Today, a friend came over to hang out, so taking advantage of our free time over the weekend, we finally arranged the long-awaited Cosplay makeup test for Furina and Navia from Genshin Impact. Honestly, I've had these costumes and wigs for a while, but doing the entire wardrobe, makeup, and props alone always felt daunting. Having a fellow cosplay sister over at my place made it so much easier to help each other get ready, instantly doubling our efficiency. I was mainly responsible for doing my friend's Furina makeup, while she prepped the base makeup and styled her own look for Navia.
Furina's makeup actually involves a ton of fine details. To accentuate the ethereal essence of a Hydro character, I layered a blue-violet eyeshadow with delicate duo-chrome shimmer and gently elongated the eyeliner, which, paired with the highly translucent contact lenses, made her gaze instantly captivating. For the base makeup, to adapt to the warmer indoor lighting, I kept it very light and sheer, applying only minimal localized concealing and highlighting to preserve natural skin texture. Trimming the wig was another time-consuming, precise task—we thinned out the sections that were overly dense, giving the bangs and sideburns a natural, slightly wispy, airy feel to match the character's lively spirit.
Turning to Navia's styling, the complexity of this character's outfit is truly a love-hate affair. The massive black wide-brimmed hat alone is adorned with intricate blue rose floral decorations and orange ribbons; we adjusted its positioning repeatedly when securing it, terrified it might tilt even slightly. The ship helm-shaped metal accessory at the waist and the large sapphire pendant on the chest carry noticeable weight, yet they serve as the visual core of this ensemble. The garment fabric I prepared earlier is relatively stiff, which offers great advantages in holding shape but makes it less form-fitting when worn; my friend had to adjust the lace trim around the neckline and shoulders several times to make the shoulder lines sit flat and smooth.
Since this was an at-home Cosplay makeup test, we didn't prepare overly professional lighting equipment, relying entirely on a warm-toned floor lamp and the room's ceiling lights. The two of us stayed in a corner of the living room, each holding a mirror, checking whether the makeup smudged or if the wig got messy. Doing a makeup test at home feels so much more relaxed than at an anime convention; we could pause whenever we wanted and burst into laughter anytime. When taking the selfie in Photo 2, we both squeezed in front of the lens—she held the phone while I poked my head out, and looking at our reflection on the screen, we felt more and more that all the styling effort was completely worth it.
Cosplaying is not just about replicating a character's appearance, but also about experiencing their personality throughout the process. After putting on Furina's outfit, my friend instinctively made playful and slightly tsundere gestures, while stepping into Navia's attire made me want to embody that noble young lady's poise. Although this was only an initial Cosplay makeup test, and many garment tailoring details, wig layering, and accessory stabilities still have room for refinement, the photos we took left both of us thoroughly delighted. Looking back at the two photos, Photo 1 is a closer shot highlighting the metallic elements and lace along the collar clearly; Photo 2, despite slight perspective distortion from the wide-angle selfie, surprisingly flatters our proportions with great ambiance. Now we're just waiting for better weather to head to an architectural location for an official photoshoot; today's trial served as the perfect warm-up to get into character.