Cosplaying is one of the most interesting, fun, exciting and rewarding activities for any geeky person. In recent years, cosplay has become increasingly popular, and in addition to buying anime cosplay costumes, shoes and wigs. Cosplay makeup has become an important part of the process. If you want to become be a standout cosplayer, it is essential to master the cosplay makeup steps. This article will give you a detailed introduction to cosplay makeup steps and the essential methods of cosplay makeup.

The basic step-by-step process of cosplay makeup is to wash your face with cleanser, apply skin care products with sunscreen, and then cover up skin imperfections with concealer, then use foundation to apply, trim, draw eyebrows, do a good job with eye shadow and apply false eyelashes, and draw a nice lip makeup. For more how to do cosplay makeup information please continue reading below.

Details for about how to do cosplay makeup for beginners

Here are the makeup products you should include in your cosplay set: moisturizer, toner, primer, foundation, concealer, compact powder, makeup sponge, makeup brush, eyeliner, eyeliner, blush, eye shadow, eyebrow pencil, foundation, setting powder, lip liner, lipstick, concealer, barrier cream, sunscreen, skin cream, eyelash curler, mascara, false eyelashes, setting spray.

1. Cleanse your skin

Before applying makeup, cleanse your skin first. Use cleansing products or warm water to wash your face, remove dirt and oil from the surface of your skin, and keep your skin fresh and clean. Cleansing the facial skin is the first and key step of makeup. Only when the cleansing is done well, the later steps can be completed in a more orderly manner.

2. Sunscreen

After cleaning your facial skin, you should use toner or softener, and then use serum or lotion or cream on your face, and then use sunscreen. Before applying sunscreen to our face for basic moisturizing, this can avoid our skin direct contact with sunscreen, can reduce the stimulating effect on the skin. Let the face hydrated and not be red and tanned in order to do a good cosplay makeup.

3. Foundation

Foundation is a key step in makeup application for a long-lasting and natural look. First use a concealer to cover up any imperfections on your skin, then use a foundation to apply evenly over your entire face, paying attention to your neck and behind your ears as well to achieve a natural look.

First understand yourself and choose the appropriate makeup products according to your skin needs. If you have dry skin and want to have more moist and shiny makeup, you may want to use some moisturizing texture and better moisturizing performance of makeup lotion, if you have oily skin, your face is easy to get oily and your nose likes to get oily, you may want to use some makeup products with good oil control effect.

Decide on the color of your foundation: first decide whether your skin is shiny or non-shiny. Oily skin should use non-shiny foundation because oily skin is already extremely prone to oiliness that causes makeup to come off; dry skin should use shiny foundation. Pick two or three foundations that are close to your skin tone and try rubbing them on your cheeks to determine the closest color to your skin tone.

But if you want to take pictures, it is recommended to use a non-glossy foundation to avoid reflections when taking pictures. Medium-to-high coverage to be the best for cosplay looks, especially for taking photos. A flat, matte base allows light to hit your skin evenly in photos. On the flip side, a dewy or even satin finish can reflect the light back at the camera, which usually isn’t good for photos (although it’s worth mentioning that dewy/satin foundation is shiny, so it can be an interesting choice, depending on your character).

4. Contour makeup

Contouring allows for a more pronounced face contour and a better fit with the cosplay character. Use a dark finishing powder to apply on the jaw, cheekbones, sides of the nose and other areas that need to be enhanced in contour, being careful not to overdo it.

Retouching the face is a very important technique: Use light and dark colors to present a wide or narrow effect to retouch the skin tone. For example, excessively wide cheeks or cheekbones can be retouched with a darker skin tone foundation. Narrower forehead, flat cheekbones or too short chin can be trimmed with white or bright foundation, but the seam with the original foundation should be even and soft, do not obviously see the difference between the two colors, for an even and soft foundation effect, it is best to use a soft sponge to rub the foundation evenly for better results.

5. Eyebrows

Eyebrows are a very important part of cosplay makeup and can change the entire shape of the face. First use an eyebrow pencil to outline the shape of the eyebrows, and then use eyebrow powder to fill in the eyebrows to make them thicker and more natural. If the character's eyebrow shape does not match your own, use concealer to cover the original shape of the eyebrows, use an eyebrow pencil to draw on the character's eyebrow shape, and then make the appropriate finishing touches. If you think this eyebrow makeup explanation is not detailed enough, YouTube has a lot of tutorials about eyebrow grooming, you can go search and learn more.

6. Eye makeup

Eye makeup is an important part of cosplay makeup, which can make the eyes more shiny and exaggerated. First use light eyeshadow primer, then use dark eyeshadow to outline the eye contour, use eyeliner to outline the eye line to make the eyes more divine. And for some characters need to make some more exaggerated eye shadow, you can use some more heavy eye shadow to apply. You should start in the center of the eyelid and then apply it all over to the sides to get the effect you want!

Eyelashes are not a necessity, Long eyelashes make the eyes look great, but not all roles are suitable for eyelashes. So, after choosing a character, unless you feel you have to put on lashes, it's better to do it according to the original look of the anime character. Otherwise, it will lead to a very abrupt sense of sight!

7. Lip Makeup

Lip makeup can make the lips fuller and plumper, and cosplay characters more fitting. First use a lip liner to outline the shape of the lips, use a lipstick color that can enhance the color and lip color similar to the cosplay character's lips, and apply it gently on the lips to achieve a natural effect.

8. Blush

Use a larger makeup brush to dip the blush and sweep a large area from the temples to the cheekbones to get a better look on the cheeks. Apply pink blush to the area directly below the eyes and above the nose. Pink blush is the best way to enhance the color and have an age-defying effect, but if your skin tone is dark, you can choose pink-orange blush.

9. Special effects makeup

If your cosplay requires more dramatic or unusual features, such as scars, tattoos, or prosthetics, consider using special effects makeup. There are many products available that can help you create these effects, from prosthetic adhesives to body paints and fake blood. Some products that you can play around with to learn some effects are:
Rigid collodion: This is used for making indents and puckers on your skin. You can use it to make a scar or a brand on your skin depending on your character.
Liquid latex: This is an extremely versatile tool. You can make all kinds of shapes, bumps, and textures on your skin. Always test a small amount of this product on your arm first. Many people are allergic to latex without knowing it.

10. Setting Spray

Setting spray can help keep your makeup in place for hours without too many touch-ups needed, especially if you're planning on wearing it for an extended period of time. It can also prevent your makeup from smudging, creasing, or fading quickly. For cosplayers who anticipate a long day, or those who sweat a lot, or those wearing easily-stained costumes, setting spray is indispensable. Simply hold your spray at arm's length, close your eyes and mist your face with the spray. Wait a minute and then gently dab any excess moisture with a towel or tissue.

11. Finishing touches

Once your makeup is complete, take a step back and examine your look from a distance. Is there anything you would like to change or enhance? Don't be afraid to add a final touch of eyeliner or mascara to bring your character to life.

12. Removing makeup

It is generally recommended to use makeup remover, which is good for both removing makeup quickly and protecting to delicate facial skin. Then use a moisturizer to keep your skin hydrated.

Other how to do cosplay makeup for beginners tips:

If you don't use up your cosmetics, put it away properly. When not in use, store cosmetics in a cool, dry place and be sure to keep them out of direct sunlight. This will help maintain the quality of the products and prevent them from melting or breaking. When using a cosmetic product, check first to see if it has exceeded its shelf life and if it has expired, do not use it.

About How To Do Cosplay Makeup for Beginners Conclusion

Cosplay makeup is an important part of the practice and experimentation process. Practice is key when it comes to makeup. Take the time to try different techniques and products until you find the one that works best for you. The more you practice, the more confident you will be in creating your cosplay look. Remember to give yourself plenty of time, use reference photos, and plan ahead! Cosplaying is a fun activity, so feel free to try and experiment with various character makeups at home! Practice makes perfect! 

About How To Do Cosplay Makeup for Beginners FAQs

Is makeup necessary for cosplay?

Makeup should be an important part of your cosplay! It can help you look good in photos and better recreate the character. If you feel uncomfortable wearing contacts or makeup. But, not every costume needs makeup. You can choose characters that don't show their faces, many of which come with masks or headgear. This is where you save yourself the trouble of having to wear makeup. We have an article here about how to choose a cosplay character. Please read it if you need to.

What is the difference between cosplay makeup and everyday makeup?

Most of the daily makeup is light makeup, cosplay makeup is basically a lot thicker than the daily makeup, from the base makeup to eye makeup, even lip makeup, eyebrows, etc. are very exaggerated, cosplay makeup is the most important thing is to be similar to the character.

Should you put makeup on before or after cosplay?

Answer source: Quora.com
It really depends on:

• 1.The costume. How is it made? How is it put on? How hard/easy is it to wear?
• 2.The Cosplay. What cosplay? What makeup does it require?
• 3.Individual preference. What works best for you?

There is no 100% rule for this. If it requires body paint, doing that before putting on the costume may be best. If the costume requires going over the head, putting makeup on after the costume is at least halfway on may be better. Same with wigs and other accessories.

If this cosplay makeup guide for beginners was useful to you, I hope you'll share it to help as many people as possible!