Every year I make my way to the Spoonful of Sugar Festival to support Doctors Without Borders and, of course, pick up some goodies from some of my favorite Second Life brands while I’m there.
Just like last year, AlaskaMetro has an amazing L$10 gift at the event. This year it’s a pack of Vintage China nails, which I’m wearing today and absolutely love. Izzie’s also has a Chest Details pack at the festival, and you wouldn’t think I’d willingly add imperfections to my perfectly good pixel body, but apparently I do! The pack includes chest freckles, redness, and moles, but I like the chest redness, so I’m wearing that with today’s look. Sometimes those tiny imperfections are exactly what make a Second Life avatar look a little more interesting and realistic.
The Spoonful of Sugar Festival runs through September 27, so you still have time to shop and support a good cause. There’s also a gacha and raffle area where you can win even more goodies and gift cards from some popular Second Life brands. If you’re going to shop anyway, you might as well do a little good while you’re at it!
This isn’t a subtle dusting of sand. It looks like Gogo has been stranded on a deserted island or crawling through the desert for three days. Compared to Izzie’s previous Beach Sand tattoo add-on, this one has a much finer texture, and I think it’s cuter too.
Each Sandstorm tone comes with four different shades, ranging from a light coating of sand to a much darker, grittier look. The darkest shade is my favorite. If you’re into roleplay or just want your avatar to look like they’ve been through something, this is a fun little add-on. Pair it with some dirt or blood layers and you’ll fit right in. There’s a whole segment of Second Life residents who seem determined to look like they’re permanently in combat.
My outfit today is another free find. Analogic has the Grazy Set (top and skirt) available as a free group gift, and the group is free to join. I’m also wearing the Abby Headband, which is another free gift. I only found this store because I follow TeleportHub on X, where they post freebie updates all the time. Freebies have always been a big part of Second Life, and sites like TeleportHub and FabFree have been covering them for years.
Which is why I still don’t understand why Linden Lab thinks access to freebies is a worthwhile Premium perk. It isn’t. I’m already drowning in freebies. This was my first time visiting Analogic, and I found around 30 free group gifts that I could grab immediately. The store looks like it’s built around full-perm mesh products from a bunch of different creators, so the branding is kind of all over the place, but there’s a lot of stuff. I’m not really a snob about whether something started as full-perm mesh. It was free, and it was cute enough.
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.
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!
Happy New Year! I think the future of Second Life skins is leaning into more textured looks, which adds to realism. I don’t usually love textured skins, but they do look so much more realistic than the smooth, flat skin we’re used to. That shift is really obvious with this new Madeline skin from Glam Affair. It’s very textured and very freckled, and while that isn’t normally my preference, I ended up loving it. I did tone it down a little with a few of Izzie’s tattoo fixes, which helped balance everything out.
That move toward texture feels closely tied to PBR, which is now being added not just to environments but to avatars as well. Because of that, I expect skins to keep changing in 2026, adding more depth in ways that make our avatars look more real and less flat. Even though PBR has some interesting moments, I still think it’s unfortunately a turn off for a lot of current residents. Change is difficult, especially when you’ve been around long enough to remember how things looked before. Maybe newer residents, who don’t have that comparison, will like it more.
All of this ties into the bigger picture of where Second Life is right now. When I decided to close my region at the end of 2024, I had a strong feeling that 2025 was going to be a difficult year in real life, and that it made sense to pull back spending in Second Life. I’m glad I stuck to that decision all year and didn’t bring the region back, even though I wanted to at least a dozen times. I also won’t be bringing it back in 2026 because of the economy, both in Second Life and in real life. There isn’t a lot of growth yet, and it feels like the Lindens are panicking.
I recently watched a snippet of an interview with Brett Linden on MetaRealities’ YouTube channel, and what really stood out to me was how much growth is needed for survival. Needed. Not just for Second Life as a company, but for the creators who make a living here. You can only get so much out of the current residents, which is why attracting new people feels so urgent right now.
So I’m ending one year and starting the next in a much calmer mindset. I rang in the New Year in this cozy Eboshi pajamas set from Aurun at Anthology. Comfort and chill is the vibe I’m going for this holiday season, so I paired them with the Not Tired Bow Slips from The Kiwi Co.
Now that my shopping blackout is over, I rembered that I wanted the Oaklynn Gown from Just Because. I collect a lot of their gowns since I love their style and color choices. When I’m not lounging in casual clothes, my other favorite style is Victorian lady, so I just fill my wadrobe with lots of gowns.
I went to Session Skin to try on the Charlize skin, mostly out of curiosity. I had no interest in looking like Charlize Theron, but I wanted to see if it looked good in-world. That led me to trying on a whole wall of face skins, only to decide they all aged me a little more than I would like in Second Life. The good news is that I still came away with a gorgeous new body skin.
I wasn’t even looking for a new body skin, but I’m always open if something suits me better. I tried on the Athena body skin and it looked great with a few of Izzie’s fixes. The challenge was matching their four skin tones to my Glam Affair face. It’s surprising that they only offer four tones and no neck blend, which leaves you on your own if you’re wearing anything other than a Session face skin.
Still, I made it work. I paired the Almond body tone from Session with Glam Affair L005 for the face. What you see here is not the bare Session skin since I added a couple of Izzie’s tattoos, but you get the idea. One of my gripes with the Ethereal Essence body skin I was wearing before is that the torso was too shiny, and they still have not released an optional layer to fix it. Another annoyance was how the inside elbow sat too high on the upper arm, which looks awkward when you bend your arm. Since I bend my arms a lot in Second Life, especially when holding things, I notice it right away. The Session body skin, however, has perfect shading at the elbow.
If you wear lighter tones and want to try a new body skin, these are worth a look. The toes are a bit of a blurry mess, but overall I liked it enough to fatpack. I would never recommend a body I would not wear myself. The definition is nice, and I managed to match it pretty well.
The only thing on my calendar this weekend is the Spoonful of Sugar Festival. This event raises money for MSF/Doctors Without Borders, and I always admire the designers who donate their time to causes in Second Life, especially the smaller or lesser-known charities. Every year I look forward to SOS because some of my favorite creators are part of it.
This year it feels like a lot of people might be skipping the festival. The Seraphim mention didn’t include a gallery, and even SOS’s own website doesn’t have one. That made shopping a little tricky, but I went straight to the brands I love such as Izzie’s and Alaskametro and found some great things. There’s even a gacha area if that’s your thing.
Pro tip: Keep an eye out for a bowl of sugar if you want to grab some L$20 bargains from participating brands.
Izzie’s – Age Yourself (BoM Layers) – Left: Bare skin | Right: With face wrinkles added
One of the highlights for me was Izzie’s new Age Yourself set. Wrinkles and aging looks seem to be getting more popular in Second Life, and honestly, she’s scary good at transforming skins. The set comes in 50%, 70%, and 100% opacity layers so you can blend the wrinkles with your current skin.
I also picked up the new Soft Brows from Alaskametro. I never use the brows that come with a skin, so I’m always hunting for new ones. These are the perfect thickness, and they looked great when I tried them on. The only thing I wish is that they came with a HUD so I could play around with the opacity. I like layering BoM brows under LeLutka HD brows. On the left you can see the light colored brows, and on the right the tinted ones. You lose a bit of detail when tinting, but it’s fabulous that the option is included so you can get the exact shade you want.
Check out the SOS Festival, show your favorite brands some love, and support a good cause while you shop.
It’s day 10 of Blackout August and I still haven’t spent a single Linden. Gifts and freebies are fair game though, and yesterday I received an updated copy of the Snow Rabbit (S@R W01X) mesh head. I originally blogged this head over a year and a half ago, and it’s been updated several times since with great improvements to the HUD and features. This 3.0 update adds more volume to the eyelashes, so of course I had to try it.
When I put on my saved S@R outfit, something strange happened to the shape I made last year. Rather than troubleshoot, I decided to start fresh with a brand new shape and pair it with a new skin. The S@R head reminded me how much I love it, especially since it works with EvoX skins. If only the eyes were compatible with the EvoX HUD too, that would be perfect.
While creating the new shape, I noticed the nose is slightly crooked. Some Second Life residents would call that a charming feature, while others like me prefer a smoother profile. It does give the face personality if that’s your thing.
Today I’m wearing the Magnolia skin from Amara Beauty. It’s new at The Arcade, but I didn’t buy it. My friend gifted it to me. Gifts don’t count toward Blackout August, but I’m keeping paid items to a minimum this month and digging into my inventory instead. If you own any Amara Beauty skin, you could pair it with the S@R head and get a similar look.
One thing about the Magnolia skin that surprised me is that the no brows version is only available in the RARE. Annoying. I always wear no brows, so if my friend hadn’t sent me the RARE, I wouldn’t wear this skin at all.
If you’re still thinking about joining Blackout August, you can start anytime. Maybe you want to slow down your shopping, maybe you want to save money. Both are good reasons. I’ve seen people make rude assumptions about participants, as if we’re all struggling with some kind of shopping addiction. LOL. I buy what I want, and sometimes I buy too much, but I’m not running out of Lindens or spending money I don’t have. The only time I run low is when I decide to buy a region or go to an SL auction. For me, this is about showing that shopping isn’t the only thing to do in Second Life. You could be like Philip Linden, never change your clothes, and still enjoy this world.
Can The Arcade be back if it never left? Maybe it went quiet for one round, but I don’t remember it ever stopping. Even during the gacha ban in Second Life, it kept going with those miepon machines. I don’t really care for no copy decor items, but for clothing and accessories, that’s fine. I’m not likely to lose those to rezzing errors.
I looked at the latest Arcade gallery and didn’t see anything I wanted enough to play the game of chance. My friend, though, said she spent a boat load of money and ended up gifting me a bunch of her duplicates.
Honestly, I think I’m happier when I don’t want anything badly enough to waste my time. This dress is cute, but to me, it’s only worth one pull. Not enough to keep playing and end up with extras I don’t need.
Are you happy gacha is back in its original form? Do you still play? Let me know in the comments!
I love when clothes have frills and pretty little details. As soon as I saw the Everly Blouse from Tres Blah, I knew I needed it. I guess I’m leaning into the cottagecore vibe now, but with pants. I’m still not sold on long mesh skirts. Sometimes they make me feel like my butt looks wide. This blouse looks perfect with the Locket Choker from Rebelle, like they were meant to be worn together.
Have you ever seen something in Second Life and thought, “How has no one made this before?” Izzie’s just released Body and Face Veins and I swear I am never taking them off. Face skins in SL keep getting better and better, but body skins still feel flat in comparison. It’s harder to update body skins often so designers usually skip it. Faces are easier to tweak which is why we get a new one every week. But just this little detail of veins layered on top of my skin gives me the realism I have been missing.
If you are looking for something fun to do this weekend, check out Anthology, Shop & Hop, SeraPlus gifts and more. I picked up some great finds from all of them and a few were even free.
