Doing Drag in Second Life: Part III

If you can’t love yourself, how in the hell are you gonna love somebody else! Can I get an amen?

—RuPaul Charles, RuPaul’s Drag Race

My favourite reality TV show is RuPaul’s Drag Race! I never fail to miss a new episode. Currently I’m enjoying the very first season of the U.K. version of the show. I’m also a fan of the alternative, horror-themed drag TV show Dragula. I’m just so taken with the Charisma, Uniqueness, Nerve, and Talent demonstrated by the RPDR contestants (or, in the case of Dragula, the four tenets of Drag, Filth, Horror, and Glamour).

Given my hobby of designing complete avatar looks in Second Life, perhaps it’s not so surprising that I have written before on this blog about creating several drag queen avatar looks here, here, and here. (“Girl, you betta work!“, as RuPaul herself would say…)

So, when I found out that the edgy fashion store Boys to the Bone had an October 2019 group gift of a black mesh ballgown with a plunging neckline, designed specifically for male avatars, I decided to build a complete look around it! The Morticia gown comes in three shades of black: light black, dark black, and shiny black. Here my drag queen avatar, MissDrag, is wearing the dark black gown:

The Morticia gown is sized to fit the Belleza Jake mesh body, and I had to fiddle a bit with the body sliders and alpha sections on my Altamura Romeo mesh body to make it work. I still had a bit of a problem at the back of the neckline, but the Nikki wig covers that area quite nicely!

The fabulous drag queen wig selection at ZsaZsa’s House of Beauty

This avatar is wearing:

  • Mesh Head and Body, Including Lipstick and Nailpolish: Romeo by Altamura (a past Valentine’s Day group gift; the Altamura group costs L$50 to join; you will have to buy and install the Omega system kit on the Romeo body to be able to apply the eye makeup below (it’s for sale for L$99 at this exact SLURL)
  • Dress: Morticia gown in dark black (group gift from Boys to the Bone; the BTTB group costs L$100 to join)
  • Jewelry: Ophira by Lazuri (free, from the Free Dove at this exact SLURL)
  • Mesh Feet and Shoes (Not Shown): black chained sandal by Ydea (free from The Free Dove at this exact SLURL; just the thing to replace those masculine feet!)
  • Wig: Nikki wig in red (naturals pack; L$235 from ZsaZsa’s House of Beauty, the finest collection of drag queen wigs on the grid!)
  • Eye Makeup: Vanilla makeup set; L$200 from Dotty’s Secret (the best drag queen makeup store in Second Life)

TOTAL COST FOR THIS AVATAR: Only L$684!

Pictures were taken at ZsaZsa’s House of Beauty and Dotty’s Secret.

Second Life Steals, Deals, and Freebies: JUMO Easter Egg Hunt

Now, one of the tips I have shared with you is to watch carefully for periods when you can join store groups for free. If you joined the JUMO group for free over the Christmas holidays, it’s time to pick up some Easter goodies! The store is offering its group members a free L$300 gift card for its clothing store, and another free L$300 gift card for its hair store! (If you missed your chance to join for free, the group join fee is only L$350, so you still come out ahead if you join now.)

But that’s not all! There’s also an easter egg hunt throughout the JUMO stores, with some lovely prizes for only L$15 each! You don’t need to join the group to get the bargains, and the eggs are large and placed out in the open, so they are easy to find. Prizes include hairstyles, jewelry, and haute couture with the signature JUMO touch.

Here’s an example of an outfit I was able to put together:

Vanity Fair is wearing:

Gown: Colette ballgown by JUMO (from the Easter egg hunt; only L$15!)

Earrings: Sienna earrings by Lazuri (a gift from a shopping event last winter; for some reason I can’t find their store in-world)

Hair: Eva from JUMO Hair (using the L$300 gift card I picked up)

Vanity is also wearing:

(Pictures taken at Frank’s Place Jazz Club.)

Second Life Steals, Deals, and Freebies: What a Little Moonlight Can Do

I don’t usually do this, but sometimes I feel like pulling together a look in Second Life and just taking a photo. And when you find an awesome freebie like this Franceline ballgown by Brii, you want to show it off!

This picture was taken at the Pino 1951 bar, which is all crushed red velvet, cigarette smoke, and spotlights for the strippers who are trying to make a buck while the rain is pouring outside in the alleyway. It’s a remarkably well-put-together evocation of a certain place and time in history. The music is all smooth jazz vocalists. You almost expect Frank Sinatra and the rest of the Rat Pack to stroll in and ask for a cocktail.

Here’s a view of this simply stunning gown from the back. It has materials enabled, and it really shimmers!

My avatar is wearing:

Mesh Head: the Altamura Leila head (free advent group gift which is no longer available; the group Altamura was L$50 to join, plus L$99 for the Omega relay; more information here)

Head Skin Applier: Omega fullbody skin applier, another free advent group gift from Altamura; again, this is no longer available; more information here

Mesh Body: the free Jenny mesh body by Altamura (a former Women Only Hunt gift; note that the Jenny Altamura mesh avatar body is also available at the Freebie Megastore at London City, however, you cannot remove the included head on that version as I did here)

Earrings: Perllina earrings by Lazuri (a free gift from a recent Christmas shopping event, no longer available)

Gown: gold Franceline ballgown by Brii (free gift at this SLURL; you must join the SL Frees & Offers group for free to get this group gift). This stunning gown with the golden sheen comes with earrings, bracelets and even a hair decoration! I decided to go with the Perllina earrings instead.

Hair: Aria by D!va (free group gift; group is free to join)

TOTAL COST FOR THIS AVATAR: L$149 (L$50 for the Altamura group join fee, plus L$99 for the Omega system kit for Altamura)