Presentation is Important!

• Iron your costume. I don’t need to expound on this. You know you should do it!
• Wear makeup. You have a crazy outfit, neon spiky hair, and… where’s that face? It gets washed out if you don’t balance it with at least a little something to make your expressions pop. I’m not talking hoochie makeup. I am talking minimal: face powder, foundation (or foundation just on blemishes/red areas to even out skintone). If you’re a guy, you might just think makeup’s whack. Well, check that ego at the door, because at a convention, in costume, it’s more theatrical than anything. No one is going to bully you for wearing a little cover up and maybe a smidge of eyeliner. And if they are, they’re the same jerks who are going to make fun of you for wearing that stupid costume you already have on. Besides, I hear some emo rock stars wear makeup these days, I don’t know, I’m old. King Leonidas wore makeup in that one movie. And he’s a man’s man. Dang. I digress.
• Consider a wig even if your hair is similar to the characters. Unless you spent 2 hours blowdrying it to perfection, chances are a wig is still going to be fuller and require less fussing throughout the day. Also, if you ever want to change your hairstyle, you won’t be able to wear that costume accurately again. So a wig is a good costume investment. If your hair is nothing like the characters, the best way to improve your overall costume immediately is with a wig! Think about it – in the anime world, every character has pretty much the same face as the next. They have those crazy hairstyles and eye colors just so you can tell them apart. It’s just as important as the outfit they are wearing, and since your head is going to be in every picture, pay MORE attention to it, not LESS! Hair can make or break an outfit.
• Pin your badge under your shirt or on your back so that it’s invisible to the camera. Slip it in your boot. Put it in your mouth, if your mouth big enough. No, don’t do that! Of course, have it accessable for when you need to show it to the convention staff.
• Try to sew a hidden pocket into your costume for money, credit cards, keys, makeup, etc. so that your bag won’t distract from your costume. Try to keep your bookbag/purse/con purchases in your car or hotel room. (Or make your non-cosplaying friends carry them for you!) If you must carry a bag, set it between you and the photographer before having them take your picture (where you can see it), or have a friend hold it. NEVER SET YOUR BAG BEHIND YOU! You risk somebody stealing it while you are facing the camera! ;_;
• If you have glasses, and your character doesn’t wear them, remove them for photos if possible.
• Don’t chew gum while in costume. Have a mint if you need it, but absent-minded gum chomping makes for some strange face shots.