Is trick-or-treating still a thing, or has Halloween become another excuse to go viral?
It’s Halloween 26, the fake spiders are out, the makeup tutorials are all over TikTok, and suddenly we’re planning three-hour transformations for a party that might end at 2 a.m. Halloween isn’t dead, we’ve just found new ways to celebrate it.
Costumes used to be about looking scary. Now, you can show up as a politician, an angel, a slutty nun, or whatever random idea you came up with at 3 a.m. The possibilities are endless, and so is the pressure to come up with something original. With Halloween 26 around the corner, the question is whether we’re dressing up for ourselves, for the party, or for the photo that proves we went.
CELEBRITIES, PLEASE NEVER STOP
Every year, celebrities manage to make Halloween a full production. Heidi Klum has practically turned it into her personal fashion week, with costumes that require hours of prosthetics and an entire team of people. We’ve seen the worm, the peacock, the alien and so many other transformations that at this point, the reveal is practically a national event. We know what she’s capable of, and we still want to see what she does next.
Then there are the costumes that make you wonder who approved the idea. Katy Perry once turned up as a giant Cheeto, which is either the funniest thing ever or a sign that fame really does make you lose the plot. Kim Kardashian recreating Cher’s iconic 1973 Oscars look was a different kind of commitment: less horror, more fashion history, but still a reminder that Halloween is the one night when going completely overboard is encouraged.
WE LOVE TO TRANSFORM OUR HOMES, TOO
We might not be knocking on strangers’ doors for candy anymore, but we still love an excuse to decorate. A house party or pre-drinks is the perfect opportunity to turn your flat into a horror house: fake blood everywhere, draping across the ceiling, plastic spiders in places nobody asked for, and a suspicious-looking Bloody Mary on the kitchen counter.
It’s a bit random spending hours decorating a home when absolutely no children are going to knock on the door. But who cares? Halloween is the perfect excuse to make a night out of doing nothing in particular. You can invite everyone over, put on a horror movie, or spend the evening rewatching Twilight or AHS for the hundredth time.
Or just hang a fake skeleton out of your window. Sometimes that’s enough.
WE LOVE A FAB MAKEUP TRANSFORMATION
A smooth makeup transition can be soooo satisfying. This season, the Scarah Scream change trend won it for me. There’s something therapeutic about letting your inner frustrations out and turning into your worst self for a night. We’re tired of pretending everything is fine, so why not use Halloween to look as unhinged as we feel?
And you don’t need a complicated costume to make an impact. Messy eyeshadow, smudged eyeliner on boys, fake blood around the mouth, or a pair of coloured contact lenses can completely change your look. Think about the GUCCI SS27 makeup: blue eyeshadow paired with the perfect shade of cherry-red lipstick changed the game. Animal prints are also entering the conversation, and Roberto Cavalli SS27 might have something to do with that.
For Halloween 26, I’d rather see makeup that looks like you got carried away than another perfectly symmetrical look copied from a tutorial. Let the eyeliner run. Make the lipstick messy. Add fake veins, fangs or glitter if you’re prepared to find it in your bed three weeks later.
BE MESSY, BE FREE, GO INSANE
Put on a role. Fuck that makeup up. Rip your clothes. Be hot.
If you’re looking for a full-body transformation, the red guy all over TikTok is an easy place to start. Just find a properly pigmented body paint and prepare for the aftermath. If you’re going for a full-body glitter look, maybe accept that your apartment will sparkle until Christmas. Fake fangs, visible veins, coloured contacts and a little fake blood can go a long way, too.
PLAN THAT COSTUME HALLOWEEN 26 IS AROUND THE CORNER
Halloween 26 is around the corner, and nobody wants to be panic-ordering something the night before. You don’t necessarily need a one-to-one reference or the most elaborate look in the room. Also we don’t need more angels, devils, etc. Pick something random, funny, slutty, bloody or completely unhinged. Get creative. Get online. Get your friends involved.
We need something to look forward to when autumn starts feeling like one long grey Monday. So decorate the flat, spend three hours on your makeup, host the pre-drinks, or just go out looking absolutely insane for Halloween 26.
