[Cirno cosplay] Ice Fairy of Touhou Project, the Smartest Girl at the Convention

"My head is so itchy, why is that?" Actually, it's just a normal physiological reaction from wearing a wig cap plus using a lot of hairspray for styling. Many friends seeing these raw photos might not help referencing this classic meme. When shooting these two photos, the scene was actually extremely busy. Although the final photos present a light and dreamy blue-and-white tone, to ensure this blue short wig with straight bangs looked fresh, natural, and frizzy-free on camera, styling it beforehand took a lot of effort. The hairstylist smoothed the hair almost strand by strand to finally achieve this clean bob effect.

The white Lolita outfit I'm wearing is the core of this look. The fluffy volume created by multi-layered lace ruffles relies heavily on a sturdy petticoat underneath for support. The red bow tie and crisscrossed ribbons on the chest, along with several handcrafted red mini bows fixed on the skirt hem, visually brighten the whole image nicely. These large areas of white and blue, combined with red accents and red-framed glasses, make the face look exceptionally vivid. The red-framed glasses serve as the finishing touch, indeed adding a clever, nerdy charm to this character. Though wearing glasses made my ears feel a bit sore, for character accuracy, these minor discomforts were entirely worth it.

What catches the eye most in the entire photo set are those floating polyhedral prism props surrounding my body. They feature a triangular-prism-like rainbow holographic reflection effect, refracting multiple colors under the intertwined ambient lights and flashes at the convention venue, perfectly fitting the character's ice crystal and cold-tone setting. To shoot the optical illusion of these prisms perfectly surrounding me while avoiding studio reflectors cluttering the frame, we needed to adjust standing poses and lighting angles back and forth. Although these props look light as a feather, suspending them with fine threads or fixing them with stands really tested the photographer's positioning and shooting angle in Convention photography.

The convention was bustling with crowds, surrounded by plenty of other photography gear and passersby; to take clean, translucent photos in such a crowded environment, huge thanks go to the photographer (@尼古拉斯-豆沙) for patient lighting control. During shooting, I had to maintain an upright posture at all times, as the skirt hem features multiple layers of ruffles and pleats—slouching even slightly would ruin the overall elegant outfit shape. Poses like pointing an index finger gently at the temple or placing a hand on the waist while touching head accessories were actually aimed at showcasing a confident and breezy side before the camera, letting everyone feel the character's lively, slightly proud personality.

Although the photos look very cool and refreshing, during actual shooting under the convention's bright indoor lamps and frequent spotlights, the heavy wig and layered dress were actually very hot and stuffy. Every time the photographer called "cut," I had to catch my breath quickly and smooth out any lace edges accidentally snagged by props. Luckily, the white balance and color rendering in the final images were ideal; the face didn't look oily from strong light, displaying a soft, natural skin tone instead.

The moment I took off the wig, my scalp felt relieved like a weight lifted, and that "itchy head" feeling faded away after removing makeup. Executing a complete cosplay work tests not only makeup and outfits, but also the balance of physical strength and patience. Being able to leave such vibrant color records at the convention this time brings a real sense of accomplishment. I also hope everyone can feel the passion I invested in the character through these flat photos as part of my Casual cosplay journey.