The best part about Halloween isn’t the parties or the excuse to be someone else for one night of the year. It’s about all the days leading up to Halloween where you can try out different looks and then go out anyway. Only totally boring people need Halloween as an excuse to be someone else for the night. I’m kicking off Halloween a little early with a DIY Halloween beauty series to help you decide what to be this year (and obviously I’m using this as an excuse to dress up and go out decked out prematurely because that’s way more fun than waiting for Halloween).
DIY Halloween No. 1: Black Swan
I’m writing this story well after midnight, still decked out in my Black Swan makeup. That’s because after painting myself up all Natalie Portman crazy, I decided to go to Loblaws for a few things in a Lululemon tracksuit looking like a newly off-duty prima ballerina for the National Ballet of Canada. To my surprise, instead of terrifying strangers and fascinating young children who still have hopes and dreams that being a ballerina is a viable career move, I met a dude in the frozen food section because clearly a ballerina would be buying President’s Choice frozen turkey burgers. “Every day is like I’m Taylor Lautner bulking up for Twilight,” I exclaimed. He doesn’t have to know that the only production of Black Swan I’ve starred in was in my living room earlier that evening where I practiced pirouettes while remembering my old ballet teacher’s encouraging words that I could one day be a very talented dancer if I just “tried” and “put effort in” and “practiced” like the other girls. Oh, those were the days!
To get the look at home, start by Google Image searching “Natalie Portman Black Swan.” Once you’ve enlarged the movie poster, you’re halfway there. Find a white eye shadow or a light blue one and cover your eyes with it all the way up to your eyebrows. Take a black eye liner, preferably something awesomely waterproof (Dior, Lancome and Stila make some of my favourites, but you might just want to pick up a cheapy at Shoppers) and use the outline of Natalie’s crazy eyes to direct you where to draw the outer black lines for the look. Then draw just a few dramatic lines in between the outer ones you created. (Don’t overdo it and try to copy her look to a tee. I did this the first time, and I looked like an escaped convict with face tattoos out for blood). Colour in your eyebrows so they’re totally black. Top off the look with mascara, a dramatic hot pink lipstick and a little blush. It’s up to you whether you want to paint your face totally white as well, but it’s not overly necessary, especially if you’re still hoping to look hot on Halloween. Finish the look by throwing your hair up in a tight bun.
When Halloween comes around, all you need is a Dollar Store tiara, a tight black tank top that looks like a leotard, and some black tulle from a fabric store to throw together a makeshift tutu (and tulle is pretty much the cheapest thing ever). See, easiest look ever! Anyone who spends more than $10 on a Halloween costume is far more ridiculous than the kind of person who grocery shops in early October dressed up as Black Swan. If you’re the kind of person who requires a big budget for Halloween costumes, you’re either extremely lacklustre in the creative department, or you better be renting a real-life gorilla to play a believable Dian Fossey… and you better invite me to that party.