alaskametro<3 | Fashion for Second Life | skins, clothes, accessories and more

alaskametro at the For Aeva/Heartsick fundraiser

Posted on May 1, 2013 by Alaska Metropolitan

I’ll be participating in the For Aeva/Heartsick fundraiser. This 2-week event raises money for Amesha Jewell, long-time talented SL creator, who is facing financial difficulties due to RL illness.

alaskametro metallic leather ballet flats

Limited-edition “Alexa” flats (left to right): Tourmaline, Aquamarine, Amethyst

I’ve created limited edition versions of the “Alexa” metallic ballet flat in 3 pretty Spring colours. These colours will only be available during the event, and priced at L$100 (with 75% going to Amesha.)

I’ve also put out the “Cyber” necklace, an older piece I still like, with bright shiny plastic shards. L$100 during this event (regular price: L$200,) with 75% of the proceeds going to Amesha.

The alaskametro<3 booth at the fundraiser! Open until May 14th, 2013.

The alaskametro<3 booth at the event. Open until May 14th, 2013.

I decided to shop and put together an outfit using fashion from the fundraiser! I wanted to highlight my pieces, but show how they can be incorporated in a more subdued casual look, despite the vibrant colour palette.

I was inspired by the fresh, spring colours of new leaves and blue skies filled with puffy clouds.

Aeva skins come with a myriad of options, including eyebrow-less. They’re perfect to wear with my eyebrow sets (or those from other creators), allowing you to match any hair colour. They’re natural and fresh-faced, allowing you to layer on makeup as needed. I adore the pouty lips and gorgeous shading on this skin.

[Context] offers mesh clothing with a HUD that allows you to customize your outfit’s colour scheme. This minidress, Zane, offers 8 possible combinations. I like to think of this as a mood ring for dresses… today I was feeling pale grey and pastel green.

I love blue. For accessories, I paired the limited edition Aquamarine “Alexa” flats with the “Cyber” necklace in Pearl, then remembered that I picked up an affordable little blue purse on the Marketplace a while ago.

My look:

Skin: Aeva Arielle skin, Tone 4 – Natural (Aeva/Heartsick fundraiser item, L$100)
Eyebrows: alaskametro<3 Mocha brows 01
Hair: [e] “Again” in Brown 04
Eyeshadow: alaskametro<3 Creme duo “Peacock”
Eyelashes: alaskametro<3 Au Naturale
Lipstick: Aeva Glossy Kiss lips (Aeva/Heartsick fundraiser item, L$75 for 6 pack)
Freckles: alaskametro<3 upcoming release (sparse)
Nails: alaskametro<3 “Pool”
Eyes: alaskametro<3 “Ocean”
Dress: [Context] “Zane” mesh dress (Aeva/Heartsick fundraiser item, L$100)
Necklace: alaskametro<3 “Cyber” in Pearl (Aeva/Heartsick fundraiser item, L$100)
Shoes: alaskametro<3 “Alexa” flats in Limited Edition Aquamarine (Aeva/Heartsick fundraiser item, L$100)
Handbag: Magi Take mini bag (blue), no longer available

For more information on the fundraiser: foraevaheartsick.wordpress.com

Visit the fundraiser! | Visit the alaskametro<3 booth at the fundraiser

Posted in Alaska's Looks, Events, Fairs & Expos, Looks, News & Updates | Tagged aeva, ballet flats, charity, fundraiser, heartsick, jewellery, makeup, shoes, skins | Leave a comment

Preview: “Trish” underwired lingerie-style dress (Spring 2013)

Posted on January 26, 2013 by Alaska Metropolitan

I’ve been working on some pieces for this spring season (and, as usual, am hopelessly behind!) I wanted to go with more feminine fabrics and colours; something softer than the dark jewel-toned clothing I’ve been making in the past.

Above: Sketchbook showing some rough ideas. Also in the background, the all-important tools!

My process

I usually start sketching with a black fine-liner. Though I’ve been trained at an art school, I’m not much of a figurative illustrator, so I tend to sketch the rough shape and let the on-computer process dictate the final look and feel.
Then I work on the computer – in my case, I’m doing everything on an old black MacBook (shown above) using Adobe Photoshop CS3 and a Bamboo Wacom tablet (also shown.) To preview stuff, I use the SL Clothing Previewer – vital for saving L$ on upload fees if you don’t own high-end 3d software (which I don’t.)
Even after uploading to Second Life, there’s adjustments to be made! The flat shading in SLCP isn’t what we generally see inSL, and the colour definitely shifts from what I see in Photoshop.

Preview: “Trish” underwired dress

Above: “Trish” dress, the top left illustration shown on the sketchbook page above. It’ll be available soon!
Also worn: “Persephone” mirror-sole platform shoes in midnight, “Kadence” hair by Truth

For this underwired corset-style lingerie dress (named “Trish” after an acquaintance in RL,) I ended up adding a lace panel option once I got working on the computer. Often stuff evolves as I’m working on it; the crossed straps were added based on the separate corset top design.

Spring colours

I always try to work within a unified colour palette, even if I don’t release much from season to season. The above colours combine some of my favourite soft neutrals and feminine tones with the saturated hot primaries that I secretly love… even if I’d never wear them in RL.

A note on mesh

I wasn’t sure if I should write a separate blog post detailing my feelings on using rigged mesh clothing for my Spring 2013 line. Based on talking to newer Second Life avatars and some of my oldbie friends (sorry I called you that!) it seems it’s a very polarizing topic. For any Second Life creator whose strength lies in texturing, not 3d modelling, it’s a technology for which we must weight the pros and cons.

Continue reading →

Posted in Previews | Tagged alaskametro, clothing, corset, dress, fashion, lingerie, mesh, opinion, poll, Second Life, SL fashion, spring, underwired | Leave a comment

New makeup release with free testers: matte lipstick, matte smoky eyeshadow, and shimmer crayon winged eyeshadow

Posted on January 20, 2013 by Alaska Metropolitan

I’ve released three new makeup components: Matte Smoke eyeshadow, Dark Matte lipstick, and Extreme Wing eyeshadow.

Matte Smoke eyeshadow is a powdery, semi-transparent blended eyeshadow. Available in “Charcoal” grey, “Swoon” hot pink, “Lush” purple, “ForgetMeNot” blue, “Teal” blue/green and “Surplus” green (free tester.)
Extreme Wing eyeshadow is a slightly shimmery thick crayon look, drawn in a trendy winged shape. Available in “Cyanide” blue/green, “Electric” blue, “Cerise” hot pink, “Ultraviolet” purple, “Acid” green and “Flame” orange/red (free tester.)
Matte Dark lipsticks are a solid, matte/opaque look. Available in “Classic Red”, “Swoon” hot pink, “Venom” purple, “Vamp” dark red, “Autumn” brown and “Gothic” black (free tester.)

All makeups are available on the Marketplace store and in-world.

alaskametro makeup: Matte Smoke eyeshadow and matte dark lipstick

Above: Matte Smoke eyeshadow in “Swoon” with “Swoon” dark matte lipstick.
Also worn: “Olive” skintone Asian, “Abyss” eyes, Chestnut brow 02, “Drop” earrings (Tourmaline), and hair by Lelutka.

Above: Matte Smoke eyeshadow in “Teal” with “Classic Red” dark matte lipstick.
Also worn: “Rose” skintone, sparse freckle layer, “Ocean” eyes, Auburn brow 01, and hair by Lelutka.

alaskametro makeup: Shimmer crayon winged eyeshadow and matte dark lipstick

Above: Extreme Wing eyeshadow in “Cyanide” with “Gothic” FREE matte dark lipstick.
Also worn: “Cacao” freckled skintone, “Eclipse” eyes, Midnight brow 01, and hair by Lelutka.

Above: Extreme Wing eyeshadow in “Flame” (FREE) with “Autumn” matte dark lipstick.
Also worn: “Ivory” skintone, “Nile” eyes, Sanddollar brow 04, alpha pout layer, and hair by Lelutka.

Posted in New Releases, Skin/Makeup | Tagged beauty by alaskametro, eyeliner, eyeshadow, free, freebie, freebies, lipstick, makeup, marketplace, runway makeup, Second Life, Second Life makeup, second life skins, spring, style, tattoo layer, tattoo makeup | Leave a comment

Mailing List Gift: “Bette” satin lace-trimmed bra and shorts

Posted on December 28, 2012 by Alaska Metropolitan

Sign up for the mailing list (don’t forget your Second Life name!) before December 29 2012, midnight SLT, to receive your free limited edition version of the upcoming release “Bette” lingerie. “Bette” is a satin bra and shorts set with black lace trim, hand-drawn with a high level of detail and shine.

I’ll be sending a limited edition colour to the mailing list after December 29 at midnight. If you miss this gift, don’t worry, I’ll be sending more gifts to my mailing list subscribers in the future!

Posted in Fashion, Gifts, New Releases | Tagged alaskametro, bra, fashion, free, freebie, freebies, gift, gifts, holiday, lace, lingerie, satin, Second Life, shorts, SL fashion, vintage | Leave a comment

FIX: Updated permissions on “Milla” and “Laara” dresses

Posted on December 26, 2012 by Alaska Metropolitan

Left: “Milla” face dress in Swoon (purple), Right: “Laara” sequin dress in Celebration (gold)

If you’ve previously purchased the “Milla” off-the-shoulder lace dress, or the “Laara” sequin minidress, check the skirt permissions. Due to a bug, some people aren’t able to modify the skirt prims, though they are set to enable modify permissions. I’ve updated the versions for sale in store and on the Marketplace. If you’ve got an older version with incorrect permissions, please email me (AlaskaMetropolitan@gmail.com) with your Marketplace transaction information and I’ll drop a new copy on you.

“Laara” is still available in Poinsettia red and Evergreen for FREE in world until January 1, 2013! <3

Posted in News & Updates | Tagged alaskametro, insl, laara, lace, marketplace, milla, minidress, modify, permissions, product, recall, Second Life, sequin, store | Leave a comment