The Heichou Sessions: Stahli Heichou
Today on The Heichou Sessions the dynamic will be slightly different. I like to give freedom to each cosplayer to answer and express themselves however they prefer despite the similar questions. Because, after all, everyone being so different... will answer in their own way. That's what's so entertaining about approaching people for this project. So far I've met many interesting cosplayers, all of them so passionate and happy about cosplay itself that it can easily be declared as more than a hobby: it's a way to express yourself.
Taking a look at Stahli's cosplay productions would make you think she's been doing this for a very long time. But no, you'll be surprised (just as I was) to know it's very recent.
Dedicated and passionate are the accurate words to describe this cosplayer from Canada, whom I happened to stumble upon my quest for Levi cosplayers. What caught my attention? Besides a good deliver of the character's strong personality, something else behind the make up and under the styled wig: determination mixed with the love for cosplay.
Each cosplayer is different and entitled to enjoy this form of art in their own way, right? It's all about having fun! And so far in The Heichou Sessions, we've been able to discover the different personalities of cosplayers who have chosen the same character: Lance Corporal Levi.
Stahli's personal way to enjoy it brings amazing results. With every detail taken care of from head to toe and between poses and expressions you get to admire the animated character brought into flesh. That's how Stahli does it and here you'll get to read more on how she does it.
I could have a conversation with her for the first time through Skype chat on my phone. Her enthusiasm and will to share everything about her cosplays are something you wouldn't expect from a cosplayer so well produced! You'd think they are rather secretive about the process. Wrong. That's how cosplay itself became a community, right? By sharing.
Stahli began to talk to me as if we've known each other for a while, despite her being quite busy with finals and other stuff, she just found some space to share her passion for cosplay, the process of preparing herself for being Levi and even her perspective on this interesting character.
So let's go more in depth and get to know the next Lance Corporal: Stahli.
B: How did your passion for cosplay begin?
S: May 2013 at Fanime. My first big con I fell in love!
B: What do you like about cosplaying?
S: I really like doing everything in my power to get the look as close as possible. I guess you could call it a cosplay OCD. I have done modelling in the past but it is not nearly as fun. With cosplaying you need to do poses and looks that mimic the character and it's more of a challenge also more rewarding when someone says “wow great job! Just like the character!” You feel a "YUS!”
B: For how long have you been cosplaying Levi?
S: I haven’t cosplayed Levi anywhere yet. I have been trying the makeup on and off over the past month. I have been busy with school and when I sit down and do a makeup stint, it involves a lot of erasing and meticulous line drawings with selfies to see if it looks proper. I have done a test shoot on my 5th try at the makeup which looks pretty awesome (the PJs), but needs a bit more tweaking. I will work on cosplaying him after my exams. The maneuver gear is my December project.
B: What do you like about this character that made you decide it was him you wanted to cosplay?
S: Usually for me, serious characters or the angry looking characters. I am best at serious characters, bad guys, or evil things. I just so happened to have a similar eye type so I took up the challenge, ,levi is drawn with deep-set eyes.
B: Have you cosplayed other characters before? What does it take for you to decide what characters you want to cosplay?
S: Yes, a couple. I don’t have many images up as I am busy with school but it will happen. I choose characters I like. Serious, bad guys, demons... Levi is serious.
B: How long does it take you for you to transform into Levi?
S: You don’t want to know…. 2-3 hrs was the last time I tried the makeup. But I go really slow and change things as I go. Once I have the make up the way I want it's under 2 hours.Recently I've discovered that doing foundation last after eye makeup saves a huge amount of time. I was always doing foundation first then dealing with eye shadow fall out and marks from my hands doing eye makeup.
B: What habits and qualities do you have in common with this character?
S: I have an OCD when it comes to art maybe? Haha and I always look serious and unimpressed naturally.
B: What make up products do you use to create the Levi look?
S: Well, this is where I feel regrets. I will list everything. You need to note that different companies work better for different people for concealer and foundation. For example MAC does not work good for me, I am so pale they don’t have a shade that matches. Also for my skin type which is dry to normal, combination skin MAC crusts up very easily (sorry MAC you were just an example.. I have your brush sets and colourful eyeshadows !!!!<3). With Lancome foundation I do not have this problem, the only downside is that it's twice the price.
Stahli's Levi cosplay products Master List !!!TIP
: BEFORE we get onto the list! If you want to get your hands on these products to create your own look or just follow Stahli's style BUT you're on a budget... best advice is search for dupes! Drugstore dupes are something real. Just pick the name of the product, brand and color code-name and google for a dupe. I advice this page to hunt for make up product dupes that work just as good but are a lot cheaper. Now let's continue!
La base - Lancome
Concealer - Lancome
Matte Liquid Foundation - Lancome
Face powder - Eshiko
Liquid eye liner - Heroine Kiss me (I use two these are from Japan)
Mascara – Benefit Yes they’re real ( I use some fake lashes too on the outer corners)
Light brown eyeshadow Latte coloured – Lancome
Brown eyepencil for details – Lancome
Grease contour pallete – Make Up Forever
Concealer (I'm trying something different soon this one dries my lips too much) – Tarte Cosmetics
Couple shades of brown from lancome pallete to give more dimension on eyes – Lancome
Black eyeshadow – Sugar pill (most pigmented black shadow on the market)
There is probably more but that is the main things… I would not suggest buying any of these just starting out everything is very expensive. What works for me may not work for everyone else.
B: Between those product, if you had to choose only three for a quick transformation at a convention for example, which would they be?
S: I wouldn’t go to the convention if I only had 3. Seriously. Id just go as myself. ALL OR NOTHING (ocd).
B: What features of this character did you pay attention the most to recreate them on your on face?
S: Eyebrows and Eyes.
B: Tell us what you consider it takes to flash Levi's trademark expression. Show us your best Levi expression.
S: Hold your eyes half open and look unimpressed. Levi also has no catch lights in his eyes to give the cold serious look. I actually like his angry look more ;)
After getting that master list from Stahli, she shares her most important tips and tricks to achieve her Levi look. Use them and mold them to your own needs. Be it for Levi, or any other character you wish to cosplay:
Stahli's make up tips
Face:
- Always wash your face clean first and moisturize before using makeup otherwise it will not sit properly.
- Eye make up first, then foundation (usually, dark colors are involved in this eye make up. So it's always easier to clean mistakes and fall outs and then proceed to cover them with foundation.)
Eyes:
- I find for me (may not work for everyone) is to use thin amount of eyeliner. It seems the thicker you use to express levi looks awkward as his features are depicted very thin. Use thin amount of eyeliner and to thicken areas of it with black eye shadow and blend it out with browns.
- Winging the bottom line of eyeliner versus the top exentuates the droopy look. It also widens the eye if you do not connect the bottom eye line to the top, leave a space.
- Use 3 different tones of brown for an excellent contrast.
- Always use mascara, you can't go wrong.
Eyebrows:
- For natural eyebrow coverage I gave up on that. Not even spirit gum could tame my brows! I cheat and use brow bleach ( I have brow dye to change it back don't worry) I don't bother covering them with glue or anything, it never works for me, I've tried it all!!!
- I find I cant get away with really thin eyebrows as it just doesn't look right with my cheek bones and deepset eyes. I thickened them slightly to keep it more balanced.
- I find that it is best to not drag liner or eyeshadow but to dab it on carefully because it looks sharper and it's also easier to do.
Extra tip: if you are serious about this go to Sephora and ask for a buttload of testers.. it's free :D you can also do this at any makeup counters.
There you go! All tips first hand from Stahli's personal experiences and very moldable to everyone's needs.
What I like about Stahli's version of Levi is how radical the change is. It shows the importance of those two elements that stand out in the character's features: eyebrows and deep-set eyes, and how dramatic the change can be if you get them right, no matter your features. They just bring out the essence of the character.
In some of these pictures, Stahli portrays what she calls a "Model Levi", and I think that's exactly what her version is. With her elegant features and eyeshadow blending that creates a smoky effect, she brings us closer to a stylized Levi that doesn't necessarily have to be wearing the Scout Legion's Wings of Freedom to make you feel he can kick your ass whenever he wants.
B: One of the main insecurities that stops many from doing a certain cosplay, are the lack of physical similarities between them and the character. What do you think of that? Could you share any words to these people?
S: Take Queen Reika for example. Levi is drawn with deepset eyes. Reika does not have deepset eyes. She draws them in with artist detail of lines, shadowing, contouring. Artist detail, you really have to analyze the character, these insecurities can be changed with makeup very easily. Think 3 dimensionally and levels of shadow etc.
B: You wake up and find yourself literally in the SnK universe. Would you be in the Military? Which Division would you choose and why?
S: I would be a titan stomping buildings and eating people. Muahahaha.
B: Finally, some words for SnK fans and any person who's passionate about cosplay:
S: Do not give up just because you think you can't achieve a look, or a makeup or a hairstyle. There are forums, videos and other cosplayers to get inspiration from ideas or talk to them. Don’t ever be afraid to ask anyone how they did something or for advice. Because trust me, cosplayers are flattered when you ask them ;). Try try, try again. I sit there for 6 hours straight trying new things or tweaking. Do not forget about google, google can be a very good friend. Especially when I didn’t know how to sew two wigs together. I also want to thank Arda-wigs.com for their amazing tutorials and yell at them for always being out of stock of their amazing products!!
Even after the question session was over, Stahli kept sharing her thoughts and experiences with me. She has a refreshing personality and isn't afraid at all to talk about the obstacles found in the way to improve her cosplay. She considers "it is a bit interesting there is such a love for Levi" but she doesn't mean it in a negative way at all: "he is the perfect man. Honourable, trustworthy, says the right things at the right moment and nothing more. Cleans!"
That description alone sounds like Mr.Right, doesn't it? Reading it just like that without knowing the character first would guide you to a completely different concept or vision of what Levi is. But then Stahli elaborates her thoughts "most ladies do not have the self-confidence to challenge themselves or to find someone that suits them or treats them good. This plays back into society the whole female image, females are never good enough and are kept down through advertisements, social media. Depressing but true, when girls are so beautiful inside and out."
You wouldn't see it coming such thoughts born from something like cosplaying, right? Not at first glance. It shows that there's more to it than just pointing at the character you like and putting on a costume.
Behind each cosplayer there's a reason, an opinion, a trigger that takes them through that trip that is transforming into a character.
"The way Levi looks... just happened to be unique and stand out. Of course he'd have to look unique in some way to be as popular as he is. But I feel for all girls who want to cosplay male characters, particularly the honourable Levi. They are cosplaying a man they desire. I want to give them all hugs and say you know you're worth it, don't tell yourself otherwise."
I wanted to use those words Stahli shared, by the end of this session. Why? Read twice her message and don't get the wrong idea. Female cosplayers each have their reason to choose whatever character they wish and pull it off wonderfully!
So behind many heroes, knights, princes, kings and in this case... Lance Corporals, there's a determined woman to bring life to these characters in their personal way. Let yourself either be amazed by them, or become one of them!
Thank you very much for your time, Stahli!
Credits & Related Links:
1 comments
Well, well, well.
ResponderEliminarThis has been the most professional looking levi so far. I mean, most cartoonish, more... character like.
Yet, it also looks like a model indeed, her rendition.
I'm surprised at how different she looks as a male and as a female, and as herself, i mean, this truly says you don't need to look like anyone, just work on your makeup and appearance and there you have it. Perseverance!
Loved it, really.
All the differences inbetween all cosplayers you have showed are so many, but so cool. Makes one feel so encouraged to just try it out, no matter what or how you look as your normal self.
" But I feel for all girls who want to cosplay male characters, particularly the honourable Levi. I want to give them all hugs and say you know you're worth it, don't tell yourself otherwise."
SO TRUE. Kudos for that.
She seemed like a very nice person, so chatty. I love it when cosplayers share their tactics, tips, etc.
Such a nice approach this one session. It was different, but so fun and interesting too.
Loved it!