Accessorize Your Costume

Posted on May 27, 2012 by Emma Rae
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When you think about your dream costume, what is the first thing that comes to mind? For me, I always worry that a costume isn’t authentic enough, and by authentic I mean realistic. If you dress as cat-woman for Halloween, it’s not enough to just wear a black dress and cat ears. You have to transform into cat woman. And that’s where my argument for accessories begins and ends.

Accessories take a boring cat woman costume and set it apart from all others. Makeup, tail, hat, and whiskers. Yes, I’m talking about whiskers. For cat woman to really be cat-like she needs her whiskers!

Here are my top five missed opportunities for accessorizing a costume effectively, they are:

  1. Makeup – Anyone can paint their face white like a ghost, but not everyone can pull off Sally from Nightmare Before Christmas. Practice makes perfect, but using legitimate makeup from companies like MAC instead of cheap costume makeup from Walmart can also make a huge difference. Know your makeups and practice until you get it right.
  2. Hair – Sometimes your costume will let you get away with your natural color and cut. Most times, you’ll need to dye it or wear a wig. If you’re looking to really sell something, you have to give it your all. Hair color is a small price to pay.
  3. Facial hair – Some men can’t grow facial hair, but that shouldn’t stop them from dressing up as a character that sports a beard. Using a combination of makeup, a fake beard, and spirit gum you will be able to create a convincingly realistic beard. Again, you’ll have to practice.
  4. Jewelry – Whether your character has piercings, bracelets, gothic crosses or bone cuffs it’s important that you think about what quickly communicates who you are and what you value.
  5. Shoes – This is usually were most costume wearers fail. You’ve got awesome hair, makeup, jewelry, but your shoes are plain ‘ole sneakers. You can do better than that. I know you can. Think about what period in history your costume is from. At the very least dress with the most unobtrusive option in your closet.
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Go Big or Go Home: Making Sexy Costumes Work is All About Your Accessories

Posted on May 22, 2012 by Emma Rae
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Go Big or Go Home: Making Sexy Costumes Work is All About Your Accessories

You may have noticed that Halloween costumes have gotten edgier in the past decade. I am not entirely sure how it happened, but someone, somewhere decided that women should always be cold on Halloween and because of this, the most popular costumes are the sexy costumes. 

To that, I say rawr.  While it may seem intimidating to dust off your cat ears and pull out your fishnet stockings for some of you who aren’t used to it, but it really can be a lot of fun. Lots of comedians have joked about how Halloween is the only of the year that women can dress a bit more risqué and get away with it. If that’s the case, why not join in the fun?

The key to pulling off a costume that you wouldn’t otherwise be caught dead in is to remember that it’s Halloween. It’s the day of the dead, and as such you can experiment and take an evening to live on the fringes. The next morning, you can go right back to your tried and true ways, but I’m guessing you’ll do so with a grin on your face from having a fun evening of costumed celebrating.

Really, all you need is a willingness to try something new, some self-confidence and a killer costume.  If you’ve ever wanted to be a woman-in-uniform, a sexy firefighter or a cave woman, once you have the outfit, the perfect accessories are what make or break the costume. You wouldn’t dress up as Cleopatra without a black wig and tons of eyeliner, right? So, for those wild women’s costumes, just remember to add your personal style, but set on high. If you normally only wear a little lip-gloss, go all out with red lipstick. Don’t forget the high heels, signature props and vampy attitude and before you know it, you’ll be “knockin’ them dead.”

 

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Halloween Masks

Posted on May 18, 2012 by Emma Rae
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While you’re brainstorming your next Halloween costume, I’ve started making a list of my favorite masked character. I thought up several fun costumes that you can do on the fly just by buying or making a quick mask. While masks aren’t for everyone, they are a simple costume solution that makes for entertaining fun at parties as friends and strangers try to guess your identity.

While I regularly try to find unique ways of making my own costume accessories, things like masks can be extremely finicky. So don’t worry if i you have to buy a pre-made mask. Some of the best masks can be found online for not very much.

Here are some of my favorite masked costumes:

  1. Zorro – What is more sexy than a man dressed in black?
  2. Darth Vader
  3. V for Vendetta
  4. Spider-man
  5. Cat woman
  6. Batman
  7. The Lone Ranger
  8. Mexican wrestlers
  9. Three Musketeers
  10. Venetian party goers

Other great ideas include belly dancers,  day of the dead masks, Scream, and any character from a Sci-Fi film like Star Wars or Star Trek. The Phantom of the Opera mask is definitely a great look.

Who are your favorite masked identities? Is there anyone I haven’t heard of? I’m trying to make a complete list of masked characters and would love your input.

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Halloween Ideas: Non Piercing Body Jewelry

Posted on May 8, 2012 by Emma Rae
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Halloween costumes don’t have to be elaborate. Sometimes a costume that looks natural is the best way to go. Especially if it’s something that is dramatic for you. Take for example piercings. Not everyone is comfortable with multiple facial piercings, but for Halloween you can easily dress up with lots of piercings without ever having to put a mark on your face.

Here are some of my favorite kinds of non pierced jewelry that are great for a simple gypsy costume or a punk rock girl.

  1. Hoops – You can easily find rings with ends that pinch your nose, ear or lip. While most are made of flexible wire, some have actual springs built into them for comfort.
  2. Magnetic piercings can be hoops or stud piercings. These hefty little magnets can hold through your skin, so you can easily place them anywhere on your face– be it the cheek, lip, ear or nose.
  3. Clips – Clip-ons are as old as earrings themselves. Not everyone has wanted to put a hole in their ears. These earrings can also have screws, but the clips are less painful. Now with more options than ever, clip-ons don’t have to be your grandma’s jewelry anymore.

Whether you are going for a face full of piercings or a simple touch these options are sure to boost whatever your costume design is. A great costume is all in the details.

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So Many Great Halloween Costumes

Posted on April 30, 2012 by Emma Rae
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I don’t know if you’re anything like me, but every time late October comes along, I face one of the biggest decisions of my years: What do I dress up as for Halloween?  It’s one of the most difficult decisions I make.  This decision isn’t difficult because there are too few good options.  On the contrary, there are way too many fabulous options!  Anyone who tells you they can’t think of anything to dress up as this Halloween is lying to you.  There are amazing costumes for Halloween for any age and any gender.  Kids can dress up like their favorite Disney characters, like Snow White or Buzz Lightyear.  These are for kids of any age, from seven to seventeen.  Teens may be “too cool” to dress up like a Disney character, but there are still plenty of fantastic options for them.  If there’s anything teenagers like, it’s trends.  There are several trending costumes for them, including Lady Gaga and characters from the hit show “Glee.”  But Halloween is not just for the kids.  In fact, the older I get, the more I think it’s for the adults.  Men and women alike have several affordable and awesome options available to them.  Men can show off their humorous side by dressing up Waldo or as an angry bird.  And if it’s a truly adult Halloween, ladies can show off their sexy side.  There are several sexy schoolgirl outfits available.  If the kids can dress up like adults, why can’t adults dress like the kids?  Ultimately, there are just too many great costumes out there for anyone to ever say otherwise.

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Great Halloween Costumes for Dogs

Posted on April 26, 2012 by Emma Rae
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So you’re taking your kids out trick or treating for Halloween.  Your kids are dressed up, and so are you hopefully.  It’s a great family activity.  But did you ever feel like someone from the family was missing?  Why can’t the dog come along?  After all, it’s a time to give him or her a good walk.  And who said Halloween was strictly for the humans?  That’s not fair if you ask me.  There are plenty of dog costumes for man’s best friend this Halloween, and all of them will be comfortable for your pooch.  Do you think your dog is something of a guard dog?  Dress it up as the ultimate crime fighter this Halloween: Batman.  There is a cute cowboy costume readymade for you dog as well.  Or do you have a smaller breed of dog and you want to show the world just adorable it is?  In that case, dress it up as one of your favorite characters from “Alice in Wonderland.”  The bumble bee costume would be appropriate for this situation as well.  Maybe your dog is something of a little punk.  Not a problem, there’s a Zelda punk rock dog costumes ready for your dog, complete with a pink wig and everything.  But maybe you don’t want to go throughthe trouble of dressing your dog too extravagantly.  After all, you probably had to dress the kids, which I know can be something of a chore.  Show off your sense of humor and strap on a jockey or a mailman harness to your dog.  Finally, someone riding your dog that’s not your kid!  There are many creative ways to dress your dog this Halloween, and unlike your kid, it can’t object.  It’s a win win.

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Unique Costume Ideas

Posted on April 26, 2012 by Emma Rae
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Every Halloween I hear some parent or child complaining about how all of the costumes look exactly the same. Cheap material, same ideas, or just boring.

Here are three ideas sure to get your creative side all fired up this Halloween:

  1. Dress up as a Penny – That’s right the Treasury department has created the perfect source of costume genius. Using cardboard cut out a large circle that can cover your profile from below the chest to directly above the head. Paint it bronze with spray paint. Then add a fake beard with spirit gum, and paint yourself bronze with a nice summer bronzing spray. Bonus points for finding a brown suit.
  2. A Gazelle – Whether you make your own horns or twist your hair up. This outfit is stunning. If you do end up fastening your hair into horn-like spirals, make sure to use colored hair spray to make them look darker than usual. Then paint your face to look like a deer. If you wear soft leather you will look even more convincing.
  3. A Unicorn – While most girls under the age of 3 want to be unicorns, the costume tends to die out among trick or treaters older than that. But I have seen some really cute unicorn costumes out there. So, if you want to try something unique, go rainbow! All that you really have to have is a horn, other than that you are free to play it up.
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Ideas For Halloween

Posted on April 25, 2012 by Emma Rae
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I don’t know about you, but every year the most horrifying month for me is Halloween.  It’s not because of all the scary movies in the theaters and the ones on television or the pranks that my friends may try and attempt on me (although all of this certainly doesn’t help), but because I can never figure out what I want to dress up as for Halloween!  The pressure becomes too much!  Okay, so I’m being a touch dramatic, but it really is always pretty difficult to figure out.  There are just so many fantastic costume ideas out there.  I try and shake it up every year.  Sometimes I go as a favorite pop star, other years a super hero.  But for anyone who’s a little open and has an imagination, there is a plethora of options out there.  You simply have to go with something you love.  It’s not enough to pick a costume you think others will really enjoy, but that you’re only lukewarm about.  Your personality won’t ring true.  It’s also very important to pick something comfortable.  My fellow ladies will know precisely what I’m talking about.  Dressing up for Halloween usually comes pretty easy for the men, but for women it can be a daunting task, especially for those of us who attempt to go the “sexy” route.  Those tight-fitting costumes can make it harder to breathe.  No one is happy going through a night like that.  But the most important thing is just to have fun.  Remember, no one is going to remember or care what you dressed up as six months from now, unless you really hit one out of the park.  So be creative, be comfortable and have a happy Halloween!

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DIY Halloween Makeup Recipes

Posted on April 16, 2012 by Emma Rae
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Anytime I look at the Halloween makeup that lines the holiday aisle at Target or Walmart around Halloween I can’t help but think, “What’s in this stuff?” I just don’t trust cheap makeup that’s made in China with who knows what for ingredients. That’s why I decided to start making my own. It’s simple and easy, and you know exactly what’s inside.

Here are two recipes that are sure to help you save money and protect your kids from the horrible toxins found in cheap makeup.

  1. White Base Makeup –

Often referred to as a clown base, white makeup provides the perfect base for other colored face paint. Just mix up the following ingredients:

2 tsp. white shortening

5 tsp. corn starch

1 tsp. white all purpose flour (if you are gluten intolerant use tapioca flour).

Glycerin

Food coloring

The glycerin is added after the first three ingredients are well blended. It creates the creamy makeup texture that we’ve come to expect from a base coat.

  1. Homemade Face Paint –

Mix the following ingredients to create a perfect face paint for all of your Halloween makeup needs.

1 tsp. corn starch

1/2 tsp. water

1/2 tsp. cold cream or white shortening like Crisco or Coconut Oil

2 drops food coloring

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Halloween Masks

Posted on April 10, 2012 by Emma Rae
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Halloween masks are one aspect of Halloween costumes that I especially love. A well made Halloween mask can make any costume. Masks are so powerful they can become a costume in and of them selves as well. People have been using masks for thousands and thousands of years for a variety of reasons because of the powerful message they send. Masks can strike fear, conceal your identity, give you a different identity, illicit humor, or change the way people interact with you. Masks have great cultural power as well, just think of how popular the Nixon mask has become and the message that it sends.

Halloween masks allow you to be anyone you want to be whether it is a famous politician, a character from your favorite movie, or even an animal. You can also become a monster such as a zombie, a werewolf, Frankenstein’s monster, or any other you can think of. Another great thing about Halloween masks is as manufacturing processes improve, the masks get more and more realistic each year. Some of the newer masks are downright frightening to me, and I love Halloween! So I recommend that you shop around and put some thought into getting a great Halloween mask this year. There are so many great ones to choose from including, Darth Vader, a horse head, Barack Obama, Batman, a monkey head, Bill Clinton, and so many more. And do not forget that these masks can be used for pranks year round, so you do not only have to use them around Halloween. In fact, the effect is much greater when people are not expecting you to be wearing a mask!

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