[Qiqi cosplay] Here Comes the Little Jiangshi from Genshin Impact

The main challenge of this Qiqi styling lay in securing the headwear and accessories. The copper coin ornament on the hat and the blue metallic accents on the side actually carry considerable weight. To ensure the hat wouldn't easily tilt during shooting, several hidden bobby pins were added inside to firmly anchor it directly to the wig cap, keeping a flawless angle even when raising my hands. The white talisman inscribed with golden imperial decrees is the soul of the look; I used a bit of double-sided tape and stiff cardstock as backing so it appears to hang naturally while retaining crisp structure, preventing it from sticking completely to my cheek in the wind.

As for the costume, this blue Chinese-style tunic fabric features a subtle sheen that looks exquisite under natural lighting, though it easily reveals wrinkles under reflections. I made sure to steam it beforehand and avoided excessive creasing around the armpits and waist while posing. The black piping along the shoulders and neckline serves as the highlight of this garment, beautifully framing the neck and shoulders. That massive teal bead necklace looks dramatic, but the beads are actually crafted from lightweight acrylic; to capture a heavy, jade-like stone luster, I specifically fine-tuned the lighting angles to let specular highlights strike the beads, making them appear wonderfully plump.

For the makeup, since Qiqi's concept leans toward a pale, albino-esque little jiangshi, I selected foundation two shades lighter than usual, evening out the skin tone across my neck and collarbones. The grey-purple contact lenses were the crowning touch. A low-saturation dusty pink was chosen as the primary wash for the eyes, focusing on applying blush across the cheeks and under-eye area in light, repeated layers with a large powder brush to create a faintly flushed, doll-like stiffness and cuteness. The eyeliner followed the eye contour horizontally with a slight downward droop at the outer corners to evoke innocence. Long black nails were applied to contrast against the overall cool color palette, adding a touch of visual sharpness.

Trimming the wig required immense care as well. To avoid looking out of place, I chose a cool, desaturated lavender with grey undertones. The bangs were cut piece by piece with a subtle inward curl created with a flat iron to better contour the face. To keep the wig voluminous yet tidy, it was thinned in layers and heavily sprayed with hairspray, especially at the crown to pinch out that fluffy, endearing, slightly dazed silhouette.

On the day of the shoot, we chose a backdrop of outdoor greenery and rockeries, where sunlight filtering through foliage cast organic, soft-transitioning shadows onto my face. I leaned my body slightly forward and raised both hands to lightly hover around the hat—this completely displayed the talisman behind while keeping the composition dynamic and interactive rather than stiff. Qiqi carries a quiet, sluggish, yet subtly determined essence; for expression control, I kept my chin tucked, looking directly into the lens with a blank, daydreaming gaze, keeping my lips barely curved. Smiling too brightly would shatter that detached jiangshi aloofness. The greatest challenge during this shoot was displaying the intricate metallic ornaments, bead strands, and talismans clearly in a static pose without overcrowding the frame. By fine-tuning the height of my hands and the subtle tilt of my torso, the final results turned out deeply satisfying—especially the delicate blue jacquard patterns along the garment edges catching the light, adding rich dimensions to the entire frame.