]]> http://metaverseguide.com/2010/04/25/welcome-to-the-metaverse-guide/feed/ 0 barbarellanoel Metaverse Guide sign http://metaverseguide.com/2010/04/25/top-mens-skin-shops-in-second-life/ http://metaverseguide.com/2010/04/25/top-mens-skin-shops-in-second-life/#comments Sun, 25 Apr 2010 07:37:48 +0000 barbarellanoel http://metaverseguide.com/?p=1104 ]]>

Skin by Mazzo Design - Aldo darker with A&A Silvio hair

Don’t believe the self-administered hype that many skin shops make.  Just because they say they have the best skins doesn’t make it true!  Soooo many bad skins out there.  And, importantly, don’t buy based on the very gorgeous and highly photoshopped vendor pic.  Another thing to look out for is that often you will have a very well done face and…uh-oh!  What is up with that body!  Try before you buy whenever possible.  Many will have free demos or ones that cost L$1 but its well worth it if it prevents you from having L$800 to L$1500 worth of buyer’s remorse.   Hopefully this guide will cut down on your wild goose chase.  For your convenience (and sanity), here is a compilation of the skin shops that I think offer the best skins for men…a work in progress but hopefully a good start for you.  You will find the shops listed in no particular order.  Following their listing is their blog if they have one, where you can get a peek of their skins.  Also listed is the slurl to their shop.  Best of luck!  (Please send me LMs of any shops you recommend!)

TOP SKIN SHOPS FOR MEN:

Signature Skin Labs

• A great variety and huge selection which includes ethnic skins.  Distinct personalities.  3-6 skin tones and each skin has 10 or more facial hair choices.  Bonus – the sim is uber cool!
• http://slurl.com/secondlife/Signature/128/128/2017

Redgrave

• Detailed features, not generic looking.  Celebrity, model looks.  5 skins with various shades and facial hair choices.
• http://slurl.com/secondlife/REDGRAVE%20Mens%20Fashion/96/116/21

Second Skin Labs

• While not a huge selection, this shop has some of the best made skins which includes one of the best male asian skins and the best aged skins that I’ve seen in SL. I also highly recommend you take a teleporter ride.  Srsly.
• http://www.secondskinlabs.com/start.html
• http://slurl.com/secondlife/Koss/75/15/128

Belleza

• Gorgeous, young, model looks here.  Amazing skin shading and features.
• http://www.bellezaskins.com/
• http://slurl.com/secondlife/Belleza/128/128/23

Mazzo Design

• This humble shop may very well be my favorite skins for the male body.  The amazing photorealistic details don’t look out of place in SL as many photorealistic skins do.  Faces are attractive too.  So, while creator Mac Ayers proclaims his skins to be the “Best Male Body Skins”, I find it hard to disagree with him.
• http://slurl.com/secondlife/Seymour/77/42/104

Unique

• Distinct faces, ethnic selections, fantasy looks, multiple facial hair options.
• http://slurl.com/secondlife/UNIQUE%20MEGASTORE/137/179/32

Pulse

• Pulse has an interesting selection which includes aged skins (for example “20+, 30+, etc.) as well as a broad range of skin tones. They also have several selections of facial hair as well as body hair options.
• http://slpulse.blogspot.com/2009/02/new-male-skin-tone-kissed-new-eyes.html
• http://slurl.com/secondlife/Twisted%20Bliss/60/97/26

The ABYSS

• 3 tones, 8 facial hair options, clear and distinct facial features.
• This sim is worth visiting alone.  It’s amazing!
• http://slurl.com/secondlife/The%20Abyss/96/136/238

Fallen Gods, Inc.

• Wonderful fantasy/RP skins here.  Do explore the sim if you’re an adventurer.  Look for clues lying about.
• http://fallengodsinc.blogspot.com/
• http://slurl.com/secondlife/Selidor/239/133/22

ISPACHI

• A HUGE selection of great skins for men!  Multiple skin tones, 10 facial hair selections and either eyeliner or no eyeliner options.
• http://ispachi.com/blog/
• http://slurl.com/secondlife/ISPACHI/220/127/22

PXL

• 3 skins, 4-5 tones, 15 facial hair options.
• http://pxlcreations.wordpress.com/pxl-products-2/pxl-products-mens-skins/
• http://slurl.com/secondlife/Cindel/142/97/26

Adam n Eve

• Ethnic skins, 4 facial hair choices, 4 skin tones.
• http://www.adam-n-eve.co.uk/?cat=9
• http://slurl.com/secondlife/Genesis/92/165/39

Millage Valenti

• Skins offered in 2 skin tones and 5 facial hair choices.
• http://slurl.com/secondlife/Millage%20Valenti/116/128/22

CheerNo

• Great fantasy skins, sci-fi, emo, hipster, multiple makeup options.
• http://www.cheerno.com/
• http://slurl.com/secondlife/CheerNo/96/123/27

The Body Politik

• 2 main skins in 6 or 7 shades with 16 facial hair options.
• http://blog.thebodypolitik.net/
• http://slurl.com/secondlife/Eventide%20Far%20East/135/171/42

Sakurako

• Asian skins
• http://sakurakoskin.blogspot.com/
• http://slurl.com/secondlife/sunset%20resort2/239/231/25

]]> http://metaverseguide.com/2010/04/25/top-mens-skin-shops-in-second-life/feed/ 0 barbarellanoel Vitruvian Man pose http://metaverseguide.com/2010/04/20/bamboo-china-walk-into-a-chinese-ink-painting/ http://metaverseguide.com/2010/04/20/bamboo-china-walk-into-a-chinese-ink-painting/#comments Tue, 20 Apr 2010 18:39:32 +0000 barbarellanoel http://metaverseguide.com/?p=1092 ]]>

http://slurl.com/secondlife/China/150/205/1994

Walk into sublime elegance in Bamboo China.  Who knew that such a limited palette could create such beauty and peace?  I only wish there was some beautiful music to go with the amazing scenery, but just add your own to make this a wonderful experience.  Its quite fun to hang around and meet interesting people.  Hmmm, even as I type this I’ve begun to hear piano music.  Someone has rezzed and is flying…wait for it…a concert grand piano.  Perfect!

Its mainly a scenic sim but one you will definitely want to visit.  I rate this a MUST SEE destination!

While Bamboo is up in the sky, below is a deserted industrial warehouse area.  It’s sprawling and intriguing.  Now curiosity makes me wonder what this space is used for…role-play?  battles?

I open up the “about land” tab and look at the land description.  I read:

Bamboo, Ink, Rice Paper

a quite place for hanging out, afking and/or do random thoughts….

to be closer to youre\s self.

I quite like this description…and plan to do just that.

I see that Aston Leisen is the creator and owner of Bamboo.  I also see from his profile that he has a shop on another sim.  (Note to self, check out Aston’s shop asap.)

TIP 1:  Many scenic sims are built for others to enjoy at the creator’s expense.  They will often discretely display a tip jar to support the sim and to keep it going.  If you enjoy the sim and want to let the owner know you appreciate their contribution to the virtual community, do try to donate something.  Even small amounts help to keep the sim alive.  If there are no shops or rentals then the owner must cover the entire expense and we know it’s not cheap.  So, be kind and give what you can.

Tip 2:  If you find a creator that you admire, dig into their profile.  If you’re lucky then you may discover they have a shop of wonderful things…or at least some favorite picks that can lead you to wonderful things.  Ok, and some will just be lewd, crude, and…well, you know.  Builders…gotta love em!

]]> http://metaverseguide.com/2010/04/20/bamboo-china-walk-into-a-chinese-ink-painting/feed/ 0 barbarellanoel Bamboo - China_001 Bamboo China_015 http://metaverseguide.com/2010/04/20/mariposa-a-fabulous-new-jewelry-shop/ http://metaverseguide.com/2010/04/20/mariposa-a-fabulous-new-jewelry-shop/#comments Tue, 20 Apr 2010 16:24:19 +0000 barbarellanoel http://metaverseguide.com/?p=1075 ]]> I have decided to have a go at being a shop owner myself recently – making and selling shapes.  I’m really in a very entry level state and don’t think it deserves mentioning here yet but as soon as I feel I make the cut, I’ll tell you more.

However, while we were both setting up our shops, I made a new acquaintence who most definitely deserves a mention.  Her name is Felicity Winslet and her shop is Mariposa.  Her jewelry designs are NOT the typical new shop owner fare!  Felicity has some authentic designer skills and her first shop offerings are beyond magnificent.  You think I exaggerate?  Well, take a look!

I really really want you to SEE how wonderful the prim work is so I enlarged the Aubade pink/bronze necklace.

Mariposa - Aubade necklace in pink/bronze

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Malt/108/40/22

In my opinion, it is only a true artist that can recreate tactile sensations for their virtual objects.  Can’t you just feel the weight of the well polished stone?  The cool heft and smoothness of the bronze pieces?  The earthy texture and smell of the leather strip?  All magnificently balanced with a delicate setting of the stones making a gorgeous statement that works well with the prissiest of outfits down to the most casual jeans outfits.  I love when I can make items in my inventory work for me in multiple ways…these become my most treasured items.  And no doubt, Mariposa’s jewelry pieces have earned their own folder in my favorites section.  It is one of those rare shops that fills me with the “I must have it!” urge.  Dangerous…yes.  However, Felicity is not only one of the talented, she’s one of the generous.  Her prices are quite affordable and she offers equally fine quality free gifts in her shop.

Although I’ve only shown you one set, there are many others offered in sumptuous colors and wearable styles…and you should see them for yourself!  So, I don’t think you need me to tell you to GO there.  I suspect you already have your cursor over the slurl cocked and ready to click.  Well, don’t let me hold you here…MOVE ALONG!

]]> http://metaverseguide.com/2010/04/20/mariposa-a-fabulous-new-jewelry-shop/feed/ 0 barbarellanoel Mariposa at China_020 Mariposa - Aubade in Pink and Bronze http://metaverseguide.com/2010/03/16/ibanez-eyes-worth-a-look/ http://metaverseguide.com/2010/03/16/ibanez-eyes-worth-a-look/#comments Tue, 16 Mar 2010 19:45:49 +0000 barbarellanoel http://metaverseguide.com/?p=1059 ]]> This little shop was brought to my attention recently and I decided to take a look even though I had some reservations.  Not that I heard anything bad about it.  Its just that…well, uhmmm…ok.  Usually when I shop for eyes in SL, I’m left disappointed.  They always look soooo good on the model but when I buy them and wear them, I immediately feel a big let down.  Or worse, I wanna just rip them right outta my head!  You know what I mean?

Well, I took the LM and arrived at the location.  I was immediately put at ease with the serene chirping of crickets and birds and the soft tinkle of wind chimes.  I then rezzed the shop and scanned the area.  The shop, I noticed, was simply and elegantly designed and laid out with an impressive logo using the Eye of Horus.  Very well done.  I was convinced that there may be a good chance that good things may lie inside…and indeed, there are!  In fact, I now have a new favorite set of eyes which I’m wearing below in the center shot.

Can you spot the freebie set of eyes? Trust me, its in there!

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Indigo%20Hills/206/14/22

I could list the eye colors here, but I just want you to GO to Ibanez because my pics can’t show you how good they really look.  There are free demos so I suggest you try them.  The attention to details by creator Annie Ibanez is just wonderful…not too over the top, but just enough.  She has baked in shadows on the sclera textures to prevent that blinding white flat look that many eyes have.  And when the avatar looks to the side you will notice very slight blood vessels for that realistic look.  I quite like it.  In fact, I love it!

As far as selection, there is plenty of it.  These shown here are the everyday wear but Ibanez also has all the fantasy and out of the world looks too.  From whimsical, to frightening, to the dramatic, Ibanez has a great selection to choose from.  You can even get eyes for your Na’vi!

You may also want to check out the Midnight Mania board.  The way it works is that if 25 people register by midnight, those first 25 get a free sample eye pack!  Today the board was locked when I visited at 11 am slt.  So 25 lucky people will get a gorgeous set of 5 eyes for free tomorrow morning!  Definitely worth a trip to Ibanez on a regular basis for that.  But make it EARLY!

Annie has also informed me that she will soon release her new product: a fully scripted eye hud with 25 colors of eyes.  It will enable you to switch colors on the fly, change the eye size to small or large, add glow, lighting effects, and even allow two different eye colors.  I can’t wait!

Well, I hope I’ve convinced you that Ibanez is worth a look.  Annie Ibanez is a great creator and offers quality products at her sim in such a pleasant and enjoyable environment.  She’s also very generous…be sure to pick up her complimentary eye set and dragonfly wings!  Hope to see you there…unless you are number 25 which, in that case, I hope to see you…later.

Don't forget to pick up your complimentary Dragonfly Wings!

]]> http://metaverseguide.com/2010/03/16/ibanez-eyes-worth-a-look/feed/ 0 barbarellanoel Ibanez Eyes set Ibanez dragonfly wings_002 http://metaverseguide.com/2010/03/03/fri-day-a-great-new-hair-shop-discovery-2/ http://metaverseguide.com/2010/03/03/fri-day-a-great-new-hair-shop-discovery-2/#comments Wed, 03 Mar 2010 19:11:38 +0000 barbarellanoel http://metaverseguide.com/?p=985 ]]> Why have I NEVER heard about the shop fri.day????

How could this have happened???

Cuz I’m telling you right now that it is now easily one of my FAVORITE hair shops!  OMG!  Gorgeous styles with excellent flexi pieces creating a beautiful and natural look.  They’re amazing…AMAZING!

I started out by buying up all the interesting demos…they are free.  I then went to my folder and began trying them on.  Typically I will like 2 out of every 5 that I try on.  Imagine my surprise when I liked the first one.  Then the next one.  And then the next one!  And the next, next, next!  Yeah…I dropped some lindens here, but the prices are reasonable, colors are great, and the styles are just perfect.  They complete me!  Seriously!  You have the look all together – skin, shape, clothing, shoes.  But something is off…hair is good, but not…quite.  Well, for me, this hair made things very right!

fri.day hair - Cassie in Cranky Brown

I struck up a conversation with a fellow shopper and asked her how long the shop has been around.  I expected to hear “not long”, but instead heard that they’ve been around awhile.  GASP!  How did I not know about this shop?  Well, my friends, I’m here to TELL YOU that this little shop is someplace you should put at the top of your shopping list immediately.  In addition to the hair (women only, sorry guys), fri.day sells casual separates for women.  Cute everyday looks that are essential for building a great wardrobe.  The jeans are beautifully made, great textures, stylish, and have up to four leg styles to choose from: cuffed, boot, flared, and skinny.

Deena Hair & Thermal Henley/Jasmine Hair & Ballerina Sweater with Low Rise jeans

From the name, to the designs, fri.day is a simple, elegant, versatile, and an easy to wear brand that you should have in your inventory.

fri.day is casually elegant, elegantly casual.  The team at Monday is made of excellent creators.  Check out their blog to see more of the styles that they offer.  And then take your lindens and go here to buy these great styles!  You’ll find the hair in the back of the shop behind the curtains.

I first went to the website http://www.avatrian.com/Peek360/ to get started.  I then entered a location in SL that I wanted to view.  I chose Las Arenas Rosadas by the creator Naiman Broome – a master creator as you shall see.  I then chose a location I wanted the 360º view from.  I chose X-94  Y-64  Z-20.

Once I entered the info on the website, including my email address which is needed for confirmation and for receiving the video, I took some steps back from the location to give the robot room to work.  Yes, a bot, computer controlled, lands on that exact location and takes several pics in a 360º pivot on that very spot. She’s a cute avatar named Paparazzi Artful.   She’s dressed in a denim mini-skirt, black fedora hat, gray turtle-neck sweater, and Maitreya Bloom boots.  In fact,  she’s wearing the same boots as I am, so I gotta give the bot some style points!  She also has a press card around her neck with her name on it.  She has an empty profile with no explanation for her purpose on the sim.

Face to face with the Peek360º bot Paparazzi Artful

The above pic is a previous test run with Paparazzi.  At Las Arenas Rosadas I actually placed her below ground level because I found it gives a better view of the sim.

Paparazzi work can be very difficult

The result is this:   http://www.avatrian.com/Peek360/viewer.php?id=1787

What do you think?  Not flawless…I can see the seams of the pics pasted together.  But overall, it really does give a great view of the sim.  So in that respect, for getting a 360º peek at a sim without entering Second Life, Peek360º works quite well.  One would need to know the coordinates to take the pics from for the best results which defeats the purpose of the program, or one could just guess at coordinates or go by posted coordinates.  I imagine that it can be very handy to view real estate eliminating the need for teleporting to multiple locations.

However, while this application was created for good, can it be used for evil?

The first thought of many is that it may be used for spying.  I must say it crossed my mind too, and after trying it out, I really can’t say whether its a threat or not.  There are, as you can imagine, robust debates on other sites such as Wagner James Au’s blog,  http://nwn.blogs.com/nwn/2010/02/peek360.html, which I’d encourage you to read.  It includes comments by Chenin Anabuki of Avatrian, the creators of Peek 360º.

I should mention that the bot’s first arrival to a sim is often not at the coordinates entered.  In fact, in my first attempt I found her half a sim away from the coordinates.  I assumed it didn’t work but I soon recieved the video from the point of view with the correct coordinates.  This implies that the bot was able to cam to the coordinates.  Usually, on the second attempt, she lands squarely on the spot.  If you want to be in the shot, you need to take several steps back and smile.  So, should one be concerned about spying?

In the video I posted above, you can see the results and the quality of the pics.  (I use a Dell 2407WFP (Digital) on NVIDIA GeForce 7900 GS, just for a reference to the quality.)  I was first startled and creeped out by the image of the male avi behind me.  I did NOT know he was there when I was testing this.  He did, however, introduce himself after I viewed the video and we had a polite and short conversation.  But the point is, I cannot see his features very well.  He was standing only a few steps behind me and I find it hard to distinguish his avatar from a million others that I see in SL.  Good for spying?  Hmmmm.

There certainly are some interesting advantages to using Peek360º, I can imagine there are great uses for educators and businesses.  However, there are some questions to be answered and more experimentation to be done and possibly room for improvements.  It’s encouraging to read Chenin Anabuki’s response on the New World Notes blog that they are very open to comments and welcome feedback.

So why don’t you do just that?  Try it out and answer some of your own anxious questions.  In the meantime, if you are worried about spying…set up your privacy settings for your land and ban Paparazzi Artful from your sim as it is reported that she is the only bot working for the company.

~ I”m your biggest fan, I’ll follow you until you love me.  Paparazzi.

Update: I found more info from one of the head honchos at Avatrian at Snickers’ Doodles blog:

“The app will not work on sims that are: a) non-accessible to the public, b) have “no-scripts allowed” set, and c) sims that have specifically banned our bot, named “Paparazzi Artful”

Rodion Resistance
Creative Director, Avatrian LLC, creators of Peek360

]]> http://metaverseguide.com/2010/03/01/a-peek-at-peek360%c2%ba-view-an-in-world-location-without-entering-second-life/feed/ 0 barbarellanoel peek360_009 peek360_013 http://metaverseguide.com/2009/10/20/second-life-world-of-warcraft-mashup/ http://metaverseguide.com/2009/10/20/second-life-world-of-warcraft-mashup/#comments Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:42:59 +0000 barbarellanoel http://metaverseguide.com/?p=929 ]]>

Second Life Barbarella

World of Warcraft Barbarella

Second Life/World of Warcraft Barbarella

Halloween Fun!

World of Warcraft was down for maintenance today, so I’ve decided to post something I’ve been working on…a World of Warcraft Blood Elf avatar.

I was recently inspired to create a Blood Elf Mage in Second Life after doing some shopping at Tekeli-li (http://slurl.com/secondlife/Hollow%20Earth/70/210/42).  I found the entire outfit, including the hair and staff in the pic above there.  It inspired me to create Blood Elf eyes and eyebrows for a total Blood Elf outfit.  Who knows?  Maybe it will be a great Halloween outfit!  I’ve also got an amazing special effects hud to give the finishing touch….frost, fire, hail storms, chanting and singing chorus…it has it all!  Now I can be an awesome level 80 Blood Elf frost/fire mage in SL as well as in WOW!  Yeah, I just outed myself as a WOW nerd…but don’t come and mess with me or I’ll put a frost nova on your ass and finish you off with some arcane missles!

Do you get as exhausted as I do looking for the perfect hairstyle?  Well, I’ve composed a list of the top SL hair shops for your convenience.  It’s not comprehensive…just as I know of them in SL.  If you feel I’ve left one out, please drop me a note.

Armidi

• http://slurl.com/secondlife/Armidi/135/127/26
• ShopArmidi.com (register here to shop online for Armidi products)
• Women & Men

Truth

• http://slurl.com/secondlife/Truth%20Island/111/211/26
• http://truthhawks.typepad.com/
• Women & Men
• Free hair section

Cake

• http://slurl.com/secondlife/FNKY%20Cake/129/76/24
• Women & Men

Maitreya

• http://slurl.com/secondlife/Maitreya%20Isle/178/175/23
• Women

fri.day

• http://slurl.com/secondlife/Friday/150/129/32
• http://www.fridayofsl.com/
• Women

Uncleweb Studio

• http://slurl.com/secondlife/Yamashita/58/87/21 (right click on the water then “sit” on the rainbow)
• Women & Men

Damselfly Hair Salon

• http://slurl.com/secondlife/Damselfly%20Hair%20Salon/146/228/25
• http://dragonflydesignsinc.blogspot.com/
• Women & Men

Analog Dog Hair

• http://slurl.com/secondlife/Analog%20Dog%20Hair/128/128/22
• Women & Men

Calico Ingmann Creations

• http://slurl.com/secondlife/Calico%20Kitty/123/23/26
• http://calicocreations.blogspot.com/
• Women & Men

ETD: Elika Tiramisu Designs

• http://slurl.com/secondlife/ETD/112/129/30 (this lands you inside the Celestial Studios shop.  You must fly to ETD next door…closest tp I could grab
• http://elikatiramisudesigns.com/
• Women & Men

Aden

• http://slurl.com/secondlife/Kahmiya%20Cove/160/96/26
• Women

sWEET HAIRs

• http://slurl.com/secondlife/Faces/6/2/270
• Women

Exile

• http://slurl.com/secondlife/Covet/179/66/31
• Women & Men
• http://exilegear.net/

Wasabi Pills

• http://slurl.com/secondlife/Thibedeau/40/95/23
• Women & Men

Detour

• http://slurl.com/secondlife/Detour/136/118/22
• Women

Hair Solutions

• http://slurl.com/secondlife/Elite%20Island/141/133/22
• Women & 1 Men’s hair
• http://hair-solutions.blogspot.com/

Clawtooth by Clawtooth

• http://slurl.com/secondlife/Tableau/100/128/134
• Women
• http://tableaulovesyou.wordpress.com/2009/10/06/halloween-goodies-at-clawtooth-by-clawtooth/

Bishwear

• http://slurl.com/secondlife/BishWear%20Island/100/199/22
• Women
• http://bishwear.blogspot.com/

Creatives!

• http://slurl.com/secondlife/ididntdothat/96/106/22
• Women

Diversity Hair

• http://slurl.com/secondlife/Addictive/125/130/294
• Women & Men
• http://aleridarkes.blogspot.com/

Kin

• http://slurl.com/secondlife/Eventide%20Far%20East/165/209/45
• Women

Laqroki

• http://slurl.com/secondlife/Laqroki/128/128/20
• Women & Men

H2L

• http://slurl.com/secondlife/Harajuku/118/90/22
• Women & Men

Sky Everett Designs

• http://slurl.com/secondlife/L’Utopie/40/124/29
• Women & Men

Adam n Eve

• http://slurl.com/secondlife/Genesis/120/177/39
• Women
• http://www.adam-n-eve.co.uk/?cat=5

Magika

• http://slurl.com/secondlife/Magika%20Land/81/187/27
• Women

Calla

• http://slurl.com/secondlife/Calla/115/184/37
• Women & Men
• http://callastyles.blogspot.com/

Vixen Hair

• http://slurl.com/secondlife/VIXEN%20Hair/147/115/21
• Women
• http://vixenhair.wordpress.com/

Gurl 6

• http://slurl.com/secondlife/GuRLyWood/110/109/22
• Women & Men
• http://gurl6.blogspot.com/

Naughty

• http://slurl.com/secondlife/Naughty/79/168/24
• Women & Men

Tami McCoy

• http://slurl.com/secondlife/Dixie/77/77/424
• Women & Men
• http://tamshair.blogspot.com/

Panache

• http://slurl.com/secondlife/Panache/117/139/124
• Women & Men

Zero Style

• http://slurl.com/secondlife/Zero%20Style/124/136/39
• Women & Men

Curl Up and Dye

• http://slurl.com/secondlife/Inari/31/228/23
• Women & Men
• http://leetahmoxie.blogspot.com/

Gritty Kitty

• http://slurl.com/secondlife/Koreshan/44/83/25
• Women & Men

Artilleri

• http://slurl.com/secondlife/artilleri/95/123/26
• Women

Philotic Energy

• http://slurl.com/secondlife/Bloodlines/97/10/22
• Women & Men
• Punk hair

Defectiva

• http://slurl.com/secondlife/bel%20Drift/145/232/501
• Women & Men
• http://defectivaupdates.blogspot.com/
• Neko, Emo, Punk hair

Tekeli-li

• http://slurl.com/secondlife/Hollow%20Earth/70/210/42
• Women & Men
• Amazing fantasy hairstyles

House of Heart/Bewitched Hair (soon to be renamed to Hairy Situations)

• http://slurl.com/secondlife/Bewitched/72/88/22
• Women & Men
• http://blog.bewitchedhair.com/

Hairspray 1 & 2

• http://slurl.com/secondlife/Hairspray/21/128/52
• These two sims are devoted to hair shops only.  Its a good way to check out lots of hairstyles on a massive hair hunt!  If you find you like a shop just click the LM giver to TP to the main store  location to get more hair selections from that designer.

* This list will be expanded and edited as more info is collected so do check back periodically for updates.  Also, the article can be found in the tabs at the top of the page for easy access.

If you are a hair designer and have a more current blog url or slurl please let me know!  I’d like to keep the list as current and usable as possible.  And of course, anybody can let me know of a shop that they feel should be on a list also.  I welcome any suggestions and will check them out.

Found!  Gown by Evie’s Closet

Found!  Baby Doll dress by Evie’s Closet

Do you like flat, square sims?  Shops all lined up straight in a row?  Non-landscaped parcels of mish-mash items for sale?  Vendors all lined up in rows and rows on uninteresting walls?  Do ya?  Well then,  DON’T come to Oubliette!  Oubliette is for dreamers, the curious, the dramatic, those who love fine quality goods, and for those who love The Hunt!  Right at this VERY moment there is a terrific hunt going on there called Pieces of You…and I mean a quality item hunt, not a freebie junk give-away.  See the dresses above?  I found those items only moments ago…gorgeous, gorgeous items by Evie’s Closet on Oubliette.  And I’m not finished!  I will NOT leave until I find Saiyge Lotus’ Strange as Angels collection.  I have one earring at the moment and as soon as I post this, I will continue until I own every prim of that collection!  I’m a huge fan of Saiyge Lotus’s shop Balderdash.  Isn’t that a fun name?  I recommend that you visit her shop here and take lots of lindens.  Every time I enter her shop I buy pretty much everything she has that is new since my last visit.  Her items are creative, unique, exquisitely detailed, and simply beautiful.  No, not simply at all.  Neither her designs nor her landscaping and terraforming of the sim are simple.  Complex is the word.  A master’s touch.  That makes this hunt all the more worthwhile…her sim is endlessly surprising and beautiful.  The fact that you get these amazing purple boxes of treasures (12 in all) is icing on the cake!

Saiyge Lotus’ Strange as Angels collection

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Oubliette/180/144/26

To join in the hunt just click on the sign upon entering and rezzing on the sim.  You will need to join the hunt group at a cost of $88L and then each box is $1L for a total expense of $100L.  More than a fair deal!  The gown and dress I’ve already found is easily valued over $1000L.  Not to mention the fun of the hunt!  Take friends to make more of a game out of it…see who can get the whole collection first.  They aren’t easy to find, but wandering the sim and taking in the sights is half the fun.  If you really really can’t find a few boxes, then look in the notecard given when clicking the start board…there are clues in there for locations.

Balderdash keeps good company too.  The other shops on the sim are Winx, Evie’s Closet, and Frippery…all high quality designers and shops worth checking out and they’ve all contributed to the hunt items that you will find.

Well, I must go…got some hunting to do.  Happy hunting to you all!

Tip: There are many Hunts offered in SL.  They vary in quality, but it’s a great thing to participate in.  Join them all if you can…they will lead you to new discoveries and give you a great education on what good products vs. bad products are.  They will also lead you to wonderful and little known sims.  Some of my best discoveries were found this way!