Skin Fair: Amacci, Cupcakes & Huit
Today is the last day of Skin Fair! Fortunately for shoppers, most of the skins you see at Skin Fair will be available in the creator’s stores soon enough. Here’s a final look at three brands that offered new goodies for this event.
Amacci
Amacci’s Rayna, showing 1 bare skin and 5 makeups out of the 12 available.
Amacci’s owner tirelessly worked on a new skin right to the opening of the event – that skin is Rayna and it is stunning! Swedish designer Carina Larsen was inspired to create a Mediterranean skin, which resulted in the release of two new skin tones. Rayna is available in three tones (Pearl, Olive, and Terra) and twelve different makeup styles. Rayna looks warm and exotic, but is versatile enough to represent a vast range of cultural backgrounds. For example, although Rayna is Mediterranean inspired, she was featured on this post about “skins with oriental vibes”. What I like about Rayna is how she has strong facial features, but she never crosses the line where a skin is too bold or sexy to style in any manner you want. Rayna is just the right amount of sexy, with a beautiful body to match. Another cool feature is that Carina include a soft mouth corner option for avatars that need a softer, happier look. Amacci is located on Skin Fair Sim 1, in the center landing platform.
Cupcakes
Cupcakes Dreamboat in Pale, Medium, and Tan
I don’t often review male skins, but Cupcakes‘ Dreamboat makes it easy! Dreamboat comes in three tones: Pale, Medium, and Tan. For 900, each skinpack comes with different brow options on skin, tattoo hairbases, tattoo facial stubble, and tattoo body hair. What I like about this skin is the variety of add-on options you can buy to customize your male avatar. There’s a bunch of facial hair options from meatly trimmed goatees to full blown, rugged beards. There are also makeup options, and a mish-mash of miscellaneous looks, such as an injured face and a tired face. Cupcakes is on Skin Fair Sim 2 on the south side.
Huit (Freebie)
HUIT Skin Fair 2013 Gift
If you haven’t stopped by the Huit booth in the last few weeks, do so now. In addition to the beautiful new release of Manon, Huit has a FREE skin out and it’s adorable. The gift skin has a sweet, youthful face, combined with a glamorous body. What I like about this skin is that there is a smooth transition between the color and of the face and the body, and the bare face is good for layering makeup tattoos. Huit is located on Skin Fair Skim 2, on the east side.
RMK Bunny Hunt Prize Guide
This is the last weekend for the RMK Bunny Hunt! The sim is a gorgeously built wonderland. The game play is fun and innovative. The fantastic prizes are FREE. The creators put a lot of thought into fun details, like entrance of the sim where you crawl through a door and fall past floating teacups to land in wonderland. I had a really good time and was able to collect to all 25 available prizes. It’s not too late to grab these fantastic prizes too.
Check out the Bunny Hunt Blog for directions in several languages. After you land in wonderland, find a prim bunny and follow it. When it randomly drops a ticket, buy it for $0 and take it. Wear the ticket and TP to the participating store (listed here) to collect your prize. You can also trade tickets on the sim in the Ticket Trading Area or in the RMK group via group chat.
Here’s my completed prize gallery to help with hunting and trading. I’ll be giving out my extra tickets this weekend, and I think many others will be doing so as well.
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- #01 Likka House Bunny Outfit
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- #02 WTG Prim Nails
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- #03 Dimbula Rose Alice Dress
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- #04 1mm Peplum Dress
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- #05 Blue Blood Drink Me Dress
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- #06 Curious Kittes Bunny Avatar
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- #07 Ambrosia Rabbit Dress
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- #08 Wretched Dollies Dress
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- #09 La Petite Fleur Furniture
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- #10 World End Garden Dress
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- #11 NuDoLu Blue Sweater
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- #12 NV Tartan Pants
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- #13 Chocolate Atelier Dress
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- #14 Sheep Door Pants/Necklace
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- #15 Dreaming Maiden Outfit
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- #16 SOUP Rabbit
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- #17 Down Down Down Book
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- #18 RMK Cheshire Outfit
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- #19 Tomoto Kimono
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- #20 Air Collar and Cuffs
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- #21 Lomomo Dress
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- #23 Galette Cat Outfit
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- #24 Sakide & #25 Theater Chain
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- #26 RoA Eat Me Lingerie
Further coverage: Duh Store, Tickle Me Tummy, Neo, Tarnished Bluebird, Fab Free, Devin Vaughn, Free Style, Ami Tamura, Suvi Breil, Emirun. Thanks to the Bunny Hunt staff and the stores for a creative and thoughtful hunt.
Skin Fair 2013: Tokyo Girl
Another reason to go to Skin Fair 2013? So you can see the best East Asian skins on the grid. My heritage is 100% southeast Asian, I was raised in a very diverse part of the US, and I struggle to find a brand that reflects all various Asian faces I see in my life. There are many fine, quality Asian-influenced skins out there, but in my humble opinion, Tokyo Girl does the best job of creating realism, originality, and a connection to Asian culture. Circe Ishtari does this by including facial features beyond the stereotypical crease-less eye and by adapting faces to match the current beauty trends in China, Japan, South Korea, and so on. Tokyo Girl has been around for 3-4 years, beloved by many, and it keeps getting better.
Tokyo Girl Amelia in Natural (middle tone)
Amelia is one of two new skins debuting at Skin Fair. Amelia is the more versatile of the two. Think Ayumi Hamasaki or Kristen Kreuk – Amelia shows her heritage, but she also has a commercial beauty that works in various areas of the world. Things I especially like about this skin: (1) the way it just melts onto my face seamlessly without awkward shadows on the nose or lips that don’t follow the mouth corners – no shape alternations needed; (2) how the ashy gray undertones reflect the real undertones of foundation makeup and bb creams by brands like Missha, Innisfree, Skin Food, and Skin 79; and (3) it is an exceptional base skin that is perfect to add makeup tattoos on.
Tokyo Girl Miru in Fair (second lightest)
While Amelia is the commercial, popstar beauty, Miru is the distinctive, local beauty. Miru really impressed me because she looks outstandingly human – she looks like a few people I’ve known personally in real life, and a few that I have seen in the city when I was traveling in the Tokyo suburbs. Take note of the eye fat on this skin. Called “aegyo sal” in South Korea, those puffy eyes are a symbol of youth and general cuteness, similar to dimples. It’s considered a charming feature and it’s not uncommon for a girl to be complimented for her puffy eye fat over there. Miru’s shading also creates a bit if a v-shape chin, which is a popular contouring goal. Lastly, the Miru skins have milky, gray-olive undertones, which reflects the bb cream undertones in popular Japanese makeup brands like Kanebo or Hadalabo.
My pictures really don’t do the skins justice, so I suggest heading down to Skin Fair and trying these out for yourself. Tokyo Girl is on Sim 2 in the southeast corner. Check out Tokyo Girl’s official blog for more information, as well as excellent reviews by follow bloggers Dana Tan, Villena Inglewood, Smiley Orc, Madeline Zenfold, Hump Muffin, Victoria Lenoirre, and Multimuse.
Credits
On Amelia
Hair: Clawtooth – Victim of Love in Coffee Cream, Collabora88, $188
Eyes: Insufferable Dastard – Glimmer Contacts in Gray, Dec Arcade, $25
Top: Ducknipple – Fuston Top, Pink Fusion Hunt, $5
Jeans: Deetalez – Mesh Skinny Jeans in Dusty Rose, Pink Fusion Hunt, $5
Shoes: Gos – Sophia Peeptoe in Tan, $795
On Miru
Hair: Truth – Crys in Honey, Fameshed, $200
Eyes: Insufferable Dastard – Glimmer Eyes in Amber, Dec Arcade, $25
Outfit: R2 Fashion – Tunktop Mini Onepiece in Red, old Collabora88, $88
Feet: Gos – Bare feet in Arched, $595
Location: Neva River http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Neva%20River/226/210/41 – which is hosting a photography contest
Skin Fair 2013: Essences’ Clover
Why should you head down to check out Skin Fair 2013? Because there is a plethora of new skins from top notch designers making their debut at this event. What a great way to update your skin inventory! Today, I’m showing Essences’ Clover, available in 8 skin tones. The big Essences booth is located on Sim 1, in the middle area near the entrance area.
Essences Clover in Sunkissed
A few things I like about this skin:
- Strong Brows – Clover has lovely Camilla Belle-esqe eyebrows. It makes for a very bold look, but still can be used in a soft, natural manner as well.
- Pouty Lips – These lips look soft and kissable, with the perfect amount of definition for the cupid’s bow and bottom lip.
- Photogenic – The more that I amped up my graphics setting, I more I realized this skin photographs extremely well. It is one of the most photogenic skins in my closet right now.
Clockwise from upper left: Clover make-up 02, 03, 05, and 04
Credits
Skin: Essences Clover in Sunkissed, $1500 @ Skin Fair
Hair: Truth Video Games in Light Brown, $100 @ The Arcade
Eyes: Insufferable Dastard Glimmer Contacts in Brown, $25 @ The Arcade
Teeth: LAQ Parted Lips, $150
Dress: Sysy Valentines Day Gift, $0 Group Gift
Location: Izzies
Skin Fair 2013 Preview: Adam n Eve’s Maha
Skin Fair 2013 is upon us and I’m previewing a really fabulous ethnic skin – Adam n Eve’s Maha, which is premiering at this event.
Maha Skin T1 in a warm windlight.
Sachi Vixen was inspired to make this skin by a desire to create a versatile ethnic skin that could reflect African heritage or a wide spectrum of Islander origins. Ms Vixen’s appreciation for diversity is well reflected in the inventory of her store – Adam n Eve boasts an impressive collective of handmade skins representing various cultural groups across the globe, with equally diverse set of names to hint at the skins’ intended look. It all makes sense when you realize that Sachi’s hometown is London, UK – a significantly large, urban melting pot – like her store.
Maha Skin T1 in a cool windlight.
Here are some of the things I liked about this skin:
- A lot of good tattoo options. Kudos to Sachi for knowing that not all women want huge boobs all the time. Maha comes with both cleavage enhancers and de-ehancers, in addition to the appropriately size default breasts. Other great tattoo add-ons are freckles, dimples, and bare option for your eyes’ waterlines.
- Well-coordinated makeup. As woman of Southeast Asian descent, my lips are warm and dark. Those candy pink lipstick shades in magazine don’t work on me. Maha’s lipsticks are mostly warm berry shades that are completely realistic and complimentary for this type of skin. Furthermore, the eyes, cheeks, and lips on each makeup option work in harmony. Sachi didn’t just slap on random colors in a mix-n-match manner. In Tequila, the soft peach blush matches the coral lips. In Scarlet, the light smokey eye matches the dramatic red lip. In Gold, the nude lip is partnered with a bronze taupe eye. It all works well together.
- A nice butt. Not pictured here, but Maha has a seriously nice booty. It’s plump, flattering, and natural.
Left to right: Bare, Cranberry, Gold
Left to right: Mulberry, Scarlet, Tequila
Skin Fair 2103 is opening to the public on March 15, 2013. Adam n Eve’s booth is located on Sim 1 in the northeast corner; the Maha skin comes in 4 skintones (I’m wearing the lightest) and is premiering at the event with two non-ethnic skins, Isabella and Bethany.
Credits
Skin: Adam n Eve – Maha in T1 (Skin Fair), L$949
Hair: Elikatira – Spark in Brown 4
Eyes: Insufferable Dastard in Soulful Honey Dark, L$150
Teeth: LAQ Parted Lips and TULI Parted Lips, L$150 and L$0
Swimsuit: Kyoot – Swimsuit in Kekova, L$90
Feet: Gos Boutique – Barefeet Arched, L$595
Skin Fair 2013 Preview: A.E.Meth’s Mesh Doll
Skin Fair 2013 is coming soon! For those of you who are not just skin addicts, but also fans of mesh heads, you’re in for a treat. Snow Rabbit is debuting a new mesh head with a lot of sophisticated features, and LOGO has a big store set up as well. My personal favorite of the mesh offerings: A.E.Meth’s Mesh Doll.
A.E.Meth’s Mesh Doll in Neo Machina
This creative avatar comes with a re-sizable mesh head (use it for your petites!), a skin, a modifiable shape, and an outfit. The outfit is a pink dress with matching pumps and a wind-up key for the back of your doll. ADORBS. You can see the outfit in the pictures below. Six eye options are scripted into the head. And oh hey Gospel Voom fans, all the A.E.Meth Doll skintones are already part of the Gos Boutique One Match Skin System!
Left to right: Green, Gray, and Blue Eyes
Left to right: Brown, Violet, and Closed Eyes
Furthermore, Aemeth Lysette – creator of the a.e. meth brand – is one of the coolest people you will ever meet in Second Life. She is an artist from the United States, a local of both Detroit and Houston. Aemeth’s artwork has already been featured in New World Notes and her Aemy Says blog is full of fascinating content. I need to start saving up for a commission! Aemeth’s inspiration for the Mesh Doll project was Ghost in the Shell (a must see for cyberpunk fans), hand painted dolls, and the masks that she creates in real life.
The Mesh Doll is a striking concept to me because it both practical and meaningful. It is practical because the hybrid nature of the avatars allows people to enjoy the novelty and ease of a mesh avatar, while still allowing personalisation with one’s own clothes, hair, and so on. It’s meaningful because its creation is commentary for the virtual world. Are Second World avatars like mythical gollums – where human beings sacrifice the time they could spend in real life to transfer their essence into a fictional symbol of ourselves? Are Second Life avatars like the androids of cyberpunk – originally disregarded as objects, only to surprise us with their increasing realism, blurring the lines between what is real and fake? I love that this idea gets people asking such questions.
Skin Fair 2103 is opening to the public on March 15, 2013. Aemeth’s booth is located on Sim 2; the Mesh Doll (“Doll Hybrid Mesh Avatar”) is a new item premiering at this event, along with a mesh cat avatar (“Bad Kitty Avatar”) as well.
The A.E.Meth store at Skin Fair 2013
Credits
Skin, Head, Shape, Outfit: A.E.Meth – Doll Hybrid Mesh Avatar in Fair (new at Skin Fair), L$950
Hair: Milana – Tami in Sand (1st picture), Golden (2nd/3rd picture), L$245
First Picture only
Dress: The Secret Store – Danae in Coral L$225
Socks: The Secret Store – Tights in Zebra, L$35
Shoes: Lethal Couture – Amen Distress Boots, L$0
Pose: Marukin – Gentle Light, L$25
Location: Neo Machima
The Newbie’s Guide to The Arcade
The success of The Arcade is a testament to power of gambling. Gatcha machines have you pay one for a random item each play. The thrill of an unknown result is what you’re really paying for. The fun of hunting down an elusive item afterwards is what gives the item value. This is my first Arcade event and I was impressed by the mini-subculture (new word?) that popped up in the just the last half year.
The SLebrity world is already well versed in the art of gatcha grinding at the Arcade. But for those newcomers like myself, here’s a quick guide to the basics.
Going gaga over Gatchas at The Arcade
1. Scope out the goods beforehand
Both The Arcade Shopping Guide and SeraphimSL have extensive galleries that tell you exactly what is available, the price, and (usually) prize charts. Furthermore, The Arcade SL FLicker Group is booming with photos showing the gatcha prizes, especially of participants in The Arcade Photography Contest.
2. Go to The Arcade with a plan
Recognize that the first week is the hardest. The sim will often be full, so come with as few attachments and scripts as you can bear. Grab any demos that you need before your viewer crashes. Lastly, if you get an item you really like, screenshot it. Without a screenshot, there’s no way a creator can resend you an item in the event of a delivery error. It helps to be prepared.
3. Join the group: The Arcade – Gatcha Events
Trading is wonderful part of gatcha culture. These items are transferable. So join the Arcade Gatcha Event group and use their group chat to find what you’re looking for. You can also give away or trade away your extras via chat. This group is very active and friendly, so don’t be afraid to jump in.
4. Make a list of your haves/wants online
If you’re going to trade a lot of items, make a web-based list of your items, as well as your wishlist. Then, paste that link in the Arcade Group for trading. It’s a lot easier than posting your long list in the chat box every time, and some people will bookmark your list. And please, put your SL name on your list! Don’t lose a potential trade due to a lack of contact information.
5. Check out the flea markets
You’re not getting an item you badly desire, and you don’t have millions of Linden dollars to spend. When times get desperate, maybe you should head to the yard sales. Yard sales and flea markets are areas where people sell their gatcha items. A public yard means that anyone can rez items for sale; a private yard means that all the items belong to one person or group of persons. I like the Red Barn Flea Market and Garbanzo Yard Sale for the sheer amount of stuff. I love the organization of the Little Wonders/Pixel Homes Yard Sale where they have carts by brand – if only all yard sales did that! Pick up Lex’s Yard Sale HUD for a big list of various yard sales.
6. Have fun and share!
Everyday, there is someone in the trading group giving away items. What a great idea! If you have so many extras that they’re just going to rot away in your inventory, why not share them with others for free? You never know – that item could make its way to a new resident in SL and be a part of the early Second Life adventure.
I live a simple Second Life and I am fortunate to never run into any drama. If you do love drama though, I hear Iris Ophelia’s article “The Arcade’s Latest SL Event Soured by a Virtual Property Rights Drama Blowout” is a good place to start looking at the different perspectives surrounding this event. Until next time, good luck with your Gatchas!
How to Style Bare Feet #1
I love going bare foot, both in real life and second life. Until real life loses the risk of injury, I’ll have to live out my comfortable lifestyle sans shoes in second life with great bare feet from brands like Gos, Slink, Love Soul, and more. And after you get those mesh bare feet attachments, the question is, “With what do I wear these?” My answer: Anything! This is your Second Life. Do what you want. For the more pragmatic types, I have a ton of reasonable ideas for bare foot outfits as well. First up is Bohemian Style.
Go bare foot, boho-style.
For those who are cautious, there’s nothing better than a maxi dress to ease you into the look, slightly covering the feet, while still being suitable for public wear. This long maxi dress (also styled at My SL Look) is a steal at L$40, compared to the original L$300 price tag. I added a leather watch to match the leather belt. Throw in some whimsical accessories with a loose, casual hairstyle and you’re a modern flower child. Check out Pixel Pantomime/Virtually Vanilla‘s awesome take on this hippie style (with bare feet too!).
Close up.
Credits
Skin: Lara Hurley – Joelle, L$0
Hair: TRUTH – Hollana in Honey, L$88
Dress: Auxiliary – Summer Sun Dress in Noon, L$40 TDRF/$300 normal
Feet: Gos Boutique – Mesh Feet Arched, L$595
Earrings: Undefined Lillies – Petting Zoo, L$99
Watch: Muse – Classic tank Watch in Caramel
Flower: Artilleri – Lilium Longflorium
Eyes: Insufferable Dastard – Shades of Brown #6, L$75
Lips: LAQROKI – Parted Lips in Pale, $150
Pose: Croire – Flamingo, L$15
Shape: Custom
Location: Hazardous @ Misali (See Inara Pey’s blog for more on this sim)
Splurge, Spend & Save: Room Dividers
Splurge, Spend, and Save is a series where I show three options for a particular item: an expensive but high quality option, a mid-ranged balanced option, and a free or almost free option. Today, we are looking at room dividers for your Second Life home, an extremely useful item for separating living areas.
Splurge
Empty In Between
Floorplan, Empty In Between Room Divider, 3 LI, $150
With three built-in changeable textures, this divider translates easily into light, dark, and neutral decoring schemes. I really liked the cute chalkboard doodles. It also stands out because it folded into a zig zag shape, as opposed to a U-shape, which makes it easier to place – use it to divider an area equally, or section off a private corner. Taxi to Floorplan.
Alternative: Dutchie Indonesian Folding Screen, 1 LI, $198
Spend
Prouve Dressing Screen
POST Prouve Dressing Screen, 3 1LI, $50
A delightful Fifty Linden Friday find, this screen has 6 built-in textures available and nice peek-a-boo windows. You can change all screens, or alternate textures between the center and the wings. Neat! Unfortunately, the FLF special is over, but you never know what could turn up each Friday! Taxi to POST.
Alternative: BAZAR Arizona Privacy Screen, 1 LI, $50.
Save
Color Me
Nordari Color Me Room Divider, 10 LI, $0
What a fantastic gift to their customers. This freebie is a quality piece that can work well as a partition for a dressing area or a washing area. You can change both the wood frame and the fabric screens with several color options. The translucent options allow a little more creativity in decorating. The only price to be aid is the high prim count, at around 10-11 prims. If you can afford the land impact, go for it! To the marketplace.
Any there you have it. Three different choices, across various price ranges, for your room dividing needs. Until next time.
Splurge, Spend, & Save: Patio Furniture
Splurge, Spend, and Save is my new series where I show three options for a particular item: an expensive but high quality option, a mid-ranged balanced option, and a free or almost free option. Today, we are looking at patio furniture for your Second Life home.
Splurge
LISP Bazaar
LISP Bazaar, Serendipity Fire Set, Firepit 6LI, Chair 3LI each, $400
If you missed this at Collabor88 in January, fear not, this charming set is available at LISP’s main store now. It comes in fours choices of wood finishes. The design fits in well in various house styles, from a tropical shack to an urban balcony. The various perks you get for your dollars include various poses over the fire, a lid for the firepit, and props that rez from the chairs. Taxi to LISP Bazaar.
Spend
BAZAR
BAZAR Arizona Patio Set, Firepit 2LI, Chair 1LI each, $169
BAZAR makes amazingly detailed products while keeping the land impact extremely low. This set is perfect for home owners who are trying to save their prims without sacrificing quality. Taxi to BAZAR.
Alternative: What Next’s Mallorica Chairs and Firepit, Firepit 2LI, Chairs 1-2LI each, $125. Special sale items for this week. This set is also my personal pick for my own house. I love how the chairs dispense props and the choice of two colors. Taxi to {what next}.
Save
Al’Ol
Al’Ol Architecture Woven Chair Set, 14 prims, $0
The talented owner has generously put two free (or almost free) patio furniture sets on their marketplace, as a thank you to their customers. It comes with 5 sit poses and the fine texture work. It may be a little prim-y compared to mesh sets, but it’s a fantastic bargain when you consider that you’re getting this good-looking set for absolutely no cost. To the marketplace.
Alternative: Al’Ol Architecture Patio Set, 24 prims, $1
Any there you have it. Three different choices, across various price ranges, for your outdoor decor needs. Until next time.
Posh Packing 