Volumizing Your Hair for Cosplay
I struggled for years with styling my long hair. When I started cosplaying, I tried everything to get great "comic book" hair consistently, but completely failed. Some days I looked great and other days I was left with a stringy mess! Finally, I had a hair stylist teach me this trick for getting the perfect sexy hair style every time!
You will need:
- Hair dryer
- Mousse
- Rubber Hair band
- Hair Spray
- Curling Iron
- Aluminum Hair Clips
- Scissors (NOT for your hair)
Step 1: Hair Prep
Start by washing your hair and hand drying it with a towel. It should be damp but not dripping wet. Measure an egg sized amount of mousse in the palm of your hand and work it though your damp hair. Spread it out evenly starting at the roots and moving towards the ends, if you have long hair you may need to use a little extra mousse. Once this is done, blow dry your hair in sections until it is completely dry. Now your blank canvas is ready to begin!
Step 2: High Ponytail
For step 2, be sure to select a low cost rubber hair band. It will get cut later in the process, so don't pick one that you aren't comfortable destroying.
Think 90s ponytail for this step. Bring all your hair up into a tight ponytail on the very top of your head and secure it with the rubber hair band. The tighter you can get it, the better! Give your head a light spritz of hairspray when it's done. (Please ignore the complete lack of makeup in this picture! I was taking pictures for a makeup tutorial that same morning!)
Step 3: Curling
Start taking small sections of the ponytail that you made and curling those sections with a curling iron. The smaller and tighter the curls, the smaller and tighter the waves in your final style will be. Start at the end of the section of hair and curl up to the base of the ponytail. Hold the curling iron there for a moment and then CAREFULLY slide the curling iron out from the center of the curl without unraveling your hair. Don't burn yourself! Keep the hair curled up at the base of the ponytail and hold it in place with an aluminum hair clip (right). Spray each curl lightly with hair spray after it is pinned.
Step 4: Wait
The hard part is done and this is by far the easiest step in the process. Once all of your hair has been curled and clipped around the base of your pony tail, give your whole head one more light dusting with hair spray and then do nothing to it for a while. The longer that your hair is in these curls the longer your style will hold later.
I usually start my beauty prep with steps 1 - 4, then I finish getting ready by getting dressed and applying my makeup while I'm giving my hair more time to set.
Step 5: Take it Down
Carefully pull the hair clips out of your ponytail and let each curl fall. You can straighten them a bit with your fingers, but don't run your fingers through them or brush them out. Handling them is the deal of the curls!
Once all your hair is down use the scissors to cut the rubber band and let your hair fall. Again, avoid running a brush or fingers all the way through it, but you can shake your head or use your hands to shake your hair until it loosens up a bit. You can also use your fingers or a comb to create a part, if needed. Lock it in with hairspray when you're done! (Woohoo! I have makeup on in these pics!)
Step 6: Enjoy!
Enjoy your sexy look! Rest easy knowing that you can look this good whenever you want and without spending all morning on your hair!
Pre-Event Skin Care
Prepping your face for a big event or convention is as important as prepping your costume. Unless it's covered by a mask, your face is a major focal point of your cosplay. You should do everything you can to take care of it!
Rules of Event Prep:
DON'T Try Anything New!
The clock is ticking down until the convention. You're frantic to get your costume done, your trying to figure out your schedule, and the excitement is building. Now is NOT the time to try a product or procedure on your face for the first time. That tanning lotion that your friend loves could leave you looking orange, you might be allergic to that new moisturizer, and even new makeup might do some damage. Experiment when you have a little more time to fix any problems that pop up, and stick with your regular routine right before the convention.
Plucking and Waxing
Make sure you pluck a few days before the convention and/or get waxed at least a week before the convention, but ONLY if you've had it done before! This gives your skin plenty of time to heal up if there is any irritation. Waxing is more unpredictable and tends to show up more when it goes wrong, so leave more time to fix the problem. DON'T TRY WAXING FOR THE FIRST TIME RIGHT BEFORE A CONVENTION!
Hydrate
Water is the magic beauty potion you've been overlooking for years. Start drinking as much water as you can about two weeks before the convention. It will keep your skin clear and help you avoid flaky dry spots. It will also help you avoid chapped lips, red eyes, dark bags under your eyes, and maintain a healthy weight. Drinking 6-8 glasses of water helps your whole body, so drink.
Avoid Alcohol
Yes, I'm a party pooper. You should avoid drinking during the last week before a convention. One glass of wine probably isn't going to do much, but alcohol dehydrates your body, which causes red eyes, puffiness, bags under your eyes, and more.
Sleep!
A lot of beauty problems can be solved just by getting 8-10 hours of sleep. Red eyes, bags under the eyes, and swelling can all be signs that you didn't get enough sleep last night. Plan on having your costume done, your bags packed, and everything ready to go so that you can spend the night before relaxing and resting.
Daily Skin Care
Wash Your Face at Night
Washing your face strips your skin of natural oils and can dry out your skin. You should really only wash your face at the end of the day to remove makeup and other build up. Washing your face before bed also keeps oils from building up on your pillowcase, which helps prevent breakouts. In the morning, just splash your face with some water instead of scrubbing away all the natural moisture that your skin produces.
Moisturize
As someone who has an oily face, this can be a rather tricky prospect for me. There is a fine line between keeping my skin smooth and creating a mountain range of zits overnight. However, proper moisturizing helps fight wrinkles and helps makeup look its best. You should moisturize every morning, preferably using a product with at least 30spf sunblock. You can moisturize at night if you have naturally dry skin, but if your skin is oily, try just moisturizing around your eyes. There are lots of moisturizers on the market for different types of skin, so figure out what works for you.
Don't Exfoliate Every Day!
Again, this is about keeping your skin hydrated and avoiding flaky skin. Exfoliating can become a vicious cycle for some women. You exfoliate to get rid of flaky skin, but that dries out your skin and causes flakes. You shouldn't be exfoliating more than a few times a week. This is a big mistake and can actually make you appear older!
Sunblock
You should be wearing sunblock or moisturizer with at least 30SPF every day. Even if you spend most of your day inside, the exposure you get driving or walking your dog can really add up. Sun damage is the number one cause of skin damage and premature aging, and should be put on areas that are prone to showing age such as your face, neck, and chest. Don't forget the back of your hands, especially if you will be driving! If you are planning on spending time in the sun, wear higher SPF and a hat.