$12 Tier: Behind the Scenes of Swimsuit Futaba!

Hello Sweeties🍬🍭!

Here's the behind-the-scenes look at my Cosplay of the Month!

Sorry for taking an extra day to get this out. I'm actually writing this with a terrible migraine right now, but I wanted to make sure you got it! Hopefully, this teaser is enough to entice you to upgrade for the full experience. 😉

To start, here's an idea of what the swimsuit looks like on Futaba-chan! So, let's get into the details now...

This is my first time structuring a post this way (to make sure other members don't miss out on important stuff too.), so I might change how things work along the way. Let me know if you like how this is structured and thank you! I'm genuinely happy when people actually care about how I do things more than just a cute picture, lol.

Here's the Futaba Sakura cosplay spread... oh no, she's been disassembled! Well, these are all the pieces of the cosplay. The wig is a basic orange straight-bang wig. With cosplay, I always recommend avoiding a "character wig" (like a "Futaba" wig) unless it's absolutely necessary. Futaba's hair is just straight with bangs, so a simple wig like that works perfectly. Character wigs are great for characters with wild hairstyles, as they give you a base to style, but some characters, like Futaba, don’t need one. For example, with my Kawakami cosplay, I didn’t buy a "Kawakami wig"—I just searched for a brown shaggy bob-cut wig.

The swimsuit was graciously gifted from my Amazon wishlist—thank you! It fits nicely and is a real swimsuit, too! The headphones were also gifted to me a few years ago, and I still appreciate everyone who donates to me, especially for a cosplay as big as Futaba is for me. I use them every day! The glasses are a basic pair I got from AliExpress, and I knocked out the lenses to avoid glare in photos. Some might think it’s redundant to wear glasses, put in contacts, and then wear fake glasses, but there’s actually a difference! More on that below.

Here are the contact lenses I use: EOS Bubble Violet from PinkyParadise! Of course, I don’t naturally have purple eyes. My prescription glasses also distort my face. I’m nearsighted (-3.75, if you’re curious), which means my eyes appear smaller with lenses. Farsightedness, on the other hand, enlarges the eyes—think Bubbles from Trailer Park Boys. So, I wear these contact lenses that give an enlarging effect and then put fake glasses on top that don’t distort my face at all! It’s actually quite practical.

Water gun spread, hehe! When I first came up with the Cosplay of the Month ideas, my friend Val (check them out at https://x.com/Valwinoz on X) offered to create 3D renders for me, and of course, I accepted! I told him, "Could you make renders of Chie in a Japanese swimsuit holding a beach ball, and Futaba with a pistol water gun, please?" He showed me some amazing stuff! However, Koikatsu (the software he uses to pose models) didn’t have a pistol water gun. Originally, I planned to use a pistol, but after seeing his finished renders, I changed my mind. Luckily, I went to Ollie’s and found a full-size water gun like the one in his renders, which you can see in the teaser I posted for Cosplay of the Month. It’s pretty cool! I’m not sure if I’ll have many chances to use it, but I’ll store it for next year. It’s a great prop for swimsuit cosplays, of course, and makes me feel less awkward about posing in a swimsuit in my room!

No makeup jumpscare! To be honest, I’m not too worried about sharing bare-faced photos of myself. Social media has helped a lot with my confidence, and I’m surprised that people have always liked me out of cosplay, too!

To prep before makeup, I always deep cleanse my face! This stuff really clears out my pores. You need a clean surface before you apply makeup so it goes on smoothly and not cakey. If you don't do proper prep and moisturize, the final look can end up looking awkward. It all matters!

Here is the makeup spread! I feel like I don't need to go too deep into this, but generally, I only use concealer, no foundation. I don't mean it in a humble-bragging way, but I don't have much to "cover up" besides my under-eye circles, so concealer just evens out my skin tone.

That goes on first, and then I use setting powder to set the concealer so it doesn't smudge or smear. Blush is simple: I just pat it on my cheeks and nose for a "cute" effect.

For the eyes, I use brown eyeliner. Brown is much different than black eyeliner—it gives a "softer look," which is ideal for cute anime cosplays. You don't want the look to be too intense!

I also use eyebrow mascara to lighten my natural brow color to better match Futaba. I used to bleach my eyebrows, but using a blonde eyebrow mascara is much easier to switch the color.

Makeup can take a while, and it's been a bit since I've done a full look, so I'm a little out of practice. I actually use Meitu makeup filters for inspiration to figure out what to do, and then I kind of "trace the filter." It's a fantastic way to learn how to do new makeup styles!

And here is the finished makeup look! I don't particularly do much anything different between the cute characters I cosplay, except for Kawakami. For her, I try to do a more "mature look," which involves lining my eyes more to give them an intense look and using darker shades of blush and lipstick. But honestly, makeup plus contacts really ties a cosplay together! It's always fun seeing the results afterwards.

And of course, time for the try-on! I thought I could take a few goofy pics with the water gun I was originally going to use, but the big water gun definitely feels a lot more powerful and provides better subject material for a photo. So, I'm glad I ended up getting it instead!

I guess I have to thank Val for the accidental mistake of using a full-size water gun, since there wasn't a pistol model avatar in the program—it worked out for the best!

Pew Pew!

It was getting cold, so I put on some pants and a cardigan, but honestly, the swimsuit doesn't look too bad as a bodysuit, haha. That content is still exclusive to the $40 members of the month.

I spent a few hours on this cosplay—I'm not exactly sure what it was, but I was struggling to find the perfect angle for the "Cosplay of the Month" shot. However, I think I'm really happy with what I ended up with! And the water droplets I added on look so cool, too!

That brings us to the end of the Futaba-chan breakdown! For me, every cosplay is a reminder that the result is so much more than just a cute picture—it’s about the time, the details, and the shared excitement with all of you when seeing the final product come together. I hope you gained some insight into this process, and let me know if you're interested in more detailed breakdowns! Thank you for supporting the whole process; it's always fun pulling back the curtain on the prep.

Remember, I can't wait to share the final, exclusive image with my $40+ members this month! The last day to subscribe for this content is October 31st. Your patience and continued support truly make it all possible, so thank you very much!

Stay sweet...

Ellen Zappa