As the spooky season looms over campus, various students have found a way to make each Halloween costume a distinctive expression of themselves. Students have worked to turn costumes into a work of art, creating their own DIY looks using makeup, costume design, and group creativity.

MAKEUP: KRISTINA RONAN

Q: When did you first use makeup to create a Halloween look?

A: The first time was probably in sixth grade when I got into makeup. I would look up YouTube videos and figure out how to recreate the look in my own way.

Q: How long does it take you to do your makeup for a Halloween costume?

A: I normally practice my Halloween makeup a few times before the actual day. Once I get really good at it, it only takes me about 30 to 45 minutes to finish my entire look.

Q: What makes you want to DIY your looks?

A: I like to DIY my looks because at Halloween stores, costumes are so expensive, and it’s just so much easier to look through your closet and see what you already have and then use makeup to even further the inspired look.

Q: How does makeup help you express yourself on Halloween?

A: Makeup helps me express myself on Halloween because it is such a fun and creative way to do whatever you want, and you’re not going to be judged for doing something that you’ve been wanting to do all year. I can just break out all the skills [I’ve] been practicing.

Q: What is your favorite part of dressing up for Halloween?

A: My favorite part about dressing up on Halloween would be taking pictures and remembering all the fun my friends and I had. It is also so cool to hear how many people love what you did and maybe even use you for inspiration the following year.

COSTUME DESIGN: ANA-GABRIELLA THOMIDIS

Q: When did you first decide to DIY your costumes and why?

A: I first decided to DIY my costumes when I felt limited by the choices in costume stores and wanted to be more creative with what I wore.

Q: What was your favorite DIY costume to create?

A: That’s a very difficult question because each costume proves to have its very own challenges that make each of them interesting.

Q: How do you plan your costumes, and what work goes into them?

A: I usually do a lot of [research on] Youtube. I watch videos and tutorials on how to do things made by people who have previously done it. I also look at sewing patterns and draw it all out, too.

Q: What is your favorite aspect of creating Halloween costumes?

A: I [enjoy] looking into how to make them scary without making them tacky. I want them scary but refined at the same time.

Q: How does creating your own costume help you express yourself on Halloween?

A: I just enjoy making costumes. It’s a way for me to show a type of art I’m not always able to. [My favorite part of Halloween] is making the costumes.

GROUP DIY: FAITH TIRTARAHARDJA

Q: What inspired your look for a group DIY?

A: A week before Halloween, we were scrambling to find something to be for Halloween, so we scrolled through Pinterest and found our inspiration from there.

Q: What did your group do in order to DIY your group costume?

A: In order to DIY our group costumes, we purchased oversized t-shirts with colors matching the fruit we were being. Once we got the t-shirts, we got together and painted designs that portray[ed] the fruits that we were. So, for my particular costume, since I was a pineapple I drew triangles that matched the grooves of the pineapple and added a headband with a bow to represent the stem part of the pineapple.

Q: How did you guys decide on doing a group costume?

A: It was very last minute. A group of us weren’t sure what to be for Halloween, so we decided to do a group costume that would be easy and fun.

Q: What was the best experience of doing a group costume?

A: This was probably the best group costume I’ve been a part of just because all of our costumes turned out good, and everyone pitched in. We all were matching, so it actually looked like a group costume.