Halloween Costume Ideas

Halloween is a time filled with lots of fun parties and social events. If you don't want to head on out to a costume store for a traditional costume that you will only get one wear out of, here are some ideas to help you have the best costume at the party (and in all of the pics to follow) in clothes you can find in the stores you are already shopping at. 

via: hannahbeth

1.Ditch the sexy maid costume this year for a fun new take on the classic costume. Pair this cute oversized tee with some over the knee socks, and the sexy bed head hair for a hot, no fuss costume.

via: urban outfitters

2. Who said you can't rock your every day clothes on Halloween, too? As if! Pull out your best preppy pieces, grab some shopping bags, brush up on your 90s lingo, and go as Cher Horowitz. You'll be the hottest Betty at the party and get all those Baldwin boys.

via: topshop

via: topshop

3. It's a bird.. it's a plane.. it's your super cute new Halloween costume!! Why should the boys have all the superhero fun, ditch the damsel in distress routine for this adorable superman costume! I rocked this look last year and it was just as simple as it was cute. Get a superman shirt from the boys department at Target or Walmart and cut it into a cute crop top. Pair it with a high waisted black circle skirt, throw on a pair of faux glasses and a loose tie around your neck.

Bonus! This works as a group look too! My friends and I each chose a superhero to dress up as together. 

4.  Nothing wrong with sticking with the classics. Support your inner cat lover this year and go as a fierce feline. I love this dainty, handmade headband from Etsy. It's more unique than the furry, Party city ones, and I think it resembles a tiara (which is always extra fun). Get your royal paws waving from elbow to wrist, and wear the "tiara"ears with pretty much whatever you want! I think this playful, backless romper is a fun twist on the classic LBD. 

via: etsy

via: urban outfitters

5. If you're looking for a retro inspiration, throwback to your inner flower child. I personally love the floral crown trend, and think it would be fun to play up for Halloween. This is also a great look that you might be able to throw together with stuff you already have in your closet.

via: urban outfitters

via: free people

I love all these looks because I rather get more than one wear out of what I buy, and think any of these pieces would be fun to wear in different ways all year round. What do you prefer, the store bought costumes or the semi-DIY ones?

Cheetah Print Eye Makeup

This is a fun way to do an easy makeup look for halloween, and a little different then just doing a cat eye with the ears.

1. Apply a gold eyeshadow all over your lid.

2. Using liquid or gel eyeliner create a winged, cat eye on your upper lash line. The easiest way to do this is start at the middle of your lashes and work out to the corner. Then go back and fill in with a thing line from the inner corner to the middle. Then to do the wing, follow your lower lash line and wing it up. then connect the line to your line on the lash line. Fill in the little triangle you made. 

3. With the eyeliner, create small little c shapes and little half circles, on your crease towards the outer part of your eye.

4. Fill in the shapes with a small brush and a gold eyeshadow. I found it was easier to use a cream eyeshadow.

5. If you want, use a gold glitter eyeliner on your eyelid and on the print and liner for added shimmer. 

6. Finish up with two coats of mascara. 

To get the full cat effect, add ears and cheetah print clothes. To finish up the makeup use the liner to make whiskers on your face and fill in the black nose. I also chose to use a gold pigment to go over my lips. 

Zipper Nail Design

This design is really quick to do, and you don't need a lot of colors.

1. Paint all the nails with one or two coats of black nail polish or another base color, until opaque.

2. Using a small paint brush or nail art brush, paint the "zipper" on using a white or silver nail polish. Make small dashed lines going back and forth on opposite sides to create the zipper. On another nail, start off the same way, but then mid way through the nail separate the two sides of the sipper with diagonal lines to create an opened zipper effect. 

3. Fill in the triangle at the tip of the nail, the open part of the zipper, with a color of your choice, with a nail art brush or very carefully with a regular nail polish brush applicator. 

4. You can do this design on as many nail as you want. I chose to do a closed zipper on my ring finger and open on my pointer on my left hand, and the reverse on my right hand. You can finish off the look with a topcoat to protect your design.