Hair Fair 2009

It's once again time for the wonderful Second Life Hair Fair, 2009 edition. Every year, the SL hair designers get together and display their newest offerings, and the whole affair is so huge as to take up several sims. As exciting as it all sounds, the wonderful thing about it is that all the sellers here will donate 50% of all proceeds to Locks of Love, an organization which provides wigs to young cancer patients whom have lost their real hair due to chemotherapy treatment. This is a worthy cause, and I would ask that each of you visit and make at least one purchase at this show. Cancer is a horrible disease, affecting the lives of so many people. Cancer does not discriminate; it will infect anyone, of any race or creed, and of any age, be they good or bad. Until we can come up with a cure for it, the least we can do is to show our compassion for the afflicted, lest we ourselves someday fall victim to the curse.

I'm at the fair as I write this, and I had intended to do a huge write-up on it, but considering the lag here, it would prove to be an enormous project. Instead, I have decided to list the designers here and leave it at that. I had also intended to collect landmarks, but perhaps due to lag, the few landmark givers present did not seem to be working for me.



What I WILL do, however, is I will go through the list of vendors, and over time, give coverage to those I find of interest and provide landmarks upon review. Not all of them appeal to me, and to be honest, I don't feel I can give an objective review of those which tend to cater to the kitty-ears-and-horse-tails crowd. Sorry. I'm sure they can't relate to my preferences either, so BLEAH! (*sticks tongue out*)

Despite the lag, it's all very exciting. I found that it is a bit easier to stay in one place and "cam" around the various shops (move my view using my camera controls). The only problem with this is there is a limit to the distance from which you can select objects, which, if too far away, will prevent the acquisition of demos and the purchase of any products until you actually move within range. Still, it is a way to avoid those laggy moments where you are trying to fly along and you just can't get anywhere.

Being a fan of short hairdos, I am always anxious to find something new. I am never above using styles intended for men, which brings up a point I have mentioned before: I have NEVER seen any realistic men's hairstyles in Second Life, ever. Aside from rock stars, men just do not wear their hair long any more, not like in SL. I would love to see some SHORT men's hairstyles, military cuts, even. I suspect that they would sell like crazy. I have mentioned this to designers before, but to no avail. Perhaps I will have to figure out how to make decent hair myself. I just don't want to use my time here marketing and selling! *sigh*

I grabbed a ton of demos, but I didn't dare try any of them at the fair. I figured I'd leave before the lag got the best of me; at one point I couldn't even enter one of the four quadrants because the sim was full. I managed to grab three out of four landmarks, although the northeast one didn't allow taking a LM for some reason (I was able to get one nonetheless from a demo I picked up on that sim! Yay!).

Here are the four regions, including a list of vendors on display in each sim, and a landmark to that section. If you can't TP to a given area, you might want to try landing at an adjacent location and walking in.



Hair Fair '09, Southwest Quadrant:

Magika
House of Munster
Battle Angel
Digital Eyes
Heading to Dreamville
Analog Dog
Exile
Damselfly
Snipz
Adam n Eve
LALA Moon
MADDesigns
Calys Creations
Hair Solutions
Kiss
Katat0nik
Lamora
Find Ash
Rock Candy
ChiChickie
Maitreya
DV8
Inorite
Vixen
Tukinowaguma
Tekeli-li! dark artistry
Flavor Designs
NebuchadNezzar - NDN - Industrial Cybergoth Gear



Hair Fair '09, Southeast Quadrant (courtesy of Dernier Cri):

Dernier Cri
Argrace
Zobovic
Hype
Lag Designs
Booperfunk
Dreads n Threads
Dark Mouse
Amacci
Zyrra Falcone
Blood Royal
Alice Project
Redlic
Simplee Britnee
Sky Shop Hair Resort
Onigiri
Miau Haus
Audacity
Baskin Bobbins
Tea Lane
Jolie Femme
Waka & Yuki
Hair Influence
Twisted & Spoiled
Nushru
The Good Life
Sweet Hair
Designs by Katey
a.C Store
The Stringer Mausoleum
Sparle Skye Designs
Honey
Innovations
Vignette
Shag
Draconic Kiss
Sirena hair
Curio Obscura
B Spot
Defectiva
MIU
Mirada
FOAM



Hair Fair '09, Northwest Quadrant:

Clawtooth by Clawtooth
Beauty Avatar
Spirit
DeadKitties
Tiny Bird
Goldie Locks
Mela's
Fuel
Kin
Diversity
Gwendolyn Cassini Creations
Ingenue
Wasabi Pills
Milestone Creations
Posh
Glittercake
Here Comes Trouble
Curious Kitties
TRUTH
Philotic Energy
Mia Snow
Vanity Hair
Curio
Raspberry Aristocrat
Head Mistress
Refuge
Bish Hair
Pixelated Dreams
Mau & Mej's
Fascino
BiZaRRe Hair & DeMiNaTioNs
Carlucci Designs
Rosy Mood
Decoy
Excess Androgyne
Sari's
Biedermanns Hair
Tekuteku
C'est Moi
JE Republic
House of Heart



Hair Fair '09, Northeast Quadrant:

Nodoka
Pirate Arts
Lazy Places
Aitui
George Street
Deviant Kitties
Dicord Designs
Bryce
Hairstyles by Tami McCoy
Pazazz Hair
Black Maria
Aoharu
Fashionably Dead
GroovyGirl Designs
U-Neek
DK's & Pixelthreads
Filigreemotion
Calico Ingmann Creations
SLink


Now, that's a TON of hair designers to look at, and many of them I have never heard of before. I intend to check them all out though, so stay tuned, kiddies.

BTW, the Hair Fair will run until July 4, so you should still have plenty of time to check it out, and PLEASE make a donation! If you purchase just one item, half of your money will be going to help a child in need. PLEASE! It's important.

Until next time,

Jamie :)

Free Skin at LeLutka!

Just a heads-up for my friends and loyal readers: You can pick up a FREE SKIN at LeLutka (formerly MM Skins). You can find it on the table in the main display room; it looks like a shopping bag.

I like this skin. It's hard to believe it's free (send your n00b friends/alts over there!), and I have no idea how long they will have it available, so don't delay. Here is how it looks on me:



LeLutka has also announced that they have reduced the prices on ALL of their skins, so if you have always wanted to get a set for yourself, there is no better time than NOW! Check out their London Revolution series. I already own quite a few skins from either LeLutka or MM, and I think my next set from them is going to be from the above-mentioned line. At least go and check them out, maybe pick up a few demos, and get that free skin. You owe it to yourself.

Jamie

Maitreya New Releases, June '09

If you belong to the Maitreya Update Group, you already know about the new releases which came out a couple days ago. Just knowing about them wasn't good enough for me though; I had to go and have a look.


Limo to Maitreya Isle


New items include a couple different styles of jeans, some denim shorts (NICE ones, not your garden-variety stripper-style cut-offs... ) with cuffs, a line of sarong tops which will go well with this lovely summer weather we're having, and some very nice racer-back tank tops.

Now please bear in mind that I am not given these items for free provided that I post a favorable review; quite the contrary. I buy all my stuff, and while I will not buy EVERYTHING just so I can write a review, I will buy whichever items suit my fancy, and I will give an honest report on them. It's MY blog, and I can say whatever I want, right? Well, RIGHT?? Of course I can. Who is going to stop me, the SL Police? Ha.

ANYway, I did pick out a few items. I bought one pair of the skinny jeans with prim cuffs just to see how they were. My intention was to NOT use the prim cuffs, as attaching them would have replaced the top straps on my Stiletto Moodys. Instead, I chose to wear mine sans cuffs, Jamie style. I must say, they are well done. I chose a basic blue (shade #6 if you must know), but I may have to go back and get a couple more for my ever-expanding jeans collection.



These have a nice fit, and a realistic texture, of which several variations are available. There are a few layer choices, as well as versions for use with the included prim roll-up cuffs and without. Here is a close-up of the leg detail, showing the nicely done seams and the natural looking wrinkles, precluding a stiff, painted-on appearance:



What am I standing on, you ask? Those are concrete "tide breakers," also known as tetrahedrons, commonly used to prevent shoreline erosion. The surf splashing up through these is quite spectacular, and YES, I did get a bit wet on this shoot!


I also picked up a pair of the denim shorts, in "Vintage Blue," of all things. OK, so I am a traditionalist. Too boring for you? Sorry; find another blog to read then.

As I said before, these shorts are refreshing in that they are not the ultra short items that we seem to have an over-abundance of here in SL. These are what you might wear in RL (unless you are a stripper or a Playboy model, in which case it's not likely that you need to live vicariously through Second Life anyway), and they would seem to go well with just about any warm weather top you might have handy. They are just NICE. Reasonable. SENSIBLE. I like them a lot, and will likely soon go back for a few more colors.



Oh, yes... the top. That's the new Racer Back Tank. I love this one, and I bought it in five different colors. True, they have a fat-pack for sale, but all I wanted were those five shades. All layers are included, which is so thoughtful of them. It shows that they know the needs of their clients. Don't you just hate it when you buy a nice, say, tube top, only to find that it is only supplied with a jacket layer? To me, this shows either the lack of understanding for what the consumer needs, or (hopefully not) a lazy, non-caring attitude toward the end user. Maitreya has clearly done their homework in this regard, and the quality of their products speaks for itself.

Here is a back view of the top. This is a nice change from the standard tank top or cami, adding a bit more variety to your wardrobe:



The material itself has a subdued ribbed cotton texture to it, adding to the realism. Again, I love these tops. (Hmmm... maybe I SHOULD have bought the fat pack)

One thing is for certain though: Summer has arrived. We've spent the winter dieting and working out (right?), and we're ready for it. Time to lose those sweaters and boots and get out in the Sun! Why not start off the season right with a new look, and let everyone wonder who that REAL-looking girl is!

'Til next time...

Jamie :)

Beach and Ball Runway Show

Traitor?? No, not me; sure, I posted on another blog. I admit it. I'll even give you the link if you want to check it out:

Model’s Workshop Beach and Ball event coverage

Yes, it's the blog for the Model's Workshop group. I was tasked with taking photos of the recent (last Sunday) runway show, and it turned out to be a huge success!


Shown here on the runway is Lilly25 Connolly, photo "borrowed" from the official blog. Please click on the thumbnails here to view a larger image.


We'll be doing this again, so whether you are an experienced SL model, or if you have always wanted to be a model but weren't quite sure how to begin, this group is for you. It's about models helping models, and it's a fun way to learn and to make new friends in the industry. Join in and add your input regarding the theme of the next show. The entire thing was arranged by our own group members, so it was truly a team effort.

All you have to do is to simply run a search in-world for the group Model's Workshop and join (it's free), or better yet, just drop in at one of our weekly meetings. Trust me, you'll be made to feel more than welcome, and I'd be willing to bet that by the time the meeting is over, you'll have at least a few more new friends added to your list. WHERE, you ask? I'll give you the SLURL:
Model's Workshop

Our meetings are on Thursdays at 5pm, SLT (that would be 8pm Eastern time). This week the group is going to discuss how to organize and manage a runway show in Second Life, based on the experiences of those who participated in the recent show. Feel free to join us, whether you are interested in joining, or are just curious as to what we're all about. Chances are, though, if you have the interest to check us out, you'll want to become involved! This could be YOU on the runway!


Above, model Rouge Anthony hits the catwalk during the casual/beachwear segment of the show.




Delphine Ellisson struts her stuff at the recent show.




Anairam Maynard strikes a pose.




Janina Scarmon models a lovely Seafoam-colored gown in the formal wear segment.




Here again is Janina, this time sporting a more casual look.




Model Natalia Corvale wows the crowd during the swimsuit competition.




Also shown during the swimsuit/beachwear portion of the show is the lovely Beloved Aries.




Model Ebony Chanitilly is pictured in casual attire during the beachwear phase.




Pictured in a gorgeous blue formal is model Rhian Milena.



This production, while a lot of work for all who chose to participate, was enjoyed by all and proved to be a very rewarding experience. Do you think you'd enjoy being a part of something like this? Care to get involved, and learn? Don't hesitate; please come down and be a part of the Model's Workshop. All you have to do is to take that first step.



(For more detailed coverage of the show, please be sure to check our official blog, linked at the beginning of this post)

Hope to see you soon!

Jamie

M-M-M-More Prim Toes!

Just a quick post here... a friend recently tipped me off regarding some new shoes at B&G Shoes. There are three versions which feature a full prim foot, ala Moody, but the big news here is they are WAAAY affordable! How does $350L sound? Not bad at all, I hear you answer. Here is a pic of the display:



Of the three versions, I prefer the Selena best (the other two are the Amanda, and the Melody). There is a drop-down menu for skin color adjustment and toenail color. No toe rings on these, but I am told that the skin color CAN be fine-tuned by inputting the RGB color value, much like on the Moody shoes.

The fat pack can save you another 15% (eight different colors) at an incredible $2380L, but even if you can only afford one pair, you owe yourself, girlfriend! No, I didn't have time to review them personally, but I WILL get back to you on this, I promise! I have been busy with a lot of things, including building a large ocean-front house for a couple of great friends. More to come!

Hugzzzz

If It Ain't Broke...

As you may already know, I HATE change, and this applies especially to changes with the Second Life viewer (the version of the SL program we use to access our "other" life). Such a strong word for a girl, you say... hate?? You actually HATE change? Perhaps you mean that you just don't care for it very much.

Nope. I HATE it. As they say, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Right... I suppose it's LL job justification. After all, what is a development team to do? That's right: create CHANGES. Change for the sake of change. Let's improve something that is already just fine as it is.

Well, most of you have by now seen the notice on your log-in screens. We have been advised that we MUST upgrade to the new viewer by next Thursday or else. OK, so I added that last bit, but you get the idea. We have all seen this before. The last time they said we would NOT be forced to use the new viewer if we didn't want to. A couple weeks later we were given the ultimatum. Now it's back to the same routine once again.

I figured I may as well just do it now rather than wait 'til the bitter end. It's Sunday morning, and not much else is going on here anyway. I went to the main Second Life web page and chose the latest version, v1.22.11 and let it load. After I installed it I logged on to see if there was much of a difference. Ummmm, YEAH, there's a difference.


The HORROR... the HORROR...



The first thing I noticed, to my HORROR, was that now the water looked rather cartoonish, and it was transparent enough that when looking at the sea, all the surrounding underwater landscape was ghosted on the water. I knew I would have to do some tweaking, so I set forth to conquer my preference settings and maybe even tinker with the Environment Editor if necessary (World > Environment Settings > Environment Editor). I should caution you here to go easy with these settings, because unless you really know what you're doing, you can screw things up royally.



Enough whining, you say? SHOW us what you mean...
Okay, okay. I anticipated this, so I took a few screen shots to illustrate my point, and to show the results of what I did to fix it. BTW, you can click on all of my images in this blog to see them in a larger format (Oh? You already knew that?? WhatEVERrr... )

The first one shows how things looked initially. I set the light settings on "sunset" because I thought it would add a little color to my otherwise bland-looking diatribe.

Notice the not-so-faint outline of the surrounding underwater terrain:



If you look, you can see an island and where it extends under the surface of the water. This is progress?? I thought they were fixing things. Hmmmm...

Notice, too, that you can see my legs beneath the water's surface (pic was taken behind my house. Not a bad view, eh?).


This was when I decided to open the Environment Editor. I took notice that the Water Fog slider (which controls the water transparency) default setting was at 4.0; I pushed it to the right until I hit 8.5, and the offending underwater terrain went away. So did the clean look of the water. Now the water was looking a bit yucky, thick and slimy, and possibly crawling with critters that I could only imagine nibbling at my virtual toes.



Not liking this look at all, I reset the slider at 4.0 and went to my preferences window (Edit > Preferences). I went to the Graphics tab and clicked the Custom button to bring up further options.

I suppose it might depend on your computer's configuration as to what the default settings will be, but in my case, the Quality and Performance setting was set at mid range. This was fine for my older viewer, but now things were looking a bit flat and unexciting. I felt that with these so-called "improvements" things should be looking a lot better. I tweaked my level up to High, and right away I noticed a difference. The water had much more texture to it, yet my draw distance only increased from 96 to 128. My concern here was that I did NOT want to see clear across several sims; I wanted to keep things looking fairly distant.

I actually liked the results:



You'll notice that by setting the Water Fog level back to where it belonged, I restored the transparency of the water, yet the increase in the general quality of the imaging made things look so much better than the old viewer did!

The problem is, these improvements are not without their trade-offs; for me, lag increased just a bit. Not a lot, but for those with older or slower machines, this might be an issue. I will just deal with it. It's not too laggy, and it looks awesome now.

One other thing I noticed was that at certain times, the picture could appear to look "washed out," or almost over-exposed, especially on my avatar's face. I turned my face light down to the low setting, and this seemed to help.

Another thing... I don't know if this is something new, or if I had just never noticed it before: the clouds in the sky seem to move as if there is a wind! Nice effect. I hope it works well for all of you, but I'm sure they are already hard at work "fixing" things again. Oh, well... such is our Second Life.

LeLutka Skins On Sale Now!

This just in from Minnu Palen: LeLutka Skins (formerly MM Skins) are ALL marked down to 50% off!

The sale will last from today (May 15) for two weeks, until May 28. My first choice was always MM Skins, and that goes back to before I was actually in SL (I read all the fashion blogs even then), and right now I have a huge collection of them. It looks as if I am about to acquire a few more!

Here is the LM:
LeLutka Beaute

If you see me there, please stop and say hello! I promise I won't bite (at least not hard, anyway).




While you are out shopping, why not wander over to check out the new releases at Maitreya Hair?

I found out about these new releases last night just as our Model's Workshop meeting began, so I flew over there about as fast as I could once we had finished. They have three new styles, and they are unique in that they all have an option for some lovely Zaara jewelry to be worn in the hair (jewelry sold as a separate item).

Here are the display advertisements so you can see what they have.

The first one is called Amber, and is a lovely long, straight style with the front strands pulled around and tied in back. The version set up for wearing the jewels is included, but as I mentioned before, the jewels are not included. Lovely hair just by itself:




The next one they have is called Aisha, and it is a cute updo, with the hair gathered in a bun on top. Again, this style includes the one set up for the not-included jewelry, which incidentally, is for sale right there:




The last hairstyle offered among Maitreya's newest releases is Aisha II, and it is similar to the previous one, except that instead of a bun on top, it is gathered at the back and pinned upward, giving a clean, uncluttered look perfect for displaying your favorite necklace with a formal gown. Aisha II also includes provision for the featured Zaara jewelry:




Did I buy any myself, you ask? Of course. I bought two fatpacks, Amber, and Aisha II. Maybe we will do a session on hair at a future Model's Workshop. Sound good?

Meanwhile, I'm off to LeLutka to peruse some of their wonderful skins, and possibly add to my collection. Perhaps I will see you there!