Lately I've been doing anime cosplay back in my hometown, piling up several Touhou Project looks that went unposted. Normally after shooting, I just want to lounge around, leaving tons of shots gathering dust in my camera roll. Today I finally decided to sort through these selfie archives.
Let's break down the styling concepts behind each look. The first set paired short blonde hair with a white lace headdress, featuring a dangling gold chain with a square cross charm at the end. Around my neck, I tied a pink necktie adorned with pearls and a small metallic bow, layered over sweeping white lace worn outside a light blue corset. Holding a red-and-white prop book in hand, the overall vibe looked quite demure and studious.
The second look switched to long blonde hair paired with a white pointed hat bordered by red zigzag trims. The red-and-white color-blocked dress was accented with white lace trims and a pink rose pinned to the chest. For this makeup, I deliberately chose bright blue colored contacts, kept the base makeup very pale, and intensified the blush and eyeshadow. Holding a gentle three-quarter profile while shooting enhanced the three-dimensional silhouette of both the hat and dress.
The third ensemble featured short, wavy lavender-blue hair topped with an intricately detailed beige bonnet adorned with golden embroidery and dense gathering. The dress featured red-and-white gingham, with an oversized red bow and white lace across the chest, complemented by pearls and metallic charms dangling near the neckline. This look packed numerous accessories that took considerable time to put on—especially styling the wig to shape the curl definition bit by bit, ensuring seamless cohesion with the bonnet.
The final look showcased traditional Japanese clothing: sleek silver-white short bob paired with a massive glossy black bow pinned to one side of the head. The garment was white, patterned with yellow and pink blossoms. I held a small dessert cup filled with berries and cream, accented by a floral bouquet beside me. The ambient lighting leaned warm and reddish; as the light fell, the lustrous texture of the black bow became strikingly pronounced, creating a bold contrast against the floral print of the fabric. The makeup switched to pale green colored contacts, with a lighter eye look that shifted visual focus to the lips.
In fact, each wig underwent prolonged cutting and styling—especially the bangs and sideburns, which required repeated calibrations to contour the face neatly. As someone who frequently works on anime cosplay in my hometown, I hold high standards for lace tiers and accessory craftsmanship. For example, in the pointed hat set with vibrant red and white, choosing high-saturation blue contacts balanced the outfit's vivid brightness cleanly.
Every cycle of changing outfits, putting in contacts, styling wigs, and striking poses while chasing good light was physically demanding. Each look utilized distinct props—books, blossoms, and desserts—which required natural handling while maintaining balanced composition, often taking numerous angle tweaks per shot. Because I can be quite lazy with selfies, I only kept a handful per look, selecting those with the most pleasing framing.
Archiving these photos serves primarily to document my styling experiments during this creative phase. Although donning heavy costumes and managing wigs can be tedious, beholding the final frames through the viewfinder makes every ounce of time and effort worthwhile.