Save or Splurge: Halloween Costume

Halloween Costumes allow us to dress in crazy, fun, extravagant ways that would not be acceptable most of the year. I love to go over the top for Halloween. However, I don't love to spend over the top.

Halloween Costumes should be a creative splurge rather than a monetary splurge. Costumes can be created with makeup, items already in the closet and inexpensive thrift store and dollar store items. Most expensive, premade costumes are a waste of money and creative oppurtunity.

Makeup:
--Jael recently wrote about MAC Cosmetics costume ideas
--Winged eyeliner and a beehive make you an instant Amy Winehouse
--Goth makeup is easy to achieve and basic black is in everyone's closet
--Clown makeup and Raggedy Ann makeup are pretty simple, and the clothing can be easy to find, especially for hobo clowns.
--Colored contacts (a worthwhile purchase for fun eye color all year year round) and other Halloween makeup such as vampire teeth, black lipstick, crazy fake eyelashes, face paint and bold nail color can create an array of monsters. (This stuff can also be fun for makeup experiments when Halloween is over.)
-Cleopatra is mostly about the heavy ancient Egyptian makeup and a shiny dress with big bold jewelry. Make Cleo modern with that gold sequin dress you wore for New Years.

Closet Costumes:
--A basic black dress and long cigarette holder can make you Holly Golightly from Breakfast at Tiffany's.
--A fairytale prom dress or fussy bridesmaid dress can be turned into a princess costume with a simple tiara from the dollar store.
--If your cap and gown are still stuffed in the closet your can wear them for a last minute graduate costume.
--Pleated skirts and left over high school or college sweatshirts make for easy cheerleader costumes. Editorialize a little by adding a pillow under the sweatshirt for a pregnant cheerleader costume.
--An old prom dress plus a bottle of fake blood equals a creepy Carrie costume.

Thrift Store:
--Ugly wedding dresses are also and easy find. These make bridezilla, corpse bride, bride from hell, shotgun wedding bride and regular bride costumes pretty easy to accomplish.
--Slutty clothes are also easy thrifting finds. I saw a group of women at a Salvation Army Store buying what seemed to be Pussycat Doll costumes. They looked fabulously trashy. This could be a mix of clothes you own and a few skanky purchases.
--Back to the wedding and prom dresses. A white poofy dress, either purchased short or cut short and the head off of a stuffed swan could make a great Bjrok costume. I actually saw the perfect dress and stuffed swan, but the dress wasn't my size.