My Dress Up Darling, a manga crafted by Shinichi Fukuda, celebrates the art of cosplay. The story, adapted into an anime in 2022, revolves around high school classmates Wakana Gojo and Marin Kitagawa as they dive into the colorful realm of cosplay together. Wakana, a reserved individual, aspires to become a traditional Hina doll artisan, whereas the vivacious and lively Marin Kitagawa is both a part-time model and an otaku. Their paths cross when Marin discovers Wakana’s incredible dressmaking abilities.
A fundamental theme of My Dress Up Darling is that cosplay embodies creativity and self-expression. As the narrative unfolds, Wakana and Marin encounter a variety of cosplay enthusiasts, including the well-known cosplayer Sajuna Inui, her photographer sister Shinju Inui, and crossplayer Chitose Amano. Together, they share their skills for transforming into characters through costume design and makeup.
Cosplay makeup plays a vital role in altering the appearance of cosplayers to match their selected characters. With a dash of creativity and cleverness, endless opportunities arise to modify features, enhance facial expressions, and embody the essence of the characters. Continue reading to uncover the secrets of cosplay makeup. Don’t hesitate to explore and enjoy the journey!
Transforming the Eyebrows

While the bold Marin confidently shaves her eyebrows for her cosplay of her favorite sim character, Shizuku-tan, another technique involves concealing the brows. Start by prepping the skin by cleansing the brow area. Next, apply a glue stick to lay down the eyebrow hairs. Since glue is water-soluble, dries clear, and adheres well to clean skin, it’s ideal for this purpose. Use a concealer to cover the brows. If your eyebrows are dark, use an orange color corrector to offset the deep tones, and blend the edges with a high-coverage concealer. With this smooth base, you can outline the brow shape of your character.
Color Correcting

To achieve a light cool undertone that complements Black Lobelia’s white wig and icy demeanor, Sajuna suggests Marin apply a purplish primer prior to using a pale foundation shade. Likewise, ensure your foundation’s undertone matches your wig’s tone. A tinted primer can also be utilized to correct imperfections for a smooth complexion.
Perfecting the Gaze

To replicate Black Lobelia’s striking slanted eyes, Sajuna recommends using face-lifting tape to elevate the outer corners of the eyes, attaching the tape to the hairnet with a bobby pin and covering it with the wig. A liquid eyeliner helps create a sharp winged effect. Marin completes the look with longer false eyelashes that extend outwards at the outer corners.
Achieving Masculine Features

Makeup that alters features aids Shinju in achieving a more masculine appearance for her portrayal of the male character, Soma. Gojo employs face-lifting tape to accentuate Shinju’s cheekbones and jawline, pulling the skin tight from the sides. Contouring is then used to create a straight nose bridge, defined cheekbones, and a prominent chin. To prevent curly lashes, they straighten the false eyelashes by curling them in the opposite direction.
Achieving Feminine Features

Crossplayer Chitose Amano intends to soften his facial features and enlarge the appearance of his eyes using makeup. He applies aegyo sal and utilizes white eyeliner to accentuate the waterline. Additionally, he hides stubble and under-eye bags with an orange color corrector. To create the illusion of a rounder, cuter face shape, he softens his jawline by securing the face-framing layers of his wig with liquid glue.
Nail Hacks

Unleash your creativity with nail tips and nail polish to craft unique accessories for your cosplay outfits! Got some extra nail varnish lying around? Marin imitates Black Lobelia’s magical gem by layering black glitter nail polish over a clear acrylic cabochon and sealing it with a top coat.
Can’t find the perfect fangs? Gojo shapes and files white nail tips to recreate the sharp fangs of the character Prisoner Veronica. Be inventive and let your creativity flow!
(Visited 6,904 times, 2 visits today)



