Monster Bash: Easy Halloween Ideas

Are you a procrastinator who hasn't yet picked out a Halloween costume? Are you sick of buying costumes because your makeup skills are limited to bright blue 80s style eyeshadow? (If so, I think that's awesome.) There are actually some really easy tips that you can use to create an awesome Halloween look, and they're really easy to do. In fact, most of them will require things you've got right in your cupboards. Here are a few easy tips for you procrastinators out there.

1. FAKE BLOOD. If you forgot to buy a little tube of blood for your vampire costume, you don't need to run out to the store at the last minute. A little red food coloring in some corn syrup works well, with a bit of corn starch mixed in to thicken it. (Sometimes I also put in a small drop of blue to make it darker--just be careful with that so you don't end up with purple alien blood.) If you're worried about staining, put a little Vaseline on the skin to seal it and then dab the blood on with a Q-tip.
2. DO-IT-YOURSELF-SCARS AND WRINKLES. Spirit gum is your friend. Spirit gum is the sticky stuff you see at Halloween and theater stores; people use it to adhere masks and wigs and all kinds of things. But you can also use it to create wrinkly, puckered skin. To create a scar, draw a long line of spirit gum on skin and let it dry. It shrinks as it dries, pulling the skin a little out of shape. Now you can apply makeup on top to make a scar or stitch marks. I've also used this to make zombie makeups a little more convincing. A bit of spirit gum around the edge of the mouth makes it look a little more sunken. And some of it painted on the face can contribute to a dehydrated, undead look. I imagine in a pinch, you could also try this with regular school glue, but I can't say from experience how well it lasts. And of course, please don't put this stuff on your lips or near your eyes!
3. MUMMIFY OR ZOMBIFY YOURSELF. You can make an awesome last minute makeup with stuff you've already got in your house. Make a paste out of 2 parts flour to one part corn syrup. Apply the paste to your face and then cover with jaggedly ripped pieces of plain paper towels. If you want to be a mummy, wrap the rest of your head with either a rolled bandage or cheesecloth. If you want to be a zombie, apply makeup over the top of your new rotting flesh.
4. INSTANT STUBBLE. This one's really easy. Put some Vaseline on your face and press a little bit of coffee grounds into it.

Easy, right? Don't forget to comment on the Monster Bash posts; one random person will win a complete set of signed Grable books!