Best cosplay makeup books!

If you’re reading this post, you’re probably wondering how to improve your cosplay makeup game. Well if that’s the case, then you’ve come to the right article! While there is a lot to cosplay makeup, it’s one of those skills that’s easy to learn but definitely takes a lot to master. But what better way to start than by doing some reading on cosplay makeup books!

cosplay makeup books
Once you learn cosplay makeup techniques, you’ll be able to take your cosplay looks to new heights! Cosplayer: chibiusagimx.

What are the best cosplay makeup books?

When it comes to learning cosplay makeup, it’s good to know that the techniques for regular makeup are pretty much the same for cosplay makeup. Any regular makeup book works since they will teach you the basics. Once you know how it works in general, you can experiment and try new things. I’d suggest trying these new things before the actual con or photoshoot, just to make sure you know what to do.

In this post, we’ll go over 5 best cosplay makeup books you should read. By reading these books, you’ll be much better at applying cosplay makeup.

Without further ado, let’s get started!

1. Making Faces by Kevyn Aucoin

This is one of the most well-known and highly rated makeup books by one of the most popular celebrity makeup artists of all time. Kevyn Aucoin was a pioneer in makeup artistry, including a defining technique we call today contouring (if you want to learn about contouring, click here to read my guide about it).

One of these books, Making Faces, will teach you the fundamentals of makeup and all the basic techniques you should learn to make your face look flawless. It’s interesting because his book was written in the 90s, yet the techniques and principles still work to this day!

2. Skincare: The Ultimate No-Nonsense Guide by Caroline Hirons

No matter how good your cosplay makeup techniques are, I always advise to take care of your skin! Having bad habits such as not washing the makeup off your face before going to bed, will prematurely age your skin, and you certainly don’t want that! If you want some cosplay skincare tips, click here to read.

That’s why I recommend this book by Caroline Hirons regarding skincare. The book clarifies many things about skincare routines and what you should and shouldn’t do. It also goes through different skincare routines, the problems and basically everything you need to know to get started on taking best care of your skin!

3. Bobbi Brown Makeup Manual

A best-seller book by one of the most skilled and famous makeup artist of all time! Bobbi Brown’s Makeup Manual gives you absolutely everything you need to know, especially if you’re just starting out. But even if you’re an expert or experienced at cosplay makeup, you’ll definitely learn something new from this book. It has so much information packed inside. Definitely recommend picking this one up if you want to improve and learn more cosplay makeup techniques.

4. The Beauty of Color by Iman

If you’re a person of color, then you should definitely check out The Beauty of Color by Iman. This book focuses on makeup techniques for different skin tone types, and how to apply makeup techniques based specifically for your skin tone (e.g. if you have oily skin). However, there are many solutions and techniques in this book based on your own skin attributes. There are also lots of beautiful photos in this book!

Definitely a book you want to keep in your arsenal when it comes to makeup techniques, especially if you’re a person of color. As far as I know unfortunately, there is no Kindle or ebook version. So you’ll have to buy a physical copy of this book to get the great advice!

5. Cosplay Makeup – Tips and Tricks by Kinpatsu Cosplay

Last but not least, we have Cosplay Makeup – Tips and Tricks by Kinpatsu Cosplay. For those who don’t know, Kinpatsu Cosplay is an incredibly well-known and talented cosplayer (and a fellow Canadian, like me!). In this ebook, she literally shows you every technique you need to know when it comes to cosplay makeup. I wanted to include at least one book here on this list that caters specifically to cosplay makeup techniques, and I highly recommend this one written by Kinpatsu Cosplay.

She goes over from start to finish, how to apply your cosplay makeup with specific techniques such as false lashes for those Anime eyes, body paint for some cosplay characters and applying iconic character tattoos on your skin!

The book also has tutorials for specific characters such as Ahri from League of Legends, She-Ra, Ochako from My Hero Academia. Really awesome. Tons and tons of great-looking photos to visualize how the cosplay makeup will look after you apply it. And the book is only $7.99. Highly recommend picking up this ebook by Kinpatsu Cosplay!

Summary

And there you have it; 5 best cosplay makeup books to help you get started on mastering the art of makeup.

Don’t forget there are many many many helpful videos on YouTube regarding makeup. Those videos not only will help you with specific characters, but also with specific cosplay characters. For example, like this one of Yor Forger from Spy X Family!

Combine the information you get from all these books, along with YouTube videos + practice = you’ll be mastering cosplay makeup in no time!

If you have any questions or tips, leave them in the comments below!

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