For this Natsuki Subaru cosplay Crossplay shoot, I mainly want to talk about my thoughts on the hair, makeup, and shooting experience. First, regarding the wig, styling this reddish-brown hair with distinctly flicked-up bangs took considerable effort. It was sculpted bit by bit using hair wax and hairspray; to achieve that signature slightly messy, spiky texture without making it look stiff or lifeless from too much spray, I spent a lot of time on styling—repeatedly adjusting the length and curve of the bangs to ensure they didn't block my vision while preserving the authentic character vibe.
For the eye makeup, to match the character setting, I chose orange-red contact lenses. This color offers great translucency under natural light. I intentionally drew the eyeliner sleek and elongated, with subtle red smudging at the outer eye corners. Since this is Crossplay, I softened the eyebrows and facial contours slightly with shading and contouring, while preserving the character's original sharpness. For the base makeup, I used a long-lasting matte foundation; otherwise, skin gets oily very quickly during Outdoor photography.
In terms of costume coordination, the black faux-fur shawl was very heavy. While it offered great texture, to be honest, wearing it outside in spring felt quite stuffy whenever I stepped into the sunlight, and the material easily picked up stray grass and dust. The deep-blue outfit and the gold-trimmed collar details were exquisite; with just a slight shift in seated posture, the gold edging caught the light beautifully. As for the giant wine-red bow on the chest, it wasn't pre-fixed, so I had to carefully adjust its position myself to make it neat and symmetrical while accounting for the fabric tension when seated—it took about five minutes to finally get it right.
This look has a striking visual impact: the large black fur collar combined with the deep blue base wonderfully accentuates fair skin. Since this was an Outdoor photography session, we chose a park with lush greenery and lawns. The lighting was natural afternoon light around 2–3 PM, requiring constant awareness of how light hit the face. Sitting on the grass in a semi-prone pose was actually quite uncomfortable—the black fur collar restricted arm movement, so my elbows had to support my body weight while maintaining composure without breaking expression, which demanded great physical control.
The photographer guided my eye line during shooting—the sideways gaze you see in the photo creates a slightly contemplative or melancholic atmosphere. During the outdoor shoot, we paid attention to background bokeh to make the subject stand out. When the wind picked up, the wig would blow around and the fur collar would flip up, so we frequently had to pause after a single shot to tidy up the hair and clothes.
As a woman portraying the gap moe of a male character's Crossplay, this was the core experience of the outdoor shoot: maintaining the character's spirited energy while infusing the softness and grace unique to women. The overall cosplay photographic tones and textures perfectly matched the elegance of this costume. Setting character design aside, experimenting with such heavy outerwear and intricate styling was truly an exciting challenge.