Lick, Dont Bite

New Releases at Blowpop!

2009-11-18T08:22:00.000-08:00

On sale now, the Blowpop November Collection!

Blue Roses Print Camisole. A lovely lace trimmed casual cami with an original old-skool tattoo style print. Includes long and short versions on all appropriate layers. Available in 6 colors. L$160 ea., L$500 for all 6 colors.

3 Goddesses Print Tank & Hip-Hugger Briefs Set. Gain enlightenment in this cosy set, graced with a lusciously colorful allover print of the Hindu Tridevi—Saraswati ,goddess of learning and arts; Lakshmi, goddess of wealth and fertility; and Parvati ,the goddess of power and love. Includes long and short versions on all appropriate layers. L$200 ea.

Rampant Print Tank Top. A comfy cotton tank bearing a rampant lion chivalric crest in gold foil print. Includes long and short versions on all appropriate layers. Available in 6 colors. L$160 ea., L$500 for all 6 colors.

Cassie Soft Cotton Triangle Bra & Low Rise Boyshort Panty Set. Comfy, cute and colorful. What's not to like? Available in 13 colors. L$125 ea., L$800 for the baker's dozen of all 13 colors.

On sale now at Blowpop

New Elizabeth makeups at Blowpop

2009-10-23T08:33:00.000-07:00

I've released some new makeups for the N2 Elizabeth line, available at the new Blowpop Main Store on Boudoir Isle

6 new makeup styles, which come with 2 lipstick colors each, in 4 skintones.

Btw, I also wanted to show off my new mainstore, courtesy of the amazing builders at NOTsoBAD

FISHNET FRENZY!

2009-10-01T09:18:00.000-07:00

New at Blowpop, Fishnet stockings and tights!
Include ripped and unripped versions, and are available in 12 colors.

Free demos available for all styles.

Blowpop New Release - "Felice" Leopard Print Set

2009-07-24T11:16:00.000-07:00

What are the chances I'd have 2 things to blog in the same week, much less the same day?

Well, I do, because I'm happy to present Felice - a slinky satin slipdress, camisole and panties ensemble in sexy leopard print. It comes in 10 colors, on lots of layers for 250L each, with fatpacks for only 1100L.

Available at Blowpop

Harajukubox Skin Faire!

2009-07-24T09:30:00.000-07:00

Harajukubox 2009 Skinfaire opens today. I created a special Elizabeth Makeup for the event, called Harajuku Gothic. Available only at the Faire.

Harajukubox 2009 Skinfaire

WHEN?: July 24th - 28th starting @ 12pmSLT
WHERE: Harajukubox Town Hot Springs -
SURL: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Harajukubox%20Town/60/184/59
WHAT: Exclusive skins by top designers, live music, and lucky board items.

More info at http://harajukubox.blogspot.com/

New Lingerie at Blowpop!

2009-07-15T18:33:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to announce a new lingerie product line at Blowpop. This first release consists of 2 sets:
Jolene: a patterned silk suspender basque with matching panties and bra and Yvette: a sheer lacy bra and panty set.

Available at Blowpop

Thanks for looking!

2009-07-02T08:03:00.000-07:00

The annual Red White and Blue Sale at Mischief Cove is going on now!
Everying in the store is 30% off until Sunday!

And while you're there, check out these other fine shops:

*ICING*
Accessories by Eolande
CKS Designs
Digital Eyes
Elate!
Hairapy
Haute Style & Co
The HUB
Ingenue
MYTH
Pixeldolls
Pretense Model Shapes
Punch Drunk

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Mischief/145/177/25

New from Blowpop: N2 Skin Series available now!

2009-06-24T08:44:00.000-07:00

The Blowpop N2 Skin Series is now officially on sale! (Yeah, I know, it went on sale yesterday, but I never got a chance to blog it)

Those of you who follow this blog or are in the Blowpop Update group got a bunch of sneak previews in the last couple of weeks, but if you missed them, follow these links to get a look at Maya, Carmen, Ava and Elizabeth.

Or better yet, come on down to Blowpop and try on a demo!

Closed for restocking

2009-06-22T08:15:00.000-07:00

Blowpop will be closed today so I can restock for tomorrow's N2 Skin Series launch.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

Blowpop N2 Skin Series Preview #4 — Elizabeth

2009-06-20T19:32:00.000-07:00

Today's N2 Skin Series preview is of Elizabeth.

Completing the series of N2 Skin previews is Elizabeth, a pale andpretty redhead with a smattering of freckles. As with the other former Infinity skins, Elizabeth recieved a full makeover with allover improvements. This is the skin I most frequently wear myself, and I hope you like her as much as I do!

Members of the Blowpop Update Group got a first-look at Elizabeth with a exclusive makeup made special for the group. Below is the full range of makeups and skintones for the upcoming release.

Remember, the entire Blowpop N2 skin series will be released on Tuesday, June 23

Also, dont forget the Blowpop Super Skin Clearance Sale is still going on until Tomorrow, Sunday, June 21! That's only 1 more day to enjoy 50% – 60% discounts on all of the Infinity skins, as well as Tuesday and Mellie3 lines! So don't miss out!

Blowpop N2 Skin Series Preview #3 — Ava

2009-06-18T19:44:00.000-07:00

Today's N2 Skin Series preview is of Ava.

I've worked on Ava for probably longer than any other skin I've ever done. I started her last fall and she became the basis of the Infinity series. I've continued to work on her, and have made a number of improvements since then, mainly smoothing out her shading, adding some detail and softening her face somewhat.

Members of the Blowpop Update Group recieved a first-hand look at Ava with a exclusive makeup made special for the group. Below is the full range of makeups and skintones for the upcoming release.

Remember, the entire Blowpop N2 skin series will be released on Tuesday, June 23

Also, dont forget the Blowpop Super Skin Clearance Sale is still going on until Sunday, June 21! That's only 3 more days to enjoy 50% – 60% discounts on all of the Infinity skins, as well as Tuesday and Mellie3 lines! So don't miss out!

Blowpop N2 Skin Series Preview #2 — Carmen

2009-06-13T11:23:00.000-07:00

Today's N2 sneak preview is of Carmen.

The first version of Carmen was released as part of the Infinity skinline, but she's undergone alot of changes for N2. As well as adjustments to the overall body shading, she's received a bit of a facelift and a nosejob. Additionally, I've added a fourth, lighter skintone for a bitmore versatility.

Members of the Blowpop Update Group recieved a first-hand look at Carmen with a exclusive makeup made special for the group. Below is the full range of makeups and skintones for the upcoming release.

The entire Blowpop N2 skin series will be released on Tuesday, June 23

And don't forget, the Blowpop Super Skin Sale is still going on through June 21

Blowpop N2 Skin Series Preview #1 - Maya

2009-06-10T09:19:00.000-07:00

So in the days leading up to the June 23 release of the blowpop N2 skin series, I'd like to share a closer look at each of the 4 launch skins individually.

First up is Maya, my personal favorite and I believe my best work so far. I have for a long time wanted to do a dedicated darker skin, rather than just tint a light skin dark, and I've finally gotten to it. Working directly in the darker tones allowed much more subtlety in the shading which would have been difficult if I had tried to represent a full range of tones. It also makes it easier to create makeups that compliment the skin color.

Maya launch makeups

*Members of the Blowpop Update Group got to see a special sneak preview of Maya the other day.

So mark your calendars for the Blowpop N2 Skin Series Launch on June 23, and watch this space for more previews in the days ahead.

And don't forget, the Blowpop Super Skin Sale is still going on through June 21

Blowpop Super Skin Clearance Sale!

2009-06-07T11:22:00.000-07:00

I'm a day late in posting ths, but better late than never say that its time for the Blowpop Super Skin Clearance Sale!

WHEN: Saturday, June 6, 2009 – thru Sunday June 21

WHERE: Blowpop on Fuzzy and our new location at Mischief Cove

WHY: I need the space for the upcoming N2 Skin Series Launch on June 23, so everything is on sale. Enjoy 50% – 60% discounts on all of the Infinity skins, as well as Tuesday and Mellie3 lines

And speaking of new skins:

More Heart of Love makeups

2009-01-24T15:18:00.000-08:00

Today's batch contains a beautiful Geisha makeup by Annah WHitfield, and 3 lovely looks by Tallyho Shawbridge.

Available for a very short time at 100 Limite. All proceeds benefit Relay for Life.

Whole Lotta Love

2009-01-22T19:25:00.000-08:00

When I heard that my good friend Shir Dryke was sick and in desperate need of a surgery, I knew that I had to do whatever I could to help. Flutter Memel, Annah Whitfield, Dove Swanson and I decided to form Heart of Love to help her raise money for her surgery.

The goal was to raise 700,000L in under a month. Desperate times demand desperate measures, so, inspired by the success and fun of last year's Another Fundraiser, I asked myself "what would happen if I shared my Blowpop Tuesday skins with a diverse and eclectic group of SLers, and let them go wild on them?"

Well, what happened is a whole lot of hot sticky makeup love. Pictured above is the first batch of Heart of Love skins, available for an extremely limited time at the Heart of Love Charity Fair on 100Limite. Its a varied and fun collection of looks from a fantastic group of creators.

Now I was having a lot of fun seeing what everyone did and putting them all together,when lo and behold, the outpouring of love from the Second Life community has been so overwhelming, we already hit the target total before the skins even went on sale! Its truly humbling to see people come together in someone's time of need like this . So, the goal's been reached, but there's no reason not to keep the love flowing. So all the proceeds from sales of Heart of Love skins will be donated to Relay for Life.

So there it is. I want to thank everyone who so generously donated time and money, and I want to give special thanks to the makeup artists who did such amazing work:
Amyla Wakowski
Ana Lutetia
Annah Whitfield
Antonia Marat
Averie Larnia
Autumn Hykova
Felicity Blumenthal
Grazia Horwitz
Hibiscus Flossberg
Shelly Toonie
Shir Dryke
Swirly Cyclone
Tenshi Vielle
Voshie Paine
Willow Zander
Tallyho Shawbridge (coming soon)

* and thanks to Dove for helping with the pics, and Cat Magellan for the space!

There are more makeups coming in and I hope to put them up for sale at the charity fair as soon as I can.

<3
Annyka Bekkers

ColourLovers Loves SL

2008-09-29T10:45:00.000-07:00

Have I ever mentioned how much I love the site ColourLovers?

Its one of those color palette community sites, like Adobe's Kuler, where you can create and share colors and palettes, and get community feedback and such. These people really do love color! Consider the following:

"Nothing says love like the green surgical gloves of a doctor going inside you body holding a very sharp tool."

or...

"It’s close to a mix of Aurora Red and Burnt Orange but maybe with a little Barry White, a fireplace and a chilly fall evening thrown in."

These people really do love colors!

But what I love most about ColourLovers is their blog, which has such fascinating and inspiring articles as:

The Colors Of Salt Evaporation Ponds

The Colors Of Corrosion: Rusty Palettes

and, my favorite:
More Than Black & Blue: The Color Of Bruises

So as if I didn't already love the ColourLovers already, their latest post is all about Second Life!

Color Inspiration from the Virtual Worlds of Second Life

Anyway, give it a read. There's tons of great stuff on it!

From the Illustrators Partnership of America: Orphan Works Act News

2008-09-27T00:05:00.000-07:00

Spreading this post from the Illustrators Partnership of America. If youre a creator, the Orphan Works Act affects you and your creations, and its about to pass through Congress. Read about the implications here and email your congressman before our copyrights are sold down the river.
____________________________________________________________________

SEPT 27 Yesterday, in a cynical move, the sponsors of the Senate Orphan Works Act passed their controversial bill by a controversial practice known as hotlining.

With lawmakers scrambling to raise 700 billion dollars to bail out businesses that are “too big to fail,” the Senate passed a bill that would force small copyright holders to subsidize big internet interests such as Google, which has already said it plans to use millions of the images this bill will orphan.

With the meltdown on Wall Street, this is no time for Congress to concentrate our nation’s copyright wealth in the hands of a few privately owned corporate databases. The contents of these databases would be more valuable than secure banking information. Yet this bill would compel creators to risk their own intellectual property to supply content to these corporate business models. That means it would be our assets at risk in the event of their failure or mismanagement.

As David Rhodes, President of the School of Visual Arts has said, the Orphan Works bill would socialize the expense of copyright protection while privatizing the profit of creative endeavors. Copyright owners neither want nor need this legislation. It will do great harm to small businesses. We already have a banking crisis. Congress should not lay the groundwork for a copyright crisis.

– Brad Holland and Cynthia Turner, for the Illustrators’ Partnership

NOW FOR PLAN B

We MUST try to stop the House Judiciary Committee from folding their bill (HR5889) and adopting the Senate version.

PLEASE EMAIL CONGRESS TODAY.
If you’ve done it before, do it again!

It takes only a minute to use our new special letter.
Click on the link below, enter your zip code, and take the next steps.
Thanks to all of you who heeded the call to action yesterday.

http://capwiz.com/illustratorspartnership/issues/alert/?alertid=11980321

Over 70 organizations oppose this bill, representing over half a million creators.
Illustrators, photographers, fine artists, songwriters, musicians, and countless licensing firms all believe this bill will harm their small businesses. The Illustrators Partnership Capwiz site is open to professional creators and any member of the image-making public.

New Makeups at Blowpop!!!

2008-09-25T19:29:00.000-07:00

The Vivid Collection in Honey

I know, its been very quiet on the Blowpop front. But I'm making up for it by releasing 18! colorful new makeups for my Tuesday skins.

Part of the reason its taken me so long to release them is there was no room in my shop, so I needed to build a new, bigger store to fit them all. It started as a gorgeously grungy warehouse prefab by Kai Sion of 5th dimension, but I did some heavy modding fit my needs. Now I've finally got the space to hang the pictures from the August Flickr contest!

p.s. if you happen to be in the Blowpop Update Group, be sure not to miss the exclusive free goodie I just sent out in the notices!

Grouplove gift. Tuesday - Ocean Size, in Cream and Caramel

BLowpop Army Flickr Photo Contest Results

2008-08-31T21:31:00.000-07:00

Ok, so its taken a bit longer to pick the winners from the Flickr Photo Contest than I had anticipated. There were just so many images that I loved, but i could only pick 5.

So, without further ado, here are the results:

First Prize:

"your doll." by Miabella Foxley

Runners-up, in no particular order:

"Just Peachy" by Torrid Midnight

"Blowpop II" by Valena Glushenko

"JungleChoi1" by Choi Zhangsun

"Hush" by Mochi Milena

(I'm still behind on remodeling my shop, because my simple remodeling plan got alot more ambitious, so I won't be ready to display these for a few days or so, but I'll have some great wallspace for them.)

I want to thank everyone who entered photos in the contest. There really was such an amazing amount of creativity, and it is just so exciting for me to see all the different ways that folks wear thier Blowpops. It really is amazing. I just make flat skins, but you all make them come alive, and that's what really makes doing this so much fun.

Decisions, Decisions...

2008-08-25T18:58:00.000-07:00

See all of the entries in the Blowpop Blowpop Flick Photo Contest

I want to thank everyone again for submitting such gorgeous photos to the contest. Its not easy picking winners out of so many beautiful images. I'm a bit behind in choosing because I've had a pretty crazy week in RL, and I don't want to rush it, but I'll be announcing winners soon, I promise!

Flickr Contest Reminder

2008-08-15T10:46:00.000-07:00

www.flickr.com

See more in the Blowpop Army pool tagged with blowpopaugustcontest

I hope this flickr badge thingie works. Just wanted to post some random pics from the Blowpop Flickr contest and remind anyone who's interested that the deadline is this coming Wednesday, August 20 at 9pm SL.I also wanted to remind everyone that in order to be counted, photos must be tagged with "blowpopaugustcontest". Otherwise i won't know if theyre in the contest or not. Full rules here

One thing I know, I'm gonna have a hell of a time choosing winners. I'm totally floored by the entries already. I'm gonna stop looking til its all done.

(btw, the pics are totally random Flickr Badge thingie. They change with every refresh)

Assorted tidbits

2008-07-28T10:52:00.000-07:00

Survey Wrap-up
I want to thank everyone who took part in the Blowpop Customer Survey. I got an excellent response and a lot of very thoughtful feedback, which will be very helpful in improving my stores. I have sent out the Daisy survey gifts to all of the survey respondents, though its quite possible I've missed some folks, so if you've turned in a survey and have yet to recieve your gift, contact me by IM or notecard and I'll take care of it pronto.

Blowpop Army August Flickr Photo Contest:
I'm really happy with the response to so far to my photo contest. There are even a couple of entries already! I just want to remind everyone, that in order to have a picture considered, you need to both add it to the Blowpop Army flickr group AND tag it with " BlowpopAugustContest ". Otherwise, I won't know which pictures are part of the contest.

What I'm Working On:
Its been a while since my last release, but I AM actually working on a bunch of stuff.

Shapes! I'm finally going to be offering shapes. I've made 6 different shapes all designed to look great in Blowpop skins. Its been taking me forever to get them packaged though. I think I'm being far too picky about my displays. I know that the display is a really big part of an appealing product, but it does no good if you can't get it onto the wall. So I'm kicking that project into high gear and should have them for sale very very soon.
Listing my items on SLX and Onrez. About 8 months overdue, and not very much of fun at all, but I think it'll be worth it once I'm finally done.
Planning a new layout for my shops to make them easier and more appealing to shop in.
Repackaging my Mellie2 skins. Its funny, I was seriously going to mothball the Mellie2s when I created the Mellie3s, but they've been consistently solid sellers. At first I thought this was because they were priced so affordably, but after talking to a few people, and looking through the sales patterns, it seems that, completely by accident, Mellie2 has turned into a pretty decent Asian skin. Its not like I was trying for a specific style, but I guess it has a soft animeish kinda style that's still appealing to some folks. Go figure. So I've been redoing the displays for them so they don't look like stale donuts anymore.
New Makeups for Tuesday. OK, maybe I haven't actually been "working" on these, in the sense of putting color on skin, but I have been preparing myself for it, doing some research, collecting fashion pictures and stuff. Where the first collection was primarily neutrals, the next collection will be a lot of vibrant colors. Hopefully there'll still be some summer when theyre done.

That's about it for the now. But since I since I hate posting without a picture, I'm going to start a new series:

Artists I Love #1: Audrey Kawasaki

Ethereal, delicate, tragically beautiful and a bit disturbing. I absolutely love her stuff. If I could capture the essence of this in an SL skin, my work here would be complete.

www.audrey-kawasaki.com
Live-Journal

Blowpop Army August Flickr Contest!

2008-07-25T13:18:00.000-07:00

I am remodeling the Blowpop stores, and I'll have space now to show off some of my beautiful customers! With that in mind, I'm looking for your most spectacular photos, in your favourite Blowpop skin.

WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR:
The Blowpop woman is playful and fun. The Blowpop woman is stylish and beautiful. The Blowpop woman is sexy and smart. The Blowpop woman is whoever you choose to be. I am looking for the most striking images that celebrate the beauty of the Blowpop woman in all her many guises.

PRIZES:

One (1) Grand Prize of L$5,000 in cold, hard Lindens, plus the winning picture will be displayed prominently on the wall of my mainstore.
Four (4) Runners-Up will win $L2,000 in cold hard Lindens, plus their pictures will be featured in a cycling display on the wall of my mainstore.

DEADLINE: 9 p.m. SL Time, Wednesday, August 20, 2008. Judging will be done by me, and winners will be announced on or about the following Saturday.

RULES:

You may enter up to 5 images. Images can be swapped out at any time before the deadline
New images only.
Post-processing your pictures in an image editor is fine.
Tasteful nudes or a little naughty suggestiveness is acceptable, but please do not submit any explicit or pornographic images.

HOW TO ENTER:

1. Upload digital images to your Flickr stream and add them to the "Blowpop Army" Flickr group.

You will need to login with a Flickr ID or sign up for free.
Once logged in, join the “Blowpop Army” group by clicking on “Join this Group?” on the group’s homepage.
Use the “Send to Group” link located above each uploaded image to submit the image to the Blowpop Army group.

2. Once added to the group, tag each photo with the word "BlowpopAugustContest".

***IMPORTANT: If you do not upload your photo to Blowpop Army group, or do not tag your photo with the appropriate tag, it will not be considered for the competition.****

3. Enter a description, listing:

Avatar Name (especially if you're Flickr ID is different from your SL avatar name)
Photographer (if someone else took the picture) and any other model(s) in the image
Make and Model of Blowpop skin worn in image.
(any other useful info like location and clothing/prop credits are always much appreciated also)

LEGALESE:
You retain all rights and ownership to any images you submit, but by entering the Contest, all entrants grant nonexclusive license to Blowpop Skins to reproduce, distribute, display, and create derivative works of the entries (along with a name credit) in connection with the Contest and promotion of the Contest, in any media now or hereafter known.

A special shout-out goes to Dove Swanson of Long Awkward Poses, who came through and created the pose in the above picture on a moment's notice. That's exactly the kind of go-gettem attitude and bravery under fire that the Blowpop Army is all about. I hereby promote Dove to the rank of Colonel of the Blowpop Army!

A penny (and a super special exclusive giftie) for your thoughts!

2008-07-20T22:11:00.000-07:00

I'm looking for you thoughts! Starting tonight I'm asking for your feedback on Blowpop!

But that's not the best part! I created a special exclusive makeup and I'm giving it away entirely free when you turn in the completed survey!

Here's what you need to do:

Already a Blowpop group member - You received the notice! If you didn't get it, go to group notices and retrieve the survey!
Not a Blowpop member already? - It's simple! Sign up! The Survey is in the notice
(to sign up search for Blowpop in groups - select Blowpop Update Group) Then check Group Notices and pick up the survey.

Not So Fine Print: Please read the entire rules and instructions included in the survey. Incomplete surveys may delay your gift or if you don't include your name you will be ineligible! How will we know who you are?! Please allow up to 5 days to receive your free gift after delivering the survey... these things take time!

Thank you and I look forward to some great responses!

<3<3<3
Annyka

Wordle!

2008-07-11T14:49:00.000-07:00

hurray!

Blowpop Tuesday Updates

2008-06-24T14:57:00.000-07:00

It's taken me forever, but I've finally finished 2 gorgeous new makeup collections for Tuesday by and they're absolutely delicious!.

The first one I call "Shades of Valena", a sultry golden eye with thick sexy eyeliner, contoured cheeks and a range of warm lips for a sleek sophisticated look.

The second collection i've dubbed "Keeping Up With the Portias". Inspired by the signature look of reality tv star and party girl extraordinaire Kim Kardashian, these makeups come with a subtle smoky eye with silvery highlights, rosy cheeks and a range of pink lipsticks. The paparazzi will love you for it!

As always, each skin comes in black and brown eyebrows, frecked and non-freckled versions.

So come on down to Blowpop and try em out, along with all of the other fine skins at Blowpop!

Thank God Its Tuesday!

2008-05-27T07:03:00.000-07:00

Yes, my friends, it's finally Tuesday! And you know what that means?
That's right! Back to work after the 3 day weekend!

ummm... no, that wasn't it...

Oh yeah! The Tuesday skins are now available at Blowpop! YAAAAAAY!!!!

OK, here is where I wish I had some really compelling ad copy that would make you all drop whatever it is you are doing and run right over to Blowpop and snap up all the new skins. But honestly, I got nothin, and I'm too drained from getting these things ready to think of anything good. Seriously, great lines like "Couture Level Hand Drawing™" only come along once in a lifetime. You know it would be a great service if one of you would invent another great line like that for me to shamelessly appropriate.

So, instead of talking you all into why you need to get up right now, log into SL, and immediately rush over to Blowpop and buy every single new Tuesday skin and some old Mellies too for good measure, I will just show you some pictures.

Here is probably where i should add that Tuesdays are available in all skintones, and each makeup pack comes with black and brunette eyebrows, freckled and non-freckled versions all for L$950, with attractively priced value-packs.

Tuesday All Day Collection
(Tuesday Morning, Tuesday Afternoon, Tuesday After Dark)

Editions of Shir Collection
(Shir, Angelic, Shir, Breathless, Shir, Seductive)

Aden in Black Collection
(Aden in Black #1, Aden in Black #2, Aden in Black #3)

Rai Sins Collection
(Rai Sins Nude, Rai Sins in Pink, Rai Sins in Scarlet)

Some random musings about SL business...

2008-05-19T07:43:00.000-07:00

So I'm finding that the tough thing about business in SL is that there are no longstanding business traditions to fall back on like in RL. Even the most venerated of oldbies have only been at it for under 5 years, which in RL terms is barely out of apprenticeship. Much of RL conventional business wisdom does not apply to virtual trade. Plus the everchanging SL landscape renders any expert opinions quickly obsolete. What worked 2 years ago will not necessarily work today. Hell, what worked 2 months ago will not necessarily work today. So basically, when it comes to doing virtual business, we're all just making this stuff up as we go along.

Take freebies, for instance.

Conventional wisdom is that a good freebie will pay for itself in extra exposure and good will. People will see the freebie, and if they like it, will come back to the store to buy more things at full price.

That's the theory at least. Reality has been somewhat different. In the month since I released the Mellie3 Simply Nekkid skins for free, by sales have DROPPED by 30%. Transactions have risen 4x, accounting for all the freebies people have been grabbing, of course, but overall sales are down a third. Go figure.

I dunno, maybe its the recession. Or maybe it could be that there are so many freebies released every day that there is no real need for anyone to actually buy anything. On any given week, you could very easily find enough good free stuff to outfit 3 avatars. Just scanning through the fashionplanet feed, it seems like a majority of the stuff featured in blogs are freebies of one sort or another.

Is it possible to oversaturate the market in freebies? Is there a point where "free" loses its marketing power just because there's so much of it? I dunno.

Of course the drop in business could also be because I dropped the price on full-price skins from 1250L to 950L, which if everything else was equal, would account for a 20% drop in overall sales. But then that's another piece of conventional SL business wisdom that a lower priced product will sell more copies to value-conscious customers, and thus make up for itself in increased sales. The problem is, where exactly is that "sweet spot", where the price is so compelling that folks will flock to snap it up, but it can still generate a profit? When I first opened my store, I put out a set of Natural Beauty skins for 49L, and they sold like hotcakes. They easily sold more than 10x as many as my full price skins. Thing is, when I added up my receipts, even with far fewer sales, the full price skins generated 3x as much income.

So who's got it right? Bare Rose, selling huge sets at outrageously low prices? or Stiletto Moody, who shoes are the price of 3 entire BR outfits? Of course, its obvious what the typical shopper will answer to that; everybody loves to get more for their money. But then again, there's something to be said for luxury items. Is it possible that a pair of shoes that you have to save up a couple weeks for can somehow give you more pleasure than something affordable? Who knows? But I'd be curious to find out.

Of course, you might say that my experience is due to my product being crap. That's always a possiblity, and no sale or promotion will help that. "You can't polish a turd" as my grammy used to say. Anyway, nothing I can do about that but keep trying to improve my products.

Thing is, how much effort should one realistically spend? Sure I love making skins, and I would continue to make them for myself, even if I couldnt sell them. My primary compensation is being able to say "Look what I made." Thing is, while I do love creating skins, I really really dont like everything else involved with packaging them for sale. That part is real work, and its about as satisfying as doing data-entry at an accounting firm. (One of the reasons I don't really get too worked up over skinthieves stealing my textures is because i know that if they do, the jokes ultimately on them. They still have to rip them, re-upload, make new vendors, new demos, price them, name them, etc, etc, etc. Mainly, all of shitty gruntwork, but without the satisfaction of being able to say "I made this". Hell, its not even like they're huge sellers in the first place.)

Anyway, if its simply for creative expression, then surely one could get achieve without having to do all of the extraneous drudgework that goes into packaging products for sale and maintaining a storefront, right? If you count up the hours, it seems like the ratio of creative work to non-creative work is around 1 to 4, at least when it comes to making something that needs lots of variations on a theme like skins. And as far as drudgery work goes, the pay sucks. Now you could say that i need to do better marketing, put on events, sponsor fashion shows and treasure hunts and the sort. Find new ways to get the people into the store. But then that's even more time spent on non-creative work. Someone needs to make a JIRA to suggest a way that I could put newbies to work doing all of the non-fun production stuff that needs to be done to put my skins on the shelf. THAT is something I'd vote for.

Anyway, these are just a few of the random thoughts swirling around in my head lately. Regardless of the general hopeless tone of this posting, I still insist on spending my time making new skins. Just to show that i'm not all rant and no rabbit, I'll end with another preview of the new Tuesday skins. Here are a bunch of new makeups that I've made, but havent yet come up with names yet. Click on it for the larger size.

... now with Couture Level Hand Drawing™

2008-05-09T07:49:00.001-07:00

Sneak Peek... Tuesday skinline from Blowpop

Fortified with more couture level hand drawing™ than ever!

Coming Soon to a Blowpop Near You!

New at Blowpop

2008-05-01T22:02:00.000-07:00

4 new makeups for Mellie3 at Blowpop.

Diamond Girl
The Goumada
Curacao
and Midori.

Dramatic, colorful eyes. Luscious, Juicy lips. What's not to like?

"...today I consider myself the luckiest girl on the face of the earth"

2008-04-28T19:30:00.000-07:00

See? bribes and foot massages really DO work!

Thank you Second Style!!!

Check out all the Second Stylie Award winners in this month's Second Style Magazine!

New Packaging, New Pricing, New Products

2008-04-26T18:10:00.000-07:00

Some changes in Skin Packaging and Pricing at Blowpop.

Remember the skin survey I did a few weeks ago? Well, in case you were wondering what that was all about, I'll let you in on it. It was striking me that 8 skin variations per package was just a little bit much. I had to find a way to cut them back, but i wanted to be sure i was still making my customers happy. So I ran the survey to find out just which variations people really cared about. I got over 1000 responses, and its taken a bit of time to tabulate the results, but I finally got through enough to draw some solid conclusions.The results showed that people really care about things like eyebrows matching and freckles/no freckles, but not so much on the pubic hair. And of those who do care, bare/brazilian wax style is the hands-down favorite.

So from now on, all Mellie3 skin packages will come in just the bare pubic style. They will still have black and brunette eyebrows, and freckled/non-freckled versions for a total of 4 skins per package. For those who still prefer pubic hair, they also come packaged with a brown and brunette bush on the underwear layer.

The new price for all this is L$950 per makeup pack, with Fatpacks of 4 makeups for L$2850.

In addition, the Simply Nekkid no-makeup base style is now FREE! w00t!

And that's not all, I've got new makups too! Because I have been getting lots of requests for more smoky eye makeups, I've released Black Mamba #1 - 4, a series of supersmoky, supersexy styles in 4 luscious lip colors. Available in all skintones.

So, that's it for now, me luvvies! Stay tuned for more!

Ciao,
Annyka

Immortalized in Flowy Locks of Hair

2008-03-31T07:52:00.000-07:00

Please pardon my overinflated ego, but I just HAD to show off this fantastic new hairstyle from Aden Breyer. It's the Annyka hair, named after yours truly, and I just couldn't love it more! Not only is it long, luscious and totally fierce, the perfect tousled bedroom hair, but like many of Aden's innovative hair designs, its made of two pieces which attach to the head and the spine. This means when you turn your head, it wont poke through your chest, and the long ends stay right where they belong. Which, of course, also means that the long flowing locks cover your boobs and stay put when you move! In fact, this hair was so made for going topless that I haven't worn one all weekend and I just might never wear one again! Don't blame me! Blame Aden!

In other news: The turnout for the Blowpop Simple Skin Survey has been absolutely fantastic. I want to thank all the folks who came down and took it and remind everyone else that its still going on until the end of the day today! So if you want to get your hands on the super-pretty and super-exclusive Mellie3 Little Bird makeup, don't delay!

Credits:
Hair: Aden
Skin: Blowpop Mellie3 Honey [little bird] (special survey schwag)
Tights: Boudoir legs by Battered Boudoir
Boots: Jaywalk (formerly LC Vamp)
Eyes: Miriel

I GOT QUESTIONS!!! (and I'm paying for answers!)

2008-03-28T21:17:00.000-07:00

Come down to Blowpop on Fuzzy and take my simple survey consisting of 3 very simple questions and get yourself and exclusive limited edition Mellie3 makeup set FREE!!!!

The survey will only go until Monday, March 31, so hurry!!!

(p.s. only one person can take the survey at a time, so if it's busy, please be patient. It's really quick)

Mellie3 New Makeups!

2008-03-15T09:43:00.000-07:00

Hiya folks! I've got some sexy new Mellie3 makeups for you in 4 shades of smoky!

Available at LAME in all 6 skintones for L$1250 each, which includes 8 variations of eyebrow color, pube style and freckles.

Get while theyre HAWT!

And don't forget, Mellie2's are still on sale for 50% off!

MELLIE3 SPOTTED AT FUZZY! SASQUATCH STILL AT LARGE!

2008-03-02T21:50:00.000-08:00

Remember when I said the new Mellie3 skins would be available exclusively at Skinfair for a couple of weeks? Well, what I meant to say was a couple of days, hehe.

To make it easier for everybody to see the new Mellie3s, I've put them into the mainstore location at LAME on Fuzzy. I'll be putting them into the Talisman store too as soon as I can remodel a bit. The Clearance skins are still available at both locations, and the Mellie3s are also still available at Skinfair, so be sure to check them out there too.

Skinfair! Woohoo!!!

2008-02-29T08:03:00.000-08:00

So Skinfair is almost upon us and I am really really excited about it. For one thing, there are a LOT of amazing skins there. There is such an amazing range of designers represented, from the big and famous to the small and obscure. It's wonderful how many extremely talented creators are set up all in one place. It should be a great show with lots to look at. And make sure you stop by the Blowpop booth and say hello. I'll be set up in the far pavilion, right next to PXL. If you get lost, there's a gigantic poster of my face on the wall, so you can't miss it. (Yes, I'm that vain. Got a problem with that?)

But what I'm really excited about, is I'm finally releasing the Mellie3 skins, and they'll be available exclusively at Skinfair for a couple of weeks while I clear out my stores of old inventory. (Shameless Plug Alert: 50% OFF CLEARANCE SALE ON MELLIE2 SKINS! At Fuzzy and Talisman locations.)

If you think you've seen what Blowpop skins are all about, please take another look. These have been redone, literally, head to toe. Even the few parts I didnt repaint, like the ears or the palms, now look better because I figured out some better layering techniques which have made for better shading through all the skintones. I'm so happy with how these have come out. I feel as if, after a couple of versions, I finally know what I'm doing and how to get just the right amount of detail and tone that I envision in my head. I also did these all while using Windlight to preview, so I think the shading really holds up well. Oh, and I also added a sixth skintone, Cocoa.

Another big difference with the Mellie3s is how they are packaged. I was constantly getting requests for different options like eyebrow colors, pubic hair styles and freckles and after thinking long and hard about which options to offer and how to offer them, I still couldn't make up my mind. I love ALL the options. So I threw them all in the box. So now, each Mellie3 skin comes in both brunette and black eyebrows, shaved or trimmed kitties, in freckled and non-freckled versions. Yes, that's 8 skins per pack, and they cost L$ 1250/pack. (Did I also mention I have a strong maso streak?)

So there it is. Everything you wanted to know about Mellie3 but didnt care to ask. But enough talk! Pictures!

New Tone! Cocoa!

And a key to filenames

P.S. If you haven't listened to it yet, be sure you check out the latest episode of Second Style Stylecast. Tamara and Daphne do a review of some of the new skinlines that are going to be at Skinfair. Among such greats as Celestial Studios, Canimal, Fleur, and Minnu, they say some really nice things about Blowpop! w00t!!! Talk about being in lofty company! My nose is bleeding!

Btw, how do people manage to get their blogs to keep coming up at the top of the feed? I want that power!!

Clearance, Clarence! Mellie2 Skin Sale Starting Saturday!

2008-02-21T11:30:00.000-08:00

I need to make room for Mellie3, so beginning Saturday, February 23, and continuing through the month of March, all Mellie2 (except for Natural Beauties) skins will be on sale for 50% off! After this, they will be gone for good. The sale will be happening at both the LAME and Talisman locations.

During this time, I will be rolling out the Mellie3 skins at Skinfair, where they will be available exclusively until April 1, when I take down Mellie2 and put the Mellie3s up in my shops.

In the meantime, here's another Mellie3 teaser. I'm totally happy with how these have come out. This pic is a totally in-world shot in Windlight using a slightly modified version of Caliah Lyon's settings and some added lights. I only used Photoshop to crop it and add the type.

Mellie3 Teaser from Blowpop

2008-02-20T09:42:00.000-08:00

So yeah, I've been lying low for a long time, but I haven't been lazy. I've redone my Mellie skins head to toe. The Mellie3 skins are about 90% repainted. They'll be launching at Skinfair on March 1. And I'll be posting more preview pics in the next week.

(edit)
Credits:
Windblown hair by Aden, Eyes by Miriel, and pose by Long Awkward Poses.
*nude pics make credits easy!

Blowpop Holiday Newness

2007-12-19T07:43:00.000-08:00

Hiya everybody! I'm back and Ive brought goodies. Namely trio of new makeups for the Mellie skins that I call "the Semi-Precious Collection," available at Blowpop on Fuzzy. These are bright festive eyeshadow colors just perfect for holiday parties. Or maybe its just really really cold here and I'm already looking forward to spring. Either way, their yummy!

First up is Sapphire, in shades of shimmering blue with some contrasting bronzes on the upper brow and bottom lid. (A page cut would go perfect here. Could someone teach me to do that on Blogger?)

Then there's Emerald, an iridescent green with shades of viridian and gold highlights.

And finally, my favorite, Sapphire, a vibrant blend of violets and fuschias with subtle copper highlights.

In other great news, the Blowpop Update Group has just topped 1,000 members! Don't ask me why or how, but them's a whole lot of people! To celebrate this momentous milestone, and because its Christmas, I sent out 2 really special, totally exclusive makeups, Shimmery Silver and Glittery Gold. I wish I had some pictures to show you, but they really are quite lovely. So if you're not in the Blowpop Update Group yet, join today and never miss out on these wonderful goodies!

So here's wishing you all a happy and safe holiday season. And remember, there's nothing wrong with being naughty, just be sure to look nice while doing it.

Kisses,
Annyka

Happy Thansgiving!

2007-11-20T20:55:00.000-08:00

I fixed all the vendors that were busted, and I'm headed out of town for Thansgiving. I'll be out of SL through the weekend, but I'll still have limited IM contact through gmail, so if anyone has any problems with thier Mellies, i'll be able to answer questions but I wont be able to fix anything until i get back.

I hope everyone has a great thanksgiving!

*kisses*
Anny

Issues!

2007-11-20T08:35:00.000-08:00

Hard as it is to believe, I do occasionally make mistakes. Okay, I often make mistakes, but who's counting? Anyway, it seems that Ive gone and forgotten to turn on "Sell" on the Mellie2 Cream Demos, as well as some of the fatpacks. I also mislabeled the Honey [fresh/light pink] and [fresh/soft rose] demo skins. I'm sure I probably made a whole bunch of other mistakes too, so if anything's not right, let me know and I'll fix it as soon as I can.

A big thank you to my sharp-eyed customers and sorry for the inconvenience!

Finally! the Mellie 2

2007-11-19T20:28:00.001-08:00

Mellie Poster honey
Originally uploaded by Annyka B

it took a lot longer to get these on the shelves than I expected, but they are finally ready and available at the Blowpop Main Store at the Lame Designs mall on Fuzzy.

As a special celebration, for a limited time only, I'm again selling the Natural Beauty skins to everybody, not just Blowpop Update Group members, for L$49. And these are the new and improved Mellie 2s, and now with Cinnamon! (Of course, group members get them for free cuz they rock!)

anyway, that's it for now. I need sleep.

Closed for Restocking

2007-11-18T09:26:00.000-08:00

The Blowpop Main Shop at Lame Designs Shopping Center on Fuzzy will be closed today while I restock the vendors with the new Mellie skins. I apologise for any inconvenience and am working hard to open back up as soon as possible. Thank you.

Mellie 2 makeup previews

2007-11-15T17:36:00.002-08:00

Okay, so i wanted to have these ready to release tonight, but reality said otherwise. So in the meantime, more previews!! I reworked all of the makeups a little bit and introduced Cinnamon, a darker tone. The blank spots in Cinnamon are where the light lipsticks didn't quite work out, so I'll probably just add some darker lipcolors and call it a day.

Most everything is done except for packing vendors and making ads, so hopefully Saturday will be the day! Stay tuned!

Mellie 2 Preview! Coming Soon!

2007-11-13T09:11:00.001-08:00

I just cant leave well enough alone, but there were a few things that have been bugging me about the Mellie skins and I simply couldn't let them go any longer. So I've made a whole bunch of little improvements and tweaks and I am busy retexturing all of my current skins as well as introducing some new makeups and a whole new darker skintone in anticipation of a release later this week. Yes, I've been a busy busy bee!

Some of the changes include, brand new ears and belly button, because the old ones honestly sucked. New bright healthy teeth. I toned down the highlighting on the nose a little and altered the contour of the lips slightly so that it hopefully works better on a wider variety of faceshapes. I also improved lip colors and reworked the gloss highlights as well as a whole bunch of smaller, more subtle tweaks. All of these changes combine to make Mellie 2 even more beautiful than ever.

Note for Purchasers of Full-price Mellie Skins:
I dont intend to leave all of you in the dark, so I will be replacing all full-price Mellie 1s with the corresponding Mellie 2s just as soon as I get them all ready and loaded in the vendors. Please be patient, as this may very well take some time. *

* this only applies to full price makeups and fatpacks and NOT to the $L 49 Natural Beauty skins.

So stay tuned and look for Mellie 2 later on this week!

Blowpop New Store at Lame & Sidewalk Sale!

2007-11-02T09:48:00.001-07:00

Blowpop at Lame designs Shopping center_001
Originally uploaded by Annyka B

Woohoo! I finally got my very own storefront!!! I've moved into the new Lame Designs Shopping Center on Fuzzy! My delightful new landlady, Popfuzz Bamboo built me the absolutely cutest shop with 2 giant blowpops out front. I love it so much, I've been hanging out there nonstop bugging all the customers.

I really wasnt' expecting to open so soon. I was hoping to have been able to have my new makeups ready for my grand opening, but Fuzzy had a grand opening for the whole place with a simwide sidewalk sale, so I just had to move in what ive got so i could take part.

So, in celebration of the grand opening of the new Lame, through Sunday, I am making my Mellie Natural Beauty skins available to everybody for L$ 49! That's right, you don't have to join the Blowpop Update Group to get this fantastic deal. Just come on down to Fuzzy and pick up a few! I also have a sidewalk sale price on the regular Mellie Fatpacks of L$ 1999 for 4 skins! That's almost 40% off the regular price of each skin sold separately. And because I really love you, I'll even let you mix and match your own fatpack! Just IM me or drop me a notecard and I'll be happy to throw one together for you.

And while your at Lame, be sure to check out all the other fantastic sales in the rest of the mall. Here's a list of all the vendors and some of their sales:

* Popfuzz
* *ICING* (She made the cutest dress for the sidewalk sale only $75 plus shes retiring 3 other dresses that are for sale for $75 goe forever monday)
* Sh*t Happens (Free cute dress and several cute items for $10)
* Fantasies, INK (All her items are on sale today through monday $99 or less)
* Veschi
* Corduroy (Love Me, Tint Me tintable leggings for L$ 75 )
* Royal Blue
* Overdose (lots of cute clothing items at really cheap prices Some even $1)
* illuminare
* Kid Asia (3 shirts for the price of one special)
* Ame True Design House
* Neko Gear / Nekopia (several of their fat packs at 50% off)
* Gridlife
* Eolande’s Hair Accessories
* <3>
* Doll City Jewelry
* Periquita Shoes (Omg $49 sculpty hi heels in the sidewalk sale)
* Kimberly Casanova Designs
* Eat Me ($15 eyes ad cat and dog gestures)
* Darkstar Designs (Very cool boots boots only $40)
* Woo’s (She put out some of her favorite bangels 50% off)
* Studio Sidhe
* Freak Boutique (Full outfits at discounted prices)
* Panjen (She made a cute set of 6 Lame t-shirts for only $6)
* Big Boob Boutique

and of course, Blowpop

Blowpop! Special Group Offer on Mellie Natural Beauty Skin

2007-10-25T20:44:00.001-07:00

where-the-magic-happens
Originally uploaded by Annyka B

So I guess i've taken enough time off to recover from the Blowpop launch. I'm absolutely thrilled with the response that Mellie has gotten so far. But no more resting on me laurels, its time to get back to work in the top secret Blowpop Labs on new makeups and looks for Mellie.

In the meantime, here's Mellie Natural Beauty. Because sometimes a girl just doesnt want to have to put on any makeup. I'm offering Mellie Natural Beauty at the fantastically low introductory price of L$499 per skin so that everybody can afford to get into a Mellie.

But wait, there's more! Because of the deep and meaningful love I feel for my peeps in the Blowpop Update Group, I'm offering Mellie Natural Beauty to groupmembers for only L$49! Yes, L$49! what's that you say? Not a member of the Blowpop Update Group yet? Well join in and share the love! Be the first to know about all of the exciting new Blowpop releases and special offers. And best of all, its free!

This offer is only available for a limited time, so get on down to Blowpop and get yourself a Mellie today!

Hello Mellie! or Launch Day at Blowpop

2007-10-11T08:03:00.002-07:00

Hello and welcome to Lick, Dont Bite, the official source of information about products and updates from Blowpop. My name is Annyka Bekkers. and I've been a resident of SL since June. In that short time I've led various and questionably successful careers as dancer, bartender, reluctant escort, part time model, shopaholic, explorer, roleplayer, nuisance, and mooch. Finally, in the hopes of doing something productive, I have decided to try my hand at creating things. And thus, in honor of certain unmentionable fixations, Blowpop was born.

Blowpop's first product is Mellie, a full line of ladies' skins in 4 tones with 12 makeup options each. The product of countless hours of painstaking labor and the bane of the hair upon my head, Mellie has been designed to flatter the female avatar form, with an emphasis on softness, prettiness, and all-around lickability.

Mellie is available for $L799 per single skin, with 4packs priced at $L2399, and 12-skin Tone Packs available for $L5999.

I want to give a special thank you to the very talented, beautiful and sexy Eloria LeShelle for helping me out so much with my launch and setting aside a space for me to set up my stalls in her store, The Battered Boudoir on Boudoir Island. I've made a cute little display in the corner, so please come down and try on Mellie or just say hello at Blowpop at the Battered Boudoir.

Here are photos of the makeups currently available. I tried to make the launch styles more everyday basics to start with. I plan on rolling out more styles at semi-reglar intervals going forward, with some wilder and more exotic looks, as well as seasonal looks.

SO , what can you expect in the future from Blowpop? Well, more makeups for Mellie, for one thing. Plus, their are two darker tones, Cinnamon and Cocoa, which need to have their makeups finished so they can be introduced. I need to find a permanent space, so any suggestions would be welcome. I would also like to start doing some tattoos. (This entire project originally started because I was sick of my tattoos falling off and wanted to be able to permanently ink them onto my skin. Now I've got 70 skins without a tattoo on a single one. Go figure). And who knows what else? Stay tuned!

So come on down to Boudoir Island and give Mellie a try. Oh, and don't forget to join the Blowpop Update Group if you would like to be informed of new products and updates.

Thankya, and lotsa kisses!

Annyka Bekkers
Head Honcho,
Blowpop Skin Products