Every couple of months, Belle Epoque gives out a L$500 store credit. It’s generous, but also smart marketing, because it doesn’t just bring traffic back to the main store, it gets people posting on social media too. I always rush to spend mine the second I get it because I’m paranoid I’ll forget and it’ll expire, assuming it even does.
I picked up the Floria dress from Belle Epoque in Beige. I normally never wear beige or brown tones, but something about this screamed Montana-inspired look to me.
And yes, I used AI to edit the photos. I’m shameless about it now. But the photo didn’t magically appear out of nowhere either. Every item I’m wearing was still created in Second Life.
I normally don’t edit my photos much at all and usually just post raw SL screenshots, but part of me wanted to push back against the anti-AI stance from the vocal minority. You really can’t tell other residents what they can or can’t do in this game, especially when it isn’t against TOS.
I’m still amused watching Second Life residents argue endlessly about AI while brands quietly use it all over their advertising and profit from it. If people want to lecture residents about using AI, maybe start by asking your favorite brands to stop using it too.
I went to Elope Expo a couple weeks ago and ever since then I couldn’t stop thinking about doing a wedding look in SL. The problem is I didn’t feel like hunting down the perfect chapel backdrop just to take one photo, so I just added one with AI instead. I think enhancing SL photos with AI is fun, and clearly a lot of other residents do too because I see it everywhere on Social Media now. Some people are still loudly against it, but most people really don’t care. They just want to relax, be creative, and have fun. I’d rather someone recycle in real life than make “not using AI” their moral high ground.
Anyway, back to Elope Expo. I’m genuinely impressed by all the beautiful wedding content SL creators come up with. Even though partnering in SL has never really been my thing, I still love the whole wedding aesthetic. AI altered some of these details a little in my photo, but I’m wearing the Aveline Cathedral Veil from Purple Moon with the new Yara hairstyle from Mina, and they go perfectly together. Both are available at Elope Expo.
I also picked up this gorgeous Seraphina Dress from Eternus for only L$90 at the weekend sale. I always need more gowns, and I couldn’t pass up a deal. Now I kind of wish I bought the fatpack too, because this dress is seriously beautiful.
Should you still credit SL items if you used AI to edit the photo and things got altered a little? I think so. You can still judge the items for yourself and recreate the look if you want to. The final image is still like 90% the original styling anyway.
You know when you’re looking at an AI-edited Second Life photo, right? You have eyes. You know that hair doesn’t really look like that, the surroundings are way too realistic, or something is just slightly off. Not quite Second Life. It’s above what Second Life is capable of. I think Second Life looks amazing now, but I rezzed during the system Ruth avatar era. I remember what we used to look like.
Many Second Life brands are now marketing to us, the residents, with flawless AI-edited photos, but they’re not being honest about it. They want you to think they’re just amazing at photography/editing and that you too can achieve that look if you buy their products. AI editing is basically the same thing as 3D rendered ads at this point. It’s just too good to be raw Second Life.
I have an amazing computer, and it frustrates me sometimes when I can’t render images that look that good. But I’m not against AI editing at all, since I can’t be deceived, but maybe someone new to SL may be. What amuses me is that whenever a resident posts an AI-edited photo for fun, fellow residents attack them, but when brands do it, nobody says anything. I was telling my friend that residents go after each other, and especially bloggers, because attacking us has no consequences. They don’t dare confront their favorite brands for fear of the brand’s fans attacking them back, or the brands themselves responding.
All of this to say, I was happily surprised when I was scrolling X (Twitter) and came across this prompt post by Sopha Portal, the designer of MudSkin. She also posted the raw image from Second Life so you could compare what is SL and what is AI-enhanced. I used her prompt exactly as it was written to generate a similar image. I love it. Have you noticed all the amazing backlit photos in SL lately with beautiful glowing hair? They’re probably using AI. It takes two seconds.
Pinky Fox💗
I made Concept shot of New skin "Rin" I used AI Prompt I made(very simple) so I share for ya.
Head – lel Avalon Skin – MUDSKIN – Rin skin – brow – ICY + MUDSKIN – Rin – Cried Tears – LIGHT (100%) Hair – DOUX – Cheyenne Hairstyle [S] Fox Ears & Tail – GENUSxSEmotion… pic.twitter.com/P2uP2y1sT6
Use this prompt: { “image_generation_prompt”: { “subject”: “A beautiful female character with fox ears based on a reference image, maintaining the exact same three-quarter view, facial angle, and composition. Her eyes, nose, lips, and sad expression must remain identical to the reference.”, “enhancements”: “Upgrade the details to ultra-high-definition, adding hyper-realistic individual strands of soft pink hair and photorealistic, detailed human skin texture with natural lighting reflections. Remove any tears from her face.”, “background”: “Completely replace the solid green background with a dreamy, soft-focused magical forest filled with a pastel pink haze and ethereal light beams. The atmosphere should be whimsical, glowing, and cinematic.”, “effects”: “Add a dynamic effect of fluttering pink cherry blossom petals and vibrant green leaves swirling gently around her, creating depth and a soft-focus fantasy vibe.” } }
I edited the prompt a little and made another image, this time with a city background and changed the colors to blue. These were created using raw images I took in SL for a previous blog post. I’m very comfortable with the fact that I can take a great raw SL photo, and I have no problem using AI when I want to, just for fun.
I wish SL residents would leave people alone if they want to use AI, and before they try to shame someone for it, realize that many of their favorite brands are already doing the exact same thing. At the end of the day, I don’t think people are actually mad about AI. They just pick and choose who they’re comfortable criticizing.
Exile quietly released new textures! I tried on the latest Signe hairstyle and immediately noticed the redesigned HUD too. Obviously my favorites are the Blondes pack and the Fantasy pack. The Choice pack is great too if you’re indecisive and constantly bouncing between hair colors. I couldn’t decide between light pink or light blonde today, so I just wore both.
I always let my hairstyle lead the way when it comes to building an outfit. This whole look started with this playful hair. I wanted a giant bow to finish it off, and the Vale Headband from C’est La Vie ended up being perfect. I’m also wearing colors I normally avoid. Does orange and teal actually work together? I think maybe it does.
My last post about using AI to judge my face caused quite a stir on Facebook. I think Second Life residents on Facebook can be especially rude compared to other social media sites. I don’t know if it’s the demographic, and I don’t necessarily mean age, but something about Facebook makes people react with hostility to absolutely everything.
Moments like that make me appreciate the genuinely nice people I’ve met in Second Life over the years. One of those people is Kavar Cleanslate, the creator of Exile. A lot of you probably don’t know this, but Kavar has been my friend for a very long time and is honestly one of the nicest people ever. We actually live on the same region. Well… technically one day he told me I could rez my house there, and I just never left. It’s been decades now. LOL. I don’t think he knows how to ask me to leave, but honestly, would he even? He’s that nice.
And since this is a a hair-themed post, would you like to win early access to Hair Fair? You have six chances to win. Just follow Hair Fair on social media and like/comment with your SL username for a chance to get in early. I’ll be at Hair Fair before opening, so hopefully I’ll see some of you there!
Have you ever wondered what AI thinks you could do to improve your Second Life face? I uploaded two photos to ChatGPT, front facing and profile, and asked what I could do to make my avatar’s face better. Surprisingly, it said my face was nearly perfect, but that my eyes were too big. Omg, were my eyes too big?
It actually gave me some helpful tips, so I nudged the sliders a bit here and there. One of the things I’ve always been concerned about is my profile. It has to be great. ChatGPT suggested making my chin protrude a little more and my lips protrude a little less.
Another critique ChatGPT had for me was that my usual lashes were too glam, too full. I dialed it back with a new set of wispy lashes, but I don’t think I care about that critique. I love thick full lashes!
This new Twirl hairstyle from Truth Collective is so sweet. It’s a relaxed style with a low ponytail. I’m always super excited when I see a hair from Litterbug, Truth’s real life daughter. She might be the youngest hair creator in SL right now? And her side gig is making real life money, probably better than most experienced creators. When your father is one of the best… it’s expected. I’m glad the hair legacy continues.
I also tried on the new Halcyon Maxi and Shorts from Tres Blah, and purposely picked the print that reminds me of porcelain plates. I love it. This delicate print is perfect for lounging around the house. Even though we’re heading into summer, I decided to dial back my skin tone from 004 back to 003, a lighter tone that reminds me of a porcelain doll too.
Do you play around with your style and change it up now and then? I like to bounce around between 2-3 skin tones and blondes or brunette. Let me know in the comments!
Anthology event announced that May will be the last round. This is the only event that I’m a blogger for, so it feels kind of sad seeing it end after two years. But honestly, I also think there are too many events on the grid, so losing one is probably healthy overall for the Second Life economy.
Events create this rushed mentality for both creators and consumers. Before I even get a chance to unpack and show you my latest outfit, it’s already three releases old from the same creator. Now it feels dated, it’s no longer at whatever event it launched at, and I don’t even know if it made it to the main store. Events are not that great for bloggers.
My blog posts sell items long after I post them. Years later, people still find old blog posts and go shopping. That’s why event blogging has always felt weird to me, because the content expires so fast. I’ve always been hesitant to sign up for event blogging because I don’t actually want to feel obligated to blog anything. Anthology was super nice about it though. You just blogged a few items per round and could pretty much blog whatever you wanted. Blogger’s choice.
Even though I still blog fashion, I also want to blog about so many other things in SL. That’s why I don’t really sign up to officially blog for a lot of brands or events. If I’m only blogging, on average, once a week, I don’t want my content dominated by one thing. I’m too scattered for that.
So I guess this post is really just to say that Anthology will be missed, at least by me. It was me dipping my toes into event blogging and realizing I probably couldn’t handle a massive event with super strict blogging rules.
Anyway, don’t ask me why I decided to shoot these photos in the dark. Then I realized you couldn’t even see my shoes, so I had to go back and change the EEP light settings.
I love loafers, and these are the Elaine Shoes by Arltos at Anthology. I don’t know how long Arltos has been around, but I only really started noticing them fairly recently, maybe within the past two years? I wear low heels, loafers, flats, sandals, and sneakers. I’m not a fan of sky high shoes. They look uncomfortable, even on virtual feet.
I wasn’t expecting this announcement when I woke up this morning. Patch Linden, Senior VP of Product Operations and a familiar name in Second Life for nearly 20 years, is no longer with the company. Reading the brief blog post, it’s hard not to feel like this was a sudden and forced departure. No farewell, no send off, just an abrupt end. Even his name is already gone in world.
I wouldn’t say I was a fan of Patch or not a fan, but I do recognize his impact. He gave us Bellisseria, which is probably the only thing that has kept me engaged over the past seven years. More than that, he actually seemed enthusiastic about Second Life. He showed up, dressed for the occasion, and felt like someone who genuinely understood how to use the platform. Not every Linden or executive can say that.
Whether you liked him or didn’t, Patch was a big presence. It feels appropriate to take a moment to say goodbye and acknowledge his contributions to Second Life.
Looking ahead, I just hope whoever steps into this role listens to residents. Second Life is not exactly bringing in waves of new users, so keeping the current community engaged should be the priority. I want to keep enjoying my Lifetime Premium Plus membership, but I can’t help wondering how much the platform is changing and whether it will still feel like home.
SL23B is going to feel different this year without one of its most recognizable voices.
Shoutout to Sonya Marmurek because her blog post actually convinced me to visit a region called Bến Tôm Rơi, which translates to Shrimp Bay. It’s built by Victor E. Eton and Walton Wainwright. As I said in my last post, I usually stick to auctions for big charity events, but this year I wanted to actually explore, and this region is stunning. The colors are beautiful, and even with all the shops, there are still plenty of great spots for photos.
I also rediscovered a shop that is new to me, Grasshopper Street. Before seeing Sonya’s post, I remembered picking up a historical hat from them at another event. I love period clothing in Second Life, and their whole store is such a delight. I saw so many gowns I will probably go back for later, but this time I chose something that fits the region. The Áo Dài is a traditional Vietnamese gown and the national dress. You can also get the matching coiled headscarf, Khăn Vành Dây, from Grasshopper Street. I love when I can put together a full outfit and shoot it on location. It just feels right.
Southeast Asia is so underrepresented in Second Life, so it was a nice surprise to find not one, but two stores featuring Vietnamese inspired clothing at Fantasy Faire. Another one is CocoCat. It’s not featured in this post, but they have a really good freebie at the event. Unfortunately it isn’t made for the Maitreya LaraX body, but if you alpha your whole body, you might be able to make the Legacy version work.
If you have time to explore, Bến Tôm Rơi is definitely worth a visit.
In honor of Fantasy Faire, I typed in “wand” into my inventory and found this fabulous Unicorn Magic Wand from Insomnia Angel. I have no memory of ever getting this, so that means one of my friends probably gifted it to me because it was a gacha item.
And what does one wear with a wand? A crown, obviously. I pulled out Fairie Queen by Sparkle Skye, which has always been a favorite of mine. I should wear crowns like this all the time, because why not. I’m also wearing the Caroline Gown from Just Because, one of my recent favorite gown makers. The pricing is fair, it’s sold by body type, and this gown has a shiny PBR finish that really works here. You could style it futuristic or regal, the choice is yours. Back in the day, girls used to run all over the grid in full flexi ball gowns like it was casual attire. Shopping, dancing, standing around somewhere. We need to bring that back.
Now let’s talk about Fantasy Faire. I go every year, usually for Jail & Bail with Patch Linden or the Silent and Live Auction during the last few days of the event where I like to bid on Linden-sponsored items. Because of that, Fantasy Faire to me has always felt like a Linden-endorsed event.
That is why all this AI drama looks so bad. Last year, I watched a resident get bullied by Fantasy Faire designers and maybe others too for using AI to enhance photos. I’m not even sure they were an official blogger. They may have just been a regular resident who got piled on so badly they removed a lot of photos from Flickr. Fantasy Faire organizers said nothing discouraging the bullying. That was a bad look, especially for a charity event benefiting the American Cancer Society.
Previously, Fantasy Faire allowed AI use for designers in certain ways, while banning bloggers from using it. Designers could reportedly use it for marketing or decorations as long as it was not being sold. This year they changed the rules again and moved toward banning AI entirely, even for things not for sale.
Then came the DRD situation. According to DRD, they were privately given the green light by organizer Elizabeth Tinsley to use AI posters around their region build. Then later another staff member came through putting up red boxes to mark items for review or removal before opening. Things escalated, and DRD says they felt publicly shamed and harassed.
If that is true, then the problem is not AI. The problem is how this was handled. You cannot privately approve something, then publicly crack down on it later and expect no reaction. Any designer would be upset.
In my opinion, the aggressive anti-AI stance has no place in a charity event, and the selective enforcement looks even worse. AI is a tool. Whether people personally like it or hate it, using it is not against Linden Lab’s Terms of Service. Treating residents like they did something terrible over it is unnecessary.
Fantasy Faire should be about creativity, fundraising, shopping, and fun. Instead it keeps becoming drama over technology. They should release a public statement, explain what happened, and maybe apologize where needed. They also need one clear rule for everybody. Not one rule privately, another publicly, and something else depending on who you are.
They picked the wrong battle, and now it shows.
DRD Statement from their Discord server
We had something special planned for Fantasy Faire this year: our return after 10 years, with a brand-new region and a follow-up story to San Mora.
What should have been an exciting return took a very different turn in the final days. What started as a discussion around AI use escalated **far beyond that**. We were transparent from the beginning and had shown what we were doing early on, with approval to move forward, but 2 days before opening the situation shifted, and how it was handled crossed a line for us.
It escalated into repeated public shaming using hundreds of red glowing prim markers pointing out anything and everything, it reached a point of bullying.
Eventually the entire build was covered in nearly a thousand Fantasy Faire posters. **There’s nothing left of what we created.**
We literally filled the region with Orwell quotes about censorship and authoritarian control and now we’re being silenced and erased in real time. The irony is not lost on us.
This was no longer about being anti-AI or pro-AI. Everyone is entitled to their own stance on that, and we respect differing opinions. What this became about was how poorly the situation was handled.
Things have really changed in 10 years.** It no longer felt like a Faire for charity… it became a protest against AI.**
__We weren’t even allowed to set up RFL vendors to sell our build__ , meaning we were not allowed to raise money for RFL.(?)
It no longer felt like something we wanted to be part of.
We donated the sim to FF to do with it what they wish and to remove the name Reservoir Zero, because that is NOT Reservoir Zero.
**We made the decision to step away completely**. We’re not going to compromise our work or vision just to fit in.
**So here’s what we’re doing instead:**
We’re moving the full, uncensored version of Reservoir Zero to our own sim.
This summer, it will become the **full apocalyptic experience** we originally planned… a proper continuation of the story.
For now, we’ve already started setting things up there together with a few amazing merchants, and we’ll be hosting our own Relay For Life charity event and party very soon.
We’re sorry for the sudden change and any disappointment. **This wasn’t how we wanted our return after all these years to go.**
But we’re looking forward to showing you the version of Reservoir Zero that actually reflects what we built.
Thank you to everyone who reached out and had our back, it meant a lot.
Even though many brands in Second Life create amazing products, the way they treat customers can leave a sour taste in your mouth. When that happens, it makes you think twice about spending money with them again.
I’ve encountered more than a few brands I’ve supported that ignore simple customer service issues, like refunding a double purchase or answering a basic question. I’m sure most of us have experienced being completely ignored by a store owner or customer service rep. Some people know how to create great things in Second Life, but they never learn how to build loyalty.
On the other hand, the brands that go out of their way to be kind and helpful earn my support for years.
One example is Everfaery. Every time I’ve had a question or needed help, they’ve responded in a way that was even nicer than expected. Honestly, the fact that they respond at all already puts them ahead of many brands. Recently, I asked a question on Flickr and got a quick reply. That reminded me they also give L$50 monthly store credit to group members. On top of that, creator Fever Fae is incredibly talented, making clothing, hair, shoes, décor, and more. She has range, and she’s had staying power in SL for years.
Another brand that consistently treats customers well is Izzie’s. I’ve said it before, but it’s true. A few days ago, I saw their Nail Beds set and thought, “I didn’t even know I needed that.” Now I can’t imagine not having it. It adds another layer of realism, and I appreciate creators who think of those details. Plus, Izzie Button has always come across as genuinely kind.
Then there’s Truth. Creator Truth Hawks regularly gives gifts to the VIP group and runs solid sales throughout the year. I’ve also been a Truth hair blogger for years, and their relationship with bloggers has always seemed professional and respectful. That kind of relationship-building is one reason some brands last so long in Second Life.
My list of brands doing it right is actually pretty long. There are many wonderful creators in SL. But when a brand ghosts me after I’ve supported them, I remember it. I’m too classy to name names, but you know the type. We’ve all encountered them.
There’s one brand where I used to buy every fatpack. Now? Maybe I’ll grab a single item during a weekend sale and spend the equivalent of a real-life quarter. Why reward bad customer service with full-price loyalty?
At the end of the day, customer service matters. Talent may get people through the door, but kindness and reliability keep them coming back.
If there are any brands you love that treat customers right, let me know in the comments!
