bluecrow

There's been an influx of new potential Thrawns lately, so I figured it would be most helpful to put this all in one place where others can reference it rather than popping up in every thread and repeating myself.
 
MAKEUP
 
I've done a lot of bodypaint characters over the years, especially blue people, and at this point I have used or at least tested pretty much every blue bodypaint on the market. There's no right or wrong choice, but I can lay out the pros and cons so no one has to waste money on trial and error. I have chosen for this list mostly products that have broad availability, and mostly inexpensive. Where the best options are expensive, I have offered a more affordable counterpart.
 
Water soluble makeup options:

Ben Nye :
            pros: inexpensive, widely available, decent color range, ease of application
            cons: mediocre wear quality, some flaking/scaliness depending on application. No great Rebels match without blending

Kryolan Aquacolor
            Pros: price, availability, ease of application
            Cons: medium wear quality, no great Rebels Thrawn color currently

Kryolan Supracolor
            Pros: better wear than the previous two, nice color range
            Cons: Stains garments, not a fan
 
Mehron Paradise
              Pros: Price, longterm wear with sealant, good color choices
              Cons: Small packaging, quickly used up

MAC Chromacake
            Pros: Perfect color option for Rebels Thrawn, longevity of wear
            Cons: 28$/3 oz, gets used up quickly

ProAiir Dips
Pros: longevity, lightweight feel
Cons: airbush only, no Rebels Thrawn match without blending
 
Vibe by European Body Arts
            Pros: longevity, color options, hand or airbrush application
            Cons: heavier feel on the skin, difficulty in removal
 
Alcohol activated options:

Kryolan BIC
            Pros: lightweight, skin still ‘breathes’, price, extensive longevity
            Cons: Blue is very dark, Turquoise is very green – good for Legends Thrawn but not Rebels color.
 
Skin Illustrator
            Pros: can buy individual colors rather than full pallets, great color selection, very lightweight feel
            Cons: palletes are very small, used up quickly, can apply streaky – better option for those with existing makeup skills

Endura (liquid) fun fact:  Endura Light Blue is the base coat used by Marvel for the Kree aliens!
Pros: longevity of wear, good Rebels turquoise, many blue options for blending, hand or airbrush application
Cons: Takes a while to remove, midweight-heavy feel on the skin

Endura (pallet)
Pros: longevity, lightweight feel
Cons: no good Rebels Thrawn color currently, would require mixing skills which is difficult when its dry pallet
 
Detailing Makeup

Powder Contour options:

Coastal Scents color pallets: inexpensive, many blues included in palletes, low pigment

NYX individual eye shadows: inexpensive, mix and match, matte powders for shading. Medium pigment

MAC individual eye shadows: expensive, mix and match, high pigmentation
 
L'Oreal: inexpensive, has a great greenish-turquoise light shimmer powder good for hilight and toning base blue to match Rebels

Red under eye liner:

NYX liquid red: inexpensive, good longevity, shows up well on top of blue

STILA red liquid liner: expensive, good longevity, very strong matte color

Sephora brand red liners: inexpensive, pencil style

(Stay away from lip liners and similar products; they're the easiest to find red liners in, but lip products are not intended to be eye safe. It is unlikely to cause an issue, but has the potential to do so)

Lipstick

NYX light blue: perfect color match for Endura light blue liquid, so you don't have to use base coat your lips

MAC Amplified: has several matte shades to match Endura, Mehron, Aquacolor, other blues can be found in different lipstick lines

For the light pink over color; you want a nude (not pink!) semi-sheer matte lip gloss. There are too many options to narrow down a right or wrong choice; for inexpensive widely available brands that have acceptable options; L'Oreal, NYX, E.L.F, Maybelline

Brow Products

Kat Von D Brow pomade: comes in both natural and unnatural (blue, although currently only light) shades. Its a highly pigmented product that will easily cover bodypaint.Expensive

DipBrow pomade: natural shades; black + blue powder best for this application. High pigmentation will cover bodypaint base. Expensive

For inexpensive options, buy a brow brush (suggestion: E.L.F Eyebrow Duo Brush) that has a mascara wand-like end to pull up any brow hairs painted down with blue, and a sharp, angled brush to fill in and re-draw your brows. All the powder options above that have a deep blue would be suitable for this purpose!

E.L.F. eyebrow stencil: If you have covered up your brows with bodypaint, are inexperienced in drawing in your eyebrows, or are aiming for the shape and size of Rebels Thrawn's very well-plucked brows, this is the easiest way to go and ELF is your most inexpensive option.

Sealants

Ben Nye Final Seal – for any and all of the above options, is the gold standard of theatrical makeup

ProSeal (European body arts) – for alcohol makeup options

Removers

Unveil/Vapore: high powered removers that will take off any of the above options, but are the #1 choice for alcohol activated makups

Ben Nye Remove It All: a less expensive all-around makeup remover, not as good at alcohol makeup

Witch Hazel: inexpensive option to take off most alcohol-activated makeups in non-sensitive areas (neck, ears, hands, etc)


Hair Options

Rebels Thrawn requires dark blue hair, unlike Legends Thrawn's black hair. These color options will work on most hair, if you have naturally platinum, grey, or pre-lightened hair there is the possibility of staining.

Temporary, wash-out hair color sprays:

Jerome Russell B'Wild spray

ION Brights Airbrush Color
 
Blue Hue Liquid Chalk

Color Bombz 
 

Hair Waxes, these are all pretty similar products, available on Amazon in most countries. Bonus of not required additional styling product as they are a medium hold pomade
 
Mofajang 

Volluck

Chige

Wig options
 
Wig Is Fashion: Chinese based website with NA/EU/UK shipping options, no short cut options available but many variations on blue lacefront wigs that could be cut to suit. Will also do custom with any existing color, based on photos, in the 100$ range. Your best quality for a low cost option if you can't use your real hair.

Enchanted Sea: Instagram/Deviant Art, cosplay artist who has done custom Rebels Thrawn wig in the past.

Hero Hair: high end, full custom, film-quality handmade wigs.




I will be updating with additional materials in the future; I'm working on a couple of video makeup tutorials featuring some of these options, as well as print files for accurate epaulets + guide on sizing them for print
 

Oooh, thank you for the tip! I've had good luck with Arda in the past, but haven't loved the natural color selection and hadn't found another website that I'd actually liked that wasn't somehow even more anime-style. 
 
I'm always so nervous about cutting wigs and try to do as little of that as possible.

^That particular wig is made to spike, so it won't want to lie down even with product. Also, Arda is very good for anime cosplays, I would super not suggest them for any semi-realistic look. Their lacefront short wigs are extremely full, they make your head look big and poofy, and are very single-tone and unnatural. I had originally purchased their Cady wig in black for Legends Thrawn and it was a large and expensive disappointment.  They're a good go-to for anime, gaming, or wigs that you intend to sculpt

If you're not opposed to cutting a wig, Wig Is Fashion has some good lacefront wigs in deep blue (I purchased one to trim into Thrawn hair since I'm growing my hair out, and I cut an 18" black wig of theirs for Legends Thrawn after the Arda disaster) and they run a little less than Arda, price-wise. They also do custom and have done custom short mens wigs in the past; if its an existing color or style similar to what they have done before, it cost approximately 100$, and the color exists + they've done short mens before. I did custom through them for my Ysanne Isard wig and I love it, they're very easy to work with.

 
The sprays would def cover the skin! 

If all else fails, there are a lot of decent wigs out there! Generally there are fewer short wigs, much to the dismay of anyone who cosplays male characters, but I bet you could style the spikes out of this one and trim down the widow's peak to the correct level:
 
https://www.arda-wigs.com/collections/silky-short-wigs-1/products/marty-silky?variant=47576949836

haha yep, its in progress. I'm 3D printing a clip to hold my webcam onto the bathroom mirror so I can film in front of a mirror, stand by for blueberry tutorial xD

It's just SO BAD! I have had my heart set on the Staff officer uniform, just because, well... black and blue looks rad. Olive drab and blue? Oh... oh no...

Thank you all.  I got the Endura paint and hair wax ordered today.  I really appreciate all y'alls help!

Is there any chance your friend could grab the generic FO officer image as well? I would love to see the images side-by-side without lighting interfering with the colors and textures! 

Thats why, when Thrawn and Eli graduate the academy and Thrawn says "I will endeavor to become an Admiral then" it wasn't just about getting Eli his fair due, it was about hoping to get to a high enough rank to argue about his uniform xD
 

It's just SO BAD! I have had my heart set on the Staff officer uniform, just because, well... black and blue looks rad. Olive drab and blue? Oh... oh no...

It's just SO BAD! I have had my heart set on the Staff officer uniform, just because, well... black and blue looks rad. Olive drab and blue? Oh... oh no...

Pretty sure that is a pantoran with an eye condition.

As one of the few alien Saber Guild members, always more aliens!!

The comics have helped a lot, I think
I'll wear Horrible Clashing Line Officer Thrawn and people get a kick out of it. And I can be ridiculously offended at the color combo. It's a good time

Always be yourself, unless you can be Thrawn. Then, always be Thrawn

At my first meetup with Garrison Titan, I was strongly encouraged to pursue a non-human Officer build - it was implied that there's a bit of a rivalry between a few garrisons for who has the most aliens. I think a lot of that focus is probably on the Saber Guild side, where it makes more sense, but I felt encouraged all the same!
 
Though my partner keeps saying, "You know you really just want to be Thrawn," and they're not wrong...

At my first meetup with Garrison Titan, I was strongly encouraged to pursue a non-human Officer build - it was implied that there's a bit of a rivalry between a few garrisons for who has the most aliens. I think a lot of that focus is probably on the Saber Guild side, where it makes more sense, but I felt encouraged all the same!
 
Though my partner keeps saying, "You know you really just want to be Thrawn," and they're not wrong...

I asked my CO about this when I was curious about the idea of down a lower ranked Thrawn. This was before the comics had come out, and there was some question about what color uniform he'd be in (I only have a line officer cleared at this point in time)

I know a lot of the lore around Thrawn centered around him being one of (if not the only) non human officer in the Empire, but I was told that since there was one, I could be a generic Chiss officer if I wanted to. I know RL holds the same views. there was one chiss jedi, so i can clear as my chiss OC. 

This was just for chiss specifically, but I think the general rule, at least for my garrison, was if there was one, there could be others?

So at the beginning of this discussion we had five points in which the generic model differs that was the reason to split the CRL in a Generic and a Hask version:
Colour  Rank bars  Belt/Shoes  Design  Code Cylinder  The belt/shoes were dropped later and the color was at least questioned,
 
So at the end of the day there are three points left that define that Hask has to be an separate CRL. Rank Bars, Design and Code Cylinder. I'd say congratulations, these are the same arguments that were used to justify e.g. why there's only one CRL for the line officers. 
 
I can only agree with @Tentayena on this one. Nobody denies that Hask shouldn't be a wearable variant as the character has a stressed role for the plot. But the intended decision to split the CRLs mismatches the procdures of the past.
 

Figured I’d chime in a bit here, and maybe add a little bit as to why people are upset and confused about what’s going on here.
 
I will fully admit, I was somewhat upset that the Lieutenant CRL became a generic. I was upset that it added an entirely second rank. I was mostly upset that the face character spec was removed. But at the time, the references for Captain were near nonexistent, and I understood that while there were differences, the two costumes were close enough that there was no point in splitting them. And that the character I was trying to portray was so minor, that I doubted anyone aside from me would care.
 
The logic of combining them made sense, at the time. Same with the Major/Colonel crl. And while I didn’t work on or help with it, the Krennic crl combining the three different configs for the costume made sense. So did the work on the alternate Ysanne configs, or the debate to add a helmetless option to the Cadet after the Thrawn comic (which I don't actually know if anything was decided on that but that's neither here nor there). Even when TLJ came out and we started noticing differences in the uniforms, the gloves, the hats, etc. Everything seemed minor enough that it didn’t warrant a whole new crl for what’s nearly the same costume.
 
If this was the new normal and each CRL was held to the same standard, I would be more than willing to accept it.
 
But then this happens.
 
I fully, 100% agree that the costumes have differences.
I do not, however, agree that they should have two separate CRLs while some of these other CRLs remain combined. Especially when the existing CRLs have just as many differences and seem to be functioning just fine.
 
The consistency is the issue here for me.
And maybe the solution is to split some of the other CRL’s up. I know I’ve been picking apart TLJ and have a sizeable list of updates for the Captain.  
 
But picking and choosing like this is confusing. And it causes disputes like this, because from an outside perspective, it looks bad.
I know that's not the intention. I know everyone who is here cares for the Legion with their whole hearts.

But the handling of these issues is so blatantly different, when the issue, at it's core, is so similar.

I understand and support the L3 requirements to emulate a specific officer. You're entirely right, and it's a truth I came to terms with following the FO Lieutenant not being published as Mitaka. We cannot make a CRL for every officer, it'd be ridiculous. XD But as you say, you can specify even at basic if you so wish, just gives you a head start when you aim for levels two and three!

When you say: "If someone creates a costume for the FO/Battlefront Officer(Generic), we can explore that CRL as well."

That's essentially what we're discussing here. That there is only a Battlefront 2 First Order Officer CRL. That there should not be a Hask specific CRL.

If we take "extra configurations" out of the picture for a moment. I know they're a recent thing and they work really well IMO with Krennic etc but lets pretend they never existed and see how we used to deal with small variables in the same costume in the past. I'm looking at the Staff and Line officer CRLs. I hear what you're saying entirely in that they cover a -huge- pool of officers, named specifically and with their own little quirks from movie to movie. 
However. In all the years of those CRLs existing, they've served their purpose, and covered all the little differences between screen reference of the same uniform, adequately.

How the Line Officer CRL handles the visual differences in rank bars:

"Color quantity and combinations are determined by rank, and are appropriate to uniform type.
Examples: No Grand Moffs wear black uniforms with hats. Grand Admiral rank matches Grand Admiral uniform (etc.) "  
The same CRL handles -four- different variables in code cylinder:

Between 1 to 4 per costume may be worn.
Modified: silver "chalk holder" tube with short clip and blue colored top. Rod style: machined aluminum rod with flaring disc detail at top Dosimeter style: True Dosimeter with correct clip and blue top. Alternate Style: Silver clip with no blue top. 
It handles a very obvious visual difference in belt snap (a minor detail but a visible difference in placement, exactly the same as we're talking between Hask specifically and the Generic), but leaves it to the wearer to make that decision, allowing them to do whichever they like:

"A single large snap or rivet is visible approximately 1" (25.4 mm) from the buckle.
The belt may be worn with the snap to the right or left of the wearer." Everyone "gets" that they're the same uniform. But from officer to officer, movie to movie, there have been little changes here and there. One CRL has managed to cover a LOT of little differences here, and we've all be fine with it, and following these CRL's the costumes have managed to become the second most popular set of costumes in the Legion.

For the record, regarding removal:

It won't come off easy, because if you go Endura it's made to stay on. Try not to panic, try not to scrub yourself raw, but it's gonna take some time to come off completely so make time in your plans post-troop for removal unless you're fine being a bit blue after. The advice above of "spray remover, wait, rub", is solid. Even if it doesn't feel like it's coming off quickly enough, it does take time! In your removal kit, make sure you include q-tips (for your ears and inside of your nose XD) and cotton pads for towards the end (paper towels at the beginning for the majority). Also invest in a good moisturiser and rub a good dollop in everywhere you painted blue. Twice later in the day even. Your skin will thank you!

I'm no expert but I was painted blue to accompany a  Thrawn and Ar'alarni as Thrass a few months ago. Endura lasted the entire time (About four hours for me) and there was absolutely no transfer on any of the clothes I was wearing (and my shirt was a crew-cut collar jersey shirt so we had to paint down my neck and onto my chest a bit inside of the shirt, no transfer!)

Also, and this goes for anyone wanting to up their makeup game not just with Thrawn (although for Thrawn and Chiss it makes such a huge, huge difference!), learning to contour will raise your game from "oh hey a Thrawn!" to "oh my god, look at that Thrawn! Wow!" I promise you. <3 You don't even have to fully blue-up to practice. Applying and blending you can do just on your face as-is.  It'll just look very weird. XD

EDIT: while you're practising makeup techniques, it doesn't hurt to get yourself used to having things touching around your eyes and wearing product around your eyes. Desensitising yourself to applying eyeliner or even just brushing clean q-tips around your eyelid area and waterline is going to really help ensure a solid coverage, right up to the eyeline. If the Endura is too intense to put that close to your eyes, work that area over with powders and blue makeups to get it as close as you can without rubbing alcohol paint in there. XD PLUS then you'll be able to apply that red eyeliner and it's another small detail.

I have Light Blue and then Blue, Light Blue is very very turquoise. When I apply it, I squeeze some into a disposable cup and mix a few drops of blue into the light blue. The regular blue goes a looong way, so its like a couple drops of blue, and then if I want to do some harsh contour lines I add a couple drops more.

I definitely suggest though that you do get powders for contour and detail. I do an all over paint, and then slightly darken the paint and do my main contour (forehead, cheeks, beneath the jaw) but that is very stark, and will look like you've drawn lines on your face. Having powders to hilight, contour, and blend on top of those painted on stark contour lines makes for a much more natural look.
 
If you want that almost greenish tint that Rebels Thrawn has the NYX powders that were on my suggested list has a color that's suitable. Use that to blend out your contour and your color will be spot on (personally, I don't like to be green-tinted so I stay more turquoise blue)

For removal, get one of the removers that they sell on European Body Art, they're probably also on amazon, and are made specifically for Endura. I use Unveil, its the more gentle of the two. Its not like a normal makeup remover that you spritz on and things wipe right off, and it doesn't come with instructions, and I think thats where people struggle with removal. You spray your face, count slowly to ten, then massage it in to activate the makeup, before wiping. If you do that a couple times, you'll be un-blue very fast.  for non sensitive areas, like your neck or hands, witch hazel is very inexpensive and removes it.

I use disposable makeup sponge wedges for the all-over application, and then some cheap makeup brushes for detailing. E.L.F. brand has pretty good brushes, for a very low price, and are available at places like CVS or Walmart.


EDIT: also, since Rebels Thrawn CRL specifies hair is supposed to be blue now, not black like Legends, imo the easiest way to achieve that if you have short hair already is hair wax. You just work it into your hair like a styling product, and it'll tint you dark blue. Its also great to ensure you don't see any scalp, you never really think about how much of your scalp you can see through your hair at your hairline until your face is blue and your scalp is skintone and its extremely obvious. I like this brand https://www.amazon.com/KooJoee-Professional-Disposable-Temporary-Nightclub/dp/B076C1JJZR/ref=sr_1_2_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1523321089&sr=8-2&keywords=mofajang+hair+wax+blue

and BMK is also good, honestly I think they're the same item rebranded https://www.amazon.com/BMK-Hairstyle-Disposable-Temporary-Nightclub/dp/B076DWTWB3/ref=sr_1_9_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1523321049&sr=8-9&keywords=hair%2Bwax%2Bblue&th=1

It shampoos right out with no lasting color (unless you are naturally white-blond, in which case it may stain)

The only recommendation I can think of is to not let Tobias Funke do your makeup for you...
 

I wanted to costume a female character, but for OT I'd either have to do Princess Leia (with all her clothes on) or Slave Leia. Or Mon Mothma, but I have long hair. Padme was already out because I'm broke, Rey was out because of the weird hairdo, and Jyn was out because I thought there would be a lot of people dressed like her at DragonCon 2017. So, that left me with the First Order and the Empire. First Order went flying out the window because my grandparents lived through WWII. And at 5'2", I am way too short for Vader or a TK. My grandma actually said she liked my uniform (after I got it from CosplaySky).

Actually Vanto wears three different uniforms in the comic and book, with different insignia.
 
We first meet him in Grey.  He is studying to be a Quartermaster.  This uniform is the same as Governor Pryce's except he is male and and it has different insignia and rank.

We later see him in a cadet uniform.

And then as a line officer with Thrawn.

I would suggest that these be standard "uniforms" and whatever level 3 comes along for them specify them as name characters.  Because we have seen many people wear the same uniform in different configurations.