Reviews

Reviews of products we own in SL

Skin-tight

Aeon Fashion, LotD, Reviews

I’m a big fan of clothing that plays well with a mesh body.  Certainly the top-of-the-pops is the more recent trend in mesh-body-specific fitmesh (yes, I do a little squeeeee when a product comes out in Slink Fitmesh) — but appliers certainly can be great as well.  Fitmesh gives that three-dimensional texture which is (to me) preferable, but a well-done applier can be fantastic with a skin-tight outfit.  Luana, the latest group gift from *It’s Gau*, is a great example!

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Now, time for a little pet peeve.   Maybe you’ve run into this problem –my avi height is a fair bit above normal for RL (1.95 m/6’3″), yet many designers make mesh for avis that are clearly much much larger.  This outfit comes with a lovely set of armlets and bracelets, each of which have resizer scripts – but while the minimum size of the armlets is not bad, the minimum size for the bracelets is at least twice as big as they need to be to fit!  Now, I don’t think that my wrists are ridiculously small, but that’s just silly.  Now, having made mesh, I understand that there are limits to shrinking certain mesh sizes, but there are some clever ways around that.  Any mesh maker worth their pixels really should remember that not everyone in SL is a giantess!

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  • <manual pose>

I don’t know how long Luana will be at *It’s Gau*, but stop by and take a look!

Mahalo!  A hui hou!

The Importance of Colour

Aeon Fashion, LotD, Reviews

It sounds silly — and obvious — but sometimes all it takes is the right colour to really make an outfit come alive for you.  Months ago I’d blogged Esyld by Spyralle – a lovely gown/dress in some very lovely earth tones.  Quite pretty, but… I’ll admit, I never really wore it much after that.  The colour was nice, but… it didn’t speak to me.  Just last week, however, Kerryth put the green version of Esyld on 50L special — and now it sings.

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  • Spyralle — Esyld Green gown/dress/skirt and bustier (who knows?)
  • Maxi Gossamer Jewelry — Shell Teardrop Pendant (short) and Earrings, Sea Green
  • [L.Warwick] – Savannah Ankle Strapped Heels – Noir Leather
  • ProPose — Group Gift September 2016

I’m still not quite sure whether to think of Esyld as a gown or as a dress.  Maybe it’s really a skirt with an interesting bustier.  The laced back detail is really rather amazing, and it has this lovely little gauzy overskirt in the rear.  It’s all mesh, so there’s no flutter, but it adds a lovely touch.

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I had been a bit at odds for jewelry to complement Esyld.  My first thought was something nice and angular, lots of curly filigree certainly wasn’t the right touch.    I happened to stumble on this lovely abalone necklace and earrings from Maxi Gossamer Jewelry.  While it’s not angular, somehow it works.
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It’s a pleasure when you look at an outfit and just think yes.   Sometimes you have to find the right colour, sometimes it’s the hairstyle, or the jewelry, or the shoes.  And then — then you hit that magic combination, and all those components come together and it just feels right.

That’s when these pictures are an absolute joy to take.

Now — I don’t know how long Kerryth will have Esyld green on special, so it’s worth swinging by.  At this price, it’s too good to pass up!

Mahalo!  A hui hou!

Dominion amongst the trees

Aeon Fashion, LotD, Reviews

The White Armory offers a lovely group gift for us this week, The Queen of the High Fells.  This beautiful mesh mermaid gown comes with flexi add-ons and an optional wide collar with opaque and semi-opaque options.

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  • The White Armory — Queen of the High Fells – Dominion (group gift, 2016/08/28)
  • Angel Fae — Jade and Silver necklace

I’ll admit to a few problems with this gown – the mesh is beautiful, but I had difficulties making it work with my Slink Physique body.  The alpha works fine with the system body, but the bust and neckline wouldn’t play nicely with the alpha zones on the Physique.  Of course, that’s as much a problem of the Physique alpha zones as it is the gown.  Fortunately, the expansive collar hides a few alpha ills.

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Removing the collar leaves a simpler yet elegant gown that reveals the jade and silver necklace from Angel Fae.

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The Queen of the High Fells will only be on gift at The White Armory until Sunday, so get down and pick it up!

Mahalo!  A hui hou!

Ki and kakau

Aeon LotD, Reviews

Welina mai kākou!  Aloha, my friends!  I wanted to share with you a little outfit that I’d put together for last week’s tattoo event at Eden. This features a lovely ki pa’u with plumeria lei from ::*) Charmed (*:: and a lovely body kakau from [Ab.Fab] .

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Traditional hula pa’u (skirts) are made of leaves of the ki (or ti) plant, split along the central vein and tied together.  In ancient times, the breasts would be bare, although modern ‘sensibilities’ put an end to that.  A ‘kini top, pareo, or mu’u mu’u might be worn nowadays.  NEVER would you wear coconuts!

::*) Charmed (*:: offers flexi ki/ti skirts in three different lengths – 30 cm (shown), 50 cm (knee-length), and a long version.  Each comes with a choice of plumeria colours for the lei, haku lei (headband), and kupe’e (wristlets and anklets).

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Kakau is the traditional form of tattooing from Hawai’i.  Kakau often would take geometric or naturalistic lines, and typically represent heritage (family/clan) or personal attributes.  Typically, women received kakau on the face (for fertility), and on/about hands and wrists, ankles and feet.  Full-body kakau on torso, legs and arms, such as the lovely Aroha from [Ab.Fab] , were reserved for the men-folk, but I do believe in crossing those boundaries if I want to.  Aroha comes in standard tattoo layers as well as Omega, Belleza, Maitreya, and Slink appliers.

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Hula, of course, simply means “dance”, but always tells a story.  It is a beautiful form, and if you ever have the chance to visit the Merrie Monarch festival in Hilo in the spring, you will see some of the most amazing hula in the world.

Mahalo, my friends, be filled with aloha!

Oh, and just one more little bit, found on the interwebs:

“The use of coconuts for bras in Hawaii actually goes back quite a ways. Until horses were introduced to the Hawaiian islands by Europeans, Hawaiian kings and their knights had to travel on foot, with an accompanying woman to assist them by knocking together a pair of half-coconuts to produce the “clippity-clop” sound. This is also, incidentally, the origin of “knockers” as a synonym for breasts.”  – cmkeller

Mahalo!  A hui hou!

Summer isn’t over!

Aeon Fashion, LotD, Reviews

Kids may be going back to school, and I may be thinking about heading back to my own classroom shortly, but Kamiri is making sure we know that Summer isn’t done!

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  • Kamiri — Venusia Butterflies, Flowers, and Wild Sequins (2016/08 group gifts for Kamiri, FitMeshFanatics, and Maitreya Gifts)
  • Spyralle – Honu Bone and  pāua shell necklace and earrings
  • Island Style Designs – Head piece plumeria
  • Luminesse — Sea Turtle Purple Agate necklace & earrings
  • The Dark Fae – Boardwalk Flats Skittles (Slink)
  • Chez GiGi — Monaco Gold Evening Sandals

Venusia is all-mesh, and comes in five classic mesh and classic fitmesh sizes, as well as Belleza, Maitreya and Slink versions.  You’re sure to find something there to fit you.

The elegant design is perfect for the beach… or for an evening out.

Venusia_c002 To top it off, Kamiri brings us not one but three gifts in August, each a different version of the same beautiful skirt and top, each with a two-texture hud.  That’s right!  SIX variations!

Stop on by Kamiri, and check out the lovely gifts and the rest of their wonderful wares.  You won’t be disappointed.

Remember, like aloha, Summer is something you can choose to carry all year ’round within you.  A hui hou!

No place like home

Aeon Fashion, LotD, Reviews, Sponsored

Enchantment is honouring L. Frank Baum’s greatest creation, the Wonderful World of Oz — and Silvan Moon Designs has an amazing exclusive just for this event, Evanora of the East.

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The Evanora gown is all mesh with Slink, Maitreya, and Belleza fitmesh sizes, as well as the standard mesh sizes.  Gloves and wispy flexi bits are included, as is a mesh collar.

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I’ll admit, I took too many pictures, but you can tell the outfits that I am in love with — they are just too much fun to take pictures of.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoy taking them!

I’ll leave on on this thought, one of my favourite quotes from L Frank Baum, with Dorothy and Polychrome, the Rainbow’s Daughter:

“You have some queer friends, Dorothy,” she said.
“The queerness doesn’t matter, so long as they’re friends”.

Aloha, my friends!

The Roaring Twenties by the Light of the Moon

Aeon Fashion, LotD, Reviews, Sponsored

There are some eras that always seem a little more glamorous, a little more sparkly.  One of my favourites is the Roaring Twenties, that amazing decade between the end of The Great War and the beginning of The Great Depression — filled with jazz, booze, and gangsters.  Women found their voice with the right of franchise in the US in 1920, and celebrated their freedoms and their choices in music and in dance.

As an exclusive for the Lovecraft Festival (Lovefest), Silvan Moon Designs brings us an homage to the Roaring Twenties in Ain’t Misbehavin’, a beaded all-mesh dress in four perfect shades.
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Dressed by Lexi rounded out this outfit with Maui Pearls, perfect flapper-era shoes, and the Tantalize jewelry set (earrings and armlets).   I really love mixing and matching from different outfits to get the right look.  Ain’t Misbehavin’ includes that treat headband, shaded for each of the dresses!

AintMisbehavin_c014Ain’t Misbehavin’ comes in four shades, three of them shown here for your perusal.

There’s one more shade, a beautiful rose, but you’ll have to stop by the Lovecraft Festival and check that one out yourself.

AND — before I forget, the creators of Silvan Moon Designs — Solas (of Blue Moon Enterprises) and Bee (of The White Armory) — have additional news!  Solas has moved Blue Moon’s inworld mainstore to The White Armory sim.  You can find satisfy all of your era-specific clothing at the same sim!  Stop on by and visit!

Mahalo!  A hui hou!

Be anything

blue Reviews

It’s been a while since I’ve shown you something out of the ordinary, so today I thought I’d show you a fantastic little avatar I bought for an event ohhh, quite some time ago now.  The theme was “Best Animal” and at the time, I had absolutely nothing in the way of alternate body shapes or furry stuff.  So I went searching on marketplace and found this little cutey.

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Yes, dear reader, this is an avatar!  Tiny, isn’t it? 🙂

The kit from Scribbles Habilis comes with all the body parts, and a really really good AO that you wear to make your jerboa hop just right!  I love how you can be literally anything in SL!

A quick story about this avi.  I wore it to the event, and a good friend of mine turned up as an owl.  I promptly went “eeek” and she spent the event chasing around the dance floor trying to catch me!  You have to admit, in avatars like a tiny jerboa and an owl, it’s pretty hard to dance lol

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Avatar: Little Light Brown Jerboa Avatar – Tiny by Scribbles Habilis (marketplace link)

Lace and mustard

blue LotD, Requested, Reviews

The mustard highlights on this pretty lace gown are just lovely!  No gowns have come my way for quite some time, and now I have two new ones in less than a week 🙂  It also gives me a wonderful opportunity to show off a new jewelry set from Beloved!

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The gown is prim, with system layer pants and top that also come as Omega, Slink, EVE, and Maitreya appliers.  The gauzy upward ruffle is just lovely, and moves around nicely producing a gorgeous shimmery effect.

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And oh my, Kimbra from Beloved is just amazing!  She keeps producing these wonderful pieces of jewelry that just make you go “Wow!”  As usual, this is fully texture changeable, so you can select the metals, gem, and accent gems to suit your outfit, and the set includes matching earrings.  If you do your shopping at the larger jewelry stores, do yourself a huge favour and go and visit her store for some astonishing pieces at some very reasonable prices!

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Get your batiks on Route 66!

Aeon Fashion, LotD, Reviews

I stopped by the Route 66 Celebration in Mieville to enjoy a little slice of the American Southwest along Route 66!

Kerryth at Spyralle has a couple new items at Route 66, including three new Royal batik fabrics for her lovely mesh mu’u mu’u!
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The mu’u mu’u is mesh in the five standard sizes, with attached sleeves, and works well with my Physique body.  I’ve paired it with some of my favourite go-tos — a plumeria necklace and a plumeria headpiece from Island Style Designs, as well as my recently-acquired honu earrings — also from Spyralle.

PalmGrove_c004For the guys, Spyrall offers matching shirts that look just fab.  But it doesn’t sound as if either the shirts or the mu’u mu’us are going to be in the main store any time soon, so you’d better dash to Route 66 by August 14th if you want to pick them up before the cold weather moves in!

Mahalo!  A hui hou!