SDK Hotaru wig tests – Which wig should I use?

Hi everyone!

I did today a quick wig test for Hotaru from Samurai Deeper Kyo. The thing is that I have two wigs for him and I really can't decide on which one I should go with – maybe you guys can help me out? :') The first wig is a rather vivid darkish blond gold, really poofy with a lot of fibers and hair sticking out in all directions. The second one is a standard golden blonde wig, really typical cut and not with a lot of fluff to it – but it frames my face better than the first one. Both wigs are completely unstyled and will of course be styled once I figure out which one I wanna go with.

Hotaru reference.

Hotaru's hair ranges from a lighter gold to an orange-ish yellow, depending on the art. I decided to not be too picky about the color since it's inconsistent anyway. I do want to have the wig flare upwards a bit in the back though, like his hair does. I always thought that his hair was a reference to that he's a fire user and that's why I always pictured his hair as fairly poofy and wild-looking, but not in an overkill way – that's how I imagined it would translate in real life.

I didn't use any makeup because I did this quick test as soon as I got home from school and I was all tired and sweaty from the biking. My face looks like shit and I apologize if anyone gets cancer. :-D I'll do a makeup test separately later on, so stay tuned for that... I don't want to open my yellow lenses just yet.

But now, wig photos!

First up is wig number 1.

This wig stands up on its own.

Side view.

Just to show the back.

I remember I didn't really like this wig when I first got it, but the more I look at it the more it starts to win me over. It doesn't look very natural but instead it looks very... shounen. This is the wig I'm currently leaning a bit more towards but I'm not sure. The main issue I have with this wig is that it frames my face poorly – mainly because some of the fibers (especially the bangs and the sides) kinda go "outwards" instead of just falling down nice and flat, which leaves that small but oh-so-ugly gap between the wig and your face where one can see your wig cap (or a "dark spot") etc... if you know what I mean. It's hard to describe but I'm sure most cosplayers have experienced it at least once. Then again, I'm not sure if this wig is heat resistant but, if it is, then I might be able to lessen this problem by straightening the problematic areas...

Pros:

• Bigger cap size (aka no headache)
• Really poofy

• A lot of fibers in the back

• Color is deep and attention-grabbing

Cons:

• Doesn't frame my face all that well

• Maybe a bit too yellow/dark?
• Really poofy

Next is wig number two!

Tried to show the wig a bit from above...

... and from the side.

As you can see this wig looks more natural and toned down. I bought it from eBay and it has a very typical anime style and cut. What I'm worried about is that the cap size on this one is smaller (Asian brand) so it might give me a headache for prolonged wear; I have a large head. Another thing that might turn out to be a problem is that this wig doesn't have nearly as much fibers as the other one, so this one might not do as well if I want to style it to liven it up – especially the back part, which I should style anyway. If I go with this wig I would definitely need to style it because it somehow appears flat in comparison to the other wig, like the top doesn't really fluff much at all (unless you tease it).

Pros:
• Frames my face
• Color is a safe card
• Looks more natural

Cons:
• Cap size runs a bit small
• Isn't as full as the other wig
• The back is maybe too thin to be able to style well
• Appears flat in comparison
• Front bangs are a bit too short

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Errr. And as one might expect the wigs of course don't photograph their true colors. *badamtss* The first wig is a warm yet slightly dark golden yellow, quite intense in color but not in a bad neon way. The second wig is a cooler yellow blonde and it's notably lighter than the first wig in real life – it has mixed fibers of different shades so it looks more realistic too. 

I tried to snap camera photos of the wigs next to each other –so that the color differences would be more obvious– but good lord how hard it was to get a photo that was at least somewhat close to reality...

This is the closest shot I got:

This is the closest I could get but my camera still pales down
and washes out the colors. The wigs are warmer and a bit more vibrant in person.

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Okay so yeah, I'd love to hear your suggestions – which one would you choose? I'm really sorry if this post is messy and all over the place but yeah, just wanted to keep it from turning into a kilometer post. ^^" I'm gravitating towards the darker wig at the moment but I'd really appreciate to hear what you guys think! I've been changing my mind back and forth for months now!

~ Shiro Samurai out.