Body Image + Cosplay

Hey there blog I've been neglecting for like a month. What's up?

Ok, what we're going to talk about today is my personal body image issues and how cosplay minimized them.

I guess I should start by telling you that I am not a skinny girl, and I never was. I'm about a pant size 10-12, dress size 12-14, and I wear a bra size of 36-38 D. All through high school and middle school, I was constantly bombarded by people telling me that I should lose weight, and that the ideal woman is skinny and beautiful.
It really hurt. For awhile there I was convinced no one would love me or find me attractive because I didn't fit the ideal. And it hurt like hell.

Getting out of that high school mentality really did help with my body issues. At college I picked up rugby, and that taught me to be tough (also that exercising is actually really fun). And I met a truly wonderful boy who loves me for me, and doesn't care what my dress size is, he thinks I'm beautiful no matter what.
Okay wow yeah that was really sappy, I'm sorry.

But lets talk about cosplay for a minute. Cosplay has really helped me with my body issues, because for at least a little bit, people who don't know me look at me as a character rather than who I am.
Instead of judging me based off of what I look like, people's first reactions are "oh you're so and so, wow thats a great wig/costume/skirt/contacts!" Its makes me feel good, you know?
Sometimes, if I get so lucky, people will come up to me and say that I make a fabulous [enter character here], and once this girl even told me that I was her brand new headcanon Roxy Lalonde!

Sure there are tons of times where I want to cosplay certain characters, but I feel restricted due to body shape (its really hard for me to pull of being male, I'm curvy), height, or even ethnicity. But then I think about it and I say "well fuck that." Because in the cosplaying community, well at least the one's I've encountered, people are really supportive. They say "go cosplay who you want to, regardless of what you look like. Be happy, and those who try to pull you down aren't worth your time."

Thanks to people like that, I've been able to do cosplay's I normally wouldn't be comfortable doing/think I could pull off!
Example 1; Sis Strider who is usually drawn as skinny and fit, blonde, and super hot. Yet I still put it together for NYC Promstuck, and I received so many compliments on it!

No idea who the artist is, please tell me!

Example 2; X-23. Still a work in progress, but she is my favorite X-Men character and wears pretty skimpy outfits, but I'm learning how to translate that into my body type and comfort zone. Plus the make up was super fun to do.

Also that comic is fantastic, go read it now.

With all that being good and said, there are still a lot of people I know who don't understand my hobby of cosplaying. They write it off as being silly, or a waste of time. I guess I get that, sometimes I write off what I don't know a lot about even though I try hard not to.

Understand it or not, cosplaying has become a big part of my life, and a very important part at that. It taught me that I can be happy with how I look, and that people will always appreciate what I put on, as well as be there to support me along the way.

Also that I don't make a terrible platinum blonde! Hehe.

Loren ♥

CA: Cosplayers Anon

I'm beginning to think I might have a problem.
In case it wasn't painfully obvious, I really like cosplaying, and I really like the webcomic Homestuck.

With that said, I'm convinced I need to either find or create a "Cosplayers Anonymous," because my constant desire to cosplay everything I see is getting out of control.
I am starting to worry about my need to dress up like characters because 1.) its taking a huge chunk out of my time and bank account, and 2.) I literally pounce on any new character I see.

Let me explain; for those of you who read my blog and also read Homestuck, you'll know (assuming you're up to date on it) that a week or so back Andrew Hussie (the creator/writer) made an update that was an interactive flash where you met the ancestors of some of the alien characters.
Here we meet the ancestor to one of my favorite characters, this new girl is named Latula. Instantly I fell in love with her design and, guess what, decided to cosplay her.

Here she is! So r4d ;]

I actually had to pause the game, I was just too excited about the idea of dressing up as her. I immediately set out in search of a wig, and like that, all my money started going out the window.

Do you see why this is beginning to be a problem?

On the brighter side, I'm actually pretty glad I did decide to cosplay her. I got a really great wig, and these rocking boots. And so far the costume is coming together quite well! All I'm really missing is the shirt.

Ok, so maybe this post was not so much to "address" my problem with dressing up as characters, maybe it was more of an excuse to show off my progress shots for my newest cosplay.
But hey, can you really blame me?

Loren ♥

Oops, Its been too long again!

Hello hello!
Wow its been pretty busy the last few weeks, which is honestly why I haven't been posting.

Lets see, the last thing I blogged about was going Dog Tier. And I'm super stoked to say I get to wear that cosplay to a Phillystuck meet up this weekend! Hopefully after the meet up at some point over the weekend, or next week, I'll do another make up video.
This time I figured out how to make myself look exceedingly anime, and my eyes look huge!

Teaser photo, video will be made soon

Ok, since my last post I went to Paris, France for a week.

Moved back to college.

Learned how to make a few dinners.

Turned 20.

And started the new school year.

Yeah, I've been pretty busy.

Actually, on the subject of my birthday (which was yesterday), I have fantastic news! My amazing boyfriend not only took me out to dinner and showered me with love/adorned me with a tiara because I was the birthday princess, but he actually made the most amazing gift ever.

Which also aids the progress of one of my cosplays.

Yep, he made me a portal gun.

Side view

There is a whole tutorial he made for it, in case anyone wants to make one! I read through it, and honestly if I think it looks easy, anyone can do it!

Also its so cool, it lights up.

And thats what I've been up to really. Besides school. Also wanting to master the art of French cooking.

Seriously. French food is the best damn food I've ever eaten. I just want to move to Paris and eat everything all the time.

Ah well, I guess finishing my cosplays comes first!

Loren ♥

Today I Went Dog Tier!

Hoorah! Back to the land of the living that has internet!
In case anyone was wondering why I have been absent recently, it is because I just moved in to my new apartment in Philly. Due to complications there, I have been completely internet-less for the past week. Toughest week of my life.

Anyway, the point of this blog post isn't to whine about my lack of internet this past week. Rather, I'm here to talk to you about my new thrown together Dog Tier Jade cosplay!
I'm just really proud of it/the ears I made for it.

Basically the inspiration for this cosplay, or the base of it, is the black and white wig I own. Honestly, I just bought the wig on a whim one day and had no idea what to do with it.
Then, my boyfriend and I decided to do a Rigby/Eileen cosplay from Regular Show, which lead me to buying the ridiculous oversized glasses!

And then it occurred to me; why not use the wig with the glasses and be Dog Tier Jade?!
After all her God Tier outfit is mostly black with bits of white, and I haven't seen anyone else do it with a wig like mine! So why not?

Unknown artist, but you can buy the print from WhatPumpkin!

In case you can't see, she has white and black socks/tights, which the wig matches.

So, my Dog Tier outfit is not exactly like her outfit, rather its more "thrown together" and "inspired by." I already owned white and black knee highs and a black maxi dress (no link, sorry!).

I used this tutorial (plus my own modifications, namely a headband and duct tape) to make her dog ears. And I painted an old pair of flats I don't usually wear red.

Throw it together and add some green contacts and you're set!

I wish I had some full body pictures of it. Maybe I'll get some if I wear it to Phillystuck.

But thats that!

Loren ♥

Home Alone With Make Up/Trickster Roxy

No one should ever leave me alone with make up.
There is photo evidence online that proves it doesn't end.....pretty. Pun intended.

Anyway, last night I was home alone, and I thought to myself "hey, when is a better time to test drive Trickster Roxy make up?" Trick question, the answer is 'never, last night was prime.'
So that is what I did.

Trickster Roxy design by duedlyfirearms

Of course, the design itself doesn't have a set look when it comes to make up, so I created a look based off the design that I will use when I cosplay it.
Unfortunately I don't have very good photos of the final face, it was dark and I only was able to use my web cam. /Frown.

I wish I had better photos!

Besides the lack of camera, doing this look was so much fun! I was able to play around with colors that I would never wear together otherwise. Also I got to put on a lot of make up. I looked a bit drag queen-ish to be honest!
The make up I used was the following:

• Tarina Tarantino's Tokyo Hardcore eyeshadow
• Urban Decay's Heavy Metal liquid eyeliner in Catfight
• Maybelline's Great Lash mascara in Teal
• Katy Perry false eyelashes in "Oh, Honey!"
• and of course, my favorite lipstick, L.A. Colors in Black

Its not a very hard look to create. Basically you just load on a lot of the green eyeshadow, apply the fake lashes, coat (I mean it, 5 coats minimum!) your bottom lashes with the teal mascara, add glitter to the top and bottom of your eyes, and finish off with black lipstick.
Voila! Now you too can look like a cotton candy drag queen!

In case anyone also wants to cosplay Trickster Roxy, I grabbed the wig from right here, and added these extensions to it to make it look like cotton candy!

Loren ♥

First YouTube Video!

Hey! So fun news!
A friend of mine recently messaged me and asked how I put my, uh, face on for my Roxy cosplay. So I put this YouTube make up tutorial together.

I'm still figuring out my Mac's software so apologies in advance for the bad audio quality and jumpiness. And yes, I am aware that I am wearing a lot of make up!

If anyone wants to know the make up I used it is the following;

Too Faced Pixie Pin Up Palette

Maybelline gel eyeliner in Black

L'Oreal HIP eyeshadow duo

L.A. Color lipstick in Black

Also I got my Roxy wig from WigIsFashion.com and I absolutely love it! It stays styled the way I want it to all day.

There you have it. My very first cosplay tutorial! Hopefully it helps anyone who might want to cosplay Roxy in the future. If not, hope you enjoyed me apply a heavy layer of makeup!

Loren ♥