/cgl/ - Cosplay & EGL

Don't do it. It's not necessary. Not only does it look dirty and greasy when white people try to paint their skin darker, if your skin tone is such a problem to you, be creative and make a colorswap of that character that would actually fit your skin. Or cosplay them with your existing skin color. Or don't cosplay them at all, even if you love the character. Just because you're European doesn't mean you're immune to the logic that using something that comes with social/emotional/mental baggage - like race - as a costume is a bad idea. Whether it's your intention or not, you're trivializing the struggles that come with that skin tone (and often, white people are just very deliberately making a mockery of other races with shitty/stupid costumes like pic related).
Some of us are brown/black for life, and make cosplay decisions to work with our skin (because painting yourself white is more of a struggle), or just ignore it and cosplay whatever they want. It's not as complicated or terrible as you think to work within your element.