Happy birthday to Truth Hawks! Without your presence in Second Life, we would all be a little less stylish, so naturally, your birthday should be celebrated grid-wide.
I went to The Arcade. I recently told you how burned I felt after the last round, but apparently, I don’t learn my lesson. I went again and found so many schoolgirl outfits, which is perfect for the back-to-school season. As if I don’t already have 100 schoolgirl outfits in my Second Lifetime, but I played, and I conquered.
My friend says I look like a bad schoolgirl, but whatever could she mean? Gogo is so sweet, definitely not a mean girl. The Seniha Back to School outfit is actually pretty reasonable for a gacha. You can easily put together a complete outfit with just a few plays.
I also love everything Movement makes, so I was happy to see their darling gacha offerings. If you love accessories, check out the Movement Zodiac Girl set. The set includes a planner, bag, and tablet.
It’s officially autumn in Second Life! The Bellisseria regions have changed seasons, and the best season has arrived. Bring on the cozy vibes and pixel sweaters.
Most people know this iconic line from Gone with the Wind, but have they actually sat through all four hours of the movie? If you haven’t, you should at least once. Scarlett O’Hara isn’t exactly likable, but she was a survivor, and that’s probably why she’s remained such a memorable character all these years later.
I recently rewatched Gone with the Wind to get in the mood for photographing my current obsession from this round of The Arcade.
My friends were absolutely gushing over the Monique dress from PurpleMoon, and of course we all wanted the rare Floral version. With the right styling, it looks like something Scarlett herself might have worn while dramatically descending a staircase at Tara. As you all know, I have a weakness for period-inspired fashion, so even though the print does remind me a little bit of a floral sofa, I was willing to overlook that minor detail. The gloves are a lovely touch, and I’m even wearing the matching heels underneath the dress, though you can’t see them in these photos.
I normally don’t pay much attention to gacha these days, but once in a blue moon I’ll keep playing until I get exactly what I want.
Speaking of that famous line, let’s circle back to it for a moment.
The thing amusing me this week is watching some designers encourage other creators to drop support for LaraX, while also suggesting customers should simply switch bodies instead.
This dress is made for LaraX. I bought it because it’s made for LaraX. If it wasn’t, I wouldn’t have.
I’ve never switched mesh bodies just to wear a particular outfit, and I probably never will. If something isn’t made for the body I’m using, I move on. There is so much talent in Second Life that no single brand is irreplaceable.
Until something better comes along, I’ll continue wearing Maitreya LaraX. It does everything I need it to do. It’s funny to me that there are still residents happily wearing system bodies, yet some people act as though using a mesh body that’s still one of the most widely supported on the grid somehow makes you outdated.
I’m not resistant to change. I’m not afraid of trying new things. I’m just not interested in switching to something that doesn’t offer me anything better than what I already have.
Save yourself, don’t go to The Arcade. I normally skip rounds and avoid gacha events, but I saw something I wanted this week. Even though I told my friend I’d play maybe two or three times for these Rift Eyes from Avi Glam, I ended up playing 69 times at L$75 per pull. It’s five times more than I’d normally pay for an Avi Glam eyes fatpack, and honestly, I don’t even think I would’ve paid for a fatpack if it had been sold normally.
The thing with gacha is that it can be very addictive, especially if you want to win a rare and you don’t have a set budget, so you don’t have to stop. You can just keep playing until you win. I gave up on winning the Rare 2 pack on the first day after about forty or fifty pulls and decided to buy it second hand on Marketplace. Then the next day, when I didn’t see anything listed, I played some more. I haven’t played a machine with this much intensity in a long time, so it even surprised me how quickly I lost track of my spending or how fast I was hitting the buy button.
In hindsight, I should’ve stuck to my rule of playing only two or three times per machine, but I ended up going all in on two machines and playing way too many times to collect all the pieces.
Even though I find gacha frustrating, I get the dopamine rush it gives. If you win something you really want right away, it feels amazing. If you find yourself on the losing end, try to remember that you can always buy it later on Marketplace for a fraction of the cost of playing.
Eventually, I did see a few sets listed on Marketplace, but by then, I’d already spent nearly L$6,000 on one machine. Oops.
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!
As I wandered around Windhaven Estate, it occurred to me that the best type of land in Second Life is one that you aren’t paying for. I visited this estate because it was featured in the destination guide, and I stood in front of someone’s rental home for the photo. I didn’t have to pay for or landscape this space, yet I could still enjoy it, and that felt truly amazing. I don’t regret letting my region go, or only keeping Linden Homes, which is one of the most affordable options for virtual living in Second Life.
I have a deep appreciation for land, and I am often tempted to purchase it and develop something new. However, there are so many beautiful and desolate places in Second Life that are worth experiencing. Why not enjoy those for a while? I can find nearly every type of scenic background I desire simply by visiting the Second Life Destination Guide. I haven’t explored 99% of the regions listed there, and you probably haven’t either.
Sometimes, instead of launching your own land, it is just delightful to step into other people’s visions. Windhaven is exceptionally beautiful, snowy, and serves as the perfect backdrop for today’s outfit.
My friend Fay sent me the most beautiful gown from Sofia. It’s the Cher gown and sandals, exclusively available at The Arcade. With our fancy new gowns, we decided to twin and revisit the formal dance club for another twirl. But the second we got to the club, Fay changed her gown at the door, leaving me standing there in this elegant gown with a long chapel train, looking all glamorous by myself.
I wanted to see if my initial impression of the club was accurate, and it turns out, it was. To capture this quirky experience, I filmed it to practice working with crowded scenes and to show you why I find this club so bizarre. There’s a bunch of guys just standing around, silent and rarely asking anyone to dance. Maybe they’re bots? I have no clue what they’re waiting for. The people dancing mostly came with their partners. After awkwardly dancing alone with Fay for what felt like ages, I accepted a quick dance from someone and then left.
I really love the concept of a formal club; it’s such a great chance to practice filming different angles. But finding a dance partner who matches your height, aesthetics, will actually ask you to dance, and isn’t hitting on you the whole time seems like an impossible ask.
Dancing is a popular activity in Second Life, enjoyed by everyone, whether solo or with friends. I haven’t frequented clubs much before, but I’m thinking of starting! I’ll give them all a try. If you have any recommendations, let me know in the comments!
I went to the Arcade this morning to get my Halloween costume from Una. The Little Red Riding Hood outfit is what I wanted to be this year, as soon as I saw it I knew I had to have it. Thankfully, I didn’t care for the bloody Red (rare) color, so I got it in White and tinted it! I highly recommend doing that, if you want a whole bunch of different colors.
New Truth Hair colors! I like that natural hair colors are now joined into a single pack, so you get both the light and dark colors. I’m a fan of the new Selection pack too, which has a bit of both natural hair colors and rainbow colors. It’s great to see brands constantly improving their products, so that customers can get the best deals.
New Truth Hair Color Packs – Blonde, Brunette, Redhead, Grayscale, Candy, Jewel, Multitone 1, Multitone 2, Selection
Old Truth Hair Color Packs – Light Blondes, Blondes, Light Browns, Browns, Gingers, Reds, Black&Whites, Pastels, Colours, Variety
I am wearing the newest Scout hairstyle from Truth. I noticed that the newer hairstyles now include a Hair Stylist HUD to change the different options. It wasn’t difficult to change the hairstyles before, but I really appreciate this new addition, cos now I don’t have to change the hairstyle and recolor it. It’s also fun to swap between the options quickly and see their differences.
I’m sitting on the new Palisades Bar & Accessories from What Next. I love home decor with food & drinks included! I like juicy fruits the best; nothing says tropical summer goodness like lemons and limes.
What I’m Wearing:
Truth – Scout
Tres Blah – Summer Fete Dress @ The Arcade
Ingenue – Lykke Heels (Emerald) @ The Arcade
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What Next – Palisades Bar & Accessories
The Creative Workspace set from The Secret Store is clearly a work of art. I’m guessing that the drawings are Maylee’s art (buy her art on Etsy)! I like everything about this set, especially all the art brushes, paints, and a drawings. The only thing missing was a chair, so I just paired it with a random chair from Tres Blah. I also resized everything up just a bit, so that it’s the same scale as the rest of the furniture in my home.
What I’m Wearing:
Wasabi Pills – Skyler Mesh Hair @ FaMESHed
The Secret Store – Agnes Playsuit (Moss) @ Collabor88
Ingenue – Ulla Sneakers (Flora) @ Collabor88
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The Secret Store – Creative Workspace @ The Arcade
Lark – Kokeshi Doll (Gogolita)
