How to Make a Wrist Lighter For Cosplay

February 18, 2016September 17, 2025 MagicalmbethCosplay

It’s Just a Flick of the Wrist
(How to Make a Wrist Lighter)

Have you ever wanted to be an alchemist? How about a fire mage? An assassin, maybe? Well I happen to have a pretty nifty tutorial for that. It’s easy, very affordable, and such a fun parlor trick!

What you’ll need:

A grill lighter

$3.00 at any grocery store

A spark ignition (grill ignition/button)

$7.00 at any hardware store

Duct tape

You probably have this lying around

Something to bind everything to your hand (like elastic)

$4.00 for a BUNCH of elastic ribbon at Walmart

String or thread

Again, you probably have this lying around, but it’s not expensive.

So this awesome little contraption will cost you at most $20.00. Trust me, the looks you’ll get will be so worth it.

Step 1.

Start by taking apart the grill lighter. You probably won’t need tools to tear it limb from limb, but if you’re having trouble, a knife should do the trick. Just be careful.

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The only part you need from this is the butane container with the gas line attached (shown below). There will be a small plastic piece that attaches where the gas line begins; this is to release the butane.

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Step 2.

At this point, you will need your spark igniter.

This is the model I used however, many different kinds will work. I wanted an easy push button (and man is this an easy push button. I shocked myself a few times playing with it.)

Plug the two wires in as shown below and attach the other sides so that they straddle the end of the gas line.

Before you end up securing them in place, make sure they are positioned correctly. Just give it a few tries by starting the ignition and opening the gas line; if there is a flame, you’ve got it!

Step 3.

You will need to create a harness to secure the flame to your hand. My costume ended up covering up the wrist/hand area anyway so I used some gnarly elastic that happened to be lying around. If you can’t afford this, I suggest using flesh colored fishnets. Make sure that the flame will not touch the fabric. I mean it. You don’t want your arm catching fire. A good way to ensure this is to use a metal nut around the base of the gas line and ignition.

Step 4.

Harness the butane to your arm. That’s right. You get to walk around attached to a tank of butane! (Tank might be an exaggeration).

Step 5.

Tie the string or thread to the little plastic piece that controls the gas. Then tie a loop around your finger. Make sure the tension is right. You don’t want to be leaking all day, nor do you want too much slack. The idea is that you flick your wrist back and BAM! Fire!

So now that you’ve made it, you’ll secure every part to you but keep the ignition button tucked up your arm. I had a scarf that I lodged it into. My reason for this is that I didn’t want to ever accidentally unleash my pyrotechnics.

Have fun and be safe! Make sure your venue won’t freak out… but then again it is always better to ask forgiveness than to ask permission, right? After all, you control fire now.

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Cosplay Makeup Essentials

November 23, 2015September 29, 2025 Viper

Cosplay Makeup Essentials

While not every cosplay needs fake eyelashes and lipstick, particularly for male characters, you still want to remain looking out of this world fabulous and with just these small makeup pieces, your cosplay will look as great as ever!!

-BB Cream

Whether you’re in cosplay or even out of cosplay, BB Cream can take your looks to a whole new level!

I personally use the Tony Moly brand Goddess Aura BB Cream, though it can get pretty pricey. The reason it’s so expensive is because it smoothens your face and makes it all an even color with a touch of light so that you look radiant. It evens out uneven skin and hides pores and smoothens out acne you might have right before the big con! This product isn’t just for girls either, a lot of KPOP stars use BB Cream on their faces because it stays on for a while and makes you look gorgeous in front of the camera. It’s one of my highest recommendations and you can find BB cream at any local beauty store!

-Contouring

Now that you have your BB cream on, you can move onto contouring your face so that you can have a better defined and more pronounced face. If your facial structure is similar to that of the character, just do some light contouring with a dark color underneath your cheek bones and the sides of your nose, as well as a little bit on your jaw line, and don’t forget to highlight using a light color on your nose and the apples of your cheeks!! Contouring can make someone’s face go from a baby face to a stronger looking face in just a few minutes!! It’s definitely recommended for older characters.

-Eyeshadow

The eyes are a key focus to any good cosplay, so regardless of gender, try your hand at a good eyeshadow to enhance the look and create a more natural looking cosplay. For girl characters, go for a color in their general theme and go either intense or light depending on their personality. For male characters, use a nude palette with brown and peach tones to give the eyes a little bit of pop and use the eyeshadow to create dark circles under the eyes for a more natural tired look.

-Eyeliner

Sticking to the key focus of the eyes, eyeliner (while it isn’t always necessary), can make your eye shape look wider or more sleepy in order to match a character. If you have a shaky hand or just need help when it comes to eyeliner, have a friend do it for you or use the tape method, where you add a piece of tape to the corner of your eye in a diagonal slant so that your eyeliner will come out in a perfect wing. Liquid is usually preferred over pencil for the top of the eye but feel free to use a sharp eyeliner pencil for both if that works for you. Even male characters can use some light eyeliner!

-Lipstick

While no one would expect you to use lipstick for male characters, a light dab of a nude color can really help create a natural look as male lips tend to be paler in color than women’s lips. For girls, go for a pale color in pink or peach for younger girls and for older girls, go with a deep red or plum pink if it matches your character’s color scheme and personality.

-Blush

You’ve got the rest of the components down, now to add a pop of color to your cheeks! Anime characters tend to have this “perma-blush” going on that makes it look like they’re usually embarrassed or nervous or just happy!! For this, you can use a light dust of rosie pink or peach color to brighten up your cheeks, but don’t use too much!! Anime characters aren’t THAT shy!

-Contacts

While contacts aren’t necessary, they add an extra zing to cosplay that makes it come to life!
Find a contact seller such as Pinky Paradise, Honey Color or Lens Village and choose a pair in the color of your character’s eyes. Remember to know your prescription and ask a doctor before ordering contacts to make sure that you’re able to wear them!
Also make sure to brush up on contact care and replace the solution often so they don’t end up drying up before you get the chance to wear them! Also remember not to stress out the first time you put them in, it could take a while.

-Eyelashes

Anime characters are usually known for their big eyes, so to get this effect, use fake eyelashes or use mascara on your real eyelashes in order to gain that anime appeal. These usually come in sets so you have a few different options to choose from. Use bigger ones for females and shorter ones for males. Choose the one you like best and apply the eyelash glue and blow on it so it will become tacky and stick better. Apply right on your eyelash line and position it well. Now go bat those eyelashes~

With these small essentials, your cosplay will look a million times better than ever before!!

Cosplay Ideas- Phantom Thieves! (and their companions)

May 4, 2015September 29, 2025 Pinni

I’ve loved phantom thieves since I was a kid. Their fantastical flair and ability to steal anything from under anyone’s nose fascinate me to this day, even if their wild stunts do sometimes defy the laws of physics. Their fondness for theatrics are shown through the costumes they wear, which make them very fun characters to cosplay!

Without further ado, let’s begin!

1. KAITOU KID

Starting off with a classic and one of my favourites! Magic-obsessed teenager Kuroba Kaito by day, elusive-yet-showy thief by night, Kaitou Kid’s deft sleights of hand, outrageous tactics, and daring escapes (including driving a car out of a skyscraper window) have dazzled fans since 1987. Although it seems like he steals for the fun of it, Kid is actually trying to find and destroy a gem that grants immortality before the organisation that killed his father can get to it.

You can find him in the Magic Kaito manga, the 2014 adaptation Magic Kaito 1412, or the Detective Conan series (which is known as Case Closed in the US), where he often appears as a rival of the main character, Edogawa Conan.

Many of the side characters have fairly simple designs as well, so this is a great group cosplay idea for beginners!

Kuroba Kaito and his alter ego, Kaitou Kid

Kaito’s childhood sweetheart, the energetic Nakamori Aoko

One of the few who are a match for Kaitou Kid, the genius detective Hakuba Saguru

2. PHANTOM R

Another teenager in disguise, Phantom R is a thief slightly unlike his more traditional associates – he returns the artworks he steals! He only pursues treasures that may hold a clue to his missing father, and has no need to keep them if they do not prove to be useful. When he isn’t busy sneaking around in museums, the swift Phantom R spends the remainder of his nights jumping over the rooftops and theatre balconies of Paris with his pet dog Fondue as he evades the police force. The rollerblading police force. When he isn’t up to his usual hijinks as a thief, he prefers to flip pancakes and toss treats to Fondue to the beat of the music in this funky (and, sadly, obscure) rhythm game from Sega.

Plain (for video game standards, anyway) student Raphael is actually the notorious Phantom R

The skilful violinist Marie crosses paths with Phantom R one fateful night

The son of the police inspector who pursues Phantom R, Charlie Vergier is one of Phantom R’s rivals

3. KAITOU JEANNE

The 1998 manga Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne (which saw an anime adaptation a year later) reveals the secret life of high school gymnast Kusakabe Maron. A modern day reincarnation of the French heroine Jeanne D’Arc, Kaitou Jeanne is Maron in her transformed phantom thief/magical girl state. Though, technically, she does not steal anything – she is on a sacred mission to save God which involves defeating demons that just happen to reside in artworks. After the demons are defeated, the artwork disappears so it seems like they were stolen. Thus, the public begins to call her a phantom thief.

Jeanne’s rival, Kaitou Sinbad. Unbeknownst to her, Sinbad knows of her real identity although she does not know his.

Jeanne and Sinbad’s companion angels, Fin Fish and Access Time.

10 Signs You’re Addicted To Cosplay

April 22, 2015September 18, 2025 Nekomancer

Cosplay is addicting! You get inspired and go crazy at it. But, how can you tell if you’re a true Cosplay Fanatic? Here are 10 signs you’re addicted to cosplay.

1. When watching any show you are constanly thinking “I can cosplay that.”

2. You walk into any apparel store and start planning what can be used for “casual cosplays.”

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3. Your savings is just another word for cosplay expenses.

4. The employees at Joannes all know you by name.

5. You have more Cosplays than clothes.

6. All Plans are second to cos-plans.

7. You have every wig but the one you need for your new cosplay

8. Friends gather at your place for projects because they know you will know exactly what to do.

9. No one knows all nighters like you do.

10. You are incredibly creative and love making something fictional come to life!

How to Start Your First Cosplay

April 20, 2015September 28, 2025 Viper

Now you may be thinking, wow! I love seeing cosplayers and I love this anime, I really want to cosplay from it!! So here are some tips to get started on choosing and creating your first cosplay.

-Pick your favorite anime:
Choose your most favorite anime in the whole wide world! It can be a really old one or a new one, regardless, there will be somebody who says ‘Hey, I know where you’re from!’.

-Pick a character you like, even your favorite:
While some people don’t like to cosplay their favorite character, I personally love it! There’s nothing more exciting to me than to be able to cosplay my all time favorite at a convention and have someone tell me that I look the way they imagine the character to look in real life.

-Start with a simple cosplay:
While a more intricate cosplay is always nice, those are best saved for a second or third cosplay, once you have a little more experience. Try shopping locally and piecing together a cosplay out of parts you can find at a thrift store or things you already have. Try cosplays like Misty or Ash from Pokemon, Finn or Fionna from Adventure Time, or L or Misa Amane from Death Note!

-Sewing:
If you or someone you know sews, try asking them or sewing yourself a simple costume out of a store bought or printed out pattern. You can also try adding simple little details like lace or sequins.

-Wig:
Invest in a wig that matches your character’s hair but if your hair matches the color or length, you can use your own hair for your first cosplay by styling it or using a temporary hair dye if you want to match an odd color (and if your parents say it’s okay). If anything, a wig would work better because you wouldn’t have to mess with your own hair and they are usually fairly cheap on sites like eBay or Amazon and even on Miccostumes!!