I logged into facebook this morning and was promptly reminded that today my blog is officially three! I'm absolutely astounded I've managed to be as constant with my posts as I have been, and above all, I'm amazed at the personal journey I've been on and the growth that has occurred since the start.
When I began this blog, it was to appease a force in my life that was not only rather manipulative, but also never complimentary towards me after our first week of meeting. I tried over and over to 'start' but it wasn't until we'd parted ways that I realized I didn't have to satisfy anyone but myself.
Kaleidoscope has seen me through the loss of friendships and the birth of new ones, helped me feel more confident in myself both in SL and RL, and has allowed me a channel that has served as a sort of therapy for me. It has become a labour of love. A place for me to be unequivocally me.
At first, I was scared to write. I still wonder some days why anyone would want to read my drivel, but knowing that there are others who face similar issues to me has led me to believe in myself more, knowing I am not alone in the way my brain might work occasionally is a massive relief.
At the start, I never even thought about applying for blogger positions within SL. The idea that somebody might want little ol' me to promote their items when there are so many insanely talented photographers and bloggers about was akin to insanity... but let's face it, I'm slightly bonkers! After a few months I did begin to apply and while I have faced many, many rejections there have also been celebrations when brands I have always adored have taken me on. Some were temporary. Others were tiny stores at the start that have gone on to accomplish some wonderful things, and watching these brands and events grow as I have has been the most brilliant experience.
For anybody that is still trying to get their foot in the door in terms of blogging, the only advice I will give you is to do it for you. If you don't love it, you're not doing yourself or your future brand investors justice. I truly believe that every picture I take comes from my heart, and I will continue attempting to weave stories and improve my photography until... well, just until.
Happy Birthday, Kaleidoscope.
Thank you, yeah - you, for reading and peeking my pictures.
I like to imagine that Pickle and Durex have crept into an old, abandoned house in this photograph.
I'm not entirely sure where they've strewn their clothing, or what possessed them to run around such a creepy place with their pants down, but we all do crazy things sometimes, and maybe this is one of those times!
Culprit has once again stunned me with their magical bento Piano.
Don't get me wrong, it's not going to perform card tricks, or pull a rabbit from a top hat, but that doesn't make it any less spectacular! I'm adding another little gif whatsit below so that you can get a glimpse of the wonderful animations included - but please do demo the item for yourself so that you get the full effect!
I'm struggling to keep up with the awesome that Dappa is producing lately! It continues to warm my heart that brands I love who are still supporting me after a long time, manage to push their way into mainstream events one by one. There's no doubt in my mind that Dappa is entirely deserving of his current status, and he is always among the first tattoo brand that I will recommend to anyone looking for new art, not just because he's kind enough to allow me to review his items, but because the quality is always absolutely spot on.
xoxo
Background : FOXCITY. Photo Booth - Two Minds. Black @ Limit8
A couple'a few items here today. Very quickly showing you the undies available in the CandyDoll Epiphany gacha - I have plans to showcase more of this gorgeous set in the not-too-distant future.
Also a few lovely Dappathings! Once again, completely amazed by his work, I'm convinced it gets more detailed and better quality with every tattoo he produces.
xoxo
All of the things, Durex :
Body, Hands & Feet : [SIGNATURE] Gianni - Mesh Body
I seem to be suffering a little from writers block at the moment.
Enjoy some information about things underneath the picture below while I watch all the netflix and wonder what the fudge has happened to my half-working brain-muscle.
I've been popping off the platform a little bit lately, and strutting my stuff a little further than normal.. anyone who's seen me will probably have noticed that I literally cannot take this cute little penis attachment off. It's quite the conversation starter too, apparently, so for that alone, it's worth an investment!
I'm not sure what inspired this picture, but as soon as I had the idea I knew I had to make it happen. Luckily, Man-Pickle came to my rescue and I didn't have to ask any of my friends to castrate themselves for my pleasure! It did mean, however, that I had to attempt to merge two pictures together, and I was unwilling to green screen because you never get quite the right angle in my experience. So.. yeah. I'm chuffed with the resulting picture, and I feel like he pretty seamlessly blends in looking like he was there all along.
Man-Pickle is wearing :
Body, Hands & Feet : [SIGNATURE] Gianni - Mesh Body
I'm always incredibly nervous about posting images that portray me naked, as I honestly believe there is more to photography than ass and tits. I'm even more nervous today because I'm also attempting to show a black skin. It's not the skin that is the issue but because I am so white I'm nearly blue and English (from a small suburban-type town), I'm ignorant to a lot when it comes to black culture.
In MY opinion, this skin is beautiful (there's more information below) and the woman it's been crafted after was bought up a couple of weeks ago in a conversation I had with some friends about "bald" female actresses, and I pointed out Lupita Nyong'o as someone who I found extremely pretty, regardless of the length of her hair.
I've also seen a bunch of FB posts lately claiming that there aren't enough black skins that don't have an ashy appearance, or that are just a recolour of a white-based skin.
This is definitely not a white-based recolour, and although I'm not entirely familiar with "Ashy", I find this skin quite the opposite.. there's an absolutely gorgeous luminescence to it. I have been super excited to get my hands on it! Keep scrolling for ALL the details & ALL the pictures!
All of the things, Santi :
Body, Hands & Feet : [SIGNATURE] Gianni - Mesh Body
As usual, all pictures are unedited except for the cropping effects. They're taken on firestorm in calWL without shadows.
This picture shows the Moccino - Lupita Skin on the Catwa Catya head, in the Cacau tone.
Left - Right, Eyebrows, No Eyebrows, Eyebrows & Freckles, No Eyebrows & Freckles.
This picture shows the Moccino - Lupita Skin on the Catwa Catya head, in the Chocolate tone.
Left - Right, Eyebrows, No Eyebrows, Eyebrows & Freckles, No Eyebrows & Freckles.
I find it incredibly difficult to pick a tone I prefer. Both of them have a warmth I am not used to seeing on black skins, and the lips are just stunning. I will say I did attempt to add a lipstick on top of them, just to peek, and I struggled to find one that was giving full coverage, so bear that in mind - although the natural lips are perfect with just the right amount of natural shine, and if you pair that with a bold eyeshadow (like the one from Veechi shown in the main picture) you really don't need to add anything more.
The freckles on both tones are awesome too. To make it even better... there's body options that match!
All of these options are available in both skin tones, but shown here on the Cacau tone.
Left to right : Basic, Freckled and Moles.
I hope more skin creators start adding mole & freckle options, because this is serious heart hands to me. I adore freckles and moles, and keeping my tattoo layers free for actual tattoos is always a bonus!
Also available is the Moccino - Nyong'o Hairbase Collection, in the four colours shown above.
The poses I've used today are from Go&See, and well, they're not ACTUALLY poses. They're very slightly animated with bento, which is amazing, because how many of you guy-things are hungry for more AO stands that don't parade you around like a hungry Lion? Yes. Exactly.
I think many guys struggle to find new, quality things to wear in SL. I'm not sure it's because there's a lack of designers, because TMD alone showcases some amazing talent, but when you are willing to actually spend time on your appearance, it's really kind of easy to find different looks. The problem I have encountered with the guys I have helped make-over, is that there is often an aura of "I can't wear that, I'll look ridiculous" when actually, with the right pairing of accessories, I don't think ANYTHING looks ridiculous in SL. It's about expression!
It's always baffled me that so many people are willing to portray themselves as something different attitude-wise, but ask them to wear something different to what they would in RL and all hell breaks loose.
On that note, InstaDoms, please stick to your shiny belt buckles, long flexi hair and master tags. If you're easy to spot, you're also easy to avoid. ♥
All of the things, Pickle :
Body, Hands & Feet : [SIGNATURE] Gianni - Mesh Body
I don't know anything about Basketball, except that you throw a ball in a hoop.
Enjoy this pretty picture of Man-Pickle being awesome at playing basketball, and Santi looking up at him in awe of his skillz & shiz. (Also, please note the familiarity of Man-Pickle's face. Kinda got a bit of Stifler from American Pie going on, I think?) ♥
All of the things :
Body, Hands & Feet : [SIGNATURE] Gianni - Mesh Body
Skin (& Beard) : [theSkinnery] Javier (Catwa Applier) @ TMD
