R I V I E R A | Styled Outfits

This years Riviera release has arrived - for me this one is a little of a 'miss', I don't love it a lot, but I did find a couple of pieces that I quite liked and wanted to try out. First up is the Colorful Jacket, which also comes with matching Shorts, I think the pairing is pretty cute but I wasn't convinced I would wear them together, so I'm sticking with just one piece for now. I really love this styling, I think this piece really works well for me as it's a fun mix of a lot of colours that I like^ There's a lot going on with it and I think there are plenty of pairing options for it. For this first styling I decided to use the orange for my trousers and I think this pair is great with the jacket! The styles suit each other nicely and the colour is just right. I kept the rest of the look simple as I think it would be easy to get carried away, the white accessories work nicely as there is also white in the jacket too. I think this piece will be so fun with pinks, red and even green too, so I'm looking forward to trying other options. And then the second piece is the Striped Shirt, which I think is the piece from the collection that I have seen most on other dolls. It's definitely unique, the green base is different from a lot of other green shirts that we have and the stripe colours are also quite different. The gold bracelets on the cuffs are also a unique feature to this piece - I wasn't sure how I felt about them at first, but in the end I was tempted because they are gold. I also very much like my styling for this piece, it won't be for everyone, but I think the double-stripes actually works pretty well =D Somehow the stripe colours on the shirt and this pair of trousers match up nicely, it does look pretty seamless between the two, and I really like the shimmer that the trousers have. With the gold on the cuffs of the shirt I used this for my accessories - I kept it pretty simple yet classic and really allowed the clothes to do all the talking. I'm really pleased with this set of looks!

R I V I E R A | Release Review

A true summer release - Riviera! This one typically just comes out in the summer season and is filled with coastal-style pieces, be it for town or beach. The advertising looks great - I love the models and the clothes look fresh and bright^

Highlights This store is as I expected with light fabrics, bright colours and beach-style pieces giving us a swimwear and cover-up update. I love that there are two completely different guys looks as well, and not just something bland, there's colours and prints!

Accessories There's a pretty good choice here, with a lot of headwear on top of the usual bags and shoes. The Raffia Visor Hat is stunning, the design is minimal but good and I love the slanted styling of it. Visors are very popular on the site, so the Dior Inspired Visor Sunglasses Yellow and Blue will go down well, or are they sunglasses? I'm confused by them, but I still think they will be liked! While I don't love any of the shoes for myself, I like the range of sandal styles available with straps and espadrilles on offer though, some good colours, especially the Slingback Sandal Paula Mermaid Aquas, the blue is super pretty and contrasts well against the black and studded straps. There are two bags in the store, I love the Straw Net Beach Bag though, it's so different to the usual straw bags, with it's short handle and long length, plus the design looks amazing, it could easily be a Tribute or Designer piece!

Clothing The clothes are quite a mixed bag I'd say, maybe a little too beachy for my style as I don't often wear swimwear pieces - but I do think the Flower Onepiece Swimsuit is cool, love the blue pattern and the cut to be more skirt-like on the bottom is cute. The co-ord of the Printed Crop Top and Printed Flared Pants is great, the colour is what attracts me but they're pretty solid summer pieces, which would have been good in spring too I think. The Top is definitely more versatile but I think the trousers deserve a chance! My favourite piece however is the Santorini Dress - I love the length, the split in the leg, the colour, texture and those pom-poms! It looks amazing on the doll and is a flattering piece, it gets the thumbs up from me =D 

Prices The release ranges from 11 to 18SD's, which is pretty normal. There are a few pieces in SC's, but nothing is limited to SS or Royalty only.

Styled Outfits Really feeling summery in these looks! First up the Santorini Dress minimally with neutral heels and some pom-pom earrings to fit the style - this dress does it all, it doesn't need much added to look good =) Secondly the Straw Net Beach Bag which I love even more having it in my suite and trying with different pieces, for me white was the obvious choice to let the colour of the straw stand out, and I think this smarter style works really well with the bag, especially the cut of these trousers. And finally the Printed Crop Top, contrasting with these bold trousers - I tried on so many skirts and trousers to find something and I did struggle, particularly with needing a high waist, but I think this works out quite nicely. And with the pink shoes as well!

Features These pieces seem to be the favourites! BeySashaFierce is wearing the Printed Crop Top with these dark floral trousers and I think the pinks match perfectly! Love the addition of the pink sunglasses, and I think the white heels and bag are great against the contrast of the rest of the colours =)

And Marta32222 wears the matching Printed Flared Pants, layering them so they come across as a skirt, which is a fab idea^ I love the contrast with the blue, it's individual, stands out and works nicely, especially those mules, a great choice =D

R I V I E R A | Styled Outfits

It was over a week ago that we got new Riviera in the Plaza, and usually there's a pretty good batch of things to be had, however I was left quite disappointed after visiting the new release. A lot of pieces came across as being fad-like beachwear rather than some of the more stylish pieces we've seen in the past, and novelty items, like realistically who would wear the inflatable donut enough for a 22SD price tag?! I just find it a bit tacky for the store - luckily there was one saving grace in the release, the Waterfall Sheer Skirt! It's a little pricey for what it is (17SD's), but being that it'll be the only piece from the collection that I'm wanting, I don't mind this so much. The style is super popular right now, so it's spot on with the trends and likes of the Stardoll members. I was very excited to style this piece and I hope you enjoy my looks =)

I found this skirt easy to style and easy to feel summery in. I like that it comes with the backpiece for the full skirted look too, and the design definitely helps with the easy of styling. I went down 3 routes for my stylings, firstly something smart, choosing black pieces, and this striped shirt keeps the look summery. Secondly going for a more dressed up style with a white top very similar to the skirt, and choosing bright accessories - love these heels with the skirt, they're a perfect summer sandal! And lastly a more city-styling for the skirt rather than beach. I loved this cropped top with the skirt, the pink pops and catches your attention first before it goes to the skirt. I love these shoes with the skirt too, they're a great pairing for it!

L U C I T E C H A N D E L I E R M U L E S

It seems like such a long time since my last Styled Outfits post - luckily this one came easily and I'm not too rusty^ These are the Lucite Chandelier Mules from Riviera (and if you're interested there is a matching pair of heels too^). They have been around for quite some time, but just recently they seem to be getting a lot of attention this season, so I decided to jump on that bandwagon and style up some outfits with them!

I'm really feeling these mules, I can see why they're popular. They were easy to find a lot of summery pieces to fit with them, and I could have come up 3 or 4 times as many looks for these! I kinda veered towards classic colours with the looks - grey, black and white, which all look great with the shoes. Love the tassels off the trousers in the first look which complement the black trim of the shoes. I went for a little added detail in the second look, making use of this striped lace dress paired with some trousers for a different style. And the final look is my absolute favourite! I stumbled upon this skirt by chance and couldn't believe that I'd forgotten about it. It's got a perfect summer style to show off the legs and works complementary to the shoes. I stayed super classic with a matching white shirt and using black for accessories and I think it looks like a great outfit for these shoes =D

R I V I E R A | Release Review

Our last release for last week on Stardoll was a brand new Riviera floor, maybe somewhat of a surprise as I'm wanting pieces a little warmer, but it's still good to stock pile for the summer! Absolutely loving the homepage ad, the red tone is beautiful and attractive and it's still good seeing actual dolls getting featured, they definitely show off the pieces well!

Highlights I'm definitely hugely impressed with this release of Riviera, I think Stardoll have stepped up their game with this store and the vibe of the store and it's really working out well! There's just the one floor, but with the off-seasonal timing, I don't mind this at all. And there is a male piece included too. Overall, I definitely like this one, good colours, good graphics ... I'm happy!

Accessories The store is very minimal on the accessory front really, but there's only so much you need with beachwear really! There are two pairs of sandals, the Braided Straw Heels and Woven Straw Platform Heels, and although I don't feel like either pair look good on me, I definitely prefer the paler choice, the strapping is pretty cool and I think the shape is flattering on the foot. There's just one bag available, the Lets Hit The Beach Bag, which I think is very suitable for the release, and I think it's quite nice, I just wish it didn't have 'Riviera' printed on the front and then it would be a bit more versatile. And there's the usual straw-style hat in the Large Boater Hat - I've made the mistake of buying a hats in the past but I've come to realise they just don't work on my doll, particularly these styles, so it's something I'll pass on this time. What I definitely won't pass on are the Square Frame Gold Sunglasses which are the most beautiful sunglasses I have seen in a long time! The shape is perfect and I simply adore the jewel additions, such a great inclusion in this release!

Clothing So obviously being Riviera, a lot of the clothing are swimwear or swimwear-related pieces, but this time around I do feel there's a good balance between them and other pieces, I like this^ I'll start with the swimwear options though, of which there are four, firstly a bikini in the SS-only Lace Decorated Bikini Top and Bottom, which looks a little too like lingerie for me really but I like the colour, then three swimsuits with really good options - bright and bold with the yellow Salty Swimsuit, then more muted neutral tones with the Halter Neck Cut Out Side Swimsuit and Deep V Swimsuit which both have great individual styles and selling points, they're pieces that I look forward to summer for! But it's definitely the clothing that has me sold, as you will see in my styled outfits - I really loved a lot of the pieces! Firstly the Sonia Rykiel Inspired Chiffon Dress which was the very first piece that had, and held, my attention. It's such an incredible piece, with vibrant colours, amazing stripes and such a beautiful and stylish shape which will work well for anyone - I really don't have any more words of love for it^ The tops were definitely 'it' for me with the store. I'm a huge fan of cold shoulder and off shoulder pieces, so the Cold Shoulder Pink Cotton Blouse is perfect for me, and it's a bonus that it's in such a sweet cotton-candy pink colour. The trimmings to the sleeves are also quite perfect and I have quite a few style ideas based on them =) And then the Cropped Striped Cardigan, and while I've gone off cardi's a little, this one wins a spot easily in my wardrobe for the good colour and the awesome striped pattern. Plus I was pleasantly surprised with how well the fit is on the doll, great nods from me there^

Prices The release ranges between 13 and 23SD's, with only one item at the top end and most pieces well priced at the bottom of the range. There are a couple of SS/Royalty pieces, which I do think are pretty good, but there's other pieces I definitely prefer, so I don't feel like there's anything being missed out on.

Styled Outfits I absolutely loved styling the pieces I bought from the collection! I had immediate ideas about them and I'm totally stoked to wear them again already =D First up the Sonia Rykiel Inspired Chiffon Dress in the most winter-y of the looks, going with black boots and a black bag (love pairing these stripes with the fringing^) as I see this as easily an autumn-winter piece more than the others with the heavy influence of black in the stripes. The shape doesn't need much added to it, and so that's what I stuck with! Secondly the Cold Shoulder Pink Cotton Blouse which I kinda knew I had to pair with blue (or coral^) from that awesome sleeve trim, and this baby blue pair of trousers, and matching pair of heels, make a perfect match =D I stayed very minimal, but I think it's an easy piece to work a few accessories into. And lastly the Cropped Striped Cardigan which is in a great wearable colour and is a fab fit with these red LE trousers, this combination is creeping up my favourites list^ And I kinda knew immediately I wanted to go a little different from my typical style and chose this sweet blue and pink bag, not the average choice, but I really love it! 

R I V I E R A | Release Review

Last week finished off with a perfect seasonal Riviera release! I love the advert above, I think it has a great vibe about it and gives a great idea of the store from the get go. Although it doesn't show too many pieces I really like the models showing off what they're wearing, plus it shows the interior pretty well too^

This release consists of 2 floors with a sort of Mediterranean harbour style feel to it - I like it, it works well for the store and release and I think it makes it look a lot better than the store backgrounds of the past releases. I think the clothing also helps this release seem like a step up for this store, and I'm pretty happy for that =)

With the accessories I'm really drawn to the sandals, I love the straps and the cool vibe they have - for me, I'm all-in with the Super Chic Sandals with their lovely nude/pink colour making them a good piece for pairing with light clothing. There's quite a few bags to choose from too, and ones which work for the guys too, particularly the To The Riviera Weekender. I myself adore the Kate Spade Inspired Pineapple Purse - it's a lovely little piece and what better a way to add flair to a look than pineapples?!?! And there's a few extras too, my eye immediately goes to the pretty large Do Not Disturb Hat (isn't it great?!) so I can really see this being a popular piece, but I do also like the Wide Tassel Earrings with their carnival-esque style and great deep purple colour, and also the Linda Farrow Inspired Daisy Sunnies which are a great retro style piece which I think will get a lot of wear!

The clothes are all perfectly fitting for the store and summer with some great choices and variety available. There's quite an array of swimwear and swimwear/beach style pieces as expected so I'll start with those - the Double Laced Bikini Bottoms are pretty stylish and I'd say a good choice for swimwear on Stardoll, I love their high-waisted style and think it will work for everyone! The Sheer Black Coverup is also great, and comes with a built-in black bikini with the high-waist too, so that's pretty neat^ I love the off the shoulder style of it and think it would look great with some fab necklace and jewellery pieces. The laced theme is also continued in the Lattice Side Onepiece, which I think could be a great top for many summery looks. And for something a little more flashy, there's the designer Missoni Inspired Stripe Bandeau which could look great under sheer camisoles and blouses for summery styles. With the rest of the clothes, the denim pieces are quite nice, both the Riviera High Waisted Shorts and the Cutesie Denim Romper. I think they could work out well in lots of looks and both casual and more dressed up styles - super excited to work with both pieces! And then there's the colourful pieces of course =) There's two pieces that hold all my attention in this department and those are the Stripe Blast Mini (what a greatly shaped summer dress with some awesome colours) and the pretty fabulous Zig Zag Palazzo Pants. These trousers are the best part of the collection in my opinion and I've seen so many stylings with them already!

Prices for this release range from 8 to 23 SD's and most items fit somewhere nicely in the middle. I feel like the pieces have been designed well and are very much worth their prices - I'm more than happy to pay the 16SD's for those cool trousers^

My styled outfits now, and these were really my first thoughts on the pieces so I'm looking forward to styling the pieces some more. Firstly with the accessories, the Wide Tassel Earrings have a great deep colour, so I matched that in the shoes then stuck with a simple base colour and I think it's pretty effective. Then the Do Not Disturb Hat, again stuck with similar tones in the nudes, this dress is a great summer piece to match the hat but I've glammed it up with the golden heels. Then lastly some clothing with the Zig Zag Palazzo Pants - again very minimal, those colours all need a chance to stand out themselves so my white top and bag seemed a good choice, plus very summery. I like that I added just a touch of something else with the emerald heels.

A quick few features with an accessories focus! Firstly glass3 styling the Riviera Wooden Platforms. The wood really stands out in this black styled look and they're styled in what would be a nice evening summer look. The jumpsuit is a great match for these shoes and really works well with them!

And secondly Summer.Bee wearing the very quirky Linda Farrow Inspired Daisy Sunnies, a great match for this pretty print skirt and black crop top! I really liked the minimal feel of the rest of the styling and I felt my attention very much drawn to the sunglasses =)

C A R N I V A L O F F E R | What you could buy

Earlier today Staroll introduced us to a new Plaza offer - spend 100, 200 or 300SD's in the StarPlaza and get these free Carnival-related gifts! T&C's are that spending is before the 11th of February, so there's plenty of time to make decisions if you decide you'd like to go for one (or more!) of these free items!

I will start by saying that 300SD's is a pretty large sum of money, so I can't see everyone aiming for it, or maybe even the 100SD mark - it's a pretty high start point! Personally I'm only a fan of the hair, so I might try and aim for 300, but it would be good to see it on some dolls first before I start throwing my SD's towards the till points in the Plaza =D

So - what could you buy to up your spending?

Well the Tommy Hilfiger Tribute is departing the Plaza on Sunday, so there's just a few days to buy any pieces you might want - you can check out my review here.

If it's new releases you're after, then Riviera has had a new drop this week with a whole floor especially for the Carnival theme!

There are some kinda out there pieces that I think could be tricky to incorporate into an everyday wardrobe, but some of the accessories could work a lot of different looks and styles - my top picks include Macrame Shoulder Bag, the Luxe Straw Tote and the Full Of Love Scarf =)

Or there's the Hotbuys - right now the Hot Buys Lace Print Sheer Blouse has been released at 14SD's, and it's a pretty piece which I can see a lot of dolls working well, I've given it a go below. And if you can wait another few days there's a pretty Hot Buys necklace coming out on the 10th too^

I loved styling these looks with the top and am looking forward to working it into more looks hopefully soon - it was definitely a good purchase I'm thinking =)

So that's just a little start for you guys to think about if you want that cute hair but maybe are unsure where to start! There's still a little while left for the offer so there could easily be some new collections released or maybe even time for another of these posts, with a little more detail if that's something you'd be interested in - let me know =D 

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

Wear My Closet Challenge #108

And so the wait begins for my Ikea delivery ... they will most definitely come when I'm either eating, making food, or in the toilet =P But I've been sorting out the things I have worn so far for the challenge, and my word it's a lot of clothes!

Clothing:

Basic Black Frilled Shirt, BASICS

White Tulle Ruffle Skirt, Callie's Picks

Modern Moto Jkt, ELLE

Accessories:

Lime Rhinestone Necklace, Riviera

Cuir Desir Heels, Diesel

Wear My Closet Challenge #83 ~ Cannes

If I were in Cannes right now, these would be the maxi dresses that I'd be donning - another post with multiple looks, but you'd get bored of seeing 4 separate maxi dress based posts so why not lump them all together in one =) I also just went and had a hair cut, it's been a year since my last one, got like 6 inches chopped off!

And in an attempt to do more beauty parlor related things, I've also included the makeup looks which I used - fear not, this probs wont last long, we all know I'm pretty bad at makeup and the likes!

Clothing:

Draped Couture Perfection Dress, Special Offer

Jean Paul Gaultier Couture Tribute Dress, Couture Tribute

Orange Gather Gown, Stardoll And The City

Chanel Tribute Wedding Dress, Chanel

Accessories:

Cluster Necklace, DKNY

Adonis Heels, Bizou

Hotbuys Golden Resort Purse, Hot Buys

DKNY Orange Shoulder Bag, DKNY

Gold Block Heels, Riviera

HotBuys HiTech Heels, Original Future

Wear My Closet Challenge #78 ~ Awards Choice

This is a bit of a 'special' Wear My Closet, featuring the dresses from the Awards Season this year, the dresses really speak for themselves, so minimal styling is required, actually pretty much none! So I decided to put them all together in one post =)

Clothing:

Jennifer Floral Golden Gown, Young Hollywood

Kate Hudson Gown, Young Hollywood

Lupita Gown, Young Hollywood

Accessories:

Sparkle Purse, Voile

Rosa PVC Stiletto's, Riviera (Paired with Kate Hudson Gown)

HotBuys Aristographic Clutch, Hot Buys

White Spring Sandals, Pretty 'n Love

Wear My Closet Challenge #69

So. Tired. Just wanna read fanfic - but I'm still studying ... =( I like this hair, but I think it works better as a paler colour, blonde or pale brown, not sure about the dark.

Clothing:

Gathered Tulle Blouse, Chanel

High Waisted Skirt, It Girls

Accessories:

Spotted Print Purse, Young Hollywood

Malta Clear Stiletto's, Riviera

Wear My Closet Challenge #58

Went for something girly, think I'm kinda learning that I'm really not a skirt person, I'm feeling I should be sticking to dresses or tops with trousers of jeans! I do have several skirts styled into looks that are still to be posted, so maybe I just have to be quite specific over which styles work for me =D 

Clothing:

Cherry Blossom Tunic, Archive

HotHotBuys Tutu Skirt, Hot Hot Buys

Accessories:

Gold Belt, Callie's Picks

Gold Block Heels, Riviera

Wear My Closet Challenge #11

It tried to snow today, not pleased at all, looking forward to summer - definitely based today's outfit on that, also went for coloured lips:

Clothing:

Tompkin Square Dark Jacket, Bizou

White Lace Dress, Basics

Valentina Dress, Pretty 'n Love

Accessories:

Hotbuys Aristographic Clutch, Hot Buys

Malta Clear Stilettos, Riviera

Also - does anyone watch Dance Moms? Just discovered this video (not from the show, but little Asia is in it) the other day - it's ridiculous how young they are, but I will shamefully admit that I think the song is super catchy and I quite like it!

I do like me some point

Pointy shoes are all I can think about right now, and I've been desperately searching for more pairs for my doll to wear! Anyway, I thought I'd share a whole bunch of RL ones that I am rather fond of myself:

{Photos = Pinterest}

And I had to save my absolute favourite until last:

There's neon and perspex in those pointed heels, jeans, a fab Celine tee, and an almost cobalt Chanel bag - this is like an ideal combination for me, now just to get these shoes on SD!

I found pointy toed heels quite tricky to get in the current selection of shoes in the Plaza, only these 4 pairs stood out to me as ones to have my eye on:

But there are plenty available in the Bazaar, it will just take some searching on your own to find pairs which are right for you, and within your budget =)

Riviera

So this morning new Riviera was released! I think it was well overdue, and the new items bring a fresh style and vibe to the store.

They've gone for bright and neon colours with the store, so it's very on-trend, I also like the shapes of the swimwear, the designers have been adventurous with some of them, definitely a good risk as it really has paid off and given the items an edgy look to them - which will attract all different types of Stardoll buyers.

I selected a few items to buy after looking over each floor just once, and I found that I bought mainly accessories more than swimwear:

I'm having a big silver love right now, and so the silver drop earrings were perfect for me - they also only cost 42StarCoins! The shape is also modern and would suit a high-fashion doll well.

As I already said, neon is a big thing right now, so I knew this would be a good time to stock up on some key pieces, the very first thing I set eyes on was the printed bag - it has used both yellow and green along with leopard print. Green isn't my favourite colour to wear, but I do love yellow! The bag also has a nice shape, and does seem pretty versatile - plus it was only 62StarCoins! 

The next neon piece my eyes were drawn to were the shoes, which pull in 3 trends - neon, perspex and the very popular toe cap, which has been seen all over the runways.

Giambattista Valli

Louis Vuitton

These shoes perfectly encapture all 3 trends well, plus they're pink! They're definitely one of my top buys from the store as a whole, and they only cost you 5StarDollars, which may seem steep compared to the other accessories I've discussed(which are in StarCoins), but it really is a small price to pay for these trendy shoes. I really can't wait to style them into one of my daily looks(here)!

The two sets of bangles were a no-brianer for me, they're cheap(at 41-43StarCoins), trendy, and will suit all styles. I think they'll be easy to style and will help to finish off an outfit quickly if you have little time to create your look.

The final item I bought was the Flor Deep Front Swimsuit at 14StarDollars. I think I liked it due to its unconventional-ness as a swimsuit! It's a more fashion item than something you'd wear in the pool, but still, it's a nice piece. It's quite low cut, so you might need to wear a bikini top or some sort of bra under it, which could look really nice if you chose the right one. The pattern on the swimsuit is fresh and modern, I think it shows the sports-luxe trend well, and the belt goes with it very nicely without detracting from the swimsuit as a whole. It may also look nice with a skirt ontop, which could give a really nice casual city look, or a more formal look - example can be seen below.

Look One - Casual

Look Two - Formal

There are a lot more great pieces in the new collection, so for now I'm off to check out which other items there are that my doll needs in her wardrobe!

Love K xxx