Cosplay has become a vibrant and essential part of anime culture, allowing fans to step into the shoes of their favorite characters. From the intricate details of costumes to the perfect wig, every element plays a role in the overall look—but one of the most important aspects of cosplay is makeup. With the right techniques, makeup can truly transform you into the character you admire.
For Japanese anime lovers, achieving the ideal cosplay makeup requires understanding the unique features that make anime characters stand out. Whether you’re aiming to recreate Gojo from JJK, Momo from Dan Da Dan, or Mikasa from Attack on Titan, here’s a complete guide to makeup techniques that will help you bring your character to life.
1. Prepping Your Skin: The Foundation of Your Transformation
Before you start applying any makeup, it’s essential to take care of your skin. Clean and hydrated skin helps makeup adhere better and ensures a smoother finish.
- Cleanse and Moisturize: Start with a gentle cleanser to remove dirt and oil, then follow up with a lightweight moisturizer. If you have dry skin, use a richer moisturizer to ensure your makeup lasts longer and looks fresh.
- Primer: Apply a makeup primer that suits your skin type. A mattifying primer is great for oily skin, while hydrating primers are perfect for dry skin. Primer helps your makeup go on smoothly and lasts longer.
Recommended Products from Rei Cosmetics:
Canmake Mermaid Skin Gel: This refreshing, water-like gel bursts with moisture upon application, delivering a dewy, lightweight finish. After cleansing, it serves as your all-in-one skincare, makeup base, and sun protection solution.
2. Achieving a Flawless Base: Perfecting Your Canvas
Japanese anime characters often have porcelain-like, flawless skin, so the key to any great cosplay makeup look is creating a smooth, even base.
- Foundation: Choose a foundation with full coverage that will give you an airbrushed effect. You can go for a shade that closely matches your skin tone or opt for a slightly lighter tone to reflect the youthful look of many anime characters. Blend it well into your skin for a flawless, dewy finish.
- Concealer: Apply a full-coverage concealer to cover up dark circles, blemishes, or redness. If you want to mimic the smooth, even-toned faces of many anime characters, focus on brightening the under-eye area to create a wide-eyed look.
- Setting Powder: Use a translucent setting powder to lock your foundation and concealer in place. This helps prevent your makeup from creasing or shifting, especially if you’ll be wearing it for a long period.
Recommended Products from Rei Cosmetics
Daisy Doll Concealer Palette: With Daisy Doll's Concealer Palette, you can customize a mix of colors for flawless color correction. With the palette, you have full control over how much and which shades you apply, ensuring no over-correction or excessive layering.
Canmake Marshmallow Finish Powder Abloom: This mineral-based powder enhances luminosity and contains 5 color correcting shades that can be used together or separately. It gives a soft-focus effect, blurring all your blemishes and pores.
3. Eyes: The Window to Your Character’s Soul
The eyes are often the most important feature when it comes to anime cosplay makeup. Anime eyes are large, expressive, and full of life. Recreating these dramatic eyes can be tricky but is absolutely essential to pulling off the look.
- Eyebrows: Start by shaping your eyebrows to match your character. Use an eyebrow pencil to fill them in, making sure they are sharp and defined. If your character has unusual eyebrows, like bold arches or colored brows, don’t be afraid to go bold.
- Eyeshadow: Anime eyes often feature bold eyeshadow, from soft pastel hues to striking neon colors. Use eyeshadows that match the character's personality—light pinks and purples for cute, gentle characters, or darker shades for intense, dramatic figures. Blend the eyeshadow smoothly to mimic the large, doll-like eyes seen in anime.
- Eyeliner: A crisp, defined eyeliner is essential for an anime-inspired look. You can create a sharp cat-eye or a thick eyeliner on the upper and lower lash lines for that bold, exaggerated eye shape. Some characters also feature double-lined eyeliner on their lower lashes for a larger, doe-eyed effect.
- False Eyelashes: To fully replicate the exaggerated, wide-eyed look, add a pair of false lashes. Choose long, dramatic lashes that give your eyes volume and length. Some characters have very long lashes that add to their allure, so feel free to experiment with different lengths and styles.
- Colored Contact Lenses: Colored contacts can elevate your look by changing your eye color to match that of your character. Whether it’s bright red, icy blue, or vivid yellow, contact lenses can make a huge difference in recreating the anime aesthetic. Always use high-quality, comfortable lenses.
Recommended Products from Rei Cosmetics:
Spring Heart Eyebrow Pencil: With a twist-up design and a handy brush for finishing touches, this reliable eyebrow pencil will surely be a staple in your makeup bag.
3650 (San Roku Go Zero) Liquid Eyeliner: With its vibrant, colorful designs and playful shades, 3650 is here to brighten your look and boost your mood. The ergonomic design makes the liner super easy to use, even for beginners.
Daisy Doll Eye Color Palette: This expertly crafted four-shade palette combines sheer pigmentation with a radiant finish, making it easy to achieve a dimensional, gradient eye look that’s as captivating as it is effortless.
Dolly Wink False Eyelashes: This fabulous collection offers a wide range of styles for top and bottom lashes to suit your every whim; whether you're going for a natural everyday look or going all out for a Harajuku Dolly doll look.
4. Shaping Your Face: Contouring and Blushing for a Youthful Look
Anime characters typically have soft, rounded faces, with sharp features that are often exaggerated. Contouring can help you recreate these features to add dimension and shape.
- Contouring: Lightly contour your face to sculpt your cheekbones, jawline, and nose. Anime characters tend to have smaller, more angular noses and sharp cheekbones, so focus on contouring the sides of the nose and under the cheekbones. Use a cool-toned contour powder for a more natural look or a warmer shade if you're channeling a different anime aesthetic.
- Blush: Apply a bright blush to the apples of your cheeks to give yourself that cute, youthful look. In anime, characters often have a flushed, innocent appearance, so don’t be afraid to go bold with your blush. Soft pinks and peach shades work well for this, but you can adjust based on the character.
- Highlighter: Anime characters often have glowing, luminous skin, so adding a touch of highlighter to the tops of your cheekbones, the bridge of your nose, and your cupid’s bow can give you that radiant glow.
Recommended Products from Rei Cosmetics:
Borica Multi Glow Duo: Crafted with a creamy texture that melts seamlessly into the skin, Multi Glow Duo palette allows you to effortlessly control shine, color, and three-dimensionality with just one product.
Canmake Cream Cheek: With its silky smooth texture, this product glides onto your skin, instantly melting upon contact. Packed with moisture, it keeps your cheeks hydrated, imparting a healthy and dewy glow.
5. Lips: Soft and Defined for the Perfect Finish
The lips in anime characters are often delicate but well-defined. The color of your lips will depend on the character you’re emulating.
- Lip Liner: Use a lip liner to outline your lips, making them appear fuller and more defined. Some characters have sharp, well-defined lips, while others might have a softer, rounder shape.
- Lipstick: For a cute, youthful look, stick to shades like soft pinks, corals, or even bright reds for more dramatic characters. Avoid dark, heavy lip colors unless the character calls for it. The goal is to create a fresh, clean look that enhances your natural lips.
- Gloss: To achieve the soft, glossy lips often seen in anime, apply a clear or tinted lip gloss over your lipstick. This gives your lips that plump, shiny look that is common in anime characters.
Recommended Products from Rei Cosmetics:
Daisy Doll Matte Lipstick: The hydrating and glossy lip base, combined with special adhering powder, ensures a smooth application with a plumping and soft-focus effect. Experience the best of both worlds with a matte finish that’s hydrating.
Fujiko Nuance Wrap Lip Tint: With its hydrating H2O-based formula, this innovative rouge offers a glossy finish with vibrant color that stays put and doesn’t transfer, ensuring all-day shine. The nuanced colors give a gorgeous sheen, creating a plump, dewy, and kissable pout.
Canmake Melty Luminous Rouge: This soft, smooth tint effortlessly glides onto your lips and lasts all day. Infused with a blend of oils, it provides a plump, glossy finish while the Vaseline base keeps your lips hydrated throughout the day.
Jump into the World of Anime Cosplay
Cosplay makeup allows you to dive deeper into the world of your favorite Japanese anime characters. By following these steps, you can achieve the perfect look to bring your character to life, from the flawless skin to the bold eyes and youthful glow. The key is to have fun with it—whether you’re recreating an iconic heroine, a mysterious villain, or even a quirky sidekick, makeup is your tool to fully embrace your cosplay transformation.
So go ahead, grab your makeup kit, and let your creativity shine as you step into the world of anime!
Photo Credit: Muhammad Faiz Zulkeflee