Flexing

First off, I have a bit of catching up to do. For various reasons, I never got around to posting last week's two newest makeups, Fashionista, which was inspired by Celebrity Trollop, and Bronze Shimmer. This week's new makeup is Spring Fling.




While what seems like more than half of all Second Life content creators have been exploring the world of flex prims, CJ and I have been flexing ourselves in a very different direction. As I write this, CJ is busy setting up the vendors with our 3 new skin tones: Tokyo, Havana, and Nairobi. The skins were particularly challenging and we've been working on them for a little over 2 weeks. Each new skin tone is available in the standard natural, day, and night makeups, as well as a unique makeup created for that skin tone.

New Makeups

      Less than 24 hours have passed and we've already received compliments from customers about the positive experiences they've had using our new makeup boxes. I'm excited to share with you all two new makeups created by yours truly. I've been having lots of fun creating looks using some new layers CJ made. The smoky green is a sophisticated green shadow and the dusky rose is soft and romantic.

Think Makeup

      With so many great skin makers out there, CJ and I realized we would need to go to great lengths to set ourselves apart from the masses. Toast of Fashionably Dead and Nylon of Nylon Outfitters have their distinct skins which compliment the unique look of their clothing, Canimal has her range of punk and alternative skins, and the award-winning Santana of Nevermore has long been established as one of the finest skin makers in SL. What could Tete a Pied offer that was new and different? As a makeup artist, it was clear from the start that our focus would be on the makeup. We wanted to produce a wide variety of makeup looks in new and interesting styles but we soon realized that few people could afford to buy new skin as often as they would their hair of clothing and we believe we have come up with a unique solution to this problem.
      Any customer buying one of our 4 packs will be given a Tete a Pied Makeup Box for their skin tone and hair colour. The makeup box updates itself with all our makeups whenever it is opened and makes them available to be bought by you for just L$350 instead of the full price (L$900) in our store. The makeup box allows you to browse and purchase our skins in your own time and where ever you may find yourself. Here's a sneak peek at the lovely makeup box CJ has created.

I hate HTML

    The lovely Josie Hamilton and Celebrity Trollop have done it again. Another issue of the slick SL fashion mag, Second Style, is available here or in world at various shopping locations such as Tete a Pied.

    New makeups are out...I'm not following any sort of theme here. I'm just stretching my wings a bit creatively, seeing what I can do. I do plan on coming out with sets that have more coherence in the future. But for now, it's just about putting out as many different styles I come up with, pretty much all on a whim. The Josie was created in honor of Josie Hamilton, she requested blue shadow.

Testing the Waters

Ok, so it was only a matter of time before I got around to posting a blog about my second life. I've been blogging about my first one for about four years and I have had multiple blogs. I'm not too sure what exactly the format will eventually become but for now it is going to be a combination of my bitching and moaning, an occasional rave, as well as my struggles as a new content creator. Speaking of which, check out the awesome review Tete a Pied skins received over at Linden Lifestyles

What I really loved about that review, or rather Sabrina Dolittle, is she doesn't shy away from constructive criticism. Also, she appreciates good work, even when it isn't done to her particular taste. This is something that kind of has been bugging me lately. A lot of people fail to appreciate the difference between something being well done versus done according to their own personal aesthetic. I have a feeling that Tete skins may have a hard time because it seems the current trend is towards photorealism in skins. I also appreciate that our skins may be a little subtle compared to what most people are used to. That said, our skins are fucking good, even if the makeup isn't your taste, even if you prefer more realism, or rather have it goth, or if you like your avatar to look like a cheap whore. It doesn't matter. Our skins still deserve a 'hey, job well done' because it is technically well done.

Ok, so what I'm really trying to say is this...I'm pissed that we haven't gotten better feedback from people. Hell, almost no feedback actually. To start with, we sent out skins to well over twenty people: friends, content creators, bloggers, etc. Of all those people, two didn't even accept the inventory and a vast majority didn't even say thank you. Thank you. It's really simple. And you know, I don't want to hear the bullshit about capped IMs or busy people. Torrid fuckingMidnight had the courtesy to thank me for our skins as soon as she received them. If she managed to find the time, nobody else on that list has an excuse. I also keep thinking about this post Torrid made a little while back about What a Girl Wants
Fact is, I adored those dresses and I can't understand how it didn't do better. And it has to be more than sex appeal. Maybe I just surround myself with people like me but most of the girls I know in SL don't like the overtly sexy stuff.

And while CJ and I plan on paying attention to customer's requests and feedback, we are not going to cater to the masses. They are already being catered to. We are going to stay strong and offer skins unlike most in SL, butt dimples, subtle shading, and technically sophisticated makeup. That said, we had our strongest day for sales yet and it really did give me a boost. I can't wait to keep cranking out those makeups.