Talk with, Carmen Pilar Best
Peru’s most precious Inca
It doesn’t take the Inca Empire to know this cosplayer is as beautiful as well as talented. Born and living in South America, Peru, Carmen Pilar loves dressing-up in front of the camera. She’s never shy to bring her favorite character to life and when she does, look-out! But what makes Carmen Pilar one of the most beautiful women in South America is that enchanting smile. So without any further delay, and with plenty of adult content, please show your love as I bring my exclusive interview with this Inca’s modern-day princess, Carmen Pilar to the world.
Raven: Thank you so much Carmen for giving me this interview. This interview has been in the works for quite some time and I am so happy you are here today.
Carmen: Thank you so much Raven for being so patient with me. I appreciate this opportunity.
Raven: As a time-honored tradition with all cosplayers being interviewed, I offer a bit of advice, words of encouragement to be passed down to you. I hope this will inspire you as you continue on your cosplay journey so you may be given fame, riches, or at least get lots of subscribers. Carmen here are some words of wisdom for you to relish, “Failure is not about falling, but refusing to get back up is!” And with that, would you be so kind and tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Carmen: As you know my name is Carmenpilar Best, that’s my real name! I do not use nicknames, I was born in a country called, Lima, Peru and I’m currently living there. I am a Libra, which is known to be charming and well balanced, and aesthetically pleasing. I speak, of course, Spanish, English, and in the process of studying Japanese, I was trying to study Japanese. As far as past cosplay awards, I’ve won the first prize for Best Female cosplayer this past National Cosplay Contest called Otakufest. Also, I’ve won the 3rd prize in AnimeLA in our Latin American Cosplay Contest.
Carmen: I have several Anime favorites such as Macross, or better known as Robotech, a wonderful classic. It’s a very special anime series for me as it was my first ever moment shared with my older brother when we were kids. Then there’s Magic Knight Rayearth, Sailor Moon, Full metal Alchemist, Hunter x Hunter, One Piece, and of course, Dragon Ball and Initial D. I love many of the Ghibli Movies such as Howls Moving Castle and many many others. Other cartoon movies such as X-Men, Spider-Man, Batman the animated series became a huge fan. I do occasionally read some comics.
Raven: What sort of kid were you growing up?
Carmen: I used to be shy and a strange little girl who played video games and watched anime (before was mainstream). I did have a lot of friends who were boys my age.
Raven: Are Guinea Pigs tasty?
Carmen: OMG! Is it like eating chicken? I’m not fond of eating them but I try it.
Carmen: I like to try new things at least once to be able to have an opinion on it.
Carmen: In some provinces in Peru, it is an honorific dish you cannot refuse.
Raven: Was it easy or difficult to find friends who share the same interests as you?
Carmen: As a kid yes! Was very difficult as I told you before my friends used to be boys, girls were not interested in video games or anime. Now it is easy to fit into the community and find friends who play videogames and are anime fans!
Raven: Were you ever bullied at school growing up?
Carmen: A little bit for my appearance. As a child, I had naturally thick lips and eyebrows (Luckily enough, it’s fashionable). I was bullied for those features.
Raven: Confession time. Was there something “Bad” you did as a kid and now ready to confess?
Carmen: I used to steal the makeup of my mother and the wigs of my granny to play, Haha! My first steps into costume play!!
Raven: Were you a shy girl growing up, how did you overcome it?
Carmen: I believe performing cosplay helped me a lot. Several key moments in my life pushed me to grow up rather quickly. One such part of my life was the death of my parents at 14 years old. So, I was pushed pretty fast into the real world.
Raven: I’m so sorry to hear that, Carmen. I’m sure, if they were alive today, they would be so proud of you.
Raven: Were they supportive of you?
Carmen: Yes! My parents were kind and supportive. They love that I was a girl who preferred to stay at home while playing video games, a person who invited friends for milk and cookies and not be an all-night typical party girl.
Raven: Is Carmen an animal lover?
Carmen: I love animals. I don’t have any pets at the moment due to my scheduling that prevents me from caring for any pet. I did, however, as a child, owned a bunny as a pet.
Raven: Where’s the bathroom at Skylodge Adventure Suites
Carmen: Haha my dear. That’s something you need to experience to understand.
Raven: What sort of music do you love to let loose and dance to?
Carmen: I’m a very bad dancer, Haha. When I dance, it’s DDR or PUMP. But to be truly honest, even with the videogame, Just Dance, I am so terrible, it’s almost embarrassing to watch, Haha!
Raven: What’s your favorite Peruvian food/drink you love to eat when working on your cosplay outfit?
Carmen: Well if you must know, I’m an addict to sugar-free Coca-Cola, I always drink it cold.
Raven: Knowing you are a Gamer, what sort of games do you play?
Carmen: I love RPG, action RPGs, and visual novels! I am a much better player when I’m playing with a PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, or mobile. Never ask me to play using a computer, I hate playing on a PC. Don’t ask me why I’m just a console gamer.
Raven: What were your favorite dress-up costumes as a kid?
Carmen: I had a costume for Minky Momo, the Magical Girl. In an old anime, my parents bought me the key she always held and I told everyone my name was “Gigi”, a character from the show.
Raven: Let me ask you about your modeling and cosplay career.
Raven: What came first in your social media career, Modeling, or Cosplaying?
Carmen: One of the first jobs I’ve worked as a model was for publicity, promotional cartels, and as a racing girl in small races or events related. I later gave that up to concentrate on my studies. During my studies, I tried cosplay for the first time!
Carmen: My big break at cosplay was a local anime shop I used to coordinate public events that made my debut. From that point, I become a regular cosplayer for their events. At first, I took cosplay as a hobby then I met some friends who were regular cosplayers. They even created a group called Fenrir Team, we used to Cosplay as Vocaloids whom I learned so much about makeup, wigs, fabrics, and the finer details of cosplay. It was then, I decided to study as a 3rd career fashion designer because I wanted to make my costumes.
Raven: If your family decided to visit you unexpectedly, what would you hate them to find in your apartment/house?
Carmen: Some of my erotic cosplay accessories, Haha! They might think I will use them for something more than just pics!
Raven: I’m told by a few cosplayers everyone’s first time can be nervous. How was it for you and what was your first cosplay outfit?
Carmen: I was not nervous, I was excited (I barely knew what I was doing haha, I put on the costume, styled my hair as Tifa Lockart from Advent Children, and put on simple makeup. Tifa Lockart was my first cosplay and I had so much fun. I was not stressed about being the best cosplayer in the world! Now come to think about it, everyone had a lot more knowledge about cosplay. So I can imagine anyone would be afraid of cosplaying for the first time.
Raven: What sort of cosplay characters do you love dressing up?
Carmen: I love characters who have a similar personality to me. My favorite characters are Tifa Lockart from FF7, then I love Mai Shiranui, ChunLi, Dizzy from Guilty Gear, Boa Hancock, Juliet from Lollipop Chainsaw, Morrigan from Darkstalkers, and Bayonetta.
Raven: From the photos you provided, which are fabulous, you have an amazing smile. Does your smile the reason why you are so loved?
Carmen: Hahaha, Thank you. You are making me shy. I do not know of anyone who mentions my smile. I suppose it’s because whenever I’m in a cosplay character which makes me happy!
Raven: Do you love playing soft/sexy feminine characters?
Carmen: To be honest, I’m mostly like soft feminine characters, but I love the aesthetic from dark/gothic girls. So in reality, I’m the dark girl with a sweet-heart.
Raven: Would you do anything with Dark or Gothic characters?
Carmen: In cosplay, I prefer strong girls, usually fighter girls, or gothic-like (succubus, vampires, dark mages character related.
Raven: Unfortunately, cosplayers cannot always please the public. Do you often get criticized for your cosplay outfits?
Carmen: Sometimes being a cosplayer you have to take risks, especially when you are doing a new and different cosplay character.
Raven: We notice a lot of your photos, you are in a bikini. Do you know how to swim?
Carmen: Yes! I loved to swim when I was in school. I used to swim for 2 hours a day!
Raven: Cosplayers nowadays, especially women, go into LEWD or Adult photography. What is your opinion on it?
Carmen: Erotic content is different from pornography. Although there may be a moral thin line that divides it, I feel doing erotic content is something creative that offers another view of cosplay. Many artists offer lewd versions of some of my favorite characters in Doujinshis manga books that I’ve read and it shouldn’t be labeled as something appalling or wrong to do it. Communities tend to be against cosplayers who display erotic content because it’s pornography. I do not believe that is true. It is just simply artwork from the artist.
Raven: Is that something you thought of doing?
Carmen: Erotic content yes! I do it and I enjoy it as well I enjoy the doujinshis and alternative costumes from some of my favorite characters, but pornography is something out of my league. I started doing Erotic Cosplay content 3 years ago, I feel people tend to label this type of content as pornography, they’re wrong.
Raven: Should they do it for artistry or for-profit?
Carmen: The ones who do it for profit are the ones who usually produce pornography. Whenever you start creating erotic content, people will offer you more money. As you go deeper and deeper into explicit content, one has to decide whether you are doing this for art or money.
Raven: What keeps you physically fit and tone, is it exercise or diet?
Carmen: A mix between both. I try to exercise every day and eat healthily most of the time. Of course, I have one or two “Cheat Meals” each week! I love eating ice cream and Japanese desserts like mochi!
Raven: How did you get the cosplayer name, Carmenpilar Best?
Carmen: That is my real name. I was never good at creating nicknames. My first cosplay was Tifa Lockhart and noticed most of the cosplayers kept the name of their first cosplay character or something related. I did not want to be related to only one sort of character or franchise, since I’ve never hidden this from my family or my job so I decided to use my real name.
Raven: What makes you the happiest?
Carmen: My happiest moment is being seated next to my husband when we play RPGs or video games. There are some great stories, people! I’m the type of girl who enjoys playing video games with someone I love. So whenever he plays, I love to be with him and share the adventure.
Raven: What sort of advice can you offer to new and inspiring cosplayers out there?
Carmen: First and foremost, if you are madly in love with whatever character you choose to portray, do the cosplay and enjoy the process of making it. Don’t worry about what people would say from your cosplay if you do it with all the love in your heart, the results will be great! If it is possible to do it with your friends, or with someone you love, the experience is much more fun whenever you share it with someone.
Carmen: I share my hobby with my husband. He helps me a lot with finishing my costumes or taking pictures. He knows what kind of look I’m looking for and supports me completely. He feels my work is nothing to be ashamed of. It’s something we share. Also, I have a great friend who is a photographer that helps me with the photos. Everyone who’s helped me with my cosplay work is dear to me in various ways. I met them through cosplay work or related. That’s what makes it special, even the lewd content!
Raven: This question often gets mixed results, Can I get a hug?
Carmen: Sure! Why not! A bear hug!
Raven: Thank you so much for having me do this interview with you. Carmen Pilar, your interview is in Tha Books. If you would be so kind and ask where can people find more of Carmen and all of those amazing cosplay wear?
Carmen: Thank you Raven for having this interview with me, I appreciate it. For more of me, Carmen Pilar, we have the following:
Instagram.com/carmenpilarbest (Adult Content)
Onlyfans.com/carmenpilarbest (Adult Content)
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This has been a Raven Steel Exclusive.
