A contraction of “costume roleplay” is a huge subculture that’s very popular around the world. I first came in contact with it via the manga/anime grapevine probably sometime in middle school and was always interested in it but never really put any effort into it. The very first time was last year at Anime Expo where I actually donned on a relatively easy piece that didn’t have any reference to any show or character. This year (year 2) I will be attempting my first time as an character, Kofuku, God of Misfortune from Noragami for Anime Expo again!

I’m no professional cosplayer, there are people out there that are so much better in so many ways than one. Especially the ones that sew/put together their own costumes like Yaya Han and Yuyi (whom are excellent seamstresses that put together their own costumes, feel free to give them a follow if you’re into making costumes!)

While I’m no pro, there are a few items that I’ve been using for a a few years that came rather handy for simple makeup (usually comes hand-in-hand with cosplaying). Since Kofuku isn’t some crazy character with insane color features (alien eyes, gills, elf ears, etc.) I went with a more natural look. But Kofuku does however have unnatural colored eyes: Purple. So here’s a minor list of things I’m using this time around for Kofuku’s makeup part.

CONTACTS:
Contacts are a great way to get the colored eyes you desire if you’re playing a certain character. I could’ve went the easy way and not worn contacts and just photoshopped the color in, but I wanted to be a little more authentic so I did some research and scoured cosplay forums and stumbled upon a website called Pinky Paradise that sold a vast array of different colored contacts. Many cosplayers swore by it and the reviews on the site were all very positive so I went ahead and purchased a set of G&G GBT Violet Lenses.

They were being shipped overseas so I knew it might take up to two months to get to my house. I ordered them early May and AX was in July, I had plenty of time. Impressively it came in two weeks time after I placed my order- I got very lucky that it was a smooth transport as I’ve heard of horror stories of contacts being stuck in customs for months. Anyways, I digress. Upon opening the package it conveniently came with a cute neon pink lense case. I followed the instructions of making sure my hands were clean and my nails were cut before handling the delicate lenses. I put them in new solution and let them sit for 8 hours before trying them on.

They went in very easily and I loved how the soft contacts worked so much better than harder ones (very first pair that bought years ago). I could barely feel them besides a very very soft edge feel on the bottom part of the contacts. They didn’t irritate my eyes, it was almost wearing no contacts at all. The color was a tad bit lighter than I expected when normally worn, but very apparent and vibrant in camera flashes. I was overall very pleased with the purchase, I may buy some more just to play for future cosplay endeavors.

EYELINER/LASHES
These are something I was more familiar with since I’ve been using these particular brands for a while now. For the eyeliner I’ve been using Kat Von D’s Tattoo Liner: TROOPER $20.00 at Sephora. I swear by this, they’re the best liner I’ve used so far. They’re expensive, but the quality is unparalleled compared to cheaper brands I’ve purchased like Revlon ($6.00) and Maybelline ($7.00). I use it on a daily basis for all day at work and even after the gym, the liner is fully intact, no smears, smudge or wear. I’ve used this at last year’s con and lasted me the entire day.

For the lashes, I’ve always consistently used Red Cherry brand ($2.50), but the store I bought them from closed and I resorted to using Daiso’s brand (wouldn’t recommend these, they’re cheap, heavy, and very plastic looking)  for the last two years or so until I finally went online to purchase them. Red Cherry’s sister brand Christina was the only one that would ship on time (I was aiming for them to arrive before a wedding I had to attend). I like the #1s, they’re not too long and look more natural than the other styles. I love that they’re really light, soft and feels great when you put them on so that they aren’t dragging your eyelids down.

For the glue that helps the lashes stay on I’m currently using DUO Eyelash Glue, $5.99 at Target. They work surprisingly well seeing as I’ve used them while riding my motorcycle with my visor up, taking my helmet on and off and they still stay on. They aren’t messy and no weird smell or gunk after taking them off. It’s easy to use and apply and very long lasting. Just hoping they’ll work well once I’m walking around the Con in July heat. LOL.

I generally like to apply my eyeliner first then the contacts then lastly the lashes, after reapply some liner to smooth out everything. 🙂 That’s about it for the first part of cosplaying, I’ll probably go a little further into wigs, hair colors and costume brands a little later on in another post. 😀