[Cartethyia cosplay] C108 Day 2: On-Site Record of the White-and-Gold Dress Elf Look

C108 Day 2 has concluded. Today, I fully refined Cartethyia's hair and makeup. Woke up at 5:30 AM to do my hair; this blonde wig had to be styled into structured braids while keeping the tips naturally flipped out, taking nearly an hour from start to finish. The Elf ears were secured to my ear contours using SFX adhesive with concealer blended over the edges; to make sure they wouldn't budge after walking around the convention all day, anti-slip pads were attached on the inner side. The vertical black forehead marking was traced twice with liquid eyeliner and set under a thick layer of loose powder to prevent sweat from smudging it.

The makeup leaned toward cool tones, complemented by ice-blue contact lenses, soft pink gradient blush and eyeshadow across the eye area, and glossy lip lacquer. Since this White dress features a wide neckline leaving collarbones and shoulders exposed, I applied tone-up cream across my upper body before heading out to unify skin tones. The dress fabric is a lustrous satin—soft to the touch, but prone to creasing. The voluminous silhouette relied on multiple structured underskirt layers, which placed noticeable strain on my waist and shoulders, leaving them achy after extended walking.

The venue stayed sweltering today; despite the off-the-shoulder cut, the hefty skirt and long golden hair acted practically like an insulator. Hallways were packed shoulder-to-shoulder, requiring stops every few paces to pose for photos. To maintain the character's poise, I kept movements measured—holding the skirt flare, tilting the folding fan, and locking my gaze. A photographer friend suggested lightly pinching the edge of the skirt while standing in three-quarter profile, which turned out exceptionally well. A few times the fabric nearly caught on backpack zippers from passing crowds, but quick reflexes saved it just in time.

Resting at the booth around midday, I downed two bottles of water in a row. Many fans of the character stopped by to take commemorative photos; everyone was polite, and some even brought freebie fan cards. Heading outdoors in the afternoon yielded gorgeous sunshine, though the satin fabric reflected strong highlights with minor overexposure. Unaccustomed to high heels, I spent the day in flats or bare feet, leaving the soles of my feet sore against the asphalt, yet I pushed through for the sake of the shots. The wind picked up later, and candid snaps capturing the gust lifting the skirt added striking kinetic energy—a wonderful surprise.

The new books and merch received great feedback, with many unable to attend asking about online orders. Mentioning online sales later just means tallying remaining stock tonight and taking product photos to upload tomorrow. I'm exhausted yet running on high adrenaline, with a raspy throat and red strap marks across my shoulders. Still, reviewing today's Convention photos makes every ounce of effort worthwhile. Tonight calls for hotpot to recharge before diving into full-on photo editing tomorrow.