[Hyacinthia cosplay] Honkai: Star Rail: Pink Girl's On-Site Convention Photos

I completed the photoshoot for Hyacinthia from Honkai: Star Rail at the CPSP Shanghai convention venue. There was huge foot traffic on the day of the shoot, making it quite a challenge to carve out space for these photos, but I was very pleased with the final result, so I'm sharing my recreation insights here as part of my Casual cosplay journey.

First was the preparation of the wig and makeup. Hyacinthia's most iconic feature is her light-pink twintails; creating a fluffy yet face-framing look required careful advance work on layering and volume. I used a matte-finish pink wig with slightly curled ends, which, paired with the flicked bangs on both sides, effectively flattered the face shape. To match the character's gaze, I chose blue-green/cyan contact lenses with a lighter outer ring and deeper inner ring, paired with a touch of fine shimmer at the inner corners of the eyes to make them look remarkably translucent. The key to the eye makeup was the lower lashes—I hand-drew several distinct lower lashes to keep the gaze focused, complemented by a sheer pink lip tint to give the overall makeup that bright, spirited, yet subtly cool demeanor of the character.

In terms of costume details, this red-and-white dress was also carefully refined over a long time. The oversized bright blue bowtie at the neckline is the visual center of the entire look; to keep it crisp and structured without sagging, I reinforced it internally with stiff interfacing and wire. The red sections of the coat are made of faux woolen fabric, featuring intricate white patchwork and gold piping. The white fluff on the shoulders had to look soft and fluffy rather than artificial. I also meticulously fine-tuned the waist ornaments and skirt hem, effortlessly flattering the character's body proportions.

The shoot that day really tested our skills and adaptability. Lighting at the convention venue was extremely cluttered—overhead ceiling lights cast harsh top-down shadows, high-intensity spotlights shone from booths on the left, and passing crowds caused stray reflections on the right. To avoid stray light, we found a relatively secluded spot beside a pillar. For lighting, I used a portable LED light wand for frontal fill on my face while using a reflector on the other side to soften shadows, creating a very clear, translucent skin tone without heavy double shadows. Paired with the photographer's focal length choice, we highlighted the costume and facial close-ups while framing both me and the crown-wearing white plush doll prop beside me, faithfully recreating that feeling of embarking on battle alongside her companion.

I also brought along a small plush doll prop for this shoot. The little white creature accompanying the original character is one of her cutest traits, so I prepared a matching crown-wearing plush in advance. Holding it in my hands or placing it beside me made the interactions feel very natural, adding a playful touch to the entire set of Convention photos. Although the temperature at CPSP Shanghai was a bit high that day, making walking through crowds in this outfit rather stuffy and causing the wig to stick slightly to my neck, seeing the final images and having fellow fans immediately recognize the character made the sense of achievement far outweigh the fatigue.

Overall, cosplay is not just about visual resemblance in costumes and props, but about finding that distinct expression and spirit belonging to the character in front of the lens. Hyacinthia's design is exceptionally bright and vibrant in color, so I maintained a cheerful and relaxed demeanor during shooting. Under the photographer's guidance on subtle body language, the final Convention photos achieved a dreamy anime aesthetic without looking overly exaggerated. Every convention photoshoot serves as a review of both the character and my recreation capabilities, and this experience will surely bring more inspiration to my future cosplay works.