Junbug Naomi gown, guest starring Charlemagne.

Charlemagne and I dance together, quite a bit.  Well, actually the avatars do the dancing, we spend the time chatting. That means I need pretty formal gowns and lots of dresses for dancing with the Charl.  Mostly, we wear red and black, a LOT of red and black.  If I'm wearing black, she's probably in red, if I'm in red, she's probably in black.  The one constant seems to be corsets and cleavage.

And really nice hairdos and jewelry.  Lets just say, we were the best dressed couple at this ballroom.  Which is as it should be.

This is Truth Devinna hair, a very grand updo.  The jewelry is the Breakfast at Tiffany's inspired "Audrey" necklace from Caroline Apollo, which suits this gown well.   Skin is my usual Belleza Betty.  Charl provided this style card:

Belleza Mya 5
Slink hands and feet
Junbug Rosamarie Corset and Skirt Crimson-- Gacha
Emo-tions Cecile necklace and earrings
Wasabi Pills Momo
Lassitude and Ennui's Bound Sandals

Smooching Charlemagne's hand.  And admiring the corset bodice on that red gown.   Mmmm, paleness.  Charl actually makes me look a touch "tanned" in comparison. Her gown is so delectable it makes me think naughty thoughts...about actually using a Gacha.  Why are you looking at me like that, what other naughty thoughts could I be thinking of. 

I was wearing THIS junbug gown, Naomi.  When I saw this, at November Fameshed.  I said to myself "I need that for dancing with Charl, but it's Junbug so it might not work well for me."  I've had issues with Junbug fitting before, but this one worked fairly well for me. This one has ruffles on the bodice and front clasps on the corset bodice.  Mmmm, corset.   As an aside, I find Fameshed and Uber to be more tolerable shopping experiences than most other monthly events. (Cough, C88.)   Wasabi pills Jamie hair.

As well as tight lacing and a bit of a bustle effect in the back.  Baby got Bustle.  Yeah the thing is mesh so it doesn't "move" like the old flexi's did, which is sad, but what can we do other than buy the few hybrid gowns out there.  It IS a nice gown, or I wouldn't have bought it.  Well worth picking up if it's your style.

I also have it Red.  Which is probably more gorgeous than the black is, it comes in more colors, but I only have the red and black...so far.  You know how I am about that sort of thing.

SLURLS:


Fameshed

Junbug, Fantasy-Vintage

Truth Hair

Wasabi Pills

Lassitude & Ennui

Emo-tions Mainstore

Belleza skins

Caroline Apollo Jewelry

Poet's Heart Wayfarer Tunic and Solitude gown at Fashion for Life

Poet's Heart is a store I only know of in passing, IIRC via The Blogging Elf.  I was up at the Blogger platform (which is basically "press central" at FFL) and saw someone else wearing this Wayfarer tunic set.  I believe my elf-loving Squee reached the soprano register.  Basically it's a mesh tunic and legwarmers (the pants are texture).  The small size fit well on me, but the fitted mesh variants did not work well with my Slink hands.  Also available is the staff and headpiece.

Yesterday, a friend of mine was looking for a Frozen style cosplay gown for a mutual blonde friend of ours. We found a few on marketplace....but today Poet's Heart had this Solitude gown in this "Arctic" color in the FFL blogger items. Elsa eat your heart out.  This is fairly well fitting mesh and it comes in more colors.

SLURLS:

Fashion for Life

Poet's Heart at Fashion for Life

Poet's Heart Main Store

Harper Ganesvoort's 2014 Oscar Contest

Harper Ganesvoort has done an Oscar photo contest for the past, what is it, 5  years?  Anyway I've been hemming and hawing on the photos (and looking at RL Oscar red carpet photos) for a month trying to decide on the look.  I finally settled on this:

The full length picture is my entry into the contest. Gown is an oldie but goodie, Azul Dailey in Champagne. Skin is Belleza Betty Pale 6 with the Shyla/Betty Pale lips 8 over it. Lashes are Redgrave 'Classy'. Hair is Elikatira Found 8 tinted 128/65/0. Jewelry is Sax Shepherd Designs 'Spirit of Giving' pearl edition. Eyes are IKON Lucid Series in Moor, XS size. Background/Posestand is the oOo Studio: Premiere.

Originally I was going to use Elikatira "Early" hair which was "Anne Hathaway Oscar Look 2013-ish", (you can see that look on my flickr) but my good friend LaDonna said the look reminded her of Jennifer Lawrence's 2013 look.  When she said that, I said, "d'oh" and switched to "Found" which worked better.

The lighting turned out fairly good, I think.  Modified one of AnaLu's windlight presets to get the look I wanted.  Not perfect, but close enough.   You'll notice the shadows and depth of field effect more in the close-up below.

SLURLS:

Azul

Belleza skins

Sax Shepherd Designs

Elikatira

Redgrave

IKON

oOo Studio by Olaenka Chesnokov on Marketplace

BlakOpal Bella Luna

BlakOpal isn't a new store to me, I don't recall ever mentioning them on the blog before. They desbribe themselves best: Victorian, Gothic, Steampunk, and Pirate-wear for Men and women. This is a new Gothy release, Bella Luna



Basically a short crocheted lace minidress with prim bustle lace thingy with red rose accents. Black and red...can't go wrong there...I love the black n red



Moves well too. That's what of my things I look out for, does it look pretty when I'm moving. I'm all about the pretty.



That is very nice work on the bodice, well done indeed.



The stockings, while very squeetastic, are let down by the SL ankles, darn it. I do so love a good patterned stocking (in RL as well).



Those are the Riveted Low ankle boots, a little Western to my taste but not bad at all. Though IMHO it's the pirate-y knee boots to really take the cake in the footwear section at BlakOpal. Mmmm Pirates. In fact, the first time I saw a lady dressed in BlakOpal Pirate gear I immediately thought: "Pretty! CC Want!" And I still haven't got around to it...skin comes first.

The gown was dropped on me by the owner, but I have other blakopal items in my inventory. The skin is a 5th and Oxford Brooke Nightfall. The hair is new, a very "Joan from Mad Men"-ish updo named "Mrs. Kitten 2"from Clawtooth at Tableau

SLURL BlakOpal Main Store

SLURL to 5th and Oxford at Nouveau

SLURL to Clawtooth in Tableau

The gown I wore to the handfasting: Evening Star from Adam n Eve

Here's the gown I wore to the Royal Handfasting of Gabi and Azul, Evening Star from Adam n Eve in the Genesis sim:



It's called a "red" but it's more of a lovely fall burgundy. I has nice contrasting black and gold trimmings on the bodice and skirt, but also comes with a plain unadorned skirt. The skirts also come in a slim version, for those who don't want to wear the poofy ball gown skirt. I just think the gown in this color is very flatting on my avatar, and it was well worth buying.

ETD Anisa hair and a Fleur skin.

Simone! Ornament

I'm rather fond of the Simone! Ornament gown. There's just something about the open diamonds showing skin that makes it red carpet worthy. This is the pink, which isn't my favorite color of it, but it's still nice. Comes with both Ballgown and mermaid style prim attachments, which is also handy. That's a TaP Boudoir 1 skin, Armidi Envy hair.