Basic Cosplay Tips: How to UP YOUR GAME (without going totally broke)

[Please take heed: the linked content is not under my control and some of it is slut shamey and body shamey and iirc there may be a few binarist/transphobic comments in the makeup tutorial? So tread lightly and remember to take these with a grain of salt. Amassing knowledge is the point, even if you don’t use it all.]

• Iron your costume! If you’re sewing, iron your fabric before you work with it (and don’t forget to pre-wash it, either).
• If you’re at a con, bring safety pins with you. Bring them with you everywhere. You never know when you might need one. Bring a  compact mirror, too.
• Do you need a certain shade of lipstick that’s IMPOSSIBLE to find? Don’t waste a shit ton of money. Mix some eyeshadow or eyeliner or other face-safe pigment into a glob of vaseline until it’s an even consistency. You can store the lipstick in a contacts case! (video tutorial)
• Practice posing! Learn the basic mistakes people make in posing for pictures and figure out what looks best for you. This guide is super helpful, as is this video, and these links: [1] [2] [3] [this one has the video in it i think]
• Even if your character wears literally no makeup, you probably should! Even if it’s just a little bit of foundation and some eyeliner, it’ll keep you from looking strung out and greasy in pictures. I learned a ton from this tutorial set. This post is also really helpful.
• Wigs are your friends.
• No really, they are. By using your real hair you run a risk of doing actual damage to your body or, like a friend of mine, going back to your agricultural college after a con weekend with fuchsia hair. Wigs can be expensive, but so can hair-care, and you only have to buy and style a wig once (if cared for properly). I buy most of my wigs off of ebay and 95% of my wig experiences have been perfectly fine! On average my wigs have cost me about $15 per, even the extremely long ones! Unless you need a lacefront or something with incredible body (and there are ways around that, too!) there’s no reason to break the bank on a wig. 
• (If you DO need a REALLY GOOD WIG for whatever reasons, Arda, MatchWigs, Amphigory, and Cosworx all have good recommendations.)
• But whatever wig you buy, don’t leave it unstyled. This guide is pretty helpful, but the things I suggest investing in are: 
  - a blowdryer
  - a wig head 
  - got2b glued hair spray (ESSENTIAL!!!)
  - scissors (really any old scissors will do. it’s how you use them that’s important!)
  - a comb (or an assortment of combs) (these can be bought at the dollar store)
  - plastic curlers
• An unstyled wig is obvious and often too long and looks bad. Even if your makeup and clothes are pristine, a bad wig or bad hair can make your cosplay blow hard.
• A wig from Party City is also a bad idea. It’ll cost you about as much as a wig from ebay and it will immediately and eternally look like butt. There are some tricks you can use to battle this but I’m not sure how effective they are. 
• If you’re going to wear a wig (or a bald cap), get a wig cap and learn how to use it! 
• (I will be filming a wig styling tutorial very soon to show you how to tackle wigcraft and wigzardry if you’re wary of screwing up.)
• Choose a costume you can feel confident wearing! If you’re constantly worried about how much of your butt is hanging out of your microshorts, or if you can’t see where you’re going, it’s going to be way less fun (and possibly dangerous).

I’ve accumulated my supplies over a long period of time! Makeup and wigs and fabric and basically everything about cosplay is expensive, and even the little things add up. Learn where your Goodwills and thrift shops are and shop wisely! If you’re going to buy a wig off of ebay, keep in mind that you’ll need to order it about a month in advance to make sure it gets to you on time. 

Eight Things You Should Know About Cosplay Makeup

1. You need it.
   I don’t care if you’re cosplaying a guy or if you are a guy, being in cosplay is akin to being on stage. Even if it’s just foundation and mascara, you’ll be thankful for it when you see pictures of yourself later on.

2. Wear some form of base.
   I personally use Clean & Clear Finishes Mattifying Moisturizer. You only need a rather small amount and it works extremely well. Your makeup will last longer and it controls nasty shineface. You also need eyeshadow base to keep your eye makeup from creasing or smudging. I use Sephora Perfecting Eye Primer.

3. Don’t overdo it.
   While being in cosplay is like being on stage, you are not actually on stage and everyone can see you up close. So dial it back a little. Tone down bright eyeshadow with neutrals, and go easy on the blush. And never, ever, ever, ever wear bright lipstick if you’re wearing a lot of eye makeup. A basic rule of makeup is balance. If you’re going big on the eyes, go easy on the lips, and vice versa. I cannot begin to tell you how many people do not know this, though.
   In cosplay makeup, you really should play up your eyes, in which case you want to be wearing a nude or a pastel on your lips. You’ll look really tacky otherwise. This claim is backed up wholeheartedly by my mother, who is a former cosmetologist and model.

4. Wear decent mascara or false eyelashes.
   Seriously, you really need to play up your eyes in cosplay makeup. And if you’re wearing a lot of eyeshadow, it’s easy for your eyes to get ‘lost’ in your face. Having long eyelashes counteracts this by making your eyes look bigger. I wear false eyelashes even for male characters.

5. Wear the right colors.
   If your foundation doesn’t exactly match your skin tone, it’s going to show in pictures and look really silly.

6. Use some kind of sealer/finisher.
   Chances are, you’re going to be at the con from early morning to very late at night. Makeup isn’t made to last that long. A finishing spray will keep it looking fresh all day long. I use The Style Art Designing Makeup Fix by Missha. That is a Korean product, so keep in mind that it’s coming from overseas. You can also use a body paint sealer.

7. Test your exact makeup plans before the con.
   Take pictures of yourself from different angles and in different lighting to make sure it actually looks the way you want it to.

8. Cover your eyebrows.
   This is so, so, so important. If your eyebrows do not match your wig, it’s going to ruin your entire look. There are dozens of tutorials online for effective ways of doing this if you’re clueless. I personally find acrylic paint mixed with a little powder to work well.
   
   Hope this is helpful!