LOOK of the YEAR - Style Contest-The THIRD Group of SEMI-FINALISTS!

Congratulations to Nicolle Baroque, Becky Kenaan, Viana Oaks, Bunnibunbunz, LillyoftheVeil, Ahn Avion, Alex Avion, Maxtorfrisk, Gleasman and Zeddiv! These 5 women and 5 men have been selected as Semi-Finalists in the LOOK of the YEAR Contest. 

The jury has now selected 30 Semi-Finalists, 15 women and 15 men, who are in the race for the prestigious titles of LUXE Paris LOOK of the YEAR and LUXE Dot Be LOOK of the

YEAR. 

STILL TIME TO PARTICIPATE!

L$ 50,000 CASH TO WIN!

But the 14 judges will vote again on June 16th and June 23th to select 2 other groups of Semi-Finalists so it is still time to send your picture! Remember: LUXE Paris Women Fashion and LUXE Dot Be Men Fashion are searching the grid to find 2 ambassadors, a woman and a men with style and charisma, who will represent the brands and each win L$50,000 cash!

You do not need to be a professional model to participate because the Finalists without experience of the runway will receive training. All you need is style, elegance, a special look!

Very easy to participate: Wear a LUXE Paris or LUXE Dot Be outfit, style it, snap a picture, put your name in the title and send Full Perm to LOOKoftheYEAR resident.

GIFT TO ALL CONTESTANTS!

All participants will receive a free outfit from LUXE Paris or LUXE Dot Be once their first picture is submitted.

All the pictures received are eligible to all the selections of Semi-finalists so if you send your photo now you have 2 chances to become Semi-finalist as there will be 2 selections of Semi-Finalists in the next two weeks.

MEN WANTED!

Men candidates are especially wanted as they are not very numerous. Yet the top prize for the men’s category is the same as for the women’s category: L$50,000 cash!!!

So where are the stylish men? Stop being shy and show us your look! You have nothing to loose but so much to win!

A total of L$275,000 in prizes will be distributed to the two winners and the four runners ups. These prizes are a courtesy of LUXE Paris, LUXE Dot Be, Amazing Impressions Modeling Agency, In-Nova Modeling Academy, Duplex Club, Zuri Jewelry, ProPoses, Alma Makeup, Confidencial Magazine, The SL Enquirer, ModeLS Magazine, L'Amour Diversity Magazine and Jack Rock Photo.

You will find mode details about the LOOK of the YEAR contest at LUXE Paris and LUXE Dot Be main store at Bao and on the contest website at https://lookoftheyear.wordpress.com/

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LOOK of the YEAR Style Contest The SECOND GROUP of SEMI-FINALISTS!

Congratulations to MelanyAguilera, Anastasianin, Isabelle0583, SabrinaCooke, Eva Madenwald, Erick Naidoo, Geoffrey Firehawk, Fallen Grigori, TymonAlexander and Simon Enersly! These 5 women and 5 men compose the Second Group of Semi-Finalists of the LOOK of the YEAR Contest.

Therefore there are now 20 Semi-Finalists in the race for the prestigious titles LUXE Paris Look of the YEAR (for the women) and LUXE Dot Be LOOK of the YEAR (for the men). The winners will not only become the official ambassadors of these brands but they will also each win L$50,000 cash!

YOU STILL HAVE CHANCES!

Your picture has not be chosen? You still have chances! There will be 3 other selections of Semi-Finalists in the next 3 weeks and ALL the candidates are eligible to all the selections.

''Voting was tough because everyone had a unique style,'' says Lanai Jarrico, the owner of The SL Enquirer and one of the 14 judges on the LOOK of the YEAR panel.

''I can't wait to see what's in store for next round! Good luck everyone!''

Once there are 25 Semi-Finalists Women and 25 Semi-Finalists Men, the judges will select 10 finalists who will be invited to two challenge-shows which will determine the winners. This said there is no need to be a professional model to participate to the contest because the experts from AIM, In-Nova and ProPose, 3 sponsors of the contest, will train the Finalists without experience on the runway.

SEND YOUR PICTURE!

You did not send your picture yet? It is still time! The deadline to submit a picture for the third Selection of Semi-Finalists is Friday June 7th, at midnight.

It is easy! Just wear a LUXE Paris or a LUXE Dot Be outfit, style it, snap a picture, put your name in the title and send Full Perm to LOOKoftheYEAR resident. You can submit as many pictures as you want as long you present a different outfit and styling for each one.

Each participant will receive a gift from LUXE Paris or LUXE Dot Be.

A total of L$275,000 in prizes will be given to the 2 winners and the 4 runners ups.

These prizes are a courtesy of LUXE Paris, LUXE Dot Be, AIM, Duplex Club, In-Nova, The SL Enquirer, Confidencial Magazine, Alma Makeup, ProPose, Zuri Jewelry, L'Amour Diversity Magazine, ModeLS Magazine, and Jack Rock Photo.

You will find more details about the LOOK of the YEAR Contest at LUXE Paris and LUXE Dot Be stores at https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Bao/55/97/26/  and on the LOOK of the YEAR website at https://lookoftheyear.wordpress.com/

https://lookoftheyear.wordpress.com/

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LOOK of the YEAR CONTEST WEEK 1: SPOTLIGHT ON THE FIRST GROUP OF SEMI-FINALISTS!

Bravo to AmandaDay, Selene Snowpaw, TryskaMoon, OhPrincess, YamilaEnid, Tiaz Esquire, Richard De Grataine Suoh,  Jared Swords, Tottes Cosand Micah! These 5 women and 5 men have been promoted to the Semi-Final of the LOOK of the YEAR Contest!

Your name is not there? Do not be sad yet! There will be 4 other selections of semi-finalists in the next weeks and ALL the pictures submitted are eligible to all the selections!

 TIME TO SEND YOUR PICTURE!

You did not send your picture yet? Well it is time because the bandwagon is on the move! Remember: LUXE Paris Women Fashion and LUXE Dot Be Men Fashion are searching the grid to find 2 ambassadors, a woman and a man with style and charisma, who will represent their brands and each win L$50,000 cash!

No need to be a professional model because we train the Finalists without experience  and it is very easy to participate! Just wear a LUXE Paris or LUXE Dot Be outfit, style it, snap a picture, put  your name in the title and send Full Perm to LOOKoftheYEAR resident.

GIFT TO ALL PARTICIPANTS

All the contestants will get a free outfit from LUXE Paris or LUXE Dot Be, once their first picture is submitted.

You can send as many pictures as you wish as long you are wearing different outfits with different stylings. Each picture is judged as it would be a different contestant. The judges are looking for elegance, style and charisma.

L$275,000 IN PRIZES FOR THE WINNERS

AND RUNNERS UP

The 2 winners of the contest and the 4 runners up will receive a total of L$275,000 in prizes from LUXE Paris, LUXE Dot Be, AIM Modeling Agency, The SL Enquirer, Confidencial magazine, ModeLS magazine, L'Amour Diversity magazine,  Duplex Club, In-Nova Model Training Model, ProPose, Alma Makeup, Zuri Jewelry and Jack Rock Photo.

You will find all the details  on our website at https://lookoftheyear.wordpress.com/ or at the stores at https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Bao/55/97/26/ 

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LOOK of the YEAR Contest LOT OF WOMEN IN THE RACEBUT WHERE ARE THE MEN? L$ 50 000 CASH TO WIN!

It is Sunday May 26th that the  LOOK of the YEAR judges will select the first group of 10 semi-finalists and a lot of women already submitted their picture but the men are a lot less numerous... Where are the men of style? Are they shy?

Remember: LUXE Paris Women's Fashion and LUXE Dot Be Men's Fashion are now searching the grid to find two ambassadors, a woman and a man with style and charisma, who will represent their brands and each win L$ 50 000 cash! No need to be a professional model to apply as we will train the finalists without experience. You just need to have style, to express yourself through what you wear!

The Earlier You Enter the More Chances You have!

In the first step of the contest, the judges will select  a group of 10 semi-finalists (5 women and 5 men) every week for 5 weeks, starting Sunday.  Each week ALL the pictures received will be presented to the judges so more  early you participate, more chances you have to be selected! You can enter the contest as many times as you wish as long as you present a different outfit for each entry. To be eligible to the first selection of semi-finalists, your picture has to be received before midnight Friday May 24th.

Easy to participate: Wear a LUXE Paris or a LUXE Dot Be outfit, style it, snap a picture, put your name in the title and send FULL PERM to LOOKoftheYEAR resident.  Gift for all participants! Each week The Second Life Enquirer will publish the pictures of the semi-finalists. They will also be displayed in the LOOK of the YEAR Hall at LUXE Paris and LUXE Dot Be main stores and on our website at https://lookoftheyear.wordpress.com/

When we have 25 semi-finalists women and 25 semi-finalists men, the jury will then select 10 finalists in each category. These finalists will be invited to the LOOK of the YEAR Brunch of the Judges where they will be asked to explain why they would be a good ambassador for LUXE Paris or LUXE Dot Be.  At the same occasion, they will be invited to each choose 10 free outfits  at our main stores, to prepare  their look for the  two challenges-shows  that will determine the winners.

L$ 275 000 in prizes

Beside the L$ 50 000 cash, the LUXE Paris and LUXE Dot Be new ambassadors will also each win:  One year of free shopping at LUXE Paris/ LUXE Dot Be (a value of L$30 000), a fashion feature in The Second Life Enquirer and in the magazines ModeLS,  SL Confidencial and L'Amour Diversity (a value of L$30 000),  a private dinner party for 20 at the Duplex Club (a value of L$5000), a scholarship at In-Nova Model Training (a value of L$4000), a gift card of L$3500 at ProPose, a gift card of L$3000 at Alma Makeup, a crown by Zuri Jewelry (a scepter for the man), a value of L$1500, an official picture by Jack Rock (a value of L$1000), an hour coaching with Ponchituti Boucher and a VIP invite to be part of AIM Modeling Agency.

The two runners up in each category (women & men) will also receive a scholarship at In-Nova Model Training (a value of L$4000), a Zuri tiara or scepter (L$1000), a gift card from ProPose (L$2500 for the first and L$1500 for the second), a gift card from Alma Makeup (L$1000 for the first and L$500 for the second) and an official picture by Jack Rock (L$1000). They will also get an hour coaching with Ponchituti Boucher and be interviewed by ModeLS Magazine and SL Confidencial.

 

So what are you waiting for? Show off your style! This contest is a super fun experience and you could be one of the next LOOKS of the YEAR and win L$ 50 000 cash! The contestants will be judged on their style, elegance and originality. You will find more details about the LOOK of the YEAR contest at LUXE Paris and LUXE Dot Be stores at https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Bao/55/97/26/ and on our website.

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LUXE Paris, LUXE Dot Be & AIM Presents LOOK of the YEAR 2019 Style Contest

First Prize Women: L$50 000

First Prize Men: L$50 000

Are you a woman or a man of style? Well show it to us because we are looking for two ambassadors, a woman and a man, who will become the LOOKS of the YEAR of LUXE Paris and LUXE Dot Be and  win L$50 000 cash each!

OPEN TO ALL!

EASY TO PARTICIPATE!

This contest is open to all women and men of style. No need to be a professional model to apply as we train the finalists without experience! All you need is style, to express yourself through what you wear! We are looking for an elegant woman and a stylish man who will represent our brands with grace and character.

So do not wait longer, wear a LUXE Paris or a LUXE Dot Be outfit, style it, snap a picture, write your name in the title and send FULL PERM to LOOKoftheYEAR Resident. Each participant will automatically receive a free outfit from LUXE Paris or LUXE Dot Be.

Every week for 5 weeks, starting May 29th, we will publish the pictures of 5 semi-finalists women and 5 semi-finalists men on our website at lookoftheyear.wordpress.com. We will also display them in the LOOK of the YEAR Hall at our main stores on Bao/67/72/26  .

THE FINALISTS WILL EACH RECEIVE 10 FREE OUTFITS!

When we will have 25 semi-finalists women and 25 semi-finalists men, our jury will then select 10 finalists in each category.

These 10 finalists women and 10 finalists men will be revealed on July 3th and be invited to meet the judges at the LOOK of the YEAR Brunch on July 7th. At this occasion, the finalists will be asked to explain why they would be a good ambassador for LUXE Paris or LUXE Dot Be. They will also be invited to select 10 free outfits each at our main stores!

This brunch will be followed by two styling challenge-shows, sponsored by AIM. The challenge-show Happy Sunny Afternoon will take place on July 14th and the challenge-show Romance at the Ritz in Paris will be held on July 21th, immediately followed by the grand finale and the revealing of our LOOKS of the YEAR 2019-2020.

L$275 000 IN PRIZES

Each of our two ambassadors will also win:  One year of free shopping at LUXE Paris/ LUXE Dot Be (a value of L$30 000), a fashion feature in the magazines ModeLS,  SL Confidencial, L'Amour Diversity and The Second Life Enquirer (a value of L$30 000),  a private dinner party for 20 at the Duplex Club (a value of L$5000), a scholarship at In-Nova Model Training (a value of L$4000), a gift card of L$3500 at ProPose, a gift card of L$3000 at Alma Makeup, a crown by Zuri Jewelry (a scepter for the man), a value of L$1500, an official picture by Jack Rock (a value of L$1000), an hour coaching with Ponchituti Boucher and a VIP invite to be part of AIM Modeling Agency.

The two runners up in each category (women & men) will also receive a scholarship at In-Nova Model Training (a value of L$4000), a Zuri tiara or scepter (L$1000), a gift card from ProPose (L$2500 for the first and L$1500 for the second), a gift card from Alma Makeup (L$1000 for the first and L$500 for the second) and an official picture by Jack Rock (L$1000). They will also get an hour coaching with Ponchituti Boucher and be interviewed by ModeLS Magazine and SL Confidencial.

''IT WAS THE BEST MOMENT OF MY SECOND LIFE''

 - Nany Jurado, LOOK of the YEAR 2018-2019

''Winning the LUXE Paris LOOK of the YEAR contest was the best moment of my Second Life'', confides Nany Jurado, a soccer mom from Medellin, Colombia, who has been in  Second Life for nine years.

''When I think about the moment they said my name, I get excited again! I have no words to describe the power of the joy which filled me suddenly. I was crying and laughing in the arms of my RL daughters as the IM were coming from everywhere!''

Nany was selected as the best ambassador for LUXE Paris among 123 candidates. Elegant, stylish, genuine and with a very generous personality, Nany represents the LUXE Paris spirit perfectly.  We were really please to have her as our brand ambassador throughout the year.

''All year, it was a magnificent experience and I encourage everybody to go for it'', continues Nany Jurado.

''The things you learn, the friendships you build, the staff who treats you with a huge love and respect... Really, I would do it again if I was allowed!''

THE JURY

The judges will give a score to each finalist at each of the two challenge-shows and the total of those two scores will determine the winners.

The contestants will be judged on their style, elegance and originality by a prestigious jury: Parisian Skytower and Mika Palmyra, owner-designer of LUXE Paris, Boniefacio, owner-designer of LUXE Dot Be, Essy Luv, co-owner of Amazing Impressions Modeling agency (AIM), Marcus Lefevre-Enimo, Founder and Chairman of Miss SL Organization, Nany Jurado, LUXE Paris LOOK of the YEAR 2018-2019, Chemak Kamala, owner of SL Confidencial magazine,  Ava Jhamin, owner of L'Amour Diversity magazine, Naar Rexen, owner of In-Nova Modeling Academy, Zuri Rayna, owner of Zuri Jewelry, Ponchituti Boucher, owner of ProPose, Onix Noir, owner of Alma Makeup, Falbala Staheli, top model & photographer, Lanai Jarrico, owner of The Second Life Enquirer, and Haniak Feiri, General Manager Duplex Club.

You can enter the contest as many times as you wish as long as you present a different outfit for each entry. The deadlines to submit your picture and qualify for the weekly semi-finals are: May 24th, May 31th, June 7th, June 14th and June 21th.

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Teaser: LUXE Paris & LUXE Dot Be LOOK of the YEAR Contest Coming Soon!

More Details Next Month Here in The SL Enquirer!

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TOP MESH BODY SHOPS FOR WOMEN- Camury Reporting...

While some are in search of the perfect body, others are just evolving into the era of Second Life mesh body. So with that in mind, we'll talk a little about the bodies that most women are wearing, which may help you in your choice!

Maitreya

Maitreya, certainly is the most popular body of Second Life. This is an Omega compatible body which opens up a world of skin, tattoo and clothing options. You will find in the stores many offers of items for this body. The alpha layers have excellent cuts, which makes it easy to wear different styles of clothing.

There are also many gifts being offered for this body, which is great for anyone who wants to save some lindens. This body is also compatible with Slink feet.

Bento's hands were included in the new version which comes with Bento & Non-Bento hand options. The Hud is friendly and has also been updated to include additional nail options and 14 hand holds for Bento hands.

Cost – 2750L
Includes –Fitmesh Body, 2 sets of hands (bento/non bento), HUD, pair of feet with three heights, 1 Fitmesh and 1 applier pair of underwear with HUD.

URL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Maitreya%20Isle/128/133/24

Slink Physique & Hourglass

If you are looking for an athletic build body, Slink is the ideal body for you. This is a very shapely body and much sought after by those who already own Slink hands and feet. If you like big breasts and a more curvy body, prefer the Hourglass option. This body is Omega compatible and you will find plenty of applier and fitmesh clothing available.

Cost – 1250L
Includes –Fitmesh body, Applier with underwear (3 colours), fitmesh dress.

URL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Slink/44/122/24

Belleza – Freya, Isis & Venus

This body is really very beautiful to look at. It comes in 3 different versions that can be purchased together or separately. This body is compatible with Omega and Slink hands and feet. The bodies offer 3 chest option (natural / perky / push-up) plus knitted nipples that you can turn on / off.

Cost & Inclusions – Three options for purchase - all include HUD, 3 feet heights &fitmesh lingerie & shoes.

Purchase 1 of the 3 bodies in a ‘lite’ version for 1,799L: Which contains all 4 feet options, but only 1 hand option and 1 layer (tattoo), 1 breast option (natural) & the new HUD system.

Purchase 1 of the 3 bodies in a ‘full’ version for 2,499L: Which contains all 4 feet options, all 16 hand options & all 3 layers with the new HUD system.

Purchase a Fatpack of all 3 bodies for 4,499L: Which contains all the lite versions and all the full versions for each body.

URL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Belleza/127/78/26

The Mesh Project

TMP is a beautiful body with elegant and natural curves. The breasts have a beautiful shape and you can adjust to the size you prefer while maintaining the perfect shape. This body comes with a variety of skin tones to choose from. This body provides a free version, very useful so that you can enjoy the product, before buying. The fitmesh items sold by TheBoutique have a perfect fit and great textures.

Cost & Inclusions
Free: 0 L (Includes: hand Poses, Feet, Skins)
Starter 1000 L (Includes: hand Poses, Feet, Skins,clothing & tattoo compatibility)
Basic: 2.500 L (Includes: hand Poses, Feet, Skins, clothing & tattoo compatibility, Alpha Hud, clothing layer, tattoo layer)
Deluxe: 5.000 L (Includes: hand Poses, Feet, Skins, clothing & tattoo compatibility, Alpha Hud, clothing layers (2), tattoo layers (2), 5 heights feet).

URL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Shops/128/128/4

Eve Slim and Pulpy

Eve is an Omega compatible body, which means you will find many furs and clothes in the stores to apply. You can purchase two types of Slim or Pulpy body or purchase the complete package. The breasts can be adjusted to a smaller or larger size maintaining the perfect shape. This body comes with a powerful HUD system with ability to color all aspects of the body, including nails, using RGB panel. There are many fitmesh garments available for this body and the designer regularly releases fitmesh clothing for this body in store.

Cost – 1690L (for starter pack – includes one body, slim or pulpy version) or 3000L for full pack (includes Slim and Pulpy body)
Includes – Starter pack – 1 Fitmesh body, HUD. Full Pack – 2 Fitmesh Bodies (Slim and Pulpy), Shoes, Dress, Underwear, HUD with 3 skins, shape). All bodies include hands/feet.

URL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Absolut%20Creation/164/102/22

Do not forget to get DEMO before you buy!

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Don't miss the David Bowie Round @ InspirationSL Now until July 10th

InspirationSL is a unique, luxurious shopping event that opens it's doors quarterly. 

Every round is based on a different, well known celebrity that has a unique style. Our designers take inspiration from this person to offer you themed, exclusive designs that can be found nowhere else on the grid, and each round runs for 3 weeks.

This round we bow down to the King of glam rock, as we celebrate the style and spirit of David Bowie. Come and check out the beautiful range of clothes, hair, accessories and makeup available to spruce up your rock god wardrobe!

If you'd like more info about inspirationSL, visit our blog: http://inspirationeventblog.blogspot.co.uk/ To head straight over to the event: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Rayne%20and%20PetitChat/10/128/1510

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Fashion Highlight: Envious; A Bit of Goth, a little Fancy, Sometimes a Mix -Becca Drascol Reporting

Style & Something that's "you"

When looking for fashion in SL, I like to look for outfits and shoes that make my av look like I want her to. A style and personality that says a lil real life me, a lil fantasy...she becomes what I wish.  I like a bit of goth, a little fancy, sometimes a mix. One designer I really like the style of, is Envious.  From something on the riskier edge of hot to a bit classier, I can easily say Envious has variety.

Envious Main Store:

With an inworld store as well as marketplace you're free to shop whichever is your preferred way. I personally am a MP shopper, but when I stopped at the Envious mainstore I found the setting a large but cozy feeling. I liked the layout of the store, as well as the fountain out in the open area surrounding. To shop Envious via MP here’s the store link 

https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/31927

To shop inworld you’ll find the main store here:  http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sim%20Style/206/100/2503

Interview with Envious Owner/Creator SayaNicole Cuttita:

Becca Drascol:  Can you tell me a little about Envious and what inspired it?

SayaNicole Cuttita: Well envious started in 2008. Back then I couldn't really find clothes that completely fit my style or personality. So I started looking into creating my own clothing and Envious was born. So I guess you could say my own desire to be unique is what inspired Envious.

Becca Drascol: I ike that J What do you see happening with your fashion line this Fall?

SayaNicole Cuttita: oh wow, I honestly don't know lol I never really plan anything for Envious, I kind of just create something that matches my mood. Which is probably why I end up making Winter fashion in the middle of Summer lol. I'm kind of backwards.

Becca Drascol: Gotta do what works for you, seeing as fashion is about creation. I really appreciate this.

SayaNicole Cuttita: It's np :) you're popping my interview cherry haha.

Becca Drascol: Which would you say was easier for you, creating before Slink, Lola and other enhancements like mesh bodies or after?

SayaNicole Cuttita: Well I won't say that creating for the various mesh enhancements is difficult. It's just become extremely time consuming. I do miss SL before all the different bodies just from a creation stand point because it does take extra time to get new designs out when having to load different types of applier hud's, or rigging something to multiple different bodies. But some of them really have made SL look so much better. And appliers have become easier with the omega system being around, that cut down on a lot of time :)

Becca Drascol: Agreed, and I can totally see that from your viewpoint. Would you say any RL fashion inspired your style?

SayaNicole Cuttita: Oh definitely, I think RL Fashion inspires every creator in secondlife.

Becca Drascol: Of course. Would you say more  like Goth, Emo and Casual? Anything you feel made Envious style what it is?

SayaNicole Cuttita: Envious is definitely a reflection of myself. I tend to hop around a lot between all the styles goth, punk, preppy, you name it. While RL fashion does inspire a small portion  I think I get more inspiration from music. It puts you in a mood and you tend to portray that in your design. And if you've followed my designs you can probably tell what days I was listening to rock or pop music lol . (hopefully this answers your question I'm probably failing lol)

Becca Drascol: No, you’re fine. That's a great answer from the heart.

I found Saya to be delightful, witty and lighthearted, quite pleasant to talk with. A creator that put a piece of her own style and sense of fashion within SL through her own line of fashion. A dream of having something she desired in SL and making it come true. And it's this reporter's view that all fashion rather in the real world or our virtual one, is a passion and style of each creator's own. A passion and style that makes it easy for us shopping to make ourselves into whatever we wish. To have a look that not only supports a creator's desire to have their fashion out there, but allows us all to express ourselves via what we wear and how we wear it. So for those of you looking for some good ole made from the heart fashion definitely check out Envious.

Marketplace : https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/31927

Shop inworld http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sim%20Style/206/100/2503

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The Case for Male Mesh Avatars – Stareyes Galaxy Reporting

Within the last year, mesh avatars have made a big impact on the visual appearance of Second Life (SL). While the female avatars were first equipped with mesh avatar shapes, mesh male avatars have also become available. Retrofitting one’s avatar with mesh is a major undertaking and causes much consternation among the males in SL. I met with a makeover prospect, “Mr. Jay”, and went out to explore what difficulties males can be faced with when fitting a mesh avatar.

“I started getting these hints that I should improve my avatar,” Mr. Jay told me. “Especially females with mesh avatar shapes seemed to feel out of place if I went somewhere with them in my conventional shape. So I sought for a solution.” Mr. Jay’s girlfriend prospect directed him to “The Shops!”, a shopping experience for “The Mesh Project”. The Shops! is a one-stop-store to mesh up one’s avatar, with full departments for either gender.

Mr. Jay explained his shopping experience: “Obviously I wanted to get quickly up to speed with the mesh shape but the whole process took me about a week to complete.” He said that he had wanted to go the extra mile to get all features, so he got himself “the deluxe” level body and head. The body has 36 skin tone options, but as Mr. Jay fitted on the head, it appeared all white. “I hadn’t known I need to buy a skin for the head as well!” Having bought the skin caused further frustration, as he had chosen the “01” skin which is all white – so his problem seemed to have no solution. While he engaged the customer assistance to replace the “01” skin with a more conventional skin tone, he brooded over the sensibility of the whole endeavor. “I had spent in excess of 10 000 L for the makeover already, so I just had to forge ahead,” he lamented. He ended up buying a “15” skin tone skin for the head, and later, he received the “16” tone skin from The Shops! customer service to replace the “01” skin.

The last parts of the process involved applying a “retrofit fader” tattoo layer to the line separating the body from the neck. “Then it was up to finding the rest of the body parts to go with the mesh body,” Mr. Jay says and smirks. He ended up with a conventional hair from Dura Dura. “The hair base for the hair, again, is a tattoo layer that is not compatible with the face skin tattoo… so I needed to puff up the hair with the re-sizer and move it slightly upward to hide the piebald appearance that is a result of having no visible hair base.”

I returned to The Shops! with Mr. Jay to see what could be done about the process. The panels on the walls of The shops! describe a simplistic 1-2-3 process, but as was obvious with Mr. Jay, the whole ordeal of fitting a mesh avatar is not quite as straightforward. The shopping experience is conducted by use of a heads-up display (HUD) that takes care of your cash balance deducting the purchases until you need to top up the balance. The information that is necessary for purchases is on the panels and on the HUD, but it is not obvious for instance that you need to pay 1000 L for each skin tone option for the skin, when the deluxe body already has 36 skin tones built in. To complete your appearance, you need a set of eyebrows and a hair base as well, each at L 250.

I interviewed Ms. Diorprincess, a live helper / personal shopper at The Shops! on her perception of the mesh avatar market. She has soon worked a year at The Shops! and is well versed on the subject of male mesh avatars.

SLE: Female mesh avatars have been out there a long time already but it has come to my attention that the interest in male mesh avatars has risen in the last  few months. Am I correct?

Diorprincess: Well, yes, because the Male avatar is available just 6 months now, and we provide the only one that looks normal I guess.

SLE: As a personal shopper / helper, you must get a lot of questions from male shoppers. Can you relate to me what concerns the male shoppers have overall? What are the most glaring problems they run to adapting to the mesh avatar?

Diorprincess: The alpha HUD is giving problems at the moment. But they are working on an update. At start males are a bit disoriented, but I noticed the men are very clever.

SLE: When I talked with “Mr. Jay” he said he had a lot of problems with the "1-2-3" concept and didn't realize he had to buy a specific skin, etc. Are these typical problems men run into?

Diorprincess: Well some men don’t understand the concept at all, don't even look, just do and then don't understand what they are doing after all! The “1, 2, 3” concept is easy: 1. Get a body; 2: Get the head; 3: Get the clothes or style up. But most people don't even read [the instructions on the panels].

SLE: How do you see the mesh avatar market, and especially the ratio of female vs. male mesh avatar sales?

Diorprincess: Females spend much much more, also because we need more, like make up and clothes. Men are easy: most wear the same clothes every day. Females are looking good and expect her man to look good also. And the males want mesh too. Mesh is the future!

The final step was to put some weight on the avatar. The Shops! Beta avatars are fitted mesh, meaning they fit on the conventional avatar shapes. Therefore, sliders in the avatar appearance body editing menu can be used to change the shape. Jay fleshed out nicely with some body fat and widening the torso. The Shops! sell also shape styler packages, but these are optional if one knows how to use the sliders in the body edit menu. The head doesn’t seem to change with the edit sliders, though, so one is stuck with the Mesh Project supermodel head shape. As already has been quite prominently evident with how female mesh avatars carry themselves, the fitted mesh is compatible with “physics” of the avatar. With proper discretion, the use of physics on a fitted mesh body can make the avatar movement more fluid and realistic.

Fitting clothes on the mesh avatar is a whole other exercise. Mr. Jay was able to put on a mesh tuxedo by judicious selection of the alpha layers in the alpha editor HUD. “This could really become a problem down the line. Now I have no semi-formal or casual options!” Mr. Jay wailed, before he got the hang of the alpha HUD.

The whole concept of mesh avatars seems to extend the Second Life experience toward the Kurzweilian view of “The Singularity” where the real and the virtual mix effortlessly. The avatar styles may not yet be “real” or “realistic”, as the male shapes seem to be more idealistic Adonis-inspired demigods. The same of course may be said about the female shapes that obviously tend to accentuate the beauty ideals of the fashion and adult entertainment industries. Fully self-editable mesh avatars seem still to be a dream concept, perhaps reserved in the near future for premium purchase for designers. In any case, from Mr. Jay’s experience, it is advisable for any male avatar wishing to go full mesh, to explore the process using the “free” options available at The Shops! first. The decision to shell out over 10 000 L is not to be taken lightly, as it may be that with the resulting wardrobe makeover, the aggregated cost can go over anyone’s budget as the mesh requirement escalates. A further encumbrance may be the load on the computer and the network that mesh seems to demand from the hardware. When you get on the grid, it takes time for your avatar to rez properly, and some parts of it may render before your clothing. The shy guy should be aware of these sometimes embarrassing effects!

The Shops! http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Shops/128/128/2

Ray Kurzweil on virtual worlds (1:00:50 to 1:01:25):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GcL3a4WK6M

Trailer for “The Singularity is Near” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XWXJDgbeP0

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