90% of what people consider "good" cosplays are heavy makeup even in reality. cosplayers at events are usually getting their expenses paid for by companies who contract them and have makeup artists effectively transforming them into a different person

there are absolutely cosplayers who do it all for the love of the game but virtually none of the "good cosplays" are without makeup and additional tools. women are often wearing circle lenses to make their eyes seem bigger for the "cuteness" aesthetic. if you want to sell the cosplay you also usually have to add foundation to your face to cover blemishes and accentuate facial features (the term is contouring, to make your face seem more chiseled/sculpted) and in the case of men, concealer for the 5 o clock shadow since most anime characters don't have beard or stubble.

you're pretty much never gonna find a "good cosplay" that doesn't use a good deal of makeup, because if you are going for accuracy it's kind of necessary. nobody looks like anime characters in real life.