Stardoll Friendships and Freaky Fridays

Friendships forged on Stardoll are ones that generally last a while. I have lots of friends that I made on Stardoll that I talk to practically on a daily basis.

And then there are those people that you're not really "friends" with, but you're just nice to them because if you told them what you really think of them, you'd be feeling pretty guilty. I like to call these kinds of situations: guilt friendships. And believe me, I've had quite a few of those.

I call these next type of friendships creepy friendships, when said friend likes to imitate everything you do and pretend the two of you are practically inseperable BFFs. For example, if you make a club that is doing well, your creepy/stalker friend has to make a club of the very same nature and pretend it's just as good.

The next type of friendships I like to dub popularity friendships, when the person likes to put you on their Best Friends list because you have a high Stardoll status, ergo they are ultimately ten times cooler than everyone else. Those are the kinds of people that you have talked to maybe twice, and since you were borderline nice to them, they think you're their best friend.

Another thing that I'll probably never understand are the Stardoll friend lists, and the strange groupings they have for each category. You've got Best Friends, Friends, Family, and even Unclassified. But Stardoll was really pushing the limit when they added Boyfriend, Girlfriend, Neighbor, and Colleague. It's like they're condoning Stardoll-dating, and don't even get me started on that. Saving that rant for another day.

So whether you have a guilt friendship, a creepy friendship, or even a popularity friendship, there is always one person that will stick up for you no matter what, pick you back up when you're down, be your shoulder to cry on, and the vent you rant to.

P.S. Happy Friday the 13th. Here's hoping you don't crack a mirror or walk under a ladder. 

Starcoin Gifts

Now that I have the time (and energy) to blog, I can officially start ranting again.

I was a little weirded-out when I logged on to Stardoll about a week ago and I was brought to a page with a picture of several large, purple, wrapped gifts with Starcoins dangling off the bow. I read the blurb at the top and tried clicking on one of the gifts, but alas, Stardoll's seemingly good idea was actually a shoddy piece of crap that didn't work. Apparently you were supposed to get Starcoins from the presents when opened, but those damn things just refused to open.

A few days later, Stardoll fixed this problem, and now every time I log in, I get a lovely surprise of three or five Starcoins. Kind of useless, though, don't you think? I could always use the extra money, but I always think whether Stardoll actually needed this attachment to the Earning Starcoins system.

Another thing that bothers me is that Stardoll has a cap on the amount of Starcoins a single user can have. Now, I find that just plain irritating. I was about to buy a lovely wig from my friend's Starbazaar, and it turns out I couldn't buy it because her Starcoin limit was at the max. That's just bothersome for the buyer and the seller. I don't think it has become a real problem yet, but it's just kind of annoying, for me, personally.

Hit or Miss: Windows on the World and LE Summer 2012

Finally, a new LE collection! I've been waiting forever for this.

I'm sure that was most of our reactions when we all received the advertisement in our mailboxes when we logged on today. So, being the ultimate shopper that I am, I went to go check it out. And there I am, practically salivating as my screen loads the first floor of the new Limited Edition Summer items. Now, mind you, at this point I was expecting diamonds or something, so it was a huge disappointment to find that the outfits were tacky-looking, chintzy, and full of ruffles and weird patterns that I could care less about.

See, with LE items, it's either a hit or a miss. This was a miss.

Honestly, it was incredibly difficult to figure out what the theme was, if there was one at all. Stardoll has certainly been getting lazy and rather un-creative in regards to these rare "Limited Edition" items. I mean, they expect to wow us with a plain, unadorned purple sunhat? the very same one in a different color and more textured than the free Rebecca BonBon red sunhat they gave out in a free promotion a few months ago? They're limited because they must be good, but these were a complete failure. But I'll give them a little credit, at least. Finally they put some mens' clothing in, which sold out in the first thirty minutes. And the LE earrings were nice, as well. But my favorite pieces in this collection would be Circus Tent Pants and the Lace Me Shorts. Both were very versatile and a staple in many virtual closets. That's all I really have to say about this average collection. I've seen worse LE (last month's hideous collection), so it wasn't terrible.

Makeup Tips for Beginners

After nearly wanting to puke at all the poorly-executed make-up attempts on Stardoll, I've decided to compile a few tips of my own.

1. Under no circumstances should you ever use Luxe glittery eyeshadow. Never, never, never. Contrary to popular belief, it is actually incredibly tacky-looking and ridiculous.

2. Never should you ever apply two clashing colors of eyeshadow; for example, blue and yellow. Oh, don't believe me? Just go around and take a look at some of the younger users, unfamiliar with the world of makeup. Sit back and laugh yourself to death.

3. Colored mascara is just plain weird.

4. Hot pink blush is a no-no for pale-skinned dollies. Unless you're going for "circus clown chic". Then by all means, go ahead, my pasty friends.

5. Finally, it is important that you choose a lip liner that is somewhat similar to the color lipstick you have applied to your dollie. I haven't seen much of this on Stardoll of late, but you'd be surprised how many drag-queen-look-a-likes I've witnessed on Stardoll in my day. It's actually rather frightening.

Micromanaging the Summer Lazies

I think I've contracted a case of the "summer lazies", where I've been caught up in way too much stuff for me to write on my blog regularly. I cringe when I say that this poor little blog has been rather neglected of late. So I'm putting lots of stuff on hold for this; between roleplay clubs, general Stardoll drama, and the usual "let's throw in the towel and have a good time". In either case, I've been really neglecting a lot of things besides Aledale and another blog I write for, but I should be writing a few more posts, though not as regularly as I used to.

Hey, being manager of one club is hard enough, and now that I am no longer the manager, it's kind of freeing. So that's what I'm going to talk about today. Managers.

Now, contrary to popular belief, I'm not one to micromanage things. I'm more of a "go-with-the-flow-and-float-where-the-wind-takes-you" kind of gal. Although in rare occasions, I get a little power-crazy and start attacking the little things that are so seemingly insignificant that I am under no obligation to fix. And don't ever believe someone who says managing a club on Stardoll is a piece of cake, unless your club is collecting dust in a corner of an old closet. Let me tell you, it's hard work. You've got to put in the time, not to mention blood, sweat, and tears, to oil the kinks in the machinery and pick the stray crumbs off the dirty iced layer of the cake. And if you've ever done either, you'd know how messy it can get.

Especially in RP clubs, managing things is incredibly difficult. You've got to delete old topics, run things while the owner is away, deal with that one member that's always breathing down your neck, and be active in roleplaying in addition to all that. But being a manager can also be rewarding. You get special manager privileges, and the satisfaction of a job well done. So all in all, it's not too terrible being a manager, but I won't lie, it's a messy job.