This time, I did an Altria (My King) cosplay shoot. Since the main photoshoot is all wrapped up, I'm sharing some casual behind-the-scenes photos to talk through my impressions. Putting together this costume, makeup, and prop setup took real effort: I picked a true-tone blonde wig and trimmed the bangs and sideburns myself. The iconic ahoge was especially tricky—to keep it standing naturally without drooping, I used styling wax and strong-hold spray right at the root, spending nearly half an hour getting that perfect curve.
For the eyes, I chose large-diameter green contacts, combining them with false eyelashes and under-eye liner techniques to capture that majestic yet slightly clueless blonde green-eyed cosplay aesthetic. The base makeup was kept pale, with contouring focused along the jawline to elongate facial proportions and bring them closer to anime ratios. The deep-blue dress, paired with white ruffled collars and matching headwear, offered very comfortable fabric. Because it is an off-the-shoulder design, the lace choker and black neck ribbon had to be adjusted carefully—too tight would leave marks, while too loose would look unkempt.
To find the right mood during shooting, I tried various poses like resting my chin in my hand gazing into the lens, glancing sideways thoughtfully, or cupping my chin. Since Saber can be adorably dense—especially when food is involved—my expression couldn't be too stiff; it had to balance innocence with regal authority. Due to lighting and prop constraints, positioning the reflector was critical to catching lively catchlights in the eyes.
This styling is a classic casual maid look: while lacking body-hugging skirts or stockings, the high-waisted dark skirt and delicate lace trim sculpted the waistline beautifully. It was very hot outside, so shooting in an air-conditioned indoor studio was the best decision to avoid sweating through heavy wigs and layers. The raw shots came out looking great, with post-production keeping to light skin smoothing and color balancing to maintain skin translucency and rich fabric depth. Overall, it was a joyful anime cosplay shoot, and I hope this behind-the-scenes set does justice to Saber.