I'm not a shopaholic but I play one in Second Life.

And even though no one asked, here are some of my favorite in world products so far. They aren't just my favorites because I found them, liked them and then stopped looking. In the short time I've been in Second Life, I've spent an ungodly number of hours shopping around and trying on demos. I've also bought and used a lot of things from different creators/designers, lived in and around the products, joined the groups and chatted with the mods and other members. I've also dealt with many of the creators/CSRs whenever something goes wrong with a product or purchase.

The best by far has got the be Truth Hawks. I started wearing his hair early on because it had the shade I wanted (still haven't found this shade anywhere else but haven't stopped looking). Then I found out he had a wide variety of styles, which I loved because I like to change a lot. Then I quickly grew to appreciate how the textures and details seemed to surpass most others I tried. I joined the VIP group and discovered that he consistently gives us exclusive monthly gifts that are equal to his hairs sold to the general public in every way. That's important because often times designers give gifts that they clearly didn't put as much time and effort into as their products for sale and sometimes are just modified versions of what they already have in the store. Truth comes up with new designs for all his gifts and uses feedback from his customers to create them.

Which brings me to the remarkable way he runs his business. He's accessible and very receptive to customer needs/wants. At one point, he made a folder with a bunch of different bangs and sent it out to all of us as a gift so we can tweak our hairstyles to our specific liking. The monthly group gifts contain every color HUD he offers and usually more than one hair style. He's hired a couple of terrific women to moderate the VIP group and provide almost constant and always efficient customer service and they're very good at what they do. VIPs rarely want for anything, despite the fact that a lot of us can be quite demanding! Group chat is active and usually populated by totally awesome people. Over the holidays he threw some exclusive parties just for the VIPs. You can see a pic of the Christmas party here. The place was so packed with lovelies that my brand new computer had difficulty rezzing everything. He's created an amazing community and remains humble after so many years in business, which allows for him to continue evolving. 

Hair by Truth Hawks:
Marketplace
In World

Truth - Miriam

Another designer who matches Truth in terms of quality, consistency, accessibility and responsiveness is Blueberry. People go crazy for her clothes and its not just due to hype. The only word I can think to describe her fit and textures is delicious. She's also been in business for several years and has continued evolving with her customers. Like Truth, she seems to have a real passion for what she does and a deep appreciation for the success she's been blessed with. Her VIP group is full of more totally awesome people and then there's things like this. During the Winter Crawl, she created a follower HUD and gave it out to VIP members thru group notices and let us all follow her thru the sims. Oh dear, the lag!

Blueberry:
Marketplace
In World

Blueberry - Melanie Jeans & Elisa Top

Another designer who creates stunningly realistic details and textures is What Next. They also provide awesome customer service - I spoke with the co-owner directly who got back to me quickly and was very kind, generous and helpful. The VIP group gifts are also on par with everything else in the store. I especially love their little knickknacks and gachas. I became hooked when I found this adorable rideable scooter and then again when I needed some beach chairs, and again when I was looking for patio furniture and so on....

What Next Home & Garden:
Marketplace
In World

L to R: {What Next} - Spring Garden Arbor, Spring Garden Watering Can, Marlow Planter 1, Marlow Bench, Marlow Planter 2, Marlow Planter 3,  Penryn Arbour Seat (with deck),  Spring Garden Bird Bath

Trompe is another creator who makes flawless designs with the most amazing textures and detail. I've also been very pleased with the experience I had when I needed help with the products. Trompe's style is very different from that of What Next, and I love them both.


Trompe Loeil Furniture & Homes:
Marketplace
In World

Trompe Loeil - Afton Raft Travel Set

That's it for now - I'll talk about my obsession for shoes, accessories AOs and teleport HUDs next time. Thanks for indulging me!