HBW #17 - Beach Trip

Another week, another set of hot buys, and this time around Stardoll have created four Beach inspired items, alongside a fair isle type knit sweater dress.

The first item of this week is the Hot Buys Sea Dress, priced at a mere 13 stardollars. The quality is surprisingly good and this dress is a steal compared to what older monthly Hot Buys were selling for. It is a very simple item, but it could be used as a simple yet staple piece in your wardrobe.

Next up we have the Hot Buys Leopard Tank Top, which you can find in the starplaza for 12 stardollars. It is slightly  expensive for what it is but the colours, reasonable quality and the wearability lured me into buying this. I can imagine using this on numerous occasions to spice up what would be simple outfits.

The Hot Buys Neon Beach Shoulder Bag (9 stardollars) is the sole accessory of this week. I like the principles and design of this bag but the quality let me down slightly. There is no real shading on it, but the interesting print and colour once again, similar to the leopard top, made me purchase this.

The Hot Buys Beach Shorts, priced at 11 stardollars, are an interesting addition to this week's selection of Hot Buys and are certainly not something I can say that I have seen on Stardoll before. Saying this I actually quite like them as they are well made, although the logos imprinted on them could make them quite hard to work into an outfit.

Finally we have the Hot Buys Tribe Dress, which is easily the most random addition to these Hot Buys. It doesn't really match the beach theme too much because of it's print and in the graphic it is just shoved into the background (it is a nice graphic however). It is priced at 15 stardollars so it is the most expensive Hot Buy of this week, even though the quality is probably the worst out of all the items, due to it's lack of shading and blurry print.

What did you think of this week's Hot Buys? Comment below.

HBW #16 - Spring Prints

"With this week´s Hot Buys we want to bring you sur la monté de marche.  Are you going to the photo call with a simple springy outfit like Audrey Tatou, or are you channeling your bling ring girl and pick a glittering combo? Which outfit will you choose for your début sur la Croisette?"

The first item of this week, which is also many people's favourite from the bunch, is the Hot Buys Disco Collar Top. With a simple and wearable design and a reasonable price of 14 stardollars, this top is a must buy. It boasts actual shading, rather than the gradient effect Stardoll have preferred to use in recent months for many of their clothes and the collar adds the fun to an otherwise simple design.

The next item is the Pleather Fringed Skirt, which I am slightly on the fence about. Although I enjoy the design and concept I find it to be ever so slightly ill fitting and it looks kind of frumpy on my doll without the correct styling. I'm also unsure about the design of the fringe, but I let the negatives slip as I also purchased this, at the price of 12 stardollars.

Next we have the Hot Buys City Lights Sequin Dress at a price of 18 stardollars. This is a very nice minidress and is, like the other Hot Buys, the first items we have seen in quite a while that are not neon or PVC. Although the quality isn't amazing it's still a strong piece and another item I can definitely see myself wearing at some point.

Penultimately is the Hot Buys Cannes Top (9 stardollars), the top half to go along with the Hot Buys Cannes Skirt (11 stardollars. Although I'm a fan of the print I was slightly reluctant to buy because of the way it sits on the doll. The top's straps are odd and put me off purchasing the item, even though they could be covered with hair or a jacket. Next is the skirt, which at first seems like a big frumpy bit of material, however, styled correctly, can look very nice. I decided to pick it up due to it's intricate print, hoping that I can one day make it look good, but I can understand anyone who does not like the item. 

I ended up purchasing 4 out of 5 items this time around, which I think is the most I've ever purchased in one collection. Many people have complained about the graphics of this HBW, but as no quality standard has yet been set and the designs and techniques are all over the place I'm purely going on the basis of the items. I quite like the way that everything this time around actually look like clothes rather than neon gradient material but each to their own. What do you think of this week's selection of Hot Buys? Hit or miss?

Fashion Review: Acid

The fashion line Acid owned by Khol (hollyoaksrocks*) has released it's debut collection, a summer 2013 ready-to-wear line, which you can view by clicking here.

At first glance this collection struck me as a very basic but stylish collection and I continue to stick by this, however as you look closer into the collection itself it is easier to see the flaws.

First of all, it is extremely basic, almost to the point of not passing for a full summer collection. I also found a lot of it reminiscent to older Stardoll clothing, such as the beanie, plain tees from Basics, some shoes from Pretty in Love and the cap recently released in Original Future. I didn't mind the one model but I would have preferred to seen some other faces, as well as a runway background to set off the 10 outfits.

The 90s inspired collection didn't really scream 90s to me and the only items that strongly reminded me of the era were the two tie dye items shown at the beginning of the collection.

I, for one, am a huge fan of Khol's exciting style and I enjoy visiting her suite to see what outfit she has conjured up for the day, however this collection has left me slightly disappointed. I can only begin to think of how exciting this collection could be but instead it is just above the level of mediocre. Saying this, I did enjoy numerous pieces and found some pieces and prints very interesting.

I'm excited to see what Khol has to offer for the next collection of Acid and I'm hoping that it's able to grow from the criticism and deliver an outstanding second edition full of creative ideas and pieces.

Advertisement: Risque Magazine is a new and upcoming magazine owned by Hilmy (emmahunt4 on Stardoll) which you can view by clicking here. The magazine is set to be released very soon and is bound to be a success. I definitely recommend for everyone to follow the blog as updates will be coming very soon.

PMR: Glamour Magazine

*PMR - Past Magazine Reviews*
I continually find myself wondering whether the old and original magazines of Stardoll, such as Style, Eternity and Fierce, really were better than the few magazines that stand in the current day Stardoll. Today, magazines from the hey day of Stardoll will be put to the test to see if they really are that much better than the issues of today.

Glamour Magazine, owned by Dodence_bt, was a magazine that began in March 2009, with 2 issues to date. Today, the second 'Louis Vuitton' themed issue will be ranked, reviewed and rated to see if it comes up to scratch with the other magazines around of then and now.

Click the image to view the magazine

Graphic Design: 8/10 There's no denying that Mario is an incredibly talented graphic designer, and he still was back almost four years ago in July 2009. There is still room for improvement of course, and you can see quite a difference in quality between the warrior photo shoot and Louis Vuitton editorial. The shading on doll's faces is phenomenal, which is a part of graphics many forget about now. Roi World and I-dressup hairs are used in the magazine, alongside regular Stardoll poses, but this does not take away from the overall beauty of the design.  

Fashion Editorial: 10/10 Glamour Magazine has content and that somehow seems to be missing from almost every magazine around in the current day. There's an interesting article alongside the warrior styled shoot and three beautiful Louis Vuitton graphics to go with the article. The ideas are good and the theme of Louis Vuitton is prominent throughout the entire magazine. 

Trends Shown: 10/10 As well as the two articles and shoots from previously in the magazine, there is also a three page spread on current trends, including fringed clothes, jewels and and boyfriend jeans. Not only is there a spread there is also articles on each of the different trends which is an added bonus to those who enjoy content as well as pretty graphics.

Writing Style: 9/10 The writing style is great however proof reading and checking the articles wouldn't go a miss as there is some punctuation mistakes, which can easily be found in most magazines however. I particularly liked the 'Warrior In You' article and found myself continuing to read through it all, which isn't something I tend to do with current magazines. The Louis Vuitton article was also interesting but the covergirl interview lacked excitement and was based too tightly on LV.

Overall Layout: 8/10 The ratio of one graphic to one article is good as it gives an equal amount of content and graphics although I would have possibly liked a few more graphics, or an additional editorial, on the side. I also found the same colour of background continually being used slightly boring as there are other ways to keep things cohesive without using the same background.

How did this magazine score?

45 out of 50,  at 90% or A-

Review: Trendy Magazine

Dear readers,

I must confess I am a bit late to the party, but here goes my belated commentary for Trendy Magazine. Trendy is setting the industry standard as of now, created by two of Stardoll's contemporary "elites." Whether or not Trendy will match the best of the best will be determined on here, on my scale. Remember that in a magazine, instead of putting the page numbers, I will use brackets. The cover is [1/34]. This magazine contains 34 pages.

Click HERE to view Trendy in a new window to follow along with me.

Graphic Design: 10/10 Trendy is eye catching from the start: SEXY, SEXY, SEXY! It's not blatantly, or overtly so, however, and I love it. It's simple but the headdress on the cover makes the cover dazzling. The hair is pure disarray and the color is fantastic. I love the simple but not overstated theme, especially with the headdresses right off the bat [4/34] and the Christian Louboutin graphics [14/34]. Oh, sweet seduction! I could gasp over these gorgeous graphics all day but I must move on: I'll leave you with two words. Elie Saab [20/34].

Fashion Editorial: 7/10 It saddens me to give the editorial these marks, but although the graphic design is close to perfection, the editorial is far from so. There's no fluidity, no theme [19-25/34] and there is nothing that is an indicator to what the editors are looking for. No curated pieces are shown, and in the photo where she is topless [25/34], she looks great, but what's her purpose? Why is she topless? Important questions.

Trends Shown: 9.5/10 The trends from Paris Fashion Week were great [6-11/34]. I loved the editors picked their favorites and displayed them. This is what it means to be trend setting! Points off for no real explanation though, and as with the editorial, no fluidity. I loved the "Must Haves" section [15/34] and the casual trendy looks that are so ideal for Spring [16-17/34].

Creativity: 6/10 As magazines go, this wasn't cutting edge. It was alright. However, as magazines go today, this was one of the better ones. Though the creativity wasn't mind blowing, the darker overall theme did entice me and was one of the magazine's best assets.

Writing Style: 4/10 It is here Trendy falls into a trap. We see yet another magazine with little to no writing, thinking they can make up for it with pretty pictures. Words provide sustenance. The interview with Manolo. DiCicco was good [28-30/34], something that has not been done for awhile. Otherwise, the grammar and writing style was fine, I just really wish there was more.

How did this magazine score?

 36.5 out of 50 points, at 70% or C

My Final Comments: Trendy was a good magazine. The graphics were great but a magazine's worth does not directly stem from good graphics. They are important, but other areas were lagging. Writing, for example, should be essential. I feel so many magazines, as a general consensus, lack the adequate amount of writing necessary for it to be a true publication, not just a high fashion catalog. That was my main complaint. Last time I reviewed Trendy, it seems the magazine's editors haven't taken my words to heart. The score hasn't changed. I am looking forward to giving Trendy higher scores in the future.

TTT, what did you think? Agree or disagree? Comment!

Review: Allure Magazine

Welcome back, TTT readers,

Happy V-Day everybody! I hope you got a kiss from that special someone, and if you didn't, I hope you got some chocolate kisses! And, to complete your Valentine's Day, without further adieu, here's my delicious review of the newly released Allure Magazine. And, I must say, there could not be a more auspicious time to publish a magazine: kudos to the Allure team! Bonus points awarded (just kidding, I don't do bonus points). Well, enough rambling, let's get down to business.

Allure's first issue is the quality of a fledgling magazine, which is no more than I truly expect for a first issue. It was not a smashing success, or a complete failure, but somewhere along the lines of ok, and moving upwards on the ladder. The Allure team has a lot going for them, however: Allure is also a daily blog, which I must give commend to: it is really hard to run a blog and a magazine at the same time! As always, to prevent from making this post too boring, I will put page numbers in brackets. For example, since this magazine has 25 pages, the cover would be [1/25]. It makes it easier for all of us.

Click HERE to view the magazine in a new window to follow along.

Graphic Design: 7/10 The graphics are not too bad, and actually get progressively better from the cover on. The hair on the model is too choppy and quite frankly too large for her face, but her face is beautifully sculptured. I like the "peek-a-boo" nudity risks that the magazine takes: it is daring for a first issue, but well composed and while does tread a fine line between art and porn, does not cross it [5/25]. Impressive. The editorial picture does look a bit awkward, however, as the models look like little girls caught in a child's pose [10/25], but maybe that's the photographer's job to work on the poses a little better: think refined- Coco Rocha! I like the daring chances the team took, however, for example, Lindsay Lohan smoking the cigarette [21/25]. Well done, but it needs work and refinement.

Fashion Editorial: 4/10 The editorial was 2 pages long. And a 4/10 is me being generous. Well curated fashion magazines have a spread of fashion usually: and this is the best time to have one! We are nearing Spring and the magazine could have easily, easily incorporated more clothing. But what I do like are the floral crowns [10/25], always a good trend, yet the girl with the wolf confuses me. This seems more along the lines of a fall edition, no?

Trends Shown: 8/10 What this magazine excelled at was trends. Huge commendation for the specific article on trends. I really liked how specific the writers were [6-9/25] and the clue-ins. Ombre hair is truly hard to do yourself- appealing to the "everyday girl" that is your reader is absolutely important! Yet, there were no pictures on hand to show what the final style should look like, and that's where the points came off.

Creativity: 6/10 This magazine had nothing out of the normal. Yes, it is edgy, but we can also say Wooldoor's Monster is edgy. My point is, it's not the only one out there. The points come from the "Playlist" article [13-15/25], where there is something new. Music has not been a topic yet explored by any magazine, and I am impressed the team has thought of it. I love that the author puts her own opinion into it, and why it means so much. This article made me really, really, happy. Overall, though, the magazine needs to follow this concept of originality.

Writing Style: 7/10 The writing style and grammar were good all around. Yet, I am upset that there was no real article. Where is the substance! Yes, fashion and style is important, but there are also tons of issues your readers could be more informed about. A new art exhibit? Fashion week? Politics? Looming issues such as melanoma and the use of tanning beds? Food for thought.

How did this magazine score?

32 out of 50 points, at 64% or D-

My Final Comments: Allure has done very well, although many fans and the team may think I was a bit unfair. This scale is one created for magazines that have run for many seasons, for improvement, and for people to read magazines with a more critical eye and get the most they can out of every issue. I don't believe I was unfair, and I believe Allure has a lot of improvement ahead but it has started at a very positive place. I look forward to awarding Allure with high marks in the near future!

Review: Admire Couture

Things are truly getting hectic around TTT these days, and while it is never a slow 'news' day... I have some things to report! The first was a promised look and review on the new collection of our sponsor - Admire Couture. It was their first collection and like I said, this debut would either make or break the brand.

Don't hold your breath any longer because I can truly say that it made the brand. What it is and what it will be. Listen, I know that we sponsor them - but I have no reason to not be truthful to you all. And even if you are still wondering, I will give you in detail, the reasons why I loved this collection so much.

First, I would like to say that like any other small brand, you have to build. The graphics may not have been able to compete with much more anticipated and advanced clothing pieces - but that is OK because after all, this was their debut. Key word: debut.

Now... What did I like about this launch? The PERSONALITY. In my opinion, I could smile at the virtual models and follow along with them as the strut. I was waiting for them to keep walking down the runway. They seemed happy and they seemed to tell a story and that may sound crazy, but that is what sold the clothes to me, that is marketing and that is a real life strategy!

Admire Couture is still trying to prove themselves, they do not have a solid show in Stardoll Fashion Week and we have to make this happen for them. Leave a comment below if you think that Admire Couture should launch another collection during SFW!

Interested to see what the rest of the colleciton looks like? Click here!

Sunny Bunny: The Review

* Click image for better viewing!

I am sure you are well aware of the new StarBeauty collection, Sunny Bunny that was released into the StarPlaza a few days ago, but what you have yet to find out - is what the critics, including Tyler's Top Trends; are saying about it.

Sunny Bunny is a playful and fun beauty shop. Something that the majority of the members here on Stardoll can relate to - something that will always be taken note of.

It is not a surprise that Stardoll and their creative directors have been stepping up their game lately in order to provide for us, the gamer. This collection may not be what we call 'mainstream fashion', but it does not have to be. Bringing that up, I understand that a lot of this items are not even style - sometimes, I think we should all just relax and focus on the fact that this world is even possible. Moving on...

This collection really reminds me of something that you would see on the streets of Toyko, stare at the person wearing it and say, "wow, they have guts"! Traditional Japanese fashion is beautiful, creative and daring. When I did see this collection, though, the first thing I thought of was - Sailor Moon, a Japanese cartoon.

The contact lenses are a very good item to have in this store, it really tops it all off. We now have access to more colors to make our eyes our 'dream colour'.The rest of the collection is topped off with hair extensions, clips, earrings and hats!

I wanted to keep this short and sweet. I have nothing to complain about. Do you?

Recherche Magazine Published - My Review!

I am back from my mini vacation and I really wanted to get this blog on the road (get it, instead of show?). I realized that school will be starting very soon and I wanted to make sure everything was in order here and to say the least - manageable. Tyler's Top Trends is on its way to becoming the #1 source for all things Stardoll fashion!

Man, I gotta' catch up!

The July/August 2010 Issue of Recherche Magazine was released sometime, not really sure actually since I was gone - but I do know that it was recent. Anyways, I am nearly done reading and decided to give it a little review.



On the cover is top model Lia and does she not look stunning? I really noticed that Recherche has been improving throughout every issue - which is probably what should happen with every magazine (sadly, it doesn't). They really captured little details and made many of the models look realistic in a sense. I did notice some things that were a little overdone, but lets just cut them some slack - shall we?



As stated in the 'Editor's Letter', this issue definitely hase more and better content then previous issues. With that being said, Recherche Magazine is currently on top in my eyes. Well done, Recherhce, well done.

Click here to visit the issue - be sure to comment!

Trial Post: L'Occitane Shop Review

If you've been keeping in touch with the new items in Starplaza, you would know that a new store called L'Occitane has come out (the actual store is only available to people in Sweden).

While this shop is pricey, I definitely like these colors. Just in time for winter + fall, because people tend to pack away their neon oranges and lime greens in favor for more subtle colors, such as a light pink or nude. And of course, red lipstick is always in style. It adds that pop to an outfit. The eyeshadows are incredibly easy to blend, enabling you to create the perfect shade of eyeshadow.

My favorite piece of this collection would have to be the blush. I love the way (unlike those huge Dot brushes) that you can actual apply blush where you want. The shade of this blush is also perfect, a mix of pink and red, called peony. I see many original makeup looks that include this blush.

Expensive? Yes. Worth it? Yes. Cheaper than Luxe? Yes. Should you buy? Yes.