This year was the first year Luna was old enough to actually trick or treat. Last year she was a fresh-out-of-the-oven newborn, so we just took pictures at home and called it a night. However, this time Luna was able to drunkenly totter around my friend’s neighborhood, and it was so much fun! Although it was still a short night for us (strict baby schedules and all that jazz), we made sure to make it worth it and went all out with our family costumes!
Brought to you by The Nerdy Girlie & Super Space Chick
If you have followed me and my blog long enough, you know I am an absolute fool for Halloween. I adore every little second of it, and although it’s a little different this year, knowing that it is near makes me tingle in excitement. What are my favorite things about it? Say no more…
Source: Google image search
1. You get to be someone else for a day; as someone immersed in nerd culture, we often want to be swept away to another world. One we have read, seen on the big screen or just fantasized about in our minds. That’s why Halloween is so special – you actually get to do this! Now granted, for those of you that cosplay on the daily, this is no treat. But for a casual cosplayer like myself, I definitely love the ability to take on someone else’s looks, personality and swag for a night.
Source: Tumblr
2. You can be as ridiculous as you want to be; there are no rules on Halloween, and I absolutely love it. You can dress up as silly, slutty or basic as you want. It’s a holiday all about fun, and who doesn’t revel in that?
Halloween is this weekend!!!!! Do you have your costume?
If you don’t, that’s OK! Here are some really quick fandom costumes you can put together with pieces from your closet or easy finds at a local store!
Femme 11th Doctor; Matt Smith had some of the hippest costuming in Doctor Who history, so of course, his outfits are some of the most recreated for cons and Halloween. It helps that it is easily translated for us ladies! All you need is a white button down blouse, a pair of shorts, red suspenders and a red bow tie, topped with a fez! And if you are a good Whovian, you already have your Sonic handy. Easy peasy!
Lumpy Space Princess; God I love this character! She sends me into a fit of hysterical laughter each time and dressing up as her is so immensely easy! All you need is a purple dress or purple top and purple skirt. Basically: find all the purple things. Get a purple wig and slap on a big foam yellow star to complete the look. And, of course, bring your best LSP attitude – lump off!
Sailor Moon; I am really loving the every day cosplay trend because you can grab any of your dresses and play them up with accessories for the easiest costume! Living Dead Clothing has the most adorable Sailor Scout dresses that you can pair with corresponding earrings, tiaras, etc. to complete the look. I especially love this bestie duo rocking the femme Tuxedo Mask!
Hogwarts Students; By far the easiest costume to put together on a budget and time crunch. I definitely rocked this look one Halloween when I was a broke grad student! Did you go to private school? Score. You just got your Hogwarts uniform. I used an old school blouse and skirt from my high school uniform and snagged a cheap gray V-neck sweater from Walmart. To add some special touches, I painted the collar in Gryffindor gold and red with fabric markers. Although, you can skip the sweater entirely like the ladies above and just rock the ties (c’mon, you know you have 1, 2 or 10 in your fandom collection).
I have loved to dress up since I can remember. My favorite holiday was always Halloween and whether it was myself or my parents choosing my costume, it was always quite the affair. I’m pretty sure without any social norms (those suck by the way), I would be running around in some form of costume on a daily basis (tutu’s are functional, every-day wear). With that said, I am not crafty. Well, I am, but in the way I can use a glue gun and a pair of scissors. I cannot sew, nor do I really trust myself to get near a machine, despite the fact that I own one. You may think this makes me a cosplay failure, and maybe to some it does, but I have embraced my terrible home ec skills and have gone another route: store bought.
Store bought costumes not only save you stress, but also save your wallet! Here are some budget ways to make your store bought costume unique and creative;
1. Accessorize! Many store bought costumes just come with the basics or offer accessories as extras. Take that chance to skip out on the extra bits and find or make your own. For my Babydoll cosplay, I got my swords from Geek Chic HQ. They were extremely affordable, but definitely made a statement. Check out the rest of their swag – you’ll be impressed with their craftsmanship!
2. Use Your Closet! You may find functional pieces in your own wardrobe! Rather than buying a pair of black maryjanes I probably would never wear again, I opted for raiding my collection and finding a much better looking pair of black wedged booties (oldies from ShoeDazzle). They gave the same effect, but flattered the look. Sure, it wouldn’t be considered “accurate,” but these tips are ultimately for a more casual cosplayer like myself.
3. Makeup! Everyone knows the right makeup pulls any look together, and costumes are no exception. Reference character photos and look up YouTube tutorials if need be. For my Babydoll look, I knew I had to go with smoky eyes and a nude lip. Makeup was the last bit I added while getting ready, and I was shocked to see how it all came together the second I “put on my face.”
4. Swag! It’s all about the acting when you don cosplay. Get into character, don’t be afraid to be silly and be confident! Even while taking these shots, my husband was directing me to get into bad-ass-chick-with-swords-and-a-tiny-skirt poses, and at first I felt ridiculous. However, I eventually relaxed and was shocked with the final outcome. When I let go and tried to embody the little ass kicking persona that is Babydoll, I looked legit. I mean, do you see those squats? Hardcore.
5. Pick the right site! Not all costume sites are created equal. Make sure to shop around and find the right one with quality merchandise. My costume came from Costume Super Center, and I loved the product. For the price, it came with a lot of pieces, leaving me with a small laundry list of additional props and accessories. I also loved their selection of geeky costume options. Maybe one day I’ll be brave enough (& ripped enough) to don their iconic Slave Leia piece!
Sponsored post; Very special thanks to Costume Super Center, who provided my costume for me in return for this post. All opinions expressed are my own.
I hope all of you enjoy my favorite holiday, have fun, stay safe and don’t overdose on sugary goodness.
A quick little note if you don’t follow my fan page on Facebook (if you don’t, remedy that please): I will have to step away from the blog for about 3 months starting tomorrow. Something came up that needs my undivided attention, so unfortunately, the blog is going to have to take a backseat until then. Good news is, I will still be posting, but I will be limiting those posts to about once a week. I’ve asked some friends and fellow bloggers to please contribute whenever they can so that the blog does not remain too stagnant. If you are interested in participating, definitely let me know!