[Castorice cosplay] Honkai: Star Rail Luckin Coffee Collaboration Photoshoot Chronicle

Heading out dressed as Castorice today coincided with the collaboration event between Honkai: Star Rail and Luckin Coffee, so I naturally incorporated the branded paper tote and coffee cup as props.

Hair and makeup for this look took nearly two full hours. The pale purple-pink wig extends all the way down to the ankles, making it exceptionally grueling to manage—even a light gust outdoors caused the strands to tangle, yet the dynamic motion of hair fluttering in the breeze looked undeniably stunning through the lens. The elf ears fitted to my face were cast in silicone; although slightly stuffy to wear, they instantly maxed out the fantastical visual mood under natural sunlight.

For the wardrobe, I selected an off-white open-knit, cold-shoulder sweater paired with a dark pleated plaid miniskirt and a slender leather belt, subtly accented by silver chains and pearl charms hanging at the waist. The greatest challenge during the shoot was the crouching pose: to keep the skirt hem and knit fabric crisp and wrinkle-free, I had to continuously engage my core and calibrate leg weight distribution. The asphalt pavement was relatively rough, but thanks to platform shoes and ruffled white socks, holding both standing and squatting stances remained fairly stable. Carrying the collaboration paper tote while strolling curbside, the sunlight illuminated the open-knit textures of the sweater, casting soft, dimensional layers.

Bringing anime and game characters into everyday urban streetscapes has always been one of my favorite photoshoot concepts. Foregoing convoluted set designs and instead leaning on natural illumination alongside minimalist props often captures an authentic, vibrant texture. Throughout the shoot, the wind kept blowing strands of hair down into my collar—tickling constantly—yet my synergy with the photographer allowed us to snap countless satisfying candids. This experiment in weaving real-world everyday elements with iconic character traits turned out far better than expected. The finished cuts preserve the luminous, translucent lighting of the raw captures without heavy artificial retouching, aiming to deliver a grounded, natural beauty.