A 10 year Retrospective in Cosplay: Week 2 Make-up

Maybe She's Born with It? No, I'm pretty sure it's Makeup

Get your makeup kit ready because I'm taking a quick look back at makeup in the cosplay world.

More blogs in the 10 year Cosplay Retrospective Series:
Week 1 -Wigs | Week 2 - Make-up | Week 3 - Armour | Week 4 - Cosplay Closet Purge | Week 5 -Planning | Week 6 - Inventory | Week 7 - Controlling Cosplay Costs |

I woke up like this, obviously (Hana 2013)

For many cosplayers makeup was an afterthought unless you were painting yourself another colour. Maybe you would put on some concealer and a little mascara. That was good enough to get you through a regular day so that’s good enough for cosplay, right? Or you were cosplaying as a guy so why would you need makeup?

Ladies love a man with a mascara beard. The only makeup I had on was that mascara on my chin and boy was the applicator rough on my skin.

It wasn't as if the cosplay scene was devoid of makeup. People with a knack would wear it. However, now it is expected and considered part of craft process. Especially since cosplay and photography / videography are now closely tied together. We have moved from appreciating the costume in person to appreciating the costume in photos or online. Cameras can be pretty unforgiving for those without makeup.

It also is an indicator of the shift to look as closely like the character as possible such as getting the eye shape just right. It has opened up cospayers to a new skill set and new possibilities. Some people can work real-life photoshop with their makeup skills by greatly changing their appearance.

Reika is a magician.. err a cosplayer who does wonders with her makeup to polish off her cosplays. Click to go to source.

The use of makeup and honing of the skill is different for each person. So I’ll talk mostly about my personal experience from here. Although I do not have crazy makeup transformations for cosplay, here are the changes I’ve made over the years.

Photo by EleventhPhotograph

THEN: Little to no make-up on the face

NOW: Full makeup – primer, concealer, foundation, powder, contouring, blush, eyeshadow, eyeliner,  and setting powder.

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THEN: Lip balm
NOW: Lip balm, then nude lipstick or relevant colour, with gloss and keep it handy for touch-ups.

THEN: Mascara… maybe
NOW: Always wear mascara and wear false lashes almost every time

THEN: Your eyebrows are fine the way they are
NOW: Dark brown liner for hair colours that match my natural colour or coloured eyeliner on the brows for every other colour

Photo description: Wearing double thick lashes, silver liner on the brows, and lip balm with peach lipstick.

Photo by M1Photo

THEN: No coloured contacts
NOW: Yes to coloured contacts – Although I haven’t been able to wear any recently, but that’s what Photoshop is for!

Makeup is one of those skills I would like to level-up especially when it comes to crossplays. I’ve just been loving all the details in female costumes recently and I haven’t been hooked by any male costumes yet.