A Cosplayer’s Guide to MakeUp
Cosplay MakeUp Essentials
A few years back I did a large makeup overhaul on what I had in my cosplay makeup bag. A lot of what I owned was old and I knew at the time that by then there had to have been new makeup brands and products out there that people were using. At this point, the cosplay community had grown so I took to a couple of cosplay groups I am in and asked the question “What is in your cosplay makeup bag that is a staple for all of your looks?”.
And I am here to share those answers as many of the replies I got are now products that I use for both cosplay and on a daily when I’m not in cosplay.
URBAN DECAY
24/7 Glide-On Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil - $25.00
https://www.ulta.com/p/247-glide-on-waterproof-eyeliner-pencil-VP11242?sku=2536707
I like to use this underneath my eyes but can be used on both the upper and lower eye lid.
STILA
Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner - $24.00
https://www.ulta.com/p/stay-all-day-waterproof-liquid-eye-liner-xlsImpprod1840049?sku=2215097
One of the best eyeliners I have ever used. Applies smoothly and truly stays on all day with no smudging even when sweating.
TARTE
Maneater Mascara - $25.00
https://www.ulta.com/p/maneater-mascara-xlsImpprod15191101?sku=2501249
Doesn’t clump up when applying like others I have tried. Also a little goes a long way. I don’t have to apply a lot to achieve fuller lashes.
ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS
DIPBROW Waterproof, Smudge Proof Brow Pomade - $21.00
https://www.ulta.com/p/dipbrow-waterproof-smudge-proof-brow-pomade-xlsImpprod6330246?sku=2276185
A highly recommended brow pomade and one of the few I have found that doesn’t make your eyebrows look like caterpillars on your forehead.
SMASHBOX
The Original Photo Finish Smooth & Blur Oil-Free Primer - $42.00
https://www.ulta.com/p/original-photo-finish-smooth-blur-oil-free-primer-xlsImpprod3590041?sku=2587714
Fantastic face primer that acts as a base for your foundation. Helps the foundation to stay on and apply smooth.
BOBBI BROWN
Vitamin Enriched Face Base Priming Moisturizer - $67.00
https://www.ulta.com/p/vitamin-enriched-face-base-priming-moisturizer-pimprod2025028?sku=2583728
Same product as the Smashbox, just a different brand. This has been my new go to as it’s easier for me to apply. Comes in a smaller size that is half the price.
URBAN DECAY
All Nighter Waterproof Makeup Setting Spray - $36.00
https://www.ulta.com/p/all-nighter-waterproof-makeup-setting-spray-xlsImpprod15371001?sku=2503491
The only setting spray that actually works! Makeup stays on all day even in the Atlanta heat while sweating buckets. I use this as a daily as well because it works so well in the Georgia heat.
MORPHE
THE JACLYN HILL PALETTE - $39.00
https://www.morphe.com/collections/best-palettes/products/jaclyn-hill-eyeshadow-palette
One of the best eye shadow palettes out there! A wide range of colors and the eye shadow applies and blends like a dream. This is definitely a must have to your makeup!
ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS
Modern Renaissance Eyeshadow Palette - $45.00
https://www.anastasiabeverlyhills.com/modern-renaissance-palette/ABH01-18170.html?cgid=eyes-eyeshadow
Beautiful beiges, reds, and golds that can help complete any look.
TARTE
Shape Tape Radiant Concealer - $45.00
https://www.ulta.com/p/shape-tape-radiant-concealer-pimprod2039503?sku=2610334
Highly recommended concealer for areas that have imperfections such as under the eyes or pimples/red irrupted skin.
TOO FACED
Born This Way Undetectable Medium-to-Full Coverage Foundation - $45.00
https://www.ulta.com/p/born-this-way-undetectable-medium-full-coverage-foundation-xlsImpprod12621017?sku=2290020
One of the few foundations that I’ve found that doesn’t crack or apply splotchy. Applies evenly and smoothly.
FENTY BEAUTY BY RIHANNA
Pro Filt'r Soft Matte Longwear Liquid Foundation - $40.00
https://www.ulta.com/p/pro-filtr-soft-matte-longwear-liquid-foundation-pimprod2029862?sku=2592558
The game changing foundation that not only is good, but comes in every color skin tone you could imagine. The first foundation to offer over 50 shades.
Trusted Brands
Though some are mentioned in the above list, others weren’t so here is a list of brands many cosplayers swear by and recommend checking out. As always, the items listed above are recommendations for staple makeup items that many people have. You can always check these brands out and see what works best for you:
Anastasia Beverly Hills
Fenty Beauty by Rihanna
Morphe
NYX
Tarte
Too Faced
Urban Decay
Stila
Makeup is EXPENSIVE and can get costly quickly. I highly recommend trying to find an Ulta or a Sephora store to go to while you are in your testing phase. Both stores offer free samples and testers so you can try out the makeup to see if it matches your skin tone or works for you. Ulta also offers free returns on opened packages as long as they are returned in a certain time frame and with the original receipt.
Independent Shops
While I was hunting for new makeup, I did stumble upon a few makeup brands that are not big name box store brands that you won’t find at your local Target or Ulta. But their quality and customer service was enough for me to add them to this list. These two makeup brands come from independent artist and are worth checking out especially if you need some crazy eye or lip colors for your cosplay.
Sugarpill Cosmetics
https://sugarpill.com
Always on the hunt for highly pigmented eyeshadows and lipsticks that come in all kinds of colors for my costumes, that was how I stumbled upon another makeup shop called Sugarpill Cosmetics.
Started in 2010, Sugarpill has been innovating cruelty-free, bold, and richly-pigmented cosmetics. The founder Amy Doan was frustrated by a beauty market saturated with products which focused on natural beauty, concealing “flaws,” and blending in. Inspired by the colorful characters in her life, she began to develop her own unique brand of cosmetics for beauty rebels who can’t help but stand out from the crowd.
Hands down Sugarpill has to be my all time favorite makeup shop. I've tried many brands of makeup over the years trying to find brands that worked for me and has a large selection of colors and products. Sugarpill blew me away with it's quality (and cute packaging) and I am hooked for life. Their eyeshadows are highly pigmented and are easy to blend. I love both the pressed and the loose powdered eyeshadows. And not only that, if you're looking for a white eyeshadow that actually is white, Sugarpill's Tako Pressed Eyeshadow is phenomenal. I use it in almost all of my costume makeup looks and couldn't be happier.
I purchased some of their liquid lipsticks as well as a lipgloss and again was blown away by the quality. The liquid lipstick is highly pigmented and drys with no stickiness or cracking. It didn't have a chemical taste to it which is a bonus as I have tried some brands where I swear I'm putting Clorox Bleach on my lips by how god awful the smell and taste is.
For the lip gloss it was just the right amount of gloss without being super sticky or too wet.
The only downfall to Sugarpill is their stock goes in and out very quickly. Being a small independent shop, their stock moves quickly which I don't blame them for as their makeup is truly fantastic. I do wish they would carry some of their colors all the time but they do discontinue some colors. So if you see something you want to try and it's in stock, I would grab it while you can.
Sugarpill's pricing is very fair for the quality that you get, but it isn't cheap like some drug store brands you can find. Lipsticks will run you $18 with single eyeshadows costing $13. They do hold sales pretty regularly so if you follow them on social media, you'll be informed of when they run sales.
If you're on the hunt for high quality pigmented makeup that blends like a dream, them be sure to check them out online!
Surreal Makeup
https://www.surrealmakeup.com
If you're big into shopping from independent shops/artists and are looking for high quality makeup that comes in all sorts of colors, look no further then Surreal Makeup! Created in 2011 by Amanda Baker, Surreal Makeup is makeup made using all natural mineral cosmetics unlike the store bought brands that contain harsh chemicals that cause some to break out or worse, chemical burns. Amanda, being one of those people, created her own makeup to wear. With her fun colors and highly pigmented makeup, it's no wonder cosplayers flocked to her for her makeup.
Big name cosplayers such as Yaya Han and Alyson Tabbitha are constantly using Surreal Makeup in their cosplay looks. So much so you can even buy an eyeshadow palette of the one's Alyson Tabbitha always uses.
Surreal Makeup carries pretty much anything makeup wise you could think of from eyeshadow to lipstick to even foundation. The makeup goes for a good price and comes in different sizes. For example, eyeshadows come in 3 sizes: Sample for $3, 3 Gram Mini for $7, and the 10 Gram Full Size for $12.
All of her eyeshadows are loose powder and a little truly goes a long way. I have a lot of her makeup in different sizes and even with daily wear I don't see myself running out of the 3 Gram makeup anytime soon. I really like that she offers sample sizes of her makeup so you can try the different eyeshadows before you invest in a larger size.
The main reason I found this shop was while I was on a hunt for green lipstick. It's hard to find fun colored lipstick that isn't sticky or smells bad. But the lipstick at Surreal Makeup smells and tastes wonderful and the color is extremely vibrant just as shown on the website. I won't lie, I am not a fan of liquid lipstick as I had never had good luck with store bought brands not cracking or just looking weird. But Surreal Makeup's liquid lipstick did none of that and I was blown away with the quality.
Honestly Amanda's makeup makes it hard for me to go back to store bought.
Surreal Makeup can usually be found boothing at many local conventions. So if you want to check out Amanda's makeup in person, be sure to see if your next convention has a Surreal Makeup booth.
Black Moon Cosmetics
https://www.blackmooncosmetics.com
Black Moon Cosmetics has been striving since early 2015 to create quality Cruelty-Free & Vegan beauty products from the darker side. They began their journey with their innovative Liquid Lipstick formula and have made their way to Eyes, Body, & Face using only the finest quality ingredients.
Inspired by the mysteriously magical moon and all its emanating beauty, Black Moon combines the darkly with the colorful & shiny to create an ethereal makeup world you'd have to see in person to believe.
I found this shop while looking for green lipstick for a cosplay I had lined up in 2021. Let me tell you, that was tough to find. But I was able to find it and more from Black Moon Cosmetics. They offer both liquid and regular lipstick in all of their colors which I find perfect for those who may like one over the other. But I will say their liquid lipstick is phenomenal and I ran into no issues with it cracking, smearing, or making my lips feel dry.