Blue World Style: The Making of Iris Ophelia in Blue Mars

For my first Blue World Style post, it seems natural to discuss how I developed my avatar in Blue Mars. However, while Hamlet has a very distinctive look, my appearance is constantly fluctuating depending on what I’m writing about– that’s the nature of writing about fashion in Virtual Worlds after all, you tend to become what you’re wearing. I decided that the best way to pick my first look would be to combine how I look in real life with my more idealized Second Life self.

The one thing I was most sure of in creating Iris Ophelia in Blue Mars was that I needed a new skin and shape. Since I tend to see Iris’ facial features as sharper than the default female shape, my first stop was Moxxi in Port Town for a nicely detailed skin and a slightly more sculpted shape. I’m also very partial to brown hair, being a brunette in real life, and while I love how the long brown default hairstyle moves, the shape of the bangs doesn’t do much for me. I grabbed my hair from Shade City, one of my favorite shopping locations, and also where I grabbed my glasses. I don’t wear glasses in many of my posts, but I love wearing them when I’m exploring a virtual world, even though (and precisely because) they’re entirely unnecessary online, but very necessary to me in reality.

The next step was of course some new clothes. While the mesh and texturing of the default shirt and shorts are very well done, they’re really not my thing. I wanted something a little sweeter and more feminine, which is why I have a couple of the adorable sweetheart-cut dresses from Pink Fizzy Soda Designs in Misty Hollow. The fit isn’t too bulky, and I love the detailing on the bodice, which definitely gives the dress a little added oomph. I also grabbed one of the nude underwear sets from Estelle Parnall in Fashion Esplanade to wear under the dress, for the sake of avoiding any unsightly straps. The final touch is a pair of boots from Adam’n’Eve in Caledonia, and these boots were an absolute no-brainer. Adam’n’Eve make some of the most delicious shoes in Second Life, as well as skins and clothes, so I’m thrilled to see this long established digital brand branching into Blue Mars. I particularly love the detailing of the leather underneath the buttons on these gorgeous boots– they may even be a bit too fierce for this ensemble, but I couldn’t resist them.

The final step in recreating Iris Ophelia is of course her makeup. I have a habit of getting very carried away in Blue Mars’ makeup system, something which I will write extensively about in the future, but I tried to keep it a little simple for now with some sheer pink lip gloss, blush, cat-eye eyeliner, and a little eyeshadow. I also used the makeup layer to darken my eyebrows slightly, as well as adding a beauty mark to my cheek, similar to one I have in real life.

While I really like this look for now, I'm not 100% satisfied with it-- it'll take a little more time and a lot more shopping for that! Fashion is growing so quickly in Blue Mars, so I'm really looking forward to bringing more style and beauty into the spotlight for our BM avatars. Of course I'm also really hoping to hear from the community as well! If you have fashion tips, avatar looks, or anything at all that you'd like to share with me, please send an email my way!