Purim Costume & Hair Ideas

Purim is my favorite holiday period! For those of you who do not know what Purim is, its a fancy dress holiday similar to Halloween. What makes this holiday stand out most is its the only holiday where its written in the Talmud that a person must drink till they cant  recognize anybody! If you cannot decide what to wear this year I have thrown together a list of my favorite costume ideas, that wont cost you a fortune, and will get you noticed!

 Frida Kahlo

 For hair and make-up, start off with a long black wig (unless you have naturally long, dark hair!), part it down the middle. You can either do two braids, and pin them up like a milk maid, or you can pull the hair back into a bun. Add fake or fresh flowers into your updo. Using a black makeup pencil, create dark eyebrows that run together to create an almost uni-brow. Lastly, add red lipstick to finish off this look. For clothing and props, wear a simple white button-down or peasant blouse, and tuck it into a long, full, traditional floor-length brightly-colored skirt. Add a shawl draped around your shoulders, a belt around your waist, and big bright strands of wooden-bead or gold jewelry. Enhance your outfit by carrying around a stuffed monkey or over sized paintbrush.

Pin-Up Girls

 Pin Up Girls are sexy and sassy and ooze vintage glamor. Wear your hair curled. Pin curls, faux bangs and victory rolls were very popular styles - so were the blunt Betty Page bangs. A range of hair colors are suitable .For a little extra fun finish your style with a cute hair flower or pin!  Ideally I would say visit us at the salon to create your vintage hair look, but if you feel like taking it on alone, check out PinupDollAshleyMarie's Channel on Youtube.( I love her step-by-steps!)  Draw wardrobe inspiration from the 1940's & 1950's. Your aim is to create an alluring hourglass silhouette. Have a look in vintage stores & online for genuine vintage items from these eras or look for recreation. Key items include: wiggle dresses, pencil skirts, Cuban heeled stockings, round toed pumps, espadrilles, 3/4 sleeve cardigans, high waisted capri pants & high waisted shorts - to name a few. Try to create your own unique look.

 Audrey Hepburn

'Breakfast at Tiffanys' is you classic 1950 costume idea. It is  quite simple to create this look at home by yourself. For the costume you will need a  long black sleeveless dress, chunky pearl necklace, long black gloves and a cigarette in holder. Tease the hair into an elaborate up do, and finish it off with a glitzy hair accessory. To help you create the hairstyle check out Audrey Hepburn - Breakfast at Tiffany's - Hair Tutorial

Cleopatra

 Cleopatra, probably the most famous queen of Egypt, has been illustrated in artwork and movies in all sorts of eclectic ways. The most common version in modern times was made famous by the beautiful Elizabeth Taylor. With a few odds and ends, you can make a stunning Cleopatra costume that is easy and comfortable to wear.  If you can find a black shoulder length wig with bangs it will make the costume look more authentic. If not, go down to your local bead store and get gold beads ( if they dont have such a thing, get plain beads and spray paint them gold.) Straighten your hair, and part in a center parting. Along the top section braid the hair, like in the picture above, and add beads. Put on your eye shadow and eyeliner. Make sure that you create a very dramatic Egyptian style cat eye with your eyeliner. Study the photograph for a perfect example and design of the makeup look that you are going for. Improvise on this step to what is most flattering for you.

 Amy Winehouse

Amy Winehouse is still one of my favorite costume ideas of all time. The singers unique hairstyles, and thick black eyeliner was her trademark look. The picture above is from the recent JPG catwalk show when the designer paid tribute to the deceased musician. Amy Winehouse wore a large hive of hair on the top of her head while the rest hangs down. You can do this by taking the front half of your hair, tease the crap our of it and fold or roll it backward to make a large bun-like shape. Secure the hair by pinning it with dark colored hair clips or pins. There should be more hair left over in the back. Leave this as it is, and voila! you have started to create an Amy Winehouse look. Finish it off with a thick line of black liquid liner, and a fake mole.

Lady Gaga

 Last but not least......LADY GAGA! I could have written a post just on the kooky singers clothing choices. From her meat dress to cross dressing, she has given you hundreds of ideas to choose from. Which ever look you decide to go for there is one thing that you will need, and that's a long blond wig. After that the balls in your court, so let your creative juices flow and come up with something unique!