Galadriel Cosplay
Greetings! I’m Lopti from Some Like it Blue, and today I would like to tell you about my Galadriel cosplay, featuring Aradani’s new Wood Elf Ears. Before we get into the details, I would like you to know how much this cosplay in particular means to me. Lord of the Rings has been a huge part of my life ever since I was a child. The first movie came out when I was 11, and my friends and I immediately fell in love with it. We used to run around pretending to be different characters from the movies, quoting lines for hours at a time. We’d wear long, white dresses and attempt to walk as gracefully as 11-year-olds can, holding our heads high like the beautiful elves of Middle Earth. We even made plans for our own Lord of the Rings inspired movie, where I would be featured as the queen of the elves. To say the least, we were obsessed.
Though Galadriel’s white dress is rather basic in appearance, it has an elegance that is so captivating. To create the dress, I used Simplicity pattern 1551. Unlike most of my costumes, this one actually had a patterned designed specifically for it, which made the creation process much easier. Getting the right fabric was main concern. I wanted something that would flow gently around me without being too sheer. In the end, I decided on a soft white fabric for the base of the dress, with a sheer fabric over top of it. The sleeves were made using only the sheer fabric, so you could see through to my arms. Some additional length was added to the back of the dress to create a train that would follow behind me as I walk. Eventually, I have plans to make her hooded cape as well, but I wanted to dress ready first and foremost.
The head piece and broach were purchased from The Noble Collection. In spite of the hefty cost, I simply could not pass down the beauty of the officially licensed version of her head piece. It was flawless, and I could imagine it looking so perfect with the rest of my costume. And if I wanted the official head piece, I also needed the matching broach! A lot of saving up and a few coupon codes later, I had the perfect adornments for my costume. The back of the broach was modified and sewn into my dress, and the head piece was set aside for use with the complete costume. Then, I only needed the perfect wig and ears! For my wig, I visited my favorite online wig shop, Arda Wigs. I knew they would have something that would work perfectly, and just as I expected, they did. I end up getting the Arwen wig in Dark Ash Blonde. It was a lace front wig, which meant I could cut the front to match my natural hairline perfectly. This made the wig seem much more realistic, and difficult for observers to realize it wasn’t my real hair. To style it, all I had to do was pull back the majority of the hair from the front, leaving only a few long strands to hang in front of me. The rest was secured in place using a couple bobby-pins, which the head piece hid. And for the ears, I knew exactly where to come – Aradani Studios!
I had heard that Aradani was working on a new set of elf ears that were inspired by Tauriel’s from The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug. They were a bit bigger than Galadriel’s were in the movie, but I actually liked that about them. They were noticeably pointed, while Galadriel’s could be easily overlooked, especially with a wig as full as my Arwen wig! I wanted something distinctly elven, so I opted for the Wood Elf Ears, and I’m glad that I did. They were perfect for what I had in mind! With a little spirit gum, they were easily secured in place, and I was thrilled. After some experimenting, I decided that it was best to put on the ears before the wig to minimize the chance of getting spirit gum in the hair, which could have been disastrous. Then, when setting the wig in place, I made sure to be extra gentle around the ears, so not to knock them out of place. Using the long strands of hair hanging in the front, I could easily hide the seams of the ears. And when the head piece was added, the entire costume came to life.
Unlike most of my costumes, Galadriel’s makeup is extremely minimal. To begin, I made sure my face was freshly washed and moisturized. Moisturizing is an important step, as it will minimize and soften any lines on your skin, creating a more flawless look. I then used a very light colored foundation from Mehron to cover the around under my eyes and around my nose to hide all freckles. Elves do not have flaws in their skin, so no freckles could be left visible. Once they were hidden, I used a mineral powder from Origins to cover my face, blending thoroughly to create a soft, flawless look. For definition, I used a dusty rose colored blush and highlighted my cheeks just slightly. I didn’t want the blush to be noticeable, so I kept it soft. Since Galadriel hardly has any makeup around her eyes, I used a nude colored eye shadow with a hint of glitter and lightly highlighted my eyes. I then used mascara to darken the lashes. No eye liner was needed, as Galadriel has a very natural look. Too much makeup would only take away from the gentle beauty of the elves.
Galadriel may be one of my more simplistic costumes, but I also think she’s one of my most captivating. When all off the little details are added up together, something magical takes form. I would like to thank Aradani Studios for being such a huge part of that magic! You have enabled me to become one of my most beloved characters of all time.
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