By Nicole Virgo, Staff Writer
Halloween is coming up hastily. On top of dressing out of your usual element on the actual holiday, there are parties that require you to do the same. Being a college student is expensive, and unfortunately, so are Halloween costumes. The good news is you do not need much money to put together attention-grabbing costumes. You probably have many of the items needed for the look you desire within your grasp. You might have to buy two or three signature pieces. Spending ten dollars while looking original is better than spending sixty dollars and bumping into someone wearing the same outfit.
Vampire costumes work well for both men and women. The easiest way to execute this costume is to go for a modern-day vampire style. Put together a sultry and dark outfit from your closet. Match the outfit with pale make-up to really get into the role. Use dramatic makeup, such as a foundation that is at least three shades lighter than your natural skin tone. Also, dab a good amount of grey or black eye shadow under the bottom of your eyelids and along your cheeks for a lifeless effect. If you are a woman, add lipstick or gloss and mascara. The only items you would need to purchase are fangs.
Nerd costumes are easy to put together. Raid your closet for a polo shirt or an oxford shirt, tube socks, khaki bottoms, and loafers. The concept will work even better if these items have quirky dissimilar patterns and designs. Suspenders, bowties, pocket protectors equipped with pens and pencils. Glasses make the perfect accessories for this costume. If you have a pair of high water pants, that is even better. If you are a woman, you have the option of being an eye-catching nerd. All you would need to do for this is adjust the style of the clothing and add heavy make-up.
A costume that does not take too much effort is an animal costume. This one is mostly for women. Rabbits, domestic and wild cats, zoo animals, and many more, are on the list of animals you can choose to be. Basically, the costume would come with ears attached to a headband, a tail, and maybe a few more accessories. All you need to do is find an outfit that would blend in with the costume. Match the color of the accessories to the color you are wearing. Use eyeliner or Halloween makeup to paint animal features on your face. You should literally go wild with the make-up.
Clown costumes work very well for those who do not have much to work with. Just like with nerd costumes, you will need to mix and match clothing that should not be mixed and matched. This time focus on polka-dots, floral patterns, stripes, and similar designs. Make sure that your outfit makes no sense at all. Use Halloween make-up to paint your face white then paint teardrops, shapes, and other clowns like designs. Remember to wear vibrant colors from head to toe. A rubber chicken or another equally goofy prop would do the trick for this outfit.
Zombie costumes are interesting and easy enough to put together. However, you cannot just pick clothes out of your closet for this costume. Pick out clothing that you are not attached to anymore. You need to tear it. It needs to look as if you put up a desperate struggle in the outfit. Mix red cool-Aid with water and splash it on your clothing to look like blood. Purchase some Halloween make-up to give yourself a decomposing effect. Practice limping and groaning. Add a little bit of green to your face painting techniques. Do whatever it takes to look rotten and in the midst of decomposition. You could even combine costumes with this idea. You could be a zombie clown or a zombie nerd. Make it interesting and fun.
Just because you are low on cash does not mean you have to miss out on any of the fun. In fact, finding your costume this way could be more fun than the event itself. The choices go on and on and the creativity is unlimited. There is a guarantee that no one will have your costume.
