Halloween without a complete costume: how to create a look with accessories and makeup
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by Verpakkingdeals.nl
6 min reading time
A costume for one evening is a waste. With your own black clothing as a base and three or four accessories, you'll look better — and have things left over for next year.
Halloween falls on Saturday, October 31st this year. That means full parties, and it also means that the number of people who have to quickly arrange something the Thursday before is larger than usual. For many, buying a complete costume for one night feels like a waste of money — and rightly so, because most costumes then hang unused in the closet for a year.
The practical route is different: build a recognizable look with your own clothes as a base and three or four accessories around them. That costs less, usually looks better, and you'll have things left over that you can use again next year or at another theme party.
The basic rule: one black, one red, one thing on your head
What makes a look work is not detail, but contrast. Everyone who looks at you from a distance sees three things: your silhouette, your color, and what's on your head. Hence the simple formula:
Basic clothes from your own wardrobe — preferably plain black. Black jeans, black sweater, black dress. This is the part you don't buy.
One accent in red or neon — gloves, a tiara, a detail with fake blood. One accent, not three.
One thing on your head — a tiara, a mask, or something in your hair. This is what people will remember.
Optionally, one small joke — a pin on your jacket, a quirky detail that only stands out up close.
Four components, three of which can be bought for under ten euros each. That will get you a long way.
On your head: tiara, headband, or mask
A tiara or hairband is the cheapest intervention with the biggest effect. You put it on, you immediately look "dressed up," and you can simply eat, drink, and talk — which is much harder with a full mask.
For a little joke, there are Costume Nose Masks for € 4.95 — you put them on when you want to make a statement, and take them off when you want to talk.
Makeup and fake blood: less is more, and test beforehand
This is where it most often goes wrong. Half a face full of makeup that has smudged after two hours looks worse than one well-placed detail that stays put all evening.
For makeup, there are stick crayons: the makeup stick in black, red, and yellow and the makeup stick in red, white, and blue, both € 4.95. They are intended for flags on your cheek, but they are just blocks of makeup — and black, red, and white are exactly the colors you need for a Halloween look.
Apply fake blood in small amounts in a few places, not everywhere. The Fake Blood Set with Syringe and Refill costs € 9.95 and includes a refill, so you don't run out halfway through the evening. The Halloween Doctor Syringe with 28ml fake blood also costs € 9.95 and is a prop in itself — a syringe in your breast pocket completes a doctor's coat.
Three practical points that will save you a nasty morning:
Read the instructions on the packaging and follow what it says about application and removal. This varies per product.
Test on a small, inconspicuous area — both on your skin and on any fabric it might get on — well before the party, not fifteen minutes beforehand.
Don't wear clothes you care about. Whether fake blood comes out of fabric depends on the product and the fabric; don't assume it will wash out.
The accents: hands, jacket, and small details
Neon Gloves in 4 colors (€ 5.95) do more in a dark location than you'd think — hands move, so they stand out. If you want something softer: the Purple Angel Wings 60 cm cost € 19.95 and instantly change your silhouette.
If you're hosting people at home, you don't need to redecorate the entire room. Two or three interventions at the door and on the table are enough. A Halloween Spider Web with 6 spiders costs € 9.95 and you can drape it over a lamp or in a corner in five minutes. Halloween Skeleton Glasses cost € 9.95 and do most of the work on the table. And LED Balloons, 5 pieces for € 2.95 provide light without you having to leave all the lights on.
What it costs in total
A tiara for € 3.95, makeup for € 4.95, fake blood for € 9.95, and gloves for € 5.95: that's € 24.80 for a complete look, with your own black clothes as a base. Compare that to a costume you wear for one night. And you can simply reuse the pin, keychain, and mask next year.
Order on time. The last week of October is the same story every year: popular sizes and models are the first to go.
Are you organizing a party for a larger group and want to know the stock level of an item, or are you looking for a number of identical items as giveaways? Please email info@verpakkingdeals.nl — and we'll check quantities and delivery times.
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