put on some tattoos from EtchD. I really like how the placement of the tattoos hit just the right spots almost creating a jacket type of feel. Paired with the cuff necklace from Refuge and Kit hair from ETD, I find this look appealing enough to go to a club or to the baseball park. I will definitely be seen wearing this look around Second Life for awhile to come.

Introduction & Identity

We all have our own personal identity but what we wear tends to create a commonality that brings us together. I am no different in the world of Second Life as I have spent much time looking at blogs and going to the next sale. As a graphic designer by passion and career I tend to look for classic, quality, and unique designs. I tend to say more with images than I do with words but will be doing both as I write on this blog. I hope that readers will learn from my experiences and mistakes to find their own identity.