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Two great new outfits from Devicious

Vanity is much like the ReVenge dress with the plunging neckline but without the ties across the front. Some great fabric and leather options from three 10-color HUDs plus blue, pink, red, and white boots in three sizes. Samba Nights fabric on the close up of my fanny. Red Lace on the down front shot. Great textures, well worked alphas … sexy dress!

Hamptons Nights is a wonderful flowing gown that doesn’t quite catch the curves of a thin waist but my goodness is just looks delicious! Using the Elegant Gown HUD (again 3 HUDs x 10 colors/textures), the trhee-way shot is Asian Silk. Using the Summer Gowns HUD, the shot from behind is of Butterfly texture. Down the front shot is from the Flowers HUD, Floral Gold. This dress moves so well with your body, it’s sure to win your heart (and maybe someone’s else’s) on the dance floor.

Other items worth mentioning in this shoot:
Petra w/roots hair in Quince by Truth
Vanity Ice eyes by IKON
Sienna Vivante Paparazzi skin by Exodi

Getting Something off my Chest

I’ve been faithfully posting Lolas Tango Appliers Outfit of the Week since the start of the new year. There’s been an explosion of sources for not only the Lolas brand of mesh breasts but Lush Breasts (eBoobs and others) as well. I would love to test out the Lush breasts and not show any favoritism, but alas, this whole thing is costing me more than I promised myself it would. For years, I rarely had to replenish my Lindens because I got a stipend from my previous editor and I got commissions for my customer service work for MechanizedLIFE. Well, I write for my own blog now and business at ML has slowed down. Mesh boobs, while not in any way proportional to the expense of getting a first life boob job, is still more expensive than your average mesh outfit.

One shot I didn’t use from the Bodacious Tank shoot.

I do not request review copies of anything as a matter of policy. I don’t refuse gifts. (For instance, I would never refuse receiving a guitar or motorcycle for review … even Bigger Hint!) I’ve been very very hesitant to ask for fashion items for review because I just don’t want to handle the obligations that come with it.

I do have offerings from the likes of Pink Sugar and Que Belle that celebrate gazoombah-sized breasts with quality slut wear. (No comment on whether that last phrase was an oxymoron.) I just cannot really go there. Plenty of other bloggers who live that lifestyle provide their audiences with news and reviews. My wish is that Lolas and Lush and whomever else enters the mesh breast market hear a voice or two calling for scalability on the A/B market where the system avatars fail and despite their efforts, skin designers fail.

I do believe a Lola- or Lush-equipped Paypabak Writer in the A/B size/shape range would be a strong advocate and yes, this is a bald-faced request for review copies of that type of attachment.

The final straw was the debacle with Hugo Designs where I used my gift card on a LTA outfit and … well, read all about it.

All of this has been prelude to my saying that I can’t afford buying any LTA outfits or skins on a weekly basis, save maybe what I find in group gifts, discount specialty stores like The Dressing Room or Zodiac, or the 25-Linden wall of Ho Wear. That is to say, I can’t guarantee my weekly LTAOOTW posts will continue as they have so far. I want to keep the posts fresh, celebrating new stores or really special offerings. I can’t afford it. (I can’t see changing it to Ho Wear LTA of the Week, either.)

I really do appreciate the responses to what has been a very popular regular feature. I notice your notes! But I expect to be cutting back on the weekly pace I set for myself and managed for more than four months.

Seeing through New Eyes: IKON

Surfing the Plurk timeline, a post by Kittywich (Kitty Otoole) compelled me to visit IKON, a store that sells only eyes. I have been more than pleased with my old Exodi eyes. I have checked out eyes by LOGOS and The Plastik, and more recently, Poetic Colors and Pulse. I’ve even toyed with HUD-based eyes by Tokugawa Heavy Industries. (Note that these links are from when I wrote for Moonletters, meaning they’re close to two years old.) But when I saw the Vanity eyes in Kitty’s post, I knew I had found something ethereal and special. I gravitate toward pale blue “icy” eyes or a deep blue, and found both at IKON, shown below, close up and then farther away.

Just my own observation but after spending a fair amount of time setting up my close-up shots—waiting for blinks and for the eyes to turn a particular direction—I was startled by how wonderful they look from a distance when I changed to farther away shots. And really, that’s how most people will see your eyes, anyway. Nonetheless, they are wonderful close up.

An interesting and very useful feature that I’ve not seen in many stores, but works wonders for showing off eye are “stations” for getting URL jumps to Flickr groups to see them “in Place:”

Utopia Eyes | Ardent | Lucid

Vanity Eyes, $L150 per color (5 sizes), $L599 for set of 7 Phantom Pack

Lucid Sapphire (close and farther away)

Vanity Ice (close and farther away)

Eternal (Indigo, Royal)

Specialty eyes tempted me greatly!

The prices are about the going rate for really good eyes, so if you have yet to find eyes that suit you, do yourself a favor and go.

Other items worn in my shoot for this article:
Andorra Earrings by Virtual/Insanity (Zodiac store)
Petra w/Roots Quince by Truth (Not sure if this was retired but was part of the Truth sale)
Sienna Vivante skin in Paparazzi by Exodi (Out of print)
Synergy latex suit in red with Lolas Tango applier by Karu Karu
Unfold 01 pose by *xoxo ania*

IKON Eyes

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Lolas Tango of the Week

You had a brief view of the Adam n Eve Megan skin in the LTOTW featuring a dress by Poison. The first two photos are of that same pose unclad and in all its glory.

I then took out an older pale skin called Piper from AE and using the same caucasian LTA but with the palest of the five settings and tattoo layers, found they work pretty well, as you can see in the last three photos.

Megan Valentine skin T2, where the lipstick forms a heart.

Piper Pale Blush by Adam n Eve, with Caucasian LTA
Piper makeups=Eyeshadow Pale Blue, Lipstick Pale Red, and Red Eyebrows
Darkglen eyes by Adam n Eve
Pandora hair in quince by Truth
Andorra Earrings (special for Zodiac: Taurus) by Vistural Insanity
Sitennoah Watch/Bracelet Chain by Mandala

Cabaret 3&5 pose by PictureMePretty

Of Prisms and Outfit Apps and yes, Lolas again …

Stopped by Prism the other night after buying this great Diane dress. I managed to catch Jezzixa Cappalini, senior designer, free to chat. First question was about whether the group tag discount/points thing was working because it didn’t work when I tried to use it buying Diane. I went ahead and bought it because I loved the demo. She told me the Diane vendor hadn’t been set up yet. Some server issues or what not. She credited me with 25credits. Nice CS, Jezz! (This wasn’t on a Sunday, either.)

She also gave me a preview of her next upcoming creation, which is shown here in various colors (and yes, she’s freakin tall as well as gorgeous!).

I am not an influential fashion blogger. I would say I’m a SLifeStyle blogger, with a strong emphasis on wearable products. Jezz greeted me and paid attention to my questions, even suggesting ways to get the dress to fit better … yes, why not wear the next larger size than use the “mesh” shape I have that reduces B&B (boobage and buttage).

How cool is it to have a nice useful conversation with a knowledgeable designer? This is why I keep going back to places like Prism and Devicious.

This also lead me to think about how nice it is that we have the ability to create and save Outfits. It makes tweaking my shape to fit a nicely done mesh outfit not that big a deal.

In fact, I would hope people using Lolas Tango (LT) or other prim breasts have been taking advantage of the copiable nature of the product so that they aren’t adjusting a single set of boobs to work with each new skin or outfit they put on. I was explaining this to Vanni the other day and it appeared that she hadn’t considered doing this. But that’s what the Edit Outfit option is all about.

Let’s review the process, shall we?

Choose your LT shape. I have two personnas, so I have more than one LT shape. This is a shape where under Torso, breast size and gravity are set to zero, and the join is set so as best not to show under the prim breasts.
Make a copy of your LT and place it with the particular outfit or skin. Then put it on and position it.
You may want to choose an LT skin and use the applier in working out the position. Do it. (It may not make a difference. Some outfit completely cover the chest area.)
Put on the outfit. Use the applier. Adjust. Detach the HUD.
Put on all other accessories: hair, earrings, other HUDs, etc.
Click on Edit Appearance, choose Outfit, hit save and give it a name. I usually combine names of outfit skin and hair so I know what I’m getting when I look at my Outfit menu, but that’s just me.

Yes, using mesh and particularly mesh breasts involves some extra work but the Outfit application within SL ensures you do it once and you’re done.

Other items of interest in the green-background shots:

Josephine in Carrot hair by Truth
Aleria Collection/Hypnotique in Dream by The Plastik
Aleria skin Starfish-Flush by The Plastik
Cabaret 7&8 poses by PictureMePretty

Pick Your Poison … Jackets

In my previous article about Poison, I casually dismissed jackets and went on about the new mesh dresses and Lolas Tango Applier (LTA) outfits. Blame it on the new store layout or whatever, as I wandered to other corners of the store I couldn’t hlep noting that some of the new mesh jackets are completely amazing and gorgeous! Moreover, there are “blue plate specials” that let your sample the beautiful jackets and vest for only $L50. Run, do not walk, to check out in particular, the Whiplash Jacket in blue. If that’s not your favorite color, at least it give you an idea of fit and look without the demo graffiti all over it. Two lovely jackets for $L300 is still a bargain.

Toma $L200

Metal Militia $L250

Metal Vest $L50 (blue special) $L200 (grey) Guy’s on the left, girl’s on the right.

Whiplash Corduroy $L250

Whiplash Jacket $L250 (Blue special $L50)

ElPablao Jacket $L225

Go Now, I’ll Wait: Poison

Wow! WoW? Wow!

There’s nothing like joining a group and getting samples, but when you pay you best be wary. Sometimes those gifts come far between the last one. OTOH, at WoW Skins you can grab a dozen gifts right off the starting line … pretty sweet! And for the first three days in May that fee has been waived! Go now, I’ll wait!

These are the past gifts, with the latest monthly gift on the wall to the left.

That said, the gift skins are not differentiated greatly, making them a somewhat poor sampling of the range of skins available. (See the upcoming Lolas Tango of the Week gallery for proof. The non-LTA skins do show a bit more variety.)

Eyes: $L100/color

Lucky Letters are set at 10 minutes, so as you stroll through the store, there’s always a chance for another freebie, and there’s also a very nice Discount wall with close to 30 offerings, including makeups, shapes, and skins, ranging from 50 to 150 Lindens.

Complete avatars were on the wall but trying to buy to find out price wasn’t possible during my visits.

Exclusive skins run from 50 and 99, to 300-400 for skin and shape.

Regular skins are $L400, 8-packs, $L1,200; 12-packs (non-LTA), $L2,000.

WoW Skins

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

I was waiting all damn week to get into the Truth Hair Sale and decided to check on some of my old favorite stores that I haven’t visited in years. As I suspected, the following no longer appear to be inworld:

Tami McCoy
Goldie Locks
Here Comes Trouble (HCT)
Pazzazz
Audacity
Sirena
Wonderhair
Hair Solutions
Heartless
Mirada
Rock Candy
Diversity
BooN (Apparently, I am mistaken about this one.)
Tiny Bird

I decided, let’s go down memory lane and take some pix:

Bewitched: Coral (natred) and Hawk (candy)
These were favorites during my stripper days!
Strictly Marketplace, Sheltered Heart (Hairy Situations)

Mirada: Codie (yes, Codebastard Redgrave) Fiery Red
One of my go-to dos back in early years
Designed by Washu Zebrastripe, famous designer and SL authority. She’s been in SL for ten years! and is still active in development projects.

Hair Solutions: Tamesia Flame
Great long hair
Designer Kia Goodliffe
Marketplace only

Goldie Locks: Beaux Elementals Lightning
Back in my Dune RP days, this was worn before I went redhead. This was a great store for its discount section.
“The Goldie Locks Store on the Nantli Xolal sim is closed as of 6/20/11. I have officially retired from the SL hair business. I rarely, if ever, log into SL as well. I wish you all the best and hope you have a great day!” - Selena Gateaux

Audacity: Nali Cardinal
Designer Catty Loon appears to be involved with her “better half” in SL and not involved in hair design.

Tiny Bird: Rumpus in copper
Autumn Hykova is no longer in business nor interested in handling any customer support. I recall her styles were very fine-haired and mussed, very natural.

Heartless: Callie in Rouge
Lisa and I “discovered” this place at the Hair Fair last year. I can’t find a designer profile or I would be able to report more.

Other specifications for this shoot:

Piper Pale Blush by Adam n Eve
Darkglen eyes by Adam n Eve
Andorra Earrings (special for Zodiac: Taurus) by Vistural Insanity
Endangered Kitty mesh dress in brown by Ho Wear
Advent Gift 24 pose by Exposeur

I bet this would be a great meme theme for SL Bloggers: show us your five favorite hairstyles from stores no longer with us.

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Lolas Tango of the Week

As mentioned in yesterday’s post, Poison is selling outfits that work with Lolas Tango Appliers (LTA). This is Vipera Berus Dress by Poison and doesn’t require gazoombas to get straps to line up nicely. Scandalously short skirt shows off other assets besides your Lolas!

Megan Valentine T3 Skin by AE, using AE Caucasian LTA
DrLife Healthy Hair Life (all color, red tone)
MoMo II-8 and Olyvia14 1 poses by Diesel Works
Sitennoh Watch/Bracelet Chain by Mandala
Ohoshisama earring by Mandala

Coming soon, a look at LTAs made for AE Skins!

Name Your Poison

I caught the jacket fever at Poison about 18 months ago. Corocota Torok knew how to put together prim-based jackets. She’s getting into mesh now and her textures are gorgeous, so here are some ads as well as some samples I’ve purchased recently. Oh, and she’s doing Lolas Tango outfits, too, so that will be on a separate post.