Let's talk about makeup. Long post.
I recently and finally got a nice make-up case, simply silver, looking very CSI, like my sewing case (which is bigger, but blue), with no pink glitter or cheesy outside, which made me think of the importance of makeup for cosplay.
I've been wearing make-up regularly since my teens, first shyly borrowing my mom's lipstick (a rust coloured lip gloss in a pretty tin), and then buying my first eyeliner, an Helena Rubinstein liquid eyeliner (I started strong!), in the most beautiful red metallic casing. By then, and until the mid 90s, I didn't wear more than Tokalon powder on my face occasionally, and corrector was something only used on stage and films. We didn't know anything about make-up and all that was available was very limited and expensive. I would buy old make-up from a beauty counter at an old and small department store downtown, some cosmetics and make-up at the recently opened Body Shop, and weird colours, like black or white lipstick, sold by the Gypsies on the street. I also bought my first fake lashes, German imports, made with real hair, sold rather cheaply at the Carnival shop. Only during a trip to London in 94, a couple of years before I started cosplaying, after using mostly Body Shop products on my face, and later the Clinique 3 step system, I bought my first proper foundation, from a really great sales lady, at the Perscriptives counter, at Harrods. Prescriptives wasn't cheap, but it was very good quality, and their colour system was the best. Up until today, their liquid foundation, and their compact powder foundation were the best I owned, not that I tried many more. Comfortable on my oily skin, wouldn't cake, would easily last a whole day, at least 8 hours, and had medium coverage, but I was able to layer it, without being cakey. That's what I look for in a foundation. During the 90s I collected lipsticks in every shade of dark reds, and started to understand what would work best on my oily skin.
Enter cosplay. I always wore heavier, but natural looking make-up for cosplay. I tend to try to have a flawless skin, which doesn't always happen, and focus mostly on the eyes. Because I usually cosplay younger anime characters, the eyes are the most important feature. My eye area, is very Jewish looking, my eyes aren't the smallest, but my lids are a bit hooded and the space between the eyes and eyebrows is narrow. This is all to say, make-up is always personal and depends a lot on the person's features, and skin type. I don't try heavy drag queen like shaping, instead of adapting my face to the character, I adapt the character to my face. Unless it's Ursula, then I would put on a full drag make-up, because it's on character.
Since this millennium, when I got addicted to YouTube make-up tutorials, I learned double of what I had learned during the rest of my life, and make-up also evolved a lot and now there's a huge range of products, for every kind of fancy. Now it's easy to get good quality make-up without spending a small fortune.
Over the years, a lot of YouTube videos and a bit of experimenting, this is what I now use, with some regularity:
COSMETICS
To prep the face, I try to keep it hydrated, but I'm not very disciplined at that. But I try to always clean it before going to sleep.
- Cien Day/Night Anti-Wrinkle Cream, with Q10 & hyaluronic acid, from Lidl. This was chosen as the best price-quality anti-ageing cream sold in Portugal, and I can vouch for that. Anti-ageing creams are usually very good moisturisers.
- Hydrating, exfoliating, plumping and illuminating sheet masks, from supermarkets and Primark. These don't have a lasting effect, but can be a good boost or have a nice effect the days before an event, to leave my skin the best I can. And I like how it feels to put one on from time to time.
- The Body Shop Drops of Youth, Youth Liquid Peel. This I really a great exfoliating lotion? cream? gel? I don't know what to call it. But, because I have to clean my face, apply it, and then wash it, I'm usually too lazy to use it as often as I should.
Now, The Ordinary, a cosmetic brand I've been dieing to try, will be sold at Sephora, I can't wait to have money to spend on it.
I've realised, since I changed my routine, after years of using the Clinique 3 step system, without major changes on my blemish prone oily skin, that with a few cheaper products, focusing on hydrating, I have a much better looking skin. If I weren't lazy, it would look great all the time!
FACE
Since I started using BB cream, I've slowly stopped wearing foundation, even for cosplay. I mostly use foundation for specific characters/make-up. This is what I usually wear for cosplay, in order of applying, but I don't always wear all these.
- NYX First Base primer spray. Helps the make-up last longer and not smudging. One of my best face make up buys ever!
- Nivea BB cream, in light, or Nivea BB cream + 50 spf. I wear it every time I get out of the house. Lately I've only been wearing the spf one, because it feels more comfortable.
- Catrice Liquid Camouflage High Coverage Concealer and Camouflage Cream, in 010. I wear two different ones every day. The liquid, on my eye bags, and the waxy on blemishes and scars. Catrice is a very nice quality but cheap German drugstore brand.
- L'Oréal Lumi Magique Pure Light Primer. This is a liquid purplish iridescent primer, I usually wear on top of the BB cream for my Yuuko Ichihara cosplays. She's stopped in time, she's very pale, and this counteracts my yellowish olive skin.
- Illamasqua Skin Base foundation SB 01. I bought this one for my Non cosplay. She's white, not pale, white. I researched a lot online, and ended up finding the Japanese shironuri. Not being able to afford it, and also being very hard to order it online, I searched for alternatives, and ended up with this foundation, which I ordered from the UK and the Smashbox powder.
- Catrice All Matt Plus Sine Control Powder, in 010. I also wear this every day, on top of the BB cream. It's nice and light, and keeps my face naturally matte, while setting the BB cream.
- Smashbox Photo Set finishing powder. I love this one, but it was very expensive, so I usually only wear it for cosplay and mostly on pale characters.
- Catrice baked highlighting powder, in Light Infusion 010. I loooove this! I like the strobing effect, although I don't exaggerate it, except for Yuuko, but this one is ver versatile, giving a very discreet glow, if lightly applied, and a nice alien glow, if layered.
- NYX High Definition Blush, in Taupe. After using a warmer bronzer as contouring, I got this one for at the first opportunity (when NYX first opened in Portugal), based on reviews from YouTube make-up artists. It's definitely more discreet for pale skin, and also one of my basics for cosplay.
- Other blushes. I usually get powder blushes and prefer matte ones. Lately I've been wearing the Too Faced Enchanted Beauty Unbearably Glam Makeup & Be Merry, a friend gave me, but I'd like to get a richer coloured one. I also tried cream to powder blushes, and I liked them, and I wore the Catrice Blush Tint, in 010 Rose Flush stain, a dupe for the Bare Minerals one, until empty. Sadly, they didn't keep making it, my favourite blush so far!
- NYX Dewy Finish setting spray. It acts together with the spray primer, to keep the skin and make-up good looking for many hours. At least 12, from my own experience. I chose the dewy formula, over the matte, because it gives me a more natural finish.
EYES
This is where I experimented the most through the years, and I stayed with everything waterproof, for mascara, eyeliner and brow products, and mostly powder eyeshadow. But there are exceptions in the eyeshadow department.
- Urban Decay Primer Potion classic. I never wear heavy eye make up without the Primer Potion. Back in the late 00's it was the only one available, and it's still the best one. I have very oily lids, and all my eye shadows would crinkle, not to mention the panda eyes effect. Before the PP, I'd use a combination of foundation, powder and water mist to set my make-up. I'd have to go extra on my eye lids, for it to work. Mine is almost out, I need a new one.
- Powder Eyeshadows. I've tried many brands, my current favourites are my older Clinique palettes, my Chanel special edition palettes, especially the (...), NYX Hot Singles, Rimmel London Glam Eyes quad, in 008 True Union Jack and Essence Metal Glow, in 03 Frosted Apple and 04 Sparkle All Night.
- Pen/Stick Eyeshadows. I don't have many of these, but I love both Catrice Made to Stay highlighter pens, in 020 Eye Want! and 030 Eye Need! Then I have a few of NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils, in Milk, Black Bean, Sparkle Green and Pots & Pans. These sadly don't set, so I usually only wear them as a base for powder eyeshadows.
- Big Eyeshadow Palettes. I only have a few, one Sleek i-Divine, in Original 594, I used to wear a lot, but then it broke, and with it my favourite colours. Recently, I was gifted two by Too Faced, the Enchanted Beauty Unbearably Glam pallette, which has the prettiest glitter shadows, and the Pumpkin & Spice palette. Both have the prettiest packaging and really nice colours, the eye shadows are a nice quality, but I don't like scented make-up, which clashes with my perfume. Anyway, I'm sure I'll wear them a lot. I still crave the NYX Brights eyeshadow palette.
- Eye Pencils. That's something I almost don't own, as they're usually not waterproof and smudge a lot on my eye lids. I checked, I own two, a very old Bourjois gold pencil, and an Essence Long Lasting Eye Pencil, in 17 Tu-Tu-Touquoise, for my Non make-up.
- Gel Eyeliners. My first was a Rimmel London Waterproof Gel Eyeliner, in Black 001, and two PS... Gel Eyeliners, in white and in brown. I don't use them much nowadays, but I still like them.
- Liquid Eyeliners. As said above, these are my favourites, in their waterproof versions. Currently I've been wearing the NYX Matte Liquid Liner, in MLL01 Black, and the NYX Vivid Brights, in VBL01 Vivid Fire. I like them, but I don't love them. I need to try other brands. The Vivid Fire is almost out, I need to get a new one. I also got a cheap blue from Primark, PH, in Motion, but the weird rubber point makes it hard to apply. I wear coloured liners more often in my daily life than for cosplay. For cosplay it's usually just black.
- Mascaras. For many years I wore L'Oréal Paris Double Extension mascara, but somehow the formula changed and it started to flake and smudge a lot. While it didn't, I loved it. It gave my lashes enough length, and if I went heavy with it, it would look almost like soft fake eyelashes. One plus point, it never got me panda eyes. I've tried a few since, but I wasn't very satisfied. The NYX Dolly Eyes is too discreet, and it gives me panda eyes on hot days. I also got their Double Stacked mascara, and, although it much better than the Dolly Eyes, it gives me spidery and clumped lashes. I will use it until its empty, but only for more formal events and cosplay. I will try the Maybelline Colossal Waterproof next, as it's been a very popular and recommended mascara for a while.
- Fake Lashes. I've been collecting fake lashes for many years, I own quite a collection, and it'smy only concession to unnatural make-up. From my collection, my favourites are those by EyeLure, and Lash halves, by Boots. But I also still wear some of my older ones and from other brands too. I don't like those I got from H&M, my first from Primark neither, but those I got lately, they're rather good. Those cheap ones from the Chinese store are cute, but they're veery uncomfortable to wear. I ran out of glue, I've been using that comes with the lashes, but I like the DUO lash glue best.
- Brow Products. I don't usually wear brow products, but I'd like to get a basic dark brown gel with a spoolie.
LIPSTICK
I have a collection of 50 shades of the same oxblood red lipsticks or darker reds. Then a few salmon or peach shades, a lot of cheap tinted glosses and no nudes 😂 But I'd like to buy a "my lips, but better" nude. My current favourites, although, with the masks I haven't been wearing any, are below.
- PS... Lip Primer. Surprisingly quite good for hydrating and priming the lips. I tend to forget it, but when I don't, I apply it at the beginning of the make-up routine.
- Lip Balms. I tend to collect them and have them in all my bags. I usually wear mostly the Vaseline, in Aloe or Rose, but it has to be applied very often, and the Labello chapsticks. My favourite, almost empty, is a Lemon & Olive Oil one, I got in Germany years ago. I usually bu the classic or the fruity ones. Recently I got a Coca-Cola one, it tastes like Coke, and isn't very bad, balm-wise. I also wear a Chubby Stick, by Clinique a lot, I think the colour is Chunky Cherry, but most of the label rubbed off, just the number didn't, BC2. There's a funny story around this one, I found it on the street. Naturally I cleaned it thoroughly and disinfected it with alcohol, besides cutting off the tip, before even testing it. Soon it became a daily lipstick, I love the colour.
- Lip Pencils. I only own one, Sephora Retractible Lip Liner, in 04 Sienna. I usually only wear it as a base for red lipsticks for cosplay.
- Lipsticks. I'm currently only wearing one, regularly or, if the costume calls for that colour, for cosplay. M•A•C Special Wonder Woman edition, in Russian Red. I love that colour! But I have other shades, namely two by Clinique, in 42 Honey Ginger, on the darker nude side, and in 66 Just Raisin, which I usually wear for Tsukikage-sensei. I also have a Kanebo lipstick in the perfect shade of peach, which lasts for HOURS! Even if I eat and drink in between. It becomes more of a coral shade with time, but it's still perfect for those no lipstick characters, like Maetel or Andromeda.
- Lip Glosses/Lacquers/Tints. That's what I've been mostly buying lately. My first was gifted by my work colleagues for my birthday, its a Chanel Lévres Scintillantes, in 23 Pulsar. Its almost gone, I've worn it the most. For cosplay, it's been my favourite for Yuuko. I also got two Apocalips, by Rimmel London, in 400 Big Bang, and in 303 Apocaliptic. These can easily be bought at supermarkets, and I got my red one, Big Bang, in an emergency, I had forgotten my red lipstick for Yuuko at home. Literally the last time I entered a NYX store, I think they all closed since, and now have counters at make up stores (but I don't really know, with the pandemic and lockdowns), to buy an eyeshadow for my Lum cosplay, I also bought a Strictly Vinyl lip gloss, in SVLG07 Bad Girl. Yes, oxblood, yes, for Yuuko. I like the last three, but none of them sets properly and smudging is a thing. But I like their glossy finish.
MAKE-UP SFX
Well, I don't really own anything, a few water based Snazaroo face paints, and Lum's ear tips, with mastix glue for applying them. Because although I have sensitive skin, I'm not prone to allergies and tested it beforehand, so, when I cosplay Tsukikage-sensei, I make her burnt face with UHU universal glue, with foundation, powder and and combination of brown and rust eyeshadows on top. It's not ideal, but it works. I'd like to make a latex prosthetic some day, but I don't cosplay Tsukikage-sensei often enough.
MAKE-UP REMOVAL
I used to have something for the face, and something for the eyes, but lately I stopped buying eye make-up removal.
- Eye Make-up Removal. I almost only use it for heavy eye make-up, which means just for cosplay. I stopped buying it, as I was never very happy with any I used.
- Micellar Water. Since it entered the Portuguese Market, I've been using Garnier Micellar Water. I've tried other drugstore brands, usually cheaper than Garnier, but I still prefer Garnier. I even tried their Micellar Water for oily skin, but I still prefer the classic version.
- After removing my make up, I usually slab moisturising cream on my face, especially after the heavy cosplay make up. It's quite soothing, and my skin thanks me for it.
TOOLS
Like make-up, tools are a personal choice. After discovering make-up brushes, they've been my favourite tools. My first were bought at Sephora, but lately I've been buying them from Primark, and they're very good for their price. I'm jot a make-up artist, my tools are for my own use, so, I'm happy with what I currently own.
- Foundation Brush. My first foundation brush was one of those flat ones from Sephora, nr. 47, with orange bristles. I like I, I don't waste as much as with sponges, but I still wasn't completely satisfied. Ever since I found my hairbrush style foundation brush, by PS... I don't want anything else.
- Powder Brush. I still use my big fluffy brush, by Sephora to this day.
- Blush Brush. I got one from Zara, with red bristles, and it's fine.
- Highlighter Brush. I really don't need it, but I fell in love with a pretty an brush at the Shu Uemura shop in that '94 trip to London, and only started using it years later for highlighter, and sometimes blush.
- Eyeshadow Brushes. I have one for applying it, by Zara, its fine. My most used is a double ended Smokey Eye Brush, by H&M. I use the beveled end for applying eyeliner, with gel eyeliner, or eyeshadow, and the round end for smudging it. I have others, bought in packs at Primark, but I seldom use them.
- Eyeliner Brush. Sometimes I use one, with a thin end, and bent ferrule, mostly for applying gel eyeliner.
- Other Brushes. I have a few other brushes, in different sizes, that I only use for specific uses. Sometime I use a very small lip brush, from Zara, or H&M, for applying concealer on blemishes, but most of the time I use my fingers.
- Sponges. I'm not a big fan of sponge wedges, I almost don't use them for make-up. Only for cake water based face paint. I used to use drop shaped sponges a lot, for foundation or BB cream, but lately I stopped using them, as they're high , having to wash them for every use.
- Make-up Pads. These are very useful, and are washable, which reduces waste. I use them mostly while travelling, but sometimes for other things. It varies.
- Spoolies, Sponge Brushes and Q-tips. Spoolies are also quite useful for a number of things, but I use them mostly for my eyebrows. I almost never use Sponge Brushes, but I like them for some eyeshadows. Q-tips are very useful for correcting mistakes. I try not to use them much, for ecological reasons.
- Fingers. Yes, clean hands and fingers are also quite useful, and one can skip most tools and use the hands for applying make-up. I mostly use them for applying creams, applying concealer, and glittery eyeshadows, as their pay off is higher when rubbing them on with the finger.
NAILS
I wasn't going to include nail products, but as I collect nail polishes, these mostly in 50 shades of teal and blue x'D.
When the character doesn't wear gloves, I try to do my nails accordingly. For Yuuko I usually match the outfit or lipstick, For Tsukikage-sensei, I usually wear this pretty mauve colour. Lum has nude and short nails, I don't wear anything for Hokuto, she usually wears gloves.
COLOURED CONTACTS
Not something I advocate, mostly because they're expensive and don't last long. I only own a now defunct pair of red lenses, because I got them on a good Black Friday discount, and I made several Yuuko costumes, who has red eyes.
As a long time perscription contact lenses wearer, I firmly believe it's an unnecessary item for most people, not something you just put on. It should be a very thought of decision, and I don't recommend for casual wearers.
***
Like my homely use of prosthetics, I don't always respect expiry dates on make-up. But this is relative, I wear powder make-up with no real concern for expiry dates, but creams and liquids, especially if I see they somehow changed, I stop wearing them. I also pay more attention to eye make-up. But, I usually prefer powder make-up, so it's good. This is a conscious attitude, make-up is very expensive, even for drugstore brands, so, I only really discard things if they're either empty or smell funny, or change their properties, or, ultimately give me some kind of adverse reaction (never happened!). This doesn't apply for cosmetics, but I usually empty them before that.
For daily use, I only wear BB cream, concealer, powder, eyeshadow, eyeliner, mascara, Blush, Sometimes highlighter and lipstick. I try to not buy too much just for cosplay, so I rotate most of my products, but my cosplay make-up is much heavier, and noticeable, while trying to keep a no-make-up-make-up look, at least for the skin.
+ make-up completes a look, along with the wig, makes the character come alive. For me, it's fundamental and I like to play with it.
- it takes a bit of time to apply heavy make-up correctly, in order to last at least 12 hours. Practice also makes perfect, it's not the easiest skill.
THE CUNNING PLAN
Buy a new Primer Potion, Maybelline's mascara, and new black and red liquid eyeliners. No other immediate needs.
PS
Meanwhile, one of our drugstore chains, Clarel, is closing for good, and I went there last Friday, to try and get stuff I wear the most, with 50% discount. They were already out of everything, I ended up just buying a nail polish, already on promotion.
