Recent photography by Cherie Parker
Showing posts with label second life blogs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label second life blogs. Show all posts
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Saturday, March 29, 2008
I <3 LA
Well guys, you didn’t have to wait long for Naiman Broome to fulfill your latest style wish. As promised here is the newly release LA Jacket for men!
The LA Jacket for men comes in several yummy colors but I chose the dark brown and sexah black to show you guys.
The LA Jacket for men comes in several yummy colors but I chose the dark brown and sexah black to show you guys.
Ahem, excuse me while I become a guy to model these for you. I promise not to scratch, belch, fart or yell at the TV while wearing this, as its way to tasteful for that.
As with the previous NY Jacket for the ladies, this jacket comes with four jacket style choices and twelve sculptie pieces for you to pick and choose from to obtain the look you want to define. Closed jacket, open jacket, closed neck, open neck. And each piece is modifiable so you can fit those huge guns you guys like to sport.
I paired the jacket with a nice sweater from Armidi, some regular jeans and some low boots and I liked the look. All together this look is so hot I wanted to pick myself up.
As customary for Naima, the texture work on the LA Jacket is just to die for. Such realism overall you feel as if you could just run your fingers over the soft, supple leather of this jacket and feel the hide warm to your touch.
It’s a great jacket, and so easy to modify even I can do it and I have trouble forming a prim.
Just released last night guys so if you want to be the first to get it, head on over to Naima at: NAIMA- http://slurl.com/secondlife/Lagoon/91/24/21 and pick one up. Selling at only $480 for the quality and number of pieces it’s a real bargain.
Well alas I must exit man land and head back to my feminine side before I start to want to take something apart, crawl under the hood of a car, stare at girls chests instead of their eyes and eat anything that doesn’t eat me first.
So until next time, enjoy the new Naima LA Jacket, and remember, in LA you could be the next discovered star.
NAIMA- http://slurl.com/secondlife/Lagoon/91/24/21
LA Jacket- $480
As with the previous NY Jacket for the ladies, this jacket comes with four jacket style choices and twelve sculptie pieces for you to pick and choose from to obtain the look you want to define. Closed jacket, open jacket, closed neck, open neck. And each piece is modifiable so you can fit those huge guns you guys like to sport.
I paired the jacket with a nice sweater from Armidi, some regular jeans and some low boots and I liked the look. All together this look is so hot I wanted to pick myself up.
As customary for Naima, the texture work on the LA Jacket is just to die for. Such realism overall you feel as if you could just run your fingers over the soft, supple leather of this jacket and feel the hide warm to your touch.
It’s a great jacket, and so easy to modify even I can do it and I have trouble forming a prim.
Just released last night guys so if you want to be the first to get it, head on over to Naima at: NAIMA- http://slurl.com/secondlife/Lagoon/91/24/21 and pick one up. Selling at only $480 for the quality and number of pieces it’s a real bargain.
Well alas I must exit man land and head back to my feminine side before I start to want to take something apart, crawl under the hood of a car, stare at girls chests instead of their eyes and eat anything that doesn’t eat me first.
So until next time, enjoy the new Naima LA Jacket, and remember, in LA you could be the next discovered star.
NAIMA- http://slurl.com/secondlife/Lagoon/91/24/21
LA Jacket- $480
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Brenda Clellon goes Universal
***WARNING EXTRA LONG BLOG POST*** but worth it :)
So, I was Miss Canada in the much publicized Miss SL Universe competition yesterday.
Along with 11 other girls, each representing 12 countries, we worked for three weeks perfecting our looks, our style, and our posing and sharpening our minds in anticipation of the big day and facing the judges with questions unknown.
Each girl approached the task with a different perspective on style and fashion. We all had to come up with and develop a "national costume" representing the country for which we stood. Three weeks of planning a costume for an opening act that was expected to be spectacular, exciting, and thrilling with a high "wow" factor was a great deal of work. Each girl did a bang up job. All of the costumes were extremely inventive, creative and artistic eye candy. I feel certain the audience got their money's worth from this show.
In addition, we had the usual beauty pageant swimsuit competition, in which we all wore the same design created by the very talented Nicky Ree. The shoes were provided by the ever popular, always funny, super sharp and witty Melanie Zhao. All we had to do was accessorize with jewelry and hair and we were ready to walk the runway.
The next part was the formal evening gown competition. Each girl had to either find an off-the-rack dress or find a designer willing to work with them to create a unique dress specifically for the Miss SL Universe competition. Now, granted, some girls had more money to throw at this than others, and then some were creative, and found sponsors to pay for their dresses, hair, etc. but not all.
Originally I contacted Neferia Able from Ivalde to make my formal gown. I begged, pleaded and whined sufficiently and finally, she agreed to the take on the task and make my gown. She is very kind, very sweet but she's also a very busy lady. During this same time she had a fashion show in which she had to make 12 new designs. My original concept for the gown was the dress from the movie, Ever After. I loved that long, flowing, beaded look that just captivated your attention and felt it would be perfect for the formal part of the competition.
The first attempt she made was lovely, but not exactly what I was looking for. I asked if she could go back and remake the skirt (God knows, I hated to even ask) and she agreed. I made the mistake of showing her some pictures of how I thought the skirt should look and I think I must have confused her, so her next attempt was way off the mark. I didn't hear from her for awhile as was starting to get worried. With time growing short, and no gown in the inventory for the show, I started looking elsewhere. Finally, I heard from Neferia the day before the show. She had designed a very pretty gown which she is now marketing as "Serenity" that I thought was lovely, but not what I was looking for as far as the competition goes. Because she was rushing off to Spain the next morning, there was no way to do further alterations, nor did I even ask. I thanked her profusely, wished her a wonderful trip, and went off in search of something off the rack that would work for the last part of the competition I clearly wasn't ready for.
Two days before the competition, a couple of us girls were sitting around talking about the gowns, all of them were, of course, ready and I was the last hold-out. It became a joke as we discussed what I might wear in place of a formal… a barrel? A sandwich sign? Nothing but a maple leaf? Enough of that… I told the girls I had to go search for something that might work and left them laughing in the distance.
At first, I was completely lost. I didn't want to wear something that had been seen a million times before. Don't get me wrong. Nicky Ree, Nonna Hedges, Leezu Baxter and the likes there of are all talented designers and without question have an abundance of gowns from which to choose. Yet all of them have been seen many times before, and, for me, I really wanted something original, different and … unknown. I started my search on the Japanese sims, just pulling up the map, picking an island, going there and flying around to different shops to see what was available. Nothing caught my eye. Then I remembered the Brazilian sims. Yes, yes. I know they've had a lot of bad press, but popular opinion has never stopped me before, and it wasn't going to stop me now.
The first sim had nothing I was looking for. Nor the second. So I decided to try an Italian sim. Again, the first nothing. Nor the second. But the third is where I hit pay dirt. There, on this little resort sim, in the middle of a small shopping area sits a very tiny store with only three or four designs in the entire store, all gowns. I was flying and camming-in to save time, but this one brought me down to the ground where I could closely inspect the wares. Preciosity of Style is so small you might overlook it if you're just flying by. The fact that there are only three designs might also deter someone because they're used to a larger selection of items.
But, of the three designs, all beautiful, one caught my eye immediately. A silver and gold bodice designed with a decidedly art deco feel flowing down the body, the hips and over the legs made up the shirt and glitch pants -- very old Hollywood -- with a low flexy skirt that hugged the hips and flowed out around the wearer in a circle of liquid silver and gold.
In an instant, I fell in love with the dress pictured in this design. I have always had a love affair with old Hollywood-type design -- noir outfits and the combination of gold and silver. But I admit I was hesitant to buy it with all those questions going through my mind: Will it be like the picture? Has this been Photoshopped? But, being in dire straits for a gown, I thought, "Lets take a chance."
At only L$800 for a gown that I thought looked spectacular in the picture, I figured that if I get lucky and it looks only HALF as good, I'll be happy.
So, click! Buy it I did. And then… nothing.
Oh, the payment went through but the gown didn't arrive. Sigh. I was devastated. I thought "Great, what else could go wrong?"
I'm always the one to take a chance on the little guy, the underdog, the unknown. I like finding that designer, that person whose name is unknown, that diamond in the rough. But this time I thought "Wonderful. Fantastic. I'll never get this gown or my money back!"
Right away, I sent the designer, Brenda Clellon, a message. I explained that I had bought the dress, and the funds went through, but no dress arrived. Then I waited. I didn't have to wait long and Brenda responded. Brenda is Italian, and English is not her first language, but she quickly understood what I was telling her. Amidst all of the SL problems at the time, she immediately sent me the dress. She was very kind, extremely helpful and truly concerned I not only received the dress but was happy with it.
I ran home, unpacked it, placed it in a folder in my inventory and started putting the pieces together. Here is where I run out of words. The picture of this dress in her store does no justice to this design. It's absolutely remarkable. The textures design is nothing short of stunning. The way she designed the skirts -- two separate skirts to flow around you -- is like watching a melody of silver and gold taffeta slowly drape around your body. It's simply magnificent. This texturing is the best I've seen. I loved the design of the texture, how it flowed down the body, hugging and accentuating all the right parts and places. A beautiful prim bow on the back with a flowing scarf, lovely opera-length gloves with open fingers, accessorize the outfit along with the two flowing skirts.
I was in heaven. But -- and yes, I am picky -- I wanted the skirt to be slightly different. More poof to it. More... umpf. This being the Miss SL Universe contest, I really wanted it to be special. But, I was willing to live with it, as I really didn't have a choice -- time being as short as it was. Shortly after unpacking the dress, Brenda sent me an IM and asked if I was happy with it. Of course, I gushed over how much I loved this dress! I gave her the proper kudos she deserved because, lets face it (see pictures), this dress is spectacular. I explained my situation to her -- all about the competition, the gown I wanted, how it didn't work out with the first designer and how I thought her dress was perfect, with the exception of the skirt.
There was a short pause, and she asked, "Cherie, what are you looking for?"
So I explained as much as I could between Google translating English to Italian and English, what it was I had in mind for that dress.
Another short pause, and Brenda said, "I can do this for you."
I said, "Brenda, there is one day until the competition. How can you get this done? I can't ask you to do this! It's just too much."
She said, "Cherie, you tell me what you need and I will make it for you." Then she added, "But, Cherie, I have to tell you, I am a new designer."
What a wonderful person! How sweet, kind and unbelievably generous. She doesn't know me from Adam, but she's willing to work -- and work quickly -- on a dress that will require a great deal of prim work. And she's worried because she is unknown. Such a humble woman.
I know this has been a long blog entry, but I really felt that you needed to hear how I came upon my new friend, Brenda, and her wonderful shop, Preciosity of Style. How talented this woman is.
I said, "Brenda, your work is just unbelievably beautiful! If you had not told me you were a new designer, I would have never known. This dress is so stunning, any one of the big name designers would be green with envy over this!"
She was thrilled at how happy I was with her design. After a really nice discussion about the competition and what I was looking for, she excused herself and immediately started working on it. She asked that I just give her a little time and she would contact me when ready. I was nervous -- afraid that I had not explained myself sufficiently to describe what I was looking for. Worried that she might not be able to do it, being so new. And, of course, there was the clock. It kept ticking towards the day of the Miss SL Universe competition.
The next day -- the day before the competition -- Brenda contacts me and wants to show me her progress. My palms were sweating as I tp'ed her into my home. She arrived in the dress, skirt attached. My mouth hit the floor. It was one hundred percent exactly what I was looking for. I was so excited! I couldn't stop babbling about how much I loved it. Brenda kept trying to say something, but I was too busy gushing about that dress to listen. Finally, I let her have a word in edgewise, and she said, "No, no, it's not finished yet. I still make it more perfect. I can make it MORE beautiful!"
And with that, I thought, "OMG, I'm not sure how that is possible!"
But she was insistent that this was just a work-in-progress. She only wanted to make sure it was close to what I wanted. Not only was it close but EXACTLY what I wanted!
Off she goes to make a perfect dress even more perfect. I was in shock. I couldn't believe my luck. Not only had I found the dress of my dreams, I had met this wonderful person, with whom I have quickly formed a strong friendship. Maybe my luck was changing and there was hope for the competition after all!
Later that day, Brenda tp'ed me to her to inspect the final design. I don't know how she did it, but she was right. She made it even more beautiful than it had been before. Unbelievably, incredibly, beautiful! By far -- and in total honesty -- of all of the 32,000 or so items I have in my inventory, this is my favorite design, my favorite dress. I love this dress with a passion. I told Brenda just how thankful I was to have met her, to know her and now to be her friend. I invited her to see her design on the runway of the Miss SL Universe competition and she was so excited.
Being a new designer, this must have been thrilling for her. I tried to pay Brenda for her custom work -- which she deserved -- but she wouldn't take a Linden. As hard as I tried, she wouldn't hear of it. She was just thrilled to be involved in helping me. What a great gal. I just love this girl.
Well, in an attempt to shorten an already novel-sized blog post, I will skip right to the end.
In the end, I didn't win Miss SL Universe. BabyHoney Baily, representing Greece, was crowned Miss SL Universe. Congratulations BabyHoney! But, when I put on that dress, and stood on that stage, I truly felt like a winner already. I knew in my heart, I had the most spectacular dress on the runway last night. Not that the other dresses weren't good -- they certainly were -- but without sounding too bold, I know mine was the best. Because of that, I proudly stood on stage, wearing a Brenda Clellon original, and could hold my head high, even though I didn't win the competition.
It was a great experience and I'm glad I did it. I met some wonderful people, made some great friends and had a blast working with Frolic Mills, the owner of The Best of SL and the Miss SL Universe competition. I'm not sure I'll do another one of these anytime soon though -- it's a lot of work. Not only time-wise, but an emotional investment as well. Maybe after some time, one never knows.
In the end, BabyHoney won the crown, but I won a great new friendship, a beautiful gown that I will treasure forever, and memories that can't be bought.
Along with 11 other girls, each representing 12 countries, we worked for three weeks perfecting our looks, our style, and our posing and sharpening our minds in anticipation of the big day and facing the judges with questions unknown.
Each girl approached the task with a different perspective on style and fashion. We all had to come up with and develop a "national costume" representing the country for which we stood. Three weeks of planning a costume for an opening act that was expected to be spectacular, exciting, and thrilling with a high "wow" factor was a great deal of work. Each girl did a bang up job. All of the costumes were extremely inventive, creative and artistic eye candy. I feel certain the audience got their money's worth from this show.
In addition, we had the usual beauty pageant swimsuit competition, in which we all wore the same design created by the very talented Nicky Ree. The shoes were provided by the ever popular, always funny, super sharp and witty Melanie Zhao. All we had to do was accessorize with jewelry and hair and we were ready to walk the runway.
The next part was the formal evening gown competition. Each girl had to either find an off-the-rack dress or find a designer willing to work with them to create a unique dress specifically for the Miss SL Universe competition. Now, granted, some girls had more money to throw at this than others, and then some were creative, and found sponsors to pay for their dresses, hair, etc. but not all.
Originally I contacted Neferia Able from Ivalde to make my formal gown. I begged, pleaded and whined sufficiently and finally, she agreed to the take on the task and make my gown. She is very kind, very sweet but she's also a very busy lady. During this same time she had a fashion show in which she had to make 12 new designs. My original concept for the gown was the dress from the movie, Ever After. I loved that long, flowing, beaded look that just captivated your attention and felt it would be perfect for the formal part of the competition.
The first attempt she made was lovely, but not exactly what I was looking for. I asked if she could go back and remake the skirt (God knows, I hated to even ask) and she agreed. I made the mistake of showing her some pictures of how I thought the skirt should look and I think I must have confused her, so her next attempt was way off the mark. I didn't hear from her for awhile as was starting to get worried. With time growing short, and no gown in the inventory for the show, I started looking elsewhere. Finally, I heard from Neferia the day before the show. She had designed a very pretty gown which she is now marketing as "Serenity" that I thought was lovely, but not what I was looking for as far as the competition goes. Because she was rushing off to Spain the next morning, there was no way to do further alterations, nor did I even ask. I thanked her profusely, wished her a wonderful trip, and went off in search of something off the rack that would work for the last part of the competition I clearly wasn't ready for.
Two days before the competition, a couple of us girls were sitting around talking about the gowns, all of them were, of course, ready and I was the last hold-out. It became a joke as we discussed what I might wear in place of a formal… a barrel? A sandwich sign? Nothing but a maple leaf? Enough of that… I told the girls I had to go search for something that might work and left them laughing in the distance.
At first, I was completely lost. I didn't want to wear something that had been seen a million times before. Don't get me wrong. Nicky Ree, Nonna Hedges, Leezu Baxter and the likes there of are all talented designers and without question have an abundance of gowns from which to choose. Yet all of them have been seen many times before, and, for me, I really wanted something original, different and … unknown. I started my search on the Japanese sims, just pulling up the map, picking an island, going there and flying around to different shops to see what was available. Nothing caught my eye. Then I remembered the Brazilian sims. Yes, yes. I know they've had a lot of bad press, but popular opinion has never stopped me before, and it wasn't going to stop me now.
The first sim had nothing I was looking for. Nor the second. So I decided to try an Italian sim. Again, the first nothing. Nor the second. But the third is where I hit pay dirt. There, on this little resort sim, in the middle of a small shopping area sits a very tiny store with only three or four designs in the entire store, all gowns. I was flying and camming-in to save time, but this one brought me down to the ground where I could closely inspect the wares. Preciosity of Style is so small you might overlook it if you're just flying by. The fact that there are only three designs might also deter someone because they're used to a larger selection of items.
But, of the three designs, all beautiful, one caught my eye immediately. A silver and gold bodice designed with a decidedly art deco feel flowing down the body, the hips and over the legs made up the shirt and glitch pants -- very old Hollywood -- with a low flexy skirt that hugged the hips and flowed out around the wearer in a circle of liquid silver and gold.
In an instant, I fell in love with the dress pictured in this design. I have always had a love affair with old Hollywood-type design -- noir outfits and the combination of gold and silver. But I admit I was hesitant to buy it with all those questions going through my mind: Will it be like the picture? Has this been Photoshopped? But, being in dire straits for a gown, I thought, "Lets take a chance."
At only L$800 for a gown that I thought looked spectacular in the picture, I figured that if I get lucky and it looks only HALF as good, I'll be happy.
So, click! Buy it I did. And then… nothing.
Oh, the payment went through but the gown didn't arrive. Sigh. I was devastated. I thought "Great, what else could go wrong?"
I'm always the one to take a chance on the little guy, the underdog, the unknown. I like finding that designer, that person whose name is unknown, that diamond in the rough. But this time I thought "Wonderful. Fantastic. I'll never get this gown or my money back!"
Right away, I sent the designer, Brenda Clellon, a message. I explained that I had bought the dress, and the funds went through, but no dress arrived. Then I waited. I didn't have to wait long and Brenda responded. Brenda is Italian, and English is not her first language, but she quickly understood what I was telling her. Amidst all of the SL problems at the time, she immediately sent me the dress. She was very kind, extremely helpful and truly concerned I not only received the dress but was happy with it.
I ran home, unpacked it, placed it in a folder in my inventory and started putting the pieces together. Here is where I run out of words. The picture of this dress in her store does no justice to this design. It's absolutely remarkable. The textures design is nothing short of stunning. The way she designed the skirts -- two separate skirts to flow around you -- is like watching a melody of silver and gold taffeta slowly drape around your body. It's simply magnificent. This texturing is the best I've seen. I loved the design of the texture, how it flowed down the body, hugging and accentuating all the right parts and places. A beautiful prim bow on the back with a flowing scarf, lovely opera-length gloves with open fingers, accessorize the outfit along with the two flowing skirts.
I was in heaven. But -- and yes, I am picky -- I wanted the skirt to be slightly different. More poof to it. More... umpf. This being the Miss SL Universe contest, I really wanted it to be special. But, I was willing to live with it, as I really didn't have a choice -- time being as short as it was. Shortly after unpacking the dress, Brenda sent me an IM and asked if I was happy with it. Of course, I gushed over how much I loved this dress! I gave her the proper kudos she deserved because, lets face it (see pictures), this dress is spectacular. I explained my situation to her -- all about the competition, the gown I wanted, how it didn't work out with the first designer and how I thought her dress was perfect, with the exception of the skirt.
There was a short pause, and she asked, "Cherie, what are you looking for?"
So I explained as much as I could between Google translating English to Italian and English, what it was I had in mind for that dress.
Another short pause, and Brenda said, "I can do this for you."
I said, "Brenda, there is one day until the competition. How can you get this done? I can't ask you to do this! It's just too much."
She said, "Cherie, you tell me what you need and I will make it for you." Then she added, "But, Cherie, I have to tell you, I am a new designer."
What a wonderful person! How sweet, kind and unbelievably generous. She doesn't know me from Adam, but she's willing to work -- and work quickly -- on a dress that will require a great deal of prim work. And she's worried because she is unknown. Such a humble woman.
I know this has been a long blog entry, but I really felt that you needed to hear how I came upon my new friend, Brenda, and her wonderful shop, Preciosity of Style. How talented this woman is.
I said, "Brenda, your work is just unbelievably beautiful! If you had not told me you were a new designer, I would have never known. This dress is so stunning, any one of the big name designers would be green with envy over this!"
She was thrilled at how happy I was with her design. After a really nice discussion about the competition and what I was looking for, she excused herself and immediately started working on it. She asked that I just give her a little time and she would contact me when ready. I was nervous -- afraid that I had not explained myself sufficiently to describe what I was looking for. Worried that she might not be able to do it, being so new. And, of course, there was the clock. It kept ticking towards the day of the Miss SL Universe competition.
The next day -- the day before the competition -- Brenda contacts me and wants to show me her progress. My palms were sweating as I tp'ed her into my home. She arrived in the dress, skirt attached. My mouth hit the floor. It was one hundred percent exactly what I was looking for. I was so excited! I couldn't stop babbling about how much I loved it. Brenda kept trying to say something, but I was too busy gushing about that dress to listen. Finally, I let her have a word in edgewise, and she said, "No, no, it's not finished yet. I still make it more perfect. I can make it MORE beautiful!"
And with that, I thought, "OMG, I'm not sure how that is possible!"
But she was insistent that this was just a work-in-progress. She only wanted to make sure it was close to what I wanted. Not only was it close but EXACTLY what I wanted!
Off she goes to make a perfect dress even more perfect. I was in shock. I couldn't believe my luck. Not only had I found the dress of my dreams, I had met this wonderful person, with whom I have quickly formed a strong friendship. Maybe my luck was changing and there was hope for the competition after all!
Later that day, Brenda tp'ed me to her to inspect the final design. I don't know how she did it, but she was right. She made it even more beautiful than it had been before. Unbelievably, incredibly, beautiful! By far -- and in total honesty -- of all of the 32,000 or so items I have in my inventory, this is my favorite design, my favorite dress. I love this dress with a passion. I told Brenda just how thankful I was to have met her, to know her and now to be her friend. I invited her to see her design on the runway of the Miss SL Universe competition and she was so excited.
Being a new designer, this must have been thrilling for her. I tried to pay Brenda for her custom work -- which she deserved -- but she wouldn't take a Linden. As hard as I tried, she wouldn't hear of it. She was just thrilled to be involved in helping me. What a great gal. I just love this girl.
Well, in an attempt to shorten an already novel-sized blog post, I will skip right to the end.
In the end, I didn't win Miss SL Universe. BabyHoney Baily, representing Greece, was crowned Miss SL Universe. Congratulations BabyHoney! But, when I put on that dress, and stood on that stage, I truly felt like a winner already. I knew in my heart, I had the most spectacular dress on the runway last night. Not that the other dresses weren't good -- they certainly were -- but without sounding too bold, I know mine was the best. Because of that, I proudly stood on stage, wearing a Brenda Clellon original, and could hold my head high, even though I didn't win the competition.
It was a great experience and I'm glad I did it. I met some wonderful people, made some great friends and had a blast working with Frolic Mills, the owner of The Best of SL and the Miss SL Universe competition. I'm not sure I'll do another one of these anytime soon though -- it's a lot of work. Not only time-wise, but an emotional investment as well. Maybe after some time, one never knows.
In the end, BabyHoney won the crown, but I won a great new friendship, a beautiful gown that I will treasure forever, and memories that can't be bought.
You can find Brenda's shop here: ITALY ISLAND RESORT, italia, ita, ITALY ISLAND RESORT (153, 127, 25)
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Evening Star- Review
A couple of days ago, I found myself at the doorstep of Adam and Eve hunting for God-knows-what.
Anyone who knows me knows that, most days, I wander about shopping for new and cool things. But, before I could even get to the teleport sign I was greeted by Sachi Vixen, co-owner and designer of Adam and Eve. Sachi was wearing the most brilliantly-designed gown in deep red, with a gold brocade trim. It was so lovely I was immediately interested in finding it.
Hesitant at first to speak to her, I happened to comment on how wonderful it looked, and asked where I could find this particular gown.
In retrospect, I'm not sure why I was so hesitant to speak with her. Sachi was super nice, and proceeded to tell me that this was one of her latest creations -- not yet released -- but it would be out in a couple of days.
She indicated that there were still a couple of things she wanted to correct on the gown before putting it up for sale -- some details she was not yet happy with.
To my eye, it looked perfect! But not to hers apparently.
She then told me if I liked the design she was wearing, I should check out some other gowns upstairs that might also appeal to me.
Not only did Sachi point me in the right direction, alerting me to the demos she had on each gorgeous gown, she actually gave me a copy of her magnificent Blush 2 gown in aqua!
Wow! Was I surprised! I couldn't get changed fast enough! My deepest apologies to the newbies standing around at the time, who happened to see me strip down and into this gown! But I just had to see it on!
It was great! Not only is Sachi just as obsessively compulsive about seams as I seem to be (no pun intended), but she's extremely friendly, down to earth and easy to talk to.
After a nice conversation with her, I learned that she is exceptionally concerned with the quality of her work and will not put something out for sale until she has corrected the very last stitch that annoys her.
I like that in a designer. Just as picky as I am about buying clothing, she is all about making clothes that meet her high standards (and mine).
After this very pleasant first interaction, I went on about my business and let her get on with hers.
Last night, I received an IM from her. She says, "Cherie are you the one that was asking about that gown I was wearing the other day?" After my initial surprise that she even remembered my name, I quickly said, "Yep that was me."
The next thing I know, she's given me this demo of the gown I had been admiring, now called Evening Star!
I was so surprised!
This woman is super smart, extremely sweet and friendly, and obviously deeply concerned about her customers' happiness. We had another great conversation that just reinforced my opinion that Sachi Vixen has got to be one of the nicest people I've ever met on Second Life! Not to mention one of the best designers.
Evening Star is everything I hoped it would be. Great texture work, seams to die for, and a design that makes you look stunning wearing it.
It has everything you need in an evening gown: grace, style and creativity.
Sachi let me in on a little secret. She had planned on releasing it today, but suggested that I not buy it until Friday, if I was a part of her Group. You see, she's taken customer appreciation to the next level and is offering a Buy-One-Get-One-Free sale on Friday for all of her her group members.
If I were you, Dear Reader, I would quickly join that group and stock up on some of the most amazing styles and designs Second Life has to offer tomorrow, Friday, January 4 th.
Sachi Vixen and Damen Gorilla are partners in Adam and Eve. Both are enormously talented at what they do. If you like shoes --and who doesn't -- get thee over to Adam and Eve and check out Damen's work on Incanti, which is another item I just happened to pick up on my shopping spree.
Incanti is beautifully detailed, jeweled shoes that will go perfectly with my new gown, Evening Star, when I pick it up tomorrow, along with my free item of equal value.
Thanks, Sachi for taking the time not only to share with me your latest designs, but to chat and get to know me better. You're a great gal and a tremendous designer.
Anyone who knows me knows that, most days, I wander about shopping for new and cool things. But, before I could even get to the teleport sign I was greeted by Sachi Vixen, co-owner and designer of Adam and Eve. Sachi was wearing the most brilliantly-designed gown in deep red, with a gold brocade trim. It was so lovely I was immediately interested in finding it.
Hesitant at first to speak to her, I happened to comment on how wonderful it looked, and asked where I could find this particular gown.
In retrospect, I'm not sure why I was so hesitant to speak with her. Sachi was super nice, and proceeded to tell me that this was one of her latest creations -- not yet released -- but it would be out in a couple of days.
She indicated that there were still a couple of things she wanted to correct on the gown before putting it up for sale -- some details she was not yet happy with.
To my eye, it looked perfect! But not to hers apparently.
She then told me if I liked the design she was wearing, I should check out some other gowns upstairs that might also appeal to me.
Not only did Sachi point me in the right direction, alerting me to the demos she had on each gorgeous gown, she actually gave me a copy of her magnificent Blush 2 gown in aqua!
Wow! Was I surprised! I couldn't get changed fast enough! My deepest apologies to the newbies standing around at the time, who happened to see me strip down and into this gown! But I just had to see it on!
It was great! Not only is Sachi just as obsessively compulsive about seams as I seem to be (no pun intended), but she's extremely friendly, down to earth and easy to talk to.
After a nice conversation with her, I learned that she is exceptionally concerned with the quality of her work and will not put something out for sale until she has corrected the very last stitch that annoys her.
I like that in a designer. Just as picky as I am about buying clothing, she is all about making clothes that meet her high standards (and mine).
After this very pleasant first interaction, I went on about my business and let her get on with hers.
Last night, I received an IM from her. She says, "Cherie are you the one that was asking about that gown I was wearing the other day?" After my initial surprise that she even remembered my name, I quickly said, "Yep that was me."
The next thing I know, she's given me this demo of the gown I had been admiring, now called Evening Star!
I was so surprised!
This woman is super smart, extremely sweet and friendly, and obviously deeply concerned about her customers' happiness. We had another great conversation that just reinforced my opinion that Sachi Vixen has got to be one of the nicest people I've ever met on Second Life! Not to mention one of the best designers.
Evening Star is everything I hoped it would be. Great texture work, seams to die for, and a design that makes you look stunning wearing it.
It has everything you need in an evening gown: grace, style and creativity.
Sachi let me in on a little secret. She had planned on releasing it today, but suggested that I not buy it until Friday, if I was a part of her Group. You see, she's taken customer appreciation to the next level and is offering a Buy-One-Get-One-Free sale on Friday for all of her her group members.
If I were you, Dear Reader, I would quickly join that group and stock up on some of the most amazing styles and designs Second Life has to offer tomorrow, Friday, January 4 th.
Sachi Vixen and Damen Gorilla are partners in Adam and Eve. Both are enormously talented at what they do. If you like shoes --and who doesn't -- get thee over to Adam and Eve and check out Damen's work on Incanti, which is another item I just happened to pick up on my shopping spree.
Incanti is beautifully detailed, jeweled shoes that will go perfectly with my new gown, Evening Star, when I pick it up tomorrow, along with my free item of equal value.
Thanks, Sachi for taking the time not only to share with me your latest designs, but to chat and get to know me better. You're a great gal and a tremendous designer.
Evening Star- 8 Delicious colors $1000L
Incanti- 14 Style choices $300L
You can get to Adam and Eve using this SLURL :http://slurl.com/secondlife/Genesis/52/157/23
A side note. Thanks to my brilliant partner Xtabber Young for being my editor. He takes the lunatic ramblings I scribble on Word and turns them into something that can actually be read. I love you baby, you’re the best!
Thursday, December 20, 2007
REVIEW: Reasonable Desires
Recently Austie Pegler co-owner and designer of Reasonable Desires dropped on me a pack of items so full it took me days to go through it all. This being my first evaluation of items someone has willingly given me for review, I was quite thrilled to dig thru the boxes discovering in them item after item. Quickly I noticed a theme in the content of the folders she sent me, and at first was a bit disappointed because most of the items appeared to be costumes. I’m not much of a costume girl, I don’t really go out, dress up as Seven of Nine, or Lizzie Borden very much, so I developed a big lip and sat down to finish going through things with a heavy sigh.
However, once I started opening files, and trying the outfits I’m not sure exactly what happened, but with each piece I put on I felt myself having more and more fun. I mean come on, how can you not have fun when you’re trying on “Reindeer with Rudolf option!”? That’s a classic!
Those antlers, that nose, that cute furry little tail, all included! Even a matching pair of fur lined booties! Oh now that was fun. And not done badly at all. I’m not going to tell you that all the seams are flawless but who cares. I know a lot of haute couture designers whose seams aren’t flawless either. This is a very cute design, perfect for the holidays and just plain fun.
Next I tried on “Christmas Cutie!” a full Christmas outfit complete with a super mini skirt, belt, fur lined booties with prim buckles, Santa hat, a couple of different top versions and all the fur trim you could ask for. This adorable little outfit is very sexy and will surely make your partner, boyfriend/girlfriend or significant other say ho! ho! Oh yes!
Along the same lines is “Christmas Cape and hood w/lingerie”. Same textures as on the “Christmas cutie” but this one comes with a full length fur trimmed cape, stockings, garters, and matching lingerie. This design is a bit more suited for the private party you may have at home alone with that special someone by the fire, sipping hot apple cider, allowing them to reach over and unlatch the prim clasp on the fur cape. Ahem… anyway.
Done with Christmas items and finding the boxes empty around me, I started in on the more “adventurous” outfits as I deemed them. “French Maid Version DEUX!”, “Alice” and “Blistering Black Pirate”. Each of these is a complete outfit with almost everything you need to tie together the look. The only thing missing from Alice and French Maid are the shoes but RD has supplied everything else for a thorough look down to the white stuffed rabbit or drink for Alice, the feather duster for the French Maid and the eye patch and dagger sheath for the Pirate. They seem to have thought of every detail in these costumes and I can’t tell you how much I would appreciate that if I were a costume party freak not having to run around trying to accessorize the outfit. These costumes are really good. The detail and content supplied makes them just perfect for the slacker in me. No hunting around for pieces to accessorize they already thought of it and in most cases, included it.
Next I tried on some of RD’s lingerie and must say I was quite surprised to see that it’s done rather well. My absolute favorite things now are the two pairs of French Knickers Austie sent me. OMG they are adorable! They come in black or white lace with little flowers strategically placed and in my opinion are perfect and we all know how hard lingerie can be to create.
Included in the items Austie sent was a note card with a bit of history and detail about Reasonable Desires. Austie indicated that while they’ve been in business since 2006 Reasonable Desires has been virtually unheard of in the blogging community. I found that to be extremely odd, so I decided to take a trip over to check out one of the stores. I chose the Reasonable Desires Island where I found a very large and accommodating shop with not only costumes but lingerie, casual wear, formal wear, silks, hats, wings, swimsuits, boots and accessories. It’s open and inviting, all the items are easy to see and the detail on the advertisements is exactly “what you see is what you get”. My one gripe if I had one, would be some items didn’t have prices on the ads, you had to click to get the price but I digress into petty on that one. With their prices being so reasonable I can surely overlook that.
The RD collaboration is a combination of the minds of Austie Pegler and Martini Joliat. Between them they have built this business from a small 6 item shop to one that has over 300 products, almost 100 vendor locations, and 3 main stores including an island named Reasonable Desires. The island not only contains the store, but a rather cool pyramid maze/puzzle designed and scripted by Martini Joliat that btw, I could not get past like the second puzzle in…dang it.
I wish I had time to blog about every costume and outfit they sent me because each one was so cool. But to do so would push this into next week and by then, well it’s Christmas and I really must be at the table “reviewing food” if you know what I mean.
I have to sincerely thank Austie and Martini for dropping these items on me. I was pleasantly surprised and genuinely had a great time trying on all these outfits that I find to be well done and extremely well priced, really rather a bargain for the amount of items you get with each outfit. I’m not sure how they can afford to do it for so little but these two clearly have the costume niche covered and covered well. It’s not haute couture folks but it’s not meant to be. It’s good clothing, well done costumes and excellent prices, a value from my perspective.
I’m adding Reasonable Desires to my list of favorite stores not only for the well priced items but simply because I love the fact with this store you get what you pay for and more. Thanks again Austie and Martini.
You can find Reasonable Desires by doing a search or take this SLURL: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Reasonable%20Desires/132/204/27
French Maid Version Deux! $150L -Blistering Black Pirate $250L-Alice $199L
However, once I started opening files, and trying the outfits I’m not sure exactly what happened, but with each piece I put on I felt myself having more and more fun. I mean come on, how can you not have fun when you’re trying on “Reindeer with Rudolf option!”? That’s a classic!
Those antlers, that nose, that cute furry little tail, all included! Even a matching pair of fur lined booties! Oh now that was fun. And not done badly at all. I’m not going to tell you that all the seams are flawless but who cares. I know a lot of haute couture designers whose seams aren’t flawless either. This is a very cute design, perfect for the holidays and just plain fun.
Next I tried on “Christmas Cutie!” a full Christmas outfit complete with a super mini skirt, belt, fur lined booties with prim buckles, Santa hat, a couple of different top versions and all the fur trim you could ask for. This adorable little outfit is very sexy and will surely make your partner, boyfriend/girlfriend or significant other say ho! ho! Oh yes!
Along the same lines is “Christmas Cape and hood w/lingerie”. Same textures as on the “Christmas cutie” but this one comes with a full length fur trimmed cape, stockings, garters, and matching lingerie. This design is a bit more suited for the private party you may have at home alone with that special someone by the fire, sipping hot apple cider, allowing them to reach over and unlatch the prim clasp on the fur cape. Ahem… anyway.
Done with Christmas items and finding the boxes empty around me, I started in on the more “adventurous” outfits as I deemed them. “French Maid Version DEUX!”, “Alice” and “Blistering Black Pirate”. Each of these is a complete outfit with almost everything you need to tie together the look. The only thing missing from Alice and French Maid are the shoes but RD has supplied everything else for a thorough look down to the white stuffed rabbit or drink for Alice, the feather duster for the French Maid and the eye patch and dagger sheath for the Pirate. They seem to have thought of every detail in these costumes and I can’t tell you how much I would appreciate that if I were a costume party freak not having to run around trying to accessorize the outfit. These costumes are really good. The detail and content supplied makes them just perfect for the slacker in me. No hunting around for pieces to accessorize they already thought of it and in most cases, included it.
Next I tried on some of RD’s lingerie and must say I was quite surprised to see that it’s done rather well. My absolute favorite things now are the two pairs of French Knickers Austie sent me. OMG they are adorable! They come in black or white lace with little flowers strategically placed and in my opinion are perfect and we all know how hard lingerie can be to create.
Included in the items Austie sent was a note card with a bit of history and detail about Reasonable Desires. Austie indicated that while they’ve been in business since 2006 Reasonable Desires has been virtually unheard of in the blogging community. I found that to be extremely odd, so I decided to take a trip over to check out one of the stores. I chose the Reasonable Desires Island where I found a very large and accommodating shop with not only costumes but lingerie, casual wear, formal wear, silks, hats, wings, swimsuits, boots and accessories. It’s open and inviting, all the items are easy to see and the detail on the advertisements is exactly “what you see is what you get”. My one gripe if I had one, would be some items didn’t have prices on the ads, you had to click to get the price but I digress into petty on that one. With their prices being so reasonable I can surely overlook that.
The RD collaboration is a combination of the minds of Austie Pegler and Martini Joliat. Between them they have built this business from a small 6 item shop to one that has over 300 products, almost 100 vendor locations, and 3 main stores including an island named Reasonable Desires. The island not only contains the store, but a rather cool pyramid maze/puzzle designed and scripted by Martini Joliat that btw, I could not get past like the second puzzle in…dang it.
I wish I had time to blog about every costume and outfit they sent me because each one was so cool. But to do so would push this into next week and by then, well it’s Christmas and I really must be at the table “reviewing food” if you know what I mean.
I have to sincerely thank Austie and Martini for dropping these items on me. I was pleasantly surprised and genuinely had a great time trying on all these outfits that I find to be well done and extremely well priced, really rather a bargain for the amount of items you get with each outfit. I’m not sure how they can afford to do it for so little but these two clearly have the costume niche covered and covered well. It’s not haute couture folks but it’s not meant to be. It’s good clothing, well done costumes and excellent prices, a value from my perspective.
I’m adding Reasonable Desires to my list of favorite stores not only for the well priced items but simply because I love the fact with this store you get what you pay for and more. Thanks again Austie and Martini.
You can find Reasonable Desires by doing a search or take this SLURL: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Reasonable%20Desires/132/204/27
French Maid Version Deux! $150L -Blistering Black Pirate $250L-Alice $199L
Christmas Cutie! $175L-Christmas Cape and hood w/lingerie $225L
Reindeer with Rudolf option! $125
Reindeer with Rudolf option! $125
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
High Stepping
You know there are only a couple of things in Second Life that makes my virtual heart beat faster… shoes and hair. Let me qualify that. Good shoes and good hair. When I first came to SL the only decent shoemaker I could find, and believe me I searched, was Nikki Clayton of Minx. I probably own about oh, 95% of Nikki’s shoes… so shoot me if I don’t like wedges. Thankfully now the times they are a changing, and good cobblers abound. Not only is Nikki still cranking out the stylish hoof accessories, but now there’s Zhao, Tesla, Enkythings and Insolence just to name a few. But please no more! My shoe budget just can’t take another good designer!
Alas, awhile back I had the opportunity to visit a new shoe store before it officially opened. Quietly sneaking in I noticed a sign that spoke my language. Half price off, it screamed! (If you joined the group) Half price on shoes?? Oh baby you sure do know how to sweet talk a girl. With very little hesitation I quickly dumped another group from my, at-the- limit of 25, and joined up, thus being rewarded with half off the listed price for any and all pairs of shoes! Good thing too because half price on the pair I bought was around $485LD. I know what you’re thinking… $485 is half price?? Yes, that’s half price friends, not full. Evidently that didn’t deter me as I clicked that sweet pair of slingbacks into my inventory and was on my way. Days went by and I rarely took them off. I was sooo happy with my purchase. These shoes are not only hot they’re smokin’ HAWT! The texture and design is just so incredible. The heels make your virtual feet scream in agony just looking at them they’re so high, but omg can you live without them? I think not. It’s time to tell you what shoe shop owns the tile of “my latest Achilles heel”.
Stiletto Moody.
Stiletto Moody has only been around SL about a year now but wow, she’s clearly got a grasp on shoe design that makes my ten little piggies’ squeal with delight. There’s just this one little, teensy, weensy thing that bothers me though. It’s the price. Yes I know, I said I’m willing to pay for good design in previous posts and that’s true. But dang, $975 is by far the most expensive shoe I have ever seen in SL and I’ve seen them all. Are they good? Better than good. Are they creative and unique? Yes, that too. Are they worth the $975? Possibly. But it still hurts to shell out that much for a pair of shoes. While I have no qualms about going and buying more than one pair of shoes at Minx, and the likes thereof, I have to say I hesitate when I step into Stiletto Moody’s. However, I can see the border lights flashing, and feel myself propelled forward, if you don’t hear from me for awhile… someone please come look for me in the ankle bootie isle.
My friends, now that you know about Stiletto Moody’s, I feel certain I’ll be seeing you there on occasion, haunting the store for sales like I do. Drooling over the latest designs and breathing in the scent of the virtual leather. My only hope is that Stiletto will take mercy on us and bring back the half price sales, if not, you may find me yet again camping somewhere for shoe money.
Here are the details on her designs from the lowest price shoes to the highest;
Pumps $825
Slingbacks $875
Studded Pumps $875
Ankle boots $875
Platforms $950
Pumps w/ ankle straps $975
Alas, awhile back I had the opportunity to visit a new shoe store before it officially opened. Quietly sneaking in I noticed a sign that spoke my language. Half price off, it screamed! (If you joined the group) Half price on shoes?? Oh baby you sure do know how to sweet talk a girl. With very little hesitation I quickly dumped another group from my, at-the- limit of 25, and joined up, thus being rewarded with half off the listed price for any and all pairs of shoes! Good thing too because half price on the pair I bought was around $485LD. I know what you’re thinking… $485 is half price?? Yes, that’s half price friends, not full. Evidently that didn’t deter me as I clicked that sweet pair of slingbacks into my inventory and was on my way. Days went by and I rarely took them off. I was sooo happy with my purchase. These shoes are not only hot they’re smokin’ HAWT! The texture and design is just so incredible. The heels make your virtual feet scream in agony just looking at them they’re so high, but omg can you live without them? I think not. It’s time to tell you what shoe shop owns the tile of “my latest Achilles heel”.
Stiletto Moody.
Stiletto Moody has only been around SL about a year now but wow, she’s clearly got a grasp on shoe design that makes my ten little piggies’ squeal with delight. There’s just this one little, teensy, weensy thing that bothers me though. It’s the price. Yes I know, I said I’m willing to pay for good design in previous posts and that’s true. But dang, $975 is by far the most expensive shoe I have ever seen in SL and I’ve seen them all. Are they good? Better than good. Are they creative and unique? Yes, that too. Are they worth the $975? Possibly. But it still hurts to shell out that much for a pair of shoes. While I have no qualms about going and buying more than one pair of shoes at Minx, and the likes thereof, I have to say I hesitate when I step into Stiletto Moody’s. However, I can see the border lights flashing, and feel myself propelled forward, if you don’t hear from me for awhile… someone please come look for me in the ankle bootie isle.
My friends, now that you know about Stiletto Moody’s, I feel certain I’ll be seeing you there on occasion, haunting the store for sales like I do. Drooling over the latest designs and breathing in the scent of the virtual leather. My only hope is that Stiletto will take mercy on us and bring back the half price sales, if not, you may find me yet again camping somewhere for shoe money.
Here are the details on her designs from the lowest price shoes to the highest;
Pumps $825
Slingbacks $875
Studded Pumps $875
Ankle boots $875
Platforms $950
Pumps w/ ankle straps $975
Thursday, November 29, 2007
A Stitch in Time
All right, let's get down to business. I promised to review a couple of skins before the holidays, but as things go, I got a wee bit sidetracked by an overdose of tryptophan and sugar. But I've detoxed now and I'm ready to go.
First, let's take a look at the new skins by Launa Fauna, CHAI by LF Fashions. She has an adequate number of skin tones available, ranging from the darkest Cinnamon, moving lighter to Honey, Ginger, Cream and to the lightest, Sugar.
Each comes with a number of different makeup styles along a spectrum from light to heavy depending upon your preferred style. The choices seem abundant.
She has color-changeable eyebrows, but, in my opinion, they are still a bit heavy, hard to color and could use a lighter touch. This would yield more realistic eyebrows.
Her makeup detail is quite lovely, with full lips and variations of eye makeup and lip colors that work well together. I have no dispute with her makeup ability or the tone of her skins. In fact, the tones are decent, have a good range, nice shadings and quality definitions.
My bone-to-pick is about the seams. Yes, I am picky. And, yes, I do know from talking to a friend of mine -- also a skinner -- that seams are the bane of every skinner's existence. But these seams are really just too obvious. According to my friend, there are a number of ways to avoid this, (see pictures) but it takes time and effort.
That being said, it's my opinion that if you are charging L$1200 a pop -- no multi packs available -- you might want to make a more concerted effort towards these seemingly minor details and smooth out or blend the seams.
When I first picked up my CHAI demo, I was very happy with the makeup and was excited about adding to my growing skin collection. That is, until I noticed the dreaded seams. Not that I show that much skin, mind you, but these seams are on the neck and shoulders, where, if I can see them, everyone else can too. I prefer not to look like a rag doll. I contacted Launa Fauna, and sent pictures, but never received any feedback. Let's hope she takes it under advisement and works those out for the next batch of skins.
The next skin is by Trixie Wexler of The Plague. Her store has a variety of items for sale, from clothing and shoes, to shapes and skins. She has two major skin lines and also has a couple of special edition skins.
The first skin I looked at is Trixxxotic Passion and comes in pale, light and tan skin tones. Each skin is L$500, and the four pack is L$1500.
The other skin line is called Epidemic, with adjustable skin tones, lip color, eyeliner and nail polish. Each skin is L$1000 and the four packs are just L$3000.
Both Trixxxotic and Epidemic have smooth creamy skin textures and decent makeup choices, but of the two, Trixxxotic is my favorite. The eyebrows and makeup on Epidemic just don't feel as blended or real as her Trixxxotic line. The Trixxxotic skins have fine definitions and offer a good assortment of color and makeup ranging from mild to wild.
The skin texturing is well done, however, once again, we have the issue with seams -- this time at the shoulders (see pictures) in both skin lines.
As with Launa, I sent Trixie a note with pictures describing the issue. However, Trixie was quick to respond and was very thankful for bringing this issue to her attention. She indicated that she had not noticed those skin seams and planned to address them.
Personally, I'm looking forward to that, and I plan on picking up a Trixxxotic or two when she does. At only L$500 a skin, how can I resist?
In closing, both skinners I've reviewed here are quite talented and clearly have a good grasp on makeup detail and skin shading. However, both tended to skip over the small details of seams and blending in those areas.
I find it curious that would be the case, but as I was told recently by another skin aficionado, it's the makeup that sells the skin. Well, that may be the case for some out there, but not me. I like to know when I spend over L$1000 on something, it's going to be of the highest quality, and details will not be overlooked.
First, let's take a look at the new skins by Launa Fauna, CHAI by LF Fashions. She has an adequate number of skin tones available, ranging from the darkest Cinnamon, moving lighter to Honey, Ginger, Cream and to the lightest, Sugar.
Each comes with a number of different makeup styles along a spectrum from light to heavy depending upon your preferred style. The choices seem abundant.
She has color-changeable eyebrows, but, in my opinion, they are still a bit heavy, hard to color and could use a lighter touch. This would yield more realistic eyebrows.
Her makeup detail is quite lovely, with full lips and variations of eye makeup and lip colors that work well together. I have no dispute with her makeup ability or the tone of her skins. In fact, the tones are decent, have a good range, nice shadings and quality definitions.
My bone-to-pick is about the seams. Yes, I am picky. And, yes, I do know from talking to a friend of mine -- also a skinner -- that seams are the bane of every skinner's existence. But these seams are really just too obvious. According to my friend, there are a number of ways to avoid this, (see pictures) but it takes time and effort.
That being said, it's my opinion that if you are charging L$1200 a pop -- no multi packs available -- you might want to make a more concerted effort towards these seemingly minor details and smooth out or blend the seams.
When I first picked up my CHAI demo, I was very happy with the makeup and was excited about adding to my growing skin collection. That is, until I noticed the dreaded seams. Not that I show that much skin, mind you, but these seams are on the neck and shoulders, where, if I can see them, everyone else can too. I prefer not to look like a rag doll. I contacted Launa Fauna, and sent pictures, but never received any feedback. Let's hope she takes it under advisement and works those out for the next batch of skins.
The next skin is by Trixie Wexler of The Plague. Her store has a variety of items for sale, from clothing and shoes, to shapes and skins. She has two major skin lines and also has a couple of special edition skins.
The first skin I looked at is Trixxxotic Passion and comes in pale, light and tan skin tones. Each skin is L$500, and the four pack is L$1500.
The other skin line is called Epidemic, with adjustable skin tones, lip color, eyeliner and nail polish. Each skin is L$1000 and the four packs are just L$3000.
Both Trixxxotic and Epidemic have smooth creamy skin textures and decent makeup choices, but of the two, Trixxxotic is my favorite. The eyebrows and makeup on Epidemic just don't feel as blended or real as her Trixxxotic line. The Trixxxotic skins have fine definitions and offer a good assortment of color and makeup ranging from mild to wild.
The skin texturing is well done, however, once again, we have the issue with seams -- this time at the shoulders (see pictures) in both skin lines.
As with Launa, I sent Trixie a note with pictures describing the issue. However, Trixie was quick to respond and was very thankful for bringing this issue to her attention. She indicated that she had not noticed those skin seams and planned to address them.
Personally, I'm looking forward to that, and I plan on picking up a Trixxxotic or two when she does. At only L$500 a skin, how can I resist?
In closing, both skinners I've reviewed here are quite talented and clearly have a good grasp on makeup detail and skin shading. However, both tended to skip over the small details of seams and blending in those areas.
I find it curious that would be the case, but as I was told recently by another skin aficionado, it's the makeup that sells the skin. Well, that may be the case for some out there, but not me. I like to know when I spend over L$1000 on something, it's going to be of the highest quality, and details will not be overlooked.
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