Halloween doesn’t have to be a holiday that drains your time and money — save that for next month when you’re sitting around a dry turkey and listening to your relatives talk about this generation and their “dang phones.”
Chances are, you already have the perfect costume waiting in your closet.
An all-black outfit can easily transform you into a variety of basic characters or animals. Just grab a black top or bodysuit — long or short sleeve — and pair it with leggings, leather pants or jeans to begin creating your costume.
Letting your hair and makeup guide your costume choice will save you from having to buy new clothes. Simple animal makeup tutorials — like a black cat, leopard or deer — are just a TikTok search away, and these looks have been trending all over my For You Page this year.
To give some inspiration into what this can look like, here are five simple costume ideas using all-black clothing paired with distinguishable makeup looks.
Vampire
This look requires minimal effort. Pair a black top with black bottoms and add red lipstick for a blood effect under your lip and on your neck. To enhance the look, go for a lighter base when beginning your face makeup to give the illusion of a pale complexion. Also you can throw on a black fabric cape — if you have one — and put in plastic fangs.
Ninja
One can quickly transform into a ninja by wearing black pants and a black long-sleeve shirt or turtleneck. To finish the look you will want a black face mask — something you likely still have laying around from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Skeleton
This costume relies on heavier makeup, rather than elaborate clothing. Use white foundation for your base and black face paint to create skeletal designs, while wearing an all-black outfit to keep attention on your face.
Bat
For a bat costume, wear black leggings or pants with any black top. The key is to use black makeup to create bat silhouettes above your eyebrows and along your cheekbones, or to draw one big bat around your eyes.
Black Cat
A classic black cat look can be achieved with a black skirt and a black top. Use black makeup to draw on whiskers and a nose. If you’re feeling crafty, you can easily DIY cat ears by searching for a tutorial on YouTube, Instagram or TikTok.
Remember, just because Halloween is this week doesn’t mean you need to stress over a costume. Find a black top and bottoms, look up a costume makeup tutorial, and you’ll have a great look without even leaving your bedroom!
