Makeup recommendations for cosplayers

A guide to western prestige cosmetics

Definition: the term “prestige cosmetics” generally refers to any makeup that is a significant step above what you find in a drugstore, both in terms of price and quality.  “Western” is being used here to mean “non-Asian-made-brands”.

Where to buy:
Ulta Beauty - you can also buy drugstore cosmetics here as well as a great variety of hair care products and beauty accessories.
Sephora - exclusively sells prestige cosmetics but has a better loyalty/reward program than Ulta.

What NOT to buy:
These are brands that are too expensive or just too poor in quality to be worth buying.
-Guerlain: generally unremarkable for the price.
-Marc Jacobs Beauty: this brand is still coming into its own, so my anti-recommendation might change in a year or two.  For now, it’s overpriced and low-quality across the board.
-Sephora Collection: cheap for a reason.  With only a few exceptions, I recommend that you save your money and invest in something better.
-Stila: generally poor quality.
-Yves Saint Laurent: with a notable exception that I’ll discuss later, this brand is generally unremarkable for the price.
-designer clothing brands with a cosmetics line: any designer brand with a small/limited line of cosmetics tends to be hugely overpriced.  Think Christian Louboutin’s $60+ nail polish line.  Stick to established cosmetic brands.

A note about indie cosmetics:
This is diverging from the scope of this document, but for makeup newbies who may not already know: NEVER buy indie cosmetics.  This includes small brands like Lime Crime and individual sellers on sites like Etsy.  These cosmetics are generally unregulated by the FDA, and sellers may not use safe ingredients or even disclose their ingredients responsibly.  If you buy indie cosmetics, you do so at your own peril.

Product recommendations:
***Disclaimer: these recommendations are based on my experiences and are certainly biased toward projects that happen to work for my complexion.  I am white with oily/acne-prone skin.  If you can, please contribute your own experiences and recommendations so we can help out as many people as possible!

Primer:
-Smashbox Iconic Photo Finish Foundation Primer: tends to be slightly drying.  Also comes in color-correcting shades.  I have heard that Monistat anti-chafing gel is functionally identical and a good drugstore dupe if you’re on a budget.
-Benefit The Porefessional Primer: great for enlarged pores.  Has a slight blurring effect to disguise skin flaws.

Foundation:
-BareMinerals bareSkin Serum/Foundation: the fullest-coverage foundation I have found that doesn’t make you look like a ghost or a monster.  Also incredibly budget-friendly as a very small amount goes a long way.  I recommend also the BareMinerals foundation brush with the well in the center--it works to measure an appropriate amount of foundation and buff it on gently.

Concealer:
-Bobbi Brown Corrector: cream concealer that works magic on undereye circles.  I also use it to hide acne and hyperpigmentation.  I use a brush to apply it.

Tinted moisturizer:
-Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer - Oil Free: a worthwhile splurge.  Gives your skin a youthful glow and is lighter than foundation.  I wear this when cosplaying as a younger character.  For normal to dry skin, the Illuminating formula is incredible.

Contouring kit:
-Smashbox Step-By-Step Contouring Stick Trio: the crayon/stick formulation makes this very intuitive to use.  The included bronzer is a bonus--I either use it instead of the contouring stick for gentler contouring for younger characters or as a substitute for blush when crossplaying.

Blush:
-Nars Blush: pricey, but I have not found a single powder blush I like better.  Comes in a variety of colors, but Orgasm and its non-sparkly counterpart Deep Throat tend to be flattering on many skin tones.
-Tarte Cheek Stain: also pricey but a good non-powder option.  Very buildable, it starts sheer and can be layered to achieve the proper shade.  The darker shades are not as saturated as they initially appear, which I find to be a benefit.

Eyeshadow:
-Urban Decay Eyeshadow: it’s the holy grail of eyeshadow.  Incredible color payoff and a ton of different shades.  The glittery shades tend to have huge issues with glitter fallout, but this is an issue I’m willing to live with.  Their palettes are also a great value, and I actually use the Naked3 palette for contouring for a bright, youthful look.

Pencil eyeliner:
-Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil: as with the eyeshadow, has excellent color payoff.  I think the shades Perversion (opaque matte black) and Yeyo (opaque white) should be in every cosplayer’s makeup kit.
-Sephora Collection Colorful Shadow and Liner: I believe this is being phased out, which is a shame--it is completely waterproof and comes in many shades.  I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this as your go-to eyeliner, but if you’re going to a summer convention and need to fill in your eyebrows to match your wig, this is an excellent choice.

Liquid eyeliner:
-Kat Von D Tattoo Liner: of the two KVD eyeliner pens, this is the superior one.  It lasts longer than the average marker-type liquid eyeliner, which tend to dry out within a few months of first use.  I like the felt-tip eyeliners because they’re far easier to control than a pure liquid liner.

Mascara:
-Benefit Roller Lash: great for naturally thick/long eyelashes.  The grabby little brush separates eyelashes for exaggerated length and thickness.
-Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara: good for naturally thin/short eyelashes.  The fluffy brush adds tons of length and thickness.

Eyebrow pencil:
-Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz: the gold standard of eyebrow products.  Comes in only “natural” colors, so it might not be the best choice for matching against wigs.  The twist-up mechanism is reliable and the spoolie brush is great for smoothing out the lines you draw.

Lip color:
-Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar: name aside, this stuff is great.  It comes in tons of colors, and they are great for mixing with each other to get an exact shade.  The downside is that it is very messy--you absolutely must line your lips and apply with a brush.
-Too Faced Melted Liquid Lipstick: fantastically convenient, no lip liner needed.  It is moisturizing and very easy to apply.  Melted Peony is my go-to cool pink tone for high school-aged characters.

Lip liner:
-Urban Decay Lip Liner in Ozone: this is a transparent universal shade that can be used with any lip color.

Powder:
-Cover FX Matte Setting Powder: matte and effective without going on chalky.  Cover FX has other formulations for different skin types.  A necessary splurge in my opinion.  A major drawback to this line is the limited number of shades, so it might not work for everyone.

Products that border on excessive but are nice to have:
-Urban Decay Mascara Resurrection: my eyelashes tend to clump together no matter what mascara I use.  This product will separate your lashes and rejuvenate mascara from earlier in the day.
-Too Faced Lash Primer: I find that I can really maximize my mascara by priming my lashes first.  Not necessary by any means, but it helps me to achieve a fake-lash look without actually using fake eyelashes.
Highlighters:
-Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat: goes on wet and shiny.  I have found it to work poorly on undereye circles, but it works better for light contouring around the cupid’s bow, eyebrows, and cheekbones.
-Nars Multiple in Copacabana: I use this for young characters also.  Swipe all around on the face to add dimension and glow.