Let's dive straight into the makeup and styling for this Arknights Myrtle cosplay. This time, I tried the Unrealized Realities outfit, and paired with the Taiko no Tatsujin-themed "Little Apple" motif, the overall color palette was remarkably vibrant. Preparing the red hair wig before the shoot took a long time; because of its glossy texture, wearing it on a hot day felt quite stifling. The hair beads and the large bow atop my head had to be firmly anchored with clips, otherwise they tilted easily. The elf ear props also required repeated angle adjustments to avoid looking unnatural in frontal shots. The costume is a Japanese-style design featuring blue, orange, and brown tones; the fabric is relatively stiff and feels stuffy in the summer heat, but holding out was necessary to recreate the character's dimensional shape. The translucent folding fan in hand was a key highlight prop—half-covering the face creates a completely different mood compared to showing the full face. Wearing blue colored contacts gave my vision a slight bluish tint, so I had to stay conscious of where my gaze was directed throughout the shoot. The second frontal photo had a much better composition—centered subject with comprehensive details of facial features and eyes—so I picked it as the cover. Other photos were captured using a DSLR paired with natural sunlight, with subtle fill light from reflectors on site. Leaning into the "Little Apple" meme, I struck drumming poses during the shoot; although I didn't hold drumsticks, the momentum and dynamic power felt spot-on. For makeup, I emphasized elongated eyelashes and eyeliner, which, paired with the blue pupils, created a distinctive anime aesthetic. The hair tips and braids required careful maintenance; I avoided excessive hairspray to keep from dulling the glossy wig texture. Overall, the visual weight of this styling rests on the upper body without stockings or high heels, so maintaining balance was crucial to avoid leaning forward from the weight of the collar and headpieces. The shooting process was physically demanding, especially braving the blazing sun in a heavy coat while staying in character among crowds of passersby. However, seeing the color tones appear on the camera screen made all the hard work feel worth it. Post-processing avoided excessive retouching, mainly fine-tuning color temperature and contrast to make the red hair pop and saturate the blue-and-orange palette. To fit the Unrealized Realities setting, we chose a floral corner and a backdrop with classic patterns. Taiko no Tatsujin and the "Little Apple" joke form a classic thematic pairing here, capturing energetic vitality with a touch of playful charm. The high contrast between red hair and blue eyes looked fantastic under natural light without color shifts. The fan handle is wooden, fitting comfortably in hand without being too heavy. The brown patterns on the garment were unique, so I sought well-lit angles to highlight their texture. Moisturizing before makeup and thorough setting spray afterward were essential, as melting makeup in this summer heat is always a worry. Wrapping up this Casual cosplay shoot took a little over an hour—initially testing various light angles, then easing into character to capture frontal and profile shots. I feel the fidelity of this styling is quite high; despite minor flaws like wig piece thickness, I'm overall very satisfied with the results.