Today was the Guangzhou AP Comic Convention, and I was up past five in the morning to get my hair and makeup done. The wig was trimmed and smoothed days in advance, with the front bangs styled with gentle volume and waves, while simple buns were braided at the sides and clipped with blue ribbon bows. The iconic cyan halo above my head was secured with a clear acrylic rod; to keep it from getting knocked off in the crowd, I reinforced it with plenty of bobby pins.
Speaking of convention props, I truly don't know whether to laugh or cry. Before heading in, I bought a 5-yuan fan on PDD, thinking it'd be great to hold for poses during photos. But right when I unwrapped it, a pungent, stinging stench of industrial glue, cheap plastic, and formaldehyde hit me, making my eyes sting. Walking around the hall all morning carrying this fan, my head was buzzing constantly, and I felt nearly bowled over by the fumes before finally tossing it into a trash can. Everyone, please pay attention to materials when buying convention props—never buy cheap, uncertified goods just to save a few bucks.
Today, I wore the Asuna cheongsam look from Blue Archive. The costume is crafted from cyan-blue satin silk, featuring a neckline that blends a traditional mandarin collar with golden frog buttons and gold thread embroidery along the borders. The tailoring is form-fitting, and I love the cutout detail on the chest, harmonizing 2D anime elements with Chinese elegance. To match the ensemble, I swapped to teal-green colored contacts, intensified the blush and eyelash detailing in my eye makeup, and picked a dewy peach lip tint, creating a sweet and adorable aesthetic.
During the shoot, the photographer suggested I try more emotive poses. In the first shot, I cupped my cheeks with both hands looking into the lens, which slims the face and nicely displays the neckline and chest details of the garment. In the second, I rested my chin on one hand, casting my gaze slightly downward with a relaxed, languid demeanor. Shooting on site went quite smoothly overall; even though it was humid, the hall's air conditioning was underwhelming, and the 5-yuan fan's chemical smell was nauseating, I still pushed through to present my best state before the camera for this long-prepared styling.
Taking off my makeup back at the hotel truly felt like coming back to life. Shedding the wig, costume, and heavy base makeup let me breathe freely again. The biggest lesson this convention taught me is that prop materials matter immensely, and always carry a high-grade setting spray since sweating makes makeup melt easily. Despite the hiccups along the way, capturing satisfying shots made every bit of effort worthwhile. That wraps up this batch of Convention photos for now; I'll keep sharing if more great shots surface.