As a massive Halloween fan I had no choice but to write a blog on my favourite time of year! Im hoping everyone will go all out with their costumes and make-up this year! I want to see more zombified, skeleton, monstrous, gory creations rather than the more tame looks – it is supposed to be scary after all! There are plenty of halloween make-up tutorials online to help with creating the perfect look. If you are totally unsure about make-up application you should book in with a professional (like me!) to have your make-up looking fab!

October is a magical time of year. There is a chill in the air, the leaves fill our pathways with vibrant oranges, reds and yellows, and all the Halloween decorations begin to appear. Huge orange pumpkins lurk in the grocery shops and excitement builds as Halloween creeps closer! Personally I find it a really cosy time of year; a time before it gets TOO cold and everything looks amazing in a warm autumnal glow!

SO! Settle down, select a few classic scary movies to watch for inspiration on costume ideas (and also just because it is so much fun!) and turn your house into a haunted manor with lots of ghoulish decorations!

Having trouble deciding on what to dress up as? Here’s a few spooktacular ideas!

Freddy Krueger from Nightmare on Elm Street. He is a disfigured stalker of dreams who wears a glove with razors to murder people in their dreams, causing them to die in the actual world. As a child this film terrified me but watching it these days it’s more like a comedy!

His face is disfigured and burned and he wears a striped burgundy and olive green sweater along with a brown fedora hat and his trademark brown leather glove with metal claws sticking out of them.

Get this classic horror look by either buying everything yourself inluding the mask from a local costume shop like Elliotts – http://elliottsbelfast.com/shop/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=freddy+krueger

Or why not have a go at doing the make-up yourself for a more authentic approach – see this youtube video for help (try to ignore the really annoying presenter!) – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NW5v8QQXY2g

　

Or if Freddy is not your thing why not try to zombie it up! Zombie movies have always been a favourite of mine since I watched all the George A Romero classics when I was younger! A zombie is a great halloween look for both boys and girls and is fun because you can adapt it to other styles of dress, eg. You can have a zombie doctor, a zombie nurse, a burlesque zombie, a rockabilly zombie, etc, etc. So just choose your costume and then it is really up to you how extreme you want to go with the zombie make-up. You can just do a simple look with a whited out face and blacked out eyes but as Ive said previously there are plenty of online tutorials that can help you create the perfect look! Here are a couple to get you started…

Easy zombie make-up – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7VUtdBkPtI

Special effects zombie (skip annoying presenter to 1.50 in!): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DzAwvJCHI0&feature=related

　

Another classic look is that of Edward Scissorhands. It is a striking look that’s very recognisable and originates from the 1990 movie by Tim Burton. If not putting together your own costume it can be purchased from Elliotts – http://elliottsbelfast.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=2600

To complete your Edward Scissorhands look make sure to have the right make-up! Check out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqUC5DrIGJ4

　

I LOVE a skeleton look for Halloween especially if the make-up is self applied.

Check out this youtube video for inspiration – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMuEzBDt3NI&feature=related

　

Other cool tutorials you may want to look at!

The Exorcist Make-Up: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOH7ON893jY

V for Vendetta Mask Make-Up: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vyAxkbL5Ew

‘Neytiri’ Avatar Make-Up: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5x2Vv3tvLY

Anime Eyes Make-Up: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CH0jv0cfLd4&feature=related

Clown Make-Up: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LAixYp6scs&feature=fvsr

I could literally talk about Halloween all day but Im going to leave it there – if you any Halloween make-up queries please get in touch as it is obviously something I like to talk about! In the meantime have fun carving your pumpkins, sipping on your witch’s brew, dusting off your broomstick and scaring yourself silly with horror movies in preparation for the most spooky day of the year!!

Finally here’s a list of some of my favourite halloween movies you should check out to get you in the festive spirit! It’s by no means exhaustive – just what I can remember of the top of my head!