[Gauze] Bad Romance...

So I think this was supposed to be a post-Valentine's Day umm... post.

I have to start by saying this isn't really a Lady Gaga post at all... might have tricked ya with the 'Bad Romance' title.

Nope, this is a post about t-shirts. Not just ANY t-shirts actually, I mean, these are Gauze t-shirts. Do you wear them? Love them? If no, please exit the call. This isn't for you fashionista glitterati divas. Nope, just a t-shirt post. Casual, comfy... oh, and you know how I mentioned Gauze? Wellll, that means they're from designer Yukio Ida. YES one of my faves and YES a designer and artist with an eye for those little details we all love so much in our Second Life looks. It's the creases, the little folds in the cotton... it's the comfy fit and the long cut (what, no midriff? Awesome).

Just because it's simple doesn't mean it can't be well made, and I think Yuki proves that point here. Oh wow, a post with a point!

Seriously tho', these are really nice... and pretty appropriate for those days when you don't necessarily need to get all crazy dressed up like... Lady Gaga I guess.


I've got three, there may be more soon I hope. Definitely looking forward to seeing more anyway. I'll have to stop using visual kei references about Yuki's work tho I guess. Punky? Oooo, I like where this is going.


WoRN

[Gauze]
T-Shirts (Bad Romance and You Make Me Crazy)
Caged Necklace
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Snatch%20City/226/226/31

Vive 9 Marianne ( Toast Light Freks)
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Vive/129/172/44

Nikita Fride Designs Lust Hair (Cream Strawberry)
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Nikita%20Fride/75/128/31

[][]Trap[][]

Oh I'm soooo sleepy... Ya, New Year's Eve was pretty awesome... I DID somehow find myself logging on to SL tho' last night (errr, this morning) to take some pictures tho'.

I've been running around all week in this lovely skin from Trap designer Selos Dae. It was an Xmas giftie from his update group and oh wow so gorgeous. I think for sheer art, beauty and really creative skins there is no better designer than Selos.

From what I can see, it's still available to group members, so maybe you might want to think about joining. If you missed it well you should really just check out Trap for yourself, there's a HUGE range of exotic and artistic skin and other AV accessories just beautifully worked from the brain of one of the metaverse's really really real artists. Available for girls OR boys, if you're looking Definitely you MUST go to see Selos' other work, it's simply some of my favorite in Second Life, no doubt about it.

The hair is called Surreal and it's from Bishwear... top is from Gauze (another one of my absolute favorite shops!)and is called Stained...

Anyway, I could go on but seriously I'm soooo tired and I still have to go to work tonight. Ugh.

Yes, I need a nap.

Ok, so have a HAPPY NEW YEAR from Purely Visual!

Yay 2010!!

Trap skins poses and eyes

Bishwear

Gauze

[Gauze] Ageha and Nephra

Oh, geez it's so good to be back, and just in time for Halloween too!

That was really bothering me when I was sick, ugh. Seriously, how could I miss one of my favorite holidays, especially in my favorite of favorite virtual worlds.

Of course, to talk about Gauze's latest releases, I first need to share a bit about the Deader Than You Tour. It's sort of a hunt, kinda, but with a little twist. With contributors like Sn@tch and Nomine, as well as designers like DV8, Silent Sparrow, Otaku, of COURSE Gauze, and many more.... Basically, you follow the tour, purchase something that catches your eye, collect the bats and trade them in for new coolness from some of the more awesome gothic and dark designers in SL.

Anyway, so Yukio Ida of Gauze is of course there, and his contribution to the hunt is this lovely Ageha skin. Ageha means "swallowtail butterfly" in Japanese, and this really haunting skin features some interesting detail work in the makeup that evokes this very eastern image. There's two options for this skin, one with lip makeup and one without basically, but the most important thing is that IT'S ONLY AVAILABLE DURING THE TOUR. Now, Yukio Ida has been doing some really beautiful stuff with his latest skin releases, so if you're interested in collection some gorgeous pieces from Yuki's fantastic portfolio, I'd definitely explore the tour.

Oh, and then there's Nephra!

Gauze has a small but slowly growing hair section that you simply must check out, but his latest, Nephra, is available for FREE right now (jus' til November 1st tho')in Yuki's in a special Halloween color pack... Um, I'm not going to give away any exact locations, but there's definitely blood involved.

Nephra is a maddening, messy, flexi pigtail look that absolutely completed today's look. Yuki really does lovely work on his hair, from the texturing to it's natural movement, and not to mention the really fantastic styles he's managed to create.

Anyway, this being the time of treats, you should definitely treat yourself to these goodies from Gauze.

Go!

[Gauze]

[Gauze] Shiva!

Absolutely gorgeous.

Every once in a while someone pipes up with that whole phrase about 'if you can't find it in Second Life just make it yourself..' which is great, sure, but not terribly realistic for a lot of us. For me, well, I know I could probably learn a lot of the tools and tricks that go into making cool stuff, but I just don't have the $$ for all those software programs and whatever that it takes to actually build something. I'm a consumer, plain and simple, and until something else changes, well, that's pretty much the way it will be.

So, those of us who can't build...well... we hope. Hope feels like the right word. Those little wish lists we keep in the back of our minds. All those items in our inventory that make us go 'AWESOME... now I just need to find something like...'. It can be frustrating sometimes, maybe you find a hair designer with perfect textures and really nice construction but ugh, just not the style you were looking for. Maybe you find a little shop full of gorgeous clothes but 'full' just means 3 or 4 outfits. We want MORE! It's the nature of the beast, the curse of consumerism. We sit at our keyboard staring intently, trying to telepathically (or sometimes just dropping a card in the suggestion box) send our wish list to that designer, that builder... whoever.

Usually it's an exercise in frustration. Usually we just have to adapt our wishes a little bit, maybe accept the fact that we can't always get what we want and all that. Sometimes though, sometimes our little telepathic daggers hit the mark...


Okay, so I can't take ALL the responsibility for Yukio Ida releasing more skins from his Shiva release.

Um.. honestly, actually I guess I can't take any credit at all, BUT, well, I'm very happy.

We first saw Shiva at the Harajukubox Skin Fair a few weeks back. There were just two tones then, and Yukio hinted that there might be more on the way, but I had no idea how soon. Cue Jedi Mind Trick. Ahhh, 5 new tones released for Shiva, and since the HBox fair skins aren't available to the public anymore, these are an awesome opportunity to grab some of Yuki's best skin work ever.

Covered with weirdly gorgeous tattoos, Shiva features new bases from Gauze that are really lovely, and hold up well under scrutiny. I've always loved Yukio's design style, and while I think his clothes have always reflected his talent and creativity, I know skins can be challenging and his latest I think truly put him in a higher level for interesting, bizarre, beautiful and artistic design in Second Life.

To sum up:

1. Shiva~awesome skins from one of the most interesting and creative designers in SL.

2. Telepathy~maybe it works.

Now of course the problem is that when you really really wish for something and you finally get it... well, for me that just makes me want MORE.

Coz I'm spoiled.

So, the rest of you go check out [Gauze], I'm going to drink some more coffee and practice mind control.

Illuminati [Gauze]

xoxoxo

Oh, and by the way... you MUST check out Truthseeker Young's 'Voices:Orion's Arm' art installation at Extropia Odyssey... it's absolutely gorgeous and not a horrible way to spend some time in Second Life...

Moonshine Designs.... hardly basic...

This post took two weeks.

Oh, you'd never really know it, it's not too much different from any of my other blog posts. Scroll through the history, there's a tone, a theme; it's all connected. No, this post won't look too different from what you've seen before, but it still took two weeks to do.

Why?

Honestly, the photography. I couldn't take a decent pic to save my life.

Soooo frustrating. Ugh. It wasn't the clothes, it wasn't the skins or hair. There was always just something, well, off about everything over the last few weeks.

Super frustrating actually, because it's the picture taking that's pretty much my favorite part of Second Life lately. I can't book a vacation and head out to the airport to go places like Bryn Oh's Immersiva or Baron Grayson' Crucible sims. I don't have an album on a bookshelf from my time lounging on beaches while dragons fly overhead anyplace in Real Life. No, it's all in Second Life. All of it. It's like some dream place in a children's book where it's so real to them but the boring grownups don't believe in it at all. I love having photos of those dreams, I love the fact that Second Life has some places and is populated by designers who can add to my little imaginary fantasy.

So, that makes picture taking pretty important. More than that, it's how I try to share cool stuff I've found inworld with all of you. Sometimes, apparently, my brain just won't cooperate with that. Maybe I needed a break. I mean, I DID stop by a few clubs and listen to some awesome music. On the other hand, I spent a ridiculous amount of $L and spent who knows how long constantly changing hairs and whatever. Well, let's just call it a vacation and leave it at that (Wow, so THAT puts a scary thought in my head. How do you take a vacation from a fantasy world? Third Life. Whoa.)

There are a ton of pictures from the last few weeks, stuff I wanted to put on the blog but ended up just deleting at the last minute. Some of it I still have, maybe I'll play with them later, make some screensavers or posters or something. It was an epic struggle, fighting with sliders, changing facelights or removing them altogether, messing with the sun.

Then, the other day, for absolutely no reason I can find... well, it all came together.

Okay, so what was I struggling to share? Well, lots, but the first thing I want to share with you is this simple, sexy and gorgeous top from Moonshine Designs. Shelly Toonie's 'Basic Tanks', well. Ok, I have a serious issue with the name here. 'Basic'? Hmmm, well, call them basic if you want, but they're anything but boring.

I've always loved the texture work Shelly does with fabrics, and while her new tanks might not have any patterns or designs, the texturing is really very gorgeous. The simple wrinkles and folds where the fabric 'stretches' is really nicely done, and subtle while still adding enough to make these a lot of fun to look at (if you're like me and obsessively zoom into fabrics to see how far they go. I'm sure there's a disorder name for it. Whatever.). Oh? and Sexy? YUS, VERRY. With sheer options for each tank, you can show as much or as little as you'd like or just add an interesting accent to another outfit. Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous.


Worn:

Pic 1

Moonshine Designs Basics Tank Marigold
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Imogen/186/128/2

[Gauze] Elf Ears
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Snatch%20City/228/228/2

Snow Rabbit S@R w003 medium beige skin pink
http://slurl.com/secondlife/tricolore/176/207/36

Pic 2

Moonshine Designs Basics Tank Pitch Sheer

Bizarre Hair Xtreme Messy Blonde
http://slurl.com/secondlife/0031%20Marktplaats/195/248/22

Illusions Abyssal Ears: Elfin
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Carnivale/208/94/33

[Curio] Lumine Juxt
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Curio/128/130/38

Ce Cubic Effect Waist Scroll Khaki
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Chantilly/119/128/29

Tokushi Natural Fae Wings
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Skittle%20Beans/189/189/43

[Gauze} Harajukubox Skin Fair Wrap up

You ever have one of those times where you feel like you're hiding out but you're not actually?

There's a lot of life, and when you add a Second one to your First, well, commitments can be weird. Seriously, take Purely Visual for example. I love it, it's pretty much my reason for enjoying Second Life. Oh, yes, I mean, there's friends and all that, but everything: fashion, friendships, styles, looks ideas, it all filters through this blog eventually.

So it's tough sometimes when I can't actually get here to blog, or get the time in Second Life to do photos, or even keep myself from being distracted long enough by some random sim or shop or LM to do either. in the meantime, days go by without a blog post, review items get dusty in my folder, and that little pearl of guilt starts to grow deep inside (justified or not).


The big news since my last post was the Harajukubox Skin Faire this past weekend. A lovely little skin showcase featuring blog faves like Gauze and Trap. I'm sure you went, at least, I HOPE you went. It's over. i actually got the chance to spend some time there this weekend, and it was really nice. It's smaller than events like Hair Fair and I think a little more intimate. You don't get the chance often to look at skins from different creators side by side, and Harajukubox really provides that unique opportunity.


And oh what lovely goodness Yukio Ida brought the the Fair. Gauze and Illuminati creator Yukio Ida has always had a skin line in his shop, ranging from neko to Visual Kei. It's his most recent creations though that really shine, and I think these are the best I've seen.

Actually, I did get a sneak peak of some new bases he had done a month or so back, so I did have a sneaking suspicion that there was going to be something really cool in the works. Wow these are awesome. I got to try 3 skins: Shiva, a skin fair exclusive but simply gorgeously weird tattooed skin in a light Creator or darker Destroyer tones. Not available post fair but still I'm sure a nice indication of things to come. Then there's Lamia and Glitterdust: both slightly more traditional skins with colorful makeups and some of the nicest body shading I've seen from Illuminati. These are really lovely skins with some interesting makeup choices and a range of tones from very pale to a richer tanned glow. Each tone has 2 different makeup choices as well, making these easy to coordinate with your favorite magical mystical look...

Anyway, loving these, and looking forward to this new direction from designer Yukio Ida.

Illuminati [Gauze]

Goth1c0~Giger and the Bitch

I spend a lot of time making pictures in Second Life. If you've read the blog before you might have checked out my flickr stream. Yah, most of it's blog related, lots of fashion shots and backgrounds... but, I like to just play too. Actually, I spend a lot of time just playing with photos, lots of time. Enough time, actually, to get an odd remark from a friend every once in a while like 'sounds like work to me' or 'are you getting paid for all this?' and blah blah.

Hmm... well, so the photography might be making me a little anti social, but I'm always curious about what sorts of things we can make in SL. Work? Yes, but it's all about that 'flow' thing. Paid? Heh... well, apart from the odd profile pic request and even some advertising I'm not exactly what you'd call 'professional'. Actually, sometimes I just like to scroll back to some of my older pictures in the stream and see what I've learned. It doesn't HAVE to be about money or whatever, it's just fun. I'm hardly the only one doing it anyway, Flickr is an absolute treasure of beautiful images from and inspired by Second Life.

Now, think about your favorite designer. I'll bet they're not at the same level they were a year ago or six months or maybe even weeks (depending on when their epiphany hit). Nope, odds are they're much better. They've grown, or at least they've found new ways to make that thing in their head come to life in Second Life.

Of course, there's always commerce with designers. I mean, they're in business, right? Even with that though, I think there is still that love of making something new, trying a new trick and experimenting. For someone like me? Honestly, it's a hobby. For a good designer, it's an art and a profession.


Which brings us to Keishii Roo.

I've always been a fan of Goth1c0, Keishii's gothic twist on fashion ranges from the lolita-esque skirt and look to some things a little more punk. Everything so very Goth1c0 and so very sexy and fun. So I know sort of what to expect when I TP there or visit Keishii Roo's blog. I have to say though, Kei's latest, Giger leather pants and The Bitch mini dress, are my absolute faves from the shop. There are some similarities in the textures on both of these actually, but used to create two very cool looks that remain very distinct from each other.

Kei's Giger leather pants are schmexxy, and the alienish texturing on the legs give these a really awesome, stitched look. What can I say about The Bitch? Oh, so sexy and scandalous, with patterns that really make this an..umm... interesting and fun minidress with a lovely, satiny feel. Each are available in a range of colors, and you definitely need to see these up close.

Anyway, my new faves from a designer who isn't afraid to experiment. Good business? Maybe, but I think the attention to detail and interesting ideas reveal an artist still working to get those little pictures out of their head.

Worn:

Pic 1

Pants: Goth1c0 Giger Leather Pants
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Gemmed/186/248/22

Top: *Sheer* Torn Nylon

Bra: *AnneRose* Happy Spring
http://slurl.com/secondlife/ANNEROSE/128/4/40

Gloves: [Gauze] Stained fingerless gloves
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Snatch%20City/238/220/31

Belt: Sn@tch Oblivion Belt
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Snatch%20City/123/212/30

Boots: [Gauze] Miyaku Stomps
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Snatch%20City/238/220/31

Skin: Curio Lumine (Nightshade)
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Curio/128/130/38

Hair: RocX Mistaken
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Epilais/22/45/2510
Bangs from UnVeil

Pic 2:

Mini: Goth1c0 The Bitch in White
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Gemmed/186/248/22

Skin: Nomine Ultralight Pedrolina
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Nomine/203/50/49

Hair: Bishwear Vidal
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Cecil/138/86/77

[Gauze] Ishiko Kimono

I'm not lazy. Seriously, not lazy. This whole thing lately of the infrequent random posts, it's not from laziness or malaise or whatever else that might be.

First of all, Summer's finally here. My reason for being, my favorite time of year. I love the green and the sun. I love all that summer stuff that goes with it: night time walks with friends, maybe an afternoon on the patio risking melanoma under the sun. Distracting, yes... but it's a love. Honestly, I'd leave Second Life altogether during the summer if it weren't for the fact that I'm always a least a few minutes from thinking about this beautiful other world and my friends and the artists who frequent it.

See, I'm not an 'either/or' person. Oh, I might be able to lean one way more often than the other sometimes, but I can't just leave either world totally behind.

Yukio Ida's Ishiko Kimono is a lovely example of why I just can't hang up the old blog for the summer. Seriously. So not only is this just another gorgeous Japanese inspired look from Yuki, it's the result of the inspiration and collaboration that just makes SL so fascinating to me. Inspired by Aemilia Case's hairstyle of the same name, and a 'sister' design to Selos Dae's Ghost Hakama , Ishiko is a strange, ghostly and gorgeous addition to the Gauze catalog.

It's really lovely, and Yuki has included a notecard regarding geisha AOs which is really lovely, especially if you want to really get the full effect of this exotic look.

So, yah, really happy to have gotten the chance to see this.

[Gauze] Ishiko Kimono

Cutie Land Interol Hair (blackberry red)

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Cutie%20Land/90/92/22

~*{The Black Canary}*~ Temperance

Fave song from So You Think You Can Dance last night!


Ok. The Post.
So my latest obsession has been shadow viewers. Hence the absence. Hence the lack of posts.

I love blogging, I love writing. I love the tapping of the keyboard while I bop to my IPod. So why would I choose to force my poor computer through endless reloggings and grrring in frustration as, well, they just won't work for me.

It's not the viewers, actually, I love Kirsten Cinquetti's 'S17'. Sadly, I guess my graphics card can't actually handle shadows, but I still think it's a gorgeous viewer for photos. I'd heard some good things about Boy Lane, but it just didn't work for me. So, maybe there's a new graphics card on my wishlist for Xmas, but until then I may just have to learn to live without shadows in SL.

Actually, different viewers bring up something else I've been thinking about. Photography. Specifically, SL photography. Even more specifically, SL photography and blogging. I think I've learned a lot since I first rezzed. Oh, you know... changing time of day, antialiasing (that's 12 points Scrabblers!), screen resolution. When I shoot an outfit for the blog, I do try to maximize (or should that be 'Ultra-ize'?) settings to really feature the item or items at their maximum potential. Except for some cropping and framing I do outside, everything happens in SL.

I love a lot of my pics, sometimes they just work. Of course, I can get a little obsessive, spending who knows how much time exploring Flickr like a drooling fangirl staring at the really gorgeous compositions that can come from SL and learning a little more each time about tools I could use. Shadow viewers are the latest, and there's been a lot of stuff popping up on Plurk lately too to get my interest.

Ohhh, and that's not even ALL. Nooo. It was also Morrigan Denimore's Temperance, the latest from his shop The Black Canary.

A little j-rock, a little Victorian, Morrigan's designs always make me think of dark cobblestone alleys somehow set in a cyberpunk Tokyo dystopia. I needed shadows... I had to have them, I mean, The Black Canary just screams shadows. So for 3 days.... I'm totally serious, 3 days I loaded and reloaded, grrred and ignored the slowly cooling cup of coffee on the counter trying to find a good shadow viewer. Well, the Bad news is I don't think my computer can actually handle real shadows in SL right now. The GOOD news is, Kirsten's viewer is still very nice and I've got a few pictures with it and I'll be playing with it more I'm sure.

Temperance? Gorgeous. I did have to take a little time to mod it a bit, Morrigan's designs are intended to be unisex and so sometimes fitting is necessary. Still though, it's worth the effort, Morrigan's prim ruffles and chain bobs are really nicely done, and while my AO sometimes pushed a primmy part or two through my virtual body, the Temperance's effect is still very dramatic. A lovely addition to The Black Canary's catalog.

Oh, epilogue I guess. The top two photos were taken with the latest LL viewer. This one is my Kirsten viewer experiment.



Worn:

Outfit: ~*{The Black Canary}*~ Temperance

Hair: [Gauze] Sadi (black white tips)

Skin: Den-Dou OD4 Giselle-Light /02 Emo

Discord~Fu Dan

So, another shop from my huge AO expedition last week. Yeah, so basically another example either how cool it is to find something when you're looking for something else entirely or just more proof that I have like no attention span whatsoever.

Whatever, let history be the judge.

In the meantime, look at THIS. So, not to be confused with Kallisti Burns' cutting edge hair shop Discord Designs, Discord is designer Orange Meili's contribution to fashion and art in Second Life. Orange's creations range from boho-punk to elven armor and the hand drawn textures and bright colors are absolutely gorgeous. There's some lovely prim work too, from the really well done buckles on the belt and ruffles that make up Fu Dan to the simply fun boots with scripted texture change features.

I actually bought some armor too... well, it was gorgeous and the details are amazing. I have some more thoughts on that but maybe a followup, yes?

So, wow.. oh! and that's not even all! Discord's mainstore location in Nightmare City is just crazy too! Really really beautiful build with lasers and steampunk architecture. Well, maybe not steampunk... something industrial anyway. So gorgeous and mysterious.

So yah, definitely go, and don't forget to really explore, there's deals and vendors around every twisty corner.


Worn

Outfit/Boots
Discord
Fu Dan Pink Set
Soku Hi Boots

Hair
[Gauze] Relia

Embryo's Un Jour~Bird's Nest

Lately, about 90% of my time in Second Life is spent just pretty much exploring; and NO, exploring is NOT a euphemism for shopping. It's more like scouting locations I guess. I mean, so a lot of my photography is done within th safe confines of my studio. I load my favorite poses, maybe make a background or two and there's my 'mood' for the picture. I still like to do a lot of photography 'in the wild' though, so I end up popping around SL... maybe following a SLurl from Koinup or someplace.

Now Embryo, well, that I picked up in a group chat someplace, or maybe it was Plurk. Whatever, thank you whoever, I'm sorry I totally forgot who said it. Anyway, Embryo is gorgeous, and I ended up using it for my last post. It's absolutely gorgeous, Lizzie Lexington has some really lovely photos of the sim here.

Anyway! Right, totally beautiful...ohhh wait, what's that over there? A SHOP!

Un Jour to be exact, and full of win!!

Wow, look at Bird's Nest. Is there a word for it? Avante-garde Couture? The 'nesty' skirt and veil are absolutely chaotic primmy messes and I fell utterly in love with the really well made feather boa with a peacock highlight. Bird's Nest is pretty versatile too, mix and match different attachments for a different look.


In short: totally fantastic, and a really nice example of 'wearable art' in Second Life. Embryo and Un Jour are definitely worth your time, and I seriously need to go back there to play.


Worn

Outfit
un jour Bird's Nest

Hair
[Gauze] Destroy

Skin (pics 1 & 2)
Nightshade Designs Emilie Autumn Skin

Skin (pic 3)
LionSkins Forbidden 4

[Gauze] Destroy!

So this is what happened:

I've had a lot of RL stuff to do this week so I haven't been hopping on SL as much as I'd like to. Normally, I'll get on at least a little bit once a day, take some time to chat and take some pictures... then I'll put together a blog post and get it out. Pretty standard.

Well, this week's been different. I mean, I've been online and inworld, but only a little bit. So, instead of having time to really play with review copies and put together post for a look or whatever, I've been kinda just playing with the ideas for the review copies and posts. I know, totaly nonproductive, I feel horrible.

Anyway, I woke up this morning with a need to blog, my fingers were itching. Instead of just one look today, I've ended up with snapshots I've been playing with all week. It's a little random, but there IS one common thread. [Gauze] released new skins this week and last, and NOW we've got a new hair: Destroy.

Can I say it? Shouldn't I? Ok... I will. Love these!


Destroy is a bizarre, beautiful mess of a hairstyle that works on sooo many levels. There are some really nice flexi strands hanging from the piggy bunches. I tried them with everything too! From ganguro rocker (courtesy [Gauze] and Amerie's Naughty)to Hollywood Blvd popstar (Emery, naturally), and of course something a bit more goth (featuring a lovely coat from Grim Bros and my fave goth skin from Nightshade Designs).

So yah, really cool, and really well made. We haven't seen a lot of hairs in the past from [Gauze] designer Yukio Ida, but his texturing skills translate well. Can't wait to see what's next!

[Gauze]

[Gauze] Illuminati Skins~Sadness

What can I say? Loving these new skins from Yukio Ida's Illuminati line. Sadness is Yuki's followup to last weeks Ganguro skins, and a lovely addition to his revamped skin line.

I go on a LOT I know about stories in Second Life, how it's really in a lot of ways a place to explore or create something like a dream world. Well, in any good story there's a least some kind of arc, right? There are events that shape our characters, moods that drive whatever happens next. You've got your 'best of times... worst of times..." stories and comedy. There's dark fantasy and drama, wins and losses.

And there can be Sadness.

Yukio's latest skin release comes from his brand new skin bases and features some lovely subtle touches along the body and of course a tearful, tragic, gorgeous face. Tears come in 'bloody', 'soft', and makeup... soft being clear tearstains.

Sadness is available in 5 skintones, from Dusk (a deep glowing brown)to Rozen (a ghostly pale). All the shades are lovely, and of course the tear effects are have different effects that are quite interesting depending on the tone.

I'm loving Yuki's new bases, and I can't wait to see what's next from [Gauze] Illuminati Skins.

[Gauze] Mainstore

Grim Bros.~Injector Spine

Sometimes, SL is just a happy accident waiting to happen.

You'll be wandering around, minding your own business. Maybe shopping, maybe people watching... maybe you're just wasting time. You pass by a shop and something through the doorway catches your eye. Wow, you think, that's pretty cool. You pan up to see the shop name overhead. Ohhhh, I've heard of THAT before... so happy to have found it.

We don't have 500 satellite channels in Second Life with 24 hour commercials telling us where to shop and how to find the coolest stuff. Oh, sure, there's blogs and advertisements that you might run into to give you some thoughts and maybe an LM or something, but the system isn't nearly as big as it's First Life counterparts. So, we end up with a model of shopping that's as much exploration and education as it is an exchange.

It happens to me all the time. It happened to me last week actually, when I stumbled into Cutea Bennelli's Grim Bros. Grim Bros features some of the most bizarre, interesting and truly lovely victorian style steampunk cybernetic fashion in Second Life. Cutea's 'Injector' spine jumped out at me first... wow. Mebbe it's becuase of all the Wolverine trailers on the TV lately, all that metal and muscle pornography... Who knows, but this Grim Bro release is meticulously crafted and has a gorgeous chrome sheen. It's a beautiful accessory if you're looking for something a little more than just a cute pair of earrings to accessorize that post-apocalyptic ensemble you're putting together.

Worn

Grim Bros Injector Spine (Shine)

Belt/Gloves:
.+*Cipher*+. Rad type 2 belt
Gloves ++Martially++ Belted
Top:
[Gauze] Stained Halter Black
Hair:
[Detour] Flux Black
Skin
LionSkins Forbidden 3

.+*Cipher*+. Prayer Shrug and Zip Up Skirt

So it starts like this. I went to this shop with awesome prim jewelry I don't know how long ago. I don't even remember going there, right? So I'm hanging out with a friend of mine the other day and suddenly I'm like "wow, I really love that vest" or something. Not a direct quote, but you know, your friend shows up in something really hot and you MUST KNOW IMMEDIATELY where it came from.

Cipher, she says, I told you about it months ago. Hmmm, so I forgot about that I guess. Anyway, I apologize for the whole forgetting thing and then pop offline for whatever RL thing I had to do. So of course, whenever I get back online I decide to go check it out, I mean, the vest was REALLY COOL after all, right?

Wait a minute! There IS a .+*Cipher*+. LM in my inventory. How did that get there? Whoa, I've got jewelry from there already? Nothing, no recollection whatsoever. So, anyway, I TP over there and went a little nutz with my $L.

Okay, so really really nicely textured leather, we'll start with that. From the shrug jacket to the zip up leather skirt, there's a lovely muted texture that works nicely in any light. The chrome on the belt and the eyelets on the shrug collar are just gorgeous.

Now, as for the skirts, well, couple things there. First, I love them, the attention to detail on the zips and the leather are very nicely done. There's no glitch pants, so most skirts come with an underwear warning if you don't want to flash everyone the next time you're out clubbing. Skirts are a single attachment, so I did find that my AO would sometimes make my let cut through the sides sometimes, but the belt attachment did help cover that sometimes and it may not affect you depending on your AO. I did try playing with just some other glitch pants I had in my inventory to minimize it and that helped too. It's a minor annoyance from an otherwise gorgeous piece of design I'll totally forgive.

Anyway, if YOUR friend hasn't told you to visit .+*Cipher*+. yet, I'm telling you now. There's a lot of awesome primmy goodness to choose from.

Worn:

Skin: Tainted Innocence

Hair: [Detour] Placebo D. White Mix

Top: .+*Cipher*+. Shrugs Jacket ++Prayer++ Black

Skirt/Belt: .+*Cipher*+. ++Zip Up++ & ++Rad++ Type 2

Boots: [Gauze] Eclipse Boots

[Gauze] *Illuminati* Ganguro Skins

I have a list of places I'd love to visit before I die. Well, before I get too old I guess; there's no point in going someplace if you can't have a little fun there, right? Oh, I've done Cancun, so that's off the list. Brazil looks like a lot of fun. I'm sure I need to see Australia too. Europe, of course...um, specifically Greece and Ireland. Spain too I guess. First though, I've always wanted to visit Japan.

Oh, there's that whole rich history thing. Geishas, smoky temples, samurais and weird haunted forests... I've GOT to see that. Of course, there's the cities too. Every time I see a picture of someplace like Tokyo it just looks so cool. All the lights, all that neon, it's like something out of science fiction. There's so much of the new mixed with the old. It's weird and beautiful, totally exotic but with something just soooo familiar. Zen Buddhists compete on bizarre game shows. Robots are replacing fashion models and learning to read minds. Where else IS any of this? Nowhere. Sure it's been imported in diluted form over to the West. We copy the game shows, Gwen Stefani carts over her Harajuku Girls (of course, I LOVE Gwen, don't get me wrong!), we remake their movies into something less.

Whatever. It's a strange place, with a whole history of discipline and regiment but still at the same time a free craziness that's just colorful and full of life. Maybe it comes from seeing the end of the world and coming through it. I don't know.

Anyway, it's gorgeous, and Japanese art and culture has been Yukio Ida of Gauze's inspiration since he first set up shop in SL as Illuminati Designs. His latest skin releases are gorgeous Ganguro skins inspired by one of the more beautifully weird subcultures in Japan. Manba, Banba and Ganguro are the first in a total revamp Yuki's been doing on his skin line, and absolutely I love the choices here. The makeups are perfectly ganguro and all those little bits like anatomy and shading are VERY well done on these hand drawn skins. I love these to pieces!


Shown (clockwise from top left):

[Gauze]
*Illuminati* Female-Dusk-Ganguro
[Gauze]
*Illuminati* Female-Ginger-Manba
[Gauze]
*Illuminati* Female-Peach Banba

[Gauze] Myaku Stomps & Nightshade Designs Bonerific

There's always been a long relationship between music and fashion. Google it, I'll wait.

There's CD compilations of New York's Fashion Week, MTV music gods and goddesses get kids all crazy for the latest look. All the entertainment channels follow artists up and down the red carpet at award shows. It's all over, and that's just first life.

In Second Life, you can hardly pop into a sim that doesn't have it's own 24/7 soundtrack piping in whatever. Oh, sure, sometimes it's pretty random, but a other times there's a careful selection coming through. Thank god for that too. It's as much about mood and immersion as it is about a marriage between sound and picture. I don't want to hear Kenny G when I'm wandering around a vampire sim, and I'd much rather put some Nine Inch Nails on my IPod when I'm shooting pics for a post. There's a relationship.

Music isn't just the soundtrack for our Second Lives either, a lot of times it's an inspiration for the builders and the artists who put the whole thing together. Yukio Ida of [Gauze] uses music a LOT as inspiration for his designs; his Myaku Stomps are a perfect example. YES these boots are made for stomping, but Myaku comes from j-rock insanity Dir en Grey. Um, they're twisted, see for yourself here. Anyway, the stomps are really gorgeous, totally detailed and with scripted colorchange laces for added customization.

Another win too is Nightshade Design's Bonerific set. Sexy, simple and with just this totally Suicide Girls feel Bonerific is totally hot and fun. Seriously, I had a Suicide Girls soundtrack playing while I did the shoot. Anyway, we don't always wear thongs hiked up over our hips in RL, why is every pair of undies in Second Life designed that way? Whatever. Anyway Bonerific comes with cute panties and matching cami and socks. The little skull and bones (THAT'S where the name comes from you perv!)are really fun too. Nightshade has a really diverse selection of punky goth styles and definitely deserves some of your time.

So get over there! Crank up the music! Wear headphones if you don't want to bother the cat... fill up your Ipod with fun tunes or just enjoy the SLections piping through the mall soundsystem. [Gauze] and Nightshade has all this stuff just for you. Take what you need and rock to the soundtrack of your Second Life.

Boots:
[Gauze] Miyaku Stomps
Underwear:
Nightshade Designs Bonerific
Skin
[Curio] GP Juxt (Lumine)

[Gauze] Stained

I just realized it's been almost an entire week since the season premiere of America's Next Top Model (Cycle 12) and I haven't used it once in a post! Not that it's an addiction I'm proud of. I mean, admitting to watching reality TV at all is enough of a stigma I'm sure I've lost all kinds of credibility already. Seriously. Look away, I'm ashamed... okay?

Of course, it IS an excuse to mix some margaritas every Wednesday night and pop some popcorn... maybe have a few friends over and spend an hour watching Tyra's celebration of herself over 12 or 13 model hopefuls in their caricaturish drama blowups. It's an homage to vanity, seriously. Sooo, why do I watch it?

Oh, I know, because every 'cycle' there's at least one or two girls that really stand out. It's all editing, I'm sure, but there's always your 'queen bitch's' presented for your booing and hissing pleasure (don't spill your margarita!) and then there's the cool girls. There's always at least one. It can change too (editing again!); you can start out just hating one girl and by the end of the season you finally get her. It goes both ways of course, someone you love week one can show her 'true' colors eventually and you end up screaming at the screen throwing pillows while lime sour, triple sec and tequila squirt out your nose. Oh, it's happened (I'm looking at YOU cycle 11 season finale).

ANYWAY, I've got an early favorite this season, which is rare. I usually wait a week or two to decide, but week 1 winner Allison is ohhh so interesting. It's been the thing the last few ANTM cycles to have at least one or two gimmick contestants. We've got our 'plus-size' models (which seriously, is totally ridiculous. Have you SEEN these girls? 'Plus-size' to ANTM is like an 8, gawd) and there's been an Asperger's model (Heather Kuzmich, my FAVE from cycle 9). We've seen homeless model's and legally blind models... whatever. ALLISON is different. ALLISON likes blood. Totally awesome. I mean, I like blood. We're not talking liking blood in a cutter way or anything, but wow... Allison's a girl with a dark side. And, she's totally gorgeous with her pixie shape and huge Christina Ricci-ish eyes... I'm probably going to take a stab (HA!) at making a shape of her...

Anyway, she's a girl after my own heart. It's an edge, and I LIKE edges. Yukio Ida understands; he's on the edge. Oh wait, I guess I should mention... Yuki's been putting his Illuminati store through a little bit of a rebranding lately. Soo, apparently while his unique and artful skins will still be Illuminati, his clothes are now going under the name Gauze. Still a work in progress, and the climax I guess will be the grand opening of his new mainstore once the Sn@tch City sim is complete; updates to follow, I'm sure.

So, new from Gauze is Stained: a very simple, sexy halter with matching gloves. Yuki's always done some of my favorite texture work in SL, and it's really amazing to see how much he's done with so little; the more than appropriate gauzey material looks so real, and the cut is daring and sexy. The colors are deep and beautiful, and there's a whole range to choose from; ivory, black, red (shown), purple and more.

It's gorgeous, it's dark, fun, sexy... it's all sorts of things. Love it.

Worn:

Top:
Illuminati [Gauze] Stained Halter and Gloves
Hair:
Sadistic Hacker Corvus (Deep Red)
Skin:
[Curio] Lumine (Rosette)