[Patchouli Cosplay] An Afternoon Dream of Lying in Flowers and Leafing Through a Grimoire

The inspiration for this makeup and styling mainly came from the classic look symbolizing knowledge and violets. Together with this iron flower bed and the surrounding fresh garden landscape, I felt it perfectly matched the temperament of the witch who is obsessed with reading deep within the Scarlet Devil Mansion.

Before the shoot, I spent a long time adjusting the puffiness inside the dress and the positioning of the straps. Since the skirt and sleeves have many ruffles, they would lose their presence if they became flat. The overall color scheme is my personal favorite combination of pink-white and light purple; this low-saturation palette easily creates a dreamy, oil-painting texture under soft light. The soft bonnet with huge ruffles and the tiny brownish-yellow teddy bear on top injected a bit of playfulness and softness into the overall gorgeousness. The cross-lace design at the collar, paired with lace, maintained the character's elegance while effectively highlighting the shoulder and neck lines. The giant macaron-colored ribbons on both shoulders served as excellent focal points, especially the fresh blue-and-white ribbon on the left, which broke up the monotony of the large area of pink.

For this shoot, we prepared two different prop books. One had a cover adorned with colorful floral stickers and star patterns, with several purple sweet pea flowers pressed between its pages. The other was a brown vintage hardcover book with gorgeous gold-stamped corners and metal corner guards. Holding different books in various shooting angles shaped entirely distinct atmospheres. When holding the flower-filled book, the vibe felt bright and natural; but when spreading open that heavy hardcover book, combined with my slightly downcast gaze, it felt as though I had truly unlocked a corner of a grimoire, exuding a sense of composure and focus.

For the lower body, I specifically chose white semi-transparent stockings with butterfly and geometric textures. Since I was in a sitting pose, it perfectly maximized the extended line of my legs. The subtle patterns on the white stockings echoed the skirt's lace, elevating the photo's texture by more than one level. To ensure that the mesh texture of the white stockings remained clear under strong light, the photographer specifically adjusted the angle of the fill light. Throughout the process, the photographer was incredibly patient, using a large-aperture lens to softly blur the iron bed frame behind me and the background flowers into colorful bokeh, making me feel completely immersed in this fictional magic garden.

I have always found the character's quality of being "aloof yet earnest" very attractive. Staying in the library year-round without going out, that state of calming one's mind to study magic and knowledge was something I tried to project into my movements during this shoot. I didn't make too many exaggerated expressions or body language; instead, I restrained my facial expressions as much as possible, relying only on the subtle strength of my hand holding the book spine and a slight crossing of my legs to express a quiet power and a touch of reserve.

Although this outfit is extremely delicate and gorgeous, the pannier and headwear are actually quite bulky. During the shoot, I had to constantly adjust the position of the skirt to match the white tulle in the scene. Fortunately, because the composition and depth of field were well-controlled, coupled with the soft natural lighting effects, the final image quality was more transparent and softer than expected. I hope this set of photos filled with an academic aura and dreaminess can also bring everyone a brief escape from the hustle and bustle of life, feeling a moment of peace in this dreamland surrounded by wisteria and hydrangeas.