For this Ruan Mei cosplay shoot from Honkai: Star Rail, the main locations were chosen around the convention grounds and inside the exhibition halls. Having applied for the Independent anime convention tour while coordinating with the creator incentive program, I decided to complete this photo set on-site.
Regarding hair and makeup, I chose a blue-black wig styled with turquoise-green highlights, adorned with white and blue floral hairpieces on both sides. To capture the character's aloof and ethereal gaze, large-diameter blue contact lenses were chosen. The makeup embraced a minimalist approach: a clear base, subtle reddish smudging at the outer eye corners, and delicate highlighting on the nose tip and cheekbones to ensure refined texture on camera.
The costume has abundant details: the upper body features white lace trims, accented by a pink bow and a prominent green gemstone necklace at the neckline, serving as the visual center of the entire look. The dress is a high-slit blue gown printed with pink-and-white floral patterns, flowing gracefully with every step. Two pairs of gloves were swapped during the shoot: long blue gloves in Photo 1 and short white gloves in Photo 2, which were highly elastic and easy to move in.
The shooting process was quite interesting. Photo 1 was taken in an underground parking lot near the convention venue; in the dim environment, the photographer used a wide aperture to blur out the background, focusing visual attention entirely on the gaze and props. The lute in hand was custom-crafted with a turquoise base and floral adornments, carrying noticeable weight. When posing, close attention was paid to string perspective and finger placement pressure to make the posture look authentic and natural.
Photo 2 was captured in the main hall of the venue, a vast space featuring geometric ceiling lines. The photographer utilized indoor natural light and floor reflections to showcase the visual impact of long legs and the high slit. Holding a black folding fan with pink blossoms partially covering my face, the opening angle of the fan was adjusted several times to frame flattering contour lines.
An Independent anime convention tour is undeniably exhausting—the halls are crowded, making it difficult to find clean backdrops while preventing props from bumping into people. Fortunately, the photographer was wonderfully patient, guiding my angles and posture throughout. In post-processing, the focus was on restoring fabric textures, gemstone luster, and prop details without unnatural skin smoothing to preserve raw authenticity in this 2D character recreation.
This outfit places high demands on body shape, requiring a tightly cinched waistline, but the silhouette sculpting is fantastic. Trying out such an aloof and elegant styling for the first time gave me a genuine feel for the character's unique style. Overall, it was a wonderful photoshoot experience, and the above summarizes my insights and log from this cosplay session.