15 Easy Halloween costume ideas

15 Easy Halloween costume ideas to ditch the black dress and cat ears for

Nur Syazana H.

09 Oct 2015

updated the 3 May 2019 à 15:22

Stay away from the usual black-dress-and-cat-ears getup this Halloween with these easy costumes you can recreate from things you already own in your wardrobe.

1/15
Lady Gaga, Born this Way era
Grab a black liquid or gel liner and go crazy - use Lady Gaga's Born This Way music video makeup for reference and you've got the perfect skeleton artwork! Put your hair up in a high ponytail afterwards and consider wearing your own version of a tux.
2/15
Angelina Jolie in Maleficent
Can't bother with painting yourself green to look like Maleficent? You don't have to in order to become the Angelina Jolie version of the Disney villain. A pale foundation is enough to give you that white cast, followed by strong, arched brows, super-chiseled cheekbones (nothing a little harsh contouring won't fix) and a blood-red lip. For her signature horns, using a plain headband you have lying around as the base and sculpt the horns with newspaper or aluminium foil. Wrap them with black tape, stick them onto the headband and you've got your own Maleficent horns!
3/15
Mean Girls
It's easy to look like Regina George or Cady Heron if you've got a mini skirt or pink sweater lying around. Tease that hair for extra Beverly Hills volume and you'll just be left with a mean persona to mimic.
4/15
Frida Kahlo
Draw in a unibrow, put on a flower crown and a printed dress - voila, instant Mexican painter status.
Photo: Getty Images
5/15
Hogwarts student
Looking like Hermoine Granger is a sitch if you've got a white shirt, dark grey cardigan and red tie lying around. The bottoms don't even matter if you've got the top half of your uniform down to a T.
6/15
Olivia Newton-John in Grease
Look like a bonafide 80s bombshell in an all-black ensemble complete with a leather jacket.
7/15
Fake roaches on stockings
Get a few rubber roaches from a costume or party supply store and glue them to a pair of unwanted leggings. It doesn't even matter if you're going as a character or not, people will definitely notice the creepy crawlies on your legs!
Photo: Pinterest
8/15
Rosie the Riveter
Follow in Queen Bey's lead and sport rolled-up denim shirt and red headband to bring out your inner vintage feminist.
Photo: Pinterest
9/15
Female Jack Sparrow
So you're a major Pirates of The Caribbean fan? Don't fret, this look doesn't require a fake beard - work your own female version of Jack Sparrow with a white shirt, plenty of island bracelets and tie in a few scarves in your hair.
Photo: Pinterest
10/15
Scarecrow
You probably have a tartan or checked shirt and blue jeans in your wardrobe, so you'll just have to borrow a friend's wide-brim hat and hold on to some sunflowers or hay to dress like a scarecrow!
Photo: Pinterest
11/15
Twiggy
Dress like a 60s icon by sporting a high-neck sweater, mini skirt and loafers or kitten heels. Watch a few makeup tutorials on how to get the wide-eyed Twiggy look and you'll hear compliments throwing your way at the Halloween parties!
12/15
Comic book character
Got some black and white eyeliner in your makeup stash? Then you might want to consider turning yourself into a comic book drawing - which is also one of the most popular Halloween costumes as of late.
Photo: Pinterest
13/15
Wednesday Addams
If you're a big fan of black, Wednesday Addams could very well be your spirit animal. Plus points if you've got long, dark hair - split them into two braided pigtails and layer a black dress over a white collared shirt.
14/15
Minions from Despicable Me
Can't help yourself on how cute the minions from Despicable Me are? You might as well dress like them! Don't worry, you don't have to paint yourself yellow - a T-Shirt and blue overalls would work just fine, plus a pair of oversized glasses with aluminium foil wrapping the frames would fit the goggles look perfectly.
15/15
Barbarella from The Noose
Fancy a look that hits close to home? Michelle Yeoh's character in local spoof show The Noose will be one you'll love to sport. Get some fake bangs from a nearby beauty store, a tube dress and high heels and you'll be a splitting image of Barbarella herself!

If you’ve been sporting the go-to black-mini-dress-and-cat-ears/ devil-horns look for past Halloween costume parties, it’s time to switch things up. Getting into character takes more than an LBD and novelty headbands, so why not have a little fun and go out of your comfort zone?

With the exception of a few rubber cockroaches, most of the costumes we’ve got in the gallery above won’t even require you to find other things that aren’t already in your own home and wardrobe.

From Twiggy to Angelina Jolie in Maleficent to the iconic Rosie the Riveter, you’ll definitely find a costume you can’t wait to recreate for the upcoming costume parties.

Nur Syazana H.

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