Body Suit for Nightingale Cosplay (wait...I'm wearing what??)!

So, without a doubt the Nightingale cosplays I have seen use some sort of body suit. I contemplated just use a pair of black spandex pants and a long sleeve t-shirt, but OH NO, I HAVE to have that leather look...which means I need a "wet look catsuit".

So, I did what any good cosplayer, I did my research. I looked at the link Beebichu gave in her blog for the catsuit she used called "Liquid Pleahter". It looks like leather, but is quite expensive as it is made well and made for dancers. I emailed the company, and they told me it would cost $30 US to have it shipped to Canada. Making it cost me about $95. Not happening. But for those of you in the US. the shipping will be much better, so it could be worth it!

Body unitard from Rivers Edge Dancewear.

So, I did what I usually do and I Ebay'ed "leather catsuits" and after some searching, narrowed it down to "wet look catsuits". For $34, including shipping, I will be the proud owner of a wet look catsuit from Asia. When I ordered it, I went for a large, instead of a medium... even though they say it is US sizing, I have had problems where it is smaller than what is said. Asian sizes, in my experience, tend to run smaller. I can always take the catsuit in if I need to, but I can't add onto it!

The "Wet Look" Catsuit I bought from Ebay.

This particular suit unzips from the bum, ALL the way up the neck. I am hoping it has a double zipper on it, so having to use the washroom means I won't have to remove ALL my gear. Just be warned that if you search this type of thing, you will get A LOT of fetish gear coming up....

I warned you!

Nightingale References

I think I need to make the knee guards higher on mine...

Awesome depiction of the patterns!

Wig and Contacts for my Nightingale Cosplay

When I cosplay, I enjoy feeling like I am completely different looking than myself. This is probably why I like cosplays with some sort of full or partial face mask. I like the air of mystery!

That, and I have a bit of an obession with wigs (for cosplay only) and circle lenses.

WIGS

Synthetic wig ordered from Ebay.

I order ALL my wigs from Ebay! They are a cheaper price, but much better quality than the synthetic wigs in Canada and the USA. Not to mention, most have free shipping. I have ordered four wigs in total and have NEVER had a problem. 

For my Nightingale Cosplay, I chose to go black, even though I am very pale, because the whole cosplay is black. I had already pranced around in my white wig and pink wig while trying on the "clape" and it look like I was (a) a drow or (b) to anime like (not what I was going for). 

I like this wig because it has a more "natural" syntehtic look than say, this wig:

Synthetic red wig. It has a much more "fake" or "anime" feeling.

If you are buying a wig for cosplay, you should in vest in a wig stand, wig head (for styling) AND wig caps. I say caps, because they are easy to break and people like  me who have thick hair or a lot of hair will benefit from using two at a time.

Wig stands.

Wig cap.

Foam wig head for styling.

CONTACTS AKA CIRCLE LENSES

All circles lenses and contacts from Asia can pose a risk. I highly recommend talking to your eye doctor before ordering. Many people have had problems with them. I am lucky and never have, but I am a neat freak when it comes to them and clean them and the case all the time.

I order from Pinkyparadise.com and Honeycolor.com 

Both are great sites and have great prices. I find that Pinky Paradise has less stock or has run out of the contacts I need a lot. 

For my Nightingale cosplay, I decided to by Super Pinky Blue circle lenses. I love the Super Pinky Red and Wine Red contacts before (the red ones were for my Sheik cosplay and the Wine Red were sent to me as a gift from Honey Colour!)

All circle lenses from these sites come with a free case as well :)

Super Pinky Blue circle lenses on a model.

These contacts are very comfortable (I wore them for a good 12 hours and never need drops and I have astigmatism and just had the plano version). They have an enlargement effect on your eyes.

They are great, but definitely research the pros and cons of circle lenses and talk to your eye doctor before buying. If your doctor says no, don't do it. If you choose to use them without talking to your eye doctor, it is your choice and therefore only you are to blame if something happens. I am not responsible, nor is any other cosplayer who says they use them!

 

For Anime North 2015 I am cosplay as....dun dun dun...

A Nightingale from Skyrim!

A male Nightingale from Skyrim. Affectionately called "Big Guy".

Well, not quite like that, but when I can't see details on the female version, this guy comes in handy! I call him "Big Guy". 

A female Nightingale and my main picture reference for my cosplay.

 There we go! Much better. As you can see, her arm guards are hard to see, while Big Guy has his more visible. This is why you need multiple references. 

I also looked for any cosplayers who had posted pictures or helpful tips for this cosplay and I found:

 http://beebichu.blogspot.ca/

Her Skyrim cosplays are AMAZING! And her Nightingale cosplay how-to is very helpful! A lot of what I have done is based on what she has done. She was even nice enough to reply to my questions about the cape/cloak (now referred to as a "clape"). 

Beebichu cosplaying as a Nightingale from Skyrim.

Nightingale Blade reference. 

Nightingale Blade reference #2.

Nightingale Bow reference.

Here is my Daedric Arrow reference. Notice how the arrow is like a "c" shape, and not a normal arrow.

  

Nightingale Crest reference.

 

So, now that you have gone through my references you are probably wondering were to start.

Well, here is my supply list to date:

1 metre of black vinyl with a slight stretch to it ($14.50/m)
Hot glue
Hot glue gun
7 metres of blue cotton cord (0.80 cents/m)
18 pairs of small "D" rings (0.80 cents/pair)
A dollar store broad sword ($2)
Silver spray paint ($8/can)
Paint brushes ($2 for a pack of five from the dollar store).
1 pack of EVA foam interlocking foam sheets (you know, the colourful ones that look like they are for kids) ($14 for a pack of 4, on sale)
1 bottle of Black fabric paint ($8 for one bottle).
2 packs of Modeling clay ($2/pack from the dollar store).
Cotton fabric (scraps from home, but any thin fabric will do).
1 pair of black boots (I don't intend to wreck them, so I am using my fall boots. The cosplay will sit ON TOP of them, so don't worry).
1 black "liquid leather" body suit

I will update this list as I go.

The Humble Beginnings of the BRC Blog!

Hello and welcome to the Black Rabbit Cosplay Blog! 

This blog is to help me keep track of my ideas and progress for my cosplays, but I am hoping it will be used for much more than that.

When I started cosplaying in 2013, I had no idea where to begin. I stumbled upon cosplay for the first time on Deviantart.com and was instantly hooked and when my friend, Jax, suggested we go to Anime North together I jumped at the chance. We decided to cosplay together for fun and I went as Setsuka Heel from Skip Beat! and she went as Misa from Death Note. I had a blast, but put my cosplay together from second hand stores.

My second cosplay was Sheik, from Super Smash Brothers Brawl and I was definitely going to have to make it all myself. To do this, I searched for many hours how to tutorials and pictures of other Sheik cosplayers to help me shape and complete my Sheik cosplay. Because of these people who posted about their love of cosplay, cosplay pictures and how to tutorials online, I was able to make my best cosplay yet.

As such, I am running this blog to hopefully help those making a cosplay and need some help. Feel free to ask me questions about anything!

~Rabbit