Frozen Inspired Make Up

It's no secret among my friends that I love the movie Frozen. Living in Australia, I had to wait until Boxing Day to see it. I liked it so much, I saw it again on New Year's Day. I was hoping to continue my tradition of cosplaying the latest Disney movie at Gold Coast Supanova (having been Vanellope from Wreck-It-Ralph the year before), but money was tight this year and I ended up doing something a lot simpler. To be honest, after seeing a dozen Anna and Elsa cosplays walking around, I'm kinda glad I did something else. I'm sure that sounds incredibly hipster, and I apologise, but I don't really have a defense.

The lack of cosplay hasn't stopped me becoming a tad obsessed with ice-themed things of late. I started with a Frozen inspired bedroom, and it's slowly creeping into other rooms of the house.

Naturally, when I saw this shirt on TeeFury, I couldn't resist.

And, as I'm currently learning different make up techniques, I figured I'd try a face inspired by this shirt.

Wig Care

The very first wig I bought was a cheap pink bob from Price Attack. A friend of mine was having a fancy dress party, and seeing as I couldn't afford to buy or hire a proper costume, I decided to wear a cute outfit with a wig and say I was a doll. I never thought that ten years later I would be dressing like a doll on a regular basis, for no other reason than because it's fun.

As a cosplayer and alternative fashion lover, I've accumulated a rather nice collection of wigs over the last few years. As mentioned in my Eurovision post, I purchase the majority of my wigs from www.dolluxe.com. They have an amazing range for both daily wear and cosplay, however you have to be prepared to pay for the good quality. Fortunately, they have recently introduced free shipping throughout the United States, and internationally for orders over ninety-nine dollars.

If you're looking for something specific, say for an anime cosplay, I find eBay to be a decent resource, although it can be a bit hit and miss. I ordered a black wig with a detachable ponytail for my Vanellope Von Schweetz cosplay. Stupidly, I didn't think to try it on before I started making and attaching the candy. I was horrified to find that the wig was too small, so the hair at the nape of my neck was visible. To make matters worse, the ponytail was too heavy and caused the wig to slip off altogether! Thankfully, I didn't lose my head and decided to dye my hair black to make the gap less obvious. I would have been in more trouble had the wig been an unnatural colour.

Vanellope Von Schweetz (Wreck It Ralph) - Gold Coast Supanova 2013

When you do find a wig that you like, it's important to take care of it. Just like real hair, it is possible to shampoo and condition a synthetic wig. I'm not perfect. There have been plenty of times when I've left an event and pulled off my wig, shoving it in the back seat of the car and promising to take care of it as soon as I get home. But then it stays there for a week until someone sits on it and I finally decide to put it away. Recently, I've vowed to be a bit more respectful.

I picked up a shampoo and conditioner from Starkles for about seventeen dollars each. The first time I tried them, I managed to wash eight wigs before I ran out of conditioner. I only used about half a bottle of shampoo. I've since changed my technique, shampooing multiple wigs at once, before adding some conditioner and rinsing them in cold water.

I started with a wig I purchased from Starkles. I figured it was best to learn using a plain, straight wig. The instructions say to put some shampoo in a bucket of cold water, however I chose to use lukewarm water.

Long straight purple wig submerged in lukewarm water.

I also found rubbing some shampoo into the wig cap to be effective. I personally don't use a protective cap when I wear wigs, as I have very short hair. Instead, I gel my hair down to create a kind of shell. This stops my head from getting itchy under my wigs, but it also means the wigs are in contact with sweat, hair product and make up. This is a completely personal choice. If you feel more comfortable with the protective cap, go for it.

Gently rub some shampoo into the wig cap to remove the majority of the dirt.

Dunk the wig into the soapy water a few times before using the conditioner.

Although you can't work the shampoo into a lather like with normal hair, I found it didn't hurt to carefully massage it into the wig. Once you've finished, rinse off as much as you can into the bucket before using the conditioner.

Pouring the conditioner directly onto the wig uses far too much product.

I feel adding a spray nozzle to the conditioner bottle would be a good idea. I poured the conditioner directly onto the wigs, gently rubbing it into the hair. While effective, this method wasted far too much product. After letting the conditioner sit on the hair for a few minutes, rinse the wig thoroughly in the shower.

Use fresh cold water to rinse the wig.

After rinsing the wig, place it on a towel and roll it up, squeezing out as much excess water as you can. To completely dry the wig, you will need to hang it up for a few hours. I left mine overnight.

Hang wet wigs to dry overnight. Place a towel on the floor underneath to catch excess water.

When the wig is completely dry, use a metal brush to comb out any minor tangles. I found brushing my wigs before beginning the shampooing process to be extremely helpful. If your wig is particularly messy before you begin, I would suggest using a fairly sturdy brush. Don't be afraid to be a bit rough with the hair. It will frizz up, but this will calm once you have washed and conditioned the wig. Be sure to grip the hair at the base of the cap to avoid pulling out the fibres.

Grip the wig at the base of the cap when brushing out stubborn tangles. This way, you can be rough without pulling the hair away from the cap.

Clean and dry wigs ready to be stored.

Hair is clean, dry and silky smooth.

Finally, although the floor may seem like a convenient place to store your wig after a long day at a convention, it's a good idea to get into the habit of combing out the tangles and placing it in a box or drawer. I use the cardboard gift boxes you can buy from discount variety stores like Stacks.

I should note that I did have to cut one of my long, curly wigs as no amount of washing or brushing could reverse the damage I had done to it. I will talk about wig styling in a separate tutorial.

Happy Wig Washing!

Eurovision 2014

Living in Australia, there aren't a lot of opportunities to cosplay outside of the major conventions. Although I try to hold as many cosplay friendly events as I can, there are just some places where donning a costume is not appropriate (for one reason or another). For example, two weeks ago I spent the weekend celebrating Eurovision with a small group of friends. Sure, I could have worn cosplay, but it wouldn't have been thematically appropriate. That's where my love of fashion comes in.

I decided to create outfits based on a few of my favourite countries: Armenia, Austria, Greece, Hungary, France and Italy. To be honest, I didn't really have a plan when I started. I looked up the flag of each country and used that as a starting point.

The Armenian flag follows the basic three bar pattern of most countries, but there is so much you can do with red, yellow and blue!

I started with red and blue contact lenses. As these are often an essential item for cosplay, I tend to always have a few pairs floating around.

This is probably a good time to talk about lens care. As someone with severe vision problems, I have become accustomed to the routine of putting in and taking out lenses. I find prescription lenses a lot easier to put in, as they are thicker and sturdier than their cosmetic counterparts. For the same reason, it is a lot easier to remove cosmetic lenses.

According to some labels, you can keep your cosmetic lenses for twelve months. Other labels suggest only three months. I am more inclined to go with the latter, regardless of what the label says. The last thing you want is a nasty eye infection.


On that note, each time you remove your lenses, be sure to clean and store them properly. Always carry a small bottle of solution and a case with you - you never know when you'll start to get irritated and want to rip the lenses out of your eyes.

I always start with a small amount of concealer under my eyes. As you can see from the top left image, I suffer from permanent bags, even after a good night's sleep! I also use a thin layer of liquid foundation, followed by a good dusting of powder. I'm no make up artist, so my advice would be to do what works best for you. If you're going to use your face as a canvas, you may as well start with a good primer.

For my Armenian inspired make up, I covered half my lid with gold eye shadow and half with blue (nothing special, just a cheap multi-coloured pallet from Kmart). I also used red up to the brow bone, but sadly, my phone camera didn't pick up the colour. I used a black eye liner crayon under my bottom lid, although had I been more confident, I would have used liquid eye liner. I would also have lined my top lid and used mascara on my real lashes, to make the transition to false lashes less obvious.

I'm not sure what the protocol is with false lashes. Most packets tell you to make sure your lid is clean and dry before you put them on, but I find it easier to apply your make up first.

For my lips, I used blue eye shadow to line the edges and red lipstick in the middle. Again, my phone camera let me down. I was going for more of an ombre look, but you can't see the blending very well.

Finally, I coloured my eyebrows, added a small amount of blush and a blue wig. I had planned to photograph my whole outfit, but I wasn't happy with the overall result.

I couldn't be happier that Miss Conchita Wurst won Eurovision with her song 'Rise Like a Phoenix'. I contemplated donning a beard for the finals, but my face was so sore after three days of adding and removing make up. I don't know how some girls wear it every day!

This outfit was more about the hair than anything else. I still painted the flag on my eyelids, but decided to forgo contact lenses and false lashes. Mostly because I wanted to be able to watch the semi finals, and for that I needed to wear my glasses.

I wish I'd taken some more photos, but I had originally planned to wear my Austrian outfit on finals night, so I assumed I would have another chance. Silly me!

I wanted to try something a little bit different for Greece, as their flag differs from any of the others I chose.

My only regret is that I didn't have a product to blend my eyebrow into the cross.

I am so disappointed France didn't score well this year. They had such a fun song!

The 'ponytails' in the top right image are not actually attached. I held two other wigs against my head to achieve the effect.

I was a bit disappointed with the Italian entry this year. The song was awesome, which is why I chose to support them, but the performance at the finals was pretty average.

I wasn't quite sure where I was going with this until I started. I picked up a packet of rhinestones at my local craft store and used eyelash glue to stick them on. You can easily rinse off the glue when you're finished, so the stones are reusable.

For those who were paying attention earlier, you will remember I mentioned Hungary. Unfortunately, by the time I had finished my make up, it was dark and I have those horrible warm glow light bulbs in my house that make everything look yellow. It's great when you're chilling out on the couch with a book, but terrible for photography. I did post the images to my Instagram, but I really wasn't happy with the quality, so I won't bother posting about it here.

On a more positive note, I posted some of my photos on Twitter and they ended up being shown during the Australian broadcast on SBS.

Lastly, if you like the wigs I used, you can find them at www.dolluxe.com. No, I am not employed by the company, but I have been buying wigs from them for two years and they are far better quality than anything else I've purchased.

For Armenia
For Austria
For Greece

Update

I can't believe I've been away from my blog for two weeks! I've been so busy with everything, but I promise this week will be full of new (and hopefully exciting) posts.

I was hoping to be able to write about all the wonderful cosplay I saw at Free Comic Book Day, but sadly there was really nothing worth mentioning. I don't know whether it was the early start, the cold, or shyness, but the cosplayers were few and far between. Perhaps it was the fact that there were so many more people this year. It took me three hours to get through the line at Comics Etc. in Brisbane!

Anyway, last weekend was Eurovision Weekend in Australia. I decided to try and create outfits and make-up for a few of the countries I was supporting. I will post the photos tomorrow.

I've been shampooing wigs all week, with varying degrees of success. I've also put together a tutorial for anyone else out there who might be keen to clean their precious hair.

On Saturday I took another trip to Barnes and Bunnings to stock up on various items for my Goa'uld Hand Device. Recently, I've been trying my hand at basic engraving so I can score the arm band with the appropriate markings. I'll post my results later in the week.

Last, but certainly not least, I will be posting another Featured Cosplayer article, this time about my good friend Haggard Clint.

I'm so excited to be back writing again, and I apologise a trillion times over for being gone for so long!

Featured Cosplayer: IxionCat Cosplay

One of the best things about cosplay is the community. Sure, there are bad apples, just like any other community, but for the most part everyone is incredibly kind and supportive. So, as part of my blog, I would like to show off some of the amazing cosplayers I have had the pleasure of meeting, working with, and who have become my dear friends.

First cab off the rank is the lovely IxionCat. At just eighteen years of age, she's already developed a fierce passion for cosplay. Although she took up the hobby in 2011, her first home made project, Sylvanas Windrunner, was the costume that brought her to everyone's attention at this year's Gold Coast Supanova.

"It definitely got the most attention and compliments and photos [of any of my costumes], and oddly enough, it was the first I made," she says.

"I don't think I will buy a costume again with how rewarding it is to make your own. I still can't believe the amount of support and kind words people gave me over the Supanova weekend. It was just crazy."


Crazy maybe, but certainly well deserved. In fact, her costume was so good it took out first place in the beginner category of the Supanova cosplay competition.

Photographer: Alessandro Ceraso

"It worked out exactly how I wanted, except for a few minor details like strapping. I was really, really sore and cut-into by the end of the three days but it was totally worth it. It was all a learning experience."

It's no secret that costumes can be incredibly uncomfortable and somewhat awkward to remove when, er... 'nature calls'. With a long day of walking and posing ahead of her, IxionCat decided she'd better make sure it was possible to visit the ladies' room.

"In my cloak and armour, I waddled carefully down the hall to the bathroom. Five or ten minutes later, after undoing what I had to and sliding around what was needed, I came out and said, 'IT CAN BE DONE'. I was so happy."




It might seem like a small thing, but trust me, cosplay and tiny toilet cubicles do not mix well. I've done a costume change in one and I had to remind myself there were probably children present so expletives were not appropriate.

Although she loves cosplay and doesn't regret getting involved in the community, IxionCat admits that competitiveness sometimes gets the better of her.

"It's maybe even more jealousy than competitiveness. I'm not afraid to admit that I feel those things, especially when I've put so much effort into something. It's like wearing a part of yourself, so if you feel like it's inferior or not how you hoped, you get defensive."

She's definitely not alone in that regard. I can't even count the amount of times I've seen a costume and felt the same way. But, as she says, there are more constructive ways to deal with those feelings than just being upset.

"Whenever I think, 'Damn, she looks so good. Why can't I do that,' I turn it around and say, 'Damn, she looks so good. I'm going to go ask her about it.'"



And, as I've learned from my short time as a cosplayer, that's the right attitude to have. She doesn't know this, but that's exactly how I felt when I approached IxionCat on Facebook. I was absolutely in awe of her Sylvanas costume, but also disappointed in myself. At twenty-seven, I sometimes wonder if I'm too old to cosplay, or if I'll ever really have the talent to do anything memorable. It's easy to forget how much you enjoy something when you spend too much time comparing yourself to other people.

"When you're aware of how you feel you can control it and change things you aren't happy with. My competitiveness isn't a good quality, so I get rid of it," she says.

As far as future cosplays go, she's already got several in the works for upcoming conventions.

"I'm doing Kuroyukihime from Accel World, then I want to do Kanato Sakamaki from Diabolik Lovers. I'd also love to do another major armour piece. Every time I watch or play something, I get more and more ideas."

"Conventions are really the only place I get to wear my costumes. I haven't even done a photo shoot yet. I'm actually a little uncomfortable in front of the camera. But I'd love to dress up for charity events."

While IxionCat makes it look like a walk in the park, she admits that cosplay can be expensive, time consuming, and sometimes stressful.

"It's a whole bunch of trial and error and [sometimes] tears," she says.

"In the end, it's worth all the time and money when I can go to conventions and meet fellow fans and creative people. I love it."

IxionCat will be heading to Oz Comic Con in September. If you see her, say hi, grab a photo, hang out. As I've found out, the other cosplayers are just as scared as you are. And they don't bite... Mostly.