Klimt takes Tress-Up by storm...

So it appears that Klimt's eccentricly colorful artwork hasn't just graced the floors of Museum Mile, but the mannequins at Tress-Up, as well. A random search of the Starplaza revealed the haute couture wigs that are now available for purchase.

 

At first glance, they have the look of those items that look good on the mannequin, but not so great on your dollie. After trying on a few, I was fully convinced that they should just stay on the mannequin. Some of them look like they could double as clown wigs or something of a more humorous nature, while others were just strange. Although I did find some ways that they would work in more haute couture ensembles. They're more catwalk-esque, rather than everyday wear.

 

Leaving it to that, one of the most famous pieces of Klimt's creation is "Judith", whom many may recognize as a doll that you can dress up on the Dress-Ups page. His use of strange proportions and colorful eccentricities make him the perfect candidate for a new Starplaza collection.

Museum Mile: Yay or Nay?

Even though I agree with the majority of Stardoll in saying that the Starplaza needs a serious makeover, one store in particular caught my attention, and that was Museum Mile (thought I'm not exactly sure you could call it a "store", so to speak).

 

For those of you who've never visited, it's basically a museum, with a few limited edition art pieces that can be found in the outside world, as well. Paintings by Van Gogh, sculptures by Greek and Roman artists, and even ancient artifacts are displayed proudly with maxed-out price tags at semi-affordable prices. (Don't even bother counting the zeroes for some of them.)

 

**Another helpful hint, if you didn't already know, by clicking on a spot in some of the paintings, like a Renoir, for example, the red hat worn by the boy in the picture will appear in your dressing room, and such is the same for another painting in the gallery.**

 

While I was making my general parousal through the StarBlog, I came across a video link advertising the new Museum Mile collection, a series of clothing pieces by Gustav Klimt. The collection will be coming out on September 19th, and will feature over 150 years of shapes, patterns, textures, and all manner of eccentricities developed into clothing patterns.

 

If you want my honest opinion, however, I don't think it's going to be all that great. The designs that were displayed on the video looked like someone went on a finger-painting frenzy on several pieces of hacked off fabric sheets, roped them around a mannequin, and voila; clothing and art. Nowadays, we live in a world where you can dump a pile of garbage onto a table, photograph it, and call it "modern art" which apparently has a message to send about the human obesity rate or something. I'm more of a classical old-timey art-appreciator, and I'll actually be making a visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the city very soon, so hopefully I'll be able to see some of these collections.

 

But in any case: Museum Mile's upcoming collection...yay or nay?

Cosmic Blue Makeup Tutorial: MSW 2012

In light of the blue theme for this year's Miss Stardoll World competition, I've created an elegant look that will be sure to win you the votes! And what would a competitor be without glitter? This tutorial will show you some elaborate eyeshadow techniques, as well as a few simple instructions that will provide an edgy style for this look.

(Click the picture for a closer look.)

Store(s): Dot, Luxe

Item Listing and Pricing:

Teal Me Eyeshadow--6 Stardollars

Azure Shadow Eyeshadow--6 Stardollars

Azure Sky Shadow--6 Stardollars

Regatta Eye Dust--22 Stardollars

Twilight Blue Eye Dust--22 Stardollars

Dusk's Kiss Eyepencil--7 Stardollars

(Black) Volumizing Mascara--3 Stardollars

**L'Occitane en Provence "Blush Like a Peony"--20 Stardollars**

Burnt Orange Blush--8 Stardollars

Warm Apricot Blush--8 Stardollars
Sunset Gold Lipstick--8 Stardollars

Total: 116 Stardollars

**Cannot be bought in the Starplaza/discontinued item.**

***Optional step.***

Yes, I just now realized how expensive this look was, but it's well-worth it, in my opinion. Many of the blush palettes you should already have, as they are quite common. Due to the fact that the L'Occitane en Provence is no longer available in the Starplaza, you can substitute this blush color for a similar shade in the Dot store.

Steps:

1. Take the Twilight Blue Eye Dust and apply it on the edges of your eyes, fanning it out.

2. Next, take the Teal Me color and gently blend this into the middle of your eyelid in addition to the Twilight Eye Dust shade.

3. Use the Azure Shadow Eyeshadow and blend this next to your two pre-existing eyeshadow colors, making sure you don't cover up the entire shade.

4. The Azure Sky Shadow color will come next, and apply this near the insides of your eyes, still remaining on the top lid. Blend the back of this color with the rest of the shadows you have applied already.

5. Finally, take the Regatta Eye Dust and use this color to blend all of the colors together by applying it as close to the top lash line as possible, working outward but being careful not to blend this darker color into the Azure Sky Shadow.

6. After the eyeshadow is complete, take the Dusk's Kiss Eyepencil and apply this only on the top lash line, fanning it out to meet the Twilight Blue Eye Dust. Start lining the eye where you applied the darker colors, not the lighter colors near the insides of your eyelid.

7. Take your volumizing mascara and apply this, starting from where you applied the darker shades, not where the lighter colors begin to fade into the gradient. Apply this all along the bottom lash line.

***8. Now, (if you have this in your Beauty Parlor, if not, then use a similar shade) take the L'Occitane en Provence blush wand and apply a small dot of blush on your cheekbones, blending it upward very lightly. Keep in mind that this shade is very dark, and you want to work lightly and carefully when applying it.***

9. Take the Burnt Orange blush shade and apply this outwards, blending it slightly with the first blush strokes you applied. This shade is also rather dark, so be careful when applying it.

10. Now, use the Warm Apricot Blush shade to blend everything together, making sure you get some on the tops of your cheekbones, as well. All these blush shades together heighten the skinny-cheekbones look and make your face appear thinner.

11. Next, simply take the Sunset Gold Lipstick, or any nude shade that matches your skin tone, and apply a liberal amount on your lips, making sure to only apply one coat so it blends nicely. If you are looking for a more "costumed" look,

***12. Finally, apply some halved false lashes, heightening the edgy effect of this look.***

Remember, this is a semi-versatile look which can be changed for your convenience, or if you just want to play around with colors, etc.

Good luck, dollies!



Hotbuys Review: August 2012

Wow, two posts in one day? Am I making progress or what?

 

Anyway, now that we've only four more days left of August, I thought now would be a little late to discuss our monthly Hotbuys. I guess we can close on a sour note, then, because I can honestly say that I was (surprise!) yet again disappointed by them.

Sure, the graphics are always top-notch, but the fashion doesn't necessarily meet those standards.

 

 

 

So now I'm going to rip this apart piece-by-piece. First of all, I really don't understand the animal-print theme. Didn't they already do a western-leopard-print-monstrosity in February? Who knows. In all honesty, I could probably care less.

 

Second: that dress. The one with the zebra stripes and the brown belts. Absolutely hideous. I don't know what Stardoll was thinking when they were drawing it out. First of all, I was never a big fan of the sailor-boat type collar, especially with the quarter-sleeves, and certainly not on a dress, of all things. The large slit in the fabric on the side really screams "failed attempt at a wrap dress".

 

Alright, moving on (and grabbing a barf bag along the way)...to our next selection, the brown fur vest. You know, it's not really that bad. It actually looks quite well when worn properly, maybe with a few vintage items or even just for casual-wear. A nice, decent, versatile piece.

And our next piece is the rainbow-gradient-leopard-spot slouchy tank top. I have no words for this one.

To be quite honest, although I'm not a huge fan of the purple/zebra-striped heels, I do actually think they're somewhat decent. I mean, maybe if the purple was darker, it would have the smoldering appearance, but at least they tried.

The sunglasses really aren't too bad. Not saying I'm in love with the shape, though. It's just a little weird to me, for reasons unknown.

That black wedge boot with the neon purple laces? Definite win. It's versatile, punky, and stylish all at the same time. They haven't had a piece like that in a long time. I would certainly buy it.

I'm still a little confused about the VIP pass...not really sure how that was supposed to fit in with the loosely tied "theme" that Stardoll was going for with this month's collection.

Again, the dress looks average right now because of the angle of the wearer. It's most likely one of those pieces that look good on the model in the advertisement, and when you put it on your dollie, you get the "meh" expression plastered on your face for at least twenty minutes.

Alright, those bracelets? I feel the same way about them as I did the wedge boots. Another win for the Stardoll designers.

And lastly, we come to probably one of the stranger Hot Buys pieces in this collection. I'm not really getting the whole "pastel pink feathers and multi-colored zebra-striped pear-shaped ornaments". I mean, if you look at it from far away, you can kind of see that they were going for an exotic peacock feather...but once you put the zebra stripes in there...done.


Well, dollies, that concludes my rant for this evening. Night, all!

 



Forest Green Eyes Tutorial

Firstly, yes, I was on a temporary hiatus for the most part of August. This month was incredibly busy for me, especially with the start of school in a week. Oh, joy.

 

But in any case, this little post is just a simple makeup tutorial. Today's look combines the nearness of the autumn fashion season with foresty greens in a gradient shading; a lovely look for brunettes and blondes alike. These steps are very simple, and I only used three items! For 15 Stardollars, you can create a fabulous look that will complement just about any skin tone and be appropriate for any occasion.

 

 

 

Store: Dot

Item Listing and Pricing:

More Mocha Eyeshadow--6 Stardollars

Lichen Luxe Eyeshadow--6 Stardollars

More Mocha Volume Mascara--3 Stardollars

Total: 15 Stardollars

 

Steps:

1. Take the More Mocha shade and fan it out across the ends of your eyelids, using a sweeping motion. Repeat this step a few times to darken the shade.

2. Next, take the Lichen Luxe eyeshadow and apply it on the rest of your eyelid, sweeping down in an arc-like motion. Be sure to blend the tips of this shadow into the Mocha shade, as well, to achieve the gradient color-blending effect. Repeat this step once or twice until you reach the desired color darkness.

3. Finally, use the mascara and apply some on all of your lashes, evenly coating them.

 

And you're finished! There are several variations you can use with this look, such as the addition of other shades, or the use of a liquid eyeliner, etc. This eyeshadow look is very simple, inexpensive, and is incredibly versatile.

 

 

 



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.

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?

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?