Unless you’re one of those people that plan their costume(s) months in advance (bonus points for dedication, but we can’t relate), you might be stuck wondering what to wear to the last-minute Halloween party you were just invited to. The difficult (yet very, very fun) task at hand is to find pieces in your closet and products on your vanity that you can throw together real quick while still impressing fellow party-goers with your creativity and finesse. We want to help you nail that impromptu party look, so we’ve gathered up a few Halloween costume and hair ideas to try out before you revert to rewearing that catsuit you bought 2 years ago.
Euphoria
Love glitter? Don’t mind getting it pretty much everywhere? Cool! Just go as any one of the Euphoria characters. Find inspo on characters like Jules, Maddy and Cassie, who always go big with glitter and eyeshadow pigment in each Euphoria episode (thank you, HBO). We personally prefer the now-iconic Jules look, which was inspired by Baz Luhrman’s Juliet in Romeo + Juliet (1996). But if you’re extremely short on time, we recommend taking a whack at Rue’s glitter tears from the pilot episode, or even Jules’ cloud eye makeup, both of which rely more on makeup than the outfit. The great thing about these two makeup-heavy costume ideas is that the hairstyles for both are pretty easy-breezy. For effortless Halloween hair that’ll stay put all night long, we recommend taking some Forming Fiber and running your hands through your hair for a semi-tame, slicked-back look. Spray some Ghost Hairspray to keep everything in place, and if you want to go all-in with the glitter, pop on some Ghost Dry Oil Disco Edition. How dreamy!
ghost dry oil disco edition
glitter enhanced dry oil
that conditions hair while
adding some serious sparkle
Beauty Pageant Queen
The beauty pageant queen costume is a semi-simple one that just requires a formal dress, a crown and a sash (which anybody can totally DIY). Warning: this look calls for some pretty big hair, so get your product ready. Texas queen (and our style idol), Kacey Musgraves has the perfect hair inspo for this costume on her Pageant Material album cover. To give your hair a solid foundation to build some height, start by spritzing Volume Spray all over damp hair, concentrating mostly at the roots. Use a large barrel round brush (don’t have one? tip your head upside down), and blow-dry in an upward motion, moving away from your roots. Once your hair is completely dry, spray your roots with Strong Hairspray and tease, baby, tease! After you’ve achieved the desired amount of lift, generously apply more Strong Hairspray, and take a toothbrush to smooth away any flyaways or frizzies away from your face. If you have any face-framing layers, now’s the time pull those down, smooth them out and finger-twirl them away from your face. Finish the look with some flirty false eyelashes, dramatic winged eyeliner, your poofiest dress, some heels, a princess tiara and a sash. Costume complete! We say this costume earns a 10/10 all around.
volume spray
lightweight volumizing spray
that amplifies hair for a
flexible, full-bodied finish
1920s Flapper
For those with short hair, or those who know how to fake short/shoulder-length hair, the 1920s flapper look is a costume that certainly makes a statement. If you’ve got a spaghetti-strapped dress (preferably one with some fun fringes), you’re practically halfway there. All you need now is a piece of fabric to use as a headband, and a paper straw (save the turtles) you can paint to look like a long cigarette holder. Now comes the fun part: the hair! If you’re not familiar with ‘finger waves,’ there are lots of tutorials on how to perfect this look like this one for straight/wavy hair and this one for curly/coily hair. To start, you’ll need a small barrel curling iron, a fine-tooth comb, some duckbill clips and a few styling products to hold it all together. Before you start to curl, remember to apply a heat protectant. We recommend Ghost Primer for up to 425°F of smoothing heat protection. Then, take small sections of your hair and create tight curls all around. After you curl, it’s time to start pinning them down to get the “finger wave” look. To make sure your waves stay tight, make sure that you’re applying some Sculpting Clay to your sections as you pin down each wave. Once you’re ready to take out the pins, you’ll notice that the curls will stay in place all night. Finish with Ghost Dry Oil to give your hair a shiny finish. The only thing left to do is to put on your headband and party like it’s 1920!
sculpting clay
lightweight pomade for
a flexible hold and
natural looking texture
Wednesday Addams
Anyone who is a retired goth girl knows that a Wednesday Addams costume is super easy to pull together, especially when you’re short on time. While any black dress and black tights will probably do the trick, if you manage to find a little black dress with Wednesday’s iconic white Peter Pan collar, people will definitely know who you are. Once you get the attire down, the hair is pretty simple. Just part your hair down the middle, pump out some Ghost Oil, and smooth both sections with your hands and a gentle detangling brush. Plait two simple braids on either side of your head (starting the braids just below either ear), and spray Ghost Hairspray all over to hold every little flyaway in place. If you have a quick second and really want to commit to the look, take some black eyeliner and draw a faux widow’s peak at the front of your middle part. Boom, costume done! *clap* *clap*
ghost hairspray
flexible, medium hold
hairspray for workable hairstyles
and all-day control