My Current Obsession: Dot's Summer Pastels Collection

When I logged on to Stardoll this morning, I had at least seven of those Starplaza Advertisements mails collecting dust in my Inbox. As my finger was poised over the mouse to click "Delete All", the word "pastel" caught my eye.

And it was like spark to flame in about a minute. I was clicking as frantically as I could to get to the Starplaza so I could check out Dot's new Summer Pastels collection. I find it to be a great way to start off the summer. After months and months of endless, mismatched, and sloppy color collections, the extemporaneous Dot is finally starting to enhance their selection with a more neutral palette of colors that will be bought with tempermental judgement.

Click for close-ups on these screenshots that I took of the new products Dot is offering.

Although it seems a little ironic that Dot is behind the fashions right now. Pastels are and to me, always will be in, but not right after the trending fad of bright, neon colors fades away.

What do you think about Dot's new collection? Hit or miss?

Unique Has "U" in it!

Sorry for the cheesy titles of late. I'm working on it, really.

Anyway, I wanted to bring up something that was bothering me for a while. After countless hours of brainless computer-monitor-staring, today's topic finally hit me. And I think almost everyone can relate to this.

Stardoll has become a haven lately for general types of immoral behavior; I don't think anyone can really disagree with me on that one. But it has also developed into a huge, booming sound system. Aaand you probably think I'm crazy. Vivian, what the hell does Stardoll have anything to do with a funky old sound system?

Think about it, when one person places a CD into it, the sound gets amplified throughout the entire area. Same with Stardoll; when one person starts a trend, everybody else needs to have the same thing. If an elite (apologies for using such a cliched example) wears their StarDesign wig a certain way, then all the other users run out to buy the latest and greatest. No one really seems to think twice about whether or not it looks good. If they have the same thing as someone popular, BAM! instant popularity boost.

But what I'm trying to get at is the fact that users in general want to feel noticed, or have people pay them more attention. Like putting a well-known user on their best friends' list is going to make people say, "Woah! This person has so-and-so-user on their BEST FRIEND list, which obviously means a lot, because they're obviously best friends."

In all honesty, if you spend all your time chasing after popularity and fame, you'll never get it. Be a trend-setter, not a follower. I think we can all say that we've had our fair share of the spotlight in this case, and I won't exempt myself from the guilt. Too many of the trend-chasers are a bunch of empty shells. Pretty on the outside, hollow on the inside.

Popularity comes to you when people are naturally drawn to your skills, talents, abilities, and personality, not how much money you have, or how long you've been on Stardoll, or your flashy diamond status. None of that really means anything unless you have the ability to back it up.

So that about sums up today's little rant. Sorry I got so deep here...I just felt kind of strongly about it. By the way, just wanted to let all my followers and readers know that you guys really made my day. Your compliments make me smile from behind the screen.

Get a Speech Ready...

The little title-meme was a sample of some of the advice I received in a Dollmail from Stardoll. After reading further, I discovered why having a "speech" ready would be necessary!

It seems that Stardoll has developed a new addition to their Starpoint system! And this one's the icing on the cake!

So basically, we have to spend more to get more, right? I mean, it's practically what they're endorsing here. An understandable theory, but not something that you'd want to apply to a website like Stardoll. It makes absolutely no sense to me why we would need these, anyway. So for every little accomplishment, you receive one of these tacky trophies, that get shown on a shelf above your presentation. I can already imagine how this might have gone down among the Stardoll staff when bringing this idea up to the table.

"Guys, we need to think of a way to re-vamp our Starpoint system."

"Why? I think it's good enough the way it is."

"There's nothing particularly wrong with the old one--"

"Ahem, excuse me, but we've redone practically all of Stardoll now. We need to redo the Starpoint system or people won't want to visit us because we're so lame. I mean, guys, we're sooo 2011 right now."

"I'm sure that's not true..."

"Um, it is, too! We ditched all of our moral values already back in 2010. Why not f*** up the Starpoint system, as well? That's the only thing we haven't changed."

"She's got a point, you know."

And it's obvious that I was making Stardoll out to be this greedy, power-hungry, moral-value-ditching monster-machine, but in all seriousness, I can see them slowly slipping down the hill. What did they think our reaction would be? Ooh! Shiny! This user has so many trophies, ergo they must be cooler, richer, and more popular than me! As a wise and well-learned user once commented, there's a reason why the "How do I delete my Stardoll account?" is on the list of Most Asked Questions under the Help category.

This has gotten to the point where it's not even a laughable topic anymore. I'm not the only one who's noticed the vast amount of clubs being created to retaliate against Stardoll's newer image. So, what do you think? Has Stardoll ditched it's old image? Are their "new campaigns" trying to draw in the wrong crowd of people?

Those Darn OC-ers!

If you haven't heard what unpleasant drama has been boiling inside Stardoll for the past week or so, then you probably live under a rock.

Have you ever wanted to start a club? Make it big, watch it rise to the top of the popularity list? Well, now is definitely not the time to do it, especially not with the OC members lurking around. Rumor has it they've been sneaking into clubs and making innapropriate topics, breaking the rules, and anything else they can do, resulting in the permanent termination of said club. They're only doing this to popular clubs, it seems, and even Stardoll-staff-run clubs like Tokio Hotel, Michael Jackson, Amy Diamond.

Stardoll administration found out about the uproar a few days ago, and are taking extreme precautionary measures to make sure that the OC members stay out of other clubs, permanently. They re-instituted a huge "Follow the One-Stop Rules" banner on the Clubs page, and temporarily closed down a few clubs for investigation. Popular clubs are now going private, kicking out several suspected OC members, and deleting topics like mad.

When I checked out robin's Stardoll page (the original owner of the first OC club), he writes, "OC will be back, check this page for updates. I'll hang out in test200 in the meanwhile." It startles me how much confidence he has. It's already been deleted what, at least thirteen times? And that's no surprise, seeing as the incidents they were deleted for were highly scandalous, especially the most recent...try eleven year olds stripping on a webcam and getting the police involved.

By doing some of my own research in test200, OC's backup club, I have deduced that all the dedicated OC members seem to blame "lavenderluva", the eleven year old stripper, for the termination of OC, permanently. And that's not to say that everyone else is not to blame.

Face the truth: the OC members are homeless and angry. They want revenge on the Stardoll staff for deleting their club, and a few of the radicals are trying to wreak havok by shutting down other popular clubs in retaliation.

I'd say this has become a full-out war: OC vs. Stardoll Admin. The popular clubs have been caught up in the artillery fire, and no one is safe.
Who would you bet on?

Too Old for Stardoll?

How old is too old? How young is too young? Is it for boys? or just for girls? When do you know that something just isn't for you anymore?

Many Stardoll users have been asking these questions lately, specifically the one about being "too old" for Stardoll. Many of us, myself included, are probably in our teenage years. We are starting to slowly get to that point where sometimes, we can't press the "Login" button every day without fail. Reassurances like "real life comes first", or "aren't you getting tired of Stardoll, anyway?" always seem to be the iceberg-tippers, the thought-provokers. In some cases, they are the ones that finalize the decision.

So, how old is too old? The real question is, when is it time to call it quits from Stardoll...for good? I've seen lots of cases where users say they're leaving "forever", pack up their things, lock up their Suites, and huff and puff and storm out in a dramatic ceremony. And then, a day or two later, they'll realize how hasty their decision was, and make reassurances to all their friends that they are only "checking up" on their account. This obviously escalades into a "few-days-a-week" login, and soon, they are sucked back into the vortex.

I always get fed up with these kinds of people. If you're going to leave, say goodbye already and go! Don't linger around and pretend you hate Stardoll and still go on every now and then! If you're going to make a clean break, make it clean and precise. It irks me to no end when users simply disappear off the face of the earth and come back as if nothing ever happened.

But in answer to the earlier question I posed, I believe there is only a personal limit. If you feel like you are getting too old for Stardoll, then you are. Stardoll has lots of elements that make it a site for girls (and even boys) of all ages to promote online fashion careers, make new friends, etc. And that's where some of the arguments kick in. Is Stardoll really for boys, too? My answer to that would be a definite yes. I think our generation in particular has shown that, as well. Fashion tycoons like Karl Lagerfeld, Calvin Klein, and Christian Louboutin have proved it! There is no gender split for fashion. It's unisex, it's something that can be enjoyed by everyone of all ages, just like art.

What do you think? Do you think there is a general age for being too old for Stardoll? Or how about a gender limit for Stardoll? Are there limits at all? Should there be?

Sardanapalian Stardoll Stores

Sardanapalian: excessively luxurious

I like to apply this term to Stardoll in our modern day. With the introduction of brand name tributes, such as Chanel, Anna Sui, Gucci, and the like, Stardoll has certainly been lavishing up stores and specialty goods offered in the Starplaza. If any of you can remember back that far, Stardoll's meager collection of clothing-based establishments were limited to the original and nostalgic Stardoll store, Fallen Angel, Fudge (now Original Future), Evil Panda, Bonjour Bizou (although it was originally just Bizou at the time), Deacades, Tingeling, Voile, Rio, and Pretty n' Love (Pretty n' Pink at the time).

Let's make like a celebrity talk show host and cut to the "Where Are They Now?" segment, shall we? Perhaps some of the biggest transformations have occured in the Stardoll store itself, now titled simply, "It Girls". This store offers everything from denim shirts to simple skirts and suit jackets, and is the place to go if you're looking for a staple item. Another store that has been Botox-ed is Pretty n' Love, which has undergone a huge facelift for the better. Their new line of light pinks, pastels, and lace is a definite hit with the younger-generation Stardoll crowd. But many veteran users still like to stick to their old ways; Pretty n' Pink when it was chock-full of Ashley-Tisdale-inspired items and accessories fit for a five year old playing dress-up in their mother's closet. Voile has made a surprising comeback in the past few months, as well, coming out with stylish lines of gowns and haute couture-themed items that are attracting Stardoll users of all ages.

But what is sorely disappointing is the fact that stores like Fallen Angel, Rio, Decades, and Evil Panda are being slowly left to fall apart. Tingeling and Decades both made a rather frightening return visit a few months ago, when they got the ball rolling for store-makeovers in general. Decay is hitting these shops faster than the sales that Stardoll has been issuing to keep them alive. Let's face it: they were never too popular to begin with.


My opinion is obvious. But what's yours? Should Stardoll cut to the chase and decapitate the single remnant of their history? or should they start fresh with a new beginning?