365 Days of Middle-earth

7th of February

Today on the Middle-earth Calendar: --

Video of the Day: Elf Cosplay (How to Put On Elf Ears) by KMnomokis (featuring Aradani Studios and Arda Wigs).

Quote of the Day: "I am glad you are here with me. Here at the end of all things, Sam." - Frodo.

Word of the Day: Melwa (Quenya), meaning 'lovely'.

Question of the Day: What does the Elvish phrase "Gi melin" mean?

Answer to Yesterday's Question: Gandalf.

Today's Topic: Cosplay Tips and Tricks.

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READER LEADERBOARD

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Lady_Eruwaedhiel | 20 points

Luthien2018 | 10 points

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Hello!

So I've been in a bit of a cosplay mood lately. I just love the idea of being all the different characters!

Well, I know that when I was brand new to cosplay, I had no idea where to start or where to get costumes from. I wish that I had been able to find a guide that would tell me where to buy Middle-earth themed things. So I decided to make one for you guys! This chapter will reference a few good quality stores to help you with your awesome costumes.

The problem with cosplay is that it can be expensive. Well, I've found some stores with cheap but excellent quality products that you can shop from!

PROSTHETICS
Prosthetics can be tricky. You want good quality elf or dwarf ears to last you for years. The store that I use is called Aradani Studios. They are my favourite store for prosthetics! Their products are comfy, long-lasting and look very realistic! You can find them on www.aradanicostumes.com. I've put a video in the media section explaining how to put on elf ears.
Elf Ears | My favourite elf ears are their Small Elf Ears and their Wood Elf Ears. These are both $10, plus $5 if you want them painted. I recommend paying that extra five bucks because they do a spectacular job. But if not, you can always paint them yourself. :)
Hobbit Ears | My favourite hobbit ears would definitely be the Halfing Ears. They're $10, plus $5 if you want them painted.
Dwarf Ears | Some awesome dwarf ears for your Bombur cosplay! ;) They're $20, plus $5 if you want them painted.
Spirit Gum | VERY IMPORTANT! This is going to make your ears come to life. Spirit Gum is a skin-friendly glue that sticks your fake ears on to your real ears. Without it, your fake ears will fall off! It's super cheap, only costing $3 for the smallest bottle. Oh, and by the way - the smallest bottle has enough to put on 100 ears. ;)
Spirit Gum Remover | Also a great product. When you take off your ears, you're probably going to notice that there is some dry glue stuck on your real ears. You can get this off with soap and water, but Spirit Gum Remover makes life much easier. Just take some on your finger and rub it on the dry glue and it'll come off. It's also only $3! WARNING: do not use the remover on your fake ears. It will break down the latex!

WIGS
I think we can all agree that wigs really make a costume, so I wouldn't recommend buying one from your local $2 store. Chances are those wigs will be shiny, not heat-resistant and, let's be real, they'll probably not even look like the real thing. If you want your cosplay to be realistic but still within your tight budget then these wigs are for you. WARNING: check to see if your wig is heat-resistant before you use a hairdryer or straightener on it. It may melt the fibers.
Arda Wigs | Okay, this store is a little bit more expensive, but it is my favourite wig shop, so I had to add it in. ;) Arda Wigs (yes, note the Lord of the Rings name) sells some awesome wigs. My favourite is their Arwen wig. It is a lace front wig, so it is a bit more expensive, but it's totally worth it. I was cosplaying Galadriel at the time, and this wig in Ash Blonde (062) was perfect for it. As well as wigs, they also have different accessories like wig extensions, wig heads, wig caps, and special shampoos for wigs. You can find them on arda-wigs.com.
Epic Cosplay | I have never tried their wigs, but I've heard from other cosplayers that it's a good store. You can find them on www.epiccosplay.com.
Wigs Is Fashion | They may have a weird name, but top cosplayers use them and they look good! You can find them on www.wigisfashion.com.
Ebay | I know what you're saying. You may think Ebay isn't good enough, but I get most my wigs from there. You can find good quality heat-resistant wigs for $15!
Cosplay DNA | This is an Ebay store, but they've got a huge range. You can find them on stores.ebay.com/CosplayDNA-Wigs-for-Cosplay.
Wig Caps | These are very important. They hide your real hair so that it doesn't show through the wig! Most wigs will come with a wig cap, but if they don't or the wig cap isn't very good quality, you can always get good ones from Arda Wigs for $2.
Wig Heads | If you want to take your wigs to the next level and style them, or if you just want to store them well, buy a wig head! I got one a foam one for $1 on Ebay. Ever since then, styling wigs has never been easier! Just put your wig on the head, pin it in place and you're good to go. NOTE: Always keep that plastic that your wig comes in. They are great for storing wigs if you don't have a wig head.

COSTUMES
This is probably the hardest thing to find. All the licensed movie costumes are very expensive and they're probably not even good quality. It's kind of a trial and error thing. Some stores may make one good costume and one bad costume. Here are a few that I have tried and liked. Your opinion may be different though. :)
Costume Super Center | Their prices range from very expensive to dirt cheap. They have everything from costumes to accessories to wigs. They've got a massive range! It's a great place to go to if you need a costume for anything. You can find them on www.costumesupercenter.com.
Rubie's Costumes | I got a cloak from here once. They've got some awesome stuff! You can find them on rubies.com. If you can't find them at your local costume store, then search them up on Ebay.
AliExpress | If you need necklaces, charms or other accessories, this or Ebay is your best option.

COSPLAYERS
Need some inspiration? Check out these awesome cosplayers. I guarantee you'll love them!
Some Like It Blue | 'Lopti' is my favourite cosplayer. She takes care in what she does and has a YouTube channel to help cosplayers. She inspired me to start cosplaying.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Lopti.somelikeitblue
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/KMnomokis
Tumblr: somelikeitblue.tumblr.com
Deviantart: nomokis.deviantart.com
TJ Cosplay | This girl is awesome! I met her at Comic-Con and she is just the sweetest. She had a wig panel and showed us how to style wigs!
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TJCosplay
Instagram: tjanedoe
Eve Beauregard | I went to her panel at Comic-Con! She's a great cosplayer and she's super nice.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/EveeBeau
Website: www.evebeauregard.com
The Sisters Mischief | Sisters who love cosplaying. Love these girls!
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheSistersMischief
Tumblr: siffy.tumblr.com (one of the sisters)

Hope you guys enjoyed that chapter. Now, get cosplaying!