SHOPPING LIKE A BOSS by Andrea Riverview

Putting together a wardrobe doesn't have to be expensive. By watching the weekend sales, joining groups and using gift card deals, you can look good and save your hard-earned linden. Of course, if you really love a designer's work, support them. Buy some things at the regular price.

Joining their group also is a benefit. Many will offer group gifts when you join, and continue to offer them if you stay in their group. Another advantage is the gift card deals they will share. You might find a 500L card for 250L, for example. Stash that away, and use it when they do a sale later.

Most of the items in this outfit came from weekend sales, like the Saturday Sale, Happy Weekend, SoKawaii Sunday, etc. They may not still be available at the sale prices.

DRESS

Dernier

"Victoria" Tux Dress in Pink

for eBody, Maitreya, Legacy, Kupra

Inworld: Sunrise Beach (64,157,1006)

JEWELRY

Michan

"Becca" Necklace in Silver

Inworld: Serene Shores (151,47,903)

HAIR

Ade

Aura Hairstyle

Inworld: Ade (124,158,1001)

HUD includes four styles, and ability to change tint on base, and strands.

SKIN

WoW Skins

Greta Group Gift Skin Evo X

Inworld: Longwood (59,126,22)

SHOES

Shoes

KC Couture

MAIA v2 Pumps

Marketplace

Marketplace: KC-MAIA-v2-Pumps-Maitreya-Legacy-Kupra-Slink-More

I couldn't find this in the store, but these shoes are still available on MP. They also include a HUD with many color choices.

MAKEUP

Velour

"Contour" Addon Collection, for various face highlights, for Lelutka eVox

Inworld: VELOUR (77,117,83)

WoW Skins

Beauty Marks

Inworld: Longwood (58,185,1602)

Koonz

Ruby Skin - Rose Kiss for LeLutka EvoX

Inworld: Serena Ambrosia (81,113,801)

BODY

Maitreya Mesh Lara V5.3

HEAD

Lelutka EvoX NOVA 3.1

Inworld: LeLutka (120,156,24)

EYES

Yoshi

Suki Lelutka Applier - Group Gift

Inworld: Full Throttle (205,105,1393)

FOURTH SHADE OF GREY by Susy Morpork

This started with a hat I saw Kathy wearing it and it was one of those items that i just had to have so i got giggle .. me bad.

Hat (Poisen Rouge Eternity Hat)

Inworld: Poison Rouge (95,223,25)

To get it to fit well I also had to take a leaf from Kathy and get this hair but the two work realty well together and you don't need to make the hat look so stupidly large to fit .

Hair is Stealthic Dice

Inworld: Rapture (106,142,106)

I have retained the choker and earing from the last outfit as this is an evolution from that 4th shade

Necklace( Vintage Choker by Rowne

Earrings Lunastra By RAWR!

Inworld: RAWR (58,195,3501)

Inworld: Caged Elegance (194,85,22)

Dress (Jodie deconstructed blazer by Ison)

Inworld: Stilast (170,123,2)

This blazer can be worn with or with out sleeves , with or with out a shirt top so again is a versatile item of clothing

Gloves (Amaya bento Gloves)

A glove that is part of a set but I adore cos of the cuff detail

Inworld: Stilast (170,123,2)

Boots(Noire boots by Remezzo)

Marketplace: Remezzo-Noire-Boots-Fat-Pack

With this outfit i kept them black but they have multiple colours and also 3 lengths

Hose again I retained from previous outfit.

So an evolution rather than a completely new outfit and the next shade is a further evolution ... hope you enjoy

susy

THIRD SHADE OF GREY by Susy Morpork

I wore this to the little black dress party on Wednesday and it created a lot of interest and was more or less told to blog it , so being the good girl (dont you dare cough or choke) I am I will do so.

Dress and hat ( Tux Dress by Rowne)

I adore the sexy formality of this dress , formal as it is a tux but sexy as it is a female take on a male item and shows a lot of flesh as well as leg.

Inworld: Caged Elegance (194,85,22)

The veil is actually a further hat buried in my hair but it again just adds thet little bit of edginess to the outfit

Violetility - cage Veil Fascinator

Marketplace: Violetility-Cage-Veil-Fascinator-Black

The hair is Soiree by Truth

Inworld: Truth (158,27,34)

Was a Vip gift, just to let you know I do often join groups to get gifts .. hayy with the shopping habit i have a girl needs all the help she can get.

Necklace( Vintage Choker by Rowne

I find this choker so versatile and can be used with so many outfits so is well worth the purchase.

Earings ( Lunastra by RAWR!)

Inworld: RAWR (58,195,3501)

These earings have become my basic worn earnings as again they go with everything.

Hose (erratic / ciri pantyhose fishnet medium)

Inworld: LE LOOK (119,121,2001)

teamed with a pair of high Platforms , a short skirt ... welllllllll legs just go on for ever and sure attracts attention .

Shoes( Erica by N-core)

again just adds to the look

Inworld: Heels (146,99,27)

So that is my third shade of grey, I admit I enjoyed putting it together and REALLY enjoyed the attention it created

Susy

MY THOUGHTS ON CREATING WHAT I THINK OF AS ART, PART 3 by Susy Morpork

In my previous 2 articles i have talked about proportion and the golden rule. In this article i want to talk about enhancements through concealers to create a totally unique look.

What I am wearing at the moment and that does not include makeup.

OK so i am excessive but I wont meet myself walking on to a sim and also each shader enhances or removes an issue with a skin, again it is my own opinion and others may totally disagree with me and think what i think of as a defect is to them a beauty plus but just as we use foundation and powder on a rl face to cover blemishes i use concealers on SL

Eye brows

I always use a skin with no brows and add either the lelutka ones from the hud or a tattoo from the likes of[Simple Bloom]...Marketplace:

Marketplace - Simple Bloom by Juno Panache again not exclusively as more and more creators are producing more and more for evox every day.

Before we go any further all my links and chat are directed towards the lelutka evox range as that is my preference and have used it since the range came out . A lot of what i say is comparable with other head ranges but the links wont be and for these articles i am sticking to what i know works

Lips

here i use two tattoos one to hide the lines around the mouth that lipstick always creates and also a cupids bow fix as often a lipstick will remove this. i add these before i add any lipstick again just to give me a totally individual look.

I use Izze Burton as she produces a great range and by using one creator you can get all the tones to be Inworld: Izzies (115,125,31)

Nose

Guess what i use concealer's here also. 3 in fact a nose shadow concealer and a nose shading Left and Right

After i have made my face which is basically what i would be doing in RL ie creating a base for make up but unlike in rl I now add freckles which is the opposite to rl as the make up base in rl tones these down but in sl if you use the concealers and freckles in the wrong order you can either completely hide the freckles tattoo or tone them down to such an extent you might as well not use them and i admit i do like my freckles .I also add a freckles to my body and my neck as not all skins come with a freckles option and even when they do there can be a gap between head and body where skin is bereft of any freckles

I was going to make a separate article about makeup but have decided against as it varies so much with each outfit and when i posting an article about a outfit in future i may add my makeup and hair choices ... will see.

I hope you have enjoyed these articles . I would reiterate that these are my thoughts based on my sl experience and in no way are set in stone or I telling someone what to do , just trying to set down some tips which I hope you find useful and are able to adapt to your own needs.

SECOND SHADE OF GREY by Susy Morpork

On my one shade of Grey i introduced you to one of my favorite tops the Lunar Vivi.

On this post I continue with that top but this time instead of a skirt I add leggings although not the Lunar ones as this is a post about just how versatile this top can be Inworld: Lunar and Friends (161,167,19)

As you can see I have opted for a green shade which just happens to go well with my ginger hair

I have teamed this top with a pair of leggings

Heidi Leggings by Riot this time in cream just to give a great contrast.

Inworld: RIOT District (126,152,2501)

The shoes are by *SBA* unfortunately no longer in existence which is a pity as she produced some wonderful shoes.

This is a very short post as it is just to show the versatility of this top and to return a bit of pressure on Eli giggle as she in local chat seemed to commit me to doing a post of every shade up to 50 giggle.

Ohh the eyeshadow is still Grey, just a differing tint.

hope you enjoy

loves

Susy

INSPIRATION FROM LITTLE DETAILS by Andrea Riverview

Hey everyone, it's amazing how little details can inspire you to put together a glam, but fun look. This one all started with a pose.

After looking through the weekend sales, and there are sooooo many, I stumbled on a great pose on the District69 page. A shop called [piXit] had this pose pack called Elle, with eight poses and cigarette holder prop. Bingo -- Jessica Rabbit.

Then I remembered a red gown in my inventory from Glitzz called Olivia (in red) -- perfectly low cut, and with gloves. Being nuts about details, I had to go back to get the Burgundy set, for the Jessica Burgundy gloves. I know, I know, but that's detail.

I had the hair from WINGSDG, the ES0308 set for blondes and reds, with many tints and a style HUD. Jessica was coming alive.

The makeup came from the basic Lelutka HUD, with HD settings. I used the bright red lips and smokey eyeshadow. The HUD also has a bunch of facial animations. I used the "Forward" anim for a sultry look.

And another small detail, that sets the look, is a beauty mark from a set at WoW skins. People way smarter than me could probably do their own, but I'm more of the "see it, buy it" crowd.

[piXit] Mainstore

Inworld: Fashion Boulevard II (71,93,1128)

Glitzz & Domina Mainstore

Inworld: Glitzz (189,182,403)

WINGSDG-HAIR

Inworld: The Sign (209,142,22)

WoW Skins

Inworld: Longwood (58,185,1602)

ONE SHADE OF GRAY by Susy Morpork

Top and bralette

Both from the same set by Lunar..... Vivi. . If you can get the mega pac do so as it also has leggings .. This pac is one i use a lot as it gives me so many combinations and the top and sweater go with so much .

Skirt

very old Mini from Maitreys

Stockings

Ciri Cuban heel stockings by Erattic Love these hose.

Shoes

Yvette by N-core an old shoe but a good style.

( be warned they are not rigged for Maitreya 5.2+ so wont alter foot size if you use a Maitreya body)

My first style card, again I only wear what I like and i know it wont suit everyones taste but if any of the links are helpful have fun. Ohh the one shade of grey ..... my eyeshadow

Susy

LM links

Inworld: LE LOOK (119,121,2001)

Inworld: Heels (146,99,27)

Inworld: Lunar and Friends (161,167,19)

Inworld: Maitreya Isle (119,133,23)

APRIL SHOWERS by Lake Mermaid

First, I want to address my change of name. Yes, I am the same Lake. When I saw the recent list of new last names available in Second Life, I could not resist "Mermaid." Who does not like mermaids? And the wordplay of pairing it with my first name amused me. So after a little over sixteen years as Lake Palen, I am now Lake Mermaid. Now on to the outfit.

According to the well known saying, "April showers bring May flowers." April has come and gone, and May, with her blossoms, is now with us.

Today's outfit combines both showers and flowers. It is composed of two articles of clothing from Neve: a sundress, April, and a jacket, Showers. April has some nice details in the lace hem and the gathered fabric with the bow tied at the top.

Showers is a double-breasted jacket with a belt tied at the waist. It is made to fit over the dress and allows the lace hem to peek out below the jacket. I have chosen purple and yellow, but each comes in a variety of colors and patterns.

Continuing the showers theme, with their clouds and raindrops, the Rain earrings and necklace that I included with my Spring Fling outfit are a perfect fit here. Of course, when rain is in the forecast, an umbrella is not amiss. This rainbow umbrella from Saraan has a few poses in the included HUD, useful for making cute photos.

For the flowers portion of the outfit, I am wearing these lovely heels, covered in tulips and pearls, from Pure Poison. I used the included HUD to match them to both the dress and jacket. Since I chose sandals instead of galoshes, I will be careful to avoid puddles in inclement weather.

Dress: Neve - Dress - April

Fits: Legacy & Perky, Maitreya & Petite, Reborn

Inworld: Neve (113,95,24)

Marketplace: neve-dress-april-fatpack

Jacket: Neve - Jacket - Showers

Fits: Legacy & Perky, Maitreya & Petite, Reborn

Inworld: Neve (113,95,24)

Marketplace: neve-jacket-showers-fatpack

Shoes: Pure Poison - Lally Sandals

Fits: Belleza, eBody, Legacy, Maitreya

These are presently available at the 11th Anniversary FaMESHed event. I am including links to the event and both Pure Poison's inworld and marketplace stores, where they will presumably be available at some point after the event.

Inworld: FaMESHed (243,176,21)

Inworld: Pure Poison District (177,71,21)

Marketplace - Pure Poison - FASHION by Shaleene Kenin

Umbrella: Saraan - We Are Equal Rainbow Umbrella

Marketplace: Saraan-We-are-equal-rainbow-umbrella

Hair: Truth - Poetry

Inworld: Truth (78,108,24)

Marketplace: TRUTH-Poetry-Hair-Fatpack

Earrings: Avaway - Rain Earrings

I purchased these at the April FaMESHed X event, which has now closed. They are not yet available at the Avaway store, but I will include a store link for future reference.

Inworld: AvaWay (202,125,14)

Necklace: Avaway - Rain Necklaces Set

Fits: Legacy, Maitreya, Reborn

The set also includes a metal choker with a cloud and a lightning bolt, which is not shown here. It was purchased at the April FaMESHed event, which has since closed, and is not yet available at the store.

Inworld: AvaWay (202,125,14)

Ring: Second Nature Jewelry (SNJ) - River Ring Gold Diamond

Inworld: Calabria (138,87,21)

Marketplace: SNJ-River-Ring-Gold-Diamond-ADD

Body: Maitreya - Lara with Petite add-on

Inworld: Maitreya Isle (131,193,23)

MY THOUGHTS ON CREATING WHAT I THINK OF AS ART, PART 2 by Susy Morpork

In my first article for the blog i talked a lot about the proportion of the body and head and the fact I used a proportional tool to help me. That section was based upon standard proportions ie the average person is 8 heads tall and each part of the body is so many head lengths. Is actually 7.5 but 8 is easier to work with .

I touched on my eyes, nose and mouth and alluded to the fact it was way more of a personal preference , there is a rule called the golden rule which lays out the mathematically perfect positioning of each component in relation to another.....way too complicated to be used in SL so I tweak and all alter until i get some thing that is pleasing to my eye.

I will attempt to explain my tweaking with the aid of some photos

.....sl head under the mesh one .... ewwww get the mesh head back on quick..... shudders

Basic head with no real thought just all in place so the proportional rig can work.

Eye spacing and size

too close together looks evil and is uncomfortable to look at ...

to far apart makes you look like an alien and again is uncomfortable to look at

too big and is out of proportion and is ohh wowww bug and

too small makes your whole face look wrong .

So it is getting a happy medium of all of those .... of course once you start working on the nose and mouth you have to alter your eyes but if you got them close to what you think is right then it is small adjustments you have to make and not large ones. With the photos i have gone to extremes to show the point i am making.

Nose the most difficult of all to get right. I have seen avas who look stunning in full frontal view but come around and look at profile

and it is OMG has she gone 12 rounds with Mike Tyson... nose is squashed over all over the place .. upper bridge too high or lower one too low and every combination in between with others the nose is too long and starts to look like Pinocchio

The nose can dominate a face and if it is not right it can totally destroy what would otherwise be a very pleasing face. For me i alter on full face, turn and look at profile and alter before returning to full frontal , almost like a potter creating some thing on his wheel and with each alteration the slider change gets smaller and smaller

mouth and mouth position

mouth position to low and it creates a very big upper lip, where the old west hung their mustaches. it also destroys the other proportions of your face, chin not deep enough .

to high and makes the nose look way to big and chin way too deep.again a very male characteristic. or rather the chin depth is.

Again it is trying to get the proportions right in relation to your face and face shape and again it is frontal . profile.. front profile until you are happy.

After all that it can still be totally wrong and this is where personal preferences come way to the fore and why i call creating an ava art as just with a sculpture or painting you create some thing that is pleasing to look at and basically is what you the creator likes.

This last stage can take me weeks and many slight alterations as i might be dancing and some part of my shape just doesn't look right so i alter and then go back to observing. I also am always looking at other avas and seeing what looks good with them and again it is what is pleasing to my eye and i often tweak my own ava as they have done some thing that i haven't thought of but would work with my shape .

This stage of creation is all very subjective but the work to my mind is worth it as lets face it a modern mesh head, body , skins and shading tattoos don't come cheap and being a Scot i like to get my monies worth out of my purchase.

The opinions in this article are my own and i know a lot of people will not agree and others will be thinking DOH i already know all that but my purpose in writing these articles is just to help others to take a fresh look at how they go about creating their avatar rather than just buying a head , body and using the default shapes which are never set up properly ... a head creator only concentrates on the head and while they do a body as well as it is part of a basic shape they don't spend a lot of time on it, just look at the hands and feet for starters.