truth

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    Frankly, My Dear… I’ll Continue Wearing LaraX

    Bygogo Fashion, iheartslFeed, JuicyBomb, Second Life, Uncategorized
    3 Comments
    Frankly, My Dear...

    “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.”

    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.

    Frankly, My Dear...

    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some people act as though using a mesh body that’s still one of the most widely supported on the grid somehow makes you outdated.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.

    So frankly, my dear…

    I don’t give a damn.

    Frankly, My Dear...
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    Second Life Brands That Understand Loyalty

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

    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.

    Spring

    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!

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    Good This Year

    Bygogo Fashion, iheartslFeed, JuicyBomb, Uncategorized
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    Good This Year

    Every year, right before Thanksgiving, Black Friday deals start rolling in, both in real life and in Second Life. I always think to myself that maybe I should’ve bought less throughout the year, because by the time the sales arrive, I already have everything I wanted.

    This year, I made a deliberate choice to buy slowly and only buy things I’ll actually wear right away. If you’ve been in SL as long as I have, you’ve probably bought everything twice or maybe five times already. I found the sweetest holiday accessories just by searching my own inventory. Most of what I’m wearing today isn’t new. Some pieces I bought years ago and never wore or blogged.

    Good This Year

    With how the economy is going in real life, even if you’re personally unaffected, it feels smart to scale back a little and get more joy out of what you already have or pick up items you truly want when they’re on sale, not just because they’re on sale.

    The thing with Black Friday in Second Life is that it’s not that exciting anymore. Everything’s already on sale all year. Brands also exclude newer releases from the sale, sometimes the last three months of items, so there’s not much of a deal for anyone who shops often like I do.

    I’m trying to have the longest Christmas ever in Second Life, so as far as I’m concerned, it starts now. The holiday season’s here, and I’m fully ready for twinkling lights and vacation.

    Good This Year
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    Session – Athena Body Skin

    Bygogo Fashion, iheartslFeed, JuicyBomb, Second Life, Skins, Uncategorized
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    Session - Athena Body Skin

    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.

    Session - Athena 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.

    Session - Athena Body Skin

    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.

    Session - Athena Body Skin
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    Aperture Viewer Presets

    Bygogo iheartslFeed, JuicyBomb, Second Life, Uncategorized
    1 Comment
    Aperture Viewer
    Raw snapshot taken with the Aperture viewer

    It’s day 5 of Blackout August. I made it through the weekend without buying anything, which feels monumental. I usually do most of my Second Life shopping on weekends, so I’m starting to feel more confident that I can go the entire month without shopping.

    If you’re quietly doing this challenge with me, maybe today you can try something new. Have you tried the Aperture Viewer? It’s the only viewer I’m using for Second Life right now. Today I made a bunch of photo presets in the Aperture Phototools Suite. It’s different from EEP settings because you can enhance colors, add depth of field, adjust glow, and so much more. If I figure out how to share presets, I will.

    I shopped from my inventory today. I can’t even remember when I bought this sandwich, but the time stamp says June 22. The shocking part is realizing I have thousands of items I’ve never blogged or worn. Let’s see how many we can uncover this month.

    Here’s a video showing all of my new raw presets for Aperture Viewer
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    Mood

    Bygogo Fashion, Hair, iheartslFeed, JuicyBomb, Second Life, Uncategorized
    0 Comments
    Mood

    Collaborations — everyone’s doing them. And honestly, it makes sense. In Second Life, brand collabs are a smart way to cross-promote and combine strengths to create something really solid.

    I’ve always thought Maximillion Grant of LOGO fame was an incredible animator. Long before LeLutka mesh heads came onto the scene, there was LOGO, and I still think the Chloe head was one of the cutest to ever hit the grid. It had such expressive animations, and for that reason alone, it’s always had a special place in my heart.

    So when I saw the Truth x LOGO collab, I was genuinely excited. It’s something different. Animesh hair isn’t something you see every day in SL, and it’s refreshing to see some innovation happening. Of course it makes sense for Truth to be part of that. It’s an OG brand teaming up with another OG. Both have been around for years and really know what they’re doing.

    I feel like such a ‘70s doll in this Mood hair paired with the Striped Jumpsuit from Shifuku. I’ve always had a soft spot for updos, especially when they come with a few wispy bangs to soften the look. If you’re looking for something comfortable but cute to lounge in this holiday weekend, you can grab the jumpsuit at Anthology.

    Mood
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    Berries

    Bygogo Fashion, iheartslFeed, JuicyBomb, Second Life, Uncategorized
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    Berries

    I went to Skin Fair! I tried on lots of skins and discovered a bunch of new to me brands. While I am genuinely excited about the 2k BoM options available, I had hoped to find Maitreya LaraX versions of new body skins, which I did not find this year.

    I recommend stopping by Sparkle Skye’s booth to check out the new floral body art sets and the free gift. Although I am not a huge fan of tattoos, because I don’t think I could pull it off, I still appreciate beautiful body art, stickers, and similar items.

    Sparkle Skye - Love Me (Flower Body Art)
    Sparkle Skye – Love Me (Flower Body Art)

    This weekend, I’ve been experimenting with the official Second Life viewer and updating all of the third-party ones. I’m excited to try the new Khronos tone mapper, but I will need to adjust all of my EEPs because now everything just looks way too bright. Currently, my EEPs are designed for the ACES tone mapper. If Khronos is the future, I hope Second Life and all third-party viewers will prioritize it as the first choice rather than a secondary option. I do not plan to release any EEPs until everything stabilizes; it is quite frustrating to redo them each time there is a color change in any of the viewers. Have you had a chance to try the new Khronos tone mapper in Second Life? I’m still getting over the shock of PBR colors, so now PBR + Khronos will be yet another new thing to adapt to.

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    LAQ 99% Sale

    Bygogo Fashion, Hair, iheartslFeed, JuicyBomb, Second Life, Skins, Uncategorized
    2 Comments
    LAQ 99% Sale

    During certain holidays in Second Life, you can acquire a mesh head for as little as L$10 or even for free! When I discovered that LAQ is offering a Black Friday Sale on the Era2 mesh heads, I teleported over to check it out. The Era2 EvoX head is available for L$10, while the full version is 75% off, priced at L$1,150. It had been a while since I last blogged about the Era2 mesh heads, so I took the time to become reacquainted with all of their features.

    Let me begin by saying that I hold a great deal of admiration for Mallory Cowen as a creator. She has her own distinct style and has been creating in Second Life for a long time. LAQ has cultivated a loyal following. For many years, LAQ was my go-to destination for realistic, youthful face skins. Despite my feelings for Mallory and the brand, my reviews will always remain honest.

    LAQ 99% Sale

    Now, let’s discuss the Era2 EvoX head. I was eager to try it on, especially since I could wear the new Paige (EvoX) skin from Glam Affair. I also noted that the teeth are now adjustable, which is fantastic! I have always wished to reposition the teeth to avoid them protruding when I adjust my face shape for smaller lips. Upon trying it on, I immediately observed that this EvoX head does not come with a HUD. It’s not a mistake; it simply does not include a HUD. Therefore, you cannot change the lashes, adjust the teeth, correct the skin texture appearing on the ears (which is a notable flaw), or utilize any of the animations included with the full HUD. If you own the full Era2 mesh head, you already have this HUD, including the EvoX head version. However, for residents who are experiencing LAQ for the first time, here’s a pro tip: Get the demo of the full Era2 mesh head, and you can utilize the HUD on the EvoX head. Thus, this L$10 sale is an excellent opportunity for those dipping their toes into LAQ for the first time and needing a functional head. In my opinion, it is a mistake not to include the full HUD. Even free heads offered by other brands come with complementary HUDs.

    As always, even though the head is EvoX and the skin is EvoX, the fit differs from that of a LeLutka EvoX head. This variation is true across all mesh head brands; the EvoX version is always… interesting. Sometimes it works well, and sometimes it does not. In this case, I found that it works reasonably well, aside from some texture stretching on the shadow of the lower lips.

    If you’re starting your Black Friday shopping early, be sure to check out the FabFree Black Friday Listing. Most brands are offering discounts of 50% or greater, which presents an amazing shopping opportunity.

    LAQ 99% Sale
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    Black and White

    Bygogo Fashion, Hair, iheartslFeed, JuicyBomb, Second Life, Uncategorized
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    Black and White

    Friends tease me all the time for being known as loyal to Truth’s popular Swedish blonde hair color (before the texture update). If you were to ask me now what my favorite Truth hair color is, I would say it consists of the top few rows in the blonde pack. I don’t actually know the color name anymore, as they no longer have specific names. We’ve lost a lot of information since the colors were moved into HUDs.

    This new Truth x Kiwi collaboration release features a cute bandana, which I am not wearing here. The sleek hair made it perfect for headbands, and I find myself in the mood for earmuffs. I began this blog post wearing a pastel bandana look, but then I decided to experiment with a color combination that I don’t typically wear, which is black and white.

    Black and White

    The Kiwi Co’s newest release, Ceres, is a megapack of casual outfits. If I were to say that these outfits look exactly as you would expect from their last brand, Blueberry, would you agree with me? There are numerous options here to mix and match with these items or other pieces you already own from both brands.

    Pixit has a sassy pose pack available at the current round of Anthology. Be sure to get it now before the new round starts!

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    No Transfer Gachas? No thanks!

    Bygogo Fashion, iheartslFeed, JuicyBomb, Second Life
    3 Comments
    Everwinter
    Photo taken @ Everwinter

    Gacha is making a comeback, but this time, the items inside the gacha machine will be NO TRANSFER. I can hardly believe that Linden Lab thinks this is a good idea! If you’re a fan of gacha items, your best bet is to stick with the MiePon version. It not only reveals what’s coming next but also keeps items transferable.

    Seriously, what’s the rationale behind NO TRANSFER gachas? They seem utterly pointless and downright predatory. Why would anyone want to pay multiple times for something they can’t trade? It raises some serious questions: Why are some brands on board with this? Why would anybody play no transfer gacha machines?

    Check out the updated gacha policy: Gacha Policy Changes for 2024: What You Need to Know.

    I loved the thrill of receiving gifts and sharing my extra gacha items. So, in the spirit of Gachas, I truly hope that Second Life merchants will think twice before opting for NO TRANSFER gacha machines. Such a stance will undoubtedly come off as greedy to the average shopper.

    There’s already an event returning with NO TRANSFER gachas. Are they serious? Who actually asked for this?

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