9to5 Review

First of all... they left the store logo on the purchasable interior. Why?! WHY?!?! It's hideous! It would have been so pretty and they went and did THAT!

Anyway.

What I Loved

The theme! It's very Tomb Raider - slash - Indiana Jones, and I love it. The previous jobs were all a bit sterotypical, the kind of thing we've seen Barbie wear ten billion times.

The colour palette and overall outfits are decent together, as well as being very suitable for Autumn/Spring depending on where in the world you are.

The interior items are surprisingly versatlie and useful as well, being largely pot plants and museum pieces. The exception is maybe the Explorer Basket, but it wouldn't look too out of place in a garden "shed" space or an artists' room. Not that I personally do much decorating!

The prices are pretty good, with some borderlining on being cheap!

What Was Unfortunate

The..."graphics." Some suck. Most are mediocre. Just, not the best.

The lack of poses!!!! We all hailed 9to5 when it first debuted, because it included affordable, non-limited poses - but lately, that hasn't been the case. It's really disappointing, though not surprising.

And as I mentioned before, THEY LEFT THE STORE LOGO ON THE BUYABLE, FOR-YOUR-SUITE INTERIOR!!!! The ONLY time that's acceptable is for Limited releases, and even they tend to be a lot of subtle about it! I suppose you can cover it up easy enough, but we shouldn't have to do that when it's 30sd.

What I HATED

So. So. So many dupes. I have a post coming so just... stay tuned. Ok?

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The Tassel of Torment

Every year, without fail, the fashion world explodes with a flurry of tassels, frayed edges, and fringes. No matter that, just days ago, those shredded bucket bags went on the list of things to give to grandma, and those overly shiny cowboy-boots with the white fringe rim were designated "things I should never have bought," suddenly, they're your new bets friends.

No matter the status of your festival tickets - #nochella or #coachella - festival style's most important, and apparently unending trend, is to have pieces of fabric and thread dangling from all corners and crevasses of the body.

For once, though, Stardoll has more than got the memo - so if you're into this trend, for the moment of forever, there's no lack of items to choose from.

About half-way through the second look, I realized my hair was about as far from festival-casual as you can get. Which highlights my own #nochella status just the right amount, I think.

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Review: Vinyl

What the actual HELL are they still doing making GENDER LABELED CLOTHING!?!? Talk about going backwards in time. Ignoring that, this release is actually...well, almost rather good!

Anyway, it's my final day of work for the summer so I had plenty of time to write this up!

What I Loved:

Surprisingly, quite a bit! 

Style wise, this collection is relatively trendy, along with the slightly hipster-esque pieces that Vinyl is known for. I've been waiting FAR TOO LONG to get my hands on those plum coloured suede pieces! Not to mention the all the shoes. When was the last time stardoll made shoes this cute?!?

At a glance, this floor looks pretty generic - but ultimately, it's the unique details of each piece that make them stand out. The added tassels  and colour on the Suede Jacket Women, the flapper styled tassels on the Bodysuit, and the two-tone denim panels on the Denim Shirt Woman. Even the Skinny Jeans Women has an interesting high-low hemline, something that I wasn't excepting from a Starcoin item.

My Picks:

To be fair, I'd pick about half the store if I could. But the must buys are all the starcoin items, shoes, and this jacket!

What I'm Unsure Of

The mens' outfit.  There have been plenty of denim shirts and pants, and no lack of fedoras. But the shoes and jacket are rather unique pieces. So I'm happy there is an outfit for them, it's just not as original as it could have been.

The prices. They're just fine. They're fairly standard for stores these days, they're not cheap, not expensive. Not much I can say there.

The graphics are super hit-and-miss, which again, is standard for these new stores. The Leopard Sweater Woman is flat looking, but the print is nice. The Jacket Women and Trousers Women have great graphics, and a truly bizarre choice of print.

Ultimately, there was nothing I hated, and this is a rather decent collection in my opinion!

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Review: Active

First of all... why are the words "women/woman" and "man" on everything. Just, why? Why do we need clothes to be gendered? Sure, they're shaped to fit one doll type of another, but plenty of us mix it up and wear the opposite. Why you gotta be so mean, stardoll? (Also, why do they say "women" on some and "woman" on others? Seriously, Stardoll, get your cat together.)

Anyway, for the items themselves I have rather mixed feelings.

What I Loved:

There's some shockingly good graphics going on in this collection. Active is usually known for being flat, textured and basic, and while some items definitely are, they're made up for by items like the Raincoat Women and the whole of the men's outfit.

Which of course is my next point  - yay, the guys have new clothes! And they're not black and basic, either. I can't say that I like the Outdoor Jacket per se, I'm just happy to see some nice graphics and new shapes on menswear.

The colours! There's a really nice range of greens and blues, which I just love. They're a little more usable than the earlier mismash, and actually make it look like a well put-together store.

My Picks:

Raincoat Women / Outdoor Jacket Man / Checker Shirt Woman

What I'm Unsure About:

This collection is a mix of summer, and winterwear. Why? I'm not too sure. I don't outright dislike it, to be fair, and as someone in the southern hemisphere's summer, it's almost nice they added in stuff I might actually wear right now. But it does stop it from looking quite as co-ordinated as it could.

The prices. 7sd is probably not something I'd ever pay for a white tee shirt, even a textured one, so that items ought to have been in sc. Otherwise, it's just not bad. Even if the starcoin items are pretty hideous,  everything is very reasonable and bordering on cheap.

What I Hated:

Seriously, the leggings look all kinds of wrong. They're bizarrely shiny (is that sweat or what?) and maybe it's my doll's shape, but they're wider than her legs, making shoe layering very tricky.

The Turquoise Swimwear. I'm sorry, but zoomed out it just looks like cheat hair on blue skin. 

That swimming cap. I really don't think this one needs explaining.

The ELEVEN STARDOLLAR UGLY SWIMMING BAG. Seriously, that belongs as some kind of 2011 freebie, not a stardollar item!

What did you think of this release?

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Review - Fendi

Long time, no post - but this store was such a tragedy, I just had to.

After last season's gorgeous clothes, this release just can't compare. And if you're looking for a cheaper alternative, don't forget about my post on Faking Fendi bags in the starplaza.

The bad starts with the item selection - of all the possible items from so many years of being in business, they chose some of the absolute worst items from the 2018 season. While I can understand that they're eager to actually get the trends up on time for once, there were so many more lovely - aka not hideous - items from their recent launch too. Instead, they chose to use items as worn by Bella Hadid and Kendall Jenner - basically, the last people I'd personally go to for fashion advice, even if they don't get a say in their runway outfits. The Stardoll prices reflect their medicrity - tribute-twenties mixed with over expectant thirties.

Seriously, though, their 2018 pre-fall collection is my definition of a must-have collection. There's prints and statement pieces. There's basics. There's textures. But oh no, we couldn't possibly get that now, could we?

My (Unrealistic) Wishlist - Fendi Items

Fendi Pre-Fall 2018

Fendi Spring 2017

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Budget Trends #1 - ft. Leighways

Hey everyone! It's been ages since I last reviewed a trend - but I thought I'd take a loot back at some of my previous trend reviews and make some Under35 versions! My friend Leigh aka Leighways also provided some non-ss friendly, sc versions.

This is the first of several, so I hope you enjoy!

Cold Shoulders:

This is such a confusing trend for me - you can check out my review HERE - but I can't deny, it's gown on me, perhaps due to some of the very awesome Stardolls I've seen wearing it recently. 

Under 35:

In Starcoins:

Sheer:

Sheer is another trend I reviewed - and still rather like. There's just so many variations! There's lace, fishnet, regular sheer, and combos. It's classy and cute and edgy all at once.

Under 35:

In Starcoins:

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Review : MR

My doll is plenty lady like, but who isn't excited to see some new male clothes in the starplaza?

But wait - isn't it women's international week? It's definitely a very weird choice in timing when it comes to this release. Perhaps they could have waited until Monday? I'm not offended, personally, it just feels a bit, well, insensitive.

What I Liked:

The pants. After several different dupes featuring various black pant styles, I'm definitely happy to see some new ones.The pinstripe tapered pants in sc decent, if a little plain, but the price is fine for what they are.

Have I mentioned recently that the mannequin stylists are doing a surprisingly decent job lately? These looks are just what I would expect for a user - or real life street style guy - to be seen wearing. Hope they keep it up! 

And the bags! Seriously, the last thing I expected to be loving from a men's store is most certainly the bags. But they're so nice looking, and cute - in a unisex kind of way. 

My Picks:

"Meh"

All the graphics tees. I love graphic tees, but after a while, they're just yet more wasted space. These are cool, and trendy, plus I wish they came in woman's shirts, but they remind me more of Identitee where graphic tops on basic shapes cost 2-4 stardollars. Which is honestly what these are worth - they're not new shapes, colours, or much of anything besides a 5-minute photoshopped slogan.

The prices. They're fine overall, and are pretty much what I expected. Not cheap, not expensive, just meh.

The graphics? What a mixed bag it is. The Tiger Shirt oddly resembles the old 2009 era of graphics. The floral sleeve shirt dress is all kind of weirdly flat and somehow shiny. 

I think I'm just a bit annoyed that there's no overarching theme - girls clearly get summer floors, autumn floors, floors about lace or florals or pastels. This just doesn't have that, it's just generic male clothes mushed in together again. The individual outfits appear to be somewhat themed, but I'm not convinced overall.

What I Hated:

Nothing much, really. The graphic tees are frustrating, but not hate-worthy, and the same goes for the odd graphics. 

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Review: VINYL

Am I allowed to swoon? Because I think I just might. Overall, this collection is a bit of a mixed bag. I came out of my first exam to see it, fell in love, then got home only to reconsider.

What I Loved:

How wonderfully normal this collection is! That might sound weird. Basically, I hate it when stores change aesthetic out of nowhere, and this floor absolutely fits with all the ones before it. It's casual, contemporary, and more than a little grunge.

The patterns. Far too often, I absolutely hate the patterns, or they're at best a mixed bag. This time, they're all super versatile and on trend to boot.

The starcoin items! There's five new ones, six in total.  They're all decent looking, if a touch overpriced.

My Picks:

Honestly, half this store made it onto my list, but these are the two that I've bought - so far, anyway.

"Meh"

I have to say, the graphics in this collection are either glorious, or awful. There's really nothing in the middle. 

As happy as I am that there's a male outfit - and one without black pants - it's still not super original. I don't hate it, I'm just mildly unimpressed.

What I HATED:

Do you know how many dupe posts I am half way through writing? Because this make number five. Seriously, stardoll, get some new ideas already! Half this store is unique and new but the other half makes me miserable all over again.

What did you think of this collection?

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REVIEW: Pearls

I can't freak out enough over this store! I am absolutely stoked with this collection overall, and I hope that we get a second floor asap!

What I Loved:

All the starcoin items! Not only are there 4 of them, they're absolutely lovely, and not overpriced either. There's five of them, including three clothing items!

The overall look of this store, especially the outfits on the mannequins, look like they were meant to go together which is always great! Even better, there's an interesting range of different items  to choose from, so there's something for everyone here.

There's also a good selection of definitely original pieces, and plenty of trend inspired pieces if you're more into that than vintage styles of previous floors.

My Picks:

I styled my picks again!  Unsurprisingly, I'm in love with the starcoin items. And who wouldn't be? 

What I Hated:

Unfortunately, a few things.

The overall textures and shades look very flat and plasticy, as opposed to, you know, like fabric. This is a bit of a theme in this store, though.

I've already done a Dupes post with white, wide leg pants. Seriously, nobody wanted another pair.

Also, there's several turtlenecks that look just like these ones already. And as much as I'm in love with trumpet sleeves, there's already a very similar-textured, all-navy one in the plaza already. I would have liked it all-white a lot better.

What did you think of this collection?

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Gag Gifts: This Royalty Member Is Unimpressed

My laptop decided to die today, so I couldn't get online, but I was super excited to find out we had a new  Royalty exclusive gift -  which, if you didn't catch it, look identical to the one on the left, from It Girls. The only difference is the colour.

And, in case you didn't notice last time, this has happened before. The previous gift, the Royalty Body Shirt, was also a jumpsuit, and a re-coloured version of a previously available item. And, the original versions of both items are horrendously overpriced.  You can check out my Ugly Duckling styling and review of the Body HERE.

So... what am I so unimpressed about?

I think it would be obvious. 

Quite simply, these are gag gifts. They're so promising, and such a small taste of what you'd expect for how much loyalty and payments Royalty members put in. I don't expect to be showered with gifts, but to have items simply recoloured and sold back to us is just appalling. If you're going to re-colour something, stick it into BASICS. No one is convinced that it's a good deal. If you're going to make something to keep your members happy, put some effort into it!

The other recent item, the Pearl Beaded Jacket, was an original Superstar exclusive gift. It, too, was very similar to a number of similar items gone by, but at least it was not a simply re-coloured version - the pose was different, there was added texture, and it was actually something new. It's not my personal favourite, granted, but there was a clear effort put in by the stardoll staff.

And don't get me started on the bizzare mix that is the Superstar Weekly gifts..

Let's hope that whatever comes next, for Royalty and SS members all round, is much more original than these recent items.

Anyway, what do you think of the recent gifts?

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Review: Royalty

Seriously mixed feelings, yet again.

As I mentioned on my post for SMW, I just do not understand why stardoll bothers putting regular prices in the Royalty store when the only people who can buy from it are guaranteed the discount, for one thing. But that's just in general.

What I Loved:

The coats the coats the coats! IRL me has recently invested in maybe a few too many coats. Stardoll me should probably buy some more. But regardless, I love these ones! There's such a nice mix of plain and bold, and they're all pretty well made graphic-wise. 

The guys outfit! Ok, so the jeans are a bit basic, but the coat and coloured shoes are definitely something new and will make great additions to any guy doll's wardrobe.

The "Knee High Pointy Suede Boots" were instant additions to my wishlist. If you're new to this blog, you might not know that I collect tall boots. Or really any kind of boot. These were an instant must-have for me!

The textured items  - being mohair and sequins  - actually look really good texture wise, and look even better up close than on the mannequin. That, for me, is always a win.

I also just love the overall aesthetic of the store. It's a nice mix of cuddly casual clothes and structured wear, but it all seems to make sense through the use of a good colour palette.

My Picks:

Hidden, And Detailed

So, the "Pink Corset Top"  was hiding from me when I initially wrote up this review. It's so detailed! I don't really like the style of it, but I have got to give a huge amount of credit for the shading in this.

What I Hated:

I'm skipping right over "meh" today.

Because the prices, for one thing, are horrendous. They're absolutely the kind of price you'd pay for a tribute, but the thing is, they aren't tributes. They don't have a rare brand, they're not limited by time to buy, they're nothing special demanding such high costs at all. 

Then there is the shoes. The "Artisan Silk Platforms" are some of the most atrocious looking things I've seen for a while. And for stardollars, no less! The "Silk Bow Platforms" oddly look better up close. Zoomed out, the graphics look all kinds of flat and I can't tell what they're supposed to even be.

The "Skirt Pant Combo". I am all for skirts with pants - but this? Not this. For one thing, these could have made decent separates. Oh, who am I kidding, the pants are awful, the skirt is below par in shape and shading, and it's just all kinds of bad. 

What did you think of this release?

(PS: I'm still working to fix my Disqus comments, sorry.)

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Review: Original Future

This is one of the few times where I'm genuinely disappointed in the size of a store. And I don't usually like OF all that much! But of course, there's those recoloured items...

What I Loved:

I love the different textures and shapes they've brought out with this collection, they're all really well made an no one items looks worse off than the others. 

My Picks:

This time, I bought and styled both items.

Left - Original Future Original Future TShirt Dress (starcoins)

Right - Original Future Quilted Green Jacket

What's "?"

One thing that this collection is, is messy. Nothing looks like it goes together shape- or colour-wise. But, - and this is a big but - that's what Original Future generally is. I don't like it, and I won't pretend to, but I suppose at least they're being consistent.

They included non-accessory stardoll items! Ok, so neither one is all that exciting, and both are definitely overpriced, but I suppose at least they included something, right?

Also, the size of this store, as mentioned before, is tiny. Half of it is made up by the previous season's items. I would have loved to see a bigger, better range, seeing as what few items we do have actually are well designed.

What I Hated:

In all honesty, this entire floor SHOULD HAVE BEEN the newest BASICS. I mean, more than half of these are recoloured versions of the others, which is just appalling. And, other than the Quilted Green Jacket's pose, these are just the most utterly average, seen it all before, collection of things.

What do you think of this collection?

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Review: Marc Jacobs

To say I have mixed feelings is inadequate.

What I Liked:

There were a couple of good things about this collection.

Firstly, all the graphic shadings and textures were excellent. Nothing to fault on that account.

The interior was also absolutely stunning, and the kind of room you don't need to add anything to, which is great for people like me who want to focus on the outfit more.

My Picks:

Mixed Feelings:

 I'm always interested and excited when I see new and crazy fashion concepts, especially on stardoll.
The concept of this, and the chosen items, were plenty exciting. In practice it is, however, a mess. I absolutely want to love it but I just can't, for so many reasons.

A glaring issue for me is that some of these items look fine on the mannequin, but look proportionately all kinds of wrong when on the doll. Other items are made to look like they're on angles, or have a light source from a particular side. Which, on the graphics front, seems great, but it's entirely impractical when attempting to pair them up with other things. Consistency in graphic styles is always difficult to find and style around on stardoll, but this takes it to a new level.

On one hand, it's nice to see such a variety of items as to have at least one piece for everyone - except for the boys, which is a typical tribute issue. The big problem with having so many different things is that, as mentioned, they don't go together. It doesn't look so much like a curated store, so much as a chaotic toddler's collection of sparkly things. If only they'd stuck to the inspiration!

What I Disliked:

Not one of these "outfits" on the display look anything like how you would ever want to wear the pieces, which makes them look much less appealing. Which led me to try create other outfits using the store pieces only - and it was just too difficult. There's almost nothing that makes sense together, as an outfit or store as a whole. 

Did I mention the horrdenously short, actually indecent length of the MJ Inspired Sequin MiniDress
& the MJIspired Ruffle Draped Dress? The inspiration version isn't that short, so this is just beyond an unfortunate choice - it would be very scanty and truly unwearable in real life. The MJ Inspired Platform Shoes Black  also look like whoever's feet they're modeled off must either be child-sized or positively squished. IRL, my feet are tiny (US 3 - 5 depending on fit,) and I don't think they'd look quite so odd as these shoes do.

And then there's the hair in the advert. The left, at least, is a tress up design. And both are clearly inspired by the real life runway hairs. Both are things I like to see. The issue? There's absolutely no way we could colour our dolls' hair like this, no matter how much we wanted to! 

The Ugly Truth:

Bankgeek17 helped find these two to compare - on the left, the current seasons jacket. On the right, the last seasons.

Graphic wise, these are two different beasts of two different textures. But shape and inspiration wise, they're identical. The new one has an added "belt", but that is it. The same button placements, same zips, same collar, same fur. Needless to say, I'm unimpressed. This is barely better than just the regular old recolourings, and only because they added texture as well. That belt addition fooled no-one.

What did you think about this collection?

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Trend Review - Showing Shoulder

Cold shoulder, off the shoulder items - shirts, dresses, and even jumpers -  have been making the rounds recently.

Personally, I like it in summer , or transitional seasons, but the concept of doing it to Winter clothing is just as baffling to me as jeans with fake pockets. The very purpose of wearing a jumper is so you stay nice and warm - adding holes isn't helping anyone.

One big market that cold shoulder items cater to really well is the older fashionistas, as well as anyone working in a strict or formal wear industry. Why? Well because it's a subtle way to show skin, and it's also one of the few areas on the body that you're unlikely to get wrinkles or acne. So, compared to low-back or deep-necked items, as a little hint of skin, cold shoulders work great for almost anyone.

There's also plenty of variety in terms of cuts, colours, prints, and types of items.

In terms of longevity, though, this trend is nearly impossible to adjust later on. You could potentially patch over the shoulder, but there's a good chance it will look obvious or ugly. 

Rating: 7.5/10

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PNGs vs STARDOLL

Everyone loved the Faking Fendi post, so I wanted to do something similar - but with a twist!

I was keen to see if there were any free PNG items that had also made their way into the stardoll starplaza - and of course, which one is better for you $$!

I did a little teaser of this on Instagram, so hopefully at least a few of you got curious enough to check out the blog from that.

Now before anyone gets mad at me, I do know that there are other items out there, including  from previous tributes. However my focus was on stuff you can currently buy in the plaza. (28/07/2017)

Red Cape:

LEFT - Akiee : Red Coat

RIGHT - Alpine Chalet Rogue Cashmere Coat

The huge disadvantage with the Apres Ski version is that you need the Alpine Chalet in order to own it, which is not cool. It also has a really odd spotted texture to it. Plus, the PNG version has shadow effects which look a lot more realistic when layering it on the doll. Both have issues with shape, texture and shading, so this is a tie.

YSL Sparkly Boots

LEFT- Angelinaver: Walking Pose Glitter Boots 

RIGHT - YSL Tribute 2017 Crystals Scrunched Boots

Of course, there's always something so must-have yet totally extra about poses - and sparkles. Put them together and you've got some seriously statement boots. I think that the heel on the stardoll version - and the issues some users have with loading them - lead to the stardoll ones being the losers out of this pair. The pricing and tribute limiting it's purchase and future value add to the reasons why Stardoll's version won't be on my wishlist any time soon.

Red Puffer Jacket:

There are a large number of puffer jackets, both in stardoll and png formats. But these were the two I thought were best to compare.

LEFT: Museum Mile Femdem Jacket 

RIGHT: Jailer Puffer w. Clutch

One distinct advantage of Jailer's coats is that they come in a large variety of colours. But a huge drawback it the included clutch, which limits the styling possibilities. While I like the shadows on Jailer's piece much more, I think the softer highlights of the stardoll version are better suited to a puffer jacket's shape. Overall, this is another tie for me.

Laced Up Choker:

LEFT: Bruna Graphics SD Choker 

RIGHT: Evil Panda Suede Lace Up Chooker

I'm going to say it - this was not a fair fight. I love the Evil  Panda one - even if they spelt it "Chooker" instead of "Choker". It's super cute and suite-friendly. But it's got nothing on the super detailed, lovely and decorated one by Bruna. We all know she's the winner out of these two.

Who do you think wins overall - Stardoll, or the PNGs?

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REVIEW : FY Store

Is it me, or does the aesthetic here just completely not exist? 

Seriously, what is it supposed to be? I decided to check out the site it's promoting - fyiam.com - and came out with even less of an idea.

The real store is largely art and accessory based, with a few pieces home and beauty, which at least explains the types of items. But the colours and styles so totally do not go together. I doesn't look kitschy - just messy.

Case in point - the window. What are they even trying to do with this? There's not even two things here that go together.

What I Loved:

Yes, it's been a while since I got to review "loved" items. 

My absolute fave are the "Empress Glitter Bags" are an automatic favourite. Glitter, plus bag, plus good graphics, makes these three items true winners.

Also - so many earrings! Personally, I don't like it when you have to buy a left and right separately, but the designs and appropriately lowered price make up for it.

The "Meh":

The "Mystery Pack" styled items. I've always loved random boxes, so these are a cool, exciting way of doing it stardoll-styled. I like the concept a lot, but it could have been done a little differently - like, you can see the shape or texture or whatever, but not the real item. And besides that, the lip pieces look super weird.

As a side-note, the "Marble Clutch In Black" is an ok item, but the title suggests that there's another, not-black item - and since new stores are usually released with two floors, one at a time, I'm desperately hoping for a white version. 

The items with multiple different colours just kind of underwhelms. It's nice to have options, and at least this time - unlike with Clique - they're done so to match the real ones, so I can't fault them for that.

What I Hated:

As is too often mentioned - the prices. The "Berlin Special Glitter Pack" might technically cost you less than had each item been individually priced, but it just seems like far too much to pay for something when you don't even know what it will end up being.

Like I mentioned, the total lack of a clear aesthetic. Maybe it's just because the other stores - even just individual floors - are usually so clearly themed and put together, but I just hate the way this one looks overall. There's no colour cohesion or shape to it. There's no connection from one item to the next - unless you count two glitter items, which I definitely do not.

FACIAL OIL. The Nelly perfumes are at least a little pretty or celeb-themed for fans. This is just a little yellow bottle of overpriced uselessness. I guess at least it's in starcoins?

What did you think of this store - and do you want a second floor?

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Review: Lost At Sea Campaign

Stardoll has run so many campaigns over the years, with the absolute, all-time, crowd favourites being the original gift-o-meters - back when we had both Stardollar, AND Starcoin meters to complete. It meant that everyone could get involved, and being time-limited, we all went more than a little bit nuts trying to spend just. Two. More. Stardollars.

But this time, they went with a Treasure Hunt!

(Don't worry, #trendregrets will resume Monday.)

What I Loved:

The interior! Okay, so, I'm probably not going to use it much as I am not the kind of girl to put my doll in bathing suits (we call them "togs" here!), or in flippers, or in a mermaids tail. And I'm not talented enough - or rich enough - to make this interior look like anything other than it is. 

That it was free. The one issue with Gift-O-Meters - especially the stardollar or superstar-purchase requiring ones that we've had recently - is that they cost a lot, to mostly gain items that would most likely have ended up in tribute stores instead. Oh, and many of those so-called "exclusive" and "time limited" items have ended up re-released into Callie's Picks. But that's a whole other rant.

The totally simple treasure hunt was great as well. You had a day or two to find each creature, and unlike previous campaigns, they were in popular, well-visited areas of the site and were easy to spot on the left hand, upper corner of the main menu.

THE PARTY ROOMS.

This needed a whole section of it's own.

But, seriously. 99% of the time, new or temporary chat rooms go unused, because buying limited time or special party rooms costs a horrendous amount of money for something that doesn't affect the chatting experience very much at all. The underwater world was free, the Beach was the standard 5 stardollars, with the seabed a shockingly low 2 stardollars. Considering the majority of users aren't using the chats much anymore, I think this will at least make it more accessible for those who do, and I can appreciate their need to charge for new things, even ones not as well used.

One thing that I always find entertaining in Chat rooms is the ability for chat owners to move around the furniture - which new ones often lack. So the bubbles and sea-creatures in the Underwater Party room made me way more excited than I should have been.

Do you know what else made me ridiculously happy? The fact that two of theme could be created by non-ss members! This is great fro new members who need to do their academy tasks, or anyone who wants to run their own party but doesn't want to pay for the extremely overpriced other ones. Good job, Stardoll.

The Thing People Complained About:

Needing SS to get the interior was disappointing for many, but from my perspective, it was a good idea. It meant already paying members got a reward for their cash. Or, they could pay a bit more and get another gift. Too often, people who are already ss are left out in the cold with non-paying members, which is just a terrible direction for a business to go in. Rewarding the customers you have keeps them coming back, keeps them paying, but catering solely to potential customers is not going anywhere good - especially if they can see how little they get out of their payments. In other words, I'm with Stardoll on this one.

What was "MEH"

Which leads me to... that hair. I have yet to see someone make it look incredible, but I've also yet so see anyone make it look horrible.  It's a "meh" item for sure, as will be all Tress Up and parlor hair until we can layer them over and under designs. Or maybe they're all "meh" because the designs look super flat and just not very wearable. Who knows.

The Atlantean "code" and "translation". Not sure what the meant to achieve, since we never could read the whole thing, it felt like a slight waste of time. They did put an "alphabet" up on several social media platforms but, honestly, I'm not going to spend my time decoding it and I've yet to see anyone else do it, either.

The final prizes/gifts. I'm going to do a style of a couple of the clothing items at some point, but while very cute - and totally usable with the interior - mostly, creatures just seemed a little useless. A nice skirt or dress or even shoes to match might have been nice, since mos members are here for fashion more than furniture from my experience.

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Faking Fendi: Stylings + Reviews

I decided to combine my stylings with item reviews, to judge whether or not these are worth buying compared to tribute versions.

I tried to keep in mind the price point as well when rating them.

Minimalism: Classic Fendi Bag

It was only when I started trying to style this that I discovered what an odd shade of grey it actually is. Which, as a sole grey in a coloured or monchrome look, isn't such a bad thing. It does become an issue though is when you go to pair it with blacks and other greys. But I was determined to do it, and I'm fairly impressed with the end result.

There's a lot of layering and, yes, decor potential with this bag, so there's not a lot to loose.

Rating: 8.25/10 - Will undoubtedly wear again!

Mr: Monster Backpack

The cheapest of the lot, and unfortunately for good reason. It was very difficult to figure out how to position it in the doll - which leg, and in front or behind he pants. No position looked all that realistic, due to the odd position and angle of it. I did end up liking the blue and orange, but outside of using those two, not many colours would look decent with this one.

It's a shame, because the concept is super cute and the graphics are pretty decent.

Rating: 6/10 - I'll forget I bought this by next week.

It Girls: Olivia Shoulder Bag

My instant issue, as was addressed in the previous post, is the fact that this just isn't Fendi enough. If I'm shelling out for a piece of brand-inspired goodness, I want to know who it's buy just by looking at it. I should need to go on google or read the label. 

In saying that, it's still super cute, very cheap, absolutely trending and almost too easy to style. You can never have too many black bags!

Rating: 7.5/10 - User-friendly staple piece. 

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Trend Review: Silk Look

The reason I'm calling it "silk look" is because real, genuine silk is expensive. I've been shopping around recently for a dress irl, and almost none of the "silk" dresses are actually silk, or if they are, it's as a blend.

So, most people are wearing silk look, instead of the real deal.

Truthfully, I could divide this review up into many sections, because while silk and silk-blends and silk-look-a-likes are traditionally used as dress fabric, or for bedroom wear, the look and texture is becoming more and more common to see in day jackets, pants, even handbags and shoes.

But - what do I think of it?

Firstly, it's not a trend that's likely to last. So I'd invest in items that you can, in fact, wear around the bedroom because it won't be long before that's the only place you will want to wear them.

But, why do I think it won't last as a trend?

It's extremely delicate, for one thing. It doesn't often last the test of time, loosing its colour and texture. It also stains easily, which is then difficult to remove. Cheaper, fake versions are also extremely flimsy and thin, so are unlikely to last for more than a handful of washes.

It's also not a trend that's very adaptable. It is what it is, and you can't change what a fabric looks like, outside of dyes.

Undeniably, though, it is a trend that's versatile here and now. There's seemingly limitless colours, shapes, and styles of items which this fabric can cover and mold into. This means that it can suit just about everyone, and there's no pressure to buy a certain colour or type over another.

This trend is flexible, but only for the time being.

Rating: 6.75/10

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Camo Print - Pros and Cons

I haven't had the time for a full review and lookbook lately, so I thought I'd mix it up a little! it's in two lists, 5 pros and 5 cons along with outfits!


Being quite busy these last two weeks, I used items I already owned instead of the plaza this time. I'll do a 35 post to make up for it!

Pros

1. Many different colours and combinations to choose from
2. Mostly neutral, so can often go well with other prints and colours
3. Goes alongside the current trend of military fashion
4. Comes in a variety of print sizes and shapes
5. A common print so easy to find - both in real stores and on stardoll

Cons

1. Reminds me of hunting
2. Looks odd when worn with, or is in, bright colours
3. Not a flatteringly print - can be widening around the body
4. Hard to wear two pieces at once and have them both match
5. Very informal, hard to dress up for special occasions

Outfits:

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