DIY Effie Trinket Costume

Posted on July 25, 2012 by admin

Effie and Katniss

“The Hunger Games” is going to be all anyone is talking about for the next couple years. It has created quite a stir in the popular culture of today and it will definitely be one of those things that continues on immortally. But while “The Hunger Games” is popular in the here and now, you’ll want to really make yourself stand out at your next Halloween party. To complement the Katniss costume I told you about, why not dress up as the eccentric Effie Trinket, the always fashionable escort to the District 12 tributes during the Hunger Games.? It’s a fun and exciting way to spice up the party.

Effie Trinket Costume Photo via Jdursh.blogspot.com

Effie is known for her pale skin, bright lips and bright hair. A bright pink, powder white or light green wig (if you can find such a thing!) is perfect to emulate Effie. The color of the wig will determine what kind of outfit you want to get. In chapter one of “The Hunger Games”, Katniss describes her at the Reaping as having a “scary white grin, pinkish hair, and spring green suit.”

You can emulate the outfit that Katniss describes, or you can try putting together the outfit they chose for the Reaping scene in the movie, the fuchsia suit. If you’re looking to score a deal on this costume, scour any thrift store you can for a fuchsia pencil skirt and jacket. An old 80s prom dress would also be a good idea to alter because the puffy sleeves were all the rage back then. Put on your pink or white wig and to top it all off, find a large pink clip flower because that is what really sets Effie apart.

As for make-up, the base really needs to be pale white powder all over your face. Her eye make-up consists of bright pink eye shadow that surrounds the whole eye or a rainbow of different colors, depending on the outfit you choose. The lipstick can either be a straight application of fuchsia color or applied more in a heart shape, in a Tim-Burton-Alice-in-Wonderland-esque kind of style. Fake eyelashes wouldn’t hurt one bit either.

Effie Trinkett Make-up Photo via Emily Duke

The best part about Effie is that she is so eccentric! As long as you have the standard pale face and bright wig, you can pull off just about any outfit and people will still know who you’re trying to be. Just have fun with it! If you and a friend show up as Katniss and Effie, you will be the true life of the party! As Effie so eloquently states, may the odds be ever in your favor!

Emma Rae Curtis is a costume/dressing up/makeup & accessories expert. She mainly writes about Halloween but also about all things costume and dress-up related.

Popular Costumes for Women

Posted on April 23, 2012 by admin

When it comes to women’s Halloween costumes, there are some that tried and true and standbys that will always be popular. And there are also trendy new women’s Halloween costumes that have recently become popular as well. Between these two categories, women should never have any trouble finding a popular costume to wear for Halloween or any other occasion such as a costume party or another holiday to name some examples.

As for the category of timeless popular womens Halloween costumes, the “sexy” fill in the blank is always a good choice. There is the classic sexy nurse, or sexy cat, or even sexy dog (I might have made that last one up). Also in this category are the classic angel, princess, Disney character, and cheerleader. When it comes to the second category of trendy new costumes, you have to be a bit more up on current events, TV shows, and movies. Some examples of popular new costumes today are Snooki from Jersey Shore, Angry Birds from the smash hit video game, characters from the movie Avatar, and there are always great new womens superhero costumes to check out as well.

So if you are a woman and looking for a great costume for Halloween or for any other reason, whether you go with the popular classics or the popular trendy new costumes, you will never be at a loss for a great costume that will let you feel sexy or like a princess. So have fun and get your costume on!

Emma Rae Curtis is a costume/dressing up/makeup & accessories expert. She mainly writes about Halloween but also about all things costume and dress-up related.

Halloween Hair Pt. 2 – Dyed, Styled and Crazy

Posted on April 8, 2012 by admin

In last week’s post I talked about different tips of wigs and ways to incorporate them into your Halloween fun. This week I want to focus on different ways to color and style your hair so that it can take a life of its own this Halloween.

Some of my favorite temporary methods for dying your hair include using color hair spray, or hair paint to color your hair. Henna dyes work well for a look that will last 4-6 weeks, it is especially good if you want a natural looking red. Using pastel crayons you can color your hair for a night or two, just remember this is extremely messy and may get onto your clothing. Hair extensions can be fun ways to spike your hair with color, especially if you dye them before you add them to your hair. Box colors are not my favorite. The results always vary drastically. If you don’t mind something semi-permanent see your hairstylist.

There are plenty of looks you can accomplish if you decide to color your hair. Here are my favorites:

An actual beehive is a great look that can be done to anyone with long hair. Wrap braids around the top of your head until it is in the shape of a beehive. Then spray yellow hair dye onto the beehive itself. Use leaves and fake fuzzy bees from your local craft store to complete the look.
If your son has long enough hair you can make a realistic surfer catching a wave. Just dye the top section of his hair blue, then using either glue or heavy duty hair spray form his hair into a wave. Using a mini-Ken Barbie doll, you can attach a surfer to the side of his head.
Turning hair into grass complete with bugs, worms and flowers can be a great way to make a complete costume ecosystem. Just spray your hair green, pin bugs, butterflies and flowers into the hair and have fun.

Halloween Hair Part 1 – Wigs

Posted on April 1, 2012 by admin

Creating the perfect look can be difficult. That’s why we spend so much time on hair and makeup when trying to create a perfect costume. Sometimes though, what you have naturally isn’t enough to portray the character you’ve chosen. Sometimes you have to alter your physical appearance enough to give the proper illusion that you are in fact this other person.

There are two ways that we can do this, one by wearing wigs, the other by dying our hair. Today I’m going to tackle the best alternative solutions to wearing a standard wig. I hope you enjoy.

The hair hat-wig is a practical and fun way to get crazy with your costume. Made popular by Lady Gaga, the ready wear knit wig comes in an assortment of colors, or you can knit your own. This wig looks great in pink.
Curly ribbon wigs are easy to make and look great on adults and kids alike. Use a headband as the basis from which to make your wig. This is especially cute if used for a clown costume as many curling ribbons come in bright colors and are easily knotted into curly wigs.
A hair bow is a great wig extension that can be worn on a headband or clipped directly to your natural or wig covered head. It evokes Hello Kitty, Lady Gaga and modern Japanese anime characters. You can also cut it into two parts and create life-like cat ears.
Yarn wigs are a traditional staple for children’s Rapunzel costumes, but there’s so much that you can do with one. Raggedy Ann, any long-haired Disney princess, or Princess Leia. Easy to make, just follow this tutorial.
If you’re looking just to make a traditional Halloween wig that you buy from Target or a Halloween store look authentic, follow this tutorial from YouTube. She explains how to make a natural looking hair part and how to style it freely.

In my next post we’ll discuss ways to dye your hair to achieve that perfect look for your Halloween costume. Stay tuned!