Ceilidh Mitchell in faun makeup at Roc Con.

Cosplay Makeup is quite different from regular makeup. While regular makeup is generally used to make person more attractive, cosplay makeup is used to make a person look more like their specific character.

Cosplay makeup consists of more than just putting on colorful lip and eye makeup. In fact, cosplay makeup is often used to make a person LESS attractive, the exact opposite of regular makeup. Personally, I’m not a makeup person (I think I was always too much of a tomboy to ever get into it), so I can understand how male cosplayers might initially feel about the subject. I never wear makeup outside of cosplay, and even in cosplay I generally push the envelope to see how many characters I can get away with not wearing any makeup for. However, some characters just really do require cosplay makeup in order to achieve a certain look. It’s as much for male cosplayers as it is for female, since it’s used to transform a person, not just embellish them. You wouldn’t want an attractive, fresh-faced zombie would you? Didn’t think so.

Cosplay makeup often takes usual makeup products and uses them in unusual ways. For example, women’s eyeshadow comes in handy for giving oneself dark eye circles for vampires and the like, as well for paling one’s appearance to make cheeks look hollow and zombie-esque. It’s also great for drawing on Vulcan eyebrows. Foundation and other such powders are perfect for hiding lines where prosthetics connect to your skin. It can also be used to make temporary tattoos like a character, or to copy the makeup of a character that is makeup heavy, such as Maleficent. For cosplays that require a lot of makeup coverage such as an Avatar character, or Mystique, there are special body paints a cosplayer can use to get their desired character’s color.

Cosplay makeup also includes things like scars, glitter, and prosthetics such as elf ears. These prosthetics are widely available to cosplayers now and can be found in multiple shapes and sizes for multiple characters. Whether it’s the elongated ears of Link, the pointed ears of Mr. Spock, or just the traditional style elf ears, you can easily find them at companies specializing in cosplay prosthetics, and in multiple skin tones. Check out Aradani for a great selection of elf ears (as well as faun ears and demon horns).

In the case of crossplaying, makeup is also used to make the cosplayer look more like the gender of their chosen character when it is different from their own. Whether it’s painting a beard on a female cosplayer to match their character, or feminizing the lips of a male cosplayer to match their character, a little practice can allow the cosplayer to do wonderful effects with their cosplay makeup.

By Amber Reifsteck, The Woodland Elf

The information provided on this website is for general information purposes only. If you choose to rely on the information on this website, you do so at your own risk and you assume responsibility for the results. (Full disclaimer here)

Ads by Google

Related posts:

The Art of Cosplay Steampunk Cosplay Choosing A Cosplay Character Cosplay Terms