Even if it’s not your favorite channel, everyone at some point or another has flipped to Animal Planet, Discovery, or the Travel Channel and watched a program or two. On these channels are some very enigmatic explorer/wildlife enthusiast types that draw you in with their excitement for nature and (sometimes) funny accents. They travel all over the planet and pick up wild animals with their bare hands so that viewers can get a better view and can learn something about these creatures that they might never see up close in their lifetimes. Why not be one of these explorers for Halloween? The costume is actually pretty simple -even if you choose not to buy it from a store or website- because a stereotype has emerged as to how these people dress.

steve irwin costume

First you should start with some heavy duty work boots, the kind that would provide the most protection against creatures of the wild should they decide to chomp down on your feet. Then a pair of thick socks to… absorb your foot sweat I imagine. Next in line are a pair of kaki or green cargo shorts. Cargo meaning pockets, lots of pockets for your nature adventures. A button down kaki shirt should also include pockets, as well as the logo for your television show, should you decide on a specific one. Last but not least you should have a big smile on your face and/or an amazing hat to keep that unforgiving sun out of your eyes. Almost like magic, your costume is complete!

No wildlife enthusiast is at home without a bit of nature however, so if you wanted to go that extra mile for your costume you could take with you a blow up crocodile pool toy, or a plush/rubber snake. You could put a bunch of plastic scorpions in a clear box and carry them around, or perhaps have a toy monkey sit on your shoulder. The most important thing is to have fun, and (if you want) to put on the weirdest accent you can possibly manage and narrate your observations on fellow party goers as if they were creatures in their natural habitat.

Happy exploring!

Geisha are entertainers, they are paid to attend parties and have casual conversation with the party goers. They dance, play shamisen, and have learned the arts of traditional dress and beautiful flawless makeup. They are considered to be the most elegant and beautiful women of Japan, and though they are not something all young girls aspire to be, there’s definitely a few that do.

Geisha

Imagine what it would be like to be one of these women, graceful and pristine. Well, you can be, just for a night this Halloween. Think of it like being Cinderella, you can have your night at the ball, but when the clock strikes midnight (or in this case, when Halloween is over) you have to go back to being yourself. But wouldn’t that one night be fantastic to have?

Purchasing a real kimono and learning the proper way to wear it, to tie the obi, and to move in it would be ideal; but kimonos can be very expensive and very complicated to put on/maneuver in. This is one of the reason why geisha are considered artists, it’s difficult to get the hang of it and do it perfectly. Fortunately for you, there are a lot of kimono/geisha inspired costumes available as well as wigs to imitate the intricate hair-dos that they wear around town. They are much easier to wear and a lot more simple to put on, often they feature shorter skirts and cute designs. But putting on the costume doesn’t mean your finished with the costume, there’s still the makeup to be concerned about. If you can/want to, the best thing to do in my opinion would be to attempt something similar to real geisha make up.

For this you would need to start with a white base that covered not only your face but neck as well, leaving blank space on the back of your neck in a ‘w’ shape just below the nape. Your lips should be ruby red, but the lipstick should not cover the entire lip, because with an all white face it would give the illusion that your lips were much too big. Some red should be added around the eye as well as heavy eyeliner to make your baby blues/browns/greens really pop. Look up photos on the internet to be sure if you want to get it just right, but if you don’t really care much about accuracy, just put on some red lipstick and powder and dash off to the party for a night of fun.