Throughout the year, I usually have some great ideas for costumes but like most, I tend to forget them when the 31st actually rolls around. I still haven’t settled on what I’m going to dress up as on Friday-oops- but I do have some ideas for those of you who are in my boat! These looks can easily be created with makeup and some of the clothes/accessories you may have in your closet. Hope you enjoy!
1. Ellaria Sand from Game of Thrones
Start with flawless foundation for face. I used W3ll People’s #87 (a taupey golden color) on the inner tear ducts and along lower lash line. Take small brush and go over the taupe shadow on the lower lash line with MAC’s loose pigment in Copper Sparkle. Make sure the copper shadow is wet to get the full impact of the metallic sheen. Then take black gel liner and smudge over top lid and lower lash line to define eyes. The bottom should have a kajal (dark and smoky) effect. Line your water rim with black liner. Blend a shimmery brown into the crease of your eye to diffuse the smudged black shadow. Use a shimmery bronzer such as Revlon’s Photoready Skinlights to contour your cheeks. Go back with bronzer and give your face a nice glow. Swipe on Nars Morocco for lipstick or any orange, then finish with Nars Body Glow for a nice shimmer on the face and body.2. Tris from Divergent
Because what girl in their mid-twenties doesn’t want to be a character from a YA series?
Simple makeup is the key. Use Maybelline Dream Wonder Foundation to give skin a matte finish. Add any neutral cream blush for a naturally flushed look on your cheeks. I used MAC’s Tease Your Taste. Define brows with Benefit’s Gimme Brow. Barely line your upper and lower lashes with a brown shadow pencil, such as Maybelline’s. For shadow, I used Urban Decay’s Naked Palette Naked on the lid and blended Buck into the crease for subtle definition. Two coats of mascara will suffice. Finish with a bit of chapstick.
Stencil in the birds on top of the collarbone with a black eyeliner, throw on a leather jacket over black tee and jeans and you are Divergent!
3. 1950’s Rosie/Pinup Mashup
Again, I was grabbing what I already had in my closet and finding looks that you could recreate with makeup so yes, this look is not exactly Rosie the Riveter and not sultry enough to be a Pinup buuut the makeup and my curl (yes, one curl since I have no clue how to style my hair) is reminiscent of the 1950’s so it’s a mix.
Apply Revlon’s Photoready Airbrush Foundation and use a damp Beauty Blender to blend into a smooth finish. Next, apply a light shade of eyeshadow on the lid such as Venus, then Faint into the crease from Urban Decay’s Naked 2 Basics to create dimension. Your cat eye should be thick and dramatic, very simple to apply with Benefit’s Push Up Eyeliner. Add as many coats of mascara as you’d like for luscious lashes. Benefit’s They’re Real Mascara has been a long-time favorite product of mine since it lengthens, curls and applies volume all at once. You can choose to get a bit more creative with your brows if you want to veer more in the Pinup direction by making them thinner and more arched, but I chose to just fill them in. I added a bit of shimmer for some highlight on top of my cheekbones. W3LL People’s Universalist ColorStick in #5 was dabbed on the apples and blended for blush. Armani’s Rouge Ecstasy in 404 Spice tops off the look!
4. Mermaid
I fell in love with mermaids the moment I saw The Little Mermaid when I was four and that movie still holds a special place in my heart. The beach or an ocean was always near in my upbringing and I was always drawn to the myths of mermaids portrayed in books and movies growing up. My fondness of mermaids is something I share with my family. I used to play mermaids on the beach and in the pool with my cousins and my “Grandma at the Beach” has an entire room dedicated to mermaids which I can’t wait to see again when we visit for Thanksgiving! So, when I was trying to pick some looks that could be achieved with makeup, transforming into a mermaid to fulfill a childhood dream seemed just right. This is more of your Peter Pan or Hook mermaid- a darker, more fantastical take. I did this look twice because I thought the green and purple turned out looking more like an alien/reptile–which can be used as another costume! So on the second go-around I focused on using blue and a hint of purple.
To achieve this look: I began with my eyes and worked my way out to the rest of my face. I colored my eyebrows in with MAC’s Dark Truth. Apply a dark blue shadow such as L’Oreal Infallible Eye Shadow in 760 Timeless Blue Spark on your lid and extend it past your crease and outer corners of your eyes. Connect the shadow and bring it all along your lower lash line. Take a slightly larger blending brush and blend more of the shadow into an inverted pyramid under the eye and diffuse the lines. Going for a raccoon effect. Then use a slightly lighter or brighter blue like Maybelline’s Color Tattoo Pure Pigments in 10 Brash Blue and dab on the center of the eyelid. Line the top of the eye and water rim with a brightly colored waterproof liner, such as Electric and Mint Julep and cover the entire lid in clear gloss or vaseline for a wet look. To top off my ‘out of the water’ for the face, I went to my local Michael’s and found a spool of ribbon that looked like seaweed and some fishnet. I used my airbrush machine to spray my purple Temptu makeup but I found that holding the ribbon still and brushing eyeshadow over it was easier and had the same effect. I used Nar’s Burn it Blue for the majority scales then added some extra sparkle with some crafting glitter. Finish with Lipstick Queen’s Hello Sailor and voila, you are a magical mermaid too!
5. If you’ve exhausted all real efforts, glitter is always the answer.
This is my kind of costume-not sure what I would wear with it because I don’t really know what it is, but it sure looks cool and takes no time at all! Warm water, soap and Scotch tape are key for removing every bit!
Happy Halloween!
xoK
Below was my Halloween costume for a party in Houston. The Red Hot Chili Peppers are still my all-time favorite band and this was my little tribute as the Mother’s Milk album cover. Def. went the more creative route. I even sharpied the ken dolls down to their exact tattoos. Having them duct taped to me all night was pretty interesting. We’ll see what next year brings!
