Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Autumn!

I can't deny it any longer... it's autumn and it's high time we all took our warm gear out of the closet. Days are getting shorter, the weather is getting worse and I doubt we can pull off lightweight apparel for much longer. Seasons may not change within IMVU client, but it doesn't mean we can't get all snug in fashionable warm autumn clothes! May I present you my take on this season's fashion trends...

I'm not going to provide you with the links to my avi, head or eyebrows as they were all mentioned here before. The skin description can be found in this post. Oh, the eyes are no longer available in the catty, sowwy :( 

Hairstyle
Ok, I really like this is a hair&hat combo... ok, maybe I'm not crazy about the colour, since this is brown and not red bob & hat (slightly reddish tho, thank God!), but unfortunately neither Peng nor any other dev made a satisfactory red version. Kudos to PoppyHome for making the mesh... somehow it makes me think of Johnny Depp. No?

Top
This warm and comfy brown cardigan was created by MMXXVI whose shop I already like... a lot :) I don't even know why since there aren't that many products, but there's certainly something about it that attracts me. Will have to keep an eye on her and her Sugar hair line, because that colour is simply awesome! And I'm in love with the Ellie Goulding song on her HP :)

The cardigan comes with a tank top underneath, but the scarf is not a part of the set. It's a layerable Leopard scarf you can wear on anything you want. I honestly love add-on stuff and LuvableMeMe's scarves are to die for! Seriously! That dev deserves a huge lollipop :P

Bottom
I have to admit - this black pleated skirt by Cindyy had to grow on me. I wasn't instantly in love with it, but now I learnt to adore every single pleat :) It's simple and pretty. It's pretty simple! Now I'll need to rummage through her shop cos something tells me this is NOT the only item that's worth my attention.

Shoes
I realise autumn is often rainy and wellies would be a much more reasonable choice of footwear than these rope ballerina flats by Dare. But I don't care! I like them and that's that! Besides flats go better with the outfit than rubber boots. Amen.

Accessories
I chose not to add too many accessories, cos the look is heavy as it is. I don't want to overwhelm it even more by adding jewellery and other crap. That's why I decided to add only this tiny cute Feather necklace by Trollop.

So what do you think? A fashionable bag-lady or a fashionable Amish woman :)?

Also...

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

...with ZDK!

I haven't done an extensive research on ZDK, just browsed through her catty... one thing I can say about this dev is that she's definitely NOT my cup of tea. Her outfits ooze naked sexiness, although being perfectly GA. I'm far from condemning it, but I'm not gonna willingly wear it either. I'm kinda surprised something as 'innocent' as this School Uniform was created by her. The idea is pretty standard, not particularly inspired - just another private school uniform with a skirt that would get you spanked with a ruler. I hate the idea of layers on a fitted mesh and you will never persuade me it can look cool - it DOESN'T! I'd maybe survive seeing a vest, something small and not attracting much attention, but not a freaking blazer! I'm not satisfied... and yet intrigued. Again, small details make this look actually work.

If you're interested what avi, head and eyebrows I use, do see this post. For further details - keep reading :)

Skin
I used one of LuckZombie's skins I fell in love with after reading about it on ImvuDesigner. It's called Blume and is simply adorable. The freckles you may (or may not) see are NOT the part of the skin - for unknown reasons they are no longer available.You can use these made by miamew - they work equally well.

Eyes
This time I decided on innocent looking nutsbar's eyes - already had these Cloudy Rose ones and what's more innocent thank pink (...besides white that wouldn't work here :P)? Then I just threw in some pretty M.A.C XL Lashes by NeveahStardust and she's ready for school. 

Hairstyle
Nothing special here... I mean, I'm so stuck on three devs that do awesome reds that it's unlike me to go with someone else than them. This intricate Guosty Red hairdo was made by PH - maybe too elaborate for a schoolgirl, but what the heck :P

Shoes
Even if I wanted to wear something less schoolgirly it'd be impossible - ZDK made the whole outfit WITH freaking socks! I don't hate it, but it's kinda restricting... especially since they do make layerable socks and stockings one could wear if desired. I therefore decided on TianXiaoMao's School Shoes that covered the already existing socks.

Accessories
Oh jeeez, this outfit is flatter than a top model's tit... the biggest disaster (apart form the obvious blazer catastrophe) is that atrocious black bow... such things should never be drawn, there are plenty of cute bow-ties in the shop, no reason to botch it in photoshop. Thank God I came across this Jabot (by Vkei) and Gentleman tie (by JadedDayz) to cover this shame. I also took the liberty of adding these two Aristocrat Cuffs (why are they sold separately?!) by ShiroLoliChan

Since private schools don't allow any jewellery I restricted myself only to the Antique Cameo Ring I found in mujerlatina33's shop.

I imagined this outfit to be girly cute and kinda nerdy. So I added some accents to achieve that look - a random pencil of dozens you can find (this particular one made by Shengum) and Polystyrene's knee Bandaid.

And that's it. Just grab a stack of fancy-looking books and the schoolgirl outfit is finished. And it doesn't look totally like crap! I consider that a success :)

Monday, September 26, 2011

...with DutchDoll!

I like fancy costumes - my inventory is full of stuff that wouldn't be considered wearable in RL... but thank God, this is not real life and I can prance around in my fairy suits and Batman capes. Probably that's why DutchDoll's Steampunk Schoolgirl outfit caught my attention - it's actually good, probably the best from the five I was gifted by IMVU. I'm not a particular fan of this dev, she never wowed me... but the steampunk school uniform is an original well-executed idea (at least it's not yet another slutty schoolgirl 'fit that I hate with every cell). By itself it looks rather flat and uninteresting, but that's when accessories come along to save the day. I like it a lot... do you?

Since I usually use the same avi, head and eyebrows in all my combos, no reason to write about them all over again - you can find the details in this post.

Skin
If there's anyone out there who doesn't love LuckZombie's skins, I'll personally slap them across the face. How can you not love Bisque? Or any other skin tone she made? Crazy! 

Eyes
As usual I won't be able to link you, as the item is no longer available... I have yet to find eyes as awesome as these. Additionally, I used M.A.C XL Lashes by NeveahStardust again - they seem to be my favourite lately. 

Hairstyle
Absolutely adorable and chio orange Catrina hair I got from my IMVU bestie, Coco. It was made by RavenVampxx ... that bright copper shade looks really steampunky!

Shoes
I initially planned to wear heavy boots, but they somehow argued with the rest of the outfit... so I settled with SteamPunk Heels by NivStone. Not bad, but not exactly what I was going for either. Unfortunately, I got weary with looking... yeah, I admit I did a half-ass job on this one.

Accessories
Another heavily accessorised look, and I'm not in the mood to write a long elegy about each and every product... So, starting from the top:

Steampunk Hat by TrakahanTiTeutonia - the texture could be better, but it's still fantastic and I take my hat off to the creator. 
some standard piercing - n00bish Black Earrings by Flexy and Monroe by Cursive (love it!)
the Aristocrat Jabot (a beautiful cameo!!!) by ShiroLoliChan and Pharmacist's Ms. Earth Cuffs
Lush Gold ring made by Limpy
and

I also used some random book as a prop... any old-looking book will do, I guess.

Sunday, September 25, 2011

...with nitewingz!

nitewingz is an amazing cosplay dev whose work is extremely hard to ignore. Incredible ideas, amazing details, great textures - yupp, that's nitewingz! But this B2School 2011 outfit is kinda disappointing, even though it doesn't look half bad... I'm probably just not used to nitewingz doing ragged punkish looks - till now I've seen only nice clean textures and vibrant colours (see Yuna or EikCar). Anywho... the outfit looks much better once you add all the lil details I'm pretty satisfied with the final result, although there's some clipping in the boob area that pisses me off. Thankfully it can be fixed very easily by simply not wearing the freaking bag that seems to merge with my avis left breast. 

Important note: I noticed that my combo bears significant resemblance to the original nitewingz set... let me assure you that I haven't stolen any ideas (though the hair seems like a weird-ass coincidence!). I guess you can't go really creative with styling a punk schoolgirl - just add some heavy make-up, gloves and spikes and you're set for your first maths lesson.

Avatar, head and eyebrows I always use have already been mentioned here

Eyes  
Sorry, no longer available... what a shame :( I'll never forgive Rejuvinator a.k.a ALoyalSacrifice for abandoning IMVU. So, to actually have a link in this section I'll put the one to lashes I used - M.A.C XL Lashes by NeveahStardust.

Skin  
Pretty Plum by the one and only AnnaSassin, slightly deepened by using Jesika767's Black Eyeliner (other liners definitely worth checking out - adding one can sometimes make a HUGE difference!). Also I added my favourite Phoenix back tattoo by MisterBig but it was pointless since you can't see it anyway...

Hairstyle
This is Mao Red by IndigoRayne - the only satisfactory red I found in this style. I admit I might have noticed the very same hairstyle in nitewingz's catty, but definitely NOT on the B2School outfit set... great minds think alike, I guess :P

Shoes
Took me a while to find these Wrath biker boots by IMortify - I love how sloppy and untidy they look. They kinda remind me of Judd Nelson's boots in 'Breakfast Club'... I wish they were derivable...

Accessories 
It's an uber accessorised look, so I'll just provide a list without unnecessary details. and sappy stories. Let me just attract your attention to my new favourite accessory, which is this cute Monroe piercing by Cursive. I need to resist the urge to use it with each and every outfit :P The remaining crap as follows:

Black Earrings by Flexy (very n00bish but other piercings made the outfit disappear) 
Wired mesh goggles by LliliumStarseed (phew, that was hard to spell)
and finally 
the boob-messing bag - Olive Haversacks! by MelancholyChild.


Pheeew... 'twas long.

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Back to School...

There's a wise saying: "don't look a gift horse in the ass"... or some other body orifice. Anyways, that's why I really appreciate IMVU random gifts, even if they look like horse crap. It's free? It's awesome! But if I get something I particularly don't like, I simply use the handy 'hide' option and voila! problem solved, no reason to bitch about :)

I assume everybody on IMVU was given five 'back to school' outfits that were supposed to make you look awesome, chic, snappy or whatever they wrote in that message (I kinda ignored it back then). Well, honestly, they are not awesome... neither chic nor snappy. They may not be the crappiest thing I've laid my eyes on but still I hate one-pieces that try to imitate layers. It's freaking impossible to make something look layered on a fitted mesh and I don't understand why devs still attempt to do that. It may look ok in a pic, but will not make any sense in a 3D chat... BUT! They do seem to have certain potential... at least the three made by nitewings, DutchDoll and ZDK respectively. I therefore challenged myself into adding some dimension and character to those flat 'fits - you'll see the results in the next three blog posts. (1) (2) (3)

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Ruby Red!

After a friend suggested using *hiressnap thingy to improve the quality of my pics, I used my mad Photoshop skills to put a nice combo together... it's freaking haaaaard! It took me so much time, I think I will have to go through some tutorials before I can redo all the previous picture compilations I've posted. Hope you enjoy it :)

Links to my avatar, head and eyebrows have already been posted here.

Skin
This is Muddy by Lollirot, who is a well-established IMVU creator. Her shop is full of high-quality stuff: skins, clothes, eyes, accessories, you name it. Her products are suitable for all who enjoy dark, goth looks with a PVC twist. As for the skin used here, I absolutely adore the cat-eye make-up and kissable lips: ) Really great purchase, I tell ya'll.

Eyes
I usually prefer to use more natural-looking eyes but these Wrath eyes from Lunacy's 7 Deadly Sins series caught my attention. To be brutally honest, eyes from the mentioned series are the only products worth checking out - the rest of the (really poorly stocked) shop contains pretty n00bish creations. Even the eyes themselves won't make you gasp in amazement... but they'll do. They give my avi this ruby dreamy look I was going after.

Figured I'll mention the ruby eye bling here, and not in the accessory section. Just a lil something made by HarleyViolet to sparkle up the eye area. Let's move along...

Lashes
Diamond lashes by AlexisHours used to be my favourites until I found out that AnnaSassin also deals in lashes and got myself these gorgeous Gothic Tops :) AH's product is still exceptional and really worth having... especially since they look great on my custom head + avatar combo that makes everything else look retarded :P Seriously, only a few products don't mess up my avi's face...

Hairstyle
I got this Dark Demon Rejoice hair for a totally different outfit a looong time ago. It was made by MagearaBlack but I'm not particularly familiar with this creator. From what I gather, she's created more demon-related items but since it's not really mah thang, I don't know how to comment on them. Can't even be bothered to check 'em out properly, sorry...but I do like the hair, though it could have a lighter texture. It makes me think of PH's Beyonce hair I mentioned in this post.

Top
McShifan is an outstanding mesher, really... I only just noticed it now, but many amazing outfits were made basing on his meshes. He's also the creator of the sexy Lady in Red dress presented here - you just gotta love that ornamental piece! Such a shame this is one of the very few decent products made on the same mesh... such a shame.

Shoes
I've already mentioned these Red Pumps in my Jessica Rabbit post... I'm fairly sure I bought these Synner shoes especially for my Ruby Red outfit. They match the dress perfectly and are uber-sexy :)

Accessories
The Ruby Red outfit was supposed to be sensual but also a bit vampy - hence I decided on Janetted's unnaturally long and shiny red nails. Gorgeous, aren't they? However, they made me wonder how the hell one would manage to wipe properly with such talons...

Anywho... as for the jewellery, it's a mix-and-match of products made by Abathyr, JDMGeek and BurntDoll respectively. Both the cuff and garter come from Ruby & Diamond collection - not particularly breathtaking, but fine nonetheless. I have no idea why I didn't buy matching earrings (here)... instead  I got these Ruby Bangle Earrings, which I assume were the best I could do at that time. Even though they're more expensive than the Abathyr's, their quality isn't better. I dunno what possessed me, really... Don't get me wrong, they're nice but not really stunning. Lastly, the cute Red Rose Ring that wasn't really meant for this outfit (but since it was red, I decided to throw it in). I realise all those bits and pieces of bling bling do not match, but I don't care, lol :P

As a side note (mostly to myself) - Abathyr has some awesome furniture in her catty

Friday, August 12, 2011

A Lazy Look!

I put this look together a couple of months ago - I guess I'll call it a make-over gig, though the guy backed out later. I saved the picture but unfortunately forgot to write down (or at least wishlist) all the items. So it took me some time to re-create the outfit and find everything in the catalogue again... but there it is! One of my first male 'fits that actually looks like a man and not like a wimpy kid of an undefined gender :P It's summery, casual and even though the make-over dude didn't appreciate it much, I still like this simple wearable look.

Avatar
I'm not sure which avi I used for this look, but definitely not my usual male emo wimp. If I were to guess, I'd say it was one of more masculine-looking avatars made by TheAvatarFactory, most probably this Macho dude. I guess this look will be ok for any avatar of your choice.

Head
Person who "commissioned" this look said something about liking George Clooney, so I got him this Clooney Head by BellaMicha. I don't know if it looks like good ol' George, but it's a pretty nice head  to be honest - no fucked-up proportions, a well-chiselled jaw, simple yet handsome.

Eyes
Even though I didn't save the link, I knew instantly the eyes are by nutsbar - I recognised the sparkles! I believe this particular pair is called cloudy forest. It's really hard to be indifferent to her creations, they're just too damn good. Some of her eyes may not look too natural, but I doubt IMVU is all about being natural and life-like :P

I didn't bother with the eyebrows back then... I figured a dude needs a pair of proper bushy eyebrows so I might as well stick with the default ones. But now I think I could have used some custom-made eyebrows in order not to look like a n00b. So just imagine my avi is wearing these Real Eyebrows by FrMesh, ok? Thank you :)

Skin
It took me forever to find this product. I first searched through the whole Nezaro's shop to find a few nice skins, but none of them was THE ONE. After a couple of days I finally came across OnePixel and this extremely macho Steamy Skin. This is it, I found the Holy Grail... I have to admit, I absolutely adore this skin for its hairy chest and for how manly it looks :P I don't like dudes with bear-like fur all over their bodies, but just the right amount of chest fuzz is utterly mmm'mmm-able.

Tattoo
It's kinda random and I doubt I'd choose the same tat now, especially because it's soooo freaking expensive - Chris's Leg Tatt (is it only me or is it spelt wrong?) by Exclusiv is almost 4K! That's a bit too much for something like that... Today, I'd probably take my time and find something less pricey and better-made... but no tribals, dammit, never!

Hairstyle
Another thing I was sure in this long-forgotten look was the hairstyle - RapSyn for sure! I really enjoy the creator's male hair, like this Black Sal. It's simple, well-made and reasonably-priced. Would recommend his shop to anyone because some of his creations are simply stunning.

Top
I like this mesh very much, and although I usually go for darker colours I decided to choose this Casual Blue Shirt by gustavomoura. It's nicely textured and the blue / yellow combination makes it look very summery and warm.

Bottom
SAL is yet another awesome designer... even though I don't own that many of his (I assume it's a 'he') products, I'm not freaking blind - I can spot a talent when I see one. SAL makes some pretty neat stuff., like these awesome L-Shorts, and is definitely worth checking out!

Shoes
From what I remember these Adidas Superstars by COBRA used to be on the front page of the hottest IMVU products so I just grabbed them without paying much attention to what footwear would go well with the whole look. But I guess they do go well, even thought I didn't think this over. I can't say I love them, I can't say I hate them. They are average and his other stuff isn't exactly fantastic and breathtaking either. So I guess  these shoes could be exchanged to something much better... but I'm too lazy to check :P

Accessories
The most important accessory here are the Perfect Hands, made by SAL (already mentioned somewhere above). They do make a big difference and look very natural. I think it's a product every guy MUST have (along with some perfect feet like these).

I didn't want my pseudo-macho guy to wear douchebaggy jewellery, so I opted for something natural, like this Wolf Fang Necklace. I chose this Cartholomew product because... well, because it was first on the list when I typed in "fang necklace" and couldn't be bothered to look for a better one. I should have thrown in something like this too... I start to realise how lazy and effortless creating this look was... not good.

Now, the bracelet thingy by HSH. I like that it looks naturally sophisticated - a tangle of threads, leather strips, beads and other stuff I can't even name. Some of the creator's other items are not too shabby, but not really something I'd choose  to wear as a dude. 

And lastly... what summery look would it be, without the hottest sunglasses of the season? Yes, I mean RayBans. Personally, I'm pretty sick and tired of them and can't really see why they are so trendy, but who am I to judge... I can only say that the glasses presented in the picture (and made by TheMetro) are well-done and go rather nicely with the rest of the outfit. And that's all.

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Sassy AnnaSassin!

AnnaSassin doesn't really need introduction, I bet every IMVU user has already come across her products... but just in case the reader is new to this 3D chat thingy - she is one of the greatest IMVU creators I have ever encountered. I am a devoted fan of her work and also a delighted owner of some of her unimaginably awesome skins. AnnaSassin is a genius! But having great ideas is nothing if you fail with their execution... gladly, this is not the case - she is an extremely talented artist and I admire her craftsmanship. Just one glance at any of her creations is enough to fall in love with AnnaSassin's originality. And although I'm focusing on her female skins, she also provides a great selection of other fantastic products - male skins and accessories among others. I  constantly wear her eyebrows and I've used her amazing eyelashes here and here. It is really REALLY worth checking out the creator's shop - you are bound to find something for yourself... but be careful - she is addictive! Personally, I think AnnaSassin is the best skin artist out there. It's extremely rare to find a creator who is consistent with their awesomeness and whose every creation is a hit.... but there you have it :) AnnaSassin, thank you for putting so much hard work into creating these little masterpieces. You will always be my #1.

Skins shown in the picture above (from the left):
Top row - Isadora, Simply Pretty, JackQueline, Gold, Pretty Plum,
Bottom row - Black & White, Shimmer, Celestial, PaperCut, Isadora,

Monday, August 8, 2011

My New Image!

I love my new image... it's casual, but very feminine. And cute as heck! It wouldn't be possible to achieve this awesome (IMHO) look, if it weren't for these awesome people:

Seph - I have discovered his work only recently... I really have to crawl from under that damn rock! How could I have missed it?! Anyways, I'm glad I finally come across Seph's shop because it is just... breathtaking. You can't really ignore the fact that this guy has talent and creates outstanding items of clothing - some textures seem unbelievably real! To be honest, I'm a fashion retard and therefore have absolutely no idea what style this is supposed to be... indie-vinatge-punkish-grunge? Or whatever you kids like to call it these days :P What I know for sure, is that it's cute and Seph is pretty consistent with his work. All clothes and accessories match - you can exchange one item with another without worrying if it's going to look good together. This unique creator provided the clothes and footwear for my new image: Dusk Grey Cardigan, High Black Shorts, Grey Knitted Socks and Black Combat Boots. To you, Seph, I bow my head in respect. Great work!

Java - I mentioned her before, here. Nothing has changed since then - she's still awesome, and I still adore her hair. As I stated in the other post and wish to emphasise again - Java's textures are simply gorgeous and lifelike. Just have a look at this Red Qadira hair! It's a very natural, windswept-looking 'do... I wish my hair looked this good on a windy day instead of getting all tangly and messy... thank you Java for making such great products!

LeScandale - this is the creator of one of the most amazing and adorable skins I have ever seen on IMVU. Once in a while I fall in love with this one particular skin and refuse to change it for anything. First, it was this  Pure Diva skin made by mikki87. After some time, I got Maya by Scarling. Then, I finally discovered AnnaSassin and her Isadora, which will remain my all-time favourite forever. But now, I'm so utterly captivated by this Nude skin created by LeScandale, that I don't know if I'm going back to Isadora any time soon. It is... just... words fail me to describe how gorgeous it looks and how much I like it... I really recommend any of of the creator's freckly and cute skins. They all rock!

MonroeChic - she added the finishing touch to my new look. How do you like my Teal Feather earrings? Because I love them! I've been looking for something like that for hours - believe me, I checked out a whole fuckload of feather earrings before I discovered the pair that matched my outfit. MonroeChic may not be an experienced creator yet, but with time I believe she'll create some great items. I'll keep an eye on her :P

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Drawn That Way!

Jessica Rabbit is definitely #1 on a list of the hottest cartoon characters. Voluptuous body, kissable red lips, sexy breathy voice... oh man, Roger Rabbit got himself quite a catch... and he's just a looney toon :P! It's one of my older ensembles, didn't really update it much. If you're curious about the products I used just keep reading...

Since I constantly use the same avatar, head and eyebrows, let me just link you to the post where I describe them in detail and provide necessary URLs. Also, I will not bother talking about the eyes, as they are one of Rejuvinator's collection and unfortunately he's no longer with us and his shop is disabled.

Skin
This Jessica Rabbit skin by AngelicFeline may not be the best skin ever, as it doesn't look real, but since Jessica herself is a cartoon character, I can't see anything wrong in it looking a bit artificial. Besides, I purchased it quite some time ago. Now I'd consider buying the milky variety from Sexiest's Jessica Rabbit collection. It's properly shaded and all but on the other hand it's still a bit too dark for my liking...

Hairstyle
One of Mrs. Rabbit's trademarks is her flowing fiery hair which seductively covers one eye. It was really hard to find something that matches and isn't complete crap. As usually, I entrusted my beloved hair person - rosygbaby. What do you think about this Red Sabeth? It's not exactly like Jessica's hair, but it's the closest and best I could find at the time. Now, browsing through the catty, I found this Saimero Red by (my latest discovery) Java. There's more eye coverage for sure and I like that part, but it's too damn long - her... ummm... assets are just too precious to be hidden. Still, it'd probably be my second choice after rosygbaby's 'do.

Top
Jessica's red sparkly sequin dress with a loooooong slit is her another trademark... and this amazing Jessica Rabbit dress by SweetNosferatu is by far the best out there. It's so deliciously curvy and stunning that I don't really mind the absence of the slit. I just love the wasp waist and how sparkly it is! The creator did a really good job on the texture and even though it was made like three years ago, it's still hard to beat.

Shoes
Since it's not really visible from under the long dress, I didn't focus on the footwear much. I actually think I've already had these Red Pumps by Synner when I decided to work on my Jessica Rabbit 'fit. Red? Check! High-heeled? Check! They'll do then :) Even if they weren't meant for this outfit, they match perfectly!

Accessories
To be honest, her purple long gloves are kinda random, they don't really match anything... or maybe I'm just too conservative about matching colours. Anyways, if the original has them, my virtual copy of Jessica should also wear a pair. I doubt 'real' Jessica wore PVC gloves like these, but they were the best-made at the time I purchased them (I'm not gonna bother with finding out if anything better has been created, sorry). AbortiveLove made them on a nice tight-fit mesh, so they fit... like a gloooove :) and because they're only elbow-long, no clipping occurs no matter what pose my avi does.

And lastly, something that doesn't really matter - Jessica's earrings. I was lazy (and cheap!) and didn't want to look for (and buy!) better jewellery. Especially since it's barely visible under the hair... and besides other features draw our attention from the ear area. Hence I just used a pair I'd already had in my inventory since God knows when - very simple set of gold earrings for left ear only. It was made by TATAMALLORY. I'm sure I would find something better, but I just couldn't be bothered. Sorry...

And now a lil extra something... 

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Hot Java!

I want to share my latest discovery - meet Java, an outstanding creator, who obviously has been around for quite a while... I must have lived under a rock not to notice her awesome stuff before. I'm a huge red-hair fan and since I'm very picky I restricted myself to PH and rosygbaby, as they have the best reds (but I assure you that other colours are equally fantastic). Today, both creators met their match - Java is just HOT! Her textures are flawless! The colour is slightly deeper than the other two and shading is different - they look more natural and utterly gorgeous. All Java's hair are little masterpieces! Her browns are chocolatey and yummy, blacks - sleek and glamorous. Even her blonds are excellent (and I normally hate blonds!). Java's shop is a treasure trove so huge, that I haven't managed to get to the bottom of it yet. On the whole, I think I found my new #1 hair stylist... I still adore PH and rosygbaby, but for now I'm savouring Java's steaming hotness.

Hairstyles presented in the picture above:

Friday, August 5, 2011

One Hell Of A Butler!


Kuroshitsuji, or in other words - the Black Butler. It's my take on Sebastian Michaelis, the Phantomhive demon servant. He's pretty cool to be honest - all poised and dignified, but he could snap your neck without hesitation or breaking a sweat. I realise this is not EXACTLY how the butler looked like in the show, hence I emphasise that this is only my humble version. It was actually inspired by the hair, the only thing that really stands out as different from the original.

Avatar
Ok, I'm not really proud of that, but this is my only male avi and it's... well... emo. I bought it quite a while ago, having this pretty neat idea of creating Kai outfit (you know, the boy who was kidnapped by the Snow Queen... I shall introduce them sometime later) and needed something looking boyish and timid. The emo avi by TheAvatarFactory seemed ideal. And though it may give the impression of being effeminate, I grew fond of my wimpy kid... I guess I have a thing for sissies :P

Head
kloudust has some awesome stuff in her catalogue, especially in the men's section. Her heads (like Marcus used here) are just fantastic... IF you're into delicate facial features, which I obviously don't mind. They all seem inspired by Japanese RPGs and make me think of Final Fantasy characters. Oh, and (almost?) every noggin you find there, there's also it's 2-tone equivalent... it means that you can create some really wacky looks by giving your avi David Bowie-ish eyes!
Skin
It's really hard to find a good male skin in the IMVU shop... most of them are either douchebaggy or have freaking make-up on. I refuse to look like a Jersey Shore asshole with a pencil-thin beard and meaningless tats. But I also refuse to wear a freaking eye-liner! I chose the lesser of two evils and went for the rather wimpy look. The pale skin I used was made by nitewingz, whom I mentioned in my previous post. I guess... it's not that bad, is it? It looks natural, though indeed very light.  But I think it complements the outfit, and besides - Sebastian wasn't exactly tanned either.

Eyes
A good demonic look, needs good demonic-looking eyes. And what's more evil then shiny red? Ha, nothing! That's why I got myself these blood sexy eyes by nutsbar. The fact that they are red is barely noticeable, but that's how I wanted it - it is supposed to create the illusion of normality. At first glance everything is ok, everything is fine, just a regular butler minding his own business. But then you look closer and... BAM!

Hairstyle
Everything started here... ah, memories :P I have to admit that I got this RapSyn's Cohen hairstyle when drunk, but it doesn't really prove or change anything... anyways, I was browsing for some hair for the makeover gig (that never came to fruition...dammit) and found this sleek 'do. I totally dig it. Really. And even though there are dozens of Cohen hair out there (some of them by the same artist), but this particular product just made me gasp. I dunno why I like it so much... cos it's glossy? Elegant? Sexy? All of the above? One is sure - it's extremely well made and it is really worth checking out the rest of RapSyn's shop.

Top
Now, who makes the best IMVU suits? Well, who? Invictus, of course, no doubt about that! They are all extremely well-tailored with a great attention to detail - top notch job, if you ask me. This Astaroth tuxedo comes from his LAMENT collection... he doesn't lie saying it's: “Style beyond words. Unconquered luxury.”

Bottom
I have no idea why I didn't use any of Invictus' bottoms... I chose these Exclusive Pants by SOLD instead. They don't look too shabby, but I should have used Black Tuxedo Pants (they have elegant stripes on the sides) or maybe slim Plautius trousers. Both mentioned Invictus' products are great and within the same price range... but I guess I opted for SOLD's bottoms because, unlike the two, they have trouser cuffs. I assume it makes them look more refined...

Shoes
A butler's shoes can't be too flashy and that's why I bought these plain Dressed Black Shoes by Logun1.There are probably lots of other elegant shoes that would be better-made and have better texture... but honestly, look great BECAUSE of this simple shiny texture. They look clean and highly-polished - exactly how a servant's shoes should look like, no matter if he's a demon or not.

Accessories
A perfectly clean white pair of gloves is an attribute of a perfect butler. It was really hard to choose a nice pair from the shop, because... well, there aren't many good ones. I finally chose Sebastian Gloves as they were particularly designed for Kuroshitsuji cosplay. Narcissist also provides other products for the butler's look, which look pretty neat in the picture, but kinda lose its charm once you try it on. Nevertheless, you should check out his catalogue and see for yourself. It may be just a matter of opinion.

I'm not really sure if Sebastian had a watch... it's been a while since I last saw the series. But I figured that adding this antique grandfather's watch made by Peanut wouldn't hurt. A butler needs to be organised after all and that's just the prop he needs!

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

I'm Mad About Hats!

One of the weirdest and most demanding outfits I have ever put together... why the weirdest? Just look at it! Isn't it like the sickest combination of colours you have ever seen? Green, pink and blue raping your eye-sockets? But I like to think it all matches and somehow creates one coherent costume... why the most demanding? Because I've wanted to create this look for soooo loooong, but there weren't any products worth buying. Fortunately, with the new Tim Burton flick there came a crapload of IMVU Mad Hatter outfits and I could choose bits and pieces to create something of my own. Still, it took me quite some time to make it all work... anyways, without further ado - ladies and gentleman, meet Mad Hattress!

You can check out the descriptions and links to my usual avi, head and eyebrows here. I don't like repeating myself :P

Skin 
When I got hold of this awesome Pastels skin created by even more awesome AnnaSassin (mentioned like a dozen times before), I instantly thought of using it for my Mad Hattress look. There's just something magical about it and the make-up struck me as ideal for the female version of Carroll's crazy character. Too bad the pic above doesn't show much as I focused too much on all the accessories... 

Important note: the sparkly eye-liner is not part of the original skin's make up, is an add-on Passion Purple liner by PrincessPAC135... now looking at it, I realised it doesn't really go that well with the rest. I wish I spend more time on it, because then I'd probably use this Glitter Blue Liner (by BiteMeBabe) instead. Blue blends in well and seems to bring out the colour of the eye. It also looks more natural than just a simple straight line of purple glitter... oh well...

Eyes
I think I got my Magical Mad eyes by GlamourG33k way before I even thought of doing that look. I realise that irises are too big and don't look natural and stuff... but that's the whole point! It is not a wearable look, it's a costume! But if it bothers someone, you can always get this smaller (and cheaper!) dupe by dazelvinchi simply called Mad Eyes... but I still think mine are better...

Lashes
AnnaSassin makes the wackiest eyelashes ever. Check out these Fancy curls she came up with! Aren't they utterly magical? And fancy :P? They fit just perfectly to the look of a twisted Hatter. 

Hairstyle
It's natural that your hair gets all tangly and messy under your favourite top hat - it's common knowledge :) That's why I chose this awesomess (ha! see what I did there?) hair by PH. It's called Red Rose and I think it originally had some flowers braided into those freaky buns, but I'm really glad the creator decided to remove them. I find this 'do absolutely gorgeous and IMHO it does look great with my huge top hat!

Top
I don't really find this Kawaii Hatter Suit kawaii... but I guess it's a pretty good basis for my female Hatter look. I even bought shoes that LovingDragon suggested for this outfit, but then changed my mind and bought a different pair. I imagined my 'fit having many textures and colours. It was supposed to be wacky, weird and crazy... absolutely mismatched. And it is! 
Bottom
I don't know if you know what decora is... it's this really colourful, over-accessorised and playful fashion from Japan. I figured it could be a good inspiration for my look, so I decided to use decora skirt to give my Hattress even more texture (ruffles! polka dots!! hearts!!!). The whole decora look designed by Faux is adorable, but I would never  go as far with the accessories :P

Shoes
As I mentioned before, these Taling Shoes made by Zynarah weren't my first choice. I actually got them at the very end, only after I bought the hat. Even though both pairs were based on the exact same mesh, I decided that green would complement the whole outfit better than pink. Do you agree?

Accessories
Jeeez, hopefully this part is not going to be as long as I predict... First of all, my adorable teapot earrings! They are derivable so PLEASE someone make a pair that doesn't look... like... ehm... white! Candi28 hit the jackpot with this mesh, but unfortunately all derivations lack decent texture... nevertheless, I still HAD to have those teapot earrings - that's why I bought plain white earrings, they were the least bleh. And also the cheapest :P

Another teapot accessory in my look was mandatory! Minou created a Sweet Gold necklace with lots of pretty cute dangly crap on it, among others - a pink teapot. The whole thing is not overwhelming, actually the necklace is barely noticeable. But I think you have to be very careful with so many accessories, colours and textures - it can easily become too messy and lose its charm.
I'm not entirely convinced about these Valentine Loli Purple gloves provided by OthellaStar. I guess they kinda lost their purpose after I changed my mind about using a purple hat (which now lies forgotten somewhere in the bottomless pit of my inventory). But I left them anyways - they don't help the look, but don't spoil it either.

I used nails that were already in my virtual closet - these are Rainbow Nails by AssassinKitty. They work on regular-sized IMVU hands - dainty hands mess them up badly. Here you have a similar (but better!) product by nitewingz, from her (AWESOME!!!) Pippi Longstocking (oh come on! you know Pippi, don't you?) cosplay bundle - they're not as bright as the nails I used, and thus look more natural. And while you're there, check out her other items - nitewingz is an absolutely brilliant and skilled artist. I'm not into cosplay, but I still do admire her outstanding job - she has a great eye for details. Kudos!

Since I already told you about nitewingz, I may as well say a bit more about the back bow I used. It is of course made by the mentioned artist and you can find it in the catalogue by the name of DC bow. It's a part of her Diao Chan (who I assume is a game character) cosplay bundle. I was lucky to find it because the bow happens to match the top of my top ideally :P

Now the cherry on the top - my Mad Hattress top hat! Isn't it freaking great!? It's like Gonger knew that I'll need something EXACTLY like that... read my mind without even knowing me - I sense a soul mate :P You can find many other smashing products in the creator's shop - great ideas and great execution of said ideas. Textures are flawless... I personally have two Gonger's hats and love them. I think I'm mad about hats :P

Bragging Corner: I don't want anybody to think that this look was thrown in together in mere hours. It wasn't easy to find matching (or rather mismatching!) items of clothing and accessories. It took we weeks, because I wanted it to be thought-over. There are no random parts... and maybe that's why this very Mad Hattress outfit got to the top 50 outfits in the Pattern Mismatch Daily Outfit Challenge in May'11... and I won a freaking sticker! I think they should make another sticker that says "Top 20 Outfits", or something which indicates that someone has placed closer to the 1st place than to the 50th. I was 15th and  I feel kinda unappreciated. Anyways, the outfit can't be half-bad if I got that high without cheating. So far, that is my best score :)

Monday, August 1, 2011

Go Turquoise This Summer!

I picked this outfit because I figured that less clothes mean less writing, and I'm extremely lazy today :P But something tells me it's not going to be that easy... anyways, it's summer people! "It's getting hot in here, so take off all your clothes" as one of the modern bards sings. This time I undressed my avi as hot as possible :)

The avatar and head I use have already been mentioned here. You can also find the link to my eyebrows and the description of the eyes I've picked for this outfit (unfortunately they can no longer be bought as the creator's account has been disabled)

Skin
What says 'summer' more than a beautifully tanned skin? I usually opt for pale skin tones (probably because I myself am pale as heck) but that would be a total misfire. This EyeCandiFem skin just screams 'it's hhhhhot' - just look how it glistens in the sun! Guess what the name of this product is... well? Do you know? It's called Summer Lust! Summer freaking lust - can't get more summery than that :P  Too bad that new EyeCandiFem's skins lost that sexy sheen... now they really remind me too much of those powdery enjoo's skins and I'm not happy about that.

Tattoo
Since I didn't want my avatar to simply look like a bimbo in skimpy swimming suit, I decided to add a lil twist... and now she looks like a  bimbo in a skimpy swimming suit WITH a tattoo! I became really fond of tattoos lately (but only in virtual reality) and keep adding them here and there to almost every look I create. I chose this Tribal Leg Tattoo for three reasons. First of all, I had so much free space it'd be a shame not to use it somehow. Secondly, even though I hate tribals (they always make me think of these awful tramp stamps), this one was unique enough to catch my eye. Lastly, it was created by my favourite IMVU tattoo artist - MisterBig. There's a crapload of IMVU tats looking all fake and ugly, just because they're way too black  (or too bright) and have sharp edges. MisterBig does NOT have that problem - all his products blend in with your skin tone extremely well and look natural... I guess I THINK that's how a tattoo looks like, I don't have much experience :P It's really worth checking out his ink - you can only expect high quality.

Lashes
This time I didn't want a dramatic look (although make-up is quite heavy) so I chose not to apply my regular AnnaSassin's Gothic lashes. I aimed for something more wispy but not too delicate as I was afraid they'd become invisible due to the dark smoky eye make-up. I went for lenght rather than t volume... so how do you like these M.A.C XL Lashes? With these lashes made by NeveahStardust you don't really need any make-up on - they're beautiful just as they are! It explains the popularity of this product - from what I remember, it's been on the front page of IMVU Hottest Products for a couple of weeks!

Hairstyle
In my first post I mentioned having two favourite hair people (one of them being rosygbaby) and so THIS the other one - PH. I'm very picky as far as colour is concerned, but PH's red is just spot-on! Like this Beyonce 'do, all her creations are perfectly textured so you can't really go wrong choosing one of PH's products. I may not be particularly fond of long and flowing hair but I utterly love this summery windswept hairstyle.

Top
With this figure it'd be a sin not to wear a revealing swimming suit, especially since it's hot as hell (well in reality it's not, but for the sake of this post I convinced myself otherwise). I chose this blue turquoise bikini because it makes me think of the amazingly clean and clear water in the Adriatic Sea (ah, Croatia... mm'mmm:). Xamilla created quite a few very interesting outfits for this summer collection - worth checking out of you like lots of bright joyful colours. 

Shoes
I fell in love with these catoeye's shoes as soon as I saw them, but I don't exactly know why they're called gold flower sandals. I do get the gold and flower part... but sandals? Really? Look like regular peep-toe heels to me, but I'm not gonna argue... anyways, they look great even though it's not really advisable to wander on a beach in stilettos.

Accessories
Didn't feel like dealing with hands and nails separately, so I'll just throw them in here. I didn't want any nail colour, because, knowing myself, I'd just get something teal or gold. And that would be too much. So I went for a regular French manicure, which I've head since like always, on regular IMVU hands (yes, the big NOT dainty ones). It doesn't look half bad, but if I were to update this look, I'd try and find something that match esthe toenails (you probably can't see that well, but there's this cute orange French).
 
I assumed I could go away with a bit more of this teal and gold combination so I found matching Teal Branch Earrings by ShahlaAshan. Her exquisite Indian jewellery is bound to catch your eye!

And last but not least, this Sterling & Turquoise bracelet created by OracleGoddess. I have to admit it's all really flat, but I liked that the stone looks real. I'd be happier if it were made of gold, but hey... we can't always have what we want. I'm fairly satisfied with this quite unique bracelet.

Sunday, July 31, 2011

My Gangster Dame!

My gangster outfit was composed a looong looong time ago... in another galaxy:) It was updated a couple of times since then, e.g. new skin, some new awesome bling-bling. But the very basis remained the same. Doesn't she look like an Al Capone kind of chick? Just too bad I have never got round to buying a tommy gun... someday maybe :)

You can find the description of my usual avatar, head and eyebrows here, alongside with all the necessary links. Now enjoy the rest of the show...

Skin
To be frank I'm not a big fan of enjoo skins, although I am aware how popular they are among other IMVU users. For me they look a bit too powdery and airbrushed - this makes them look artificial. But enjoo's creations are very characteristic and it's easy to spot them from afar. But hey, to each its own, right? This London Revolution skin was initially a part of another costume, but I decided it fits here better. I actually like the contouring job and how the cheekbones were shaded - it creates this femme fatale aura around my gangster dame.

Eyes
Yet another Rejuvinator's (a.k.a. ALoyalSacrifice) product that no longer exists in the catalogue, as the creator's account has been disabled (therefore, no URL). Why, oh why did you have to say bye-bye to us Mr. Juvi?? This particular pair used to be a part of Enticing Eyes collection which comprised a variety of shades and colours. I like wearing them as they give your eye a more mysterious look. To intensify this effect I also added AnnaSassin's Gothic Top eyelashes.

Hairstyle
I think the whole outfit started with this hair. I found it browsing in AnnaSassin's catalogue. As the name suggests it, it is indeed Short & Sassy and kinda looks like flapper's hairstyle... since flappers and gangsters are from within the same time frame, I couldn't imagine a better 'do than this one. Besides, it's perfectly flat and doesn't interfere with the hat mesh (no stray hairs randomly sticking out, yay!).

Top
This is actually a one-piece - a JLee pantsuit made by JaSiMiNeE (I just hate names like that... too difficult to type, too easy to make a mistake). It seems to fit the theme pretty well. Trousers appear to have stripes (unfortunately they're not visible in the pics) and somehow that reminds me of Al Capone and other gangsters of his times.

Important note: the tie is NOT a part of the pantsuit. It's actually an add-on En Vogue Tuxedo Tie created by ManiaMindkiller, so it can be worn over anything you want.

Shoes
CannibalCreations provided us with this pretty pair of Classical Heels. I was looking for something that would be a feminine equivalent of traditional mobster shoes like these or these. Did I chose right? I think so :)

Accessories
What respectable gangster doesn't wear a hat?? Oh come on, you just HAVE to have a hat, it's like an unwritten law. This Wool Gangsta Hat may look a bit modern, but I like it how it covers one eyes, adding to the general mysteriousness:) It was made by DuchDoll but to be honest now I'd buy the one made by LIZIAAH. Same mesh but better texture - just look at it!

Originally there were no guns in this outfit, but a gangster without a gat is like... very likely to be dead soon. So I had to equip my femme fatale with some deadly firearms - I simply used The Original Punishers I got from my good friend Coco. Made by Dutch who (from what I gather) specialises in warfare items, such as guns, rifles and related accessories. Really worth checking out if you're into some bloodshed :P

Since I associate the old time gangsters with black and white pictures, not only the outfit itself, but also all the accessories has to be monochromatic. Therefore the outstanding white jewellery by baraq - you can't really expect any less than awesome from her. Believe me, baraq is a talented and inspired artist and ALL her works are breathtaking and unique! I got the set presented here in a limited bundle - I was one of the lucky 500 people to get the White Ltd collection (sold out already). Of course the ring, earrings and bangle are sold separately, but only the ring is affordable (the rest its over 55K / a piece). Mind you, the ring looks best on a dainty hand - I used these hands by MissBehavin, but there are so many products out there, it's more than possible you'd be able to find cheaper and better ones.

Important note: it's worth to check out my friend's blog to find out more about baraq and people who admire her work. See GlamourPuppet for this and much much more! Related posts here and here. The owner of the blog, CocotierLala, is an exquisite fashionista with an eye for spotting exceptional IMVU creators!