f

Monday 28 July 2014

They Wore LE

Just a small handful of snaps from members wearing the new LE collection!

Saturday 26 July 2014

LE Styled Outfits - P A R T 1

So, time for 'Part 1' of my stylings of the new LE collection! Above you can see the pieces that I picked up yesterday, and this is a very quick post of stylings of the two dresses that I bought - the Fringed Tank Dress and the Sherriff Chiffon Maxi. Both are a tad sheer, the first a little more so, so I chose undergarments for this one, and decided on this Nelly oversized jacket which I love. Simple heels work with anything, so those are what I went for - I've also noticed that recently I have been turning to necklaces a little more, hopefully this is something I can keep up with! For the second, I chose very basic, with pretty much just the dress, a boho sort of style which I really love seeing, moreso on others before now as I don't think my doll pulls it off very well! Accessorised with a different pair of black sandals (I kinda love this pair, I never really see them worn that much!) and then this silver fringed bag on it's first outing for me I think - it has always seemed quite tricky to style right but I like it with this dress, so maybe it's found it's style niche and I can give it another go soon =)
Part 2 will contain stylings for the two different tops I bought and I look forward to seeing what I come up with for them =D 
{Zadig&Voltaire images from style.com}

Friday 25 July 2014

LE | Release Review

So the brand new collection of LE came out today, as expected - what wasn't expected was me logging in at 9am and barely 5 minutes later it was all available, how perfect! Anyway, I have to say we were pretty prepared for this collection having had the Face of LE competition on Instagram which was won by the wonderful and deserving xxEwelina1996xx! I even told her last week that I hoped she would win =) Her entries were fab and you guys should check them out! Anyway, as we knew, the collection would be grunge/hip-hop/Kate Moss but it's quite different to what was expected I think, so let's take a gander:
We had 3 floors packed with numerous outfits kinda almost on the given theme, and we also had 3 outfits for guys - in the past handful of collections we have been seeing more LE clothing for guys which is great, and is definitely heading in the right direction providing for a slightly wider audience, however compared the the girls clothing, they're not really the best pieces. Anyway, we had a variety of tops, bottoms and dresses along with the usual bunch of accessories - and speaking of accessories, I was a bit disappointed with them, and out of over 20 items I only ended up purchasing one hat. Normally I'm a bit bigger on the accessories of LE collections, but they are designed quite well and are based on some great RL pieces, plus they do fit with the collection, I know some people will love them though, especially those Cowboy Boots and the Celine wedges! I think it's quite obvious that neither grunge nor hip-hop are my style if you've seen even just a couple of my outfits, so I wasn't holding out much hope for finding more than one or two clothing items in the collection to work for my style, but I managed to get a whole handful of pieces! To me this really says that the collection wasn't really all that grunge/hip-hop like, but I do see Kate Moss in there a bit, especially with that pretty maxi dress, one of the first pieces I quite happily added to my basket! A few of the people I've seen discussing the collection seem to be on the same chain of thought that it's not very grunge-like, but really it doesn't bother me that much.
Prices for the collection ranged from 35 to 220 SD's, which is pretty average for an LE collection and really shouldn't shock anyone. I ended up choosing the more simple pieces which could easily combine into my wardrobe and pieces which I can see I will love wearing. I'm not able to do my typical stylings of anything right now, but I'll have those all prepared for you over the weekend - but right now I'd like to see what you guys can do! Show me your best stylings of the new LE collection pieces that you have bought in the comments and there may be a little something in it for you^^

Feature Focus Fridays | #3 Boyish blues

Spotted this look this week and took a quick picture right away of karmelitamiro! I really love this, and it's not really something which would maybe normally catch my eye, but this combination rocks on her doll =) Another look with the Mom Cropped Sweatshirt with this one taking a more tomboy/laid back look. It looks fab with the street shorts, and the off-the-shoulder cardi totally transforms the sweatshirt into a different piece I think! Love these shoes, and I think the necklace and bag choices were great, the colours work well with the other blues and they definitely fit the overall look =D 

Feature Focus Fridays | #2 Sheer heart

Yet another good look from GMonster, this time wearing another piece from the new-ish Bizou collection, the Seine Swimsuit. The overall shape of this piece is a little odd and so far it's proven very difficult to style really well, but this look definitely tops it! It also combines in with the 'underwear as outerwear' trend somewhat, and the piece works perfectly as a top half to a trouser combination and it looks fab with the sheer heart long sleeved top. The red lips and accessories give it a vamp-esque edge to it, I love it!

Feature Focus Fridays | #1 Classy crop

I'm starting to introduce a schedule to my posting more now that the latest challenge has ended to keep me posting regularly, so I introduce Feature Focus Fridays - nothing about my doll, it's all about 'Features'!
First look for the day comes from baby_lush11, who wears the Mom Cropped Sweatshirt amazingly! It's a piece I immediately looked over because I had no idea how I've styled it, but here is someone who has managed =) Showing a lot of midriff can be detracting from a look, but combined with this skirt, the sweater gives just the right amount of skin, it's not too much, but it's enough to look stylish. Great shoe choice, those Riviera sandals work well in a lot of situations, and this is just another. Plus it's good to see that bright clutch being used well, it's a piece I didn't purchase due to not knowing when/how I'd use it! 
Also, doesn't that hair look great?!?!

Thursday 24 July 2014

C O L L A R E D D E N I M D R E S S

As promised, my next post is on the Collared Denim Dress from the newest Bizou release. It cost 16SD, so maybe a little on the pricier side if you're living Stardoll on a small budget. I loved this piece in the release but was a tad hesitant to purchase because my first question on sight was 'How would I style this?' - took the risk anyway and now bring you two stylings of the dress! Tried to keep both looks summery with white season specific shoes (gotta love those Pretty 'n Love sandals and the Hot Buys booties, need to wear those more!) then chose some outerwear/top half clothing. Firstly ended up going with this blue based sweater, it is definitely much more of an autumn/winter piece, but with the lower neckline it's perfect for collared shirts or dresses like this one. Then I chose the RIO cape, a piece which I don't think I've worn before, which is quite formal, but hey, it seems to work well with this casual denim dress! I really love both looks which I've put together and can't wait to see how some of you guys style this dress too =D

Wednesday 23 July 2014

Pale Magenta

Blush Crop Top- Yves Saint Laurent Tribute
Adagio Skirt- Voile
Beige Haze Heels- Frankie Morello Tribute

And Today I Wore

So I've refreshed my closet selection and this set of clothes should make a few weeks of outfits! I've been much more select than last time, with under 15 items of clothing - if I could live my Stardoll life forever with just this much, it'd be great, but lets face it, I couldn't manage it!!! Anyway, today I chose a casual white outfit, picking this great 'Paris' tee {It Girls} and unconventionally pairing it with a lace skirt {Pretty 'n Love}. I accessorised very simply with just white/silver (very undecided on what colour they actually are!) heels and a pretty Nelly necklace - a piece I love and don't wear enough! Still haven't taken this hair off, people seem to love it on me rather a lot, and I think I might have to agree with them that it sure does suit my doll =D 

Tuesday 22 July 2014

L A C E T R I M M E D T E E

Stardoll released a new bunch of Bizou clothes yesterday into the Plaza and I think they're a very nice summer collection - not your typical summery pieces I'd say, but things which work well for those dolls dying in the heat and things which are easy to combine in with current wardrobes. So here's the two Plaza home windows which the clothes currently occupy:
I love the denims on offer, the collared dress is fab and is going to be the focus of my next post, while today's post is a Styled Outfit post for another of the items which isn't featured above, the Lace Trimmed Tee, which costs 186SC's - an accessible piece for everyone, and it actually was the first piece I knew I had to buy from the collection! I've loved wearing stripes this year, and with the added lace, it's a very cute but stylish piece. I've chosen to style it in two very white based looks (it wasn't intentional, promise!) for the summer, and if the temps where you are are anything like they are with me, then the lighter the colour, the better!
Firstly picked Nelly white jeans which are always good to pop on, and I kept white in the bag, picking Dior. Then went maybe a tad crazy on the belt and shoes by going with yellow - in hindsight I'm not sure how wise this was, but at the time I liked it, and it doesn't not go, it just doesn't go amazingly! Secondly picked the Basics white maxi skirt (at 52SC, it's an absolute bargain) then simple black heels and a nude clutch - it seemed harder to choose shoes and a bag for this look for some reason, but I think keeping it really simple is the way forward =D

Which pieces did you guys end up buying from this new release, and how did you style them? Let me know in the comments below! (P.S. Let me know if the link to the tee in the plaza works, if so, I might do this more often)

Sunday 20 July 2014

As close to Grunge as I could go!

Miloshki looks great today - I think this is the furthest towards 'grunge' I could manage, and it's not even that grunge-like! It would be a great entry for the Face of LE contest that ends today! Anyway, these trousers are fab yet hard to style and they look great here with the simple blouse and jacket. I also love the fringed bag and choice of hair, along with the beauty look chosen =)

Friday 18 July 2014

Happy Birthday!!!

Today, 18th July 2014 is the official 3rd birthday of the blog - happy birthday The Stardoll Lookbook =D I made this at the end of May, partly so I wouldn't forget and partly so that it would actually get done, so it's not perfect, it's my first graphic after a pretty looooong break! Enjoy your day everyone!

Wednesday 16 July 2014

Classic in Dior Couture

Fab classic look from AngelOoops today =) I've never thought about this Dior skirt before, but this great look has made me have a re-think and kind of want to give styling it a try! I love it paired with that simple white vest and the black selection of accessories!

Emerald green

Love this look from empsiekaatje! I know it seems a little more autumn/winter-y, but I had to feature it anyway =) Love the cropped trousers, I think they look perfect with the adorable ankle socks and white lace-ups, a combination which never looks right on my doll but amazing on others! The Gucci shawl ... can't get over the fact that it can indeed be worn well - I owned it once and for about two weeks straight I tried to style it and failed! Major applause needed here^^ And that new hair looks great - it has suited everyone I've seen wear it so far!

Tuesday 15 July 2014

Seaside views

Gotta love a greatly styled suite every now and then - and Marbum's done it again! I love love love this room so much, it's got the perfect feel for summer and is so light and airy, I could live there in RL, honestly wish I did, haha! Blue is a great summer colour, probably because it's the colour of the sea, and it just sits nicely with a lot of white, and white wood, which it is here! Everything has been placed well and overall it's a great room design - I wish I had the brains to come up with stuff like this!!!

T R E S S U P | Release Review

So today Stardoll treated us with some fabulous new hairs - it seems like they're on a bit of a roll in that aspect seeing as we've just had two new sections added to the StarDesign Hair studio. As hair design isn't really up my street, I'm more than happy for this new Plaza addition =) Lets take a look at what we've got:
So there's 14 new Ombre hairstyles for us to get our roots into - and what's great about these ones over the original Ombre styled ones which we had with the birth of the store, is that we can change the colour of the Ombre, total score!!! Haha, but it is amazing, that means if we don't want pink or purple, we don't have to have it! Stardoll have even included the right colour dyes right beside each style so we can choose to have a single coloured style if that's what we want. I think it's perfect!
Two of the styles are SS only, I just like one "Pink Waves Yin/Yang" (24SD) although not with the pink, so that's one I'd purchase the dye with. The rest of the styles range from 14 to 22 SD's, with most being under 20 - pretty reasonable actually! The dyes are all 6 SD's and are named in accordance with the style they match, great for once they're stored in your Beauty Parlor with your others and they all look similar =)
At first glance it also looks like the floors have each been duplicated, however with closer look you can see the difference is that the ombre effect is on the opposite part of the hairstyle, e.g. if it's pink at the ends on the floor above, on the other it's pink at the top - that make sense? If not just play around with the store! For me it doesn't make much of a difference because I know I won't ever choose an ombre effect and I'll always just want one colour - but for the people who it will make a difference to, the choice is there =)
Overall I think it's been a very thoughtful collection on Stardoll's part and it very much takes a step further in the ability to allow us to truly have unique dolls =)
I purchased 4 different styles along with their dye's costing just over 100 SD's, which may seem expensive to some people, but for me it's an investment because I'll be able to use them to my hearts content - I'm pretty sure I've pleaded my side of the "Tress Up is reasonably priced" argument quite a few times before!!!
So what did you guys think of these new hairstyles for our dolls? Let me know in the comments =D

And Today I Wore

Now that the Wear My Closet Challenge is done, I can get back to posting these And Today I Wore's every so often - a posting segment which I really loved! Now if any of you have seen my closet, I've done something different with it - I've picked a minimal number of pieces (there's like 4 pages of clothing and 1 of accessories!!!) to choose from to make outfits for, once I've exhausted those pieces I plan to switch them out with other items. Right now I'm very into whites, nudes and pale pinks particularly in my accessories, and white is very much a prominent feature in the clothing section too! 
So with this look I chose to give these fabulous Just Cavalli trousers an airing. I bought them in the Bazaar sometime during the early days of Wear My Closet and I've been dying to wear them, and now I can! I paired them with this white and floaty It Girls tee (still in the Plaza) and then accessorised with some of my top Tribute pieces from this season - Fendi heels and a Dior Couture bag. I also am trying out this great new StarDesign hair piece from LanaDelChanel., you guys should check it out =D

Tribute all over

Love this look with an abundance of pink-y based Tribute items from jjgangstevenjj! It's a fab girly combination and the pinks all work together wonderfully - I especially love the use of this Dior Couture jacket which I also purchased but have been thinking of ways to style, it's great here! I also really like the dark burgundy lip with the look - really great outfit overall =D

Baroque

Baroque Bolero- Versace Tribute
Medusa Top- Versace Tribute
Dior Couture Black Trousers- Dior Tribute
Gold T-Strap Wedges- Yves Saint Laurent Tribute

Monday 14 July 2014

Something to look out for ...

*This is not a sponsored post, I have not been asked to post this, I am doing this because I want to and I want you guys to check this out!*
Brand new from Jack, The Graphics Project! It's aimed at aspiring graphics designers to gain a footing in that whole aspect of Stardoll - as an individual who got this footing myself through the very first cycle of Stardoll's Next Top Graphic Designer (Kim's baby! Haha =D) I can thoroughly recommend entering as it honestly gave me the drive and motivation to push myself to succeed and I got so much from it, not only getting great feedback but making some amazing friends! I know graphics are an area that a lot of people strive to do well in, so there's no harm in trying - I applied for NTGD on a total whim and not expecting to get it and look where it got me! {You should be able to browse my graphics blog and find my old entries plus see how I've improved since then=)}

Sunday 13 July 2014

P L A Z A P I C K S | S T A R C O I N L O O K S

Plaza picks for this weekend - 3 StarCoin looks for you guys to enjoy! Style can come at a low cost if you just take a look around =)

Thursday 10 July 2014

Mint

A super stylish casual look from elebachia - I love these boyfriend jeans and I think they look fab with this crisp white blazer! The clumpy silver heels add a little edge and the mint accessories keep it on point with current trends and popular colour choices. The glossy red lip is also very nice and I think is great with the look =)

HotBuys Isabel Jeans - Girly or not?

Love these newly released HotBuys Isabel Jeans from Pretty 'n Love (16 SD's) - I bought them right away and couldn't wait to style them up, it got pushed to the back of my mind until I saw this fab look from SarahVIP! She's styled the jeans very well and in a very kooky manner - the Dior shoes are just perfect! So after spending close to 3 hours looking for some more cool stylings of the jeans and coming up with nothing, I decided I'd just do my styling now! Had to use Dior shoes as well, think they're made for these jeans, but I chose a silver pair. Stuck with basics of a white blouse, but I added a black accessory troupe, playing off the black ankle band of the shoes and hopefully showing that despite the jeans being pink, they can be styled in a less girly manner!

And here's the real life Isabel Marant version from the Spring 2014 RTW show: 

Wednesday 9 July 2014

Underneath Stardoll | R E L E A S E R E V I E W

Today Stardoll released a brand new underwear store to the Plaza, a much needed range in my opinion! I really love the advertising Stardoll put out for the store - the above is shown on the homepage and I think it looks very appealing and definitely portrays a newer more modern feel to the brand which I don't feel like advertising for previous stores has had =)
So the store is shown above, and it has a fab presentation, perfect for an underwear store in my opinion! Prices are 7 or 8 SD's for either bikinis/boy shorts and then 8 or 10 SD's for a bandeau/bra, which in this day and age isn't that bad for Stardoll, however if you choose to change your skin tone or change it regularly it could become expensive quickly! The items cater for a good range of 10 skin tones, which is perfect and much needed - the currents bras from It Girls which we have (4 SD's) come in 6 tones but are a black bra on the tone, these new ones provide much more versatility. However great they are though, unfortunately they don't fit every skin tone, and I find myself just a little too dark for Beige but not dark enough for Bronze - I'm actually better off with the It Girls one I've found!
So as you can see, they're just not right for me! This doesn't mean I will completely ignore the store, I very much applaud the concept and think it was a great addition to the Plaza from Stardoll which many members will love!
Some members have the perfect skintone for these pieces and I've selected some snapshots user have posted at one of our partners, USD, to feature:

Wear My Closet Challenge T H E E N D

As promised, my summary post and it contains probably my top 10 favourite outfits of the challenge - enjoy! Not sure there will be another challenge for quite a little while yet, need some time to recover from that 6 month epic-ness that this challenge ended up giving me!

Beauty Snaps

Tuesday 8 July 2014

Navy Silk Blazer - Polar Opposites

I came across these two fab looks with the new(ish) Navy Silk Blazer - a piece which I love! We have -lulii_gatynha on the left wearing a black and navy combination, colours which I really love wearing together (yes I know it won't be for everyone, so don't complain about my opinion!). I think the look is great with both the Dior trousers and bag and the texture of the jacket really stands out! Then on the right we have CandyStarSmile4 who has gone for a white based look with her blazer - white, as we all know, is  a colour I love dressing my doll in, so naturally I love this look, and it really makes the blazer just leap out from the screen =) I also love that both dolls have chosen the Minimalist Alexander Heels, they are one great pair of shoes!



P.s. Hey 1000th post!

Bright pop

Bright bright look from Badscere this week! Love this jacket/kimono piece in the yellow, it really pops from the screen and draws my eyes to the rest of the look =) Those ripped jeans are fab, plus the lace is very individual on the inside, adding a tiny girly touch. Love the black finishing pieces in the heels, hat and that PPQ patent bag - it's a great piece and I'm glad to see it being used well!

Wear My Closet Challenge #120 I T ' S T H E E N D ! ! !

Wow wow wow - would you look at where we are ... the end! I can't quite believe we're 120 completely different looks and over 6 months later! And I haven't worn a single piece of clothing more than once - I think that must be some sort of record somewhere =D I also haven't worn pieces I've added to my closet during the time of the challenge, so pretty much I haven't worn anything that's been released since the start of the year(clothing wise, if you remember at the start I said accessories weren't included =))! Anyway, here is the last look of the challenge - later on this week I'll pop up a review post or something to showcase a couple of my favourite looks over the challenge!
Clothing:
Feline Bottoms, Riviera
Silk Shirt, Callie's Picks
Brown Matelasse Pants, Pet-a-Porter Clothes Horse

Accessories:
Lykke Necklace, Nelly
Gold Case Satchel, Callie's Picks
HotHotBuys Pearls Heels, Hot Hot Buys

Monday 7 July 2014

Summer Heat | I M P R E S S E D

Took this at about 6:50pm tonight, just a couple over 20,000 SS to go until the bar is full, now that may seem like a lot, but this morning the bar hadn't even reached the 4th target there with 20% more SD's and a very nice bag, infact it was almost 10,000 until that point - pretty much meaning that in the last 8 hours or so, 40,000 SS memberships have been bought, plus there's still another day to go! I'd say during the last week it was a general consensus that Stardoll set their aim too high with this one, but the offer was on for 2 weeks, in my mind why not wait until last minute and still qualify for the offer and get that bit longer on the other end of your membership? Heck, that's what I'm doing, I'm not buying my membership until later tonight or maybe even tomorrow morning! Plus we all know LE is coming in the near future so people want to prep for that and be able to compete in the 'Face of LE' contest, I know I will! So it looks like this offer's definitely worked then!


Oooh, and do you wanna check out the sidebar there, just below all my labels? Yep - got my Stardoll Instagram all set up and will be shamelessly promoting the blog on there through my Styled Outfits pics, plus some graphics to keep a tad of variety =) So you can follow me on instagram @sparklewand12

Socks and sandals

Adore this Dior crossed with sports luxe look from Padael! The floral applique on this skirt is so cute with the LE jacket (I might have to wear this combo now!), and who would have thought these socks and sandals would actually look good together?!?! Definitely not me! I think they're a great addition to the skirt and really make a good outfit =) Also love the wrist watch, this is something I have and always forget about wearing!

Wear My Closet Challenge #119 P E N U L T I M A T E L O O K

Wow, can't believe we're at the penultimate look and tomorrow it will all be over for this challenge! It's been too long, if I ever get an idea like this again, stop me!!! Haha =) I always find this skirt kind of annoying to style, it's a nice piece and all, but getting it exactly right just seems to be tricky, don't think it works entirely well with this tee though =/
Clothing:
Joy Top, Nelly
Sway Embellished Skirt, Moschino

Accessories:
Drawstring Party Purse w Flower, LE
Tulle Flower Heels, Chanel