Well, we didn't make Costco this year for our general kids Halloween costume browse. We did surprisingly well at Spirit Halloween though and we found costumes for two of my kids in one day! Actually, that same day, I also purchased a costume for my husband on Amazon.
Usually, things don't go as well as they did this year. My costume is going to be a work in progress however. While my costume could be purchased from a Halloween store (the costume I'm planning on wearing in general is actually pretty common), I'm counting on my makeup skills to outshine the general population of like-minded costumes. This year, I decided to go the cheap route and I pieced my costume together from Amazon clothes. A lot of the items are things someone could wear in general, but some of the pieces are going to make it stand OUT!
The top part of my costume is another matter however. It doesn't quite fit the way I need it to fit, so my mother is actually going to help me with the seamstress side of things. I can sew well, but that has just not interested me the same way as my work that I do now. I've discussed what I needed from the top part of the costume, and my mom will work her magic.
It's funny, because up until a few years ago, I couldn't have cared less about Halloween and figuring out a costume to wear. Really, I was more concerned that my kids had a good time trick-or-treating. I would push them that last block of houses so they would get more candy (and they would thank me later of course) even though they may not have been feeling it at the time (Haha!)
My very first costume in which I won something was that of a sugar skull skeleton. I had done my makeup, wore a costume and I won first prize! The prize was a full paid day off work and a gift card!
The second time I dressed up was for a friends Halloween party, and that was my first try at being steampunk. I believe I did my makeup here, but it was nowhere near what I can do now. I apologize for the darkness of the picture!
So fast forward many years later, I don't know why I decided to get dressed up again, but I thought it would be fun to try to win the prize at our local karaoke place. I can't remember them hosting something like this before, but it may have happened and I might not have been around for it. Honestly, to date, probably all my costumes have been worth more than the actual prize, but I think it's just really fun!
So in 2024, I decided to try steampunk again, and I went all out:
This is just the makeup, but the costume version with makeup is chef's kiss! I had so much fun with the makeup (even though it took a long time to do!)
So before I show you the look from 2025, let's have a chat about makeup:
So I have a lot of makeup in my repertoire already. For someone coming in and trying cosplay makeup or costume design makeup from scratch, I would say stay fairly cheap - don't waste all the money on makeup. However, if you are into design and makeup, good quality products really are where it's at.
Honestly, I use a lot of what I already have. I've made some additions to my kit - like glue stick to glue down your eyebrows and hair, liquid latex, and knowing how to make your own scar wax is key to a realistic look. Also, gel blood is amazing! Mehron makeup is usually the industry standard when it comes to good quality cream-bided body paint, but I usually set with eyeshadow that I already own.
Trying to find pieces around your house too is awesome. Even paper towel rolls, toilet paper rolls, cardboard boxes and black garbage bags can be used in weird and extroardinary ways. It just takes thinking a little outside the box.
Let's now look at some photos of my last years costume. I picked Little Red Riding Hood, but I wanted it to look like I got scratched by the wolf and now I was also turning into a wolf.
Investing in Halloween contacts isn't as expensive as you would think either - there are lots of companies where you can get coloured contacts (anime and even prescription) for really cheap. The ones I'll use this year are from a company called Beaueye and the contacts are $12.99 per pair.
So of course, it's days away from Halloween right now and I won't be spilling the beans on my costume yet. But you'll see pictures soon! I will post them on Facebook and IG for your perusal! I'm super excited about this year and I will be practicing my makeup (and potentially doing a reel on IG for the makeup) tomorrow (Oct. 20, 2026). Yes, maybe I'm leaving it a little late, but then again, I'm very confident in my makeup skills!
I hope you enjoyed this read and stay tuned for my finished costume design!
Much love and Happy Halloween!
Sandra 🎃🧙🏻♀️
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