Kirstentacular

12/29/2020

I had so much fun shopping this weekend! I didn't plan it that way, but what a great way to come back to SL after two years and walk right in to Black Friday sales. So many stores were 50% off and it was so much fun to peruse the designer's flickr as I waited for the store to rez and see what they have released in the last two years that I simply had to have. These Blueberry flare jeans were one such must have purchase that I literally squealed when I saw the flickr photo. I have not tried to shop Blueberry in a long time and the sim was full all weekend making it nearly impossible to go shopping. What is her recipe for success? Well first Blue makes really well meshed and textured stylish clothing, then she gives great deals such as a 500L gift card to every group member, and combines that with a 50% off sale. As most sales this weekend, the Blueberry sale lasts until tomorrow so I hope you can get into the sim. If not your 500L gift card can be used for the next two weeks.

I went to erratic. Maybe things have changed since I last played, but previous to this weekend the most I had ever seen an erratic sale was 30% off. This Black Friday sale was 60% off! I could not believe how inexpensive that made the clothing and I bought so many things like this pretty asf top. If you are late to the sales, I say RUN, don't walk to the 60% off erratic sale that ends tomorrow.

I did the Skin Addiction Black Friday sale (which is a group you can join inside of SL). I thought it was really fun! You can pick up a HUD and then click it to teleport to all the stores that are participating in the sale. My favorite find was this 50% off Lara Hurley skin, Alana.

I got too excited and bought what used to be my skin tone, midtone. I should have demoed more and tried the head skin on with my Maitreya body skin because I quickly realized they no longer matched. When I left the game two years ago Lara Hurley had 6 skin tones. Apparently new skin tones in a range of 8 new colors was released in 2020. After figuring all that out and demoing the 8 new skin tones on my entire body, I decided on a new skin tone, Pale. I went back and bought another color of the skin. So- if you are going to Lara Hurley and it has been a while, the skin tones are brand new as of 2020. Your old skin tone has changed and you probably need to demo and decide on your favorite. My old skin tone was darker than it used to be and I ended up going with the new 2020 Lara Hurley Pale tone.

I have bought a new head, Genus, and I really love it. I demoed every new head that has been released in the last two years from Catwa, Lelutka, and Genus and fell in love with this Genus head. I also figured out baked on mesh and I am wearing BOM skin and makeup! I think it is really going to be fun to play around with BOM makeup layers and I think my makeup monday blogs might need to come back.

Last, I went to Magika which is also 50% off. I love the Magika hair textures! My favorite blonde that I am wearing is a little bit of a pinky blonde, so cute!

So many stores are 50% off this weekend and most of them through tomorrow, Cyber Monday, at midnight. What were your must shop at stores this weekend? Let me know in the comments.

Have fun shopping!

Skin: Lara Hurley - Alana layer [Genus] PALE eyebrows blonde

Rings: (Yummy) Gardenia Rings - Maitreya

Nails: .tsg. Bento Nails - Coffin Shape - White Tips [Maitreya]

Jeans: Blueberry - Natalie - Flare Jeans - CutieBootie - Maitreya

Earrings: Cae :: Astrid

Top: erratic / luisa - crop top / pretty (maitreya)

Head: GENUS Project - Genus Head - Classic Face W001

Hair: Magika - Hair - Lyric

Body: Maitreya Mesh Body - Lara V5.3

Shoes: N-core DANA

Necklace: [Commoner] Carried Away / Fabulous Necklace

Eyeshadow: Lempika Eyeshadow Model #11 GENUS + BOM

Lipgloss: Lempika - 10 Lipstick Perfect Gloss GENUS

Poses: Fox City

Love, Kirsten Corleone

11/24/2020

Serenity

For anyone who has ever left second life for two years and tried to come back and figure out what the heck is going on, I know you feel my pain. After trying on all the new mesh heads that I could find, I went back to the same one I was wearing two years ago. It is updated and will take baked on mesh layers I think although I really don't quite understand all that yet. Did I mention the learning curve after a long time away from SL?

I did not have my windlight and I had to learn how to import it into an EEP object. It was actually not all that difficult and now I have my "Kirsten's Favorite Shadow Location" back in the game. If you want a copy, IM me.

So why did I leave for two years? There are a lot of reasons, some RL and some SL. I never intended to step away for so long. I did need a break and I thought that is all it would be, but once I was gone the months turned into a year and then it just became harder and harder to find my way back. I really don't think any reason is a good enough one to be honest. Especially since I was paired with some of the best brands in SL. Brands that depended on me and I did not do the right thing and let them know or give them notice and that is really unlike me and it was OK to need to leave. It was not OK the way that I left. So its a little too late, but I apologize for not giving notice to: Truth, Blueberry, Just Because, Neve, Kaithleen's, Narcisse, Pink Fuel, N-core, Essenz, Reign, Gos, Livalle, Eudora 3D, Kunglers, Cae, Exile, Wasabi, Doe, Arte, and Nantra.

So why did I return? My real life daughter is now 18. (yes that does make me feel old) My daughter is really talented in many ways and musically is just one of the many. She is interested in getting into the live music scene and asked me to go back to SL to help her. I am not sure if I would have come back without her, but once I did come back and started to dress up, shop, and just really enjoy being back in SL, I am really glad I came back.

So let's talk about some of the things that amazed me as I am seeing the game with a two year gap. Truth hair textures have improved so much and that is saying a lot because they were already beautiful two years ago. Now the hair just looks real to me. The improvement in Truth hair in two years is amazing and dynamic. I was so impressed with all of the new hair that I saw. I am wearing the newest very loose braid style, Serenity, in this post and it is STUNNING.

The next store that did not disappoint was Kungler's jewelry. Kunglers was amazing two years ago and nothing has changed except for a LOT of new jewelry for me to go look at. The other big change in this brand is instead of single stone colors all of the newer jewelry that I looked at and binge bought is now HUD controlled and changes into a variety of stone/gem/metal colors. It reminds me of all the reasons Donna Flora jewelry will forever be some of my favorite. If you loved that and want something similar, gorgeous, and HUD driven, definitely go check out all the amazing jewelry in Kunglers.

I have a lot to figure out as I try to catch up on two years away from the game. I think I am going to tackle baked on mesh next and play with makeup layers. I have always loved makeup in this game and that seems like the next fun thing to figure out. Everything I have on in this current post is applier makeup and old because I have not yet ventured into all thing BOM yet.

I don't know how regular this will be, but I used to blog because I really loved it and I did not stop because that changed. I really do love shopping, dressing up, taking pictures, working on them in photoshop and talking about it as I am doing now.

Love Always, Kirsten

Shoes: :::ChicChica::: Kade Peach Maitreya @ Collabor 88 November 2020

Head: CATWA HEAD Kimberly v4.5

Necklace: KUNGLERS - Aspasia

Body: Maitreya Mesh Body - Lara V5.3

Top: Tres Blah - Bedford Sweater (Maitreya) - Peach @ Collabor 88 November 2020

Skirt: Tres Blah - Myla Mini Skirt (Maitreya) - Sprig @ Collabor 88 November 2020

Hair: TRUTH / Serenity + Front Wisps/ Teleport

Skin: [Glam Affair] Pippa Skin [ Catwa ] 004

Poses: Foxcity

Backdrop: ninety - azotea blue [ backdrop ]