INSTA-COSTUME With 724 stores located throughout the US, Spirit Halloween is the the nation's largest Halloween retailer. They're ready & waiting for last minute wannabe vampires (a la Twilight), pop-tarts (Brit Brit, RiRi, Michael Jackson), trolls (Sarah Palin; Bernie Madoff), and of course, the usual hordes of Trekkies, Star Wars nerds, and Harry Potter'ites.
BE CHEAP! Steal a page - or in this case, a tie - from one of your fave dapper dudes of Public Enemies (the latest starring Johnny Depp), Entourage, or Mad Men. Arrive in style with a classy tie, bow tie, or pocket square, and have a few laffs. "All a creative costume needs is a few good add-ons like a tie, cufflink, or pocket square to complete the look," opines Greg Shugar, Lead Designer at TheTieBar.com. "When times are hard, nobody wants to spend a lot on a Halloween costume, which is why ties and suit accessories are a great way to make your holiday haunt genuine, and still have a practical use afterwards."
BETTY DRAPER This look is all about the hair. Instead of splurging on a wig, Pantene celeb stylist Danilo has these tips for perfecting your retro coiffure. First tame frizz and silkify tresses with Pantene Pro-V Smooth Shampoo & Conditioner. While your hair is still damp, apply Pantene Restoratives Frizz Control Ultra Smoothing Balm and blow dry, using a natural or combination-bristle round brush. Break out the 1" barrel curling iron, and wrap from root to end for deep waves; around the face, wrap the front of the hair away and curl the ends under. Part hair to one side and use a natural bristly brush (a synthetic brush will separate curls and create a tousled look). Finish with Pantene Pro-V Maximum Hold Aerosol Hairspray.
BARBIE Get the 'do and the cat eye right & you're halfway there. Very important: a blonde bombshell wig with bangs. For your maquillage, celeb makeup artist Brett Freedman - whose clients include Jessica Biel, Vanessa Hudgens & Emily Blunt - offers these tips: First sweep a dusting of silver from lash line to brow, and into the tear duct as well. Add depth with a sweep of purple-gray in the crease. Follow with felt-tip liquid liner (Brett recommends Sephora's version); staying as close to the lash line as possible, lightly dot on a line. Then connect the dots by pressing the liner firmly into the skin; fan up and outwards toward the temples. Finish off with pretty pink cheeks, lips, a form-fitting sheath dress, pumps, clutch, and some pearls.
TWIGGY Buy two sets of fake eyelashes: a full, dark pair for the top, and a set that's sparser & spikier for the bottom (try Andrea Perma-Lash). Use matte gray shadow to sculpt your lid from the tear duct to the outer corner; arc it like a rainbow and don't be afraid to exaggerate. Use a nearly-white silver shimmer shadow on the lid and brow bone. Apply liquid liner on both the top and bottom lash lines, extending out toward the mid-ear (not the temple). Apply the false lashes. Nix blush, and slick on nude or fleshy lipstick or gloss. Slip on a short-cropped wig, mini printed shift dress (try your local thrift store), and some white boots made for walkin'. (Brett Freedman)
JOAN JETT Get the look with smoky/smudgy eyes and a shaggy dark 'do. Apply normal base and a fleshy, barely-there pink blush. Using soft black eyeliner, fill in your lid and under-eye in quick strokes. Don't worry about getting it perfect - you're a rocker chick, which means messy. Curl lashes and apply many, many layers of blue-black mascara (try L'Oreal Voluminous). Once the mascara dries, dab some clear lip gloss on the lid and rub into the lash line for a wet, naughty look. Pair with skinny jeans, boots, white tank, and cropped motorcycle jacket and rock on! (Brett Freedman)
UHURA FROM STAR TREK Smooth hair and tame fly-aways with Pantene Pro-V Restoratives Frizz Control Shampoo & Conditioner advises Danilo. Next, slick on Pantene Pro-V Smooth Serum to shine and smoothness, and blow-dry with a flat brush; aim the airflow down for the most sleek look possible. Then, directing a flat iron downward, flat-iron your hair parallel with your face for finished-looking ends. Use a natural bristle brush to pull hair back up, and create a ponytail at the crown. Use a hair-embellished elastic to create the illusion of a bun. Keep everything in place with Pantene Pro-V Ice Shine Maximum Hold Aersol hairspray (gives a reflective shine).
A MUPPET Muppet fans (is there such a thing as someone who isn't?!) will be thrilled to know the first-ever official muppet costumes are now available, including Miss Piggy, Kermit the Frog, Fozzie Bear, and Statler & Waldorf. Available at BuyCostumes.com or wherever they sell Halloween Buying Group costumes.
FANTASTIC & FOLKLORIC According to German folklore, Lorelei the Siren would sit on the crest of the mountains and sing, luring unsuspecting navigators of the Rhine river to their demise. "Some considered her to be an eternal beauty and other thought she was pure evil," explains makeup artist Jason Hoffman, who created this look for shu uemura. "I
wanted to create a look that captured both sides." For instructions, product picks, and a helpful video, check out ShuUemura-usa.com.
Alternatively, shu uemura's Misumi Kitano was inspired by the Japanese ancient ghost story of Yuki-Onna (snow woman). Yuki-Onna appears in snowstorm in a mountain with white hair, transparent skin and wearing a white kimono, blending right into the snowy landscape. While lovely, if you chance upon her in a snowstorm, you will be captivated by her seductive beauty and thus freeze to death without consciousness.
FLIRT-Y This year, for the first time ever, the experts at FLIRT! have come up with fab looks to complement your costume. If you're going as a VAMPIRESS, a rich red lip is key. Try FLIRT! High Wattage Intense & Creamy Lipcolor in "Wicked" - to attract your own Edward Cullen - and smudge on Look of Love eye pencil in either Tipoff or Purple Rain. Follow with smoky shades of Dreamy Eye Eyeshadow in Ink Spell 42, with Magic Mist 30 from lashline to crease. To be as seductively pale as possible, skip blush and bronzer, and get unshiny with Love and Matteness Oil-Free Pressed Powder in a shade lighter than your natural complexion. If you're a SEXY CAT, add a cat eye Opening Eye Liner in Black Out. Add more drama with Dreamy Eyes Eyeshadow in Wild Night (from lashline to crease) and Chill Out under the outside corner of your eyebrows. And mascara...lots and lots of it. Try: Big Flirt! Thickening mascara. On cheeks, dust Peek-A-Blush in All Dolled Up 23, with a nude lip (Squeeze me Super Shiny Lipgloss in Heavenly Honey 03).
SOMEWHAT HAIRY Streekers lets you change up your hair color without commitment. Whether you want to go as Pippi Longstocking (bright red), Ron Weasley (ditto), an Oompa Loompa (bright green), or even the Joker (orange), each Streekers shade comes in a compact, sleek bottle with a soft-tip applicator for precise and easy application. It bonds to your hair so you can brush your hair without dulling the color or having it flake off.
WHEN IN DOUBT...ACCESSORIZE!
So your costume sucks...well fool them through the magic of accessories! Some fun ones from imooi include an Angel, a Devil & a Skull. You could also follow in the stylish footsteps of Megan Fox, Leighton Meester, and Kate Hudson who have all been spotted wearing these edgy Bat Necklaces by Brazilian jeweler Jack Vartanian (we especially love the black rhodium one with diamond eyes).
GET IN THE PRE-PARTY MOOD:
TUNE IN! Slacker has a special Halloween station playing Rob Zombie, Black Sabbath, The Devil Makes Three, Jimi Hendrix, The Horrors, and oh so much more at Slacker.com/Halloween. If you're accessing it via your BlackBerry or iPhone, look for either the "top stations" or "seasonal" categories.
DRINK UP! Try an AppleDura made with Herradura Tequila. Kind of like Snow White's poisoned apple, minus the poison of course. In a tall glass filled with ice, add Herradura Reposado (1.5
ounces), orange liquer (1.5 ounces), and apple juice (6 ounces). Stir,
garnish with an apple slice, and enjoy.
STAY SKINNY Instead of indulging in junky (ie. fattening) holiday candy, treat yourself to some much deserved pre-party pampering with chocolate hair care from nuNAAT. Luxurious ingredients like Cocoa Butter, Brazil Nut oil help condition, regenerate and revitalize tresses. Worth trying: the Chocolate Creamy Shampoo, Chocolate Shake Conditioner, Chocolate Cream Mask (20 minutes to deep conditioning), or the Chocolate Anti-Frizz Therma Active to reduce frizz and protect against scary thermal styling.
GO PLACES:
Friday, Oct. 30
10pm-4am Music Maestro presented by Spontaneous Underground & NY-LON at the subMercer NYC; rsvp to infomusicmaestro@gmail.com.
Saturday, Oct. 31
LA:
Enjoy a Green Halloween at Tavin (1143 Echo Park Ave) 10am-2-pm. A glass of wine and some fantasmagoric fun await! Outside the shop, they're dressing up in their most excellent eco costumes fashioned from duct tape, imagination and recycled paper - including the LA Times, NY Times, Rolling Stone, Vogue (French, Australian & Italian). More info on their blog.
NYC:
The Ice Rink at Rockefeller Center is celebrating with a Costume Party on Ice. All day long, skaters will be gliding by in their most fab costume efforts on the world's most fab ice rink. Everyone from the young to young-at-heart is invited to participate. Winners receive Dinner for Two (gift certificate) at Rock Center Cafe. Costume judging times: 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10pm. More info at TheRinkAtRockCenter.com.
Start off the night right with some Saucy Pumpkin Punch at Cellar Bar (the Bryant Park Hotel). Fortunately for you, those crazy Kiwis at 42BELOW also made the recipe available to us for your drunken Halloween pleasure. FIRST: Hollow out a small-to-medium sized pumpkin and fill with crushed ice. Add in following ingredients, already mixed, shaken well with lots of ice, and strained:
In a mixing glass, dissolve 2 tsp. brown sugar with 1 part lemon juice. Add in: 1 part Bacardi 8; 1 part Bacardi Superior; 1 part 42 BELOW Manuka Honey; 1 part 42 BELOW Passionfruit; 1 part unsweetened pineapple juice; 1 part lime juice; 1 part Passionfruit syrup spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla pods, orange zest, cardamom, and clove; 3 dashes Angostura Bitters; 1 part orange juice.
Check out the "TRUE BLOOD" windows (6th Avenue @42nd) - HBO Shop
Enjoy a Boogie Nights Halloween (dance party) - Quo Nightclub (zombie photo: source)
Get your groove on at the Tribeca Grand Hotel: Grandlife presents The Haunted Cellar Underground at the Overlook Hotel is being hosted by blogger Susie Bubble, Stylesightings.com, Steven Rojas, and Tommy Saleh. 10pm until late.
Check out a Joonbug.com joint: the 8th annual Masquerade Ball at Espace hosted by Real Housewife (NYC) Kelly Killoren Bensimon; the Vamps & Vixens Masquerade Xtravaganze Under the Bridge at Guastavinos (Katrina Bowden of 30 Rock); Official Post-Halloween Resting Place at Slate featuring DJ Samantha Ronson (will Lindslo be making one of her mad appearances??); 5th Avenue's Haute Couture Horror Ball! Fashionista's Catwalk to Hell at Rouge Tomate. More info at Joonbug.com.
Head somewhere haunted! Family Travel Forum has compiled a juicy list of ghoulish goodness worth checking out across the country.
LASTLY, DON'T GO TO BED WITH YOUR MAKEUP ON! If you don't want to hate yourself more in the morning, at least go to bed with clean skin. Simple's Kind to Skin Collection contains skin-friendly ingredients like Vitamin E and Pro-Vitamin B5, and delicately (but thoroughly) cleanse, tone, and moisturize (available stateside at DuaneReade.com). If you're more acne prone, try SensiClear which has a full line of affordable cleansers, toners, and moisturizers.
- Lesley Scott
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