Last-minute Halloween disguises

BY SARAH ROONEY   |   St. Petersburg High

So, it’s a little less than a week before Halloween and not all of us have our costumes ready. Here’s a list of quick, easy-to-put-together “disguises” that may save you from a candyless night at home. Or at least let you party in style.

Halloween: Gangnam Style
An easy way to get a few laughs on short notice is to dress up as PSY from the K-Pop hit Gangnam Style . You may already own a few of the elements, and others can be found easily if you’re willing to shell out the cash: a pair of pink or salmon shorts, a white, long-sleeve button-front shirt and orange scarf or tie. See how cool he looks in this shot from a YouTube video, above?

Tanning Mom
This is extremely easy, only requiring a lot of dark brown makeup or skin-friendly paint and a hot-pink shirt, preferably a turtleneck. Makeup foundations generally run anywhere from $6 to $20. Top off the costume by tying any hair you have back into a tight bun.

Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson
Reality TV’s Honey Boo Boo may be a stale joke by now, but the costume is still funny and easy. Just dress like a little girl and add a bit of makeup. Curl your hair and pull it back as she does in most of her videos, and if possible add a tiny tiara. Boom!

Flo, the annoying Progressive woman
Dress in white, get a white apron from a craft store and write PROGRESSIVE across the top with a blue marker, pin on a cardboard Flo name tag and I HEART Insurance button (both easy to make) and be sure to wear a wide headband to hold back the pouf in your hair.

Make like a tree, and leaf ...
This pretty basic concept will be my costume. Choose something brown to wear, make a headdress with leaves (real or fake) and attach vines or palm fronds to make arm branches. (If you use the real thing, make sure it’s not poisonous!) Optional: green hairspray.

DIY: May the reinforcer be with you

While it is always nice to go to a salon for a manicure, it takes time and precious moolah. I recently found this idea on Pinterest and tried it with fantastic results! The manicure is super simple, looks professional and leaves time for school, work and fun.

You will need: Paper hole reinforcers, white, nude and clear nail polish, polish remover and cotton balls or Q-tips.

Step 1: Cut the paper reinforcers in half and place them on your nails so the curve lines up with where you want the white tip to start. You can use the whole sticker, but it’s wasteful, and I have really small nails, so the halves work better. Make sure the stickers are new so that they don’t come off halfway through the manicure; I learned that the hard way.
Step 2: Using the white polish, paint your fingernails above the sticker. This will create the arc and professional-looking details you get at a salon. Wait until the polish is dry to take off the stickers so that your polish doesn’t smear or pull off.
Step 3: Peel off the stickers and clean up anything that is outside of the line. I felt so accomplished the first time I did this because it creates perfect lines and looks totally legitimate! If you like contrast, paint a nude or light pink color up to the white line, and don’t forget the top coat to protect your beautiful masterpiece.

CELESTE BROWN, Newsome High