Challenge: #8 What Day Is It? // Friday Designer: Ananemain Model: Cressida Status: Complete
Fri-YAY
About: I was really excited to get Friday because who doesn't love Friday?? It's the last hurrah of the work week, everyone has a major case of ******** its," and it's often spent looking forward to some R&R. I wanted to capture that TGIF energy with Cressida.
Building this look was tough. I wanted to put Cressida in something that felt like workwear but also had movement and energy. I was happy to find the Scorned Cupid legmod, but the skirt was a little too short to read as work appropriate. Thankfully, I learned that Diamonds and Ice layers over it AND adds a little extra movement with that swishy skirt. I decided to stay simple on top and just put Cressida in a tank. I imagine she threw her work blazer or collared shirt over the back of her chair the moment she got to the club. Nothing can get in the way of a good dance move!
For the background, I originally wanted something a little more subtle (other than, you know, a dance floor), but I found that most of the other items were either too specific or didn't layer nicely with filters. I've tried not to get too filter happy in this competition, but there are times, like in a dark club, where you just need a little extra something. I found the darkening purple of Lazuli in the Withered Grotto paired with Stray Moon gave the overall look a nice combination of light and dark, which helps tame some of the aggressive 70s energy of the background. I can see Cressida dancing out her post-work frustrations to some Euro-pop beat, forgetting for a moment that it's all going to start again on Monday.
Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2025 1:07 pm
Challenges #8 What Day Is It? Feedback
Designers, that was a hard one! You truly squeezed every ounce of meaning out of these weekdays! The judges loved your creative interpretations and ideas. But it's not the time to rest on laurels, we're slowly getting closer to the final challenge.
ThoughtsofaDame — Naomi • You swept the judges off their feet this round! Both the look and the description were truly perfect. The feeling it conveyed was special, and the judges adored the delicate and feminine look of Naomi! • Literally no negative feedback, congratulations!
Picaru — Pearl • The colours, the glasses and the makeup were especially loved by the judges. It's an adorable look that matches Pearl! • The background felt a bit lacking, something behind Pearl's chair or in front of would've been perfect. For example: a plant, pet or bag.
Kr-E — Priya • That is a look that just screams Sunday! The colours look great on Priya, and the outfit itself is simply gorgeous. • The entry wasn't particularly unique and felt a bit predictable based on previous looks. The judges weren't too fond of the pink blush.
actualdeerooze — Zanna • We loved your description and interpretation of Saturday. The colours and idea were great for Zanna! • The layering had a lot of weird glitches, and the whole outfit slightly blends with itself.
Ananemain — Cressida • Your entry clearly conveys Friday, and we loved how Cressida's makeup looks like eyebags. • The look was way too predictable; there really wasn't anything that would make it stand out from the other entries.
wishflower — Maeve • The judges loved your description and the whole lunar vision. • We felt like you could've made the entry even more lunar. The skirt has some weird layering that makes it look like Maeve has one extra-long leg.
Eziara — Imani • Your idea was solid, and the description was great. The judges liked the colours and the outfit by itself. • The hair just doesn't match Imani's base hair colour, and it does not blend well with her hair either. The scarf was too bright in comparison to the rest of the outfit.
Therefore, 'tis with full happiness that I Will trace the story of Endymion. The very music of the name has gone Into my being, and each pleasant scene Is growing fresh before me as the green Of our own valleys: so I will begin Now while I cannot hear the city's din; - from Endymion, John Keats
About the Look: I was drawn into the eternal scheme while looking at my references on what I could use and found a lot of love within the soft blues and golds with Zanna's features.
The vision quickly became the angel, waiting an eternity for the one to set them free.
One of the things I've done a few times that I've realized is I've used a few of the same item on one look - which I mean is fine, but I felt like it was a bit of a crutch because they are meant to go together. So I ensured to use different items across the board with no repeating beyond their color scheme. Creating her look I wanted it to be playful and angelic as well as pushing some more skin without it looking downright sinful. Layering the Eternal Moe's bustier with the Priestess of Aurelian bustle gave plenty of layers to create a unique silhouette helped further with the minute detailing with Desecrated Heart's shoes. My favorites of the whole look would have to be Baubles and Mourning; not only for their wing shapes but draped gold that helps tie in the look with the rest of the form.
Having to keep the face I've found several different types of makeup that would settle well on Zanna's face, and both ese and Estival were a perfect way to make something feel ethereal. One of the things I was really sad about was not being able to use Zanna's ears as a way for expression - of course its not a needed thing obviously - but while experimenting I was able to use the space as something more close to hair accessories, using Eterneal Messenger and Duke of Solair's dangling earrings as another layer of depth for the creation.
What is Zanna Wearing?:
Curls of Serapherins Empress of Dragons (Throne Background) ese attempts a makeup (alruna) Eternal Priestess of Aurelian (Rose Bustle) Clouded Usakeiko (Face) The Eternal Sorcerer (Harness) Eternal Caster (Choker) Eternal Mourning (Wings) Estival Sol (Shimmer) The Eternal Duke of Solair (Ears) Eternal Baubles Bright (Wings) Eternal Goddess of Gaia (Arms v.1) Her Eternal Messenger (Ear) Eternal Desecrated Heart (Legs - Tone E) Eternal Moe Emo (Bound and Broken, But Still I Persevere) Eternal Crown's Accessories (Waist Bow)
Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2025 8:07 am
Challenge Challenge #10: They've Got Their Own Flare Designer: actualdeerooze Model: Zanna Status: finished
"You are the answer," I said, and entered, lying down on the gates of the city. Then the chains were fastened around me and I lost my common gender and my final aspect. Adam was on the left of me and Eve was on the right of me, both thoroughly inconsistent with the world of reason. We wove our arms together and rode under the sun. I was not a woman anymore, not one thing or the other. - Consorting With Angels, Anne Sexton
About the Look:
I will say I did struggle a little on this; some of it being that I was wanting to create a non-gendered look that would appease the judges but also I am a person in itself that doesn't really have a concept of gendered clothes or looks. Obviously that is my own thing and I know others will disagree but clothes are simply meant to keep your most sensitive parts of your body protected from the elements, and its only that society has decided that one look will represent masculinity and the other can be femininity - and if you dare try to go somewhere in the middle or something outside that binary you're shoved to the side as an Other. There's a lot of other things I can say about this but this is not the time nor place so--
-steps off my soapbox-
This look I wanted to create something that felt natural; less of a gendered or a forced view on what something typically masculine can be and what is comfortable and regardless of gender. I'll admit when I thought about using the Coarse color scheme with Zanna again it got me thinking to when I made the audition look with her and I wanted to do something different while bringing back the same joy I had while making my application in the face of so much junk happening irl for me.
Here we have Zanna participating in some foraging! She's dressed for the elements in her Coarse Uncle pants, made from something softer and comfortable boots to traipse across underbrush to find the best mushrooms. The Next Generation cap keeps the hair from her face and its silhouette creates a bit of a boxy shape. Using the Secondhand bookstore vest as well it gives color variation and unifies the shape of her torso for something less curvy.
Really every item here, in the way I've dressed Zanna in, I wasn't thinking an absolute "oh this is masculine in every way," I was more in line with someone who doesn't conform to a gender (like myself, a very feminine presenting person in real life) would dress myself in a situation I put myself in (like going foraging in a foggy, sun-warm forest in the early afternoon, about to meet a mysterious someone to have a season spanning romance of highs and lows, magic and finding themselves at the heart of it all.).... maybe I thought about this too much.
What is Zanna Wearing?:
Dimples Curls of Serapherins Bounciful Froggy Spells (Background) Clouded Usakeiko (Face) His Reserved Reign (Nose v.2) I am Idle Uncle (Age Lines) Coarse Mori Moss Agate (Moss on a Log) Woodland Forager (Sweater) Coarse Witchy Aesthetic (Powers) Training the Next Coarse Generation (Cap) Secondhand Bookstore (Vest) Coarsely Adoughable Loaf (Top) Coarse Darkwood Exploration (Fence) Forage Witch Coarse Way (Bag) Sowing Coarse Seeds (Arms v1) Of Coarse I'm Uncle (Legs - Tone E)
actualdeerooze
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wishflower
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Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2025 10:29 am
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Challenge #9: Effervescent Essentials Prompt:
Description: Designers, this week I wanted to give you a unique challenge. You have the most freedom yet, you can do whatever look you want. But. Every item you use - aside from your model's base features - must start with the letter E. I will allow words such as the, of, or, and to come before the E, but nothing more. For example, THE Etoile Bride is allowed, but Sleepy Sherbert Etoile would not be allowed. Despite these examples though, try to be more creative than just 'etoile'. Get creative with different E words and how to use them. I believe you can handle it. Due Date: April 26th
Man oh man, what a challenge... I think most of us this week were definitely feeling the difficulty with this prompt!
Despite having complete free reign over the aesthetic, I like puns so I immediately thought of turning Maeve into an E-girl I found a couple of schemes that I considered using (Enchanted, Ecto/Ectoplasm?, Eternal) before I came across Edgy which was so perfect it was practically screaming at me I really like how the Crimson really makes Maeve's eyes pop
Considering I've never really built a cutesy e-girl style avi before, I thought I'd draw inspiration from Little Red Riding Hood Maeve wears a black bolero jacket over a red plaid crop top, a red plaid skirt with two different stockings and chunky black and red boots She accesorizes with a black beret, red hair bows, large earrings, red choker, red wrist-belts, a spiked bracelet, and a red purse (that, to me, seemed a little reminiscent of a picnic basket)
She's definitely spooked by somthing that she heard nearby, a panicked flush rising on her cheeks Her makeup is otherwise pretty clean--ivory eyeshadow to help her eyes seem larger and dewy Admittedly, I'm still not 100% satisfied with the background; I had wanted to go for an urban city alleyway (so I could call this look << Little Red in the Hood >>) but they didn't start with E
E-quipped Items:
Ethereal Eyeshadow (Ivory) Edgy Back2k (Blush) Edgy Languid Lapin (Top) [Exclusive] Chez Tzaz Cook Eye Am Menacing Baby (Hairclip) Edgy Punky Ribbones (Arms V1) Edgy Darkwood Forage (Bag) Edgy Moe Emo (Cursed to Wonder Alone - Tone A) Edgy Dead Midnight (Earrings) Edgy Back2k (collar) Elf Reflection (BG)
BASE FEATURES: Fluffy April M (hair) To Fruity Dreamland! (face) Eos Brunette Brow Studies (Cutesy) Brown Brow Basics (Intense brow) His Opulent Reign (Nose v.1)
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Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2025 10:31 am
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Challenge #10: They've Got Their Own Flare Prompt:
Description: Designers, it is important for your models to be flexible with their looks. While a signature look can be great for building a brand, being a chameleon is what will guarantee you keep booking jobs. And it is important to be flexible at the drop of a hat, and we want to see you show off how flexible your models can be by giving them an androgynous look. You can not change their hair or face, any of the base features. This is something you have to achieve using only clothing and accessories, some make up. But less will certainly be more with this challenge. Have fun, designers. ;D Due Date: April 26th
For this week's androgynous look, I opted to go for a subtle and "casual dapper" look for Maeve (Mostly I've been obsessed with the coat pose of Luxury Milk-kun and have wanted to use it in a look for a while now) As such, I built this look trying to keep to a colour palette of different browns
She rocks a business-chic look: white blouse with the top few buttons open, charcoal vest, dress slacks and shiny leather ankle boots Maeve rounds out the look by accessorizing with a two-tone beanie and large circle-framed glasses Her makeup is simple and in neutral shades, not trying to be flashy
Maeve walks through a sun-shower in the park (NYC's Central Park? London's Hyde Park? who knows...) I was beyond thrilled that the BG has a warmth to it's colours that perfectly coordinates with Maeve's eyes and lips, and the rest of her outfit I wanted her to have a NYC/London flair that's both put-together and thrown-together, and I hope that comes across ♥
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wishflower
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Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2025 3:49 pm
Effervescent Essentials Designer: Kr-E Model: Priya Entry Title — Eaux de Elegance Progress: Complete!
"Elegance is the only beauty that never fades." Audrey Hepburn gaia_crown__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________gaia_crown
WHEW! That challenge took so much endurance. Of the mind and the search, of course!
As we draw closer to the end. I have definitely found myself cycling ideas and scrapping them as I go for the last few challenges. This one was no different. I went through 3 very vague ideas that I felt just didn't want to come to fruition, given the limitation. Various color schemes, while also trying to lean away as much as I potentially could from previous challenges. That too was HARD af.
However, I finally landed on this peacock dress and just COULD NOT let go. I searched far and wide to make this look. The gold, green, teal, and black just felt like the color palette needed.
Another struggle I had with this look was the right legs. And it had to be legs, as everything else made the dress disappear. I started with some teal legs I found from 'enticing'. However, I felt they blended into the dress a bit too much. Thankfully, I found the gold skirt, which followed the flow of the feathers coming from the back.
I am very happy with the proud-looking peacock Priya has become. I hope you enjoy this look! Thank you!~
Demure Nocturnal Briar (Hair) Emerald Vault (bokeh) Enlightened Aether Emporium (Clock-hand Wings) Savvy Instant Doki (Her Mouth) Sweet Gaze (Brown) Elegant Arms (tone D) Elegant Fleur de Reve(chestplate) Elegant Fleur de Reve(field of poppies) Elegant Peacock Elegant Peacock (Gown) ese has fun with makeup (bugberry) ★ ☆ eyeshadow ☆ ★ Elegant Cathedral Floor Elegant Cathedral Arches Empresses’ Adorning Decor (Emerald) Enticing Heavenly Immortal (Clouds) Estival Sol (Shimmer) Estival Sol (Legs vD) Envious Starlight Pathguider (Background)
They've Got Their Own Flare Designer: Kr-E Model: Priya Entry Title — Ebb & Flow Progress: Complete!
"Do not go with the flow. Be the flow." - Elif Shafak emotion_sweatdrop__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________emotion_sweatdrop
Oh androgyny. I love you so!~ As someone who is looking for my own androgyny to some extent in real life. I can't express how much I loved this idea.
Priya is ultimately VERY pretty. I can relate to trying to make a feminine face more neutral. So here is what I did~
With this look, I used some makeup to sink Priya's eyes a little and a bandage on the nose to help shift her features a little. While still embracing Priya. Her wardrobe is definitely more masculine while still showing flair. I feel it's important to still be bold while androgynous, as it can really solidify the look. David Bowie, Prince, and Annie Lennox all showcase their own bold variety.
I felt it was right to make Priya both edgy and sophisticated, while also remaining playful.
There was a little struggle with finding the right pose, pants, and even background to really pull together the look. Plus, having my sights locked on the 'wonderous' scheme as I just fell head over heels with the checkered pattern. I had attempted to try and use it in a previous challenge, but ultimately scrapped the idea. I was called back to revisit the scheme and give it a go one more time. I can't say I had much issue with this challenge as I did with #9. I simply let this be a piece of inspiration as I hope to one day achieve a look like this myself.
I hope you can rock with her ebb and flow with this look. Thank you and enjoy!~ emotion_sweatdrop__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________emotion_sweatdrop
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Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2025 7:56 pm
Challenge #9: Effervescent Essentials Designer: Picaru Model: Pearl Status: Complete
Riddle of Eternity I am the beginning of eternity, and the end of time and space. I am the beginning of every end, and the end of every place. Who am I? 🌠
The answer to this classic riddle is, of course, the letter E... but for this challenge, I wanted to reinterpret the answer as a different "who!" For a brief few sentences, this riddle has always felt very grandiose, conjuring epic imagery of vast galaxies and spans of time beyond human comprehension. It stands then that the "who" behind the creation--and perhaps destruction--of these concepts should also have a grandiose, otherworldly aura to them.
Pearl is depicted here as a heavenly being that rules over the fabric of the universe. Time swirls around her, and she forms space in the palms of her hands. I leaned on some inspiration from depictions of "biblically accurate angels" to emphasize her divine, otherworldly nature; namely, the multiple wings are pulled from images of seraphim, and the spinning wheels of time are somewhat evocative of the ophanim. (That said, I want make clear that my intent was not to depict her as a literal angel, as I know they serve a very different function in Judeo-Christian mythology!)
Her outfit is resplendent with celestial imagery; the fabric of her dress looks to be made of space itself, with four-pointed star motifs that match her floating, heavenly crown. I was pleased to find a back bow that pairs well with the drape of her gown; both are quite flowy, evoking the "flow" of time. With such a (comparatively) limited pool for items to use in this challenge, I felt very fortunate that there was a good selection of options from the Elusive and Eternal schemes that aligned with my concept, but I still tried to be very selective in my choices in order to avoid things looking too homogenous. I think the blues and purples from both schemes serve as a lovely, vibrant contrast to Pearl's natural features--they make those lovely golden hues in her hair sing. While this was definitely a unique and difficult challenge, having my choices somewhat narrowed down for me was oddly helpful, in a way--I overthink a lot and often scrap multiple builds as part of my process. In this case, since my choices were already limited, I was able to stick to a clear vision from the get-go and felt more confident in how to sell my concept.
Equip List:
Alice's Chase (Hair) Everlasting Gaze (Ash) Shooting Star's Revelation (lips) Eternal Time Traveler C (Time Loop) The Eternal Duke of Solair (Headpiece) Express Back2k (Blush) Eternal Snow (Head Wings) Elusive Celestial Nemesis (Hands V1) Eternal Princess Tarta (Choker) Eternal Usa Usa Chan (Bow) Eternal Picnic (Underdress) Ethereal Eyeshadow (Saiphic) Elusive Angel Aura Quartz (Overdress) Everlasting Amadea Elusive Qi of Twilight (Twilight Sky) Elusive Firefly Catcher (Petticoat) Eternal Mélancolicorne S (Legs - Tone F)
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Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2025 7:58 pm
Challenge #10: They've Got Their Own Flair Designer: Picaru Model: Pearl Status: Complete
Dapper Date Confession time: even though we're now at a point in the ceaselessly-turning wheel of trend cycles where what was popular 10-15 years ago is seen as passé (if not bordering on cringe), I still have a fondness in my heart for the dapper, almost rustic menswear look that was popular in the 2010s and continues to haunt my wedding Pinterest boards to this day.
Throughout the competition, I've envisioned Pearl as not just my model, but a character in her own right as a way to help build cohesion between looks despite the wildly different themes. To me, Pearl is a romantic and a bit of an old soul; a lover of art, poetry, and culture; and someone who relishes in little details. I felt that the sort of dandy hipster vibe seen in the 2010s was the perfect way to express these traits in a more ~masculine~ persona. While it may no longer be "on-trend" for menswear, I do think it was an important cultural moment where men could embrace their softer sides and present themselves in a more playful manner.
There's a lot of vintage influence in this look, from the straw boater, waistcoat, billowy shirt, and high-waisted button fly trousers. And of course, no ensemble of this era is complete without a pair of suspenders and contrasting neckwear! In revisiting some references, I found that many of these looks did not focus on matching sets, but rather creating a harmonious color palette throughout the whole outfit. Even though every item of Pearl's outfit is a different color, I think they all coalesce well so that nothing feels out of place. I tried to be very intentional with my details to create that cohesion: the buttons of the waistcoat tie to Pearl's hair; I layered two color variations of the same leg item to give the shoes a gray lace that ties both to Pearl's eye color and the taupe-y gray of the boater; the pants and hat both evoke a bit of texture in how they're rendered. I also chose makeup items that gave Pearl's nose a little more contouring and tone down the look of her eyelashes to give a more androgynous feel.
I struggled a bit with choosing a setting for this challenge, but with the Woodland Prose top coming with a built-in bouquet and book, I thought it could be fun to imagine this persona setting up a romantic and whimsical date. Somehow, a rustic picnic felt right--I know that kind of thing would have made me swoon back in the day!
Equip List:
Alice's Chase (Hair) Everlasting Gaze (Ash) Shooting Star's Revelation (lips) Black Checked Picnic Blanket Saddle Wrangler (home fields) Mimi Neko (Nose) Rhythmic Woodland Prose (Top) Independence Picnic Archaic Myth Hunter (Suspenders) Natural n' Cloudy Straw Hat Modern Warring Bow Tie (Peach) Silent Young Bud (Glasses) The Wilderness Downtown (Legs - Tone F) (Nothing But) Flowers (Legs - Tone F) Satyrday Night Faun (Amaranth) sniffa you (Chauntelle)
Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2025 6:55 pm
𝕰━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ۞Designer: ThoughtsofaDame ۞Model: Naomi ۞Status: Complete ۞ Effervescent Essentials ۞EliceinEverland ۞ Guys I'm gonna be straight with you I hated this challenge. The avatar builder is just not well equipped for searching alphabetically. Even searching a specific word I had to make sure that the E word showed up first if at all. Synergy was hard to achieve without staying within a single color scheme and even then maybe items in an E color scheme didn't qualify. I love a challenge that is challenging but this didn't feel challenging it felt boring. I was googling words to try and just didn't get to enjoy the process.
Now Just because I disliked the challenge doesn't mean I'm not super happy with my final look. I FOUGHT to get this look the way I wanted it. I'm stubborn and when I found the Enchanted Meadows background and the Bunny Bubbles from Extraordinary Trend I simply refused to go back to the drawing board and pick anything that didn't work with them. I tried twice to just start over with other items, trying to stick with an E based color scheme, but I realized that wasn't actually making it easier to design and since it was going to be hard either way I decided to stick with these two items I loved initially and to just struggle through with them.
Knowing not one color scheme with E in title really worked with what I had going I had to pick items individually by searching word by word to build the outfit. Eventually I found the Gaia Item wiki and it has an alphabetized section. That made finishing the look much easier.
I don't know when it started looking very Alice in Wonderland to me I wasn't really aiming for it. The Eccentric Heart top and theEternal Moe Emo skirt probably had the biggest impact on me thinking so though. The Endless Disastrous Existence glow and sparkles filled out some of the empty space and vibed with the bunny bubbles nicely. Then I finished with the eye-shadow and Envious Kingdom of Time blush.
Despite not having all the blues match perfectly I do think by varying it across several hues I made it look like I had created scheme of sorts. It has older gaia energy from before you could color match exact shades of colors and you just had to create the color synergy yourself. I'm really happy with how it did come together! I was so so worried I wouldn't be able to execute this challenge at the level I have been giving, but its definitely in my top 5 favorite looks I've made this cycle. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━𝕰
♁━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ۞Designer: ThoughtsofaDame ۞Model: Naomi ۞Status: Complete ۞They've Got Their Own Flare ۞(S)He'sGottheLook ۞ Out of the two challenges this week I knocked this one out first. I actually thought this one was super fun. Naomi is a beautiful female model but she is also capable of presenting as handsome. While none it comes through in the design itself I was inspired by Sailor Uranus from Sailor Moon who was a very handsome woman. I wanted Naomi giving that confident masculine energy.
I knew I wanted to go for jeans with this look and I also wanted there to be a sense of movement in the look. I ended up in the denim color scheme after choosing the Training the Next Potion Master coat. The cap and legs stay in that color and the Black Ear Plugs play off the boot and belt of the jeans. Finally I needed a shirt. Lots of great tops just emphasized her breasts way to much. I wanted to keep her chest a bit hidden. The Saeven Honey top was perfect and I loved the simple necklace it had with it, because the cross played off the buttons on the jacket.
I had to keep her main features but I wanted to make her face less soft, more chiseled. No blush or eye shadow this time but the Transgenic Soldier face added a masculine contour. The only other thing I did was give her eyebrows a thicker look with Perfectly Plucked. Eyebrows are part of the hair you use but I remember someone asking in the past if eyebrow mods were okay and I remember it landing on yes. Which makes sense because you can change your eyebrows with makeup alone pretty easily. These both gave her a more tough appearance.
To add movement I wanted to use a background cutter. Full backgrounds can look more stagnant. By using a dynamic cutter that played off the legs I knew it would make a stronger look. I narrowed it down to two cutters. I loved the paper wings background of Piece by Piece because of the uneven rectangles but the wing just didn't look right and there was no way to remove them. I tried to see if I could layer cutters to erase them but nope. I really liked the Boy Toy (Frames) but at first I just wasn't sold on the roses. I worried they were distracting and would have wanted the frame without them. After debating between the two I decided that actually the roses had grown on me and the paper wings had not. I think it gives it a visual romance novel look. Plus the frames with her legs give the whole thing a very pleasing Y shape. Which I noticed before but its just dawned on my that Y is the male chromosome which is a hilarious unintentional connection. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━♁
About: Whoo BOY did this one take a long time to build. I spent ages on external sites, digging through the marketplace, reading through numerous guides to find any and every item starting with E that I could. For the first time, I found myself really wishing we could organize marketplace listings alphabetically. Late edit just to thank Picaru for telling me that, in fact, you CAN sort the marketplace alphabetically, and I'm just a dumbass.
I ended up making several different versions of this look, stumbling around until I landed on something that made use of a color scheme (no way around it really) but didn't rely on just one color scheme. The light pink of the overskirt breaks up the blue of the Eternal scheme and connects beautifully with the Elf Reflection background. I'm also really happy with the way the Elder Dragon dress layers underneath the other bodice pieces to complete the top of the dress. All of the pieces combine to create something that looks like one item (it's actually three).
For the head, I was mindful of not putting too many things up there, but I still wanted Cressida to look like royalty. I picture her as a delicate elf queen, blessing her forest with the magic it needs to grow. I was inspired by the Growth Succeeding Conquest crown, which has that natural energy I love in so many of my builds. I then layered a few other items in there just to complete the look. For the face, I kept it fairly simple, but I was SO HAPPY that my favorite nose item starts with an E!
Overall, I'm happy with how this turned out. Do I wish I could add a few things that notably don't start with E? Yes. Absolutely. For sure. But within the constraints of the challenge, I like what I came up with!
Equipped List:
Me Day (Brazilian Blowout) Bashful Spirit (Face) Grumpy Talker (Ruined Dates) Endless Amadea (Feathered Top) Everybody Nose (Skintone D) Edgy Dead Midnight (Makeup) ese attempts a makeup (Gilded) The Eyeshadow (Coral) ★ ☆ eyeshadow ☆ ★ (Sootberry) Elven Ears Estival Sol (Shimmer) Eleven Eleven (Blush) Eternal Dragon (Hairclip) Eye Am Bubbly Baby (Hairclip) The Eternal Queen of Lalune (Headpiece) Eternal Growth Succeeding Conquest Eternal Angel (Crown) Elder Empress of Dragons (Dress) Eternal Goddess of Gaia (Bustle) Eternal Fall (Cover) Evangelical Spirit Seeker (Overskirt) Eternal Qi of Twilight (Arms) Eternal Gladsome Sol (Belt) Exalted Strength of the Pride (bg) Eternal Fairy Biancamella (Fairies) Enchanted Moonlight's Lullaby Crescent Enchanted Elf Reflection Endless View
Ananemain
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Ananemain
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Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2025 10:35 am
Challenge: #10 They've Got Their Own Flair Designer: Ananemain Model: Cressida Status: Complete
The Maltese Cressida I should've known better than to trust a dame like Laurel. Too pretty. Too smart. Now a man is dead, and I'm the prime suspect. I've got no choice but to see this through.
I really enjoy building more androgynous avatars, but I tend to approach them from the face/head first. Here, I had no choice but to look at the body and attitude to sell the illusion. Since Cressida's features lean very feminine (long hair, big eyes), I decided to put her in a very masculine outfit, inspired initially by our androgynous king David Bowie. It was a pretty easy leap from there to just go full film noir.
The outfit itself is pretty straightforward thanks to the Vintage Latitude coat. I've always loved that item, so I was happy to have the chance to use it here. Once I had that picked out, the rest of the outfit fell in place pretty quickly (the Wanna Bet legmod is definitely getting used in the future). For the face, I went with heavier brows and a more prominent nose to add a more masculine quality. I really like the Devil's Spice cigarette; it adds that 40's "everyone smokes everywhere all the time" feeling and tones down the feminine curve of the lips juuuuuust a bit.
The background went through a few iterations. I initially went all in with police tape, a blood splatter, and a darker lighting mod that gave a more film noir vibe, but it ended up being so busy that it obscured the outfit itself. So I went with a simpler apartment: the detective is looking for clues while looking fabulous in lighting that lets you actually see the details. I'm particularly pleased with the window arrangement. I found out that Cozy Hearts Window + Rustic Wood Stove adds an extra layer of interest to the Fresh Ambition background.
Posted: Sat May 03, 2025 7:49 pm
You all were SUPERSTARS this week! And you’re making it so hard for the judges to start narrowing things down as we head into our final four challenge that will determine our final three. I’ve included the average of your scores this week so you can all see just how close it was, and can really understand that when we say it is the smallest detail that puts one look over another, we mean it. All of these scores would have won rounds in previous weeks, so please be so proud of yourselves and the work you’ve done, because we all are. heart
Picaru — Pearl (97.82) • Effervescent Essentials? Wonderful look, Pearl was cute as ever. They’ve Got Their Own Flare? You got another perfect set of scores. You struck the perfect balance to keep Pearl neutral and fabulous. We wanted to stick her in our pockets. We wanted to go watch Atlantis because Pearl was giving big Milo energy. Wonderful! • E.E. look you just had a little too much make up going on, something about it all really made the nose stand out? Especially when there was so much going on in the middle of the look already, more subtle make up would have benefitted things greatly.
Ananemain — Cressida (95.13) • The judges were BLOWN AWAY by how well you matched items and created a cohesive look for Effervescent Essentials, the pose and expression were chef’s kiss! Your second entry this week was also a super solid entry that left the judges satisfied. • The filter you used for your first entry wasn’t needed, and while you earned marks for a more creative idea for your second look, there was nothing about it that just…popped. It was a fine look! Satisfying like I said above. But things need to have that extra oomph at this stage of the competition.
wishflower — Maeve (96.32) • The judges were so so impressed with you this week, and it’s ultimately why we had to do a double win. Your looks were creative (judges would have never thought to do a crimson E-Girl vibe!) and your flare look was almost too perfect. • Both entries probably would have had perfect scores with just a touch more oomph. One judge felt like there was something lacking in the background of the first, and the second look just needed one special element. Something to make it stand out and make us remember it. One judge suggested a dog, or a bag.
ThoughtsofaDame — Naomi (93.13) • Creating a look this flattering and cohesive on Gaia without using any preset color scheme is very difficult, but you made it look so damn easy. You also managed to create a look with flare that worked around Naomi’s inherent femininity for your second look! • The biggest negative this week was that you went too far with Naomi’s androgynous look. Androgyny was the key and Naomi just ended up too masculine, using one less thing on the face we think would have helped to swing back to androgynous.
Kr-E — Priya (86.26) • The peacock dress was DIVINE for Priya! Such a brilliant thought for her, and a wonderful color scheme. Also super impressed by how many ‘E’ variations you used! The judges (and crew at large) also just love the way you match your post and color schemes to your entries each week. • There were some odd layering things around Priya’s legs for your first look, and for the second look you had the opposite problem from Dame in that Priya just looked like a girl! There needed to be more masculinity added to achieve a neutral androgyny.
actualdeerooze — Zanna (78.44) • You know what colors look good on Zanna, and these entries were no exception! We also liked your concepts and vibes for these looks. • These looks just didn’t quite come together at the end of the day. The make up layered a bit oddly for the first challenge and there was just something weird with the straps over the torso, Zanna’s proportions just looked off. Your second look was stronger, judges couldn’t agree on if Zanna looked androgynous or just like her usual self, but definitely agreed matching the hat and top didn’t work.
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Posted: Sat May 03, 2025 8:46 pm
Challenge #11: Don't Force It Designer: Picaru Model: Pearl Status: Complete
Light of the Golden Age An even longer time ago, in a galaxy far far away... 🌌
Out of every challenge so far, this was the first to strike me with an instinctual panic upon reading what we were being tasked with. For all my geeky interests, I was never really bitten by the Star Wars bug. I saw the original series plus the prequel movies when they released as a kid, but beyond that I haven't really kept up with the franchise, and all my knowledge of it I would call surface-level at best. With this being the final challenge, I wanted to give this look my all... but trying to come up with something that felt both emblematic of and *accurate* to an incredibly beloved and extremely lore-heavy media juggernaut left me feeling quite intimated!
For all of the ornate and elaborate costume designs present throughout the shows and films, nothing is more iconically Star Wars to me than the Jedi garb. That said, the whole point of the modern Jedi look is that it leans... monk-ish and practical, and I did not want to end this last challenge on a drab note. In doing some research, I learned about a new era of lore being explored in the franchise between printed media and the newer TV series The Acolyte, known as "The High Republic." For those like me who also may not be in the know, The High Republic Era encompasses the centuries preceding the Skywalker saga; a sort of Golden Age for the Jedi Order where peace reigned and their numbers were strong. Most importantly in this case, the Jedi garb of this time period is far swaggier, blending some more colorful medieval influences into the sci-fi space samurai look that everyone knows.
Luckily for me, references were easy to find once I figured out my direction. The High Republic garb brings some warm golden hues into the typical whites, creams, and browns of the classic Jedi palette, with a focus on these beautiful embroidered tabards. I went back and forth on whether or not Pearl's outfit should be a little more regal and gown-like, but ultimately I decided I wanted her to have that heroic, woman-of-action feeling and went for the more classic Jedi tunic and boots look. I had a lot of fun piecing together items like a puzzle to create this entry, and the outfit (not counting makeup/background) uses a whopping 11 items to create the silhouette and details. I'm particularly pleased with the layered obi/tabards and the addition of an item to approximate a holstered light saber. While I think the easy choice to sell the Jedi look would have been using the actual light saber pose from Interstellar Invaders, I really wanted to push through my unfamiliarity with the source material and get creative for this last challenge instead of falling back on ease of recognition. As a side note, while I try not to dwell on what I didn't achieve with my looks, I felt it worthwhile to mention that I *desperately* tried to find a more grandiose cape or robe that would work with this outfit, but the options that felt most canon-accurate either did not play nice in terms of clipping with Pearl's voluminous hair or were rendered in the older Gaia style that sticks out like a sore thumb against newer items. I really did try though!
I struggled most with deciding on a locale/background. I tried to absorb as much lore as I could in the span of a week, and in my research I read about Jedi facilities on various planets that would have likely been present during this time period. I landed on this backdrop that felt very reminiscent of the palette and architecture of CloudCity on the planet Bespin. I imagine Pearl's character here as a resident Jedi Master of the the local enclave, passing on teachings to the next generation of talents.
All and all, I'm very proud of what I've achieved in this look (and the cycle as a whole), and I'm thrilled to have made it this far into the competition. While I know this description is already very verbose, I wanted to end on a note saying that no matter the outcome, I'm so grateful to have been a part of this experience. Thanks to all my fellow competitors for keeping the competition fierce--it's been a total blast!
Equip List:
Alice's Chase (Hair) Everlasting Gaze (Ash) Shooting Star's Revelation (lips) Winter Guardian (Legs) Generous Fall Bride (Blue lock pendant) Mimi Neko (Nose) Exquisite Amnesiac Tactician (Belt) Starlit Infernal Crystal (belt) Pure Interstellar Invaders (Wrap) Fleur d'Emeraudes (chestplate) Angel's Piercing RPGeez II Backdrop (castle) Shoujo's Flairs (Pink Shadow) The View From Beyond (Icescape) Warm Enticing Eyeshadow (Vintage) Sooty Banished Denizen (Obi) Sophisticated Lifegiver (Tiara) The Duke of Solair (Arms v1) Mellow Pride Necessities (Skirt) Faraway Dream on a Drunken Night (Top) Dreamy Rabbit Candy Sailor (Blush)
