belleza

Moth, Butterfly, and Torchbug

Posted on August 5, 2015 Updated on August 8, 2015

The inspiration for my title today comes from a gorgeous piece of music I had the fortune to stumble upon from the Elder Scrolls Online soundtrack, a game I’ve not yet played, although I’m a tremendous fan of the single-player RPGs in the Elder Scrolls series. And in like kind, my look reminds me of something I might have loved to wear in Skyrim, or perhaps in another favorite RPG of mine, Dragon Age. Rather than slaying beasts today though, I’m charming them! These lovely butterflies at the gorgeous Calypso Dream sim seem to be quite interested in me, at least!

Please click for full size.

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Style
* Wings / Che Bella | Seed of Inspiration – Moth’s Treasure (6 wing colors in HUD) | Gacha Item from The Gacha Garden, through August 22nd
* Mask / Spyralle | Forest Edge Mask (4 metals & 6 leaf colors in HUD) | Illusion Point Event, through August 18th
* Jewelry / Cae | Sebastian Necklace & Earrings (3 metal colors, 10 pearl colors & 10 gem colors in HUD) | Illusion Point Event, through August 18th
* Dress / Les Encantades | Chiara Dress – Olive | Illusion Point Event, through August 18th
* Feet / KC Couture | Diana Jewels (Maitreya Mid & High, Belleza Mid & High, Slink Mid & High feet)

Poses & Destination
* Kirin / Sitting Pretty Pose Pack – Pose 5 | Kustom9 Event, through August 10th
Location / Calypso Dream

With the exception of my twinkly toe jewels, everything in my style today may be found at a fashion event, three of them from the fabulous Illusion Point which is on through August 18th. From Les Encantades, I’m wearing the dreamily draped Chiara Dress, and I just fell in love with this warm, leafy green color with its golden accents. And speaking of all things leafy, how lovely is this face mask by Spyralle? I’m delighted with how perfectly it fits, and the included HUD offers 4 metals and 6 beautiful leaf colors to choose from. Also from Illusion Point is the utterly charming Sebastian jewelry set by Cae, which features a delicate crab in 3 changeable metal colors, with 10 gorgeous pearl options and 10 jewel tones for its wee little eyes.

Another wonderful event exclusive is from Che Bella and it’s the Moth’s Treasure Wings, which may be found at The Gacha Garden. Much like the recent Epiphany event, The Gacha Garden has a really unique twist to its gachas: once you’ve pulled 20 times on a single machine, you are guaranteed an ultra-rare item – a “Seed of Inspiration” – that will be retired forever after the event. To learn more about how the event works, and to see the truly exceptional list of event designers and sponsors, be sure to visit The Gacha Garden website!

I also have to mention how much I adore this rich magenta/plum lipstick by Nova Bodyshop, which may be found at Totally Top Shelf. I think this is my favorite Nova lipstick so far: it fits my pouty lips just perfectly, and the shade is striking without being too deep. Perfect! And as always with Noctea’s wonderful cosmetics, the Grace lipsticks come with a wide range of appliers, which I’ve listed in the credits above. I’m also using a pose from the excellent Sitting Pretty Pose Pack by Kirin, which may be found this month at Kustom9. Sitting poses that work well with mesh clothing can be a bit tricky, I’ve found, and the options in this pack are really lovely. I’m sure I’ll be turning to them often in the future!

One last thing to mention is how truly lovely the Calypso Dream sim is; I’ll be visiting here all the time for picture-taking opportunities, I just know it! Many thanks to the gracious Manis Lane for offering her sim to the public for exploring and photography! ♥

This entry was posted in Second Life Fashion and tagged ACD, avi-glam, belleza, cae, calypso dream, che bella, glam affair, illusion point, KC couture, kirin, les encantades, maitreya, nova bodyshop, ricielli, second life, SL, spyralle, the gacha garden, totally top shelf.

Blue Belle

Posted on July 4, 2015 Updated on July 5, 2015

Happy Independence Day to all of my lovely American friends! And for those who live outside of the USA, happy 4th of July anyway because it’s Saturday and that’s always a time to celebrate! Unless you’re one of those fancy Australian peeps who lives in the future, where it’s Sunday already. In that case, I really wish you’d get around to divining my lottery numbers so I can afford to buy out the delicious sales and events going on this month!

Speaking of which, an amazing number of brands are having special sales this weekend (some extend through the end of July; dates are included below). This is by no means all of the holiday sales, but these are all the ones I had bookmarked, spied on Flickr, or received as notecards in-world. Don’t blame me if you’re absolutely broke by Monday!

❖ Ariskea – 50% off everything, through July 15th
❖ Black Tulip – 50% off pose sets, couples & groups; through July 5th
❖ BYRNE – 50% off everything, through July 5th
❖ ColdLogic & Fate – 50% off everything, through July 5th
❖ Dark Passions & Koffin Nails – 40% off (excluding gachas and discounts), through July 17th
❖ Du Jour – 50% off everything, through July 11th
❖ Fetch – 50% off everything, through July 31st
❖ Heydra – 40% off everything and free VIP group join, through July 5th
❖ HollyHood – 50% off everything, through July 29th
❖ LOULOU&CO – 50% off everything, through July 13th
❖ mpc. – 50% off all accessories, through July 5th
❖ Nantra – 50% off all pose sets, through July 5th
❖ Petite Mort – 30% to 50% off everything, ends July 6th
❖ Pin Me Down – 50% off everything (including gachas), through July 5th
❖ Rowne – 50% off flash sale, end date unknown
❖ Salt & Pepper – 50% off everything, through July 5th
❖ YumYums – closing sale ($L25 and up), through July 31st

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I may be missing the red and white from my look today, but I’ve definitely got the blue covered! This lush, chic dress is by db Dollz and is exclusive to The Showroom event through July 11th. It comes in six colors, and I was head-over-heels for the rich, sapphire blue tone. Blue is my favorite color, and I just don’t wear it often enough in-world, which is an inexcusable crime! The soft ruching is a lovely detail, and I have to adore a dress that can easily be dressed up or down, and is both sexy and chic. All of the rawrs! ♥

My sweet accessory is another event exclusive: the Ribbons & Pearls necklace by Secret Love may be found at the FAD Fashion Event through July 25th. As always with Faylinn’s lovely designs, you have several metal, ribbon and gem colors in the HUD to choose from. My eyes and nails are two free Marketplace finds from TSM and By Snow, and I love the pops of purple to compliment the blues. I’m sure with that, my lavender-loving friend Holly will insist that I’m once again attempting to be an enabler, but my only response to that is: “What do you mean attempting?” /me grins cheekily

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My prop is by Something New Poses n’ Props, and is specifically designed to show off shoes, which I just love! I’m using a built-in pose in my 1st pic, and the pose in my 2nd pic is by Signature Pose and is exclusive to the My Slink Obsession event, which kicks off on July 5th. Between all the ongoing and upcoming fashion events, and the weekend and month-long sales, you’ll have the perfect opportunity to offset a frenetic holiday with a heapin’ dose of retail therapy!

One final thing to sneak in: today is the final day to check out the unique, creative, dazzling builds at the Second Life Community Celebration sims. If you need some guidance on the not-to-be-missed exhibits, please visit my SL12B Event Roundup, the official SL12B website, or the Flickr photo pool for inspiration! Me, I’m off to collapse into bed and get a nice rest before the day’s festivities. Have a wonderful weekend, one and all! ♥

Poses
* Pose 1 / Something New Poses n’ Props | Stairway to Shoes – Prop & Pose #1
* Pose 2 / Signature Pose | Ade – Pose 002 | My Slink Obsession Event, through July 22nd

This entry was posted in Second Life Fashion, Second Life Freebies and tagged ACD, alaska metro, arte, belleza, by snow, db dollz, FAD fashion event, fri., magika, maitreya, my slink obsession, second life, secret love, seventy-5, signature pose, SL, something new poses, the showroom, TSM.

Sure That Star Can Twinkle

Posted on June 17, 2015 Updated on July 24, 2015

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When I was around 12 or so, my mom surprised me by purchasing an shabby, well-loved upright piano from a local seller in the newspaper. It arrived by the grace of a moving truck and the combined efforts of several people, and I remember feeling rich for the first time in my life. Though it had only cost a nominal $50 or so – the family really just wanted the convenience of having someone else move it from their home – to me it felt like a luxury, almost a monument. That piano had substance and took up space in the world; it was an instrument of creation and creativity, and it became the one thing in the world that felt like it was mine alone.

Mom signed me up for the most affordable lessons we could find; $8 paid to a fading jazz pianist at a local music store who started me down the same staid path that every dutiful young student was expected to take. But I was a cherry-topped chanteuse who fancied herself to be the next Tori Amos, all passion mixed with fiery angst, and none of this “First Year Piano for Beginners” nonsense. My interest in music waxed as the lessons waned, and for hours I sat pressed with my ear against a boombox balanced precariously upon the piano ledge, picking out Tori tunes by ear and belting them out with equal fervor.

We lost the piano when I was 15 and had to move, and I was heartbroken. I’d sneak into abandoned practice rooms at my high school and college, playing from ear and memory, but it was never quite the same. To this day, any time I come across a shabby old upright, faded with the patina of time and players past, I grow wistful with fond, faraway childhood memories. My heartfelt thanks to Asa Vordun and her gorgeous L’Arc en Ciel region for giving me a moment’s repose to lose myself in lovely thoughts once more.

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I’m honored to have been invited to blog for My Closet, My Choice Store (MMC), and I paired the sleek and wonderfully fitted Vany Pants with the Sara Sweatshirt, a VIP group gift from Suicidal Unborn. Shae showed off the Kitty version of the sweatshirt last month – in fact, I think she may have been wearing it when we bumped into each-other on the grid for the first time! – and when I picked it up, I was thrilled to find the gorgeous galaxy print in the HUD.

MMC’s unisex Real Collection Glasses were just what I needed to shield me from the gloriously setting sun at L’Arc, and they can be found either as a group gift or for only L$1 on the Marketplace. I’m so happy when creators offer their group gifts on the MP; it’s a wonderful kindness for those who may be out of group space but would still like to sample a brand’s products.

Quality shoes for system feet are difficult to come by these days, so when I spied the indigo pumps with a soft dapple of stars in the I’m a Blue Princess outfit at Cotton Candy Monster, I had to snatch them up! I was at the store tagging a Midnight Mania board on the suggestion of a member of the SL Frees & Offers group, and was dazzled at the kawaii clothing and incredibly affordable prices at CCM. Lots of lovely items to be found there!