Halloween – it’s an excuse for everyone to dress up and have fun. But Halloween only lasts for one day out of the year. So what are people to do with the other 364 days when they feel the need to get into costume and wear a different face? Most people just accept the fact that they have to wait for next Halloween or for friends to throw a costume party. Some decide that waiting is not enough.

Cosplay (known to the out-crowd as “costume play”) is a popular, world-spanning phenomena that allows people of every age, race, religion, gender, sexual preference, and nationality to come together in the guise of their favorite fictional characters and interact together. Sources of character inspiration range from movies to anime to comic books and cross all genres. The haven of these hobby-actors is traditionally at gatherings of like-minded individuals, such as sci-fi/fantasy conventions, comic book conventions, anime conventions, gaming expos and the like. In these places, the atmosphere becomes as alive as any stage.

Cosplay carries some social prejudices in the way outsiders perceive it. The ignorant public often views cosplay as a geek hobby, filled with socially inept people who dress up in ridiculous costumes and attend pointless pop-culture events. What the uninitiated fail to realize, however, is that most cosplay is no different from the theatricality that one might see on the stage or the big screen. The art of choosing the right character and finding (and often making) the perfect costume is an act that most cosplayers do not simply jump into blindly. The character that one chooses has to be a representation of what he or she wants to portray, often for several days at a time. And while every gathering of cosplayers has its fair share of slave-outfit clad Princess Leias, for a veteran cosplayer the choice is made very carefully.

The types of costumes that people choose to adopt as their temporary identity are infinite. Some choose famous super-heroes while others choose characters that they identify with on a personal level. Still others make their decision based on the quality of the art-design that went into the way a character looks. And there are always those that choose based purely on the sexuality of the character. Just like Halloween, the personality is in the costume – an opportunity to show the world (or at least a small portion of it) what one is on the inside.

For those devoted to the lifestyle, cosplay represents more than just costumes and acting. It is the true creative experience and the chance to live out one’s dreams of being a person that reality has no place for. Characters from movies and books have inspired the imagination of young and old alike for thousands of years, driving them to understand things about themselves that they might have otherwise never known. Cosplay is a walk in the shoes of the author’s mind; a merging of the physical form and the unreal; a way to touch a unique, spiritual part of one’s self.

All this may sound a bit like a cult, but if one sits by and listens to football fans talking about their passion, one might begin to suspect them to be a cult as well. Everyone has something that is important to them, be it their job, their family or dressing up and being someone else. The cosplayer is the next evolution of actor, in character and ready to go, with no need for anyone to yell “Action!”

Jason Rizzo is a marketing specialist for Sci-Fi Stuff. When not showing his creative side via cosplay, he can be found posting in their Science Fiction Forums.

Disclosures: Girl Gloss at times reviews products provided by a representative of the company. When we do so, we specifically state so. We also use affiliate links. For more, please see the disclosure page

About the Author: Carleen Coulter

How cute is this? Tokidoki Roller Ball Fragrance Sticks!

Six Tokidoki fragrances are available in the roller ball collection:

• Adieu: A mix of Black Berry, Strawberry, Juicy Orange, Tiare Flower, Water Lotus, Creamy Vanilla, and Cashmere Woods.
• Adios: With fragrances of Lemon Leaves, Pink Grapefruit, Cyclamen, Day Lilies, Pink Orchid, Lotus Blossom, White Musk, Peach Skin, and Crystallized Woods.
• Ciao Ciao: A blend of Water Hyacinth, Out of the Shower Accord, Muguet, Day Lily, Sheer Jasmine Petals, Musk, and Sun-Drenched Woods.
• Donutella: A collection o fRaspberry, Bright Bergamot, Muguet, Jasmine Sambac, Sandalwood, Vanilla, and Musk.
• Sandy: A fragrant mix of Pear Blossom, Freesia, Honeysuckle, Gardenia, Hint of Vanilla, and Amber Musk.
• Siberia: With scents of Cool Aldehydes, Muguet Petals, Night Blooming Jasmine, White Orchid, White Musk, and Soft Woods.

The collection is adorable and is getting rave reviews. Each roller ball stick is $18 at Sephora.

As soon as the MAC Wonder Woman collection arrived, I set out to make a full set of MAC Wonder Woman swatches. The collection includes some nice eye shadow sets and big bronzers, but near and dear to my heart are the four lipstick shades with oversized matching lipglass shades. Below are swatches of the lip products from the Wonder Woman collection. If you would like to see the rest of the collection, I have swatches up on Beauty and Fashion Tech here: MAC Wonder Woman Eye Shadow Swatches, and MAC Wonder Woman Skinfinish and Blush Swatches.

Here are the MAC lipstick swatches form the Wonder Woman Collection. Pictured from left to right are:  Marquis d’, Spitfire, Heroine, and Russian Red.

The Lipglass is supersized!

MAC Wonder Woman Lipglass swatches, from left to right: Wonder Woman, Athena’s Kiss, Emancipation, and Secret Identity.

The collection launches nationwide on February 10, 2011.

Disclosure: This post is based on products provided by a representative of the company. For more, please see the disclosure page.

The MAC Cosmetics Holiday Collection for 2010 hits the counters on October 28. Entitled A Tartan Tale, the collection focuses this year on tartan cases and bags. There is also a color collection with new  lipsticks and lipglasses.

In the lip department, the MAC Tartan Tale collection includes some nice lip trio and several lip kits that come in their own tartan bags.

Look for the collection in MAC stores and online here at Nordstrom.

Disclosure: this post is based on products sent to me by a representative of the company. For more, please see the disclosure page.

Just in case DazzleGlass wasn’t enough, MAC has the limited edition MAC SuperGlass.

SuperGlass is a lip gloss blended with small, medium, and large pearls to create a three dimension look full of flash and dazzle with sheer to medium coverage. It comes in vanilla flavor, although I don’t think MAC’s vanilla really tastes all that much like vanilla.

These super sparkle lip glosses are not my personal preference, but for those who want a lot of glitter and glam, this is the one to buy for over the top sparkle!

Sue Devitt is one of those cosmetic companies that can get overlooked, but shouldn’t. The company always has quality items and their lip products are no exception. I recently gave a Sue Devitt Lip Intensifier Pencil in Kirakira and a Sue Devitt Microquatic Lip Enhancing Gloss in Telina a try.

The lip pencil is rather neat and unique. It is thicker than standard pencils, yet not as thick as a lip crayon. It also is on the soft side, but not so soft that lining is difficult. The result is that you can line well with it, but also fill in well with it. The shade is also a good neutral that would wear well across multiple skin shades. Since I like to fill in with liner before putting on other lip products, this one has quickly become a regularly used product for me.

The Sue Devitt gloss is also quite nice. It wears sheer, but is still pretty well pigmented. It is not at all sticky and has just a hint of shimmer to it. Mostly it is all shine. The gloss has a brush applicator. I noticed that the shade Telina on the Beauty.com site and in product photos looks rather Fuchsia, when it actually is a nice light pink. So, I grabbed it and the pencil and made swatches. Those are below.

Comparison Shop for Sue Devitt Cosmetics

How cool is this? Votre Vu, a luxury French skin care company, has a combination lip balm and hand creme in one package. Considering that I am addicted to both, I immediately loved the idea! I also ended up loving both items.

The Duo is backed in a regular sized tube of hand cream with the balm inside the cap. The hand creme is wonderful. It is quite thick and luxurious and has a nice  almond and coconut scent  I’m not usually a fan of almond scent combos, but for some reason I adore it in this particular hand creme. I must be the coconut that I like so much. As a bonus, the hand creme also has both UVA and UVB sun protection. I would consider purchasing this product for the hand creme alone, but having the balm is a welcome perk and is why I decided to review the product here on Girl Gloss.

The lip balm is a nice medium texture balm with no real discernible scent or flavor. It is untinted. The balm’s primary oil is coconut oil, with the primary butter being shea butter. It lasts well and is quite nice to wear. I find it to be a good basic daily wear balm.

The Votre Vu Lip balm and Hand Creme combination retaiIs at $38, which is a bit high, but not all that bad for a luxury brand. I  love the idea of this product and already am thinking that I need several of these. One for the office, one for my bag, one for home, etc. I am rather amazed that more companies haven’t made such a simple and obviously utilitarian combo! I’m guessing that this one will make my best products of the year list.

Votre Vu is a multi-level marketing (MLM) company that sell through consultants, but it appears that you can also order their items online without dealing with a salesperson, which is almost always my preference with such things.

Note: This review is based on a product sent to me by a representative of the company. For more, please see my disclosure page.

A reader recently asked me what the best pigmented and moisturizing lipstick was and my answer was Yves Saint Laurent ROUGE VOLUPTÉSilky Sensual Radiant Lipstick SPF 15.  The YSL Rouge Volupte lipstick line is packed full of pigment, yet the YSL lipsticks are comfortable to wear. Needless to say, they also last very well.  Furthermore, YSL packaging is always gorgeous!

Most of the YSL lipstick shades are not for someone who is shy about lip color. For the most part, they are bright and vibrant. They also pack in pigment, so there is nothing sheer or mild about them! With that said, you actually can wear most YSL Rouge Volupte Lipstick on them on the sheer side by being careful with the application. Then build them up for more color punch.

For the neutral shade lover like me, finding a YSL Rouge Volupte lipstick that isn’t too intimidating can be difficult, but I like several of them.  Below are YSL Lipstick swatches of my four favorite shades. From left to right:  Nude Beige, Spicy Pink, Opera Rose, Exquisite Plum. Opera Rose is new—it is part of the 2010 YSL spring collection.

YSL Rouge Volupte Lipstick is pricey, but it ranks among the best there is. If you find a shade that you like, it is well worth it. Plus, every girl needs a luxury lippie or two (or three, or four, or more….)

For complete luxury in both packaging and quality the Guerlain Rouge G de Guerlain Jewel Lipstick Compact is a must have. In Rouge G, Guerlain has put together what I think is the most beautiful lip package ever created. I love it for the case alone, which also does a nice job of including a mirror. But the lipstick itself is also wonderful. It is creamy, smooth, and wears beautifully.

Here is what the company says about it:

Rouge G de Guerlain Jewel Lipstick Compact

What it is: A shimmering, ruby-powder lipstick tucked inside a chic, Parisian case.
What it does: Guerlain Rouge G de Guerlain Jewel Lipstick Compact contains a ruby-powder formula that interacts with the light and creates a jaw-dropping pout of perfection. At first glaze, lips will be left defined, smoothed, plumped, and hydrated.
What else you need to know: Tucked in a compact that marries beauty with high design, with one click, you will have a luminous lipstick and mirror at your fingertips. Designed by Lorenz Bäumer, the most talented jeweler from the Place Vendôme in Paris, it is the ultimate accessory of mystery and seduction.

I say, get it for the sake of having a beautiful luxury lipstick in your purse.

I managed to sneak in a field trip to the MAC store to see the new MAC Holiday Collection . The MAC lip bags this year are quite nice. I like the silver bags, and the colors in both sets are quite attractive. One set is a selection of pretty pinks, and the other collection is akin to brick red in color.

The lip kits are also nice, as usual. One kit has neutral  shades and the other has pinks. There is also a MAC Viva Glam set. Again, I like the cases on these quite a bit this year.

Finally, there are new dazzleglasses out for the holidays, including two very nice pinks. The shades are softer this year, and I rather like that!

Want to shop the collection? You can see, and shop, all of the MAC Holiday Collection at Holiday Makeup!