[Eldridge cosplay] Christmas Eve Surprise: Stuffing the Gift Box Full of Christmas Blessings

The idea of a Christmas Eve "lift-up" (ju gao gao) was actually finalized just a week before the shoot during a discussion with my photographer, @CatRejectsYou. At that time, looking through many Christmas-themed reference photos, I always felt that standing routinely next to a Christmas tree or sitting on a high-back chair was a bit too common. I wanted to try something different—simply stuff myself into a giant cardboard box like a gift, or give the frame that vividness of "just jumping out of the freshly opened packaging." It turned out this decision was absolutely right. The photoshoot results are much more interactive than imagined, especially that high-angle shot peering halfway out of the box, combined with the dynamic movement of my twin tails swinging, which instantly maxed out the entire holiday atmosphere.

This time I did an Eldridge cosplay from Azur Lane, and choosing her Christmas skin was actually a pretty bold attempt. In her original setting, her temperament leans toward soft, cute, and a bit dazy, while the Christmas outfit highly emphasizes red-green color-blocking and plush textures. The combination of the two surprisingly created a wonderful chemical reaction—preserving the character's cuteness while making the holiday colors extremely prominent. To recreate this costume, I communicated back and forth several times with my costume maker, @InvincibleIronLiverEmperor. The plush borders of the top had to be fluffy enough, and the golden bell at the neckline couldn't be too big or too small, otherwise the visual effect would look bloated. The placement of the belt and the curvature of the skirt's ruffles were also adjusted repeatedly. However, the biggest blunder was that I gave the wrong waist measurement, resulting in the waist-cinching part of the cropped top being a bit looser than expected. Although the overall effect still matches quite well, I still feel a little regret in my heart. I must double-check measurements next time.

For the wig, this time I used long, straight golden hair, keeping a tuft of ahoge at the top, with both sides tied into high blonde twin tails. To prevent the tails from flying around wildly or blocking my face during the shoot, I treated them with multiple layers of styling spray beforehand and slightly fixed the hair ends with fine bobby pins. This way, whether taking high-angle shots or turning around and swinging my head, the wig maintained a natural arc. The green star hairpin on the side was custom-made by hand; since I couldn't find a perfectly matching style on the market, I ended up gluing sequins and a metal base together myself. Although time-consuming, it was totally worth it, as small details often elevate the overall accuracy.

For the makeup, the focus was placed on the eye makeup and blush. Eldridge's eyes are those round, large almond eyes, so I used large-diameter red contact lenses to match the character's pupil color. For eyeshadow, I chose a combination of wine red and light golden brown, extending the outer corners slightly and drawing a lower lid line to make the gaze look innocent yet agile. The blush was applied quite heavily, placed close to the cheekbones and the bridge of the nose to create that winter flushed-red look. Paired with the warm lighting, the transparency and complexion of the entire face turned out excellent. For the lips, I applied a thin layer of peach-colored lip glaze, which wasn't flashy but looked very natural.

The arrangement of the props also took a lot of thought. In addition to the standard red and green gift boxes and snowflake wrapping paper, we also brought in a white plush rug, Christmas-themed cushions, and that classic white European tufted chair. Placing the teddy bear and small snowman by my feet during the shoot filled the empty space at the bottom of the frame perfectly, making the composition fuller. Special thanks to the venue for providing a Christmas tree with a snow-accumulation effect. Some transparent small string lights hung on the branches, and during the actual shoot, we used warm side lighting to illuminate the snow powder on the tree, combined with a wide aperture to blur the background, creating that dreamlike Christmas Eve atmosphere.

The entire shooting process lasted about three hours. The first set focused on close-ups of me sitting inside the cardboard box. That box was actually quite hard; even after padding it with a blanket, it was still a bit uncomfortable, but to maintain the visual concept of being a "gift," I curled my body up as much as possible while adjusting the position of my arms and gloves to make the silhouette clearer. The second set switched to a sitting position, where we tried the pose of holding the gift box several times—aiming to create eye contact between the box and my face while keeping the hand angles from blocking the bell on my chest. The final set was the dynamic continuous shooting of the "lift-up." The photographer had me lean my upper body out from the edge of the box with my hands spread wide, coordinating with the motion of swinging my twin tails, and it took a dozen consecutive shots before picking the one where both the tail angles and expressions were satisfactory.

Actually, shooting a Christmas theme tests atmosphere creation the most. The cool-toned blue and white background and the predominantly red and green costume complement each other, combined with warm yellow lighting, making it look visually very warm. This time, due to a minor mistake in costume measurements, there was a bit of extra room around the waist, but it instead added a sense of languid randomness, which fits nicely with the relaxed and joyful undertone of Christmas Eve. Christmas is just around the corner. I hope everyone receives gifts they love, eats sweet apples, and feels that unique touch of tiny yet certain happiness within this Christmas cosplay project.