Get a perfect canvas

Although I try, I don’t always have time for daily make up routines. But some kind of routine is indeed crucial if you want your make up to stick and look good on you. At least I try to do my best a week in advance when I know I am going to have a photoshoot. I don’t have a miraculous solution that will work in just an hour, but you can definetely improve your skin in very little time following some simple steps.

1. Start from the inside

Yes, I am about to give you a pep talk about eating healthy and drinking water. It may seem a bit silly if we are talking about make up, but if you want a perfect skin you should start by eating as healthy as you can and drinking lots of water. Almost three liters of water is the recommended intake amount, but let’s be honest, that’s nearly impossible, you will be as good with just a little bit less.

Personally, I have a skin condition called rosacea. This means I have to be extra careful if i don’t want my skin to flare up. I’m prone to get extremely red cheeks, pimples and dry skin. To minimise all this, the days before a shoot I avoid spicy food, greasy food and alcohol and in general anything that could trigger a reaction. Save the chocolate for after the show too.

2. Exfoliate every inch

Have you ever applied your make up just to notice your skin has started to flake? Worse effect ever! And extremely annoying. You want to get rid of all the dead cells on top of your skin that are just hiding the beauty below. To do this, you can scrub your face with an exfoliating gel. Use a horsehair mitt or a firm sponge for your body while you are showering to get rid of all that dead skin that’s causing you problems. Remember not to overdo it and be gentle. In general, I exfoliate no more than two or three times a week.

Furthermore, you can use black head strips or exfoliating masks for a deep clean as well. And don’t forget the lips! If they feel too dry and flakey rub them with a mixture of honey and sugar to get rid of the dead skin and use a lip balm afterwards to keep them hydrated.

3. Get rid of all the fluff

Do not forget to get rid of those little hairs that are on your way. I have naturally bushy eyebrows and I am sure I could pull off the Frida Callho look any time if I wanted to. But I don’t want to. I find it much easier to apply make up after I have trimmed and plucked any rebel hairs. This is even more true when I have to colour my eyebrows. I will also wax or shave any unwanted hair, which makes my skin feel much softer.

4. A deep cleanse

I always use micellar water to clean any daily rests of make up. Even if you do not wear make up it helps cleaning your skin after a long day outside. Don’t forget to use toner afterwards! Washing your face with lukewarm water and a gentle gel cleanser is always a good habit too.

The day before a shoot I go a step further and have a bath. A long warm shower will do the trick as well. Not only it will clean you, it will also help you relax. If I have time in the morning before the photoshoot I may have a shower too, as it is refreshing and relaxing.

My top picks

5. Hydration is key

I already suggested drinking lots of water. Now it is time to boost that moisture inside your skin. I don’t go crazy with expensive creams. I simply use a day cream in the morning and a night cream just before I go to bed. For your body you can use a shower cream or baby oil after you shower. Body lotions are an option too. A healthy skin will show and will make you feel comfortable. The day before the shoot I use a hydrating face mask too.

Just before I apply my make up I use a Vitamin-C serum that makes my skin glow and disguises any little marks. It makes your skin feel super soft. You can use moisturiser instead, those with Q10 will hide any little wrinkles if you are already getting some.

My top picks

6. Just relax…

It is very easy to overlook this step, but it is indeed very important. Stress levels can cause ugly reactions on your skin. Before a photoshoot I make sure I have everything under control. I make a list with all the things I will need and I gather them all if possible. As I often shoot at home in my own homemade studio, I make sure everything is ready in advance.

All this is to make sure I can reduce my stress levels and to know I have everything under control. The day before a shoot I make sure I have plenty of rest and depending on the time I will have a bath or a long shower. This helps me keep my mind blank and not only helps my skin but also my attitude towards the shoot.

7. Nobody is perfect

Did you follow all the tricks above and your skin isn’t flawless yet? Don’t worry, nobody is perfect. The truth is, no matter how hard you try, it is impossible to get a perfect canvas. Actually, you have probably been fooled. All those perfect photos of models and influencers on your social media are actually all a lie. This is because all the photos you see on social media have been edited beforehand.

Having a good skin routine is vey important to get good photos and also to have a healthy skin. However, don’t be obsessed wit it, and remember that any little imperfections can easily be hidden with just a bit of post-processing on your image or a good selfie filter. Either way, never forget that you are beautiful no matter what.

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The post How to get your skin ready for a photoshoot appeared first on Alice in Cosplayland.

One of the main problems we cosplayers have is the randomness of the characters’ hair colour, this is not a huge problem because you can always wear a wig but…what about the eyebrows? The eyebrows never lie and will always give away your real hair colour (unless you hide them under the fringe)
Any of the methods below work, and I’m sure there are many more, the trick in all of them is to make sure your eyebrow colour is at least a couple of shadows darker than the wig. Also, even if you think the eyebrow doesn’t look great looking very close it will probably work from a distance.

Uno de los principales problemas que tenemos los cosplayers es lo aleatorio del color del pelo de los personajes, no es un gran problema porque siempre podemos llevar peluca pero…y las cejas? Las cejas nunca mienten y siempre delatan el color real de tu pelo (a menos que las ocultes debajo del flequillo)
Cualquiera de los métodos de abajo funciona, y seguro que hay muchos más, el truco de todos es asegurarte de que el color de tus cejas es por lo menos un par de tonos más oscuro que el de la peluca. Además, aunque pienses que de cerca no queda bien seguramente de lejos se ve bien.

EDIT 
1: A fellow cosplayer reminded me on Facebook how important it is to wax and shape your eyebrows before you apply the below methods! (she said the eye shadow one) She recommends to wax them slimmer than usual unless you wanna look like a troll! I made up the troll part :p but it is a good idea as they usually look wider after painting them.

2: Appart from the below methods a friend which is a specialist on SPFX (special effects) recommends artificial flesh (a kind of wax used in SPFX), pros-aid adhesive or colour mascara! (I had only thought about the white but there are other colours).

3: I tried the glue and acrylic paint for a longer time recently and it was stupidly easy to remove!

EDITADO
1: Una compañera cosplayer me recordó en Facebook lo importante que es depilarse las cejas y darles forma corréctamente antes de aplicar los métodos de abajo! (ella dijo el de la sombra de ojos) Ella recomienda depilar las cejas más finas de lo habitual a menos que quieras parecer un trol! Bueno me inventé lo del trol :p pero es una buena idea porque pueden parecer más anchas al pintarlas.

2: Además de los métodos de abajo un amigo especialista en efectos especiales recomienda carne artificial (una especie de cera), pegamento protésico o máscara de pestañas de colores! (yo había pensado en la blanca pero hay otros colores.

3: Probé el del pegamento y la pintura acrílica durante un rato más largo recientemente y es estupidamente fácil de quitar!

Method 1: Lip-pencil or eye-liner pencil Método 1: Perfilador de ojos o de labios

This is maybe the easiest and quickest method, you only have to paint over your eyebrows, for the blue one I used a creamier pencil, for the last one I used first white and then the red, it should make the colour lighter but as I used red it only looks pinkish.

Esta es quizás la manera más fácil y rápida, sólo tienes que pintarte las cejas, para la azul usé un lápiz más cremoso, para el último primero usé un lápiz blanco y luego uno rojo, debería hacer el color más claro pero al usar rojo se quedó rosáceo.

Method 2: Gluestick + eye-shadow Método 2: Pegamento de barra + sombra de ojos

This works with a bit lighter colours, you only have to put glue over your eyebrows and then the eyeshadow while it is still wet. For the first one I used a matte colour, the second was shiny, in the third I attempted two layers of glue and eyeshadow, this layer was thick using something flat to spread the glue (you actually have to get a piece out of it). The colour was just too light but works well enough with darker colours. As an alternative to the gluestick you can try Spirit Gum, eyebrow wax, white mascara or transparent mascara.

Este funciona con colores un poco más claros, sólo tenéis que pasar la barra de pegamento por la ceja y pintarla con la sombra de ojos mientras aén esté fresco el pegamento. Para el primero usé un color mate, el segundo era brillante, en el tercero intenté dos capas de pegamento y sombra de ojos, esta segunda capa era gruesa, usando algo tipo espátula para extender el pegamento (tenéis que quitarle un trozo al pegamento para hacer esto). El color que usé era demasiado claro pero funciona bastante bien con colores más oscuros. Como alternativa podéis probar con Spirit Gum, cera para cejas, máscara de pestañas blanca o transparente.

Method 3 & 4: Concealer + eyeshadow and PVA glue + acrylic paint Métodos 3 & 4: Corrector + sombra de ojos y Cola blanca + pintura acrílica

We are getting messier here, the first is easy enough with a layer of concealer and eye-shadow, the second is maybe the scariest but works wonderfully well, specially if you have thick eyebrows like mine. You need to put PVA glue over your eyebrows in order to cover them and let it dry (takes a couple of minutes) then you paint it with acrylic paint. Do not worry because this glue is designed for kids and it’s easily removed with water and soap.

Esto se vuelve más pringoso, el primero es bastante fácil, una capa de corrector y sombra de ojos, el segundo es quizás el que da más miedo pero funciona genial, espcialmente si tienes cegas gruesas como las mías. Necesitáis poner cola blanca sobre las cejas y cubrirlas y luego dejar que se sequen (tanda un par d eminutos) después las pintas con pintura acrílica. No os preocupéis porque este pegamento está hecho para niños y se va fácilmente con agua y jabón.

Method 5: Gluestick + concealer + base make-up (+ eye liner) Método 5: Pegamento de barra + corrector + base de maquillaje (+ eye liner)

This is actually really cool if you do it well (I wasn’t totally succesful) it’s similar to method 2, in wich you start rubbing the gluestick over your eyebrow, you let it dry and then apply the concealer, then you put a thicker layer of glue, modeling it over your eyebrow with something flat and more concealer you can do it as many times as needed (I should have done a third layer). Then you use your base make up and blend it with your skin. To finish it you can use an eyeliner or a lip-pencil and the best thing of this way is that you can do any shape you want.

Este método es muy chulo si lo haces bien (yo no tuve exito del todo) es parecido al método 2, en el que empiezas con una capa de pegamento, lo dejas secar y después aplicas corrector, después pones una capa más gruesa de pegamento, modelandola sobre tus cejas con algo plano y más corrector, puedes hacerlo las veces que necesites (yo debería haber puesto una tercera capa). Después usas tu base de maquillaje y la disimulas con tu piel. Para terminar puedes usar un eye-liner, perfilado o similar, y lo mejor de este método es que puedes hacer cualquier forma que quieras.

Extra tips and removing colour Consejos extra y quitar el color

To wash the make up I used make-up remover, warm water and soap, method 2 (one layer) was probably the easier to remove and method 5 the most difficult, don’t be afraid of being perfect with the colours, you can always clean the excess with wet cotton ear plugs. Also, if you don’t want to do all this mess you can also use Photoshop. For the bravest, you can bleach your eyebrows before putting colours over them.

Para quitarse el maquillaje usé desmaquillante, agua tibia y jabon, el método 2 (una capa) fue quizá el más fácil de quitar y el 5 el más difícil, no te preocupes si te sales pintando, siempre puedes limpiar el exceso con un bastoncillo húmedo. Además, si no quieres hacer todo este follón puedes también usar Photoshop. Para los más valientes, podéis decoloraos las cejas antes de pintarlas.

The post How to colour eyebrows for cosplay appeared first on Alice in Cosplayland.

1. Draw your ear in a paper
2. Draw the elf ear with the shape you want
3. Cut your pattern
4. Draw it over cardboard
5. Cut it together with the craft foam
6. Grab a piece of paper
7. Twist it
8. Secure it with paper tape
9. Stick the pieces to your cardboard and foam together (don’t close the bottom where the ear goes)
10. Once you have the shape cover it all with paper tape
11. Mix glue and water and glue newspaper strips to it all
12. Paint your ears, if you use a darker colour for the deep parts it will look better

1. Dibuja tu oreja en un papel
2. Dibuja la forma de oreja de elfo que necesitas
3. Corta el patrón
4. Dibujalo sobre cartón
5. Córtalo junto la goma EVA
6. Coge un rectángulo de papel
7. Retuércelo
8. Pégalo con cinta de carrocero
9. Pega las piezas al cartón y la goma EVA juntas (pero no cierres la parte donde va la oreja)
10. Cuando tengas la forma  cubrelo todo con cinta de carrocero
11. Haz una mezcla de agua y cola blanca y pegale trozos de periódico
12. Pinta tus orejitas, si usas un color más oscuro para las partes más profundas quedará mucho mejor.

You can use Air Dry Clay instead, I recommend Crayola Model Magic, Fimo Air Light or other similar brands because they are light weight, spongy and they don’t crack, never normal clay. Paper Maché paste is another option. Be careful because the mentioned clay may shrink. Also, you still have to cover your ear with newspaper.

También podéis usar Air Dry Clay (arcilla que seca al aire) o algo similar, os recomiendo Crayola Model Magic, Fimo Air Light o otras marcas porque pesan poco, son esponjosas y no se cuartean, nunca arcilla normal. La pasta de papel maché es otra opción. Cuidado porque la arcilla mencionada a veces encoje. Además, aún debéis cubrir la oreja con papel de periódico y demás pasos.

If you don’t want to do them yourself you can always wear the latex ones, you attach them with liquid latex or Spirit Gum, be careful not to glue your hair. To attach them just put a bit of the glue or latex on the inside, wait a minute to let it dry a bit and then place it on your ear, it’s better to attach the bottom first. You can hide the joint with a bit of toilet paper and latex and some make up or with an earring.

Si no quieres hacer las orejitas tu mismo siempre puedes usar unas de latex, te las pones con un poco de latex líquido o Spirit Gum, cuidado de no pegarte el pelo. Para ponértelas sólo pon un poco del pegamento o el látex por dentro, espera un minuto para que seque un poco y pontelo en la oreja, es mejor si empiezas poniéndote la parte de abajo primero. Podéis ocultar la unión con un pegote de papel higiénico y látex y maquillaje o con un pendiente.

And please, make sure of what you are buying…Whole elf ears are usually atrocious…don’t ruin your cosplay with a bad choice like this…(I have seen worse!)

Y por farvor, aseguraos de lo que estáis comprando…Las orejas que venden enteras son normalmente una atrocidad…no arruineis vuestro cosplay con una opción cutre como esta…(Las he visto peores!)

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