Serving the campus of the University of Alabama since 1894

The Crimson White


Serving the campus of the University of Alabama since 1894

The Crimson White

Serving the campus of the University of Alabama since 1894

The Crimson White

Procrastinator’s guide to perfect Halloween costume

Halloween is without a doubt one of my favorite holidays. Between watching scary movies, carving pumpkins and eating candy that I will probably regret later, the holiday is simply fun.

The best part of Halloween, of course, is dressing up in costume. It is an opportunity to try out crazy makeup, wear fun outfits and become someone else for a night. There are endless possibilities to look sweet, sexy or funny.

If you are like me and waited until the last minute to get a costume, the fun of dressing up can quickly turn into stress. With Halloween coming up this week, you can bet that costume stores have already been picked over. Whatever is left can cost from $30-$80. I don’t know about you, but I think that is a little much for a plastic costume that will be worn once. Not to mention, Halloween is almost like prom in the sense that nobody wants to have that frustrating moment of wearing the exact same costume as someone else.

But have no fear, my fellow procrastinators; there are still plenty of chances to quickly put together a cheap, easy but still fun costume for Halloween night. All you need is a clearance rack at a clothing store, a few accessories and YouTube.

For a sweet look, transform yourself into the cutest character out there: Minnie Mouse. Look in your closet for any red, black or white dresses or skirts. If you cannot find one, try looking at clothing stores or thrift shops for one. Pair the outfit with a pair of solid black leggings or tights and wear a pair of flats or low heels. Extra points if your shoes are yellow like Minnie’s. Of course, you will also need a pair of Minnie Mouse ears. If you cannot find any, look on YouTube for tutorials on how to make them. If you still cannot get any, just wear a big bow in your hair.

If you want a scarier idea for a costume, try a zombie. This costume is easier because you can actually wear anything in your closet. If you want to do a little extra, take something you do not want anymore and put tears and fake blood stains on it. Look at Wal-Mart, Target or a costume store for a Halloween makeup kit. There are plenty of YouTube tutorials that can help you turn into a scary or pretty zombie, depending on what you want. For your hair, go crazy. Grab a comb and hairspray and tease, tease, tease. Again, depending on how elaborate you want to look, make your hair as big as you can.

For a simple, more traditional look, become a witch. Look for a black dress in any style. Add a pair of black patterned tights and black shoes. You should be able to still find a witch’s hat in a costume store. If not, look at stores such as Claire’s or Icing for small ones. These jewelry stores also carry costume jewelry with spiders, cobwebs and other Halloween symbols. For makeup, try an extreme smoky eye and bold lipstick. Give your hair big barrel curls to look more sophisticated.

Halloween is supposed to be fun, but having to find last-minute costumes can make it as stressful as Christmas. Whether you received a last-minute invitation to a party or waited until the day of Halloween to decide that you will dress up, there are always possibilities to create the best costume out there.

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