Lara Croft Cosplay Tutorial/Information

I thought I might do a costume information/tutorial article for my Lara Croft cosplay from the 2012 Tomb Raider game. Please let me know if this sort of thing is helpful, and I'll definitely do some more! Also, if you're awesome at costume-making and have any suggestions for ways to improve or better ways of doing something, please share - this is a learning environment!

The Decision
I chose to cosplay as Lara Croft from the new Tomb Raider game because she's the first Lara Croft I actually feel like I connect to, both on a character and design level. She retains the best qualities of the previous Lara's (strong, independent, intelligent), and adds a more realistic element to the famous lady through her more "natural" looks and vulnerability. I whole-heartedly support the movement the designers are doing with her new look and wanted to design a costume around the new Lara.

The Materials
I used quite a lot of store bought things in this costume, as most was just clothing. I bought quite a few pairs of cargo pants before deciding on the pair I did because I couldn't find a suitable color. I also had some difficulty finding pants because I'm super tall. I'm 5"10 so finding pants is extremely difficult. The pants I chose are actually way too short for me, hence I added the tall wool socks. They hold down the pants, while adding a more hiker look. After I bought the pants, I used sandpaper to rough up the knees so they looked worn. I also ran it through the washer and dryer a few times to loosen it up.

I used boots that I already owned to cut some costs. I wish they were brown, but I used sandpaper to rough them up just like the pants so that they didn't look shiny. Luckily, I wore the boots to PAX East last year, so they got tons of wear and tear walking around all day - perfect for my survival look.

I purchased the tank top in, what I think, is the most perfect color ever. I looked so hard for that perfect shade of blue-gray. I actually found that particular tank top at Ann Taylor Loft for the very affordable price of $10. I used a white tank top that I already owned underneath, to add a layered look.

As much as I love the costume, I have struggled with the leather holster. I made a makeshift holster for NYCC out of pleather, but I think it stands out from the costume in a bad way. I'm hoping to improve this costume over time, since leather is expensive, so I will add more information as the costume changes.

I made the necklace out of clay and leather. It was fairly simple to do, but very fragile. I also made the bandages out of ripped linen fabric. I wanted them to look like something Lara would actually use in a tight fix for bandages. 

The Tutorial
Or How To Fake A Dirty Look

My lovely fiance actually did my makeup for Lara Croft and I think he did a fantastic job. Here's a quick tutorial of how to achieve the same thing:

Supplies:
- Brown Hairspray dye (Available at Halloween Costume stores)
- Brown Facepaint
- Blood capsules
- Charcoal (ground up)

1. Make sure your skin and outfit is clean and oil-free so that they makeup will stick better.
2. Apply brown hairspray onto paper towel or sponge and lightly sweep on areas you want light dirt. Focus on areas that would get dirty if you were actually the character.
3. Use brown facepaint on your fingers to streak areas that you want to look like mud-like dirt. We used lots of this to accent the lighter dirt.
4. Break blood capsule and drip onto areas that you want realistic blood look. Let it drip to where you want, and lightly dab or use a hairdryer to dry the blood. Now, the blood had to be reapplied a few times during the day because it faded into my skin, so keep this in mind for conventions.
5. Use ground up charcoal to smudge over blood, dirt, etc. This will darken everything up and really give it a realistic overtone.

Notes:
- Remember to make everything pretty evenly dirty. If you dirty up your face and shirt but skip your chest or arms, it's going to stand out against the dirt.
- Bring lots of those makeup removal wipes as the face paint and hairspray takes a heavy washing to come out.

I hope this article was helpful for any of you future cosplayers - Feel free to comment with any questions and I'll be happy to answer. I'll be wearing this costume at PAX East 2012 on Sunday and I hope to see you in Boston!

As always,
LadySnip3r