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

Insolence - Lilly Satin Lingerie

I hate it when RL keeps me from blogging something spectacular for way too long, but at least with Insolence lingerie, the look is timeless. One of the many reasons to join the Insolence group is the beautifully written release notecards. When I received camilla Yousuke's card for this set, it perfectly matched my "curl up by the fire with a glass of wine" fall is here mood and, in fact, similar feelings were what inspired her to create this gorgeous satin ensemble. 28 pieces, all layers and prim details combine to create so many different looks you will wonder if you will ever run out of combinations.
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Sumptiously patterned satin is used throughout in full corset, short corset and bra for the upper body, tied with satin ribbons and edged with prim lace. All varieties come in shirt and undershirt with a full corset jacket layer as well. Back seamed stockings add even more possiblities as all bottom layers include options both with and without garters, with and without panties, panty only (both boy cut and tiny string) and prim lace attachments for both corset and panty combinations. Yes, it's dizzying - and I didn't even mention the fabulous prim satin ribbon back tie.
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The Lilly set comes in a palette of fall colors - black, emerald, blue, purple, red and gold - with all combinations included for only L$290 per color. Ah, how I wish there were a fatpack, but don't despair - it is no copy, no mod, transfer and perfect for gift giving (or receiving) - just find a (close) friend to help you finish out your collection. In camilla's own words, "I really hope this ensemble will satisfy the most exigent, and bring you that warm, comfy sexy feeling I get wearing them on the sofa as I write these lines.
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Hoping to meet you soon at the Insolence Main Store, at Venom."

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All photographs:

Hair - Moody (Coal) by Diversity Hair

Lingerie - Lilly Satin Outfit (Black) by Insolence

Jewelry - Crystal Charm Earrings (Creativity) by EarthStones

Piercings - Bali Face Piercings (Labradorite) by EarthStones

Tattoo - Gecko by Muism (Mu Mei Do)

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.

Insolence - Flore Lingerie

I can't believe that I've had this set in my inventory for so long and haven't blogged it, but I missed the original release notice and by the time I'd raced over to Insolence and picked up a set, I had stacks of posts in the works. That said, the best way to handle an oversight is to admit it and fix it, so that's what I'm doing here before I return to skulls, roses, wire and bones tomorrow. The Flore Lingerie Ensembles by Insolence are light, delicate, airy sets with lots of optional details and combinations, the perfect offset to the heavier fall colors and fabrics.

The set has several different looks included with both a balcony bra and a triangle bra as well as traditional and string panties. You can add optional tiny ties and lacy underbra ruffle to tailor the look to any mood or preference. This set is available only in light colors of Cream, Lavender, Peach, Green, Pink and White - sorry red and black fans, but darker colors would overwhelm the delicate textures. As always the ensemble is flexible with tattoos, coming in all layers except jacket. This set does not come with stockings, but any of you Insolence fans like myself know that you can easily grab any other Insolence piece and it will work, though this outfit is very sweet and innocent without and at L$290 per color it has more than enough options to be a smart purchase.

Slip into something where a little less is definitely more at the Insolence Main Store.

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Credits:

Lingerie - Flore Lingerie Ensemble (Cream) by Insolence

Hair - BON75 by booN

Earrings - Wire Wrapped Crystal (Labradorite) by EarthStones

Shoes - Silver Studsides Pumps by Stiletto Moody

Bangles - Silver Bangles by Spork

Photos taken at Fross Maruti's Free Photography Studio

Spork - Silver Bangles

Yes, Spork - as in those hybrid eating utensils distributed by KFC to meet the needs of both the spooner and the forker. Make what you will of the name (there is a spork on display at the store), Spork has put together a small line of very nice and reasonably priced casual separates, eyes and jewelry that deserve a look or three. I was originally playing around with the Victoria camisole-style top and a variety of jeans, skirts (long and short) and pants when I ran across my lingerie folder, remembered the new chaise prop at Fross Maruti's Free Photography Studio and we were off and playing.
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The Silver Bangles are reasonably priced at L$75 - both left and right arm included (I was wearing both quite a bit lately) and work well with any casual or dinner outfit as well as (obviously) lingerie. They are an attractive mix of textures and I found I liked them best with the grey scale but they also set off any strong color nicely. The Victoria top was (based on the store ad) intended as a casual top, but I couldn't resist pairing it with stockings and heels - proving its versatility and giving me a chance to play with the studio poses. There is a lot of detail in the corset texture and I found that it worked nicely with almost any metal tones as a result and was tattoo friendly in all three layers. Would love to see this in grey on black and red on black as well - so many possibilities...
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Whether you are a spooner or a forker, pay tribute to the hybrid at the Spork Main Store.

Top left:
Bangles - Silver Bangles by Spork
Earrings - Jaded Dreams (Black) by Purple Rose
Lingerie - Flore (White) by Insolence
Sweater - Knitted Cardi (Black) by Fuel
Belt - Song Bird Belt (Black) by Cubic Effect
Jeans - Sexy Ripped by Naima

Bottom Right:

Top - Victoria by Spork

Bangles - Silver Bangles by Spork

Panty and Stockings - Melanie (Black) by Insolence

Shoes - Silver Studsides Pump (Black) by Stiletto Moody

Bijou - Grandene Furs

A few weeks ago I was cruising all the Linden birthday events, including several fashion shows. One of the great things about Second Life is that things you wouldn't or couldn't have in RL are available and the Grandene fur and leather dresses from Bijou are among those. The instant I saw them I knew I was going to be teleporting to the store.

Available in 5 different furs including Black, Red and Silver Fox as well as Tiger and Mink for L$550 each, I freely admit that I screwed up once again. I absolutely should have bought the fat pack for L$1375, but instead I have the Black Fox and broke down and went back for the Tiger version. These dresses are absolute soft, fuzzy textured perfection. Made up of 17 pieces, the base dress is shirt, pants, skirt and jacket with optional underwear layers. Add to this prim attachments for the neck, trim and 2 arm options (muff or gloves) and you have several different looks available in the same outfit.

The cinched corset waist gives the outfit an edgy tailored element while the prim fur pieces soften and emphasize the face and legs - an absolutely perfect look for fashionable events where you want something that can go almost anywhere but makes you stand out from the crowd.

Don't be penny-wise and fur foolish like yours truly. Buy the Fat Pack at the Bijou Main Store at Takaraduka.

On the left:
Outfit - Grandene (Black Fox) by Bijou
Glasses - Danielle (Black) by Insolence
Boots - Lizziey Black Myla Boots by Whittenton's

On the right:

Outfit - Grandene (Tiger) by Bijou

Shoes - Virtue (Patent Black) by Maitreya

A Perfect Color - Teal

I realized that I'd not done a color post in a while and, remembering how much fun the last one was, I decided to do another one - this time with teal. Teal isn't all that common, with other blues and greens predominating, but I did find quite a bit. Sadly, nothing yet that matches my lucious teal Dune boots from Maitreya, but I'm still looking. The first outfit that turned up was Gunkalicious by Dulce, a Victorian inspired confection of textures, beautifully detailed, lightly bustled and including an adorable feathered hat to finish the look. Pick yours up at Dulce for L$500.

One of my lingerie staples, Melanie by Insolence, also comes in teal (as well as black, chocolate, red, violet and white) and has both a bra and corset to match the panties and stockings for only L$290 per color. While the April sandals by Insolence don't come in teal, they are available in a variety of neutrals and metallics and look wonderful with the set.

Finally, one of my most worn and least publicized separates, the AC Courant sweater in teal, part of a fat pack for L$275 or sold individually by color for $50. All of these colors are deep and rich and perfect over a pair of jeans when you don't feel like investing a lot of time but still want to look good. The available colors are brown, red, purple, dark teal, blue, forest green and dark green. Top Left:

Outfit - Gunkalicious by Dulce

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

Boots - Thetis Boots Midnight by Dark Eden

Stockings - Emee Stockings by HSC

Middle Right:

Lingerie - Melanie (Corset, Teal) by Insolence

Jewelry - Stone Donut Earrings Labradorite by EarthStones

Skin - S5 Tan Natural 1 by ::Tuli::

Bottom Center:

Shirt - AC Courant (Dark Teal) by Aphrodite

Jeans - Hell and Back (Black) by The Abyss

Jewelry - Stone Donut Earrings & Necklace by EarthStones

Skin - S6 Elf Rose by ::Tuli::

Boots - Thetis Boots Midnight by Dark Eden

Insolence - Melanie Lingerie

What can I say - I've been in a lingerie mood lately and when I got my Insolence group announcement about a new "sunny" lingerie set, I could hardly wait for the pictures to open. It was worth the wait and doubly worth it once I was trying them on - a perfect light sunny spring set. To quote camilla Yosuke from the announcement:

"The Melanie ensemble is a simple shaped, though highly detailed embroided tulle set. Every single flower and leaf was hand drawn between two orange juice sips, on the lightest tulle that I could find in the fabric stock."

What that all adds up to is gorgeous - though I am glad that a distinctly non-springish black was included in the six color choices. You can choose from white, black, cocoa, teal, red and violet at L$290 per set. Each set has both a corset top and a bra top in two layers, undershirt and shirt. The panties are also in both the pant and underwear layer and every set has matching stockings included.
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I found that the set was perfect underneath sweaters and jackets and that the corset option was particularly flexible as a separate underlayer for other outfits. The detail on the sides (yes, the sides) of the panties is terrific and makes them a nice touch peeking out from under low cut jeans.
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Melanie is now available at the Insolence Main Store at Venom.

On the left:
Lingerie - Melanie (Cocoa) by Insolence
Tattoo - Night of the Jaguar by Garden of Ku

On the right:

Lingerie - Melanie (Red) by Insolence

Tattoo - Skull Jacket by Slinked

addiXion - Flower Lust Tattoo

I've been doing a lot of tattoo shopping lately and figured it was high time I did an article on one of the gorgeous pieces by addiXion. From florals to tribals and everything in between, addiXion simply has great ink. My most recent purchase and current favorite with short skirts and low backs is the new Flower Lust tattoo.

As always, the set comes in full body upper and lower layers with high, medium and low tan versions of each. There are also high and medium tan lower body versions in stockings, though none for the low tan option. The tattoo itself is a full floral down one side of the back from shoulder to thigh, wrapping slightly through the hips. The sweep of the tattoo's motion is clear enough that the pattern continuation is obvious even if separated by a skirt or shorts.

The design is a little pricey, even for a full body set, at L$690 - but I expect to get a lot of wearings out of it, so worth it in the long run. Certainly the sheer number of options in tone and layer make the extra flexibility worth the extra lindens.

For some of the best in body art - addiXion Main Store at addiXion.

On the left:
Skin - S5 Medium Diva by ::Tuli::
Tattoo - Flower Lust by addiXion

On the right:

Lingerie - Melanie (Black) by Insolence

Tattoo - Flower Lust by addiXion
Shoes - Tie Me Up (Black) by Stiletto Moody

addiXion Main Store at addiXion.

A Perfect Day at the Beach

Tis the season for bathing suits and beaches and SL is full of terrific outfits to see and be seen in. I pulled a few out as summer starters to get myself in the mood for warmer weather. Recently I've been wearing (and blogging) a lot of clothes from Casa Del Shai and this is no exception - I adore the Zambia Safari Swimsuit (L$380). Shown here without the prim ruffles (which really make it two suits in one), the soft top and beautifully textured bottom come in all layers except jacket (very tattoo friendly). You would be hard pressed to find a pool or beach where you won't turn heads in this suit.

Chaospire is probably better known for flowing gowns and edgy fantasy outfits, but the Naiad swimsuits shouldn't be overlooked. Sold separately in blue, green and red for L$350, each set comes in a regular and sheer version in pants and shirt layers. There is also a Fat Pack that includes all three colors plus a tintable white (again, regular and sheer versions of all) for only $L800.
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Finally, for the more resort and continental beach look, Cachet's Golddigger can either be worn alone or as a cover up for another suit. With both top and bottom in all layers, this outfit's wet open textures work with just about any combination of tattoo, suit or even jeans. It comes with matching earrings and a wide cuff bracelet to finish the look, so just add a strappy pair of sandals and you are off for a day in the sun.

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Before you hit the beach, be sure and stop by Chaospire, Cachet and Casa Del Shai.
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Top left:

Swimsuit - Zambia Safari Swimsuit by Casa Del Shai

Shoes - April Sandals (Black) by Insolence

Middle right:

Swimsuit - Naiad (Blue) by Chaospire

Shoes - Verve Pumps (Black) by Maitreya

Bottom left:

Swimsuit - Golddigger by Cachet

Shoes - April Sandals (Gold) by Insolence

Insolence - Misty Line

After a "rather longer than I would have liked" absence while I was on the road, I arrive back only to find a fabulous batch of review copies from Camilla Yosuke of Insolence. Now, I adore Insolence and I love latex, so I'm breaking several unspoken rules - I'm not picking one piece and I'm not mixing it with any other designers beyond skin, tats and shoes. The Misty line is that great. It was the absolute best way to come back home to SL and a natural for my first return blog article.
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I tried out 6 different styles within the line and thought they were all not only terrific but they all mixed back and forth beautifully. The Dionne is a latex catsuit including stockings, gloves, top, bottom (in both open and closed) and panties in a very tattoo friendly combination of layers. I have to say I thought the catsuit top was amazingly textured. The Grace style is an open cup, open pant ensemble sure to get far more than just a second glance.
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I loved the open cup corset style of the Sally paired with ever so sexy garters, stockings, panties and gloves. Tracey is a classic bra and panty combination, while Wanda is a fetish edge open bra and panties. In the final judgement, I loved the Dawn style best of all, but not by much - the laced side bodysuit and zippered back panty were so perfect with my shape they looked made for it.
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Yes, I'm a latex fan and I have some wonderful pieces from some of SL's (IMHO) best latex designers. With this line, Insolence has moved straight to the top. The textures and details are incredibly realistic, the line comes in a plethora of styles to suit any shape, taste or extracurricular activity.
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Outfits are all in black and range from L$290 to L$490 with gloves, stockings, garters and panties also sold separately in the L$90 to L$120 range. As with most of Insolence's lingerie, the majority of outfits are tattoo friendly in a variety of layer combinations. Short version of all this? You *need* at least one outfit from Insolence's new Misty Line.
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Slide into some amazing latex at the Insolence Main Store.

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On the top left:
Bodysuit: Dawn by Insolence (Misty Line)
Boots: Bitch Booties (Deer/Black) by Stiletto Moody

In the center right:

Catsuit: Dionne by Insolence (Misty Line)

Boots: Bitch Booties (Deer/Black) by Stiletto Moody

On the bottom left:
Lingerie: Sally by Insolence (Misty Line)
Boots: Bitch Booties (Black/Black) by Stiletto Moody

Insolence - Salome Lingerie

Lingerie being more of a foundation outfit rather than a mix and match item, I've decided that I will periodically feature a lingerie set all by its lonesome. Insolence has carved itself a place in SL with its realistic lingerie that manages to look feminine yet edgy and somehow more naked than skin alone. The textures are marvelous and the details on the edgework is worthy of a tight zoom just to admire it. I also adore the stockings that pull up into the garters (though that does limit options for wearing *just* stockings - but there are plenty of those to be found).

The Salome set featured here is the sheer basque version and that is another thing that stands out about Insolence - many of the lingerie lines (Salome included) come with various combinations mixing bras, corsets, panties and stockings to suit every taste. Most combinations come with stockings and garters and the Kiss Me classic back seamed stocking line comes in 12 colors for L$ 50 each and a fat pack of all for L$500, so you can find the perfect color for your outfit or skin tone. Salome comes in three separate styles ranging from L$120 for bra and panties to L$200 for the corset or bra in combination with stockings and garters (panties with all as their own layer) in each of four different colors - white, cream, black and a sumptuous chocolate that I really wish worked with my skin tone...

The other nice touch at Insolence is for ladies with tattoos - many of the lines have the option of purchasing either regular or "tattoo friendly" versions that provide pant and jacket layers instead of underwear layers in case your favorite ink is on a conflicting layer. Now, all my tattoos come in all layers, so this isn't really an issue for me, but many don't, so this is a nice customer service. Also, with an eye towards the gift purchase, all are no copy, no mod, transfer so there's no need for gift vendors or cards - because lingerie should be easy to give. ;)

For lingerie so real it begs to be touched, experience a bit of Insolence.

All pictures:

Lingerie - Salome Sheer Basque (White) by Insolence

Shoes - ChiChi Pumps (White w/ White) by Maitreya

Earrings - Small Silver Triskelion Earrings by BastChild Designs

Stiletto Moody - Bitch Booties

Well, I had the blog post all laid out for today and that plan came screeching to a halt the minute I put these fabulous ankle boots on. I changed clothes, went out dancing and had a complete stranger comment on them and ask for the landmark within minutes of rezzing, so I infer from that the boots are just as spectacular to other people as they are to me. Which is very.

Oddly, these seemed a little more difficult to dress for than I had expected. I found that very simple elegant styles or very strong styles worked best, with the first letting the shoes take center stage and the second balancing the incredible level of detail. More "day to day" looks simply faded into the background, so plan to pull out some of your most detailed and texture rich outfits to pair with these. They come in four colors (black, deer, snakeskin and a retro pattern), two detail strap colors (black and tan) and 2 heels (black and champagne) for a ton of options, but if you want a full set, at L$875 each, bring a full wallet with you. That said, expect to be delighted with your purchase(s) whether you buy one or a closet full.

The additional features of the shoes are entirely menu driven by clicking the left shoe. The boots include heel clicks for either stone or wood in a series of speeds and volumes so you can sync it to your walk and personal tastes. You can also manage the included sexy walk AO (off by default) and the soft buckle bling with the same menu system. These boots are not color change, but the Stiletto Moody styles that are change through the menus as well.

Be sure to sexy walk, with heels clicking, to the Stiletto Moody Shoes Main Store location.

Left:
Dress - Booty Call (Red) by Solange
Shoes - Bitch Booties (Black on Black) by Stiletto Moody

Right:

Outfit - Patent Leather Princess by Rfyre

Stockings - Kiss Me Dark Seamed Stockings by Insolence

Shoes - Bitch Booties (Black on Black) by Stiletto Moody