Everyone all over Facebook, Twitter and Blogger land has already gone out over the weekend for Halloween, and I've loved seeing what everyone has gone as!  My friends and I decided to go out on the Wednesday - actual Halloween.  They're all still students and I'm still searching for a job now I'm qualified, so we can do the whole, nights out in the middle of the week thing.  In fact I might do a post on finishing uni and trying to find a suitable job soon, because it hasn't been fun and a good rant should sort me out!  Anyway, this Halloween my main goal was minimal budget, because of course I'm not working at the moment.  So I looked through my wardrobe and had a bit of a dilemma.  I have a long black dress, so I thought, I'll go as Audrey Hepburn a la Holly Golightly from Breakfast at Tiffany's - but the dress isn't anything like that at all.  It's all ruched at the front and actually looks more like something one of the gals from Downton Abbey would wear - but I thought if I dressed up as that everyone would be asking me who I am all night - and feebly explaining that "I'm dressed like someone from Downton Abbey" while not actually being specifically dressed as one of the characters would make me look stupid.  On to the next!



I found a strapless black dress that stuck out at the bottom a little bit and thought - I (i.e Mum) could jazz this baby up and make it ballet-ish and go as the Black Swan, because I've wanted to dress up as that since I seen the movie years ago.  My sister also had a black sort of tutu-ish skirt that when put over the dress really helped it look more like a real tutu (although real tutus are insanely gorgeous and about a gajillion pounds but you get the idea).  My mum and I popped off to the haberdashery section in Dunelm Mill (one of my favourite shops by the way, because I love house things) and looked for feathery, sparkly, bird coloured things. And Voila!  I have an awesome costume courtesy of mother - because I can't sew.  Well I can, but I'm talking small hole repairs and buttons.  My mother is a sewing genius!  I didn't mind sewing things all over  the dress because it was too big for me now anyway since I've lost weight - and to make it fit me for Halloween, my mum put clear rings on the back and used black ribbon to do me up like a corset.  She's a clever wee cookie my mum.  I bought a crown from Claires Accessories out of the little girls department for about £3.00.  I used my old ballet tights that, for some reason I kept even though I don't dance any more, and tied black ribbon around my ankles to act as the ballet shoes. I would NEVER wear my real ones out - they'd get ruined and I'd cry.  And I was determined to wear heels because I'm about a foot shorter than everyone else ever.  And that bit me in the ass because I tripped over in a pothole and tore all the ligaments in my left foot!
Products used for arms:
MAC Eyeshadow - Plumage and Steamy
Maybelline Gel Eyeliner - Black
Collection Glam Crystals Eyeliner - Hustle
No7 Translucent powder & Hairspray to set.

For my makeup I looked up photos from the movie to see what it was like, and I basically just copied it.  I couldn't find a list of the actual products used or anything, but I just used what I had already.  I decided as well, last minute that I wanted to put feathers on my arms, because of the part of the film where she's going crazy and thinks she's turning into a real bird.  Full list of what I used below:

Face Makeup:
Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation - 3.5
Kryolan Professional Makeup Supracolour 12 Palette - White (to lighten skin tone)
NYX Powder Blush - Taupe (Contours)
Illamasqua Cream Blush - Lies (Highlight)
No7 Translucent Powder
Maybelline Gel Liner - Black
Bourjois Smoky Eyes Eyeshadow - Lilac Gris (Lightest Colour in trio)
MAC Glitter Pigment - Misty (From Dazzlespheres)
Collection Glam Crystals Eyeliner - Hustle
Maybelline The Falsies Black Drama Mascara
Millie MacKintosh Eyelashes - Camden
MAC Rebel Lipstick
MAC Kohl Eyeliner - Feline (to darken corners of lips)

I hope you like it! It took me hours to do it, and I was pretty pleased with the result :)

Rebekah
xxx