Cosplay makeup brings together all the worlds of love, art and science. Unlike regular makeup, the accuracy required in the cosplay world tin exist pretty tricky, especially with the more complex characters.

Don't worry - whether you're a cosplay makeup newbie or a seasoned pro, this guide covers all of the basics, so that your face can truly make a bold argument.

Prep Your Skin

Studio Pro Anti-Shine

Chances are, you're going to be using quite a few different face makeup products, meaning that peel care should always be your very starting time step. The three things you need to exercise are:

  • Cleanse: removing dirt, oil and other impurities will give yous smoother makeup application
  • Moisturize: this volition hydrate your pare, keeping information technology good for you
  • Prime: a mattifying face primer will requite you the perfect blank canvas to work from, while giving your products extra staying power

Foundation & Concealer

Studio Pro Matte Finish Pressed Powder

Pretty much every anime and video game grapheme out there has flawless skin, which is where foundation  and concealer come in.

The products y'all choose should perfectly friction match your ain skin tone, so be certain to test out various shades earlier making your decision. Experts tend to concord that the most authentic way of finding your shade of foundation is by testing information technology out on the jawline, in natural daylight.

Trying out different foundation formulas is primal too. There are several out there, but the ii nigh popular options are:

  • Liquid Foundation: can provide both light and full coverage, while also being more hydrating for the skin.
  • Pulverisation Foundation: like shooting fish in a barrel to utilize, powders provide a light corporeality of coverage, while as well absorbing away backlog oil for a matte cease

One thing to proceed in mind when choosing a foundation formula is your skin type. If you have oily peel, a powder will help to minimize smoothen and is less likely to clog up your pores. On the other manus, those with a drier skin type do best with a hydrating liquid foundation, since powders can frequently cake on dry skin, exacerbating rough patches.

Contouring & Highlighting

Studio Pro Shade & Define

Contouring and highlighting are both swell methods for bringing attending to sure facial features, while also cartoon focus away 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 way to replicate this. Highlighting is too a good method for adding some shine and luminosity to your face, which is especially useful for fantasy or magical cosplays.

Again, when it comes to highlighting and contouring makeup, you take a few different formula options. While creamy formulas tend to exist easier to apply, many find powders more effective at carving out the face, giving you a more dramatic terminate.

Incorporating a few different shades is always a good idea too, as this enables you to mix and friction match until you lot have accomplished perfection. For this, palettes are usually all-time, not to mention so much more convenient. Await for a dedicated palette each for contouring and highlighting, as this will give you fifty-fifty more than flexibility when creating your look.

What many cosplayers don't realize is that their contouring and highlighting is but as proficient every bit their blending. Unless you are intentionally going for harsh lines, then understanding how to alloy will give your face up a softer and more than natural look. Brushes work well for this, simply most pros plow to a dazzler sponge, not only for the ultimate blend, just besides to make application easier.

Make an Impact with Your Cosplay Eyes

Under Eye Brightening Powder

Eyeliner

BH Liquid Eyeliner - Black

Intense and defined optics are key in a successful cosplay await, making eyeliner a must.

Liquid liners tend to be more than dramatic and long-lasting, just they crave a steadier hand to apply. Eyeliner pencils are easier to handle and can nonetheless provide sharp definition. A pencil can as well give you that smoky effect - useful if y'all're dressing upwardly as an antagonist and want to mimic those angry optics. Either way, the goal is to apply your eyeliner in a way that makes your eyes appear striking and intense.

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

Eyelashes

Stellar Lash - Volumizing Mascara

A few swipes of a volumizing mascara volition immediately requite your center lashes a more noticeable palpitate, making your eyes expect wider and more awake.

If you could do with a little assistance in the eyelash department, consider fake lashes. Available in different sizes, shapes and styles, fake 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'due south common for cosplayers to stop after their eyeliner and eyelashes are done, just, even if the graphic symbol you've chosen doesn't normally wearable obvious centre makeup, an eyeshadow can notwithstanding accept your cosplay look to the adjacent level.

It'southward e'er worth having a couple of dissimilar eyeshadow palettes to experiment with for cosplay makeup. A option of vivid and vibrant hues, such as in the Trendy in Tokyo xvi-Colour Eye Shadow Palette, will complement even the nigh outrageous of makeup styles, while a more neutral eyeshadow palette will nonetheless enhance a subtle heart wait.

Cosplay makeup incorporates quite a bit of layering, pregnant that blending your shadows well is key. A quality eyeshadow brush ready volition brand this much easier, giving your look a polished and professional terminate.

Spending some fourth dimension learning how to utilise your eyeshadow correctly will help to give you lot those pronounced eyes that all the best characters are famous for.

Eyebrows

Power Pencil - Waterproof Eyeliner

Merely like with eyeshadows, the brows are quite an undervalued part of cosplay makeup, simply they tin really make such a difference to your finished wait.

If your character's eyebrows await similar to yours, and so there isn't much you need to do. Simply brand sure that yours are well-clean-cut and defined, so that they don't detract from the residual of your makeup.

Many cosplayers tend to struggle when their graphic symbol's eyebrows are of a lighter color to their own. Yep, y'all can ever leave yours every bit they are and then set up them on Photoshop later on, or y'all can strive to achieve a more than authentic look to begin with.

The glue stick method is a pop technique, but, if you would adopt to get the safer road, try using a white eyeliner pencil instead. All y'all need to do is embrace your brows with the pencil, before topping with an eyeshadow shade that matches your graphic symbol's brow colour.

Freckles

Wondering why freckles are existence listed with eye makeup products?

Because those aforementioned products that work wonders on your eyes can also be used to create freckles on your face. From brow pomade to an eyeliner pencil to a night eyeshadow color, fatigued-on freckles tin wait surprisingly natural if you use the right products.

Don't Ignore Your Lips

Waterproof Lip Liner - Earth

While lip colors may be quite subtle and light in the cosplay world, this doesn't mean that y'all should completely ignore your lips. You accept probably noticed many cosplay photos where the character's lips wait washed out, and this is unremarkably because they have been left blank. Even if it looks as though your character goes au-natural with their lips, a nude lipstick volition nevertheless really help your wait to pop, especially in photos.

Brainstorm with a quick exfoliation to remove any roughness. Then, find a lip color that matches the lips of the graphic symbol you're dressing upwards as. Light pinkish is ever pop, although y'all will likely need to go for a matte formula, rather than a glossy liquid lipstick. A waterproof lip liner can also exist helpful when it comes to keeping everything in place, likewise as for simply adding a bit of extra definition.

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

In this case, you may be all-time off applying a coat of lip balm, post-obit this up with a lite wash of foundation. Sometimes, nether-emphasizing your lips can make just every bit much of an bear on as a bright popular of color.

Glitter & Shimmer

Base Booster Glitter & Shadow Glue

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

Makeup glitter couldn't be easier to apply - whether on your optics, your cheeks, or even on your body, brand sure that y'all begin with a glitter gum to keep that sparkle lasting for hours.

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

Face & Body Paint

Many costumes require something a little extra, usually in the class of face or body paint. Whether you demand to recreate a facial feature or completely colour all areas of exposed skin, quality paints are a must for so many characters.

The two about pop options for face and body paint are either liquid formulas or powdered formulas. Liquid tends to be easier and faster to apply, merely information technology does have a while to dry. Information technology can also bring the disadvantage of dripping over time, in one case the sweat and oils from your skin mix in with the pigment.

On the other hand, powdered paints take a bit more staying ability, but do take longer to apply. They unremarkably require at to the lowest degree two coats for their colour to be noticeable, but, do dry apace.

The Final Touch

Translucent Setting Powder

Once you're done applying all of your makeup, in that location's one more than thing you lot need to do…

Cease it off with a setting powder or spray!

Sprays are faster and easier to use - a few quick spritzes and you're ready to get. Yet, a setting pulverization with a fine, low-cal-diffusing formula volition give your pare a softer and silkier stop, while blurring away whatever imperfections that may however exist showing through.

Cosplay makeup tin can be hard to principal - this is something that really does take so much practice! However, making sure that you take the correct products to work with is a great commencement - this volition give you the opportunity to experiment with a much wider variety of different character looks.

Need some Character-Specific Cosplay Makeup Help?

Hither are a few useful tutorials to check out:

Abaddon from Supernatural: https://world wide web.youtube.com/watch?5=-ELYgt4ZhuU

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

Annie from League of Legends: https://www.youtube.com/picket?v=QRYKO5GpP9I

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

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

Jolyne from All Star Battle: https://world wide web.youtube.com/watch?v=SFZpt7Zyzsw

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

Wendy from Gravity Falls: https://www.youtube.com/watch?five=FipJJLpoDJw

Blood Elf from World of Warcraft: https://world wide web.youtube.com/sentinel?v=G_X7oHkbBoc

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

Face & Torso Pigment Image Credit:: ractapoulous / Pixabay