Bare Sensual - A Happy Skin Story.

I know this green print dress from MichaMi, guest designer at The Dressing Room last week, has been on the feeds a bit but I loved it so much I had to join in too.

My post today was born from the thrill one feels when you find a new skin that you pop on and fall in love with. My thrill is always heightened when the skin is sent to me to blog or I purchase it really cheaply. I fist pump and delight in the fact that while we have our big kahuna skin barons that charge big prices, we also have a wealth of talented skin designers plugging away with amazing results. This Midnight skin from Bare Sensual found it's way in my inventory as a blogger gift with little information in the folder about the new release but a challenge to bloggers to bring them to life. The Midnight skin was my absolute favorite...retro, strong yet soft and photographs like a dream. Bare Sensual has a huge variety of skins and at such reasonable prices too. For the uninitiated, seriously, go look.

The shoes I'm wearing are called Fame Pumps from LeLutka shown here in black. You can wear just the shoes or accessorize with plain or striped knit leg warmers with color change script. The bag, a leather and wood tote in olive from +plus is a gift so go grab it before the gift horse closes its mouth.

Credit:
Skin: Midnight by Bare Sensual.
Hair base and attachment: Puka in Essence from Vanity Hair.
Eyes: Dazzling Misty Eyes by LAQ.
Lashes: Innocent lashes (smooth) by glow studio.
Dress: Green Print Dress by MichaMi.
Shoes: Fame Pumps by LeLutka.
Bag: Gift from +plus.
Earrings: Make by Brinks Lemmon (LulaLe) - no longer available.
Necklaces: Exotic by Natural Beauty (Miah McAuley).

City Glam by Sascha's Designs

The mix and match options consistently offered by Sascha Frangilli from Sascha's Designs are undoubtedly value for money when you look at these different looks I've put together from her new release outfit called 'City Glam'...yes girls.  One outfit!

Chalice was dating from one end of the globe to the other and apart from her toothbrush and undies, only had to pop the City Glam box in her carry on luggage.  She's always off the plane first because she travels First but despite priority check through, she didn't have to wait at the carousal.  Off the plane and into lover boy's arms in 10 minutes all thanks to Sascha's Designs.

SYDNEY

TOKYO

NEW YORK

LONDON

PARIS

Saying goodbye and going back to work always makes her cry.

Please note, accessories not included in City Glam package.

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The Tik Tok Rita Make Up Range

I did want to mention that in this photo set I used the wonderful Tik Tok make up combination designed by Miah McAuley for those with Viewer 2 capabilities. She has created a nude skin called Rita in various tones. To use with Rita, Miah has opened up a world of color for the lips, eye make up and even the runny mascara look that I personally love. The options are simply endless BUT despite all the choice, this entire range is excellent...like wonderful quality.  I had so much fun putting together the combination's.  Entire body care at it's very best in my opinion.  Stunning job Miah and I strongly, STRONGLY encourage you to go demo.

I'm So Excited And I Just Can't Hide It...Aimesi Skins

First of all, Happy 4th of July people of America. Big hugs.

I just couldn't wait to blog these skins. Couldn't wait I tell you. I have a job on at the moment but took a break to show you these. Mea Carnell, the designer at Aimesi selling skins, hair and fashion sent me a message asking if I would be interested in doing a wee story on one of her newly released skins, Leona. I took one look at the picture she sent and jumped at the chance. From that photo, the quality and Mea's obvious talent just oozed out at me and I wondered once again why I hadn't visited Aimesi before. Being the rock dweller that I am these days, sometimes the awesomeness of creators has to come to me unfortunately. Anyway these are some seriously brilliant skins. Brilliant enough to make me want to run back for fat packs in every style. No, I'm not that rich but I wanted to.

As I have said before, I personally would prefer to show skins somewhat differently to other wonderful skin reviewers. I not being one of the wonderful by the way. I will leave their level of critique to the initiated as I simply know what I love. And these I love!

Click for a bigger view but don't look at my boobs ok?  Promise?

Excuse the boobs but I love these nipples. ME LOVES MY NIPPLES. And I love the hands and the nails. I love the lips...so pouty and kissable. I love the bone structure of the nose and around the eyes. I'm a Leona girl and I'm not sorry.

Now I did a bit of research for this unlike my previous posts where I just show you the pics. I trotted along to Aimesi and found Leona in all her glory. There are three skin tones in this case, being Cashmere (the paler skin that I'm wearing in these snaps), Cream and Caramel. For a fat pack of 6 delicious make ups, you pay only $4000L or individually, they are $900. Exceptional for a skin of this quality in my opinion.

Please, please go and have a look see. I am giving these skins 5 nipples out of 5. Yes folks...I'm grading skins with nipples because they are very underrated part of the anatomy I feel.

I have put together the style card below but just wanted to give honorable mentions to my earrings from Simay Italian Fashion - my new favorite shop don't ya know, my dress from the amazing Casa Del Shai and this hair from Sugarcube. I have to particularly mention my eyes in these photo's. I am a serious Nany Merlin devotee of her Expressive Eyes but the darling designer at Avantgarda Creations, Rebeca Bashly, sent me the eyes you see above. I wore Blue, Inwoods and Swamp for this shoot and I must say they are fabulous. Really fabulous. So for the hard to please eye connoisseur, grab the cab and take them for a test drive. I think the white of the eye is just the most realistic color I have seen. Thank you Rebeca xx. You have got me out of my comfort eye and I'll be wearing these a lot.

Stuff:
Skin: Leona in Cashmere from Aimesi
Hair: Ketty Part Of Me Hair in Honey from Sugarcube
Eyes: From Avantgarda Creations
Earrings: Pois & Flowers Earrings by Simay Creations
Dress: La Capricclosa by Casa Del Shai
Shoes: Bare Gretta in Badseed Red by Stiletto Moody

I'd like to just take a moment to say this to other bloggers. I want you all to keep true to your blogging style. There is room enough for all of us and while we will individually have our detractors, I just love the variety and diversity we offer. I imagine you do this because you have something to say and as a means of expression...don't worry if the spelling isn't perfect or the pics aren't all that. I love you all just the way you are - make a good song that.

Inaya Skins....You Simply MUST Try Them

I just can't say this any plainer. If you do nothing when you log in, TP to Inaya Skins and try on the demo's. You absolutely must. I was contacted by Sandro Fratica in-world asking if I would be interested in featuring these new skins in my blog. Sandro is co-owner along with skin designer, Naalyeh Raleigh. I visited their store and Sandro kindly handed me a blogger package containing these new skins that had only days ago been released.

People...OMG. I am in love...LOVE I tell you and I want to share it. Only you know if you love a skin when you try it on but please, do yourself a little favor and just see if you love them as much as I do.

In my rush to get this post out, I haven't had time to show all the line but I will finish them off in a day or two. These will just have to tide you over in the meantime. I always struggle with profiling skins in respect to the pictures. I thought this would be the easiest way to show you the full length and face without overdoing it with individual pictures. These were shot in world with no post work in an attempt to give you a fair representation of the skin. If they look this good raw, imagine how they'll look with you all tarted up?

Sandro and Naalyeh you have an amazing line of skins on your hands and I simply can't wait to see it grow and prosper. I just can't express how I love these skins and will be keeping an eagle eye on all of your upcoming releases.

There are hair bases, freckles, teeth and hair attachments for sale but I recommend you just go there and try them all on.

Introducing alaskametro Skin

I love blogging. A couple of days ago Alaska Metropolitan dropped me a folder of her new skins with the brand name of alaskametro and an invitation to her launch party on June 5. Unfortunately I was unable to attend but finally got to try out the skins yesterday. Actually to be factual, the name alaskametro is followed by the 'greater than' symbol and a 3 = heart.   Unfortunately when I type this in I get an error so just pretend it's there.

I am (obviously) not a terribly good skin reviewer, unlike Gogo from JUICYBOMB.COM who does fantastic reviews on skins. In saying that, I know what I like and I like this skin. Utilizing the SL 2.0+ viewer, Alaska has created a very affordable way for us to have amazing options with the one skin. This is taken from Alaska's note card as she best describes her product:

Begin by choosing a base skin tone from the selection of semi-tintable, seamless skins. From there, up to 4 hair colours are available, with 3 eyebrow options each. A skin pack includes 1 eyebrow option, in 1 hair colour, in 1 base tone, but contains 4 variations: regular, freckled, Brazilian waxed, and freckled with Brazilian waxed.


Makeup packs are available to enhance your alaskametro<3 skin, and are modifiable to allow you to add your own tattoos, nail polish, body glitter, etc. Makeup packs use the SL 2.0 "Tattoos" layer and will NOT work in older Second Life software.

Base skin tones are currently available in 4 semi-tintable shades:
ROSE: warm, beige pinkish-toned light skin
BRONZE: warm, tanned/bronzed medium light skin
SPICE: very warm tanned medium skin
EBONY: cool-toned, very dark/African skin

Each skin tone is modifiable by up to 7% using the My Appearance sliders.

Up to 4 hair colours are available for each skin base tone: blonde, red, brunette, and raven.

There are 3 eyebrow options are currently available:
01: smooth, combed brow arch
02: elegant, natural brow arch
03: sparsely-plucked brow arch

A skin pack, sold at L$900, includes 1 skin base tone with 1 eyebrow option in 1 hair colour, but includes 4 skin files.

Follow the blog at http://blog.alaskametro-sl.com for the latest news, tutorials, and styling tips using alaskametro<3 products.

Shown here is the Rose tone with Fresh Make Up #2 (left) and Matte Make Up #2 (right).

Nice bum.

Just for the record, no PS effects have been used in these pics. I would encourage you all to go try on some demo's to see for yourself. I'm really impressed by this skin and the freckle's make it so interesting. I do think she has done extremely well with the hands in particular. Take a look at the first pic which shows them quite well.

So looking forward to seeing this brand grow.

Top and Pants: Wool Tangerine by Alb Dream Fashion
Hair: Maitreya Nimue in Natural Blond
Shoes: You got it - Maitreya
Necklace: Antique Rose by gisele
Bangles: Sugar Copper Gem Bangles by Fresh Baked Goods

Day Of The Jacket

I nominate this to be Day Of The Jacket because Sascha Frangilli's Romana jackets in black or silver are so delightfully wonderful, they deserve 24 hours of glory. First of all, they are skillfully constructed with all pieces strategically placed to allow movement without gaps. Secondly, they are REALLY smart and so chock full of exquisite detail they require very little accessorizing to achieve a slick look. One thing that Sascha's Designs is never short of is options in each folder. These jackets come with pants, shirts, jacket alternatives so you can mix n match to extend the life span of each purchase.

You can't help but notice that Sascha possesses a definite mastery with her textures and shading...I mean just look as the luster of the silver jacket.

I am in total love with Romana black and silver...beautiful work Sascha.

Hair: Paige in Swedish color by Truth
Skin: Elle in Fair Make Up 5 by Belleza
Eyes: Expressive Eyes in Grey by Nany Merlin
Nails: Red from J's
Jacket/Top/Pants: Romana in black and silver by Sascha's Designs
Hat: Poppy from Elegance Hats
Earrings: Black from UnTone
Shoes: Allure by Maitreya

LeLutka Lunacy - I Want To Beat You All Off With A Stick

Chalice is getting antsy. Ms Minnu's new Lola skin is due for release on Wednesday and Chalice is dreaming up ways to keep you all away so she can have it all to herself. What a minx that Chalice is. I've seen it on the feeds and in particular, on Ms SerinaJane Loon from the SL A Porter blog who looks simply divine. This skin would have Chalice written all over it if it wasn't called 'Lola'. I'm in love already and just know that Lola and Chalice will become firm friends. Congrats Minnu on what looks to be your crème de la crème of skins to date.

To be honest, I didn't read that bit about the Wednesday release on SL A Porter and TP'd to LeLutka like a rocket to snap them up. I tore the skin department apart with my eyes but couldn't find any sign of it. I re-read Serina's piece and there it was...WEDNESDAY RELEASE. I was so upset I had to turn on my crying animation. Feeling in a LeLutka state of mind, I went for a walk and spied the Ultra range where I found this dress. Called Dvina in Nude, I was struck by it's simplicity, timeless appeal and utter elegance of the cut.

So my darlings, in honor of Ms Palin's contribution to SL fashion and my admiration of her label, I put together this outfit which is my interpretation of the LeLutka Woman.

I do ask between now and Wednesday, if you see me camping outside the store, that you make an orderly line behind me and don't try to queue jump. I have a cattle prod and I WILL USE IT.

I've never been so excited by a release of anything like I am with these skins.  

The Look:

Skin: Eclat in Pale Make Up #5 by LeLutka
Hair: Eclat blond hair base with hair attachment #1 by LeLutka
Eyes: Expressive Eyes in Big Grey by Nany Merlin
Lashes: Photolashes by LeLutka
Nails: Gold from Natural Real Color pack by J's
Dress: Dvina gown in Nude by LeLukta (Ultra line)
Shoes: Saffron Pumps in Soft Tan by LeLutka
Hat: Cecily Art Deco Hat by Elegance Hats
Earrings/Necklace: Grey Heart from Crystal Line

Introducing Avantgarda Creations Skin

For those of you who frequent Flickr, you are bound to have seen the amazing works of Rebeca Bashly.  She is amazingly talented and a sweet, encouraging presence to those in the embryonic stages of their photography skills. Thank goodness for us, Rebeca has turned her hand to skin making and is about to launch her new enterprise, Avantgarda Creations, on Friday May 7th at 1pm SLT. In support of new designers, I would encourage you to go enjoy the entertainment, DJ Simone Peterman of Second Nights, and also check out her new Avantgarda range.

This post is picture heavy but I did want to provide visuals on all of the range from different angles. Please note that there is NO MANIPULATION of the skins in PS so these are raw photo's. Given the dramatic nature of the make up and in particular the gorgeous brows in both the Cherrie and Schatzi range, I chose to present a Vintage look to capture the glamorous aspect of these skins.

Due to skins being a very personal choice and everyone's criteria of the perfect skin is so varied, I will refrain from adding any critique only to say that I really love this look and will be wearing them for many photo shoots in the future. They are very different in that the facial features are robust and the shading on the body strong but for me, that is what makes them so photogenic. 

I wish Rebeca the best of luck with her new venture and congratulate her on the product.  It's always exciting to watch the evolution of new designers and I hope I have gone a little way to help you gain more exposure for your opening.  Thank you for sharing your skins with me and I was honored to present them. 

Chalice In Wonderland: Get Ready For Tik Tok Skins

Don't say I didn't tell you.  Remember this name....Tik Tok.

I received a lovely note card from the owner and creator of Tik Tok, Miah McAuley.  She asked if I would be interested in blogging her new skins, Leila and Bunny, along with some jewelery and accessories.  The skins arrived and after hastily unpacking, I nuded up and popped them on. Miah had said in her note card that she has worked very hard on her skins and I could tell from her words that she has passion and the hunger to see Tik Tok go far.  She told me that the skins were released in February and that her intention was to create 'amazing' skins. 

I am really very impressed.  For a relatively new skin designer, I couldn't believe her attention to detail and while I'm only showing the Bunny skin in the pale shade for this post, I will share the other skins in another post.

Miah's skins come with open and closed mouth options and while I've never been fond of my av smiling, I really like the teeth peeking through these incredibly luscious lips.  Bunny is sold in pale, tan and dark tones at a cost of $3,200L's for a fat pack of 8 skins or $600L per skin.  There is also two different options of cleavage depending on whether you want the girls dressed up or down.

Without further ado, here is Bunny in Light.  Miah also designed the gorgeous necklace and earrings shown in the pics.  This girl is talent personified and I can't wait to watch her career soar.  Please click for a better view.

I predict Miah and Tik Tok will be the next best thing.  While the shop is in it's infancy, you can't keep talent like this hidden for long.

 

Skin: Bunny Pale from Tik Tok
Hair: Joanna in Champagne from Truth
Eyes: Expressive Eyes Blue#4 from Nany Merlin
Lashes: Photoshoot from LeLutka
Necklace/Earrings: Blossom from Tik Tok
Bra/panties: Lovelace (Free Gift) from Launa Fauna
Socks: Vicki from Locke Couture
Shoes: Chi Chi in Black from Maitreya