-
Unique New You
One of my favourite things about Bakes on Mesh, and I have possibly said this in the past, is the ability to add a bit of uniquely you to your look, with some very easy steps. There are of course ways to do this with purchased items of course…chances are not everyone is going to stack 14 tattoos the exact same way you might do, You may wear brows that are not sold separately from one skin, with another, and the freckles of yet another to create your combination. It may be a mesh item that is kind of your trademark, even if everyone else at some point has worn it, you never leave home without it etc. I pick up bits and pieces of myself that way…I have the belly button area heart shaped if you look very very close, freckle I added a few years ago. Then I have my face freckles I made, also years old now. I found a scar in a skin pack by She Said Destroy in the past 6 months or so, and as soon as I put it on I found it not only seriously cool, but I was wearing my year long Bobby Trio pins that I rarely detach, so now I just tell people that the scar is from one of them slipping and cutting my lip. I find it hilarious that I have a hair related injury. Then the other day I made these face hearts, because why not. I am not sure they will be a forever thing, but at this time in SL history, I am the only person that has them…these ones I mean, because of course others may have face hearts, but these are mine, I made them, they are placed where I put them, and my freckles are mine and my belly button freckle is mine and while the bobby pins were a gift I had out at Hair Fair last year, I am probably the only one wearing them as much as I do. That is all it takes, in a world, where we buy the same skins, the same clothing and footwear, accessories and body types etc, we can be as unique as we want to be, with some very minor effort.
There are so many programs out there now that allow for free editing, Gimp being one very popular option, and getting the SL Uv’s and even the different body and head UVs has never been easier. Creativity is encouraged as much as possible, and if you are Premium Plus for instance, all your uploads are free, and if you are not Premium Plus, there is the Beta Grid to test on before you know that that is the final texture you want to work with, and you can upload it for one cost instead of all the FINAL, FINALFINAL, FINAL3, NEWFINAL, NEWNEWFINAL, version you may have tried first. Start off small, if this interests you to do, even if it is just a simple freckle on your back, adding some colour to your ears, or whatever floats your boat, now more than ever that itch to be a bit more your own creation is about and who knows, it could be that small step that leads to bigger creations.
Another thing about Second Life is that we have serious ‘Hive Mind’. While, I mention that no one is going to stack 14 tattoos the way you do, funnily enough it could actually happen. I also think that going in under the hood so to speak for all Residents of Second Life, is a good thing, at least once, at least one time, find the UV’s, find the software, and make something, even if it is to type a word and see how it lands on your skin, and so on, see what it takes to create something from scratch and not only do you get your unique twist, but you may have a better sense of how much effort went into the thing you bought recently. I did a post on making Alphas etc in the past HERE maybe that can help you along with making something of your own.
While it is fairly evident, in not only my blog posts but also my videos that I am not enjoying Summer right now, because in the whole other half of the world it is Winter right now, and it is cold. So today’s look is a bit of a weather change look, it might be sunny out, but a bit of a chill could hit, and so this works effortlessly. The Lofi hair by Lamb is fantastic, it has many texture options for the beanie, and an off option for a logo that I am not showing, but does appear on the beanie by default – love when you can turn that stuff off. Then you have the ability to turn the whole beanie off and just wear the hair, which is definitely more bang for your buck. I moved away from my usual black hair for this post, which is funny seeing as it is one of my often identifier parts that make up Sasy, often it comes up as Sasy and her black hair. This ombre look suited the beanie vibe well though, and the braided style. I also loved that it looked like I dyed my hair using the run off from a new pair of jeans – I cannot explain how I think, I just do. The top is also from Lamb, and it is so pretty and has that perfect stretched closed look that gives it a bit more something something, than just sitting there being pretty.
I needed that warm, even though even in the cold I wear short sleeves often, the armwarmers by Cynful were just perfect, they come from the Bisou Sweater dress set, I do enjoy when you get extras like that with an item of clothing, that you can then wear with many other things. There are so many different colour options available also, and PBR or regular Blinn Phong versions. Now moving down we have a somewhat recentish release by Fashionably Dead. These are the Sour Cherry Jeans, and they are torn and worn to perfection, with lace mesh panties that come with. Now full disclosure here, depending on your AO and how you stand or move about, these will clip at the front, as in the panties will push through the jeans, this is the way Second Life is sometimes as we know, so if you plan on spending the day/night dancing around, perhaps a set of Bakes on Mesh underwear under them may be preferable, but the lace ones are so cute and again you end up with a set of panties that you can use with other things. There is a matching corset that they go with, so it is a Lingerie set with an outerwear outfit combination. Going a bit street with my look, I wanted to add my very much loved oversized fishnets by Miwas, I love these, as you have seen them many times by now, but they just give something to the look that I want, and there is no denying it, even if not your taste, it is just how I like them, I also love fishnets under torn jeans.
Moving down further, this is where I get on my blah blah about shoes and feet and pants and stuff. So I love my Slink Feet, and I love the shoes I had when I wore them and them only, body etc…so when it comes to wearing footwear with more recent reborn purchases, I do not always have the footwear that will go with. So because these are pants, and because Reborn allows for hiding feet and toenails via the HUD not by a bom layer alpha – Thank you for that – I am able to wear my Slink feet instead and then wear whatever shoes I feel like wearing. So do not limit yourself if you have an abundance of inventory that is still usable in this way. Also I checked the shoes are still for purchase, so I am still crediting a product that is buyable, by those wearing the items they were made to fit. They are the TEEKS shoes by Reign and they are just a lovely slip on and come in a great colour range,l actually they come in their own colours as well as previous Blueberry colours, so that is just a whole lot of great colours to choose from. The rings by Sigma, also MOD also fantastic, allowed me to tint to match the yellow and I was feeling very warm, but also bring and full of sunshine at the same time.
Equipment Used
VR Studio and HUD/Library – VR Foundry Marketplace
Important: Moles featured on face or body unless otherwise stated are created by me, for me personally. If wearing moles or freckles etc layers by other creators they will always be credited. As my face moles are the same always, it will be clear to know it is mine not part of the skin.
Poses & Props
Body Parts
Feet:
Deluxe Feet – Slink (only available through purchase of the Hourglass Body on Marketplace)
Body :
Reborn – EBody
Head:
Milena Head – Akeruka
Appliers:
Nail appliers – Flair
Skin Worn:
Dara – PumeC
Ipanema Body Skin – Velour
Head and Body BOM Layers:
Peaceful eyes – Insol Mainstore
Lip Scar Elena – She Said Destroy
Evelyn Eyebrows, Strapless Bra – Nuve
Sinner liners – Tutti Belli
High Waist Fishnets – Miwas
Hair Worn:
Lofi – Lamb
Wearing:
Peony Cardigan (Summers end set) – Lamb
Sour Cherry Jeans & Panties – Fashionably Dead
Bisou Sweater Dress Arm-warmers – Cynful
Footwear :
Teeks – Reign
Accessories:
Stone Inlay Rings – Sigma
Hoops Forever Reboot – Dark Mouse
Balmain Gemstone Headband – Flair
-
Thonging and Marketplace Keyword Importance
There are a fair few things that Australians have a sense of pride over, and one of the biggest is our thongs ( I am making this up for dramatic effect, I have no idea what level of importance it rates for the average Aussie) ….well into the 90’s the things you wear as underwear were still called G-Strings down here, because the very idea of calling them a thong, even though it does make sense design wise, was just ridiculous, Thongs are for your feet! Now while I myself was not a thong wearer on my feet for decades – my Mum having a very strong opinion on good footwear growing up – so I never did form that hardened skin between my big toe and second toe that is needed to really lean into thonging…it was later in life that I went all rebelion and got a pair, also because they got pretty, and I am way too girly for the base thong’s that we had in the 70’s and 80’s. Then the internet comes about and suddenly people are calling them Flip Flops, you hear it in TV shows and Movies randomly, and I am not the only Australian that feels this way, but you get all indignant about it.
One day Siddean of Slink sent me a folder, and the folder was named that horrible FF name, see I cannot even type it now, I am all ranty. I saw red, oh em gee did I see red, there was smoke coming from my keyboard as I bashed and pounded on the keys…if I had had Siddeans phone number in RL her landline would have started melting before the first ring finished. Now, this sounds extreme, I mean it is footwear, it is Second Life, but – pauses for dramatic effect – SHE IS AUSTRALIAN! I was so fiery, again if I could have teleported to her wherever she was, I would have started kicking her in the shins or something insane – I mean obviously this was a thing, because I am still feeling the fire 10 years on, ok 8 years on, I checked my inventory. She spluttered and rolled her eyes at me, I know this because she probably typed it out that she was doing it, because she loved doing that to me, that and sighing dramatically, and she defended this abomination of a naming thing as being because everyone else calls them Flip Flops. I huffed, and I puffed, and I blew her IM down – I really am a lovely person I swear. I of course won this fight, and so much so that they ended up not just being called Thongs, but they got called Aussie Thongs…yes, I was happy, I calmed down, and I wore them often and proudly.
Sometimes you do have to adapt, you do have to say, this is how everyone else knows of this item, like I have seen people call something a kitten heel, but it was 6 inches high. I have seen someone call a dress with a full skirt and bows and puffy sleeves a bandage dress. The whole reason for this ramble-a-thon, is that we see something in a store, we like the something, we buy the something…possibly we pay 32% attention to the name of the something, maybe just enough to find it in our inventory, even though it should be at the top of the recent items etc – gosh that tab is just awesome. When it comes to Marketplace though, while sure, we may go there and see something while looking for something else, or you open it and notice the most recent item sold is something that you like, or you use that best selling items button on the bottom left and see what everyone got excited about the week before etc. More often than not though, Marketplace is used like a proper resource, you have a name, you look up said name, and you find said item…this name could be the exact name of an item, because you saw someone else wearing it, you heard about it, or you got a notice about it and cannot be bothered to click to teleport and do all that walking, so decide to jump to marketplace – funny how it is just as much button clicking either way.
Then there are the times you are actively seeking something out…so you need to finish off an outfit, fix out a room, landscape your pool area etc. You go to marketplace, because again it is an incredible resource and you type in THONG – avert your eyes kids, this search is going to shock you. I get that, I understand that, it is going to happen, and that is why Keywords are great, because while your item may be called Aussie Thong and be for your feet, if you are Australian and you are searching for footwear to wear with your bikini, the natural way to look for it would be to type in Thong, if FF has not been beaten into you, you will and still should type in Thong, and because of keywords, it is possible that you will find your footwear you want, because some stores consider this when listing, they consider that their Flip Flops (PAINNNNNNNNN) or Geta or Sandals, may be looked for by someone from Australia ( or even New Zealand, but at some point they called them Jandals and I just don’t know what to say or even think about that ) that just cannot change their ways, it took 20+ years for me to give up Gaol for Jail – again internet things, you can life your whole life spelling things correctly in your RL bubble, but then get online and pfft broken – so I do not see FF ever being ok.
I just checked Marketplace, I typed in Thong and to my absolute delight, on the first page, of newest first there was indeed a set of footwear, and they are not your rubbery thong variety, they are actually more traditional Japanese footwear, and the name of them is actually sandal, but if you do as I do and right click the page and choose page source you can see under the keyword hood…Full perm,full perms,full permission,full permissions,fp,fullperm,fullperms,mesh,meshes,creators,designers,kit,asian,chinese,japanese,zen,geta,zori,japan,traditional,footwear,shoes,thong,geisha,yukata. Now there are a lot of options going on there, but this person knows, that three from the end THONG was going to hit for someone, and I am very happy at this, because I only just saw this now, and I feel validated in my rambling. So next time you are stuck for keywords when listing an item, consider asking the internet if there are other words an item is commonly known by, we have such diversity in Second Life, that that kind of thing may increase sales with little to no effort really made.
The footwear in question is really cute and by The Kiwi Co. I love the extra effort and attention given to such a basic style, you get flat regular thongs, or high heel versions, without the heels of course, this is Second Life sometimes you just get to break the rules and decide that you can walk around in such footwear on your tiptoes. It was however the HUD letting me two tone them that had me extremely pleased, as you may have noticed I am all about colour coordination, it makes me super happy. So being able to do this with the footwear and the shorts from the same set, was bouncing in place delightful. The shorts are sporty fun and they also have options, the option being long and short shorts, and believe me when I put these one I thought that they had been mislabeled, then I put the short short ones on and they seemed the same, and I was very confused, and then I turned around and let me just say Peaches set is aptly named, so go and get your fruit on.
I am wearing the spaghetti strap top by Lamb with this outfit, because it was just the perfect match up, the Peaches set does have a top, but I am saving it for another time. I like to mix and match a lot. I am also wearing hair by Lamb and as soon as I saw it it was love. There are also optional heavy wisp ended bangs that come with the hair, but I just adore the centre parting slicked down under the long straight hair, with great long layers it is definitely a must have hair. I was feeling so much love for all the things, I even made myself new face hearts, I love bakes on mesh so much.
Equipment Used
VR Studio and HUD/Library – VR Foundry Marketplace
Important: Moles featured on face or body unless otherwise stated are created by me, for me personally. If wearing moles or freckles etc layers by other creators they will always be credited. As my face moles are the same always, it will be clear to know it is mine not part of the skin.
Poses & Props
OMY Poses
Body Parts
Body :
Reborn – EBody
Head:
Milena Head – Akeruka
Appliers:
Nail appliers – Flair
Skin Worn:
Dara – PumeC
Ipanema Body Skin – Velour
Head and Body BOM Layers:
Peaceful eyes – Insol Mainstore
Lip Scar Elena – She Said Destroy
Evelyn Eyebrows, Strapless Bra and Panties (always worn underwear)– Nuve
Sinner liners – Tutti Belli
Hair Worn:
Wisp Hair – Lamb
Wearing:
Spaghetti Strap Top – Y2K set – Lamb
Peaches Set – Shorts – The Kiwi Co.
Footwear :
Flip Flops (typing that hurt my soul) – The Kiwi Co.
Accessories:
Hoops Forever Reboot – Dark Mouse
Balmain Gemstone Headband – Flair
-
For Whom the Bell Sleeves Toll
“Everything old is new to someone’ has always been my creed, when it comes to buying power in Second Life. That and ‘Everyone deserves their sexy school girl/bling shoes moment’. It does not matter if you joined Second Life if 2006 or earlier, or you walked in yesterday, the things that excite you do not have a lot to do with a release date. We discuss making it clearer in Marketplace in the Web User group meeting all the time, the idea of putting the date on things – they have added a date system of sorts, but it is not functioning correctly, so currently it is a bit more ‘ignore that thing’ than actually helpful. There are so many sides to the need for this, and also a good case for it causing more harm than good.
You have people like me that strongly lean into what we like, not when it was made, but then you also have those that have no concept of history in Second Life creation and can unfortunately fall into the trap of purchasing items that have no use to them in todays mesh climate – bodies, sizing, uv layouts etc. I cannot tell you how many times I have personally had to explain to a newer Resident, that what they just purchased is actually no use to them at all, and they cannot wear it. Whether it be incorrect skin types, system layer skirts – which do not work with mesh bodies even with bom (fun fact, by making sure that was still the case with the system skirts I found a bug that made me crash 3 times, there are so many behind the scenes things that happen when blogging) and things like Sculpties that are of course not rigged and will move independently of the way our mesh bodies move with our skeleton now…all of these things are horrible for newer people to wrap their heads around, on top of all the other things, so its a tick for putting dates on things in those cases. Then on the other side you have people like me as mentioned, that love exploring older items, and do not want everyone to decide that newer is better, which would kill the income of some incredible creators, who have items that very much do work with the current bodies etc, but may have a 3 or 7 year creation date on them, so people think its ‘old’ and yes, you can see how this gets debated often.
We have had resident created mesh bodies for 11 years now, and resident created mesh for 15, which means we have had these incredible options for far longer than we didn’t, which is funny to think about, because the years before it dragged on forever…we only had sculpties for about 3 years, there was of course overlap, but stand alone closer to 2.5.
Add to that the debate on older items no longer actually supported by creators, people that have left Second Life, but left their products active, they may still collect their income, but do not log in and have an actual presence or any kind of customer support, so you buy it, it is broken, or you do not understand how to use it, and you are out of luck, no one is ever going to reply to your IM (instant message – another thing that you realise when dealing with newer Residents, is that people outside of Second Life do not call them Instant Messages, so IM’s is absolute gibberish to them). There are also creators not collecting the money, they just left Second Life and did not look in the rear view mirror at all, now unfortunately this can also be because they are no longer with us in Second Life or Real Life and that is a horrible thing, but those items are still there, and we are often wondering what happens to that money just piling up. This topic has caused a few meeting flare ups, because we are more aware over time, that we as a platform are being held back by older items and the want/desire for them long after their creators are gone – however that has happened. This brings me back full circle to the everything old is new to someone but also leans into the, sometimes the thing we love is wanted on all accounts and also wanted as an item to share with others, through gifting etc, so the idea that one day we may not be able to send a newer account the _________ is a terrifying thing. Back in the day every time Whimsy made a new account she ran off and bought a particular pair of shoes, did not matter how much time had passed, those shoes were her base love affair with footwear, so every account had to have them, those shoes no longer exist, it happens, we have all experienced stores actually closing down and their items not being available, but when it comes to marketplace we seem to be holding on for dear life, probably because it feels like we do have that control. Interesting ramble I went on there.
This actually came about because while I was having my blogging break – unplanned – a few items were released that I really liked, but at different times, and I was musing over the fact that if I had blogged them the instant that they had been released, then this look would not have happened so easily, it was lovely to be able to just love the look, see the hair, want the hair to be an idea, then see the top and realise what better top, and then to find the pants and be supremely pleased with the outcome, then on top of that, be able to find footwear that fit under the pants and had a colour in the same family – always a golden moment. So again, it does not matter when an item was made, it is about how much you enjoy the item, the other stuff for some of us is noise, but it does make me hmmm over the idea that there has to be a better way for people to understand without help that it is not the right purchase for their other needs, the look might be right, but it is a system layer not mesh, or it has sculpt parts or all of those other things that at the time of listing were not a need…that then brings about the review options, but that is a whole other blog post.
This hair is by Truth Collective creator Litterbug Salon, as soon as I saw it I was really impressed with its 1960’s Mod vibe, I especially loved the cutouts with their metal rim, that is not an easy thing to do with mesh, it is tricky, I have tried. There are options to colour change the band, with the hud and there are many colours to choose from, as well as a tinting option – which I used – then you have the metals, and I went for the warmer gold look today. Then to Lamb, for this amazing tied crop top, with amazing sleeves that have options of closed, which I am wearing, or open which has them very flared and elongated, or the off, and the off is absolutely an interesting idea, as it cuts out the flared sleeve entirely, which gives you a less themed look, which is an awesome thing to do. Sometimes you want to be able to wear your clothing in various ways, and this top gives you those options. Also a quick tint to one of my Nuve bras – never leave home without it – and I was matchy matchy.
There were pants that went with the Groupie set from Lamb, but I love to spread the joy, as we know, and I do love a great Cynful moment and she delivered. These pants come in either solids or floral versions, with a sheer overlay, there are so many features seriously, it is a great pair of pants. I turned off the overlap, because while I was going for that Mod look, it was just a bit too clubby with the overlay vs me just being an out and about look that was highly curated for a moment, living my best 60’s life – cue a montage scene similar to Notting Hill but in a different decade. Simple accessories, stylish and elegant with the necklace from Sigma and my go to hoops by Dark Mouse, I am ready to strut through London.
Equipment Used
VR Studio and HUD/Library – VR Foundry Marketplace
Important: Moles featured on face or body unless otherwise stated are created by me, for me personally. If wearing moles or freckles etc layers by other creators they will always be credited. As my face moles are the same always, it will be clear to know it is mine not part of the skin.
Poses & Props
OMY Poses
Body Parts
Body :
Reborn – EBody
Head:
Milena Head – Akeruka
Appliers:
Nail appliers – Flair
Skin Worn:
Dara – PumeC
Ipanema Body Skin – Velour
Head and Body BOM Layers:
Peaceful eyes – Insol Mainstore
Matte Smoke eyeshadow, Capricorn Lipstick – AlaskaMetro
Lip Scar Elena – She Said Destroy
Evelyn Eyebrows, Strapless Bra and Panties – Nuve
Hair Worn:
Chrome – Truth Collective @ TRUTH
Wearing:
Bell Sleeve Crop Top – Groupie Set – Lamb
Seductive Energy Flared Pants – Cynful
Footwear :
Aylani Shoes – Cult
Accessories:
Alysee Choker – Sigma
Hoops Forever Reboot – Dark Mouse
Bobby Trio – Flair
-
How we fit!
I took a long break from blogging in the last 12 months, I probably mentioned that during Hair Fair posts. It was not by choice – I did not decide one day I was not going to blog, I just didn’t blog. Then during Hair Fair, I did twenty posts in one week. Not exactly making up for posts not done in the past, but it definitely made it more present.
I have lists of blog posts, things that I wanted to discuss, rant about, suggest, and give insight into… posts that I want to do that involve me doing more than I had been. And then there is that niggly feeling that stops me going forward with them. There are so many ideas that I want to tackle, and so many going forth and taking on a whole new way of blogging, that has me hitting the brakes each time. It is pretty much what caused the huge gap, the first of its kind for me.
There are funny outcomes to projects in Second Life, much like real life I am sure. But it is that concern we have that if we start, what if something happens and I cannot keep going? What if as soon as I do that first post of 50 that I plan, something means time flies past and I did not complete it? Wouldn’t that be letting people down? (Do not ask me who these imaginary people are; I did not say that these were always rational thoughts.)
Then there are the other sides – the “oh, let me just step in here for a moment,” and then before you know it 10+ years have passed and you are still committed to that thing, and you did not see that coming. Pretty much like how I did not expect to still be here 20 years on, or still blogging 20 years on. Am I still a 20-year blogger, though, if I stopped for almost a year? I mean, it is not like I shut up and didn’t put fingers to keys in other places – that was my attempt at changing pen to paper.
Truth be told, I am actually not sure in this current format what I contribute to blogging anymore, when I do. I do not believe people go rushing out to buy what I am showing, like used to be the case… and I am not making that up, that is documented somewhere by someone/s. I am also not the only blogger that can honestly say, without any hesitation, that that is true of the past. We know as older bloggers we did contribute to the spending power in Second Life; it was undeniable.
I do think, though, that sometimes I may inspire some shopping, or at the very least some kind of revisit or a second look at something, if that makes sense – I always try to make sense. I like to put together looks or chatter on about things that make people remember they also own something similar, and “oh, they have that skirt and now they can see another option in what they could wear with it…” or the infamous “I did not know it did that” – this one makes me chuckle and sob at the same time.
I have always tried to blog that way, as the more informative blogger… I am not the “takes stunning pictures” person. I am more of the girl that looks good in catalogues with the information present, not the type where you are standing there, mouth agape, looking at the billboard-like quality of a post. I think there is definitely a great need for both, but the “me” side of that wants the other side of that to still provide all the information. Not wordy-wordsness, but at least credits on all items, because the shopper part of me is not going to go to your post to see where you got those pants if the last time I went to see who you got your pants from, you didn’t tell me.
I guess that is the reality of it all for me now, not knowing where bloggers like me fit anymore… I used to really believe in what we did. I am speaking for the missing girls on my platform, not the bloggers still blogging – I get to speak for them because they are not here, so they cannot turn my region purple or set it on fire any more. We spent hours of every day, kazillions of Lindens (yes, we purchased way more than given), and we believed in discovering stores and pushing them up and into people’s eyelines. We ran around Second Life like people possessed, trying to find that “not been exposed to the masses” item, so that we could then see everyone wearing it for the next few weeks and know we helped with that.
We got to speak to store owners; they would reach out to us and ask if we would consider blogging them. It was all very flattering – there were no cattle calls back then. Getting to know them was awesome, and long-lasting friendships were formed. We also used to reach out and let stores know we featured them in our posts, and they may never have heard of us or even been aware blogging happened, and they would be so excited. Those that did know of the Second Life blogging culture were often as invested in following along with it as the rest of us… takes a moment to just say in a soft whisper, “The Planet,” and sighs.
Anyway, I am rambling. Maybe this is why other bloggers have faded off over the years – they just didn’t know where they fit anymore. Something to think about.
The remind them of how something works part of this post is this amazing hair by Lamb. The cut is perfect, the short layered look that with some product and an idea can turn into this clapping by clicking your fingers, smoke filled jazz club vibe. I love that, I love when hair is telling you a story. I look this way in the day, but a few accessories, some dark shades and some sticky stuff that comes from a tube, and I am a whole other mood. I also really enjoy these jeans, and the colour palette, the thing I have about not liking purple does not include most purples and especially not plum. I love plum colours when done well and Lamb does them well, have you ever noticed that her colours always look that right side of vintage, I have, and I adore it.
I do not know if I was feeling nostalgic because of the top and wrote the post, or if I was already feeling that way and the top just perfected the look. I found it such an amusing thing to have on a shirt, and if you have been in Second Life long enough you have been around the loop of the ‘they copied me’ stuff, not stores, I mean people on the street, getting all bent out of shape about someone having on the same items, never thinking about the fact that they were also just released and everyone went running as a large wave of shoppers. The tank and the very cool armwarmers are from For You, and I got the chance to talk to their creator today, just a side IM as I tend to do randomly to people, about things I am thunking. If you have never had an IM from me about something random, have you ever even logged in to Second Life – I am going to laugh for days about saying that.
Equipment Used
VR Studio and HUD/Library – VR Foundry Marketplace
Important: Moles featured on face or body unless otherwise stated are created by me, for me personally. If wearing moles or freckles etc layers by other creators they will always be credited. As my face moles are the same always, it will be clear to know it is mine not part of the skin.
Poses & Props
Bang Poses
Body Parts
Body :
Reborn – EBody
Head:
Milena Head – Akeruka
Appliers:
Nail appliers – Flair
Skin Worn:
Dara – PumeC
Ipanema Body Skin – Velour
Head and Body BOM Layers:
Peaceful eyes – Insol Mainstore
Lip Scar Elena – She Said Destroy
Evelyn Eyebrows, Strapless Bra and Panties – Nuve
Hair Worn:
Bixie Hair – Lamb
Wearing:
Low Rise Jeans – Lamb
Nicole Tank Top, Harper Arm Warmers – For You
Footwear :
Seon Slides – Flair
Accessories:
Written in the Star Choker – Mandala
Rockstar Gf – WORN
Hoops Forever Reboot – Dark Mouse
Y2K Shades – Lamb
Bobby Trio – Flair
-
Hair Fair 2026 – Apika & Loveholic
I was waiting to show off this cap by Apika at Hair Fair 2026. As soon as I put it on I had this whole sense of celebrity spotted by the paparazzi. You know the tabloid pics you see of someone walking down a street or leaving a cafe or on their way to pilates, and they are wearing a baseball cap, because you are not meant to know they are celebrities, but everything they are wearing and how they carry themselves says LOOK AT ME! This hat is definitely that, and so cute, with texture change options for all the parts.
I had mentioned the other day that the hairbase from the Linda rollers hair by Loveholic at Hair Fair was fantastic, and knew that it would be the perfect base for under this hat. The finger curls, and the length of it, just works perfectly as under hat hair. The whole outfit went from there, with these bow jeans that I love because you can hide and show the bows, in the past I have shown them as only at the top, and this time only at the bottom. Matching influences of gold throughout and the tshirt of course had to have something on it, because again, they want to be anonymous but wear something that says something enough for you to take notice, but Kindness was a lovely thing to put out there.
Hair Fair is open until June 14th and ALL purchases made at the event donate to Wigs for Kids, Exclusives and previous releases. Not all stores have previous releases out, but so many do, so it gives you a real taste of what the stores have created over time, and some things you may have missed that donate with each purchase, a great way to get it all in at once.
More information about Hair Fair 2026 can be found HERE on their website.
Equipment Used
VR Studio and HUD/Library – VR Foundry Marketplace
Important: Moles featured on face or body unless otherwise stated are created by me, for me personally. If wearing moles or freckles etc layers by other creators they will always be credited. As my face moles are the same always, it will be clear to know it is mine not part of the skin.
Poses & Props
Bang Poses
Background – Wearhouse
Body Parts
Body :
Reborn – EBody
Head:
Milena Head – Akeruka
Appliers:
Nail appliers – Flair
Skin Worn:
Lauren – PumeC
Ipanema Body Skin – Velour
Head and Body BOM Layers:
Peaceful eyes – Insol Mainstore
Lipstain Lipstick – AlaskaMetro
Billie Eyebrows – Nuve @ Hair Fair 2026
Lip Scar Elena – She Said Destroy
Strapless Bra and Panties – Nuve
Hair Worn:
Linda Hairbase – Loveholic @ Hair Fair 2026
Wearing:
Torn Up Tee – Lamb
Baggy Jeans with Bows – Fashionably Dead
Footwear :
Seon Slides – Flair
Accessories:
Pearls & Steel Cap – Apika @ Hair Fair 2026
Hoops Forever Reboot – Dark Mouse
Versailles Love Cup – Flair
-
Lumber Jill
It is always fun piecing together a look that combines different texture styles, the structured wool of the shorts, with the billowy cotton of the top, then down to the leather work in the boots. When done right it is a great feeling to have the luxury of choices that we have in Second Life. I had so much trouble deciding on which option of these shorts to wear, they are by Lamb and they are so cute. I especially love the ring pull on the zipper of them, because it is just a cute little detail. The top by Fashionably Dead is giving so much gypsy, and pulls off the off shoulder look so well. My favourite parts are also the incredible texture work on the elastic waist and details giving it such realism, superb work. The top of course lead to my jewellery choices by Sigma, the coin necklace definitely brought the gypsy look home and the rings are just fabulous fun. Both sets come in PBR or classic textures, so you can have a great time putting together your looks with them.
It was time to get my brows done, and Nuve again did not disappoint. These are the Maya brows, that were made for the Maya skin, of which I am not wearing, I love the versatility of Nuve brows that they can be worn across skin lines. These are a little thinner than I usually wear, but they have a lovely swoosh look to them that I like. They also look great with my feathery looking hairstyle by Exile. The shorts gave me another chance to rock out in my Mellow Elie boots, they are so cute, and have an option that will also work with longer pants, but loved them with the shorts.
Equipment Used
VR Studio and HUD/Library – VR Foundry Marketplace
LeLutka Axis HUD Face – LeLutka
Important: Moles featured on face or body unless otherwise stated are created by me, for me personally. If wearing moles or freckles etc layers by other creators they will always be credited. As my face moles are the same always, it will be clear to know it is mine not part of the skin.
Poses & Props
Loel
Body Parts
Body :
Reborn – EBody
Head:
Genus Morph Head – Genus
Straight – NoseMorph
Heavy – Lipmorph
Round – EyeMorph
Triangle – HeadMorphAppliers:
Ruby Eyelashes Appliers – Nuve @ Level Event
Nail appliers – Flair – Marketplace
Skin Worn:
Mandy Skin (face), Rhea Body Skin – Nuve Mainstore
Head and Body BOM Layers:
Maya Eyebrows – Nuve Mainstore
Peaceful eyes – Insol Mainstore
Hair Worn:
Ginny Hair – Exile Mainstore
Wearing:
Margot Shorts – Lamb Mainstore
Romantic Boho Top – Fashionably Dead @ FaMESHed Event
Footwear:
Ranch Boots – Mellow Elie Mainstore
Accessories:
Coin Necklace, Stone Inlay rings – Sigma Mainstore
Marteja Bag – Mowie on Marketplace
-
Skin Fair 2025 – Rash & Mignonne
Honestly at this point Premium Plus Lifetime is my entertainment retirement plan. I cackled to myself the whole time setting up this picture, because not only are the aged skins by Rash at Skin Fair really amazing to see on, but I honestly was too amused by Mignonnes release of “chicken neck’ at Skin Fair also. I mean there is no denying we are all aging, some of us more recently than others, everywhere I turned this past few weeks I have walked into a Pisces. So as I was saying, having one of the coveted Premium Plus lifetime accounts means that this image is more possible than one would have planned. Second Life itself better be here still, or I will be a cranky old lady. I am nearing the third of the way mark, coming up to 19 years in just over a month. So if you are still here in 41 years, come say hello.
Rash actually released some aged male skins also, and while I almost did go down that route, it was a little too much for me this time. Worth having a look if you like roleplay scenarios, because the male skins are the kind of guys you will purchase a video player from the back of their truck looking dudes. Or that guy in movies that works the front desk at some sleazy motel, all works and are all fabulous.
The chicken neck is an add on layer, and so funny, not only because of the aging factor, but just the name itself was too fun. It comes in many skin tones, so if you are looking for that further enhancement for an aged skin, then check them out. Only a few more days left to visit Skin Fair, so make sure you take a few runs around this event. I love that the black pack of this hairstyle has a nice blend of black and grey, so it made it so much easier to add to that aged look and it is a great butterfly clipped updo.
Equipment Used
VR Studio and HUD/Library – VR Foundry Marketplace
LeLutka Axis HUD Face – LeLutka
Important: Moles featured on face or body unless otherwise stated are created by me, for me personally. If wearing moles or freckles etc layers by other creators they will always be credited. As my face moles are the same always, it will be clear to know it is mine not part of the skin.
Poses & Props
Rocking Chair – Dust Bunny Mainstore (old Gacha item)
Monterey Paneling – Apple Fall Mainstore
Shelf with framed Imagine Quote (modified for pic) – Trompe Loeil Mainstore
Body Parts
Body :
Reborn – EBody
Head:
Mila Head – Catwa @ Skin Fair
Appliers:
Nail appliers – Flair – Marketplace
Skin Worn:
Elsa Skin (Face) – Rash @ Skin Fair 2025
Sienna Tone – Velour
Head and Body BOM Layers:
Chicken Neck Tattoo – Mignonne @ Skin Fair 2025
Hair Worn:
Olivia Hair – Lamb Mainstore
Wearing:
Rilo Jeans, Tie back sweater – Tres Blah Mainstore
Footwear:
Kiako Sneakers – Breathe @Uber Event (march 2025)
Accessories:
Artist Stylus –Stoic Mainstore
-
Everything is Rosie
Bakes on Mesh is still scary to some, or confusing, I myself am confused by how it is, but it is, and I hate that people miss out on such amazing things because of that fear of the unknown. The confusion I often encounter, is that because it was named something other than what it is, people think it is something new to them, when in fact it is how everyone for the most part started their Second Lives in the first place. Bakes on Mesh (BOM) is system layers, that is it, pure and simple. It is the same icons we used before we had mesh bodies and appliers became a thing. We are now almost five years into it, but I still randomly see comments of people that are older than mesh, saying they will never use it. One of the reasons that I mention this, other than to start a narrative – oh how I miss the days when people used to engage with Blogs and Bloggers – is because not only am I probably BOM’s biggest fan, but also because of things that people may not think of when using it.
People that do use it, have possibly heard of the stacking of layers, that when you wear bom layers you need to sometimes make sure that the layers are in the correct order so that each component is visible, such as you cannot wear eyebrows before you wear a skins face (tattoo layer) or the brows will sit under the skin, and you will look way too editorial.
But it is that stacking that makes me blissfully happy, because as I do believe I have mentioned in the past, I stack multiple versions of the SAME items. Have a bra or tank top that you want to wear under something but it is sheer, right click copy and then paste and then wear as many versions of the same thing until it is no longer sheer. Have a blush that is just not giving you enough ooomph, do not go looking for another blush, copy, paste and stack multiple until it gives you more – now this may not always work, it is going to depend greatly on how the item is made, but for the most part it does work. Such as my eyeshadow today, I have 3 layers of it on, because it had blended a little too much into my face with the lighting I was using, and the foil freckles the same thing, they were not popping enough for my pic, but stacking multiple of them gave me the outcome I wanted. This may not work with everything, but the next time you find that you feel a little underwhelmed by the outcome of the BOM item that you really want to use, give it a try, right click copy then paste then add. We could never do that with appliers and you have 60+layers to play with, so go wild!
Another highlight to my day/look today, is when different brands do such a similar colour palette and then also fit against each other so well. This top is from Rowne and the bloomers that had me logging in and racing to get are from Tres Blah. I was ecstatic to find out that the plunging V base of the top fit perfectly over the waistband of the bloomers. Then to have only a few colours of the top, but the fatpack of the bloomers, meant that I had a bit of wiggle room with the colours, and this combination was perfection. I love this combination, and can see myself bloomering all over Second Life like this. I love that they are ruffled and so feminine but have this knit look to them, that works so well with the top that is also a wool heavier mix look. Perfection for my Winter down here rebellion.
I ran over to Lamb to see what I could put together hair wise for this look, originally I had planned to do a more lady like updo look, then thought something wavy midlength and wild…then across the room, in the older styles I saw Zelda II. Now if you were not around when this style was released, you missed what we would consider a broke the grid moment…the majority of the grid was wearing this hair for weeks. I did not have the II version, I had the original version, so I was delighted to see that there was a rose gold metal option on the HUD, so I grabbed the pastels pack, because it was definitely a whole vibe, and back to the studio I went.
Once I had the whole look together, I was wondering, does it need a little something more…I found this lovely choker in my inventory that delightfully is MOD, and a few tints and everything was Rosie!
Credits:
Equipment Used
VR Studio and HUD/Library – VR Foundry Marketplace
LeLutka Axis HUD Face – LeLutka
Poses & Props by :
Behaviour Body
Body Parts
Body :
Reborn – EBody
Head:
DollNose, NaturalPiercedLips, RoundEyes, TriangleHead, Genus Morph – Genus
Nail Polish:
appliers – Flair – Marketplace
Skin Worn:
Emma – Nuve
Sienna Tone – Velour
Head and Body BOM Layers:
Noah Brows – Nuve
Rose Gold Lipstick, Frosting Eyeshadow, Foil Freckles – AlaskaMetro
Wearing:
Bloomers – Tres Blah
Lys Puff Top – Rowne
Hair Worn:
Zelda II – Lamb
Accessories:
Vintage Romance Choker – Enfant Terrible
Hoops forever earrings reboot – Dark Mouse
-
The Vault – The Sounds of the City
I am still living in my Winter nod mode, because while it is sunny outside today, it is still really cold down here. I found these delightful knitted and well padded earmuffs by Pare that were a whole vibe of the opposite of wanting to hear things and instead feeling like you could just tune it all out, and sometimes that is exactly what you want to do. So I put together this going to the street markets kind of look, and pinned back my hair and off I go. Again another great Lamb style that has a pinned back section that gives realism to the earmuffs being worn. I really like being able to believe that feeling of the look.
You can see more great Blogger looks for The Vault HERE and visit the event HERE.
Credits:
Equipment Used
VR Studio and HUD/Library – VR Foundry Marketplace
LeLutka Axis HUD Face – LeLutka
Poses & Props by :
Behaviour Body
Body Parts
Body :
Reborn – EBody
Head:
DollNose, BabyLips, RoundEyes, TriangleHead, Genus Morph – Genus
Nail Polish:
appliers – Flair – Marketplace
Skin Worn:
Emma – Nuve
Sienna Tone – Velour
Head and Body BOM Layers:
Noah Brows – Nuve
Mesh Worn:
Sega Long Sleeve, Semi Denim Baggy Jeans – PARE
Judy Wedge Mules – Scum Babes @ The Vault 2024
Hair Worn:
Lover – Lamb
Accessories:
Dane Anime Muffies – PARE
Bally Bag – David Heather
-
The Vault – Having a Pearla
Trust me the title is a good thing in Australia. It just means having a good time, but in this case, it also means I am adorned with jewels of the sea. I lucked out with Sparkle Skye releasing her Emily headband this just gone weekend, the full version comes with the double, the single and bows on the sides versions in both single and double, with texture change pearls and bows options, depending on what packs you buy. Against this silvery grey hair by Lamb it was just perfect, and I love the witchy style, with its shorter than usual bangs, that just make it pop. Then Yummy released a bumper set of incredible beachy themed boho earrings, which as a Pisces I had to log in just to get them. I am wearing the Bubbles version, so they are just cascading pearls, and they are lovely, so are all the others in the set, you need these for Summer and all the other fishy seasons.
Bliensen + Maitai created this necklace called Milkyway for The Vault and with a bit of editing, I was able to get all the pearls very close in colours. The Sparkle and Yummy versions had huds, and were all mod, actually all three items are mod, so I was able to tweak everything as needed, isn’t that just the best news.
The Umbrella and Horns are also The Vault items, and I really liked the idea of a darker look with these very girly items. The umbrella is very cool and has different settings of holds, so that it can be more covering or tilted back enough to still see how fabulous you look. It has a colourful animated gem at the bottom of the handle, but I tinted that black, modify permissions are AWESOME! The horns are also amazing, and they have a real bone feel to them visually…again I know what that means in my head, you will just have to take my word for it until you get yours.
You can see more great Blogger looks for The Vault HERE and visit the event HERE.
Credits:
Equipment Used
VR Studio and HUD and Library for location shoots – VR Foundry Marketplace
LeLutka Axis HUD Face – LeLutka
Poses & Props by :
!Bang Poses
Body Parts
Body :
Reborn – EBody
Head:
DollNose, BabyLips, RoundEyes, TriangleHead, Genus Morph – Genus
Nail Polish:
appliers – Flair – Marketplace
Skin Worn:
Emma – Nuve
Sienna Tone – Velour
Head and Body BOM Layers:
Emma Brows, Cotton Underwear – Nuve
Cairo Eyeshadow – AlaskaMetro
Mesh Worn:
Fantasie Dress – Blume
Hair Worn:
Witchy – Lamb
Accessories:
Emily Pearl Headband Double – Sparkle Skye
Beachy Boho Earrings set – Bubbles – Yummy @ The Warehouse sale event
Milky Way Pearl Necklace – Bliensen + Maitai @ The Vault 2024
Demon Horns – Danger @ The Vault 2024
Cute Lace Umbrella – Web Dew @ The Vault 2024