***I should warn you now that this is going to be a lengthy post .... ***
Let me be the first to admit when I first started cosplaying years ago (wow, back in the Ming dynasty) I knew jack shit about makeup....or skin care for that matter. And for someone who was going through puberty at that time. Thats probably the worst thing you can do to yourself...
And everyone and I mean everyone wants to look decent - if not. Good at cons, may you be in cosplay or not right? You work out for months before the convention, so why not take care of your skin before the con as well instead of spending the next few days after the con untagging yourself from tagged photos...
Drink lots of water, sleep early, eat healthier. Easy right? Wrong.
I'll be the first to admit that I always stay up late, especially as the days towards the con grows closer and closer I find myself staying up late finishing up stuff ): oh well, such is life~ but just because I'm always up late doesnt mean I cant multi task and put a face mask on lol while I'm up late working anyway hahaha....
with that being said, here is my personal skin care routine on an everyday basis that I try to up keep especially as the convention season gets closer....
I personally wear makeup everyday, but it tends to be lighter from what I wear while I'm at a con...
since I work mostly in an enclosed office environment, my usual routine just mostly consist of BB Cream, setting powder (loose powder) and eyeliner for work. (sometimes I'll wear foundation vs BB cream or concealer underneath it)
My convention make usually consist of; the works.... primer, foundation, concealer, powder, setting spray...ALL for the face alone! Then of course some more eyeprimer to keep my liner/shadow in place... orz I can hear my pores crying already ;D....
But as important as putting all that stuff on, removing them and letting your skin heal overnight is also just as important. First and foremost, no matter how tired you are from a photoshoot or partying, PLEASE do not fall asleep with your makeup on ): you're not gonna like it lol.
My makeup remover that I personally use is Ponds Cold Cream. Its the best thing for removing all that crap I have slapped on my face - and then some more! From water proof mascara to even help peel away any eyelash glue residue! And it also doubles as a moisturizer after everything is all off if you don't want to bring another moisturizer. I like to scoop a little bit of this into a travel size container, you just slap it on your face, and wipe everything off with tissue. You'd be surprised what comes out of it lol.
But if you're in a pinch - tired or just dont feel like slapping cream all over your face, make up wipes are a great alternative as they are quick, easy, no mess and no need for tissue!
After all my makeup has been removed, for extra measure I still go about my usual face wash routine, toner and moisturize...and on days when I know I probably reapplied pounds and pounds of that shit on my face, I'll do a face mask before I tone and Moisturize.
Some of you guys must be thinking 'too much effort' I know some of my friends can simply do the whole, wash my shit off my face and go to bed routine and be on with their life. Well sadly my friends, I'm not like most of my friends who have been blessed with perfect - or good skin lol. I am combination skin (oily to dry) and am acne prone and I also have scars from past acne that I prefer to cover up. So, unfortunately, I gotta remove all that before bed.
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Tired Eyes, Tired Faces. This is a constant battle for all those late night shoots, sleeping at 2 am. Getting up at 5am or 6am to get your costume lol coz its an ordeal to put your costume and makeup on...lol.
If you're going to be up super late and taking super power naps you're gonna most likely wakeup with tired looking skin and horrible eye bags...que in hydrating face masks and eye bag stuffies!
These beauty masks are pretty popular in Asia and I know most people sleep with these on lol... Sandara Park from 2ne1 has~ but if you're biggest challenge is eye bags. There are several depuffer methods and products out there. From using cucumbers on your eye bags directly or caffeine rollers as well as
eye masks like these:
you can wear it while napping, or while prepping your costume and before you put on your pounds and pounds of makeup! Since it sticks to your face and you're free to walk around and move versus having slices of cucumber in your eyes! :D Most hotels also offer tea, you can save those tea bags and use them as eye masks as well~ you probably want to make sure to seep them out first, let it sit and cool before you slap them on your eyes.
Now if you don't have ANY of that at all, a simple face towel and a fridge or ice is all you need! Most- if not, ALL hotels have small face towels handy. Run it under cold water and throw it in your mini fridge's freezer for a min or two, and leave it on your eyes for a few minutes, this will help reduce the swelling and from there, feel free to pack on your concealer!
***
Whats in my caboodle?:
(first of all, wtf is a caboodle?! its a makeup case/train...most makeup artists carry one. I normally dont carry one with me but when I go to cons or photoshoots is the only time I bring this bag boy out. I got mine from Cosmetology school but you can get your own at Target or Walmart...mine comes with a lock but there are some that does not. The one I specifically have has 2 tiers and dividers for better organization. I've dropped it several times and has certainly taken a beating.)
The reason I carry a caboodle is because I do everyones makeup at conventions. And so, with that being said, I treat each con as if I was going to a makeup job. I carry 2-3 different shades of foundation and several other items that I will list below. Now, you dont HAVE to have all this, but this is what I personally carry with me and I find that it just helps keep me more organized. And I prefer to be prepared than not..
In my caboodle I carry:
- 2-3 different shades of foundation (this way, I can mix and match colors better and personally, I wear a shade or two lighter for when I cosplay...reasoning will be below)
- Concealer - I usually have 2-3 shades of this as well, since I personally use 2 shades, 1 for my under eyes which is a lighter color and one that matches my skin better so it gives me a cleaner palette. But when working with other people, I prefer to use a palette so I get several colors such as a swallow color, a yellowish beige one, a green one and 2 other natural tones.
- makeup brush set - again I got mine when I went to beauty school but you can easily get a set online or individually. If you're just starting out, you can get some good quality brushes for under $3 from E.L.F's website! I'd recommend a foundation brush (I don't like their foundation brush coz its too small) a flat top powder brush, 2 eyeshadow brushes for contouring, eyeliner brush and angled blush brush
- make up sponges
- Q-tips
- Makeup wipes
- A small bottle of makeup remover
- Lashes & Lash Glue (Daiso lashes ftw!!!!)
- Small rhinestones (for vigei lol)
- Coastal Scents Make Up Palette (beats having to bring several smaller palettes and I like palettes as they have a range of colors from neutrals to brighter colors to match your brows to your wigs.
- Bronzer & Highlighter Set
- Primer & Setting Spray
- A variety of lip color and lip balm
- Mascara & Mascara Wands and Curler (if you dont have mascara wands, I like to wipe the brush down with a sanitizing wipe before I dip it back in the brush but again, some people are germaphobic so tell them to bring their own lol!)
- A small spray bottle with Alcohol (to clean brushes in between uses)
to clean it real quick, just spritz your brush with the alcohol and wipe it back and forth on a tissue, the alcohol dries out quickly so its not going to leave your makeup brush damp or anything.
I would do this with lipstick as well, just spray your tissue and wipe the tip off. - Scissors, blade & comb (for cutting hair & wigs)
- Tweezers & small scissors
- Wax strips - yes. Wax strips, they can be heated with a blow dryer and makes cleaning up brows so much easier and faster!
- Hair ties and pins, extra wig caps
- Sewing Repair kit
This post has been pretty lenghty already but I can post another entry with the specific products I personally carry and use...
And yes, I also have that wig supplier and review coming up soon.
Wow thank you so much for the tips! I have a problem of having my face(especially my nose) shine one or two hours after applying make-up...I'm gonna try the primer now!
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