I realise a lot of Cosplayers (and I'm talking about experienced cosplayers!) are actually quite clueless when it comes to skin care. It was sometimes horrifying to see or hear how treat their skin. So I decided to do an amateur entry about skin for cosplay. Amateur because I'm not a guru xD
I'm not a skin guru so this post won't go into the nitty gritties. But I believe I’ve struggled with enough skin problems to at least have a couple of tips to dish. Hope it’s all helpful !
Because this topic is so extensive , I will break them up into parts for better explanation and categorising. This video and blog entry will focus on things to do before you apply make up.
I have combination, sensitive, dry and acne prone skin. Yeah, pretty sucky deal I got dealt with. So all my life, I’ve been struggling with my skin. While I know I haven’t quite conquered my nemesis, I’m happy to say I’ve progressed a lot.
My tips below:
1) clean your face and hands
I know it is a given but I still feel the need to highlight this simple step. Especially important is to make sure your hands are clean before you touch your face, which of course, includes applying makeup up to it.
Our hands are very susceptible to contacting bacteria and germs. If you don't wash your hands before touching your face with it, there is a high chance you could transfer the germs from your hand to your face, resulting in break outs.
And by clean, I mean cleaning it JUST before applying makeup. Don't clean it 5 minutes before because 5 minutes is enough for you to touch that dusty table or dirty shoe.
If you are outdoor and have no access to water, try using wet wipes.
2) Moisturise your skin
Moisturising your skin adequately gives your skin the water it needs. Moisturising your face well before will also make your epidemic layer more supple and less dry so your foundation glides on better.
One thing to note though, give your skin some time (5 minutes or so depending ) to absorb the moisturiser before applying makeup. Foundation usually goes badly on wet skin. So never apply makeup to wet skin unless it is recommended by your makeup company.
My favourite hydrating products. Hada Labo Hydrating Lotion (Toner), Arsainte Eco-Therapy Ideal Essence and Hada Labo Moisturer.
- http://elpheal.blogspot.sg/2012/06/review-hada-labo-moisturiser.html
- http://elpheal.blogspot.sg/2012/05/arsainte-eco-therapy-ideal.html
The contents of the blue bottle is actually Hada labo’s SHA Hydrating Lotion and NOT the whitening Lotion. Tried the whitening lotion, didn’t liked it as much as the Hydrating lotion so I went back to the hydrating lotion but reused the whitening bottle LOL.
3) Exfoliate your skin regularly
Dead and dry skin tends to flake and look even more obvious when you apply makeup.
You don't need to exfoliate your skin every single time you do your makeup. But try to get into the habit of exfoliating regularly once a week. Do this before you apply your usual skincare (moisturiser ) and after cleaning your face.
There are tonnes of exfoliating products in the store but nowadays, I just stick to the gel or aqua based exfoliators because they are more gentle and can be used more frequently.
You can also DIY your own exfoliate. Pop over to google for some test and tried home remedy recipes. For me, I just mix salt with either my usual facial cleanser, cold cream or olive oil, depending on the state of my skin. I choose salt over sugar because I fear the invasion of Ants in my bathroom.
Avoid rubbing too hard when you exfoliate and if you are using granular exfoliator like the above, keep to a maximum of twice a week or you might end up damaging of your skin.
4) keep your make up brushes and sponge clean
For Reasons as point one. But this seems to be one point MANY people don't religiously follow. And because majority of cosplayers tend to go for pressed powder , the cleanliness of their sponge is even more important.
I admit, i don't clean them as much as I ought to.
I usually clean my brushes and sponge with shampoo. This makeup guru on YouTube suggest cleaning with alcohol. I've tried it personally and found it to work miraculously fast but finding affordable alcohol in Singapore is a challenge.
Bottom line , keep your tools clean!
Learn how to make your own Brush Caps here or consider buying a retractable brush to minimise contact with dust =)
5) Lip balm
Flaky lips looks very ew =( It is especially bad when you apply concealer on it for crossdressing purpose, dry concealer on dry lips is not a good idea . So remember to exfoliate your lips regularly, invest in a good lip balm and apply it regularly.
I use Nivea’s Essential Care lip balm.
6) Face Mask
I have combination, dehydrated, sensitive and acne prone skin. I suffered from a really bad allergy reaction before and during that long longgg allergy period, my skin was as dried as sand paper, bumpy, red and itchy. My skin kind of changed forever after that and the effects of a good face mask became very evident to me.
Face Mask is like a sheet of concentrated lifeline that pumps a lot of good stuffs into your skin in the eleventh hour.
Cosplayers who rush costumes and miss out on sleep before their costume debut tend to have very tired looking skin. Face mask helps perks the skin up by pumping moisture into it. Of course, the effects of the mask is dependent on the type and brand.
7) Apply Face Primer
Primer is a base you put after your moisturiser and before your makeup. Depending on the brand, it can help smooth out imperfections, control oil and allows your makeup to last longer. Some primer also allows your foundation to have a pearl-like effect
This is not necessary but if you can afford it, try it.
Daiso has some very affordable base that you can try if you dare. I've personally tried 2 of them and found them relatively good.
Daiso metallic bright up Base. Photo from here
this base creates a shiny metallic/ pearl effect. It's some what sticky which helps the foundation stay on your face longer. I've only used it with powder foundation though.
This helps a little with smoothing your face, I thinkkkkk.
E.l.f also has a very affordable primer which serves its purpose well. It smooths out imperfection and allows your foundation to last longer. A friend of mine experienced break out with this product though. Then again, it is all very dependent on your skin.
I am using this now; Monistat Chaffing relief powder gel. Hahaha…. go google it! Don’t judge me >//// <!
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I hope you guys enjoyed this entry and learnt something. Remember to leave me a comment, I love reading them ^^!
