[Castorice cosplay] Honkai: Star Rail: Purple Butterfly and the Promise in Shimmering Convention Photos

Here are the Convention photos from the Ma'anshan Anime Convention at the New Dimension Shimmer event on July 26, featuring Castorice from Honkai: Star Rail. The on-site lighting paired with cool purple hues brought out the exact visual effect I envisioned for this white and purple costume. To faithfully recreate the character, extensive preparations were made across the wig, props, and makeup. The wig features a light purple gradient, while the thorns and 3D pink floral headpieces atop required meticulous fastening to maintain their dimensional structure. As for props, the long-handled weapon is immense, with intricate silver-blue structural detailing along the edges; its massive curved blade is heavy and prone to bumps, taking significant effort to transport into the hall. Yet once the photographer locked in the angles, the sweeping momentum when brandishing it truly amplified the frame's visual tension.

The dress utilizes pure white as the primary tone spliced with deep purple. The upper bodice consists of a white bandeau top paired with cutout lacing, while the deep purple choker at the collar beautifully contours the neckline. The skirt features a multi-layered construction—a white outer pleated layer layered over petal-shaped deep purple fabric, accented with dimensional blossoms and ribbon bows for rich depth. Most iconic to her style are the semi-sheer butterfly wings adorning the arms and shoulders, which took on a translucent gradient shimmer under the purple lighting, adding an ethereal grace.

To harmonize with this shoot's theme, I chose to wear pointed elf ears, which, paired with the purple contact lenses, made conveying the character's aloof and mysterious gaze much more effortless. The White tights cosplay featuring geometric cutout patterns on over-the-knee stockings along with white heeled ankle boots preserved the character's original elven charm while remaining lightweight to wear, making it easy to sustain poses and execute dynamic physical movements in the hall.

The hardest element to control during the shoot was the swing trajectory of the heavy polearm prop. For the high-lifting, sweeping, and side-facing poses in the photos, I had to lower my center of gravity and engage core strength to balance the prop. In Photo 4's standing shot, I spread both arms to display the kinetic drape of the skirt, perfectly showcasing its flowing elegance while capturing the full look of the White tights cosplay. There is also a shot holding a picture frame featuring a painted purple butterfly—a prop detail echoing character lore that created great interactive and narrative resonance while posing.

While the convention hall was somewhat noisy and chaotic, the dim purple ambient lighting provided by "New Dimension Shimmer" effectively masked cluttered background elements. We deliberately utilized a beam of strong purple light on site as a backlight, casting beautiful rim lighting along my hair, edges, and props to grant the 2D photograph spatial dimension. The photographer coordinated seamlessly in composition, blurring most of the background to accentuate the character styling and intricate craftsmanship of the props.

Speaking of makeup, the blush and eyeshadow leaned toward dusty rose and pink-purple tones, emphasizing the lower lashes and eyeliner contours so that in close-up shots—such as the final perspective shot with an outstretched arm—the gaze never looks hollow. To align with the character's sense of watchful anticipation, I avoided overly exaggerated expressions, maintaining a calm, slightly subdued poise to position her presence as spirited yet introspective.

In this Casual cosplay experience, carrying this full gear around the convention all day was truly exhausting—especially with the substantial heft of the polearm, requiring cautious handling whenever changing locations. Yet this Castorice cosplay allowed me to embrace the romantic aspects of flowers and promises embedded in her lore. The quote in the post, "When flowers bloom next, if we meet again in the new world, please do not forget our promise," genuinely resonated with me, driving me to channel that delicate emotional expression during the shoot.

When the final Convention photos came out, the overall texture matched my expectations wonderfully. The cool purple ambiance combined with the white and purple costume achieved the highest fidelity possible. From wig styling and clothing layering to the meticulousness of the weapon props, I am thoroughly pleased with the results. This New Dimension Shimmer session at the Ma'anshan Anime Convention concluded on a perfect note, and I hope everyone can experience the authentic charm of this Honkai: Star Rail character through these captured moments.