5 Last Minute Halloween Costume Ideas

With one week left until Halloween, the mad scramble for costumes is really starting to begin. So what do you do if you still haven't found a costume and don't have a lot of time and money to spend on one?
This short list of costumes can be made from things found in your closet, around your house, and for little or no money!

Binder Full of Women

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Take advantage of Election Season and create a costume based off of one of the most talked about terms from the Presidential Debate: Mitt Romney's "Binders Full of Women" Comment! This costume is as simple as finding a big enough cardboard box and getting creative.

1. Find a big enough cardboard box to cover your torso.
2. Cut off one side
3. Decorate it however you want! Don't forget to write "Binder Full of Women" or simply "Women" on the front.
4. That's it! Wear whatever you want underneath and do whatever you want to your hair and makeup.

50s Pinup

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Do it old school style and dress like a 1950s pinup girl! This costume is easy to make and doesn't require expensive, specially made pieces. In fact, you may have all you need in your closet right now!

Raid your closet for items like:

• button up blouses
• tie front shirts
• high waisted shorts or skirts
• cropped jeans
• pencil skirts
• halter tops
• cardigans
• pearls
• stockings, over-the-knee socks
• head scarves
• shirt dresses

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As you can see there are many many many things that are in style today that can be turned into a 50s costume. Finish the look off with a a cat eye and red lipstick. And don't forget to style your hair with soft waves!

For an easier, less fussy look, channel Rosie the Riveter by wearing a collared, button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up and cropped or cuffed jeans. Find a red scarf to tie around your head and wear combat boots on your feet to finish off the look.

Get into character and go around flexing those muscles!






Here are tutorials to get 50s style hair for straight and natural hair:

Shopping Bag

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Have some fun and be a shopping bag from your favorite store! There are two ways to make this costume:
1. Find a big shopping back big enough to fit in (ex. Bloomingdales "big brown bag")
2.. Make one out of two poster boards

Using an actual big bag is the easiest of the two. All you need to do is:

1. Cut the bottom out of the bag
2. Find a strong enough material (ribbon, fabric, strips of poster board) to  make shoulder straps. These will hold the bag up all night. Feel free to decorate them! Attach them with a strong glue or staple them on.
3. Find matching tissue paper. Glue/staple it to the bag all around the edges in a way that covers up your chest and back.

And you're done! Just find a skirt or shorts in a matching color to wear under the bag and a bandeau or tank top to wear on top! Have fun with your makeup so that it matches the personality of the store you're wearing.

Making a bag out of poster boards is just as easy, it just involves some creativity to make it look like your favorite store.

1. Take the the posters and fold them into three parts so that the middle piece is the largest and the two sides are smaller.
2. To re-create your store's bag, use paint, construction paper, glitter, stickers, whatever it takes! You only need to put the store's name on the front.
3. Continue the pattern or the solid color on the second poster, this will be the back.
4. Once you have finished decorating the boards,  put them together so the back poster's side panels are inside of the front poster's side panels. Attach them with a strong glue.
5. Continue with steps 2 and 3 from the directions for using a big shopping bag and you're done!

Holly Golightly from Breakfast at Tiffany's

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This is a classic Halloween outfit that doesn't take much at all! You will need:

• An LBD
• A Pearl Necklace
• Opera Length Gloves
• A Tiara/jeweled headband/jeweled hair clip

Keep your makeup classic and simple. A cat eye, mascara, blush, and lip gloss is all you need.

Perfect your hair by watching this tutorial below:

-or-

Channel Holly in her pajamas!

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All you need is: 

• A large, white, men's button up shirt
• A blue sleep mask

There you go! The most comfortable costume ever right? Just remember to wear something under the shirt to keep it classy.

Ceiling Fan

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Show your funny bone and wear a punny costume and dress like a Ceiling Fan! You only need everyday office supplies for this costume:

• Paper
• Printer (optional)
• Pencil
• Glue/Tape

To make this costume 

1. Either print or draw the word "Ceiling" either directly onto your shirt or onto a piece of paper. Stick it to any plain t-shirt and hat. 
2. Next print/draw the words "Go Ceiling!" onto a piece of paper and cut it out in a triangle shape
3. Get some glue/tape and roll in onto the pencil to make a flag

Add pom-poms or a megaphone for additional spirit!

To really get into the costume go around cheering on ceiling fans!


Any questions or comments? Leave them below!

Seventeen Magazine Freebie Codes: October 2012

10/01 - smooth
10/02 - sleek
10/03 - dry
10/04 - hairspray
10/05 - mist
10/06 - waterless
10/07 - metallic
10/08 - waves
10/09 - twist
10/10 - brush
10/11 - ball
10/12 - updo
10/13 - ionic
10/14 - catwalk
10/15 - bedhead
10/16 - party
10/17 - boost
10/18 - blowout
10/19 - texture
10/20 - sugar
10/21 - spray
10/22 - serum
10/23 - amplify
10/24 - shine
10/25 - curly
10/26 - dove
10/27 - long
10/28 - keratin
10/29 - foam
10/30 - color
10/31 - healthy

Grand Prize: matrix

Outfits Inspired by Rebecca Minkoff Spring 2013

Rebecca Minkoff, known for her playful designs, debuted her  Spring 2013 collection with... The collection, inspired by American photographer Slim Aarons, was full of 60's and 70's inspired floral prints. Minkoff's collection of ready-to-wear separates incorporating recent trends such as ombre and sporty accents, perfectly captures an updated look of 60s jet-setters. 

I was able to draw inspiration from the line and come up with three similar outfits on a budget and (an attempt at) Rebecca Minkoff inspired nail art. 

The Clothes

Rebecca Minkoff Spring 2013 by princess-smiley featuring floral shirts

This look is the most casual of the three but definitely not the most understated. The simplicity of the distressed jeans are surrounded by an eye-catching floral print and I pop of bright orange.

Rebecca Minkoff Spring 2013 by princess-smiley featuring a bodycon dress

The second look mixes casual with glam and makes it look so comfortable too! The jacket adds a sporty vibe to the look but the body-con skirt and heels make it flirty and fun.

Rebeca Minkoff Spring 2013 by princess-smiley featuring high heel shoes

For a more 70's vibe, the third look pairs a front tie shirt and light-wash denim.

The Nails

My inspiration for the nails came from the different prints used in Minkoff's collection. For this look I used Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear nail polish in "White On", Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in "Blue Me Away", and OPI Red Crackle Nail Polish.





The print on the thumb came from the blue and white jacket and pants (See post header image). I did it by first using "White On" and using  the round end of a sewing pin to create the stripes "Blue Me Away".

To create the other two prints, I used "White Out" as the base color again. Inspired by the different red floral prints in the collection, (see post header image) I used OPI Red Crackle Nail Polish. I love the way it looks and after looking at it for a while it started to remind me of Lady Gaga's infamous meat dress.

The design on the middle fingers were inspired by the strings on the blue sporty jacket in look two. I started with "Blue Me Away" and then drew connecting diagonal lines using "White Out" and a pin.


Now it's your turn! Create a Rebecca Minkoff inspired blog post for the chance to win a $1500 shopping spree! The contest will be judged by Rebecca herself! Enter here. 

No blog? Tell Bloglovin' what YOU think about the Rebecca Minkoff Spring 2013 collection for a chance to win a $500 shopping spree by entering here!



Any questions or comments? Leave them below!

I Big Chopped!

After a ten month transition, I decided to cut off all of my relaxed ends and become 100% natural. My original plan had been to go at least a year and a half before cutting it because I wanted to keep my length. It took a random burst of courage and frustration for me to cut it off.
For the past two months I considered cutting my hair. I figured that it would be a little easier to manage if I didn't have to worry about matching my straight hair to my curly hair and that my natural hair would be healthier without all the dead weight.

After going through my first week of college life and living in the dorms, I saw how difficult it would be to work my hair into my schedule. It seemed like it would be easy at first because I would be finished with all of my classes by noon everyday. I would have almost all day to do my hair right? The problem came when I tried to work around my eating schedule. Although I would have time to wash and put my hair into twists or Bantu knots, did I really want to walk into the dining hall with my hair twisted up, wet, or in a plastic bag?
I tried to wash my hair after I ate dinner but my hair is so thick that it wouldn't be dry by morning. In a moment of frustration, I decided that when I went home that weekend, I would cut my hair.

After chopping I had mixed emotions about my hair. Sometimes it was like, "I love my hair!" and other times it it was horrible, "I can't believe I cut my hair off!". A few weeks later, I still have moments of regret, but most of the time, I absolutely love my hair. It's easier to manage, and already healthier and now all I have to do is watch it grow.

Any Questions or Comments? Leave them below!

New Uses for Peroxide

1. Whitening Teeth 

For better results, whitening your teeth with peroxide requires two steps.

• First: Brush your teeth with baking soda. Do this by either shaking baking soda onto a wet brush or by dipping a wet brush into a box of baking soda; whichever works best for you.
• Second: Swish with a mixture of equal parts peroxide and water for two minutes.

2. Mouthwash

Swishing with an equal mix of water and peroxide can also help freshen breath.

3. Canker sores

When a painful canker sore pops up in your mouth, mix together an equal amount of peroxide and water use a cotton swab to dab the mixture onto the sore. You should see improvement of the sore within 24 hours.

4. Stain Removal

Besides using peroxide to remove blood from clothing, it also works for getting small spots off of white garments. Pour a small amount onto the stain and let it soak in and voila! The stain begins to lift before your eyes! Wash afterwards for full removal.
It also comes in handy when you're about to leave and notice a small stain on your clothes. Just put some peroxide on a cotton swab and apply to the stain to make it less noticeable.

5. Acne

To get rid of acne on your body in places such as your back or chest, don't spend money on fancy cleansers. Instead, create a daily regiment of rubbing alcohol and peroxide.

• At night use a cotton ball to apply rubbing alcohol to your affected areas. Make sure to get the whole area (whole back/chest, etc) and not just the areas that are breaking out. 
• In the morning do the same but with peroxide.

The at night alcohol helps to clean out your pores and the peroxide in the morning kills any acne causing bacteria forming on the surface of your skin.

Any questions or comments? Leave them below!

Foolproof Outfits for "One of Those Days"

Everyone's had one of those days where your alarm clock goes off after you have hit the snooze button more than once. Reluctantly, you roll over to look at the clock and realize that you've overslept and only have 30 minutes to get to class! You can throw on your normal t-shirt/jeans combo on days like this but after multiple days of running late (it happens) it can get a little old. So what do you do?

Skip to another situation:
You've stayed up almost all night studying for the big test tomorrow, it's cloudy outside, and you want nothing more but to curl up in bed for a few more hours. On days like this it can be so tempting and easy to reach for the t-shirt/sweats combo but you want to look put together too.

Here are a few foolproof outfits for when you want to feel comfortable but look put together too.

The Item: Oversized Sweater by princess-smiley featuring cuffed jeans

The Oversized sweater's middle name is comfortable. It's work soft and can make everything feel loungy. Pair it with jeans or black pants or for extra comfort wear it with leggings. Avoid heels or uncomfortable, intricate shoes and wear ballet flats or boots.

The Item: Simple Maxi skirt by princess-smiley featuring pink shirts

Instead of throwing on sweats, put on something that is just as comfortable! Simple cotton maxi skirts like this one can be found almost anywhere. They're easy to just throw on and can be paired with anything. I have one in every basic color but white and let me tell you they are the best! I wear them when I don't feel like wearing tight jeans and they come in handy when you don't have time to shave.

The Task: Makeup by princess-smiley featuring maybelline mascara

If you're okay with leaving the house without makeup then this may not apply to you but for the many girls who don't, this step is perfect for running late days. Think of the minimum amount of makeup you would be okay with wearing in public. Whatever you said is now all that is on your running late list for makeup. Many girls' lists include things like mascara, foundation, or lip gloss. Mine is eyeliner.

Running late for class can be a stressful situation. Now you can make it a little less stressful by knowing what to wear. Nothing is better than being able to look good and feel comfortable at the same time.

Any questions or comments? Leave them below!

Seventeen Magazine Freebie Codes September 2012

09/01 - viral
09/02 - camera
09/03 - nikon
09/04 - photos
09/05 - purple
09/06 - silver
09/07 - zoom
09/08 - red
09/09 - touch
09/10 - sprint
09/11 - phone
09/12 - blackberry
09/13 - viper
09/14 - elite
09/15 - boost
09/16 - eglide
09/17 - kindle
09/18 - staples
09/19 - funtab
09/20 - playbook
09/21 - nook
09/22 - tablet
09/23 - ihome
09/24 - music
09/25 - loud
09/26 - sanrio
09/27 - speakers
09/28 - striped
09/29 - skull
09/30 - mini

Grand Prize: beats