Gawk

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    Summertime

    Bygogo Events, Fashion, Hair, iheartslFeed, JuicyBomb, Second Life, Uncategorized
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    Summertime

    I came across this trend that’s going viral right now with Second Life residents, where you take an SL photo and drop it into ChatGPT with a prompt to generate a realistic image. It’s fun, it’s cute. I saw my friends doing it, so of course I had to try too.

    Here’s how you can create your own SL to AI Selfie! Use this AI prompt and upload a photo of your avatar to go with it. You can edit it however you like, add details, change the time of day, whatever you want.

    Create an image that looks like a selfie taken with an iPhone. There should be no clear subject or specific composition, just a casual, unintentional snapshot. The image should be clear and lit evenly by daytime. The aspect ratio should be 9:16. It must not look AI-generated, but rather like it was taken by a real person.

    While I was doing this, I had a moment where I wondered if any creator reading my blog is going to ban me for running my photo through ChatGPT and then I immediately decided I don’t care if people are going to be witch hunty about it.

    Remember that blog post I wrote a while ago about some creators banning customers for using AI editing tools? Yeah, still relevant. Check profiles before you shop, because you don’t want to support anyone who’s going to turn around and blacklist you.

    Summertime

    I’m screaming at how cute this new Penelo skin from Glam Affair is. I did fix a couple things on the face with Izzie’s tattoos, mostly the pinkish circles around the eyes, but overall it’s such a pretty skin. My favorite thing is definitely the lips and the lipstick, it’s the best I’ve seen on a skin in a long time.

    My outfit today is the Penny dress from GAWK and I’m wearing it with the Starfish pendant necklace from SIGMA. It’s summer, you have to wear a giant starfish. This new hairstyle from WINGS is everything I want in a hair.

    Summertime
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    Gacha Is Back, But It Never Really Left

    Bygogo Fashion, iheartslFeed, JuicyBomb, Second Life, Uncategorized
    2 Comments
    Blue

    I’d say gacha is back, but let’s be real, it never left. I’ve been in Second Life long enough that the thrill of gachas wore off ages ago, well before they were officially banned. Blind buying duplicates got old fast. At some point, I stopped chasing full sets and rares. I just didn’t care anymore.

    I have a lot of friends who are still deep in the gacha game. I’ve been there too, dropping L$3,000 to L$5,000 on a single machine just to complete a set. It happens.

    So yeah, I’m a little surprised to see gacha returning in its original form. Miepon had its flaws, sure, but at least you could see what was coming next. Even if it wasn’t the item you wanted, the transparency was better than the old-school roulette wheel. Gacha is a form of shopping torture. You might get what you want, but chances are, you won’t. Designers love it though. In their own words, it made them a lot more money. And that’s what this is really about: profit. Your money going into their pockets.

    I’ve always compared gachas to MLMs. Once you buy in, you’re stuck reselling the stuff you don’t want, unless you’re okay taking a loss. That means wasting time listing duplicates at yardsales or on Marketplace. Or, if you’re feeling generous, giving them away to friends like a broke fairy godmother.

    Sure, people are excited gacha’s back, but ask yourself why these events are popping up again so fast. One is launching in two weeks. It’s all about the cash flow. Designers cash in, events need regions (which means more money going to Linden Lab), and shoppers? We’re just the endless source of funding.

    I’ll still pull the occasional gacha if it’s really good. But most of the time, I’m fine with whatever I get. I don’t chase anymore. I already have too much. And yet, like the little addict I am, I keep getting more, until my inventory overwhelms me and I start deleting things in bulk. Sometimes I wonder if my entire presence in Second Life is just one long donation to the system.

    Because in the end, this game, for me at least, is a shopping game.

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    Amara Beauty

    Bygogo Fashion, iheartslFeed, JuicyBomb, Second Life, Uncategorized
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    Amara Beauty

    Now that nearly everyone is creating 2k BoM skins, I’ve noticed a significant improvement in quality. I immediately fell in love with the Yenna skin from Amara Beauty that I recently tried on. I was a huge fan of this brand until they began introducing shaded noses and freckles that I found impossible to remove. However, this Yenna skin is smooth and incredibly beautiful. I would actually wear it without any tattoo fixes; the brows are a tad bushy, but since I prefer neater brows, I chose to wear the no-brows version and added my own adjustments.

    I filmed a short video clip to demonstrate how the skin looks without tattoos and gradually transforms as I apply some of Izzie’s skin fixes on top. My favorites for this skin include the Blush/Contour Remover, Eye Fix, and an additional Chin Highlight.

    For this look, I’m wearing the Ethereal Essence Body Skin (Slim), which blended quite well with the Velour head skin tone. I am still hopeful for a less shiny update for this body skin, or at least having the body shine on a separate tattoo layer because we don’t always want to be that shiny.

    Amara Beauty
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    Second Life is giving away L$1 Million Lindens Dollars!

    Bygogo Fashion, iheartslFeed, JuicyBomb, Second Life, Uncategorized
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    Dreaming of Spring

    Second Life really wants the mobile app to succeed. They are now enticing premium residents to log into the app, complete random tasks daily, and each day, only one winner is selected to win a VIP Ticket. If you read the entire blog post, which is somewhat confusing, you deserve some type of prize. With this ticket, you gain the opportunity to attend a live taping of the Spin & Win Event, where you stand a chance to win L$1 million Linden dollars. Statistically, not everyone who spins will win a prize, or perhaps in some magical virtual universe, everyone does win a million Lindens, resulting in 31 new Linden millionaires!

    The odds are decent if you are fortunate enough to receive a VIP Ticket. To win L$1,000,000 Linden dollars, the chance is 2%, while the odds of winning L$10,000 are about 31%. Your chances decrease as the winning amount increases.

    4. PRIZES & PRIZE DISTRIBUTION
    Each selected winner will receive a March MegaWheel Ticket, granting access to a secret inworld location where they will participate in a Spin & Win Event. The MegaWheel has 48 wedges with the following prize distribution:

    • L$10,000 (15 slots) – approx. $40 USD
    • L$20,000 (12 slots) – approx. $80 USD
    • L$50,000 (10 slots) – approx. $200 USD
    • L$100,000 (5 slots) – approx. $400 USD
    • L$200,000 (3 slots) – approx. $800 USD
    • L$300,000 (2 slots) – approx. $1,200 USD
    • L$1,000,000 (1 slot) – approx. $4,000 USD

    Today, I decided to incorporate green into my outfit in honor of March and money 💵💵💵💵!

    Dreaming of Spring
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    2k Glam Affair Skins

    Bygogo Fashion, iheartslFeed, JuicyBomb, Second Life, Skins, Uncategorized
    4 Comments
    2k Glam Affair Skin
    Glam Affair Siu Skin (as-is)

    Glam Affair has announced the new Ethereal Essence collection, a collaboration of face skins and body skins with Not Found. This release includes new 2k face skins and body skins. First impressions: the Glam Affair skins are breathtaking. The Not Found body skins are only available for Legacy and Reborn, so Maitreya LaraX wearers like myself will have to wait a while longer to try these.

    In my previous post about 2k BoM skins, I truly noticed a difference between 1k and 2k when comparing the same skin. Even the tattoo cosmetics that are 1k benefited from baking with a 2k skin. However, that skin was not designed for 2k, but these skins are, resulting in a noticeable difference in quality.

    Of the four new face skins released by Glam Affair, I liked the Siu face best. It’s very pretty, showcasing just enough realistic pores and shine. I am not wearing the brows with this skin, but here it is as-is, without any additional tattoo layers on top. Those who appreciate high-definition and close-up details will undoubtedly love 2k skins! Yes, you can see the pores more, but to me, there’s a balance where it can be done well if the brand doesn’t increase sharpness too much. I am excited about the future of Second Life skins!

    It’s interesting to note that Glam Affair has removed Velour tones from their skin line up. Now the skins will come with 20 new Glam Affair tones, so you’ll have to demo all of them to find your new perfect shade. I settled on tone 005, and I found that it’s a good match with some Velour body skins and some The Skinnery body skins.

    Will these popular bodies update their tones to support Glam’s new tones? I hope so!

    2k Glam Affair Skin

    Previously, I also mentioned that I thought skin brands should provide free updates to 2k, but I no longer feel that way. I think that 2k skins are so high definition that the previous methods of shading and texturing may no longer be the best way to showcase it. It is time to look ahead and move forward. I know I will only purchase 2k skins from now on. Does this render my entire skin collection obsolete? Probably! While the difference may not be drastic, it is certainly noticeable, and as you all know, I appreciate details.

    What do you think about the new 2k Glam skins? Are you excited about the next chapter of Second Life? We will begin to see higher quality decor and clothing as well.

    2k Glam Affair Skin
    Glam Affair Siu Skin w/ a few of Izzie’s tattoo face fixes added
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    Cherry Blossom

    Bygogo Fashion, iheartslFeed, JuicyBomb, Second Life, Uncategorized
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    Cherry Blossom

    Feeling cold in real life, I went to Cherry Blossom Cove to enjoy some springtime landscaping. It’s so very pink here, so if you’re into that, come check out this place!

    Belle Epoque is giving away a L$500 store credit to celebrate the new year. I love how generous this brand is. They are always offering store credit or organizing fun hunts for group members. I believe this is a brilliant marketing strategy, as it encourages customers to wear the clothing and feature them on blogs. Because of these giveaways and constant sales, I have worn and blogged so much Belle Epoque over the past year. I also genuinely like most of the things they create. Hurry, the store credit ends on January 6.

    Isn’t my Coquette Bunny adorable? I saw someone on X/Twitter holding it, so I went to purchase it at a store called Mowdols! This bunny was quite hard to find since it’s a hair store, but I eventually located it near the entrance. I forgot that I bought this three weeks ago until I recently cleaned my inventory and stumbled upon it again. As of today, I have deleted 6,000 items and now have 71,000 items. Progress.

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    Wintertime in Second Life

    Bygogo Fashion, Hair, iheartslFeed, JuicyBomb, Second Life, Uncategorized
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    Everfaery Frostlight Jacket

    I know it’s still November, but I’m already in the mood for winter lights and Christmas festivities in Second Life. There are several things I look forward to during this time of the year, including Black Friday sales, the LeLutka Christmas tree gift, and clothing options that go beyond dresses that barely cover one’s bum. I need to find a way to wear this Everfaery Frostlight Jacket year-round, as it comes with so many color options and optional string lights. Everything is better wrapped in string lights.

    To distract myself from the issues with the Second Life mobile app, I decided to visit Winter Love Valley and enjoy some snow. This region is simple yet truly exceptional for photography! I was especially impressed with the chairs by What Next; the poses are all great and appear very natural. I immediately messaged Sparkle to ask if we had those chairs in our region, and she confirmed that we do.

    Wintertime

    In all the years that I’ve blogged about Second Life, I have never felt appreciated by Linden Lab. Therefore, when I read about the secret invitation-only blogger’s Zoom meeting, I was not surprised at all to not receive an invitation. A few other bloggers expressed similar sentiments, as feeling excluded is regrettably nothing new here. Second Life gains a significant amount of free press from its residents; we take millions of photos and create videos daily to promote the platform. Second Life bloggers are essential to the platform’s success; without us shopping, buying regions, and showcasing our experiences online, brands would not be able to thrive here.

    If you read the blog post I linked, you will see that in Brett Linden’s email, he mentions plans for even more secret meetings with selected creators. If you are a creator, consider how you can get on that list, as your competitors may receive invitations and obtain information that could significantly impact your livelihood before you do.

    There’s more I want to express about how Linden Lab has handled these matters, but I am not particularly impressed with recent developments, and I worry about Second Life’s future. With tickets going unanswered and numerous hacking incidents reported on the platform, I question whether we are safe. Is Second Life in trouble?

    Please share your thoughts in the comments! Do you believe Second Life is better than ever, or do you think it could improve?

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    Drizzle

    Bygogo Brands, Fashion, iheartslFeed, JuicyBomb, Second Life, Uncategorized
    0 Comments
    Drizzle

    Hello from Cherishville! This stunning autumn region is a must-visit for any fall enthusiast and photographer. It’s finally feeling like autumn here, and I couldn’t be happier. Bring on the rainy days and cozy vibes!

    Even in the rain, when my energy drink cravings hit, I find myself walking to the store to grab one. This NRG can from Flair is amazing—it features an animated drink opening sequence and even includes a static hold pose. Plus, it comes with a handy HUD to change colors!

    I’m always on the hunt for staple pieces to add to my wardrobe. Recently, I picked up the Archer top and Micro shorts from Tres Blah. They pair beautifully with the Alexa Overknee Legwarmers from Gawk.

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    Is Second Life bringing back Lifetime Accounts?

    Bygogo iheartslFeed, JuicyBomb, Second Life, Uncategorized
    4 Comments
    Friday
    At my Linden Home

    Way back in the day, when the platform was new and some of you reading this weren’t born yet, Second Life residents could purchase a Lifetime account for $159.95 (later raised to $225) that offered them 4096 sqm of free land tier along with a generous L$500 weekly stipend.

    Ever since I became a Premium member in 2019 to get a Linden Home, I’ve been asking Second Life to bring back Lifetime accounts. Well, it looks like my pleas have finally been heard because Patch Linden referred to it during the SL20B Opening Ceremony! We don’t have all of the details yet, but based on Patch’s speech and the SL20B Global Sweepstakes Grand Prize being a SecondLifetime Premium Subscription, this is a clear signal that Second Life is bringing back an updated version of the Lifetime account and calling it SecondLifetime Premium.

    Here’s the live stream where Patch refers to Lifetime accounts:

    “…with our premium perks, we need to bottle Second Life sunshine and sell it as an anti-aging serum… hmm… lifetime… lifetime… premium… lifetime… those words just seem to go together like peanut butter and jelly. I think I’m having an idea, perhaps something to discuss further at my Lab Gab session with Strawberry Linden, starting Monday, June 26th at 1:30 p.m. SLT.”

    Patch Linden
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