Chic at Phil's Place: April 2012

Weekend Wonders

Posted by Chic Aeon in freebies, hair, new releases on Saturday, April 28, 2012

It's the weekend and the end of the month -- both times when blogging slows down somewhat. Happily my "to be blogged" folder is fairly if not completely empty. Also happily, I have two newish items to show you as I head off for dreamland.

This casual updo hair is out from Alli&Ali. The A&A Kitty Hair Blackberry is very pretty and moves nicely as YOU move :D. You can pick up a blond version of this hair free by the voting wall in the store.

Not quite as new, this silver and tanzanite set from Addiction Jewelry can move from casual to dressy. There is a necklace and cuff bracelet in the set. Happily I just checked and even though I was very tardy in blogging, the set is still on special at a great price.

Pose by: Vista Animations

A Neutral Spring

Posted by Chic Aeon in mesh, new releases on Friday, April 27, 2012

It's a beautiful Spring morning in my virtual land. Warm breezes abound.

A new strapless top is available from SLC (Serina Lacava). It comes in a variety of flowered and satin fabrics including plain colors which will be great for mixing and matching as Summer arrives. Yeah! I paired the black flowered version with my white trousers from JANE and what a lovely and simple look; very classic.

The tops use the standard sizing method. I had to tweak my bust size down just a tad for a perfect fit, but it was worth it. A variety of alpha layers are included for those of you on viewers that can only use ONE alpha layer. A very nice inclusion.

A gal needs appropriate makeup -- even of the understated variety. KOSH released several sets of eye makeup recently with the KENOS set being my favorite. Ten colors make up the set. I am wearing "smog" :D.

Poses by: LAP Random Set (Pose Fair)

Breezy Violet

Posted by Chic Aeon in hunts, new releases on Thursday, April 26, 2012

I am quite fond of boas. Long boas, fluffy boas, feathery boas; they are all fun. Chandra sent over a special one prim vendor (a joke between us as her very pretty boxes are often more prims than I have available) of the new !deviousMind Starlette - feather boas. With a huge assortment of colors to pick from (24 in all), I choose lilac. Happily I remembered a very violet makeup set lingering in my "newness" folder, the Madrid Solo Full Face Design, Eden on the Perfect Runway Hunt. There is a choice of lips only, eyes only or full face.

A short post for a very short day in SL. Happily I can't remember when the grid was down for so long :D.

Pose by: aDORKable

Pose Fair 2012 - No Lag

Posted by Chic Aeon on Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Pose Fair 2012 is still going on and if you haven't been, now's the time. Only a few folks in each sim, no lag and shopping is a breeze. Since I have a plethora of poses, I was looking for animations. Not too many of those, I'm afraid. After all, it IS called "Pose" Fair *wink*. But there are plenty of great props. One of my favorites is this barrel set from Captivity Poses. Made with guys in mind, it fit me just fine which is always a thrill.

This very lovely boat environment for two is from Glitterati and is easy to find as it is outside! Right click and choose Pay to buy this one. I was very confused by other options; and old fashioned gal I guess. Now I just need a "mate" :D.

Another very pretty boat in more of an indoor dreamy way is this one from Baffle. Many apologies as I forgot to reposition before taking the shot so my hand is in the cushion (BAD BAD BLOGGER). But you can see how great the BOAT looks and that is the point.

There are quite a few gifts and dollarbies at the fair. This is a fun one from Poise which has a HUGE freebie bag out for you. Other places to check for gifts include Morgan Batista Poses, Wet Cat and Look@Me .

Here is a link with all the SLURLS.

See yesterday's post for fashion credits.

Have fun!

Free Finery

Posted by Chic Aeon in freebies, hunts on Tuesday, April 24, 2012

I was searching through the Marketplace looking for vests. What did I find? This great free outfit from BlakOpal in red and black. I already told you about the steamy brown version that you can pick up in the store. This one is its sister; only the colors have changed. And of course there is a very nice version for the male persuasion.

Hunts are ending and there are bound to be some items you need to search for this coming week before they are gone. One of my top picks are these great biker boots (there is a motorcycle "charm" hanging on one side) from Drakke. Find them on the FashionCentric Hunt. Look for an orange pyramid prize object with the FashionCentric logo.

Location: Daytime Dreams by Rougue Star Designs

Pose by: aDORKable

Fantasy Free

Posted by Chic Aeon in freebies, hair, skins on Monday, April 23, 2012

If you are a skin or hair collector .... If you love fantasy or outside the box design .... If you like free ... then be sure and visit any of the Fantasy Faire sim hubs and pick up this low lag skin from Fallen Gods and mesh hair from Wasabi Pills. All the strategic places are covered so you can shop in style. Find the simple, not terribly obvious, vendors not too far from the teleport locations. I got mine at Shifting Sands. One for the guys? Of course there is!

Pose by: Diesel Works

Redheads

Posted by Chic Aeon in skins on Sunday, April 22, 2012

There was a time about a year ago or so when I was usually a redhead. That has shifted of late and brunette has been my color of choice. This skin from Oceane had me reliving those auburn days with fond memories. I dug out my old Maitreya hair from my steampunk days, added the new free outfit from Black Opal (previously featured) and ventured over to my old stomping ground of Winterfell. It is still lovely there and I still enjoy being a redhead *wink*.

The skin is Toni and I am wearing the Fanfare lipstick. This is a soft and glowing skin; very pretty. My eyes are also from Oceane, Liquid eyes in Oak. So if you remember being a redhead or want to give it a try, stop by the shop and take a look!

Pose by: LAP

Who's That Girl

Posted by Chic Aeon in skins

Meet Blanca, the newest lady in the Akeruka camp. I have been wearing another Akeruka skin for a long while. I rarely shift. But Blanca appeals to me and fits very well. I love the eye makeup (number 13). There are lipstick tattoos and hair bases. Freckles are apparent on body areas and give a natural sunny look. Four skin tones are available with tan, shown here, being the darkest.

Also, for you avid shoppers -- UZURI is having a closing sale with today being the last day. A friend told me last night and I zipped over today. The ethnic jewelry is lovely and very well made. So take a quick trip over if you are feeling that shopping itch. Good deals abound.

Pose by: aDORKable

EMO-tions at Fantasy Faire

Posted by Chic Aeon in hair, new releases on Saturday, April 21, 2012

I can't believe all the great hair that has come my way this week. Happily I discarded about a thousand hairs (well lots of colors I would never use mostly) so I have plenty of room in my inventory for NEWNESS *yeah*! This AMANDINE fantasy pack (blue, red, turquoise, violet (shown here) and snow is one of the Relay For Life donation items from EMO-tions at the Fantasy Faire which opens today.

This dramatic black makeup mysteriously appeared in my inventory today. Odd as the date of arrival was the 11th. Ah the mysteries of the database. It is from OCEANE, the Xian full makeup in black. Find it on a table in the middle of the makeup room.

Another EMO-tions RFL item is this LEANNE dress which includes a very nice dark cloak with red trim.

Enjoy the fair!

Poses by: LAP Random set 2 for the Pose Fair

Heads Up

Posted by Chic Aeon in hair, new releases on Friday, April 20, 2012

I am about to tackle my hair folders in the great inventory Spring cleaning. While that should be both fun and a big help to my inventory as I have lots of old hairs and plenty of colors that I would (or could) never wear, new arrivals for the day are filling up some of those holes even before I start!

This is Sorraia from eXsEsS. So pretty! And the shine. Love the shine. This mesh hair comes with an alpha layer but I didn't need it. The band is black which should work for many outfits.

Just out from Pomme d Amour Hair Salon, this is Teachers Pet. Extremely cute with little bows, the pigtails are appealingly mismatched in both placement and size, giving it a waif quality. Perfect for young avatars and dolls.

Aria is a second release from eXxEsS. There are plenty of gorgeous colors to choose from. Again, mesh and no mod so be sure and try a demo.

And if you are need of some sparkle in your virtual life, new vintage barrettes are available at Eclectica. Choose from gold or silver metals. There is a version placed on the front side also. You will of course need NEW HAIR (LOL) to go with the clip and some adjustments in placement will likely be necessary. The detailing is superb. This hair is Love, Selma - a recent Pomme d'Amour release.

Poses by: aDORKable from the new Breezy set

Flights of Fantasy

Posted by Chic Aeon in places, sneak peak on Thursday, April 19, 2012

Fantasy Faire opens Saturday April 21 with the largest gathering of fantasy designers, enthusiasts, roleplayers and performers in the virtual world. It is quite glorious. Empty as vendors begin to set up, it is still impressive. Expect lag, but also expect to be enthralled by the mystical and wondrous. After all -- it's fantasy!

I am not an official blogger for the Faire, but since there are over one hundred I am sure you will be seeing the large variety of goods that will be available. With my early entry pass in hand, I decided to give you a little sneak peak at a few of the nine sims and delve into my stores of fantasy garb. It doesn't take much encouragement for me to go there!

Shifting Sands, designed Kayle Matzerath and sponsored by Solarium is my personal favorite build. I am partial to the mysteries of the desert. Sands fall seductively into a never-ending abyss. The winds moan. Honestly, I would like to move in!

My outfit is Creed by Firefall.

Meandervale, designed by Sharni Azalee and Marcus Inkpen is sponsored by The Looking Glass. Fairy tales can come true on this sim. Over-sized sunflowers grow in wild fields and giant butterflies turn windmills.

My outfit is Rogue by Firefall.

Nu Orne, designed by Elicio Ember, is sponsored by The Arcanum. The jungle is dense, the flora and fauna only of your imagination. The architecture speaks of ancient mysteries.

My outfit is one of the Arcane Dancer Silks from Deviance.

Giant stone figures guard the gates in Shadow's Claw, a cold and mountainous terrain. Designed by Laufey Markstein and sponsored by T R I D E N T, the standing stones and weathered skulls warn of dangers.

My outfit is Playful Faun by Yasum Designs.

Whatever your favorite fantasy, the Faire is the place to be.

Poses by: LAP, Nigotine, Diesel Works

Dark Carnival

Posted by Chic Aeon in new releases, poses, skins

Take one part new release outfit Nicky in red from Blue Blood.
Add stitched doll skin and tattoo hair from AD Creations.
Top with Pose Fair 2012 newness from LAP.
Mix well and place into a spooky (and color coordinated) locale.

What do you get? A very dramatic photo!

That's pretty much all you need to know.

Going Ethnic

Posted by Chic Aeon

Lots of you have this top. My inventory lists is as "Acid and Mala orange boho NM set Culture Shock". I love that we can customize our file folders. It really helps when you are looking for something. This isn't old enough of course to qualify as vintage, but if you have forgotten about yours, the warm weather will be here soon -- for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere anyway.

This new necklace from BenS Beauty (Indian Necklace Reds) goes perfectly! Just in case you need an excuse to go shopping.

I was in an orange mood last eve when I put this outfit together. I had also promised to show you some more of the COLLABOR88 goods from Trompe Loeil. I love these chairs and cute little table. I have a thing for little tables it seems in both worlds. The chair is amazingly TWO PRIMS. The poses don't work for my long limbs, but if you are more natural sized, this is a wonderful item. Other colors are available as well as a couch. Try them out at the COLLABLOR88 showcase. Lemons from CONCRETE FLOWERS; rug from the Egg Scramble hunt. My pants are oldies from Paradisis and my sandals which I will be pulling out of the closet again this year, from BAIASTICE.

My top pose is from Long Awkward Pose, one of the Random Set poses from the fair. This reminds me of the Jazz Hands set which I purchased long ago and have used often. Lots of fun.

And now that I think on it, the chair is mod and I have building skills. I can switch out some poses in that great chair for some that do fit me and be a very happy gal. Chic Aeon writes that down on her todo list.

Have a wonderful, sunny day! And if you don't have sun, get to a virtual beach and work on that pixel tan.

Poses by: LAP

AVENUE Fame

Posted by Chic Aeon on Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Thirty seconds of my fifteen minutes of fame appeared today in AVENUE Magazine. I feel very privileged to be in the company of such lovely photography in this high quality periodical.

The article appears on page 196, but there are many stunning fashion shots along the way.

http://issuu.com/avenue/docs/avenue.april2012/1

Quick Picks

Posted by Chic Aeon in freebies, new releases, poses

Two new releases that may be of interest to my gal friends.

Those of us that frequently wear wild and bushy hair can find it difficult to come across perfect pairing for our dainty but not readily seen earlobes. This new group gift (join fee) from Mashooka solves that issue. Even better the earring set comes with a very pretty and easy to use HUD that lets you change various bead colors. Quick clicks give you turquoise, jade, amber and carnelian maybe? Yes, my jewelry making knowledge hasn't deserted me; carnelian. This is part of a larger release which includes gold themed items as well. Available at the Mainstore both sides, activate your group tag and touch the vendor.

This photo is all about the pose -- and well maybe my often worn hair, Finya from EMO-tions. With a couple of thousand (well maybe not that many) poses that made it though my giant inventory culling, still in progress; I am not wanting for great poses. I still enjoy getting new ones of course; our pose makers just keep getting better and better. Of the new aDORKable poses released for the fair, this is my personal favorite. Breezy 3 comes with a mirror version as leg positions change enticingly *wink*. Find it at POSE FAIR 2012.

Poses by: aDORKable

Marvelous Mesh

Posted by Chic Aeon in design, hunts, mesh on Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Mesh has been with us for awhile now. When it was new, it had a hard time of it. Designers didn't know how to deal with it; not all that many folks flocked to the new mesh viewers. But now it is becoming part of our everyday world and it blends in nicely with older technology.

Trompe Loeil has lots of new releases for Stumblebum, with prices good until the end of the month. There are couches and chairs and bright outdoor garden sets. Not surprisingly, my favorites were the decor pieces. I took a photo of several of the new releases at my studio, but somehow while the picture showed everything, it left me in a ho-hum state. What's a gal to do?

Well install the pieces at home of course, something I had planned to do anyway *wink*. So here I am on my deck with my new very tasteful neighbor's property in the background. My mesh slacks are from JANE. I featured them before but like many of the blog posts I saw on these great slacks, I covered up the waistband. Bad, bad blogger. The waistband complete with belt loops and tons of details is definitely important. I love these slacks and as well as the open-toed mules from lassitude & ennui. Both are mesh.

These very nice lounge pillows (originally colored blue but I tinted to rust) are from the Regimade store on the Make Home Over Hunt. The chill pillows come with lots of animations. They are no copy sculpt pillows with shadow prims, so pick up what you need.

One of my favorite Trompe Loeil decor items is this fire pit. It is happily living on my deck that overlooks the bay. So very pretty, it gives a soft natural light at night and is only five prims.

That's a real plus when you are on a 117 prim budget!

Another winner is this amazingly detailed hanging lantern with candle.

At three prims, it is another bargain. The texture is rusty as befits my oceanside locale.

So this is my tribute to mesh -- this week anyway. When it works, it is truly marvelous.

Click the smaller photos for larger views.

Psst! Don't Tell

Posted by Chic Aeon in new releases, poses, props on Monday, April 16, 2012

Pssst! Don't tell, but there is newness in my inventory. First up this very dramatic catsuit from deviousMind called Absinthe. How low can a decollete be? Chandra it seems is testing the boundaries! There are of course many more accessories in the set including fairy wings, head ornaments and bodice frills. A version without leggings is also a choice.

Dramatic garb calls for matching lighting and poses. If you love retro, then this (*chanimations chaise with gramophone and vinyl is meant for you. It comes with a built in pose menu as well as pose ball and single poses. And it looks really smashing as a decor piece. There are various versions with different prim counts. This is the deluxe (44 prim) model. And while this was a perfect color to coordinate with my Victorian walls, there are color change options via a menu. Wearable records are included.

Pose Fair 2012 is all the news of course. I am waiting for the hoards to die down a bit before journeying over, but I am sure there will be plenty to see and try. These two stands from Long Awkward Pose are part of Dove's pose fair releases. Random Set 1 and 2 have plenty of great stands that you might not be able to resist.

Poses by: LAP and chanimations

Picture Perfect

Posted by Chic Aeon in poses, props on Sunday, April 15, 2012

By now you must know that Pose Fair 2012 is underway. I am not an official blogger, but I still have plenty to show you over the next week or so. For us oldsters I am guessing that props and poses with props are the biggest draw. For the newer fashionistas and photographers the fair is a great place to find poses and animations to build up your collection.

This oh-so-cute photo booth prop from aDORKable comes with wall color options and lots of poses. The couples ones are the most fun but you can also use the single poses for couples shots (and possibly for three people - who knows) and simply adjust your position on the cushions. The cushions are mod and tintable. I stayed with the default colors.

Click smaller photos for a bigger version.

The booth comes with a photo film strip and you can add your own shots to personalize your booth.

There are four single poses and four friends poses to choose from.

The booth is 28 prims.

Adjustments are easy with /1a menu and the poses seem to be designed to fit lots of avatar shapes.

After seeing Xi look so very cute during our filming sessions, I got over to DOLLCOCO and bought a head of my very own. I won't be switching into doll mode that often, but it is fun.

I still think Xi is cuter than I am but hey, I'm a new doll.

Aside from the nice photos you can take using the prop, it looks pretty cute from the outside and makes a great backdrop.

Here, I plopped it down in the middle of the subway terminal which seemed appropriate. I remember these in the bus stations of my youth.

We had fun! Enjoy the fair!

Poses by: Ana-Nations, aDORKable and Baffle

Antonio in Pink

Posted by Chic Aeon in freebies, guy stuff, skins on Saturday, April 14, 2012

New for the guys from AKERUKA, the Antonio skin is lovely -- in that manly sort of way, of course. Four skin tones and nine facial hair choices give lots of options. There are eyeliner tattoos as well as hairbase tattoos including eyeliner. Now available at the main store if you missed it at MensWear 2012.

I zipped over to sf design this morning and found this retro-esque shirt out in the freebie spot. The collar fits very well and prim pieces include resize scripts for easy adjustments. There is a gal's version across the plaza. Who says guys can't wear pink.

Live it up fellows!

Pose by: Diesel Works

Window Shopping

Posted by Chic Aeon in Do You Remember, hair, hunts on Friday, April 13, 2012

Late last night I finished -- in my fashion -- The Runway Perfect Hunt 2. I can't say this was my favorite adventure; too many big stores, hard to find prize objects and not many gift items suited to my taste. It might, of course, be a great hunt for you!

But in every hunt there seems to be a star, and for me the Window Shopping prop from WetCat is it. The large stage style posing arena comes with various poses for gals and guys as well as positioning. Lots of fun and pretty to boot, poses are also included singly.

Di and I are both wearing hair from Dura, a prize on the TRPH2 hunt. I have tinted mine darker since I don't do blond well.

The prop is store window sized with frame. It accommodates three avatars. Since I had a plan to feature the oldest item in my closet from Nuclear Boutique, AND since I knew I had some friends out there with some old NB outfits still in their "I never ever throw anything away" inventories -- this was the morning.

So here is a photo from long ago. I was VERY young; we all were once. It's good to remember. Arikinui Adria really did do "shiny" well! Hats off to a long ago institution that was extremely newbie friendly.This dress is part of my personal history and what led me into the fashion arena. It is staying in my closet.

Poses by: WetCat

So There's This Contest

Posted by Chic Aeon in comment on Thursday, April 12, 2012

Every once and awhile (not too often) someone posts a comment that gets my blood temp up.

So what's wrong with this phrase?

* The photo must be artistic (all photography blogger style will be removed and will not be part of the contest >:o what we mean here is plain , magazine commercial photos,) ...

I'm not linking to the contest for obvious reasons, but you may have seen mention of it on the feeds.

The prizes are meager, but there are plenty of photographers that like to enter contests just for the fun. MANY of those are also bloggers. Wouldn't it have been more appropriate for the prize givers to state what they DO want? (300 dpi, 3000 x 2000 pixels landscape, full backgrounds) or whatever than to add that phrase "all photography blogger style will be removed"?

Bloggers are most likely some of their best customers. Not good marketing in my book.

OK. Brief rant over. Off to the tub.

Make a Statement - Hunts

Posted by Chic Aeon in hunts on Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Is this a great hat or what?

I started out on the Runway Perfect Hunt and along the way -- well you know how that goes. My earrings are actually part of the Tres Beau TRPH2 gift. I like them. But honestly they are definitely overshadowed by this great hat.

The hat is the prize in a hunt I hadn't heard of, the You Go To My Head Hunt, which started a few days ago. I was intrigued by the hunt poster and happily this great hat was in the hunt object nearby. So two very nice gifts in one stop. Make a sticky note on that *wink*.

I am also thrilled with this makeup from Oceane Body Design. I am not much of a makeup gal really, but this is SO striking and definitely works with the hat. Look for a very nondescript gray box for the Runway Hunt and a small hat for the Go To My Head Hunt.

My perfect for this outfit club dress is a couple of years old from a store that is no more. Happily I knew JUST where to look for it in my now much skinnier inventory. I finished with my "Clothing" folder today. Still lots of the alphabet to go through but I am down to 27,000 from 40,000. Oh my!

Pose by: Juxtapose

Gay Paris

Posted by Chic Aeon in design, hair, mesh, new releases

I simply couldn't resist taking this photo. I love my antique blindfold and how often does a gal get to wear one? Well this gal anyway. New hair is out at POMME D' AMOUR. Love, Selma is a cute retro updo bun with spitcurls! I actually can remember making spitcurls, but I doubt that mine ever looked this good.

The French graphics are part of a big set for April's COLLABOR88. Cheeky Pea's Millesime Baignoire Room is full of fun retro touches. Happily the couch and rug are tintable and I played with the colors a bit to fit my mood. The default is a very light gray with brighter colored pillows. The little radio is just ONE prim, a decorating bargain. The couch comes complete with a variety of animations, some with magically appearing props.

With my informational notecard on these products missing, I decided I had better zip over to COLLAB88 and check my facts. Low and behold, there is a texture change menu with the rug. I also took the opportunity to shoot a quick photo of the complete set. The morning visit also let me know that these are MESH items.

My dress is one of the new hunt gifts from Purple Moon. Find it in the shop across from the main building.

Poses by: furniture and aDORKable

The Beach Scene MHOH

Posted by Chic Aeon in design, hunts on Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Wrapping up the Make Home Over Hunt we have two prizes to get you on the way to summer.

The "Hanging Out" lounger with palm tree is the prize from ~BAZAR~ Quality homes and furniture. Now I am not a big fan of the rezzing pose ball feature, but this item is beautifully textured and honestly the pose ball things works pretty well. There is a prop giver for guitar and other animation choices. There are couples balls too, but I didn't delve into those. If you delete the poseball, you will need to reset the scripts to get the system active again. And if you just like the looks, add your own pillow with pose and dispense with the animation choices.

The Tiki Bar is the prize from ::Creative Decay:: . This very cute set is difficult to find and the hint isn't all that helpful. Look BEHIND a wall to find the prize vendor. You will need to cam.

Poses by: lounger and LAP

Chic at Phil's Place