ive been using japanese type makeup because it seemed more obvious to my face shape but now i feel it just makes me cute and gives me big eyes. also i dont know how to contour. im aiming for a sharper look or something that can make me look older
Ditching the lipstick maybe or just using it concentrated in the very center of the lip and slightly blending it outward. This lipstick application reads as feminine, but if it’s your thing you can keep doing it ofc
The blush probably has the same placement issue/is a bit strong or needs to be balanced by some structure (there’s a lot of masculinizing contour placement examples available)
Stronger eyebrows too!
An easy way to get bushier, more masculine brows is to brush them straight up. Then use a brow fixative to keep them in place. Also- don’t do dark mascara. Do clear or brown.
Posing plays a huge role, too. Play around with the angles of your face and body to find more "masculine" angles (highlighting the jawline, exaggerating the shoulders while minimizing the hips, etc)
As annoying as it is to learn contouring it can really play a huge role in reshaping your face. I like to use apps like Snow to try different contouring filters to see how different applications may change my face shape/show me how to achieve it. Give it a shot, be patient with yourself, and enjoy the process!!
You could even have a look at photos from gym guys. Theyre really good at using shadows to exaggerate body angles. You're working with a feminine body and face, but if you're fine with a little smoke and mirrors, you can leave some things to the imagination. Also, poses that spread out your body, especially your shoulders would help.
If you lead with your shoulder or hip in your photos you will appear more feminine.
More, face on, to the camera will be more masculine. Not that it is a good pose but think Superman pose is extremely masculine. Masculine poses classically " take up space".
Nikolai!! I feel like the lipstick color DOES fit him, despite what other people are saying. Heavier contour especially on the jaw + around the eyes could do a lot of good
About the lipstick, yeah! But i will tone it down a little, less matte effect and make it fall more naturally (maybe even not use lipstick for that, only eyeshadow). Finally someone who knows Nikolai! 🐁🩷
I feel like you could work out a way to extend your lips out too (just a little bit) to get more of a clown look if you want! It could help because some might read your mouth shape as "soft" of "feminine" and that might help it look more masc. I also live the outfit you have for him!! The lace is so cool
Personally I think it fits (plus I love really detailed BSD cosplays) and I think if given the opportunity, Nikolai would wear this version in-universe lol. I don't think the accessories on the outfit make it too fem!
Just tried the eye retagular shape! It fits perfectly and helps with expessions, since i have hooded eyes i usually struggle with it. I would do the fake silicon thing but id have to order online and the shipping wont make it until my photoshoot day
I'm having trouble finding the graphic I used as a guide before, but generally you do the make-up very differently.
Lipstick (if any) should be a natural looking lip color, light pink, or no lipstick.
Fill in the arched section of your eyebrows to make them thicker and straighter.
Avoid mascara or anything shimmery,
Contour above your eye, right next to the bridge or your nose. As well as brow ridge and Adams apple. Cheekbone contour is a different shape from female too, and you can also try to square off your chin a bit.
I'll preface by saying I've never worn or used makeup, so take me with a pinch of salt, but I'm positive some awesome artist has a tutorial for most of what would help in a makeup way.
You have very round and delicate features, some would say Cherubic. You'll want to angle them a bit more, more pronounced facial lines, for example the Nasolabial Creases (woo google!) Or laugh lines, a deeper philtrum, more pronounced cheekbones and jawline etc. So, contour and shading?
Less lipstick, or a more natural hue. It does look awesome, but it's a very feminine shade.
If you're after a more full body change, shoulder padding. Broaden them out a bit. That will help immensely, and work on your body posture, shoulders up and back, like you're wearing a heavy backpack. Guys generally have broader shoulders and nothing to carry ahead of them.
However, you look awesome now, and I'd high five you if we passed and I wasn't so socially awkward.
The Japanese style makeup really does make you look cute, but cute doesn't read as masculine. The large eyes and blush make you look soft and round whereas you want to do your makeup in a way that makes your face chiseled and sharp.
Ease up on the eye makeup instead of thick black eyeliner go for a lighter shade of black liner and go for a thick eyebrow shape. When you do your face makeup go for a subtle color and shape it in a triangle lower to your face (look up boyfriend blush for a better visual) and contour in a way that defines your jaw.
yes its nikolai! i kinda like when he leans to fem, thats why i never really bothered with looking male. but since i already cosplayed him so many times im just playing around and trying different things🐁🩷
I think they look fine. If you wanted to, you could fill them out with brow makeup or eyeshadow on the underside to thicken them and bring them lower (men usually have brows closer to the eyes).
I don't think either step is necessary, especially not this one, but for future cosplay reference: there are techniques for concealing your eyebrows that don't involve shaving or plucking and aren't damaging to your real brows. YouTube has a lot of videos showing step by step how to do it.
Minimizing your wig can help make your face look bigger/more masculine. I try to hide my face/soften my angles for fem cosplays while highlighting my jawline and cheekbones for masc looks. The wig plays a huge role in that!!
thank you sm! 🩷 i just reestyled it and can already feel some difference. I will be doing a photoshoot this saturday, so in case you want to check the results im @mykll.cos on ig
If you’re interested in prosthetics, chin prosthetics are the way to go! No lipstick, instead, I would conceal a tad of your upper lip to “extend” your philtrum, then maybe do some light contouring lines to extend your mouth line. You can do less arched eyebrows and do them straight.
Contour your cheekbones lightly, I like to do it in an “L” shape, but there’s probably actual terminology for it out there haha! You could even lightly contour your nose and do straight lines down each side. This all gives a sharp, strong, angular look on petite faces 😊
Learn how to contour. Lots of great resources for that on YouTube, but that really is your answer. You have a petite oval shaped face, made smoother and more soft with the white make up. So you're going to need to give it some harder angles in order to look more "masculine."
Also ditch the full lipstick. Go for something a little more natural or more exaggerated. Right now the look is giving porcelain doll.
I've seen people use bronzer to imitate a squarer jawline. Basically putting it under the cheek bone and creating a harsh edge at the top and blend at the bottom. Hope that makes sense!
It is very important you find a cold toned contour product and not bronzer for that endeavour. Bronzer is warm toned and will leave you with orange areas, contour is cold toned like shadows.
Use a brown eyeshadow and carve out your cheek bones a bit. Extend your lips and use nude tone lipstick. Emphasize your under chin and jaw area. It does take practice, trial, and error. But you can do it!
Agree- no lipstick! Or rather, liner to make the lips thinner & longer and use a concealer a shade or two darker as lipstick. Contour your cheekbones to look sharper & the jaw to look more square and angular.
Maybe try to fake a Hyoid (Adams Apple) ?? That seems a bit fiddly and I don’t know how to do it but if human faces can be made to look cat-like I don’t know why one couldn’t paint on a fake Adams Apple. If it’s even necessary. Maybe your character doesn’t have an exposed throat??
Find Kevyn Aucoin’s books and pay attention to the makeup transformations where he turns a woman into a man. There are step by step instructions.
I would follow Asian cosplay makeup tutorials for male characters! They’re made primarily for women cosplaying men so they take account of rounder features and how to transform them. I think the style is a great meeting between identifiable makeup and masculinity!
Add shadow/contour under your brow bone and down your nose, and on your temples, it’ll make a big difference. Not exactly what you asked, but consider wearing shoulder pads to help sell the look.
I’d say play around with contour and highlight to try and sharpen your jawline, nose and cheekbones. I’d say you might also wanna play around with doing a different form of liner to try and give a sharper appearance aswell
I don't know the character personally but if I thought of a more masculine vampire I'd think of like astarion from bg3, mostly cause the muscles and bonyness, and not necessarily being slender, not saying to hulk out but a more broad stance and confidence, like a mix of business man and military seems like a mans survival instinct is being able to display as much power as he can fake but to look comfortable in it so to not look like they're gullible or trying too hard it's a what are you trying to convey to your audience, like theater in itself at times it's a dance with will power and patience
A tip I haven’t seen in most of the comments is contouring! Make your nose a bit wider instead of a thin line, and drag a line from just below your cheekbone to your chin, and blend well. It really makes a difference! I put a picture of a cos down below where I did the same. It’s a bit intimidating and might need a bit of practice to get it right, but it’s worth it in the end. (Also yes I know my foundation is too orange there.. I had to work with what I had.. But I find that picture examples can really help.)
And about the lipstick, keep it. It’s very fitting with Niko and the cosplay looks great on you!
You look awesome! Im also praticing, might not be the best result or photo cause i got ready on the cinema bathroom for tha fnaf movie. Cosplayers get free ticket😛
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u/No-Sound3754 Dec 04 '25
Ditching the lipstick maybe or just using it concentrated in the very center of the lip and slightly blending it outward. This lipstick application reads as feminine, but if it’s your thing you can keep doing it ofc The blush probably has the same placement issue/is a bit strong or needs to be balanced by some structure (there’s a lot of masculinizing contour placement examples available) Stronger eyebrows too!