[Justina Gu cosplay & Canaan cosplay] The Red and Blue Beauties of NARAKA: BLADEPOINT Carnival

At the NARAKA: BLADEPOINT Carnival, stage lights shone brightly upon our red and blue tulle skirts, capturing the visual tension of these silhouettes before the lens. Although Justina Gu's 'Fortune's Radiance' outfit is mainly composed of airy purple tulle and gold ornaments, bearing the full weight of the lower tiers really tests core stability. To keep the flowing skirt from tangling underfoot, my toe engagement and stride width had to be rehearsed relentlessly during runway practice. Wearing high heels was essential—not only elongating leg lines, but naturally engaging abdominal muscles to keep my posture tall and upright, ensuring our stage presence exuded dynamic fluidity rather than feeling sloppy.

Teaming up with my partner Xiao Yueyue as Canaan's 'Biyue' was truly the most harmonious match. Her styling featured a striking red-and-black contrast, with a sheer crimson shawl and red plum blossoms embroidered across the chest providing vivid three-dimensional texture. Because her costume was heavier than mine and featured a rigid corset, she had to exercise rigorous control over her upper body posture on stage to avoid hunching, which would deform the waistband. Off-stage, we shared tacit coordination—monitoring each other through peripheral vision during stage walks to synchronize our strides and arm arcs. Capturing full-body shots this time, the visual impact of the red-and-blue pairing caused many passing attendees to stop and snap photos.

Lighting across the event hall was quite chaotic, with many harsh spotlights beaming directly onto faces. Consequently, base makeup had to be strictly matte and highly sweatproof, especially around the nose wings and chin, to eliminate unwanted glare during close-up shots. Eye makeup was the centerpiece of the shoot: Justina Gu's makeup leans toward cool tones, so I wore grey-blue colored contacts to fit her persona. Blue and purple eyeshadows created an alluring contrast against red backdrops. Meanwhile, Xiao Yueyue's eye makeup adopted warm red tones; both of us intentionally elongated our eyeliner for unmistakable definition from both frontal and profile angles.

The hair accessories were also remarkably well-crafted. To secure the headpieces and long flowing tassels, tightly padded hair cushions were placed underneath. Wearing them continuously for hours added considerable weight and slight dizziness, meaning water breaks had to be taken quickly during short intermissions. Yet upon reviewing the raw camera files, all that effort felt thoroughly worthwhile. Even though the venue was fairly hot and we had to maintain pristine expressions on stage—collapsing in exhaustion the moment we slipped off our outer robes backstage—the second the music started and we stepped back onto the runway, our energy was instantly reignited. The turnout was incredible, and connecting with fellow enthusiasts brought immense joy. Seeing supporters holding light signs below the stage gave us tremendous confidence.

Rehearsing runway walk-throughs for major conventions is fundamentally different from standard photoshoots. Especially with structured, form-fitting costumes, learning how to project maximum presence within limited space requires repeated off-stage experimentation. Taking the stage together at the NARAKA: BLADEPOINT Carnival and delivering this iconic heroine duo made all the walking drills and posing practice on our hotel floor completely worthwhile.