Framing Your Face for Cosplay

^Ever wondered how some hair styles or wigs just seem to fit your face?
While there are also some that just look horrible?

In this post, I will share tips on how to make wigs/ hair styles fit your face better.

I first heard of sticking bangs on from Kaika of the Cosplay Chronicles, I didn't get it then.
As I observed Yuegene Fay, I noticed something about her cosplays, her wigs always fall on her face just perfectly. Then, it just clicked, what Kaika shared and seeing Yuegene's work, finally made sense to me.


Framing your face means, evening out the proportions of your face with the use of layering hair.
Basically, you position hair around your face to bring focus to your face rather than it's shape.



Sticking the hair/ wig fibers on your face helps especially in cosplay because of the following reasons:
-it helps keep the style of the wig (like bangs and side burns) in place
-it helps keep your wig from sliding off
-makes for less fuss and constant adjusting
-looks good especially in photos
-can help change your face shape even with out contouring

When you are in cosplay, you move around a lot i.e; glomping, sweat, wind, performing, and sometimes you can't feel that your wig is slipping off, you'd only notice when you see the photos.
I especially hate it when I see photos that would have been otherwise perfect if not for my wig being out of place, who else has experienced this?
It's annoying. tsk
This can be prevented if you have a friend with you to constantly watch out for your slipping wig but it is honestly too much of a  hassle.
You can also be as behave a possible and whip out your trusty compact mirror every few minutes and adjust your wig and bangs but it's too much of a bother...
I'd rather spend my time having fun than worrying about my wig, that is why I have made framing my face and sticking on wig fibers on my face a part of my usual make up routine.

If you feel the same, I highly advise that you do this trick as well.

The trick is simple, rather than sticking all of the hair/ wig fibers back or behind your ears, leave some in front, trim if needed, then keep in place with eyelash glue.

See how hair falls around the face can make a difference?

I'd say that the only down side of this trick is that when you remove your wig, your face is left with some sticky residue. Some also are left on the wig, but only on the parts that you stuck on. This can be remedied by simply washing it off with warm water or wiping off with wet ones.

Combined with contouring with make up, this method can drastically change the shape of your face.

You don't have to stick everything on, a few on strategic places will suffice.

The more you pull the hair/wig inwards, the thinner your face will appear.
Farther away, and your face would look fuller.
Longer side burns make the seer's eyes go down ward so it makes for a longer looking face.

No matter what your face shape is (guide to face shapes and hairstyles here), this trick will work, you just have to experiment in front of the mirror to know what works well while still keeping in mind the hair style of the particular character you would be cosplaying.

Samples of this trick

Hinata cosplay

When you have full bangs that are a tad too high, tendency is that they would fly off.

Hinata has bitin full bangs and it looked weird when they fly away, so I stuck the bangs on and they looked nicer instantly.

She also had hair on the sides of her face.

Stuck those on as I didn't want the wind the blow them off during the shoot.

See? Even though my head is tilted up, they still kept their place coz I stuck them on hahahah

Having some hair on the front also looks better in pictures, without em, the costumes looks a bit bare. Hinata doesn't really have hair over her shoulders but I feel these kind of little deviations make for better end products, especially in pictures.

Hatsune Miku cosplay in a loilta outfit

See my face here? Since I haven't learned face framing and sticking on wig fibers to my face, my  face here looks clearly round and plump XD

Although there are fibers on the side of my face, they are located on the sides, near the back so my cheeks are clearly visible.

 Poker face Luka cosplay

Poker face Gumi cosplay by Aruki.

I stuck my bangs on so I wouldn't have to worry about them, Luka has bangs which are longer in the middle. Then I stuck that long clump of hair on my face so they wouldn't go back and reveal my chubby face hehehe

Because there is hair covering the sides of my face, the fact that I have chubby cheeks is concealed and makes it look as I have a slender face.

Also, since hair is not going anywhere, I am able to do more faces and poses with out worry.

Proper face framing bring focus to your face, the attention is pulled towards whats on it rather than the shape.

I circled the parts where I usually place the glue.
Pardon me, I couldn't bare to cut off aruki, she just looks so good here oTL

Prime locations for the glue (circled in green)

original image thanks to jezzy-fezzy

A and B are usually for the bangs, one of A or B will suffice, A is more suited to characters with full bangs and B for characters with bangs longer in the middle.

C and D are for hair on the sides of the face.

C being in particular for characters with longer bangs on the side, D for those with hair in front.

Small drops of glue will be more than enough, you don't have to lather it on

Eyelid and eyelash glue will be strong enough.

Put little drops of glue on strategic places on your face first then stick the hair.

Follow this pattern; make up first, put on wig, add glue then stick the hairs.

Different characters have different hair styles, for bangs with jagged ends that fall on different parts of the face, if you want to keep them in place, just place small drops of glue on each end where they should be.

That's basically it hahahah

Try and see the difference!

Lemme see how yours turned out and I'd love to hear if this trick lessened any hassles.

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thanks for reading!

 jaa! visit me again, ne!

     arigatou! (*^3^)/~

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