As CronoCloud mentioned, as sort of a last goodbye to the blog we’re sharing with everyone a few of our favorite things we’ve found during our time in Second Life. While I haven’t been around as long as some of the others here, and I don’t have quite the inventories they do, I have run across a few things that I can’t live without. (Turns out that CC and I made some of the same selections… what can I say, she has great taste!)
First, a couple dresses. The one on the left is from Marly’s, it’s a delightfully polka-dotted, full-skirted number called Spanky’s Spots, and I’m wearing it in Sage. I have soft spot for just about anything retro, but what really endears this dress to me is that it was my first real fashion purchase in Second Life. Just under a year ago, I was wandering the Retrology sim and desperately holding on to my first 300 Lindens, when wham… I knew I had to have this dress. From that point on, I was a goner. Thanks, Marleen, I’ll pay you back one day…
On the right, a much more recent purchase. Even though I rarely have the occasion to wear ball gowns in SL, I still have a hard time resisting buying them, especially when they’re as beautiful as the Miss Hathaway gown from ICING that I’m wearing here. If you happened to catch Anne Hathaway’s gown from this year’s Oscars, you know exactly what the inspiration was for this dress, and how amazingly well Miko Omegamu duplicated the look with this design. The primwork in the bodice rosettes alone makes this gown worth every Linden.
Since my job here at Linden Lifestyles was to focus on hair, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention a couple of my favorite styles. I have gushed about the hairstyles that are sold at Aden before, including the Sarah ponytail pictured on the left. But it’s worth repeating here that this really is one of the best ponytails on the grid. I find myself going back to it every time I need a casual look.
On the other hand, sometimes you need something more formal, and my favorite for such occasions is the Vivian style from ETD. As you know by now, ETD is my first love when it comes to hair textures, no one else does a mahogany shade like Elikapeka Tiramisu. The Vivian style is an elegant French twist updo, and as someone pointed out in the comments to my ETD review, it weighs in at a very stingy 37 prims. I reach for Vivian whenever I’m looking for something elegant but also want to do my part to fight lag. (Then again, those prim savings might be outweighed by the rosettes on my gown - which you can see in better detail in this closeup.)
When I talked with Salome about joining Linden Lifestyles, I told her that I don’t do nudity. Well, that’s out the window now, isn’t it? It’s for a good reason, though - I’ve stripped down to show off my shape, which no, you can’t actually buy for yourself. But if you are looking for a little help with your sliders because you can’t get your shape exactly how you want it, I’d recommend doing what I did and contacting Zada Zenovka of Shapes by Zada. In addition to selling various pre-made shapes, for a price Zada will work with you to create a custom shape. Zada has a near-encyclopedic knowledge of SL skins and how they interact with body shape, so you can be sure that your new shape will work with your skin of choice.
Finally, I wanted to highlight my eyes, which are the Light Blue eyes from Miriel and are the only eyes I ever wear. All of the eyes Miriel Enfield sells are superbly drawn, they range from natural colors to exotic, and they come in two sizes, but I really don’t need such options. I haven’t been able to get over these captivating blue ones from the day I first saw them. Plus, as we’ve noted before, Miriel’s vendors are set up to let you choose whether you want copy permissions or transfer permissions on your items, which is a big step toward greater consumer choice and something I hope finds wider adoption around the grid.
Okay, I guess that brings me sadly to the end. In the short time I’ve been on the staff here, I’ve come to realize just how amazing the readership of Linden Lifestyles is, and I will miss you all. If you feel like dropping by my personal blog, Second Life, First Person, I would love to have you all over for a visit. Until then… it’s been great fun, and an honor to squee along with you!
Where to buy
Marly’s
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Retrology/15/96/40
ICING
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Mischief/130/157/23/
Aden
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Hallgerda/99/72/701
(other locations listed here at end of review)
ETD
http://slurl.com/secondlife/ETD%20Isle/212/216/26
Shapes by Zada
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Talisman/84/140/24
