3 Easy Halloween Costumes You Can Create in Two Hours or Less

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Welcome to a special Halloween edition of Girl Friday, our weekly column where professional makeup artist Amanda Storey shares the latest in trends, tips and tricks in the world of makeup and beauty.

Haven't given a thought to your Halloween costume? Are all the costume shops, wig stores and thrift outlets with elaborate window displays inciting a costume anxiety that makes you want to call the whole darn thing off? Maybe when Halloween rolls around you'll just pretend it's another day. But then you'll arrive at work where everyone is dressed up and excited about parties and you will begin to suffer from F.O.M.O—Fear of Missing Out. Works ends at 5:00 and the party starts at 7:00: you have exactly two hours to pull an awesome costume together. Have no fear, I am here to help. You can pull together these three easy and clever costume ideas in two hours or less, guaranteed.

If you are unfamiliar with Little Edie, I highly suggest watching the 1975 cult documentary Grey Gardens. Little Edie and her mother Big Edie were the eccentric cousins of Jackie Kennedy. They lived in a dilapidated twenty-three room estate called Grey Gardens in East Hampton. Little Edie is best known for her eccentric fashion sense and her almost manic desire to be a performer. (Check out how Jessica Quirk of What I Wore did it a few years ago.)

What you'll need:
· Headscarf
· Brooch
· One piece swimsuit
· Pantyhose or tights
· Plain pumps
· Button down shirt turned into a skirt.

Little Edie developed alopecia in her early '20's, so she always wore a head covering. Any scarf or even a hand towel wrapped tightly around your head and neck will do. She often adorned her head scarves with a brooch. She swam daily and spend a lot of time in old-fashioned one piece swimsuits, often wearing them with pantyhose or tights underneath. She also often wore shirts, skirts and dresses upside down and safety pinned or tied together. The clothes are rumored to have been cast-offs from Jackie Kennedy that were too small for Little Edie, but she creatively altered them to make them fit. Carry around a framed photo of the former first lady for a little frame of reference, break into song and dance often, and you've got a super easy Little Edie costume!

If you are as bored of "Sexy" Halloween costumes as I am, this is the costume for you. Here's what you need:

· That chambray shirt you've been wearin everyday
· The boyfriend jeans you've been wearing every day
· Dr. Martens or some other type of flat, lace up boots
· Red bandanna or scarf

Rosie the Riveter is a cultural icon who represents the strength and ability of the hardworking American woman. Conveniently, she also provides inspiration for a simple, fast Halloween costume. First, throw on that denim shirt and tuck it into your boyfriend jeans. Roll up the legs a bit so your super-cute "work boots" show. Pull your hair into a ponytail and wrap a scarf around your head. Paint on some pin-up red lips and smudge a bit of dark brown eyeshadow onto your cheeks and forehead to look like you've been building airplanes in a factory. Roll up your sleeves and sit back comfortably while the "sexy bumblebees" hobble around in stilettos.

About 10 years ago I was actually attacked by a gigantic crow. It was my day off and I had piled my long hair into an untidy bun on the top of my head. As I walked towards the big glass doors of my local Nordstrom, a huge black bird swooped down. I ran towards the doors to escape, but the bird was relentless for my bun. I was screaming and flapping my arms wildly as people inside stared. When I finally made it inside, I had scratch marks on my scalp and had to see a doctor—freaky and mega embarrassing. Luckily it's easy to have your own Birds moment without the medical bill.

· A shift dress and jacket. Ideally this would be in a 1960's-friendly pastel color, but the conservative dress and jacket you reserve for job interviews would do.
· Wide waist-cinching belt
· Vintage-look handbag
· Nude panythose
· Headband in a color close to your hair color.
· Armature wire
· Wire cutter
· Black construction paper
· Scissors
· Clear Glue
· Gauze

Let's do the (easy, I promise) crafty part first. Google "bird silhouettes" and print some out in varying sizes and styles. Cut them out and trace them with chalk or white pencil onto your black construction paper. You'll need two of each style because they will be double sided. Next, cut out different lengths of armature wire and wrap the ends tightly around the headband. Be careful not to have sharp ends that may hurt your scalp! Glue and then sandwich your double-sided birds around the ends of the armature wire. You may want to coil the end of the wire so the glue has more area to adhere to. Weigh down the birds with a few books while they dry thoroughly.

Put on your conservative suit, pumps and handbag. Tease your hair into a '60's coif and put on the headband. Once the birds and wire are fully dry, bend and shape the birds into crazy positions to make it look like they are attacking your head. Smear some mascara around your eyes. For a more frightening look, add some "bloody" gauze (red nail polish will do nicely) around your head or some band-aids. It might take you a full two hours for this one, but it can be done.

Have you ever thrown a costume together last minute? Tell us about it!
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