kirin

The Great Escape

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Hello loves! I’ve been bone-deep tired the last few days, the kind of fatigue that I just can’t shake despite my best caffeine-and-cold-shower efforts. Like many of my kindred Second Life souls, I’ve some health troubles that shadow me and occasionally dull my spirits, but I do my best not to let them get the better of me. And it’s times like these that I melt more deeply into meditation, enjoying the rejuvenation that comes from a few minutes of pure relaxation. Many say that meditation can impart the feeling of flying or floating, and when I received these incredibly charming new poses from Kirin, that feeling of dreamy, floating repose is exactly what came to mind!

The Great Escape
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Look

Body / Maitreya | Mesh Body – Lara v3.4
* Skin / L’Etre | Jessica Skin – Pearl Tone | WearHouse Event, through August 28th
* Hair / Moon | Requiem Hair – Variety HUD | Uber Event, through August 23rd
Eyes / Avi-Glam | Specular Eyes – Albino | SL Marketplace
Lashes / Mon Cheri | Falsies Mesh Eyelashes – Upper
Eyeliner / Glam Affair | Couture Eyeliner No 02
* Eyeshadow / Zibska | Rona Eyeshadow – 11 (TMP appliers + system tattoo layers) | Mesh Body Addicts Fair, through August 21st
* Lips / Nova Bodyshop | Gemma Lipstick – 007 (LeLutka, TMP, Kissers, Loud Mouth, Nyam Nyam & Sweet Lips appliers + system tattoo layers) | AnyBody Event, through August 31st

Style

* Jewelry / Secret Love | Anne Necklace (11 gems, 3 pearls and 4 metal colors in HUD) | Totally Top Shelf Event, through August 22nd
* Dress / Salt & Pepper | Hippie Dress (Long / Sunrise) with Hippie Deluxe Belt (Gold) | The Gacha Garden Event, through August 22nd

Poses & Destination

Poses / Kirin | My Sweet Cloud Poses – 7 | Kustom9 Event, through September 10th
Location / The Vineyard at Checkmate

Thanks to the bevy of summertime and fantasy-themed events on the grid, there have been many gorgeous mermaid pictures to enjoy on Flickr these last few weeks. So I put my own spin on the trend, imagining myself as an innocent human damsel who was kidnapped by a nefarious merman and held in his watery lair, only to escape when a low-floating cloud came by as I was sunning myself on the rocks. Hee hee! Hey, stranger things have happened!

The wonderful items in my look today may almost exclusively be found at events – 7 different ones, to be exact! – and since that’s a very auspicious number, I don’t feel the least bit guilty about making you travel the grid to pick up all the loveliness! All of the SLURLs and details may be found in the credits above, but I do want to give a special mention to the luscious Requiem hairstyle by Moon for the current round of Uber. It covers one eye and is terrifically sexy and sultry, with Moon’s trademark wonderful textures and color options.

I’m also really impressed with the lovely Hippie Dress & Belt by Salt & Pepper, part of a lovely gacha set that may be found at The Gacha Garden. The dress is available in both long and short versions, and the set includes a matching necklace, bracelet, earrings, belt, and a special “Seed of Inspiration” item that may be received after 20 consecutive plays. For more information about the event, be sure to visit The Gacha Garden website, and keep an eye on the calendar as this round wraps up on August 22nd!

Sail Into the Sun

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Now I know what this looks like: I’m clearly not dressed for sailing, and this lil’ ship of mine is a fair distance from the shoreline, but I totally didn’t commandeer it for fashionable photography purposes, honest! Well, not purposefully; it was just floating there so innocently and enticingly off the coast of the Mesh Avenue event – how could I resist? But as you can see, my clone and I have absolutely no clue how to sail, and neither a strapping young sailor nor a randy band of pirates was anywhere to be found. So when all else fails, pose for your life! :)

Sail Into the Sun
Please click for full size.

Look

Body / Maitreya | Mesh Body – Lara v3.4
Skin / The Skinnery | Emily – Bare Face (Champagne)
* Hair / Besom | Alder – Browns HUD | Collabor88 Event, through September 6th
Eyes / Avi-Glam | Specular Eyes – Hazel | SL Marketplace
Lashes / Mon Cheri | Falsies Mesh Eyelashes – Upper
* Lips / Nova Bodyshop | Gemma Lipstick – 008 (LeLutka, TMP, Kissers, Loud Mouth, Nyam Nyam & Sweet Lips appliers + system tattoo layers) | AnyBody Event, through August 31st

Style

* Jewelry / Secret Love | Anne Necklace (11 gem colors, 3 pearl colors & 4 metals in HUD) | Totally Top Shelf, through August 22nd
* Dress / LEGENDAIRE | Jennifer Dress (4 colors/patterns in HUD; standard mesh sizes) | FAD Fashion Event, through August 25th
* Shoes / KC Couture | Miami Heels (for Maitreya, Belleza, Eve, TMP & Slink High feet)

Poses & Destination

* Left / Zomy Poses | Portrait Poses – #6
* Right / Kirin | Sitting Pretty Pose Pack – Pose 1 (v1)
Location / Mesh Avenue

An easy-breezy, simply chic look for today, thanks to the lovely Jennifer Dress by LEGENDAIRE (available at the FAD Fashion Event), which I’m especially fond of for its deeply-dipping arm and necklines, the lusciously high left-side slit, and the perfect knee-length cut. The HUD offers four unique patterns, and it comes in standard mesh sizing. The angle hides my delicate necklace more than I intended, but it’s well worth visiting the Totally Top Shelf event to see all the lovely items on offer, and if you adore Secret Love‘s jewelry as I do, be sure to stop by the mainstore where Faylinn is offering a 50% off sale on everything through August 20th!

I also want to mention my gorgeous hairstyle by Besom, which may be exclusively found at the current round of Collabor88 through September 4th. This is the must-visit event of the week, with a dazzling number of designers contributing to the 4th anniversary round of this truly wonderful shopping experience (it’s in my Top 5 favorites for sure!) The Alder hairstyle is super versatile: a touch of bombshell mixed with sleek and chic, and that perfect mid-torso length that I love so much. Getting into C88 will be tricky for at least the next few days, but I promise it will be worth it when you get there!

Apple Blossoms

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Although there are still more than six weeks of summertime left, and the place I call home in First Life will be experiencing summer-like temperatures through October and beyond, I simply cannot resist a beautiful, autumnal apple orchard. It immediately brings back memories of my New York childhood, growing up in the land of the cidery, where sun-warmed apples could be eaten straight off the tree, and the smell of freshly-baked cinnamon donuts perfumed the air with their intoxicating delights.

Apple Blossoms
Please click for full size.

Look

Body / Maitreya | Mesh Body – Lara v3.4
* Skin / Lumae | Fae 3 – Rosy Bare (Freck/GingBrow) | Mesh Body Addicts Fair, through August 21st
Hair / Moon | Common Burn – Variety HUD
Eyes / Inkheart | Emotional Eyes – Hope (S)
Lashes / Mon Cheri | Falsies Mesh Eyelashes – Upper
* Eyeliner / Nova Bodyshop | Becca Eyeliner – 002
Lips / Eyelure | Kiss Me – Peach

Style

* Headpiece / ERSCH | Flower Field Hair Accessory – Red
* Jewelry / ForeverFamous | Crystal Necklace (Lotus) – Gold | Mesh Body Addicts Fair, through August 21st
* Dress / Salt & Pepper | Lilian Dress & Bracelet | Shiny Shabby Event, through August 15th
* Shoes / Infliction | Affair Wedge (for Maitreya, Belleza & Slink High) – Faun | Mesh Body Addicts Fair, through August 21st

Poses & Destination

* Pose / Kirin | Keiko – Pose 1
Location / Nouveaux

I spied this gorgeous little apple tree patch while I was visiting the Nouveaux sim, and couldn’t resist using it as the setting for my picture today. I really adore when shopping-centric sim designers go the extra mile and beautifully landscape and decorate their sim; it truly adds something special to the experience!

I’m wearing the wonderfully feminine Lilian Dress and Bracelet Set by Salt & Pepper, which comes in 6 unique color/pattern pairings and may be found at Shiny Shabby through August 15th. And I’m continuing to be dazzled by the items on offer at the Mesh Body Addicts Fair, which includes my freckled-to-perfection Fae skin by Lumae, the delicate Crystal Lotus Necklace by ForeverFamous, and the fabulous Affair Wedges by Infliction, which come in 10 colors for Maitreya, Belleza and Slink High feet.

I’m having a lovely August so far; I hope you are as well! I’m continuing to add events to my Second Life Fashion Events Calendar, and as always if there’s an event you’d like to see added, please leave a comment on that page or drop a notecard on me in-world with all the details. And be sure to visit the new round of Colabor88 (if you can manage to get in!) as I’ve seen some of the previews and this 4th anniversary spectacular round is looking to be absolutely legendary. Enjoy! ♥

Moth, Butterfly, and Torchbug

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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!

Moth, Butterfly, and Torchbug
Please click for full size.
Moth's Wings
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Look
Body / Maitreya | Mesh Body – Lara v3.4
Skin / Belleza | Eva FLF – Sunkissed
Hair / Elikatira | Lillian – Essentials HUD
Eyes / Avi-Glam | Blissful Eyes – Clarity | SL Marketplace
Lashes 1 / ACD | Lashes – 08 | SL Marketplace
Lashes 2 / Ri | Lashes – 04 | SL Marketplace
Eyeliner / Glam Affair | Couture Eyeliner No. 02
* Lips / Nova Bodyshop | Grace Lipstick – 001 (LeLutka, TMP, Kissers, Loud Mouth, Nyam Nyam & Sweet Lips appliers + system tattoo layers) | Totally Top Shelf Event, through August 22nd

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! ♥

The Stars Are Projectors

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Welcome to August! We just had our first major rainstorm of the season last night and it was oh, so nice! It made this post even more perfectly timed, as it’s a predominantly cool color palette with rich grays and stone influences, all things that make me think of a rain-soaked city and rolling, rumbling thunder. Featuring items from Cosmopolitan, Illusion Point, Shiny Shabby and Manga Fair!

The Stars Are Projectors
Please click for full size.

Look
Body / Maitreya | Mesh Body – Lara v3.4
Skin / Essences | Aribeth Seasons 02 – Medium 01 Brunette
Hair / Little Bones | Queen – Duo Tone HUD | Group Gift
Eyes / Avi-Glam | Destiny Eyes – Grey (S) | Free on SL Marketplace
Lashes / Mon Cheri | Falsies Mesh Eyelashes – Upper
Eyeliner / Glam Affair | Couture Eyeliner No. 02
Lips / Pink Fuel | Glossy Pout Lipstick – Love (Light Tones)
* Tattoo / What 2 Wear | Tattoo W2W.0.8 – Faded (Maitreya, Belleza & Slink Appliers + system tattoo layers) | SL Marketplace

Style
* Headpiece / ERSCH | Samurai Head Piece
* Necklace / Secret Love | Goddess Necklace (4 metals in HUD) | Manga Fair, through August 9th
* Dress / Figment | Nemesis Dress – Silver/Black | Illusion Point Event, through August 18th
* Shoes / KC Couture | Onyx Platforms (Maitreya, Belleza, Eve, TMP & Slink High Feet)

Pose
* Kirin / Maki Poses – Pose 1

Decor
* Skybox / cinphul | Pluto II Skybox | Cosmopolitan Event, through August 2nd
* Bed / Little Llama | Bed Under the Stairs – White
* Candlesticks / Paper Moon / Ornate Candlesticks & Candles | Illusion Point Event, through August 18th
* Chair (Right) / 22769 – Bauwerk / Demon Chair – Stone/White Leather | Illusion Point Event, through August 18th
* Quilts / cinphul / Memaw’s Quilts – Dingy 3 (x2), Summer 4 | Shiny Shabby Event, through August 15th
Chair (Left) / floorplan | Lazy Chair for Seraphim | Past Event Gift
Star Machine / Ex Machina | Kopernikus Star Machine | Past Event Gift
Stringlights / Half-Deer / Flower Stringlights – Curved

I’ve spoken before about the uncanny trickery that designers have displayed, seemingly reading my mind and releasing something fabulous right when I was looking for it. It happened once more with this wonderful skybox by cinphul, available at the current round of Cosmopolitan. I had been using a rather bare-bones skybox I’d snagged as a freebie from the SL Marketplace, so I was thrilled to find that the Pluto II model has a really clever design that allows it to fit my tiny, rectangular 512 sqm plot perfectly. (I think it’s called a parallelogram, if my memory of grade school geometry is accurate? But I just think of it as a “slanty diamond”!) Two walls are frosted glass, whilst the others have cool-toned, rustic textures. Check it out at Cosmopolitan, but be sure to get over there by August 2nd!

For a perfect pop of color, cinphul also came through with the Memaw’s Quilts collection on offer at Shiny Shabby. There are seven unique colors/prints to choose from, and you get six varieties in each pack – from perfectly draped options to quilts specifically meant for wall-hanging. My other wonderful, event-exclusive decor items may be found at Illusion Point, and they include the striking modern-fantasy design of the Demon Chairs by 22769 – Bauwerk (available in 3 different material options – carbon, metal and stone – and the colors black and white), as well as the perfectly sleek Ornate Candlesticks & Candles by Paper Moon (6 metal colors and 7 candle colors).

My uniquely charming bed was originally showcased at the Wizarding Faire, but it should now be available for purchase at Little Llama‘s mainstore, and it’s absolutely lovely! I really wanted some pops of pure white in this room, and I think it worked out beautifully. And I was rapt to find a truly unusual item in my inventory: the Kopernikus Star Machine by Ex Machina, which I believe was an event gift from the last round of We Love Roleplay. I didn’t see it in creator Hattie Panacek’s Marketplace store, but perhaps if you sweet-talk her nicely, she’ll offer it up for sale. Really is a beautiful piece that projects a bevy of soft, rotating stars on the walls, ceiling and floor of my skybox whenever I fancy!

And you know I couldn’t go long without chattin’ about fashion! My dress was just perfect for this picture – another stroke of wonderful luck! – and it’s the Nemesis by Figment. A beautifully dipped neckline, flirty hem and a stone-like cinch at the waist and I feel like an exotic, modern goddess of thunder! I was also dazzled by the gorgeous Samurai Head Piece by ERSCH, which comes in two separate attachments so you can get a perfect alignment and fit. I wasn’t sure if perhaps it was more of a bold, editorial piece than something practical, but I wore it around as I visited several Fifty Linden Fridays stores, and I really loved watching it bob along with my walk and how striking it looked. I’ve heard that every girl needs a great piece of statement jewelry, and I suppose you could say an accessory like this one will really turn some heads! ;)

I’m off to snatch some rest before a whirlwind of Mesh Body Addicts Fair coverage begins! The event kicked off today, and will be another one that’s may be very difficult to access in the early days, but your patience will certainly pay off once you get there, believe me. Hope you saved up for this month’s events, because in the words of my lovely Aussie friends, there are some real crackers! ♥