[Nilou cosplay] Genshin Impact Nilou ballet styling photoshoot record

Preparation for this Nilou ballet styling took about half a month from planning to actual shooting. Because Nilou in Genshin Impact has a strong dancer attribute in her setting, trying the ballet theme this time was also hoping to express that light and elegant feeling. The blue-and-white gauze skirt of the costume has many layers, and each layer needs to be ironed flat. To make the skirt hem have a natural fluffy arc without looking bloated, I tried it on several times before the shoot, adjusting the waistline proportion with a petticoat. The three-dimensional flowers and golden vine embroidery on the skirt body have a great texture, but you need to be very careful when wearing it, otherwise it easily snags the thin gauze.
The wig part was also a difficult point this time. The vibrant orange-red wig not only needs to be combed smooth, but the styling on top of the head is even more complex. Two golden rings resembling horns need to be firmly fixed on the head, along with blue fin-shaped hair accessories and pearl chains. A slight movement would make me worry about position shifting, so I repeatedly checked the status of the hair ornaments throughout the shooting process. In terms of makeup, to match the character and stage feel, the focus was placed on the eye makeup, using red-toned eyeshadow to deepen the contours, paired with blue colored contacts to make the gaze look more spirited, and the base makeup also applied highlighter and contouring to cope with the strong lighting on-site.
The shooting location was chosen in a pure white indoor space with stained glass windows. The combination of natural light and on-site fill lights was a challenge. Although the light filtering through the stained glass looks nice, it easily leaves mixed colors on the face, so front lighting took a long time to adjust, trying to keep the skin tone clean and natural. Because short-length attire was chosen without wearing stockings, the presentation of leg lines and skin tone uniformity were particularly important, and some body care was done before the shoot.
In terms of movements, having no dance background, I looked at a lot of ballet pose references in advance. During the on-site shoot, the photographer kept reminding me to pull in my abdomen, puff out my chest, and open up my shoulders and neck. Maintaining this elegant posture is actually very tiring, especially while balancing the body's tilt angle and the extension of the arms. Every time a set of actions was finished, I had to rest for a bit. The fluttering feeling of the skirt hem also required specific actions to cooperate, such as a slight turn or a light leg lift, to give the light gauze room to stretch.
Overall, this shoot was a dual test of physical stamina and detail control. However, seeing the luster refracted by the light and shadow hitting the blue gauze skirt in the finished photos, as well as the agility conveyed by the overall frame, I felt all the previous preparations were worth it. I hope that through this set of photos, I can convey Nilou's soft yet vibrant dancer temperament to everyone.