I rarely ever do these look-of-the-day type entries mainly because I am lazy and I like to run around barefoot most of the time. I'm making an exception today to show you some new goodies that I bought today during a shopping binge & some older stuff that have been floating around the black hole that is my invy.
This gorgeous Swallowtail Butterfly necklace & matching hair clip is a work of art. Natsuko Paravane does prim jewelry using themes from nature like flowers & animals like no other in SL; I love her pieces so much, and they have a chunkier look than other jewelry but still very delicate looking.
This new Shiki Bikini Outfit (in Tropical Leaves print) is perfect for virtual island life. I rarely wear long skirts, but this one was sexy enough because it had a matching bikini top.
These Kalnins Coquette shoes are all the rage this week, I'm seeing it everywhere on other people's blog so I had to grab a pair and see them for myself. For $500L, these are texture-changeable with 11 color-combo presets, or you can customize your own with 11 different textures (they're all solid colored textures, not prints, although Hawaiian prints would have been very pretty!). Up close, I thought the sculpted work was amazing but the textures looked a bit dusty? Not saturated enough? I'm not sure what it needs since I'm not a creator, but the textures are not as vibrant as other shoes I have. Still, for $500L, its a pretty good deal since you can play around with a lot of different colors combination.
Olivia Connaught over at Free*Style blogged a lovely freebie outfit from the Token sim, so I had to go check it out. There are a bunch of complete outfits at this sim, including shoes!!
This outfit includes jewelry that has glow (a windlight only feature)!!!
The beige coat is amaaaazing, and includes a sculpted purse.
And, you can take the coat off leaving this sleek business attire.
Amazing cream colored dress
Bath Towel!!!
Judo Gi (there’s a blue version too)
I don’t know why there are so many fabulous outfits at this Token sim, but it kiiiiiiicks butt!!! If you have a job that requires wearing business attire (land baron? csr? fake ceo?), there are lots of pieces in these that will mix-and-match with other items in your inventory for a posh look.
I stopped by Shop & Hop to pick up some of the latest free gifts. At this point, it’s become a bit of a tradition for me. Every time the event comes around, I’m always curious to see which creators put real thought into their gifts and which ones are simply tossing something out to satisfy the participation requirements. There were quite a few pleasant surprises this round, and if you’re a fan of freebies, it’s definitely worth a visit. As always, FabFree did a fantastic job covering all the gifts, so be sure to check out their SL23B gift guide for a complete look at what’s available.
I didn’t make it to every booth, but after spending way too much time teleporting, touching vendors, unpacking boxes, and trying things on, these were the gifts that stood out to me the most:
• LeRoux – Lois AO • SLC – Bento AO Doubleyou • Softie – Nylah Skirt • Ade – Sunny Hairstyle • Alaskametro – Gemini 2K BOM Makeup Set • MUHO – Deva Shoes • Seeker – Remy Shoes • Cococat – Store Credit • Navy+Copper – Store Credit
As I was making my way through Shop & Hop, I found myself thinking about how many free gifts there are in Second Life these days. It feels like every event has gifts now, whether it’s because they’re collaborating with Linden Lab, celebrating an anniversary, hosting a birthday round, or simply running a promotion. Free gifts have become so common that I don’t really understand why Linden Lab still seems to view them as a major incentive for Premium memberships or resident engagement.
In fact, I sometimes wonder if all these gifts are starting to work against the events themselves. Right after leaving Shop & Hop, I teleported over to ACCESS and discovered their birthday round was packed with gifts as well. I happily collected them, took everything home, unpacked it, tried it on, kept a few items, deleted the rest, and never felt the need to actually shop. The gifts became the entire experience, and I still got that little rush that comes from finding something new without spending a single Linden dollar.
That’s why I’ve never been convinced that giving away more gifts is the answer to attracting new residents or keeping existing ones engaged. Second Life already has an incredible freebie culture, and anyone willing to spend a little time exploring can put together a fantastic avatar without opening their wallet. If Linden Lab wants to attract and retain new users, I think their resources would be better spent making the platform easier to understand, improving the onboarding experience, and connecting newcomers with friendly, knowledgeable residents who can help them navigate the world. New residents don’t need another gift bag nearly as much as they need guidance and a positive first experience.
Maybe that’s what’s been frustrating me lately. From my perspective, Second Life feels a little directionless. So many of Linden Lab’s recent efforts seem focused on giveaways, promotions, and perks for people who are already here, while some of the issues that residents talk about year after year continue to linger. I don’t think most long-term residents are asking for more gifts. We’d probably rather see faster support response times, better covenant enforcement, stronger account security, and leadership that demonstrates a deeper understanding of the people who continue to invest their time and money into this platform.
Of course attracting new residents is important, and every online world needs new people to thrive. At the same time, it’s hard not to notice that some of the residents who have supported Second Life for years are becoming increasingly frustrated. The people who own land, maintain communities, support creators, pay for Premium memberships, and spend thousands of dollars annually are just as important to the health of the platform as the next wave of signups. Sometimes it feels like Linden Lab is working very hard to attract new residents while overlooking the people who have already proven, year after year, that they’re committed to staying.
For about a year, I was a big fan of Amara Beauty Skins, buying almost every new release. I especially liked tone 25! Then, they switched to a Velour tones, and I didn’t enjoy the skins as much anymore. Additionally, the heavy shading on the nose didn’t look right, and I stopped buying Amara skins since mid-last year. I had almost given up on them until I came across the Elara skin from Amara Beauty at Uber (also see the shopping guide on Seraphim). Although the ad was enhanced by AI and looked stunning (see ad), I was curious to know how it would actually look in Second Life.
When I wear any skin in Second Life, I usually don’t wear the brows included because they’re usually too thick for my taste. I wore the no-brows version of the Elara skin and added LeLutka’s HD brows that comes with the mesh head. I found that it closely resembled the advertisement and looked lovely on me. I liked it so much that I adjusted my avatar’s shape slightly and added some extra touches with Izzie’s highlights to enhance the look.
Yay four new Truth hairstyles for your wearing pleasure! I’ve noticed that Truth has been using more of the ‘crimped’ hair texture and it’s kind of cool.
I am wearing Avery, Stella, Pamela and Lara all in Latte brown.
Chaisuki has just released the Brianna skins! There are 4 skin tones, 2 brow options, 4 hair base options, alternative breasts, optional tan-line, optional public hair, and 40 makeups!
I love that there are lots of makeups available, but I chose to photograph 12 of my favorites. You can see them below:
I am wearing the Vanille skin tone in Dark Brows option.
I love those bikini outfits. 🙂
I’m also -huge- fan of those Kalnins shoes. I agree with you–the colors are a bit less saturated than normal. For me, though, that’s the appeal.
these are made for feet that are size 11 x.x so everytime you want to wear them you have to edit your feet. lame lame lame
I love those bikini outfits. 🙂
I’m also -huge- fan of those Kalnins shoes. I agree with you–the colors are a bit less saturated than normal. For me, though, that’s the appeal.