Hi guys!  Remember me?  Been a while, I know.  Sorry about that.  I would give you some line about how “I’m back”…but we all know that never seems to be the case.  It seems like I can’t stay healthy long enough to keep blogging on a regular basis.  SO…let’s just say we are gonna take it one day at a time.  And I will blog as I can.

I find it kind of odd that the last thing I blogged was a swimsuit.  And here I am blogging one again.  As I am sure I explained in that post, swimsuits are not my favorite apparel.  It just seems like they all look alike.  And although I actually did buy several this year, I ended up blogging one from the same creator as last year…Sn@tch!  I really liked this bikini.  It was a little different from the others and came with a bunch of bright colors that were REALLY beautiful.  In fact, I have really gotten to where I look for Snatch at every sale I go to.  They just seem to have really nice, different clothing that is reasonable priced and comes in a ton of color choices.  SO…what’s not to love?

I had been planning on doing a swimsuit blog, but after I saw this hair at ARGRACE, I was really motivated to get it together.  I had not seen a wet hair before and I loved it.  It comes in several different colors but I went with the browns.  They also have a short version available too, unisex.  So check them out.

To go with the wet hair, I needed some water for my Maitreya body and I remembered that I had some from Izzie’s.  The water really completed the look.  She has some for both body and face and has appliers for many types of mesh heads and mesh bodies.  Izzie has been coming out with lots of different mods for skins for our new mesh bodies and Mesh heads (and some classic avi’s too) such as:  Body and Face Beach Sand, Body and Face Sunburn, Body Freckles, Body glitter, Knee Wounds, Smeared Lipstick and Dirt, just to name a few.  Be sure to stop by her store to check out the full range of body and face appliers that she has available.  You can also take a look at her latest releases at:  https://izzies.wordpress.com/  I am also wearing her Cowrie Shell set with this bikini.  It includes Color change cowrie shells, laces, metals and beads for the necklace, choker, earrings and bracelet.  It is a really beautifully done set and looks great with casuals, summer looks or your favorite boho outfit.

The other thing I love about this look is the sandals/anklets from LIKE DESIGN .  They are only listed as Flatfeet Anklet Version 1.  But I have since then bought a different set labeled Highfeet Anklet Version 1 and Highfeet Anklet Version 2.  All of these sets are absolutely beautiful and come in a number of available colors via a HUD.  I have a feeling I will be using them quite frequently.

And that’s it for this post.  I hope you enjoyed it a little and I am TRULY hoping to see you VERY soon.  Have a wonderful end of summer.  Until next time…

STYLING NOTES

Swimsuit:  Sn@tch – Batik Halter Bikinis

*Water Drops:  Izzie’s – Body & Face Waterdrops (brighter drops on face)  Izzie’s – Waterdrops (Nose/Mouth)

Hair:  ARGRACE – CHIZURU [M]

Sandals/Anklets  .: LIKE DESIGN :.  – Flatfeet Anklet V1 Maitreya L

Eyes:  ::DS:: (Dulce Secrets) – Dappled Seafoam Eyes (L)

Lashes:  FATEwear – FATElashes v2.0

*Jewelry:  Izzie’s – Cowrie Shell Bracelet, Cowrie Shell Choker, Cowrie Shell Earrings, Cowrie Shell Necklace (long)

Body:  Maitreya Mesh Body – Feet V3.5, Maitreya Mesh Body – Hand R V3.5, Maitreya Mesh Body – Lara V3.5

Skin:  7 Deadly Skins -Marina Caramel v2 CL

Nails:  ZOZ – Stripes White tip Polish

Beach Ball pose:  Purple Poses

Every summer season in SL I struggle with finding the PERFECT swimsuit.  It seems to me that most of them are cookie cutter cutouts of each other and I want something really different. (And of COURSE, affordable!)  So I look and look and FINALLY find one that I like and then I have to find the right pose prop, take the pic, edit it and post it here on the blog.  I will have to admit, there are some seasons that this just does NOT happen.  I remember going through this last year and not finding a single suit that I was happy with, finally deciding to use a suit that I had bought the year before, but failed to blog.  I took the pics and started to edit them and was SOOOOOO not happy with them….and so….they went into the trash bin and my “Swimsuit Edition” never made it…:/  I am glad to get one posted this year, even if it is a little late in the season.  (Better late than never, right?)

I found this suit at a past event sale (as usual) and liked it right away.  It is from Sn@tch.  And it is just the right amount of cute, sexy and different to make it to the top of my list!  It comes in 2 different color paks, dark and a bright, more neon set.  The colors are just beautiful and drew my eye to it right away.  I have always liked a nice crocheted suit and this one is no exception.  If you look hard enough you can see the faint hint of a “nip” here and there and it just made me feel SO sexy when I wore it.  I opted for this one piece crocheted suit because sometimes less IS more!  (By the way, I did come across a couple of other suits that I really liked, too.  One is a 2 piece retroset from NS.  It is mesh and has 6 texture changes and SO cute.  The other is the Hedonist bikini with separate matching hat from ValentinaE.  It comes in 4 BEAUTIFUL muted tones and has an additional Boho Beach Coverup that you can purchase separately that just makes the set!  You will want to pick these up before the season ends!)

My skin is the latest offering from Izzie’s.  It can currently be found on sale at Uber. (This round of Uber will end August 23rd, so be sure to get there if you have not already.)  This skin is called Shay and has a slightly Asian flair to her.  I used a combination of my own shape and the one that comes with the skin to try and give you a good feel for what the skin looks like.  It comes in in fair, pale, natural and caramel skintones, and you can buy extra eyeshadows, lipstick and colorful eyebrows on tattoo layers at Uber as well.  If you would like to see more pics of the makeups and eyebrows available before heading over to Uber, take a look at Izzie’s blog here.

Uber had so many amazing hairstyles that I just HAD to pick them all up!  But this one from TRUTH caught my eye and turned my head!  Ami is a BEAUTIFUL braid!  I knew I had wanted a braid for this look…and had a different one all picked out, one that would work with a big floppy hat….and then I saw this hair!  I just threw off my hat and made new plans!  I tried to get a shot from the back, so you can see how gorgeous it is!

And finally, you really need a good pose prop to show off a beautiful suit!  This is Poolside from W.Winx and Flair.  It comes with 16 poses embedded in a set of color change towels that also come with 4 color matching duo cushion sets that can be used with any furnishings you like.  You can also use them with the pool that is included with the set.  The pool is made to be used with Linden water, so you can float it off your property or I suppose you could terraform your property to fit it, if you wanted to use the pool permanently.  I just kind of sat it on top of my property for the shoot and used the texturized water that came with it for photographic purposes.  I know most of the shots are so close up that you cannot really see what the pool looks like, so stop by W. Winx and Flair to take a look at it and ALL of their offerings.  You won’t be sorry.

And that’s it for my “Swimsuit Edition”.  Thanks so much for coming along on the ride!  Until next time….

STYLE NOTES

*Skin:  Izzie’s – Shay Skin pale GB CL, Izzie’s – Shay Lipstick peach, Izzie’s – Shay Eyeshadow blue, Izzie’s – Shay Eyebrow Shape (Available at Uber until August 23rd, then should be available at Izzie’s mainstore.)

Lashes:  YS & YS Eyelash Tintable 03

SwimSuit:  Sn@tch – Ikara swimsuit, dark navy

Shoes:  Bleich – Mesh Jewels Sandals – Navy [Maitreya Flat] (I LOVED these sandals. I picked them up at a past sales event and they reminded me of some sandals that I have in RL.  Bleich does not have an inworld store that I know of, but it does have a presence on the marketplace at:  https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/157022  For some reason I cannot seem to find these sandals there.  Perhaps you will have better luck than I?)

Sunglasses:  Glam Affair – Vintage Sunglasses Black

*Rings and Bracelets:  Izzie’s – Button Ring Nautical R, Izzie’s – Stacked Gemstone Rings #2 gold L, Izzie’s – Wooden Button Bracelet blue R, Izzie’s – Wooden Button Bracelet red R, Izzie’s – Wooden Button Ring blue R, Izzie’s – Wooden Button Ring red R (I decided to mix and match many of the different jewelry sets that Izzie’s has.  Izzie is truly so talented and makes a little bit of everything.  But regardless of what she makes, it is always excellent!)

Mesh Body and Feet:  Maitreya Mesh Body – Lara V3.4, Maitreya Mesh Body – Feet V3.4

Mesh Hands:  Slink Avatar Enhancement Hands

Hair:  TRUTH HAIR – Ami

Ear Cuffs:  ^^Swallow^^ – Ear Cuff Cross

Eyes:  Buzzeri – Lillian Eyes – Ice

Bag:  UNcommon – Jaws, Navy (I cannot remember where I got this bag from, but I thought it was SO cute and just fit in with my swimwear theme.  I cannot seem to find a LM for this store at this time…:/)

Slink Nails:  La Boheme – Whiplash1

*Pose Prop:  W.Winx and Flair – Poolside

I LOVE fantasy stuff.  I love fantasy movies, games, videos, art and especially SL clothes!  I intended to become involved in the Fantasy RP community in SL when I first joined, but shopping got a hold of me first and I never recovered!  Nonetheless, I know there is a large Fantasy RP community in SL and I found the perfect little spot to find some really nice Fantasy items.  It is at Fair Play.  Fair Play is new to me.  It is not terribly large, but it has a nice showing and happens to have one of my favorite designers, Jinx, as a sponsor.  I was thrilled to see Gweneth as her latest offering.  Gweneth comes in 4 colors and each one has matching shoes.  It was designed exclusively for Fair Play, but will be available at the Jinx Main store after it is no longer at Fair Play.  BUT you want to get it before it leaves Fair Play because it is half price!  You cannot beat Jinx prices to begin with, but half price????  It is a real bargain!!  Each outfit has these ADORABLE matching shoes!  It was actually the shoes that got me…LOL  The outfit is rather low cut and can be a problem if your skin has nipples set a little high.  So you will want to be prepared with a cover up or some long hair!  I did not see a demo available, but I can say that all of the Jinx outfits I have tried thus far have worked amazingly well with my Maitreya mesh body.  Jinx also has several other previously released items out at Fair Play at a discount.  So check them out too!  Fair Play is open from the 1st to the 27th of each month with releases changing daily.  So you want to make sure to Landmark it and check back often.  Their website is available here.

I picked up this hair at a past sales event…not sure which one it was, but I really liked the hair.  It is called Storm from MOON. Hair .  It was perfect for this outfit, kind of long and messy, yet somewhat regal.  It comes with a HUD with a TON of colors, including an entire section for glitter and another section for streaks.  It really gives you a lot of nice options.  The shop is small, but has some hair that is really different from a lot of the hair I see on the grid and they are always busy!  So it seems they have a nice following!

STYLE NOTES

Outfit and shoes:  Jinx (DD) Gweneth Dress – Royal Purple – S, Jinx (DD) Gweneth Shoes – Slink High  (Currently available only at Fair Play, but will be available at Jinx main store once it is retired from Fair Play.  Gweneth will be available at Fair play thru the 27th of this month at half price so grab it while you can!)

Hair:  MOON. Hair – Storm

Skin:  –Belleza– Mae

*Body Tattoo:  Izzie’s – Metallic Arrow Tattoo dark gold (has appliers for several mesh bodies and several color options.  REALLY nice!)

Lashes:  Izzie’s – Eyelashes v1.06

Mesh hands and body:  Maitreya Mesh Body – Lara V3.4

Mesh feet:  Slink Avatar Enhancement Feet High

Eyes:  IKON Kaleido Eyes – Storm (L)

Nails:  ZOZ – Floral Kiss Polish (I think I picked this up at a sales event, but I am sure that ZOZ has it at their main store.  ZOZ has some REALLY beautiful nails and they have nails for Slink, Maitreya and Belleza….as well as mesh nails for the SL avie.  There are TONS to choose from.  Check it out!)

*Pose Prop:  W.Winx & Flair – Fairy Ring (This is an adorable little pose prop from W.Winx & Flair.  It is made to be used on your own property…or one on which you have rezz rights.  I just didn’t seem to have any grass with surroundings that were befitting….SOOOOO….I used an old pose prop from a store that is no longer in business to place this one inside of.  All of the mushrooms and the dragonfly come in the W.Winx & Flair pose prop, but some of the background stuff you see is from the other prop.  But ALL of the poses are from W.Winx & Flair and are just lovely!)

Hi Guys!  Here I am doing my second post and already at a loss for a title….SO….I decided to go with Miss Applebum, the name of this cute little dress by La Gazza Ladra. The owner and creator of La Gazza Ladra just happens to be the same owner of B!asta, a familiar name.  I am not sure why she wanted 2 stores, but I like what I am seeing thus far.  I picked this dress up at a previous sales event.  I remember it came in several colors, but I liked this one the best.  What I liked best about the dress was the sexy feel of it.  When I first saw it, I thought someone had missed something in post editing….and then I realized the skin showing in the hip area is supposed to be on purpose!  And then I loved it.  I liked the idea of an outfit that seemed to be made of several different pieces of cloth, loosely sewn together.  It was unusually hot here that day, and I thought that something like this would be SO cool and comfortable, not to mention….SEXY!

It is a mesh dress, but because of the wholes at the hips (front and back) it did not work with my Maitreya Mesh Body.  (Insert sad face here!  I am getting SO spoiled to not having to do all that tedious post editing!)  I have NO idea if it would work with another or not, but it would not work with Lara.  But I loved it enough, that I was willing to put my old SL body on and take pictures!  I will add here, that due to the nature of the dress, being made of several different pieces (so it seems) it was somewhat hard to find poses that did not make the dress look strange.  I have not found that to be a problem while wearing it around the grid and shopping, so I am sure it has something to do with static posing….but just thought I would let you guys know.)

This skin is from 7 Deadly S{k}ins.  It is amazing what a new skin, a new hair and a couple of accessories can do to change a girls look!  I have seen 7 Deadly S{k}ins at several of the sales events I go to each week and began to notice what nice skins they had a while back.  They have exceptional Group Gifts and several Gatchas, Camping chairs and always have a good sale going on right there in their store, not to mention at various sales events, including Hello Tuesday.

And speaking of Hello Tuesday, No.Match is also a participant and where I picked up this awesome hair.  It is incredible what bangs will do to change a girls looks!  ( If you are not familiar with Hello Tuesday, the stores are located outside of Cosmopolitan and they have some REALLY great sales, available on Tuesdays ONLY, of course.  To keep up with ALLLLL the sales, be sure and update your feeds with Seraphim.  I am not sure how a SL girl lives without it!)  No Match has some really nice styles and great textures.  They catch my eye every time!

STYLE NOTES

Skin:  7 Deadly S{K}ins – Irene, Cleavage

Hair:  No.Match – NO.POWER

Dress:  La Gazza Ladra (by B!asta)LGL  – Miss Applebum – Lake

Mesh Hands and Feet:  Slink –  Avatar Enhancement Hands and Feet

Lips Tatoo:  Tuli Skins [:T:] – Parted lips 7 (Tuli has a whole set of open mouth tattoos available for FREE on the Marketplace.)

Eyeliner:  MONS / Makeups – Eyeliner Lux – grass  (I bought this from a previous round of The Dressing Room Fusion.  I do not know if they are still available at MONS, but I sure hope so!  They are SO cute…you are gonna want them!)

Mesh Lashes:  Gaeline Creations – Mesh Lashes Divina (These mesh lashes were bought a long time ago…I am not sure if they will still be available.  If they are still available, I think you will really like them.  They come with a nice HUD that makes adjusting them much easier. Please check at the Mainstore for further information.)

Bracelet:  B’Leaf – Bracelet Eagle  (I THINK I found this at a recent sales event I went to a while back.  It comes with a matching ring…I did not get a pic of it…sorry…it matches the eagle perfectly…I really like it!  While shopping around, I have seen a few things recently from B’Leaf and I am impressed.  They are someone I will be watching.)

Flats:  Pure Poison – Erica Flats – Beige & White (These cute little flats came in many colors and I THINK they were available at one point in a Gatcha at the Main Store.  Pure Poison is really good about having TONS of group gifts and group gatchas.)

Necklace and Ring:  ^^Swallow^^ – Necklace HeartWings (This set comes with a texture change HUD and gives you several different metal options.  I am really liking the things I am seeing from Swallow.  Many of their sets have a Vintage or Goth feel to them….kind of setting them apart….really nice!  They are ALSO a participant in the Hello Tuesday Sales Event.)

Eyes:  IKON Spectral Eyes – Aqua

Slink Mesh Nails:  Flair – Set 144 (If you have not been to Flair Nails, you need to take a look at what they are doing.  I have several different styles of nails that I like, and Flair is great for clean lines and classic looks.)

Poses:  BellePoses – Lanna (BellePoses have really affordable, nice poses.  They usually participate in the Hello Tuesday Sale and you can get their already REALLY affordable poses, even MORE affordable.)

Location:  The Vinyard at Checkmate  (This was a quaint little site that had a nice beach area as well as the beautiful vineyards.  It had a really peaceful feel and was great for taking pictures.  Check it out!)