[Love as Before Cosplay] Umamusume: Pretty Derby, I Love You the Most!

Today, I am here to share the specific details of this Love as Before performance idol outfit look with everyone. From getting the costume to the final makeup, a lot of thought went into restoring it throughout the process.

First is the wig and makeup part. To closely fit the character's image, I chose a long straight reddish-brown Twintails wig. When styling the twintails, you need to pay attention to the volume at the top of the head so it doesn't stick flat to the scalp, otherwise it makes the face look large. For the makeup, I chose a warmer-toned base and used an orange-pink color palette for the eyeshadow transition, emphasizing the eyeliner to make the eye shape look rounder and more spirited. The light-colored contact lenses beautifully brightened my gaze, and the blush was applied closer to the center of the face to create that lively and cute youthful少女 vibe.

The headpiece was a relatively difficult part of this look to make. Although it looks like just a white kerchief paired with red, white, and blue ribbons and horse ears, adjusting it to fit the head shape and look good at a proper angle required repeatedly tweaking the wire shape. The ear parts feature a red and blue color-blocked design, which gives a strong sense of structure when upright, while also adding visual depth to the entire head area.

Next is the clothing part. The top features a short, waist-baring design in a pink and white patchwork, accented with a row of white buttons at the chest. This short style combined with a dropped-shoulder design beautifully elongates the neck and shoulder lines, visually slimming the silhouette. The bottom is a pink and white multi-layered pleated skirt, and the hem edge is specially finished with silver-white piping, giving the skirt more three-dimensionality and texture under changing light. The tail part also restores the fluffy texture from the original work as much as possible.

The light on the day of the shoot was very abundant, so I chose to shoot next to an outdoor hedge. The advantage of Outdoor photography is that it highlights the original bright colors of the clothes; especially on outfits dominated by this pink palette, the bright natural light makes the fabric textures look cleaner. As for the pose design, I didn't strike anything too artificial, but instead chose a pose where one hand is slightly raised to wave hello while the other hand cradles my cheek. This posture is both relaxed and natural, perfectly fitting the playful style of this outfit while looking confident and graceful.

Because the main tone of this outfit is pink and white, I deliberately avoided large areas of pink or cluttered scenes when pairing the background, using deep green plants to serve as the backdrop. This not only highlights the portrait but also keeps the entire frame balanced in color. During post-processing, I didn't alter the environment's light and shadow too much, mainly adjusting the skin tone and clothing colors to make the pink look clearer and more translucent.

For the overall performance style, I hoped to present a high-energy feeling that matches the original setting, rather than a refined look that relies excessively on post-shoot editing. From the wig details to the clothing materials and the angle of the headpiece, every step strived to align with the original setting. What makes this kind of character portrayal most enjoyable is seeing these details materialize in reality, and the brief state of entering the character's mindset after putting it on. Today's share brings this Love as Before look to everyone.