Cosplay makeup brings together all the worlds of beloved, art and science. Different regular makeup, the accuracy required in the cosplay world can be pretty tricky, particularly with the more complex characters.

Don't worry - whether you lot're a cosplay makeup newbie or a seasoned pro, this guide covers all of the nuts, and then that your face can truly brand a assuming argument.

Prep Your Skin

Studio Pro Anti-Shine

Chances are, you lot're going to be using quite a few different face makeup products, meaning that skin care should e'er be your very first step. The three things y'all need to do are:

  • Cleanse: removing dirt, oil and other impurities will requite yous smoother makeup application
  • Moisturize: this will hydrate your skin, keeping it healthy
  • Prime number: a mattifying face primer will give you the perfect blank canvas to piece of work from, while giving your products extra staying power

Foundation & Concealer

Studio Pro Matte Finish Pressed Powder

Pretty much every anime and video game character out in that location has flawless pare, which is where foundation  and concealer come in.

The products you choose should perfectly match your ain skin tone, so exist sure to test out various shades before making your decision. Experts tend to concord that the nearly authentic way of finding your shade of foundation is by testing it out on the jawline, in natural daylight.

Trying out dissimilar foundation formulas is cardinal too. At that place are several out at that place, only the two most popular options are:

  • Liquid Foundation: can provide both calorie-free and full coverage, while also being more hydrating for the skin.
  • Powder Foundation: like shooting fish in a barrel to apply, powders provide a light amount of coverage, while likewise absorbing away excess oil for a matte finish

One matter to go along in mind when choosing a foundation formula is your pare type. If yous have oily skin, a powder will assistance to minimize polish and is less likely to clog up your pores. On the other hand, those with a drier skin type do best with a hydrating liquid foundation, since powders tin often cake on dry out skin, exacerbating rough patches.

Contouring & Highlighting

Studio Pro Shade & Define

Contouring and highlighting are both great methods for bringing attention to certain facial features, while besides drawing focus abroad from others. Whether your character has a super-slim nose, an ultra-defined jawline, or exquisitely-chiseled cheekbones, highlighting and contour makeup products are the fashion to replicate this. Highlighting is also a proficient method for adding some smoothen and luminosity to your face, which is especially useful for fantasy or magical cosplays.

Again, when information technology comes to highlighting and contouring makeup, y'all take a few unlike formula options. While creamy formulas tend to be easier to apply, many find powders more effective at carving out the face, giving yous a more dramatic finish.

Incorporating a few different shades is always a good idea too, every bit this enables yous to mix and friction match until you have achieved perfection. For this, palettes are unremarkably best, not to mention and then much more convenient. Await for a dedicated palette each for contouring and highlighting, equally this volition give you fifty-fifty more than flexibility when creating your look.

What many cosplayers don't realize is that their contouring and highlighting is merely as proficient as their blending. Unless you are intentionally going for harsh lines, then agreement how to alloy will give your face a softer and more than natural expect. Brushes work well for this, but virtually pros turn to a dazzler sponge, non only for the ultimate alloy, but also to make application easier.

Make an Impact with Your Cosplay Eyes

Under Eye Brightening Powder

Eyeliner

BH Liquid Eyeliner - Black

Intense and divers eyes are key in a successful cosplay expect, making eyeliner a must.

Liquid liners tend to exist more dramatic and long-lasting, but they require a steadier mitt to apply. Eyeliner pencils are easier to handle and can yet provide abrupt definition. A pencil tin can besides give you that smoky effect - useful if you lot're dressing up as an antagonist and want to mimic those angry eyes. Either way, the goal is to use your eyeliner in a mode that makes your eyes announced hit and intense.

Some are able to go full-on with their liner while notwithstanding achieving that coveted, doe-eyed look, but others, especially those who naturally accept smaller eyes, may need to do a lighter touch. If a heavily-lined lash line doesn't do your look any favors, turn your attending to your lashes instead.

Eyelashes

Stellar Lash - Volumizing Mascara

A few swipes of a volumizing mascara will immediately give your center lashes a more noticeable flutter, making your eyes look wider and more awake.

If yous could do with a fiddling assistance in the eyelash department, consider false lashes. Available in unlike sizes, shapes and styles, imitation eyelashes are easier to apply than y'all would imagine, and have the power to totally transform your look.

Eyeshadow

Trendy in Tokyo - 16 Color Shadow Palette

It's mutual for cosplayers to terminate after their eyeliner and eyelashes are done, merely, even if the graphic symbol yous've called doesn't normally clothing obvious eye makeup, an eyeshadow tin can still take your cosplay look to the next level.

It'southward e'er worth having a couple of different eyeshadow palettes to experiment with for cosplay makeup. A option of vivid and vibrant hues, such as in the Trendy in Tokyo 16-Colour Center Shadow Palette, will complement fifty-fifty the near outrageous of makeup styles, while a more neutral eyeshadow palette will still raise a subtle eye look.

Cosplay makeup incorporates quite a flake of layering, meaning that blending your shadows well is key. A quality eyeshadow brush set will make this much easier, giving your look a polished and professional stop.

Spending some time learning how to utilise your eyeshadow correctly will assist to give yous those pronounced eyes that all the all-time characters are famous for.

Eyebrows

Power Pencil - Waterproof Eyeliner

But like with eyeshadows, the brows are quite an undervalued role of cosplay makeup, just they can actually make such a difference to your finished look.

If your character's eyebrows look similar to yours, and then there isn't much you demand to practice. Merely make sure that yours are well-groomed and defined, then that they don't detract from the rest of your makeup.

Many cosplayers tend to struggle when their character's eyebrows are of a lighter colour to their own. Yes, you can always go out yours equally they are and and then ready them on Photoshop later, or you lot can strive to achieve a more authentic look to begin with.

The glue stick method is a popular technique, but, if you would prefer to go the safer route, try using a white eyeliner pencil instead. All y'all need to exercise is encompass your brows with the pencil, earlier topping with an eyeshadow shade that matches your character's brow color.

Freckles

Wondering why freckles are being listed with heart makeup products?

Because those same products that work wonders on your optics tin too be used to create freckles on your face. From forehead pomade to an eyeliner pencil to a dark eyeshadow color, drawn-on freckles tin can look surprisingly natural if you utilise the correct products.

Don't Ignore Your Lips

Waterproof Lip Liner - Earth

While lip colors may be quite subtle and lite in the cosplay world, this doesn't hateful that you should completely ignore your lips. Y'all take probably noticed many cosplay photos where the character'southward lips wait washed out, and this is usually because they have been left blank. Fifty-fifty if it looks as though your grapheme goes au-natural with their lips, a nude lipstick will withal really assistance your expect to popular, especially in photos.

Brainstorm with a quick exfoliation to remove whatsoever roughness. So, find a lip colour that matches the lips of the grapheme you're dressing up as. Light pink is always popular, although you will probable need to go for a matte formula, rather than a glossy liquid lipstick. A waterproof lip liner tin can also be helpful when it comes to keeping everything in place, also as for simply adding a flake of extra definition.

What should you do if your character has a noticeable lack of definition and color in their lips?

In this case, you may be best off applying a coat of lip balm, following this up with a lite wash of foundation. Sometimes, under-emphasizing your lips can brand simply as much of an touch on as a bright popular of color.

Glitter & Shimmer

Base Booster Glitter & Shadow Glue

Although not as common every bit some of the other makeup features seen in the cosplay globe, magical characters lend themselves well to the shimmer that a bit of glitter makeup can provide.

Makeup glitter couldn't be easier to apply - whether on your optics, your cheeks, or fifty-fifty on your torso, make sure that y'all begin with a glitter gum to go on that sparkle lasting for hours.

All of these extra products may seem like quite an investment to begin with, only the key is to store smart. Regularly check your favorite cosmetics brands for makeup sales and deals - you never know, your newest bargain find could be perfect for your next cosplay look!

Confront & Trunk Paint

Many costumes crave something a piddling actress, usually in the form of face or body paint. Whether y'all need to recreate a facial characteristic or completely color all areas of exposed skin, quality paints are a must for so many characters.

The ii most popular options for confront and body paint are either liquid formulas or powdered formulas. Liquid tends to be easier and faster to utilize, only information technology does have a while to dry. It tin besides bring the disadvantage of dripping over time, in one case the sweat and oils from your skin mix in with the paint.

On the other hand, powdered paints take a fleck more than staying power, but practice take longer to apply. They usually require at to the lowest degree ii coats for their color to be noticeable, but, do dry speedily.

The Final Touch

Translucent Setting Powder

Once you're done applying all of your makeup, at that place's ane more thing you need to do…

Finish it off with a setting powder or spray!

Sprays are faster and easier to employ - a few quick spritzes and you're set up to go. All the same, a setting pulverization with a fine, lite-diffusing formula will give your pare a softer and silkier finish, while blurring away any imperfections that may still be showing through.

Cosplay makeup can be difficult to master - this is something that really does have and then much exercise! All the same, making sure that you have the correct products to work with is a great start - this volition give you the opportunity to experiment with a much wider diversity of different graphic symbol looks.

Need some Grapheme-Specific Cosplay Makeup Assist?

Here are a few useful tutorials to bank check out:

Abaddon from Supernatural: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ELYgt4ZhuU

Ashe from League of Legends: http://prettymuchgeeks.com/ashe-makeup-tutorial/

Annie from League of Legends: https://www.youtube.com/scout?5=QRYKO5GpP9I

Asuna from Sword Art Online: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1ORrNnBTZw

Harley Quinn from Suicide Squad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ii2bbzSqYYI

Jolyne from All Star Battle: https://www.youtube.com/lookout?v=SFZpt7Zyzsw

Mirai Kuriyama from Kyoukai No Kanata: https://www.youtube.com/lookout?v=c-buP5637iU

Wendy from Gravity Falls: https://world wide web.youtube.com/watch?v=FipJJLpoDJw

Blood Elf from World of Warcraft: https://www.youtube.com/watch?five=G_X7oHkbBoc

Zarya from Overwatch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UulmeR0Xooo

Face & Body Paint Prototype Credit:: ractapoulous / Pixabay