#cosplayer interview: donttouchmymilk

[the-citrus-scale]

Cosplay Interview: @donttouchmymilk

If wonderfully creepy cosplays, like the Sugar Plum Fairy from Cabin in the Woods, are your thing, then you’re in for a special treat with @donttouchmymilk! Her special effects and make-up skills are so on point you’ll forget it’s cosplay at all.  Seriously, go check out her page and catch her at the next con if you can. You definitely won’t be disappointed.

How did you first get into cosplay?

Back in 2008, some friends and I were playing the Fatal Frame video game series, and they started talking about a local anime convention called Animazement, suggesting we make costumes of our favorite Fatal Frame characters. I purchased and pieced together most of my costume. It was far from perfect, but I had a great time and never really looked back from there.

How did you get started doing the awesome special effects you do now for your cosplays? Was that always a part of it since the beginning, or did it develop over time?

I really got into cosplay via horror characters, such as ghosts from Fatal Frame and monsters from Silent Hill. And most of these creatures involve various degrees of makeup or prosthetics. Over time, I found I very much enjoyed the makeup aspect of costuming, and frequently started choosing costumes that involved heavy amounts of makeup and mask-making. 

How long does it take you to design the average cosplay because of how detailed they are?

It honestly varies from costume to costume. I created my Clicker (The Last of Us) in a couple weeks. The Sugarplum Fairy came together in less than a month. At the same time, my Witch Queen from The Last Witch Hunter took 11 months, and Sakuya from Fatal Frame IV, which has about 60 yards of hand-stitched trim and hand-painted fabric, I worked on off and on for 3 years. That one was rough. 

You attend conventions. How much more complicated is it to attend with costumes that have the effects you work into yours?

A lot of thought process has to go into that. For example, my Witch Queen is head to toe covered in latex, from the body suit, to the homemade wig, to the facial prosthetics. For my own safety, I limit my wear of her to 4-6 hours. I can’t eat in my Sugarplum Fairy because the mask is glued down and my mouth slot is small. So I wear a fanny-pack under my tutu that always has a protein shake and a straw packed inside. And I enjoy the looks I get while being a horrifying monster drinking a milkshake through a straw. 

And seriously, we have to ask how you see in some of that stuff, like the Sugar Plum Fairy mask. What’s the secret there?

Haha. That’s one of my favorite parts about making masks like the Sugarplum Fairy and Clicker. I always have eye holes in my masks so I can see where I’m going. But I conceal them as well as possible, and often paint my eyelids to match the color of my masks. Then all I have to do is close my eyes and I vanish into the mask or prosthetic.

How do you choose which cosplays to do? Do you want every one to have some sort of special effect to work with?

Not every costume I do is makeup intensive. It’s nice to have a more simplistic costume to put on from time to time. Generally when I pick a costume, it’s either because I truly love the character, or there is some aspect of the costume I find very intriguing or complicated. One of the main reasons I chose to cosplay the Sugarplum Fairy was because I thought she looked very challenging, and I really wanted to find a way to create the illusion that my face didn’t exist. I love getting the chance to think outside the box, and costumes like that really give me that opportunity.

What is it like to be covered in head to toe body paint? Because that seems like it would get annoying after a while.

Oh man, it takes some getting used to. For example, the average time it takes me to put on my costumes is 3 hours. So by the time I walk onto a convention floor, I’ve been wearing my makeup for hours. You kind of have to get used to feeling a little uncomfortable and not really being able to touch things. The post-costume shower also tends to take forever (especially if it’s alcohol-based makeup), but washing everything off always feels extremely satisfying. 

How did you learn how to do all of the special effects you incorporate into your costumes? Did you take classes, use Internet tutorials, maybe a little bit of both?

When I first started doing makeup cosplays, I was awful. But I really wanted to try to get better. Since I lived in the middle of nowhere and youtube makeup tutorials really weren’t a thing back in 2008, I basically just used trial and error. I would make mistakes over and over until I found something that worked. I’ve taken a couple sculpting and molding classes with Tyler Green, a very talented makeup artist in Connecticut. But otherwise I’ve mostly learned things on my own.

What tips do you have for anyone who wants to start incorporating these types of special effects in their cosplays?

Don’t be afraid of makeup! Many people never try bodypainting or SFX makeup because they don’t know where to start. But you can absolutely do it. Search for tutorials, or just get your hands on some products and start playing around. I will say that if you decide to do a bodypaint, practice first! The first time you apply your bodypaint, it won’t be perfect. You need to give yourself a little time to make mistakes and learn the application method that works best for you. 

What’s one cosplay that you haven’t attempted yet, but would love to, and why?

One of my dream cosplays has always been the Diva Plavalaguna from The Fifth Element. I’ve been cosplaying for 11 years and she’s been at the top of my list since the beginning. I’m hoping to have the guts to start on her soon.