EarthStones - Halo of the Dark Sun

RL yeesh... but enough about that. Other than the holidays, I've got smooth sailing into the new year, so I've been busy sorting and sifting through huge piles of clothes and shoes and tattoos and, yes, even more lingerie. I'll be blogging a few scraps of leather and bits of lace from Nymphetamine, then headed to the I's with Insolence and Intimizzio...but I'd like to start with a breathtaking design from a staple of my wardrobe - EarthStones.

For my "Yup, I'm back" post, I'm featuring a gorgeous little piece that Abraxxa Anatine over at EarthStones did first as a custom piece and has now released to the lucky public. In both men's and women's styles, Halo of the Dark Sun is a delight in blood red and black stones, dramatic enough to stand alone as the focal point of an outfit, stylized enough to blend with the noir side of your wardrobe. At L$500, this is a spectacular piece of artwork, with symbolic filigree orbited and centered with runed spheres.

Pick up the Halo of the Dark Sun (but don't stop there) at the EarthStones Main Store at EarthBound.

Credits:

Hair - TossMeAround (Black) by Bishwear

Eyes - Transparency Shine Eyes (Forest Green) by Glanz

Glasses - Danielle Black Glasses by Insolence

Earrings - Desmodus (Black Steel/Red Jasper) by EarthStones

Piercing - Bali Lip Ring (Labradorite/Silver) by EarthStones

Necklace - Halo of the Dark Sun by EarthStones

Sweater - Full Sculpted Knit Jacket (Black) by CE Cubic Effect

Persona - Dita Knit Blouse

I think that I'm just going to make myself a huge sign for the wall that says, "Buy the Fat Pack!" because I never do and I always regret it. I knew that the Dita Knit Blouse from Persona was going to be fabulous and I knew I was going to have a use for each and every one of the seven colors, but do I listen to my little inner frugal shopper? Of course not! That would make sense! (Naturally, I wound up immediately buying two after trying on the first, LOL!).

Absolutely perfect for fall, this beautifully textured, highly detailed, soft and fuzzy beauty comes in warm, muted shades of white, purple, black, brown, red, green, and blue and works equally well with jeans or skirts. The individual price is L$125 per color and the Fat Pack (yes, buy it) of all 7 colors sells for L$611. The layer options are quite nice with a two piece combination choice of shirt/undershirt top and pant/underpant bottom or a full jacket layer. Add the prim sleeves and collar and you are out the door. (One note: The pants layer is mislabled as "top" in the green - it is indeed the wide knit bottom.)

Pull on an autumn delight at the Persona Main Store.

Top Left:
Top - Dita Knit Blouse (Green) by Persona
Hair - Miranda (Coffee Bean) by House of Heart
Eyes - Transparency Shine (Forest Green) by Glanz
Skin - Sunkissed V1 (Smokey 02 DB) by [KA] Skins
Jewelry - Crystal Charm Set (Money) by Earthstones

Bottom Right:

Top - Dita Knit Blouse (Black) by Persona

Kilt - Ruffian Blue (Women's) by Boom

Boots - Ankle Boots (Black Patent) by Bax Boots

Stockings - #24 (Torn, Lace Top, Black) by Sheer

Hair - Solid Wave (Neo Black) by Find Ash

A Perfect Place - SiniStyle (Goth Horror)

Graveyards, desanctified churches, gas lights, and absolutely magnificent trees make the SiniStyle Design Main Store sim a photographer's dream for All Hallows' Eve. From the Addams Family architecture to the occasional bat (both in the trees and in the air), this is simply a wonderful setting for any dark and stormy shoots. I received a review copy of EarthStones newest set, Desmodus, in gold and opal and decided I wanted to do a few shots as if I was entering the photo contest - All Hallows Eve theme with jewelry as the focus. Wow, so much harder than it looks...
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I bought a few copies of Desmodus myself (the bats are just too wonderful) in black steel and silver, red jasper and moonstone - so that I would have a few combinations to play with. Then I pulled out a variety of outfits and hairstyles and started posing, turning, playing with lighting and desperately trying to get a perfect shot. 104 photos. All over the sim. With and without bats, in church, in the graveyard, near the wrought iron gates. Black. Red. White. Lace and no lace. Updos and down, long and short. Heck, I finished a pot of coffee before I ever got to the first crop.
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Finally, though, after twisting and turning and zooming and moving - some shots I thought were about the jewelry and the goth horror atmosphere and not me or the outfit. I tucked the SiniStyle Design sim landmark in my "Great Settings" folder and you should consider doing the same (and don't forget to check out the store as well - it's haunted!).
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For all the Wednesdays in the world, feel at home at the SiniStyle Design Main Store Sim.

Top left:
Hair - Jasmyn (Black) by Analog Dog
Skin - Sunkissed V1 (Smokey 02) by [KA] Skins
Eyes - Transparency Shine (Clear Grey) by Glanz
Top - Knit Jacket (Black) by CE Cubic Effect
Jewelry - Desmodus (Gold/Opal) by EarthStones

Bottom right:

Hair - Coral (Black) by House of Heart

Jewelry - Desmodus (Silver/Red Jasper) by Earthstones

Dress - Scheherazade (Bloodstone) by DG Innovations

Then & Now... Again.

Every now and then I like to look back and see how things have changed, so the other night when I pulled out one of my staples, the Tedious outfit by Apple May Designs, I remembered that it had been the subject of one of my earliest posts. I decided that it could be fun to pull out the original blog pictures and take another set with my more recent hair, skin, accessories. The whole look is utterly schoolgirl, so perfect for fall with a soft, warm, barely legal sweater top over a short tartan skirt.
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The outfit just screams for body art and, not surprisingly, both sets of photos are "inky" - the earlier with iNFLiCT's [name] and the later with Nambya's Sunburst. It's a very leggy outfit and while it looks great with just Dark Eden's Thetis ankle boots, the white stockings from Insolence's Melanie set paired with AW Design's CourtX Patent Leather Stiletto Mary Janes pull the "back to school" look together. Of course, for the serious, studious finish, Air's Rosetta Glasses in Crystal White are perfect for perching on the end of one's academic nose.
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Obviously the look lends itself to short hair, with Novocaine's Edwina in the more recent shot and Armidi's Poynter in the older. Tuli's S5 skin rounds out the earlier picture, Glanz Transparency Shine eyes are worn in both and today I was wearing KA's Sunkissed skin in Smokey 02. Jewelry in both is by EarthStones, with the Wire Wrapped earrings, Yin Yang earrings and the newly released Yin Yang belly piercings as well as the virtually never removed Bali lip ring.
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Almost all items listed here have had posts of their own, so I'll leave you to the tags for more information, you can pick up Tedious in several colors at Apple May Designs Main Store.

Skinwalkers - Super-Ego

I've had this for quite a while - let's face it, with my name, how could I not own a bodysuit that just oozes righteous anger (or slight mental bend, take your pick)? When I got an invitation to a "Seven Deadly Sins" event, I started enumerating vices - Lust, Sloth, Greed, Envy, Gluttony, Pride and... oh yeah... Wrath. You gotta figure every guy is going to be Sloth surrounded by a flood of Pride and Lust - Wrath just isn't that easy to visualize unless you have Super-Ego in your inventory, waiting to bring the spiked cuffs of vengeance to the party.

Interestingly, while bodysuits are notoriously hard to mix and match, I found this outfit to change substantially in overall feel with accessory and footwear changes, which makes it a great wardrobe addition for clubbing. A red, grey and white on black latex graffiti texture clings to every curve while spiked cuffs (arm and wrist) and "brass knuckles" combine with a "Hate" belt and matching boots to give a complete look. A little spike to the hair, ears and tail and you are the edgiest girl next door kitty in town, long curls and high boots and you are mistress of the mean streets.
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The outfit includes the bodysuit on the underwear layer, which is my only complaint as I would have preferred a layer choice, gloves, stockings, boots, belt and spiked accessories - 16 pieces in all for L$550. While you are there, take a look around at the other bodysuits - the Super-Ego accessories mix beautifully with almost all of them, adding to the value of the ensemble. Skinwalkers carries post-apocalyptic styles for men and women as well as a selection of skirt and top combos for the urban schoolgirl.
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For those nights you feel like taking on the world (or just being the center of attention) slip into a different skin at the Skinwalkers Main Store.
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Top Left:

Outfit - Super-Ego by Skinwalkers
Ears - Neko Ears (Black) by Acid & Mala Creations
Hair - Solid Wave (Neo Black) by Find Ash

Eyes - Transparency Shine (Forest Green) by Glanz
Collar - Lilith Collar (Red) by Dark Eden

Center Right:

Super-Ego by Skinwalkers

Neko Ears and Tail (Black) by Acid & Mala Creations

Solid Wave (Neo Black) by Find Ash

Lilith Collar (Red) by Dark Eden

Bottom Left:
Super-Ego by Skinwalkers
Lilith Collar (Red) by Dark Eden
Thetis Boots (Bloodrage) by Dark Eden
Jasmyn (Black) by Analog Dog

Discord - EN-GI Set

Back during the Linden birthday celebrations, I attended quite a few fashion shows, one of which featured several very talented Japanese designers from Cubic Effect, Discord and Azul. I've always been a fan of the clean lines, lush fabrics and texture contrasts found in much of the Japanese clothing in SL and the incredible attention to detail in the accessories, so I was looking forward to seeing more from each of them. Two outfits in particular moved so well they caught my eye and had me scribbling notes so I could teleport in for the buy after the show - both of them by Orange Meili of Discord.

Once you teleport in, be warned - it's a very visually intense sim and store, a little confusing to get through and it is packed with outfits when you arrive at the clothing - be prepared to spend some time - but not a lot of Lindens. The EN-GI Sets come in Purple, Red, Blue and Black with complementary trim and embroidery over a brocade fabric - there isn't a fat pack available, but each color is a budget conscious L$99. Oh and it moves beautifully with the leg revealing fan panel skirt.The outfit has 8 pieces - shirt, pants, prim skirt and obi. There are two part prim sleeves, both tied upper and dramatic tulip lower arm. For all you gifters, all the outfits I purchased were no mod, no copy but transferable and with a very broad range of styles.

Slam your hands down on the keyboard (no, not your computer, LOL) and visit the Discord Main Store at Nightmare City.

Both pictures:
Hair - BON75 by booN
Skin - Tasha 11 Portrait (Tan) by Laqroki
Eyes - Transparency Shine (Clear Gray) by Glanz
Jewelry - Jaded Dreams Earrings & Necklace (Black) by Purple Rose
Outfit - EN-GI Black Set by Discord,
Shoes - Silver StudSides Pump (Black) by Stiletto Moody

AIR - Lace & Arabesque Glasses

Sometimes really amazing things come in small packages. Air is a small store with a fabulous line of very sexy reading glasses. Yes, you read that correctly. Reading glasses. Beautifully detailed glasses. You will fake a vision problem just to have an excuse to wear them. Don't buy all the demos - they will just make you want every single pair. And I can guarantee from the comments I got while wearing these that guys definitely make passes at girls in these glasses.

My pictures don't do justice to the amazing level of detail in these - lacy frames with drop chains and jewels that look as good with an evening dress as they do with a sweater and jeans. There are multiple styles for all face shapes and preferences, but not all styles come in all metals or colors. The first pair I fell in love with was the Arabesque which only comes in Antique Copper and sells for L$600. I couldn't show them all, but the Lace Glasses can be bought individually for L$500 or in a Fat Pack of gold, copper and silver for L$1000.
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See everything more clearly at the AIR Main Store.

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Top left:
Hair - Writer (Night) by Detour
Eyes - Transparency Shine (Clear Grey) by Glanz
Glasses - Lace Glasses (Silver) by AIR
Skin - S5 Tan Natural 1 (Freckles) by ::Tuli::
Top - Full Sculpted Knit Jacket (Black) by Cubic Effect

Bottom right:

Hair - Writer (Night) by Detour

Eyes - Transparency Shine (Clear Grey) by Glanz

Glasses - Arabesque Glasses (Antique Copper) by AIR

Skin - S5 Medium Classic 1 by ::Tuli::

Top - Full Sculpted Knit Jacket (Black) by Cubic Effect

Paper Couture - Silk Gypsy Dress

At Paper Couture, black is the new black and hopefully always will be. Honestly, no one does black quite the way Paper Couture does - warm and liquid and flowing. I've never had a dress from there that there weren't parts that could be used in all kinds of outfits and Silk Gypsy is no exception. If the full prim sleeves and deep v-neck of the blouse don't convince you, combined with the waist enhancing corset this outfit is worth well more than its weight in Lindens. Which isn't a lot - this dress is a bargain. At L$250, there's no reason that Silk Gypsy shouldn't be in every gal's inventory.

A single color offering like the rest of Paper Couture's line, Silk Gypsy comes with a blouse (shirt), corset (jacket), prim sleeves and three skirts, both scripted and unscripted (perfect for pictures) as well as a mesh layer (skirt) and glitch pants (pants). Obviously the top can be worn with many combinations of skirts, so I paired it with a comfy old pair of ragged jeans and soft boots and had a terrific, soft casual look - perfect for a relaxed evening out with friends (new or old). I was planning to change shoes when I switched to the full dress shot, but the first pose I hit looked perfect with the boots and gave it a more period look, so I kept them - though I can assure you the dress looks spectacular with just about any heel height and shoe style.

Discover why I hope nothing will ever replace black at the Paper Couture Main Store.

Top left:
Hair - BooN75 by BooN
Eyes - Transparency Shine Eyes (Clear Grey) by Glanz
Skin - Tasha 11 Portrait Skin (Tan) by Laqroki
Glasses - Arabesque by AIR
Top - Silk Gypsy by Paper Couture
Tattoo - Eternity Awaits by iNFLiCT
Nails - Deep Dream Collection by bijou
Belt - Song Bird Belt (Black) by Cubic Effect
Jeans - Sexy Ripped Jeans by Naima
Boots - Bot's Black by Storm Schmooz

Bottom right:

Hair - BooN75 by BooN
Eyes - Transparency Shine Eyes (Clear Grey) by Glanz
Skin - Tasha 11 Portrait Skin (Tan) by Laqroki
Tattoo - Eternity Awaits by iNFLiCT

Outfit - Silk Gypsy by Paper Couture
Boots - Bot's Black by Storm Schmooz

What About Ruth?

I never change my shape. I like my shape and I've adjusted so many things in my wardrobe to fit it just right that it seems like a silly thing to play with, especially since I'm happy with it. That said, when I saw Alaska Metropolitan's Ruth Challenge at My Virtual World, I just had to play. Since I was also working on my July Group Gift of the Month post, I decided it would be fun to see if Ruth could be a fashionista wearing group freebies as well since it was a terrific month for gowns and hair. Could some of the freebies from designers all over SL help the poor girl look less like a linebacker and more like runway material?

I created a brand new Ruth shape, hopped on the old pose stand and started analyzing. First, the shoulders. Eeek! Poor Ruth - I bet she can ring the bell at the county fair, but she sure needs some softer edges, so I went digging for feminine gowns and hair with some size to them. The Feral hair gift from House of Heart not only deemphasized the shoulder width, it softened the look overall enough to risk a more fitted dress to accentuate Ruth's waist. Nicky Ree's Satin Shine Glitter Gown complemented the deep chocolate of the hair perfectly and the delicate earrings and necklace from SLink finished the look. The full skirt further balanced the shoulders and and the classic restrained jewelry gave Ruth a very ladylike look overall.
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Update - Candy Flanagan over at iCandy has compiled a link list to the many blogs that gave Ruth a makeover.
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It's good to know that, if Ruthed, I have a backup plan. Check back for my next post where I look at more of the July freebies like the ones Ruth is wearing.
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Both photos:

Shape - Ruth (default) by Linden Labs

Hair - Feral (Bitter Chocolate) by House of Heart

Skin - Tasha 11 Portrait Skin (Tan) by Laqroki

Eyes - Transparency Shine Eyes (Forest Green) by Glanz

Dress - Satin Shine Glitter Gown (Red) by Nicky Ree

Jewelry - Diamond Solitaire by SLink

Lady Thera - Tatoo Gown

There is art in Second Life and then there is ART in Second Life. If you haven't been to Lady Thera's, be prepared to be awestruck. The Great Painters Collection features gowns inspired by the masters - Cezanne, Renoir, Monet, Pollock, Klimt, the list goes on. This is a store much like Chambre du Chocolat - each dress is a unique creation. If I could afford to, I'd own everything in this shop. As it is, I was utterly and irresistably drawn to Lady Thera's Tatoo gown, the design for which was influenced by the art of Joan Miro, the Spanish Surrealist/Dadaist. (See? Blogs are educational!)

Starting at the top, there is THE hat and THE scarf - both absolutely must be seen to be believed. The gown has two tops and two pants that provide slightly different nuances to the outfit, as well as a jacket, gloves and underwear layer. Topping this are two prim skirts which can be worn separately or in combination - I had to do a bit of adjusting, but despite the complexity and detail of the gown, had no difficulty at all. This dress fully lives up to the artistry of the painting it was drawn from - Ciphers and Constellations, in Love with a Woman. This is a pure impact gown and if you want to turn heads at a special event, you will consider every single one of the L$850 for this dress (or any of the others) to be Lindens very well spent. I am positively captivated by these gowns (especially the impressionists) so I highly recommend that you...
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Become a work of art at Lady Thera's Main Store.

Both photos:

Gown - Lady Thera's Tatoo

Hair - Writer (Night) by Detour

Eyes - Transparency Shine (Fresh Blue) by Glanz

Skin - Tasha 10 Portrait Skin (Tan) by Laqroki

SLink - Button Down Dress Shirt

I barely made it to get in the promised post tonight, but I did make it and boy, was it worth the wait. Yep, superb detailing, exquisite texturing, wardrobe classics. I took a hint from the display and did indeed buy them all. At L$600 for the fat pack of 6 colors or L$200 each, with such versatile colors as teal, gold, black, grey, red and white, the fat pack is an easy buy once you see the Button Down Dress Shirt by SLink.

There are two versions of the top, with and without sculptie waist section being the difference, and they come in jacket layer only. You can then add various combinations of prim cuffs, collar and tucked in waist to refine the look, depending on the skirt, pants or shorts you pair with the shirt. I'm positive that anything short of a formal ballgown (and I didn't try one of those) will look spectacular.

Of course, you could just pick up the Buckle Dress Pants while you are there (L$230 each, L$690 fat pack) in Brown, Green, Red, Black, Silver and Teal (again, the fat pack is a terrific deal) and instantly have a multitude of options. The pants come in underwear layer with two lower leg prims and combine thoughtful textures with understated detailing in the buckle. So, like the sign says, buy 'em all! In my humble opinion, the Button Down Dress Shirt is a must have, so...

Leave now and head over to SLink, The Art of Beauty Main Store.

On the left:
Hair - Writer (Burgundy) by Detour
Eyes - Transparency Shine Eyes (Forest Green) by Glanz
Earrings - Crystal Charm Earrings - Money by Earthstones
Top - Button Down Dress Shirt (Teal) by SLink
Pants - Buckle Dress Pants (Black) by SLink
Tattoo - Hathor Garden (Faded) by Garden of Ku

On the right:

Hair - Writer (Night) by Detour

Eyes - Transparency Shine Eyes (Forest Green) by Glanz

Earrings - Yin Yang Earrings & Necklace (Red Jasper/Onyx) by EarthStones
Top - Button Down Dress Shirt (Black) by SLink
Pants - Buckle Dress Pants (Red) by SLink

Shoes - Court X by AW Design

Skins Deeper

I have a ton of skins, I mean a stupid number of skins. An especially stupid number since I wear maybe 5 on a regular basis. I certainly don't need to go hunting for new skins to try for sure. So, naturally, I spent the day trying on skin demos, surfing skin shops and (predictably) buying a skin. Yes, just one. But it may indeed be a big part of my blogging photography from here on and has rocketed into the regular wear rotation already.


I decided it would be fun to take pictures of several of my favorite skins in identical lighting, setting, shape (as always) and clothing to do a side by side comparison of the impact of a skin. It almost worked until I simply had to make a hair swap, but I played fair and didn't include it to keep everything the same. By far the most commonly worn skins in my wardrobe (is that the right term for skin storage?) are from ::Tuli:: and I am showing my personal favorite out of a large (very large) sea of both s5 and new generation skins - S5 Tan Diva 1 (top left).
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Unfortunately, the second skin has recently been retired - the dramatic Vivant Bronze Feline 3 (middle right) by Fleur (formerly Tete a Pied). It was one of my first purchased skins in SL and it always looks spectacular with swimwear, lingerie or animal print clothing. I took all the pictures using an Animah pose - Arched Back out of Shooting Poses (pack 9) and while wearing Glanz eyes in FreshBlue, Writer hair by Detour and the black knit cardigan by Fuel. The last skin to be added to my arsenal is Laqroki Portrait skin - Tasha 11 in Tan (bottom left). I definitely think it deserves it's spot in the ranks with the smooth yet interesting features and smoky dramatic makeup. Oh, the face light used for all the pictures was by Laqroki, the earrings are Crystal Charm (Creativity) by EarthStones and the body art is Eternity Awaits by iNFLiCT.

Transportation Links:

::Tuli:: Main Store

Fleur Main Store

Laqroki Main Store

Things Change - Six Months in SL

As I was pondering the pending 6 month resident milestone, I ran into someone I'd not seen in a while who commented on how much my avatar had changed. I was kind of surprised as all the elements are still there - I'm still a brunette, I still don't have max hooter sliders and my basic taste in clothes and colors are the same. But it started me thinking about how much difference little incremental changes could make to the "everyday look" - Second Life Evolution as it were.
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I dug through my old pictures and, while I'm soooo not going to post my rez look (mainly because I can't find the pics anywhere), I do have my first "newbie outfit" after my initial visit to The Shelter. I'd almost forgotten I had red hair and was apparently built like a 12 year old boy. All in all, I've seen worse, but still oozing of clueless noobit - the shoes just make me want to cry. I'm sorry to say that I have no idea what the skin or clothes are in the first shot, but I can say they came from either The Shelter or The Free Dove - both fabulous places for new residents.
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The second shot, I'd moved to brunette (I'm thinking this was still the first few weeks), hair was still long, but I remember shopping forever to get a skin I loved - Vivant Bronze Feline 3 by Tete a Pied (now Fleur). I'd also discovered Glanz eyes (which are still the only thing other than my shape that hasn't changed at all) and I'm pretty sure I'm wearing my 30 day free hair from Gurl 6. Not a bad look, actually, and I still have everything in the picture in my wardrobe.
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I'd say the biggest change occurred when I started finding short hairstyles that I liked. They seem to be everywhere these days, but I swear I don't remember there being nearly as many 6 months ago as now. My first short style was the Aveda Short Crop 2 which I still wear when an outfit needs a clean edgy look. About the time I started blogging, I discovered The Poynter by Armidi, which seemed to work a bit better with my facial features and which isn't featured here because it's the style you can see in my blog profile pic. Skin remained TaP Feline which I still wear for the fabulous dramatic eyes and the picture was taken at Toby's Juke Joint - one of the best places for casual blues in SL.
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So, where am I today? Well, I have a lot of skins, but Tuli (Tanned) dominates the inventory with Fleur close behind. I've fallen so utterly in love with the Writer hair from Detour that I've actually bought multiple colors (and regret not investing in the Fat Pack, but that's the story of my Linden Life, much to my financial chagrin). I'm pretty much still in jeans when I'm not shopping, photographing or blogging, but my collection of boots is utterly fabulous, my t-shirts have actual texture and I'm completely enamoured of SL's incredibly talented tattoo artists.
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If you ask me I'd probably tell you that this is close to the final evolution - I feel utterly "at home" in my current skin and hair, though I expect those may evolve with new generations and techniques. My shape and eyes have not changed since my first "store bought" set, so I expect they are there for the duration. All in all, my friend was correct - I certainly don't look the same. But, hey - never doubt, never look back (much), right?

The Basics - Redux

It's been a few months and some things have changed. While I still love my Fleur skins and pull them out all the time for outfits, my day to day look has switched to ::Tuli:: S5 (S6 coming soon) skins. Most often I'm in either the medium or the tan tone - natural, diva, classic or glam makeups. Tattoos still lean heavily to addiXion and iNFLiCT, though the Gecko design from Muisim is getting a lot of play time.

My favorite hair and the one I return to over and over is The Poynter by Armidi, but I recently discovered the Detour textured flexi hairs and am madly in lust, so we'll see. Writer is about all I've worn since buying it (in two colors, no less). I've looked at a lot of eyes and lashes in different colors and styles and I really don't think they are going to ever be changing - I stumbled across Glanz eyes early on and I simply love them. Along with the ::Tuli:: makeups, they are just perfect for me.

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I suppose since folks have started asking me where my hair, skin, etc. came from, I should throw out a little advice to the "even newer than I" residents. If I had to pick just one tip to hand out it would be to invest in a good skin and shape. Pick up every demo you can find and keep trying combinations until one "fits". Don't hesitate to delete the ones that aren't perfect - the right one will come along and you won't be sifting through the maybes to find it when you have the L$ to buy it. And speaking of buying it - skin and shape are not the place to save Lindens, trust me.

All Photos:

Hair - Writer (Night) by Detour

Skin - S5 Medium Diva by ::Tuli::

Eyes - Transparency Shine Eyes (Fresh Blue) by Glanz

Top left:

Tattoo - What is the Matrix by iNFLiCT

Blouse - Buone Vacanze Blouse (Mirtilli) by Gisaci

Earrings - Moon & Tide (Silver) by Miriel

Right and center:

Tattoo - Gecko by Muisim

Blouse - Dress Shirt (Blueblack) by Naima

Skirt - Leather Skirt (Black) by Naima

Shoes - Verve Pumps (Black) by Maitreya

The Basics - Hair, Eyes, Tats & Skin

I rarely change my hair or skin and never change my shape, so you won't see those detailed unless an outfit just demands a different style (like the Aoife outfit just screamed for the Fleur Vivant Feline Skin). If you pass me in Second Life, I'll probably be wearing The Poynter by Armidi hair, though my SL profile shows me in Short Crop 2 by Aveda which I pull out when I want a more dramatic look. I'm always seeking great short cuts and these are two of the best I've found.

I have a variety of skins, but am most often seen in one of the Minnu Model or Fleur Skins (formerly Tete A Pied). I most commonly wear light or lightly tanned skins with strong colors to complement my outfits. My eyes are from Glanz and they are, IMHO, exquisite. For the ladies that love the ink, consider looking at addiXion and iNFLiCT - my tattoo tip is to look for designs you adore that come in all layers and several levels of intensity. Very dark tattoos on light skins tend to look painted on rather than inked - a lighter shade will enhance rather than overwhelm an outfit or skin.

The Clothes:

Top - Open Button White (20% sheer) by !X2

Pants - Fatima Leather by Last Call

Belt - Lilith (Bloodrage) by Dark Eden

Earrings - Small Silver Triskelion by BastChild Designs

My Current Look:
Eyes - Fresh Blue by Glanz
Eyelashes - MM Catwalk Eyelashes by MM Skins
Hair - The Poynter by Armidi
Skin - Minnu Model Skin Light (Fall) by MM Skins
Tattoo - What is the Matrix by iNFLiCT