MeltingMirror Cosplay

| Atilla (Swim) - Fate | Storm (Swim) - X-Men | Ariel - Little mermaid |
|Storm - X-men | Lilith - Trinity Blood | Sudowoodo - Pokemon |
​| Alexandrite - Houseki no Kuni | Vivian - Dragon's Crown | Diana - Little With Academia |

Another year of cosplay has gone by. Each year I feel as if I didn't produce enough work, then I look at what I've actually accomplished and realize that it is more than I initial thought. It's important not to get caught up in other people paces and keep moving forward at your own speed and on your own path.

Many of the projects I was working on throughout the year were not completed (which is why I feel like I was lagging behind), but they are well on their way and they will be done when they are good and ready!
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Additionally, I didn't go on an elaborate cosplay photoshoot trip this year so I feel as if I was missing a part of my yearly activities, however, I had a great time at all the events I attended and made many lasting memories with friends.

​So let's jump right into it.

• How to Style Blunt Edges on a Wig [video]
• Houseki no Kuni - Wig styling Tutorial [text + images]
• Cat tail - Cosplay tip

Check out my costume pages for more info and progress photos on all the costumes I've made.

I went to quite a few events this year but with my busy day job I didn't have as much opportunity to write my usual con reports. If it is something you miss, let me know. I want to get back into it so long as people are interested in reading them.
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• Katsucon - Washington DC - Convention Report​
• Ottawa ComicCon - May
• Anime North - Toronto - May 
• Colossalcon - Ohio - June 
• YetiCon - June 
• Montreal ComicCon - July 
• Otakuthon - Montreal - July
• Crunchyroll Expo - San Jose - Aug 

A stand out event for me this year was Cruchyroll Expo. It a was such a great experience and I am so grateful for everyone who showed up to say hi at my table or came to my panels. It was my first time out in California and I hope I can make more trips out there in the future.

There will be more gijinkas and original designs. I love flexing those creative muscles in cosplay. I'll also be dipping my toes in Fate with a few costumes I've wanted to make for awhile now.

My biggest challenge will be the usual time management while balancing work, life, and hobby. I am very excited about multiple projects that I am working on and I can't wait to share them.

New for 2019: I have invested in some resources to snap some of my own photos and so far so good. I'm having fun with set ideas and I can't wait to see where I can take things.

I will be attending my usual events, however, if you want to see me at your local convention, please let them know that you want me as a guest. I have a several open weekends and I would be more than happy to run some panels and judge a few costume contests.

​Cheers to a new Year!

I made a sparkly wig for an Alexandrite cosplay fit for the Land of the Lustrous. All the decorations are removable so that I could reuse the wig for other costumes. 

• wig (Cut and styled) - I used a Silky Venus in Cerulean from Arda
• craft scissors (sharp ones)
• Clear tape
• Needle and thread to match the wig
• Measuring tape
• E6000 glue
• Glitter that matches your wig
• Felt or buckram (that matches or wig - if not get some paint that does)
• Two-tone Cellophane/wrapping plastic that compliments your wig 
• 15+ bobby pins
• Hair clips
• Gloves (latex, vinyl, whatever works for you)

1. Expose the row of wefts where you want to install your cellophane wefts and pin the excess hair away using a hair clip. Measure the length of your wefts to determine how long your cellophane pieces need to be (ex. 32in/82cm). Measure the distance between one side of the wig to the other where you plan to install the wefts (ex. 15 in/38cm). I installed two rows, one slightly above the nape of my neck and another one slightly below where the top of the wig where the weft pattern change and you can't us bobby pins.
2. Cut out a segment of cellophane in those measurements (ex 32inX15in / 82cmX38cm).
3. Fold over the edge on the short side to fortify with clear tape
4. Cut vertically up to the tape, without cutting through it, making cellophane stands of hair. I made mine about 1.5in/3.8cm wide.
5. (Optional) Taper the ends so it looks more hair like, since the square ends don't blend well. Keep the square ends if your character has blunt edges.
6. Secure your cellophane wefts to the wig with bobby pins.
7. Repeat for a second row of wefts.

1. Cut out a piece of felt to act as the base of your new cellophane hair part. Since the wig I`m using has a round skin top, I cut out a small circular piece. I used Flexifirm but felt or buckram will do the trick. In retrospect, I would make mine a little smaller, 1in/2.5cm would have been better than 2in because it would be easier to blend into the wig. Paint it to match the wig if it doesn't already.
2. Once dried, hand stitch to the top of the wig.
3. Put on your gloves, then apply a thin layer of E6000 to the round then cover in glitter. Note: E6000 is pretty toxic so use gloves and be sure the place is well ventilated.
4. Measure lengths for cellophane strands and pay close attention to any curves to your wig. For example, Alexandrite has bangs parted to the side, so I had to cut curved pieces to match how the hair sits. Also taper the ends of the strand that will be glued down. You don't want blunt edges sticking out of the sides.
5. Add more E6000 to attach cellophane strands. Let dry between layers of application or else the lower layers may come loose. I had to build up about 3 layers to get the coverage I wanted by overlapping cellophane pieces. You can add a little more glitter on top once done.

I added some extra glitter to my wig to blend in my "glitter top" by hand applying chunky glitter to cellophane strands using toothpicks and E6000. I've seen people use rhinestones or glitter flakes and I've seen people make cowlicks with cellophane. Do what you want to be your true gem self.

Katsucon is a yearly tradition for me where I look forward to seeing amazing work while also catching up with friends. With those two things in mind my mission was accomplished. I was really worried I wouldn't finish my projects in time but luckily I was able to pulled through without pushing myself too hard. The grind to finish Katsu costumes, aka "Katsucrunch", got the best of many people this year, which serves as a good reminder to take a step back and reevaluate things with high stress projects. I learned that lesson the hard way at WCS.

I have to give special thanks to a few people who made this weekend great. First off to Kurumasha for helping me finish my projects and lending me her wig. Second to VickybunnyAngel for being an amazing roomie, helping me in and out of costume, and also helping with makeup. Third to Jayuna, for helping me out of costume when Vicky wasn't there. Lastly to everyone who I caught up with ans shot with over the weekend. Thank you for your time and sharing it with me.

​All right let's dive in!

All in all I had a good time despite the crowding. Honestly, I expect this every year from Katsu so it was not a surprise and honestly I thought it would be worse. I wore my cumbersome outfits on Thursday and Friday to avoid the worst of it. Crowding makes it difficult to get good photos but a little ingenuity, courtesy, and determination goes a long way. I would agree with some friends with the point that some of the usual photoshoot spots are getting overused but I think that is part of the deal when you attend a con several years in a row. However, it's still leaps and bounds better for shoots than conventions held in warehouses every year. I will be returning next year so long as my friends will be there since that is the bulk of the fun for me.

How was your Katsu? Did you run into any issues?