Gorgeous in Green: a Customisation Guide

THE OUTFIT

First of all, it's important to settle on a budget. This will largely depend on how much you have saved up, but whatever your bank balance is, think about whether you can afford to splash out on brand new items, or whether you're better off re-purposing some of your favourites from past years. First off are the obvious choices. There are a few neopoint wearables which never fail to instill green pride in their owners: the Illusen Wig and Illusens Laced Slippers. Both are buyable on the Shop Wizard, and I think you'll agree they are ideally themed. You don't necessarily need to go traditional, though. Consider the Dapper Yellow Shirt and Green Jacket for example. It's easy to find, and yet often overlooked because it's not highly sought-after. You could even have your pet hold a cheap but cheerful Basic Green Balloon.

One way to save on your NC spend is to go for species-specific wearables. Got a female Poogle? Try the Green Knit Poogle Dress and the matching purse! Looking for something for your Kougra? There's an entire Green Kougra outfit, complete with bracelet, shoes, wig, and a really cute pair of lace-up boots. It's not just the girls either. The Mysterious Acara Archer set, for example, is a great choice if you like the archer look.

More species-specific ideas: Festive Bori Dress, Gelert Ranger Jacket, Trousers & Boots, Neovian Gentleman Grarrl Shirt and Jacket, Hissi Gentleman Shirt and Waistcoat, Ixi Forest Cape & Hood, Kacheek Mage Wig and Crown, Cape & Staff, Feminine Striped Lenny Top, Green Stripe Lenny Trousers, Pretty Green Meerca Dress, Proper Lady Ogrin Gloves, Scarf & Shoes, Proper Peophin Lady Dress, Green Poogle Rag Doll, Scorchio Masquerade Dress & Mask, Uni Garden Boots.

If you are lucky enough to have access to Neocash, there are still plenty of ways to be economical. For example, you could go for a buyable superpack. The recently released Luck Finder Green Superpack offers a dress, shoes, wig (with spiffy hat!), staff, trinket and background. Also available is the lovely Elegant Green Dress, which is not only beautiful, but also more subtle, and could become your newest closet staple. The Enchanted Forest Wonderclaw Machine also gives out a set of green boots, and either of the Forest Wigs would go perfectly with your look. The Earth Faerie Dress is also still buyable, and has a matching pair of shoes to go with it.

There are a few retired Neocash items which are normally easy to trade for, if you are patient enough to find somebody who has them. The most obvious choices here are the King and Queen of Green items. Both sets were specifically released for Illusen day in 2011 and 2012 respectively, and as the King set includes options for male neopets, they really do stand out. You could try to trade for all of the items in the set, or you could mix-and-match with other items, but if you want the ultimate royal green treatment, they're simply the best way to go. Some other personal favourites include: Pretty Green Faerie Shirt, Peapod Dress, Green and White Striped Tutu with Tights and Brilliant Red Wig with a Clover Headband.

Items to avoid: anything mutant, sloth or spooky green items. Illusen is not a fan. Think bright, spring and summer looks. Unless of course you're really more of a Jhudora fan. But if so, what are you doing dressing up for Illusen day anyway? Get out of here!

ACCESSORIES

Other than the items already mentioned earlier, there aren't a whole lot of choices in neopoint wearables. You're pretty much limited to the Fanciful Green Gemmed Crown, and an admittedly appropriate set of Earth Faerie Wings. This is where the NC Mall comes into its own. In terms of hand-held items, go for the Jewelled Shamrock Sceptre or Earthy Magnifying Glass. If you're aiming for an Earth Faerie look, and you don't love the neopoint wings, suitable alternatives are Flower Wings and Brilliant Green Faerie Wings, although be warned: both are quite high in value and may not be easy to find. Really, with such a lovely neopoint alternative, you don't really need to unless you are a truly dedicated Neocash addict. In which case, try making a trading board asking that people with those items post their wish-lists. This can be the best way of finding a particularly sought-after or rare item. Alternatively, the Green Knot Wings are being re-released in the Glamorous Green Mystery capsule.

But the item which tops them as the ultimate must-have accessory for Illusen Day are, of course, the Illusens Collectors Contacts. At at around a 2 cap value, they are very much affordable, so enjoy!

ENVIRONMENT

So you've got your outfit down, you've popped some green contact lenses in your neopet's eyes (after something of a struggle, naturally) but they're still going to look extremely plain without a background of some kind. Better yet, a combination of background, foregrounds, garlands, trinkets and so on. This is where you can get creative - layering different elements of my neopet's surroundings is my favourite part of the customisation process! The key is to know which items occupy which zone, as you can lay one on top of another as long as they do not use the same zone. For example, you can use an Upper Foreground item, a Lower Foreground item and a Foreground item all at the same time!

For this theme, you'll want to focus on nature. Illusen is all about forest glades, running rivers and towering trees. You don't want to just throw a Starry Green Background behind your pet and call it a day. The Forest Glade Background is the best neopoint choice in my opinion, but you could just as easily use Field of Grass Background, Gnome Background, Hollowed Negg Tree Background or . Just don't go for the Jhudoras Bluff Background, unless you want to make Illusen mad. Another good choice is the Meridell Countryside Background - Illusen lives in Meridell, after all. The available Neocash backgrounds are a little more specific, and which one you use depends on whether you're going for a shamrock/lucky theme or specifically an Earth Faerie one. For the former, I absolutely love the Lucky Abode Background, which is currently buyable. The way the leaves move as if there is a gentle breeze, the stained-glass shamrock window and the green ribbon all come together beautifully. It makes for a truly festive atmosphere without being restricted to an entirely green colour palette, which can affect your outfit choice. Another good pick is the Green Castle Background, which is currently being re-released and should not be too difficult to find.

The possible combinations of foreground items are too great for me to list here, so instead I've put together a list of the items I particularly like according to the zone they occupy, so you can choose a few.

Higher Foreground: Earth Faerie Frame (NP), Verdant Archway (NP), Yooyuball Stuck in a Tree (NP), Floating Illusen Doll (NC), Shamrock Tree Foreground (NC), Dew Drop Garland (NC), Spring Nest Garland (NC).

Background: Green Leaf String Lights (NP), Flowering Vine Garland (NC), Clothesline Garland (NC), Shamrock Watermill (NC),

Lower Foreground: Lovely Heart Bushes (NP), Scenic Fallen Tree (NP), Tranquil Stream Foreground (NP), Swaying Clover Foreground (NC), Colourful Glass Mushroom Foreground (NC), Grass Foreground (NC), Mystical Pot of Golden Neopoints (NC), Swaying Cattails (NC),

Foreground: Strange Green Mist Foreground (NP), Shrubbery (NP), Blooming Spring Frame (NC), Green Stars Shower (NC), Illusen Curtains (NC), Lucky Clover Shower (NC), Shiny Clover Shower (NC), Sparkling Mushroom Foreground (NC)

So there you go! Everything you need to make your green look work. Have a wonderful Illusen day, and I hope you enjoyed this article.