Halloween is just around the corner, and so begins the time to start planning your spooky costumes. But, there is no need to worry about blowing your loan on an extravagant outfit! Here are plenty of ideas on how to wow, terrify and impress this Halloween, all on a budget.
1) Black Cat
Yes, it’s been done a million times before, but this is one of the easiest (and cheapest!) ways to dress up for Halloween… Who doesn’t love cats, anyway?! To execute your purr-fect cat costume, black eyeliner will be your best friend. Use this to draw on your whiskers and nose, but your eyeliner doesn’t have to end there. Thick, winged eyeliner helps elongate the eye, adding to the feline look. An added bonus to dressing up as a cat is that no money needs to be spared on props; a cheap way to make ears is cutting out diamond shapes from black cardboard, getting an old plastic headband and folding half of the diamond under it to create triangular ears. (You can secure by using superglue). An extra feature could be to add a tail to your all-black outfit, by attaching a long-black sock, or cutting up some black tights, to the back of your costume.
2) Zombie
The best way to achieve this look is by purchasing some first-aid bandages from a chemist. Use an old, white vest, shorts, shirt or dress, and wrap the bandages around your chosen outfit. (You can use as many as you think achieves a convincing zombie look.) Attach these by simply tying them up, safety pinning them, or even sewing them on. For extra impact, age the zombie bandages by using teabags to stain them, or you could even use silver coloured hairspray. Want to be extra mummified? Tie your hair up into a high ponytail, and plait your hair using a spare bandage!
3) Cruella Deville
Cruella is a simple, but effective, outfit choice. As long as you have a fluffy top, jacket, or coat, and some coloured hairspray, then you’ve got it! If you have dark hair, just buy white coloured hairspray (or even just dry shampoo!), and if you have light hair, all you’ll need is black hairspray. A classic little black dress, some bold eyeliner, and a statement red lip are the finishing features… This is definitely one of my favourites.
4) Pumpkin
It’s time to gather together all of your orange clothing… If you don’t own anything orange, then Primark is your go-to shop for clothing that is easy on your student loan. You can top this off with a green scrunchie or headband to embrace the pumpkin vibes and create some foliage. Creative makeup, using eyeliner to make your eyes and mouth, will take this simple choice to the next level.
HerCampus’s Halloween Top-Tips…
- You can pass anything as a Halloween outfit if you throw some fake blood on it!
- The key, cheap Halloween purchases to create a convincing look include dark makeup, fake blood, face paint, eye contacts, and liquid latex.
- Alternatively, nowadays, it’s easier than ever to purchase a simple outfit online, if you’re not up to the task of making anything. This could turn into a long-term investment, because you will have it year after year… Even better! Here are some of my favourite ideas that I’ve seen online…
Skeleton: https://www.boohoo.com/halloween-skeleton-high-neck-sleeveless-mini-dres…
Spider-web bodysuit: https://www.boohoo.com/halloween-cobweb-mesh-cut-out-bodysuit/FZZ78876.html
Halloween T-shirt: https://www.missguided.co.uk/black-witch-better-have-my-candy-graphic-ov…
Halloween Themed Dress: https://www.prettylittlething.com/black-pumpkin-print-split-detail-midi-…
Remember, no costume idea is too bold or too simple, and everyone is out to have fun! But, I hope these ideas help inspire you to get your Halloween on this year… Trick or treat?!
Words by Rosa Hibbert.