Tag Archives: halloween costume

Nov1

Couples Pirate COTD

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Couples Pirate COTD

Avast and ahoy landlubbers! Can you tell that I am still obsessing over my Halloween costume?! Johnny and I revel in dressing up together every Halloween and always opt for matching costumes. We understand that pirates is such a basic ass costume choice but once we decided to go for it, we were all in. In both of our thirty something years of living, neither of us have been pirates before for Halloween and there was no better time than the present. If these pictures didn’t make it obvious – we enjoyed every minute! Check it out:

Johnny and I both take our fashion extremely seriously and that is one of my favorite things about him. I like to think that our personal styles are pretty unique and every time we step out together is an occasion to get dressed up. Halloween is no exception. In fact, we probably take our Halloween costumes more seriously than our regular clothes! We’re not massive party goers and we don’t frequent the bar scene so when we dress up to pass out trick or treat candy is our one night to show off our costume creations. One night to let our inner children go crazy and immerse ourselves in a new character.

I have to say, we might have had more fun than the trick or treaters when we were posted up at our candy station. We had a roaring fire, Johnny was playing guitar, and we couldn’t get over the cuteness of every costume we saw. The entire night was a highlight but there was one moment that really stuck out to me. When I was chatting with a family that visited us, the little daughter timidly asked me if I had pink hair last year. I couldn’t believe that she remembered my Candy Queen costume and it warmed my heart so much. We pride ourselves on being the “cool” house to trick or treat at and this solidified that we are doing Halloween right. Sometimes a pirate’s life isn’t plundering for treasure, but sharing the wealth with candy instead!

I love all of the Halloween costumes Johnny and I have put together but our pirate COTD holds a special place in my heart. I can’t wait to see what we dream up next year!

What is your favorite candy? Did you have a favorite Halloween costume growing up? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct31

A Pirate’s Life For Me COTD

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A Pirate’s Life For Me COTD

Howdy!! Every year Johnny and I look forward to passing out trick or treat candy in my mom and dad’s neighborhood. We set up a bonfire, play music, and delight in all of the costume cuteness. Of course, the trick or treaters aren’t the only ones dressing up and we couldn’t wait to bust out our pirate costumes for the occasion. I seriously couldn’t be happier with how they turned out and am so excited to share ALL of the content with you! Take a look and stay tuned for more swashbuckling good times coming soon:

Who? What? Wear?

Pirate Costume & Accessories: Spirit Halloween

Vertebrae Heels: Show Story

Being pirates was not mine and Johnny’s original plan. We were thinking of doing Alice Cooper and Cold Ethyl this year. However, we just didn’t feel like piecing together a costume via online shopping. This was how I built my Candy Queen costume last year and it was expensive and a bit of a hassle and we were so not trying to deal with that. After vetoing Plan A for this year, for some reason “pirates” popped into my head and I had my heart set on it. 1) It would be so totally cute. And 2) Finding a costume would be as simple as a trip to Spirit Halloween!

After making extensive purchases at Spirit Halloween, the trick was honestly on us. It was crazy expensive and we probs could have done our Plan A at a comparable price. We loved what we picked out so much, though, that it didn’t even matter. At this point, we both had being the baddest pirates across the seven seas on our mind and nothing was going to change that. With our costumes and beaucoup accessories prepped to go, all that was left to do was wait (im)patiently for trick or treat time.

I hate to toot my own horn about this costume because all I did was buy it, pick out accessories, and put it on but: TOOT TOOT! As soon as this COTD was on in all of its glory, you could not tell me NOTHIN. I felt absolutely amazing in it and I know it sounds silly but I really did feel like a pirate. Halloween is such a magical time because it allows you to be anything you want to be. To get into character and just have fun. Trust and believe that every trick or treater was a matey to me and Johnny and they were all greeted with a hearty “ahoy”. We pride ourselves on being the “cool” house to trick or treat at and I think this year was one of our best yet!

This costume was all treats and no tricks about it. Set sail for all Halloween everything here on lifewithlilred!

What did you do for Halloween? What did you dress up as? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct28

Whatever’s Clever COTD Bloopers

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Whatever’s Clever COTD Bloopers

Hello everyone and welcome to the Blooper Reel from my Whatever’s Clever COTD! This makeshift costume was worn for an evening of Halloween frivolity and I felt like a star in it. Was it the most cohesive look? Not exactly. Was it cute AF? Absolutely! I loved wearing it to go to a Halloween event with my nieces and to the Factory Of Terror. I will say, however, it was hilarious rolling into the Red Robin in this fit when Johnny and I grabbed dinner before the haunted house lol! Take a look at these yikes shots and then let me tell you about my stuck in the bathroom experience:

No idea what to do with all this hair!

Crouching tiger hidden devil

The light! It burns!!!

Clearly I have to practice my hair flip in this wig lol

Hanging on for dear life because…

YIKES!!!! Lil Red *almost* down

She sticks the landing!!!

SO. This skeleton bodysuit by Tipsy Elves is fabulous but it is a pain in the fanny to zip up. While I was getting ready at home it was a huge struggle to zip – it looked like it wasn’t getting stuck on fabric, it just straight up wouldn’t zip up. Trust and believe it felt like a major accomplishment when I finally got it! After taking COTD pictures, Johnny and I made our way to the family Halloween outing with our nieces and about halfway through, my worst fear happened. I had to use the bathroom. AHHHHHH!!!!

I went to the loo, did my thing, and sent a silent wish that my bodysuit would zip up once more. Let’s just say that the wish didn’t come true. Try as I might, the zipper wasn’t budging and I was stuck in my bathroom stall wrestling with my costume. I grabbed my phone and proceeded to call my mom and sister and had no service. My series of SOS texts weren’t going through and I was completely stranded. This was not the place to be walking around with my assets on full display.

As I continued to try to zip the bodysuit, I was getting more and more frustrated and even broke a sweat lol it was bad! I figured my best chance of emerging from the facilities was to ask for help from the next person who came in. About ten minutes later, my savior opened the bathroom doors: A kind woman in a yellow Yoshi costume with her little kid dressed as Luigi. With my tail between my legs, I explained the situation and she was ON. It. She told her kiddo “go to the bathroom, I have to help this nice lady” and within ten seconds, my bodysuit was zipped back up. I hugged her so tightly and told her she saved my life!!

This bathroom saga took at least twenty minutes and when I finally rolled back into the arts and crafts area my family was in, they all asked where I was. I told them I was in the bathroom the whole time and asked why no one came looking. They all assumed I was really doing my business and that couldn’t have been further from the truth. I was in there fighting for my life! Regardless of how annoyed I was, freedom was so sweet and I fear I would have been in the can all night if it wasn’t for my Yoshi goddess. Bless this woman and her family!!!! ❤

For the remainder of the night, I made my time in the bathroom work sans unzipping my suit. Note to self: Once the zipper on this bodysuit is up it is staying up!!!!

Have you had any embarrassing situations recently? What happened? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct27

Whatever’s Clever COTD

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Whatever’s Clever COTD

Hello! This past Friday we jam packed an entire weekend into one night because I got my Covid shot earlier in the day and knew I would be down for the count for the rest of the weekend. Johnny and I had a super fun time meeting my sister and sweet nieces for a community Halloween event and then it was off to the Factory Of Terror for a fabulously scary time. As we were in for an evening of spooky season festivities, I decided to get dressed up to surprise my nieces and show out at the haunted house. I didn’t want to bust out my sexy pirate costume for a family event so I just pieced together a few odds and ends for a devilishly good makeshift COTD. Check it out:

Who? What? Wear?

Skeleton Bodysuit: Tipsy Elves

Coated Skinny Jeans: Seven Jeans, TJMaxx

Devil Platforms: Dolls Kill

Devil Horns: We got these from a vendor at the AC/DC concert!

Ombre Wig: Spirit Halloween

I think the cross earrings were from Target!

My Halloween costumes always err on the side of sexy and that was so not the route I wanted to take for my night out. With limited not saucy costume pieces to pick from, I decided on simply pairing my skeleton bodysuit from Tipsy Elves with a pair of coated skinnies. Originally, this bodysuit was worn with a super mini red tutu but I didn’t want my assets hanging out for all to see lol! In theory, my little Tipsy Elves number is great. It kept me fully covered and offered some spooky flare. In practice? Not so much as I definitely got stuck in the bathroom at the community Trick or Treat SMH. Read more about that during tomorrow’s Blooper Reel! Where was I? Oh yeah…

So, the bodysuit and jeans were exactly what I needed to feel dressed up without going all out and the rest of my look was up to accessories. Does a skeleton bodysuit and devil horns and platforms go together? Not necessarily! But, hey, anything goes on Halloween and I had to work with what I had at home. To keep things feeling costumey, I used my dynamite devil platforms from Dolls Kill. I could have paired this look with my vertebrae platforms also from Dolls Kill. However, those were very tall and probably wouldn’t have been the best to stomp around in at a haunted house. The devil heels were much more compact in their height and I already planned on wearing the devil horns so whatever’s clever! 😀

Next on the agenda was hair and finishing touches. Rather than bother with doing something funky with my own hair, I decided to wear the curly ombre wig I got for my pirate costume. These luscious red locks were SO fire and I think it really helped tie the look together. You guys have no idea how weird it felt having that much hair! My AC/DC devil horns perched atop my new mane beautifully and gave a fun nod to vintage Halloween vibes. With that, I popped on a pair of cross earrings and was ready to go in my makeshift COTD. 🙂

Whatever’s Clever was the name of the game for this COTD and I honestly love how it turned out. Also major ups to everyone who called me a baddie that evening – mama loves you!! xxxx

Have you thrown together a Halloween costume before? How did it turn out? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct24

Last Minute Halloween Costumes

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Last Minute Halloween Costumes

Hello! Halloween is just around the corner! Are you ready? I sure am! In fact, I’ve been ready since last Halloween. 😀 It goes without saying that everything is SO. Freaking. Expensive nowadays and I completely understand not wanting to shell out for a costume if you are attending a party or an evening at the bars. As much as I love spooky season, I’m genuinely bitter by how expensive my own costume was. If you want to dress up on a budget, there are still plenty of options for you to show out in your Halloween best. Let’s explore a few last minute, budget friendly costumes that you can make with pieces you probably already own:

Robot:

If you’re like me, you are an early bird holiday shopper. Or, you might also be like me and love to online shop period! What does online shopping mean? Lots of boxes! Perfect for jerryrigging a robot costume. With a few boxes and spray paint, you’re in business for a classic robot fit. Simply pair your creation with a black long sleeved shirt and black jeans for underneath and viola. Just don’t try and take over the world when you’re wearing it! 😉

Scarecrow:

If you have a pair of boyfriend or baggy jeans and an old flannel, look no further. A scarecrow costume is the one for you! Bonus points if you have a straw hat but that could easily be found marked down in store for summer clearance or at a costume shop. You could even attach a few decorative crows or birds from a craft shop to your shoulder. You will need some patchwork makeup to sell this look so opt for bright oranges and yellows for this to make it pop. How easy is that?

Devilishly Good:

Love wearing the color red? Love it! If you have a pair of red jeans, a red top, and some funky red shoes or heels – turn this into a devilishly good COTD. Hit up Spirit Halloween for a pair of devil horns and a tail or staff if you’d like and your costume is good to go. This can also be done with an All Black Everything motif!

Your Favorite Person:

A few years ago I had absolutely no time to costume shop but still wanted to dress up, of course. So, I decided to dress up as my husband! After raiding his wardrobe, I came up with a COTD that was a huge hit and was so proud of the reaction I got for such a scrambled costume. This is a fun idea for couples, besties, or siblings so have a wardrobe swap and you’ve got a costume without spending a dime.

Prom King/Queen:

If you have a fancy suit or still own your prom dress or perhaps a bridesmaid dress – be king or queen for the day prom style. You can even make it scary by going as the Carrie version of prom king or queen! Complete the look with a crown and sash and you have my vote for Best Costume. This is your time to shine if you have kept your prom relics so break it out again for the one time!

If you have a majority of the pieces for these ideas, it will cost you roughly twenty to twenty-five dollars to purchase the remaining accessories you need, makeup, or spray paint. Make these last minute costumes your own and no one will be the wiser that you balled on a budget to create them!

What was your favorite Halloween costume you have worn? What are your Halloween plans? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct13

Halloween Costume Sneak Peek

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Halloween Costume Sneak Peek

Howdy! I absolutely love getting dressed up for Halloween and revel in styling costumes as much as any OOTD. Johnny and I do matching costumes and this doubles the fun! This year we were workshopping an Alice Cooper and Cold Ethyl costume but decided against it as it would be one we would have to create on our own. Piecing together costumes can be pricey and we are really trying to save for a big vacation next year! We decided to keep it simple by being pirates and I REALLY like what we picked out. However, I do kind of wish that we kept with our original plan because our purchases at Spirit Halloween were CRAZY expensive. I genuinely think we could have done an ode to one of our favorite rockers for a similar price. That’s neither here nor there, though, because I know we are going to be the cutest pirates across the seven seas! Here is a sneak peek of my costume:

There was no shortage of pirate costumes at Spirit Halloween and I had a hard time choosing because they were all adorable! Whenever I ask Johnny’s opinion on which one he likes, he always errs on the side of sexy and he was right – the Wicked Pirate costume set was definitely the best of the bunch! It came with the top, bottoms, and head scarf and I was so pleased that it fit like a glove when I tried it on at home. If you are considering ordering online from Spirit Halloween or shopping there, their sizes are very true to the label. Although you might want to size up if you’d like a bit more wiggle room.

Of course the costumes at Spirit Halloween don’t come with any additional accessories and that simply wouldn’t do. If I am going to dress up, I’m going to do it right! However, the accessories and beauty departments were when things started getting really pricey. The first order of business was a wig because I wanted huge red curls and the Ombre option was exactly what I was looking for. Fake lashes were also a necessity because Halloween is the only time I wear them and the red and black lashes matched my color palette perfectly.

For accessories, I wasn’t feeling the headscarf my costume came with at all so I opted for a hat instead. There were a few different options to pick from that looked like a floppy hat but had buttons to make it a trifold. I was delighted to find one that had red accents when folded up and I think it will look stellar on top of the wig! I also had my heart set on an eye patch and surprisingly there were literally none except for the jeweled one. That was fine because I would have chosen it anyways – it is so freaking cool and provides a fun pop of bling. Speaking of bling, how great are those dangly earrings? I was a bit worried that I was over accessorizing but they will be tangled amidst the curls in the wig and won’t be a focal point.

My last purchase was a pair of thigh high socks which I liked much better than the fishnets seen on the costume packaging. I just thought they were cute and the chain decals look like the one on my costume’s top to tie it together from head to toe. Blessedly, I didn’t need to think about spending any more money on shoes because I plan on wearing my vertebrae heels from my wedding. Thank goodness! 😀

I am so excited to see this costume come together and can’t wait to show all of you the end result. Stay tuned!

Are you dressing up for Halloween? Where do you like to shop for costumes? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov4

Johnny’s GREAT SUCCESS!!

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Johnny’s GREAT SUCCESS!!

Hello!! I wouldn’t consider the actual day of Halloween to be anything special to me. Thursdays are a very long, busy day for me at work. Johnny, however, had a banner day at his job! Normally, when I return home for the day, Johnny will greet me at the door looking just as exhausted as I feel. So, you could imagine my surprise when he opened the door bright eyed and bushy tailed! Clearly, he was in a good mood and I found out why when I sat down at my computer. There was a trophy on top of my laptop that he won from the costume contest his job hosted!!

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Every year, there is a Halloween costume contest at Johnny’s place of employment and he planned on reprising an oldie but goodie ensemble for the competition: AC/DC’s Angus Young. He was excited to rock that COTD again but a wrench was thrown into the mix when we couldn’t find the signature Angus Young shorts or hat anywhere. We must have turned over the entire apartment trying to find it! Begrudgingly, Johnny settled on being Lord Licorice for the event and got up extra early to get himself dressed to impress. And how he impressed!

Out of the three costume categories of Scariest, Funniest, and Most Creative, my main squeeze won Most Creative on his Lord Licorice look. Along with the trophy, he also received a Yeti tumbler as a prize and he was on cloud nine. I was so tired after work but this excellent news and seeing him so happy perked me right up! As he told me all about his big day, we were both grinning from ear to ear. Johnny and I both put a lot of effort into our costumes and it paid off in a major way. In fact, he ended up saying that he was glad we couldn’t find his Angus Young costume because he didn’t think it would make him a winner after all. It’s funny how things always have a way of getting sorted out. ❤

We are both absolutely elated over this costume contest win. It might not seem like much, but it is a huge deal for us. We thought our costumes were the best and this confirms it! 😀

Do you celebrate holidays at work? What are those events like? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov3

Candy Queen COTD Bloopers

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Candy Queen COTD Bloopers

Hello everyone and welcome to the Blooper Reel from my Candy Queen COTD! I am so sad that Halloween is officially over, but now we’re onto my next passion: Thanksgiving. Lol, I have been fantasizing about Thanksgiving food since last Thanksgiving and every day that passes is another day closer to all of my favorite foods!! And, to all of you who hate on green bean casserole – you can send it my way!! I do have one final Halloween surprise in store tomorrow that I am absolutely tickled by. But, first, let’s check out the bloopers from my COTD shoot:

Who, me?

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The fairest of them all

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REALLY not used to the whole having hair thing…

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As you can see!

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Do I look like a model or what?!

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The gaze of a total seductress

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Trick or Treat!!!!

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I recently got my hair done (Peep that soon!) and finally returned to the darker hues that I love so very much – specifically Nightfall by Pulp Riot. Nightfall is the most stunning shade of deep navy blue and I missed it immediately as soon as I went light for summer. I had kind of forgotten how obsessed with the color I was until I got it back on my hair… and elsewhere for that matter. It appears I had forgotten how much Nightfall stains too!!

For the past several days, it has been unseasonably warm in Ohio. Like almost eighty degree temperatures at the end of October. Although it was kind of unpleasant, Johnny and I were happy because we have had no heat in our apartment and the spike in temps really helped warm it up. So much so that I have been sweating my nads off in my sleep, causing my hair dye to bleed. I have woken up every morning to blue all over my face, lodged into my ears, and a particularly shocking instance of my right hand being completely blue! It is a massive pain to get off and even after a ton of scrubbing, the traces of blue remain. It was the most wonderful treat to get my hair done, but the aftermath has certainly felt like a Halloween trick!

I’m not feeling blue, by any means, but if you see me looking a little blue… Mind your business! 😀

How did you celebrate Halloween? What are you looking forward to in November? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct31

Candy Queen COTD Pt. 2

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Candy Queen COTD Pt. 2

Howdy!! It’s safe to say that I am literally obsessed with mine and Johnny’s Candyland Halloween costumes. I just can’t get over how good they turned out and the efforts we both made to make the best costumes paid off big time. The entire time we were dressed up, I really did feel like we were Lord Licorice and a Candy Queen because we looked the part so perfectly. In fact, I had several little trick or treaters say “thank you, candy princess” to me and it melted my heart! I couldn’t resist sharing another set of photos from my costume so let’s take a peek:

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All of you already know the story behind my Halloween costume, so let’s talk about some of mine and Johnny’s favorites from our evening of passing out candy. Unfortunately this year, we didn’t have as great of a turnout as the year before. Last year, we ran out of candy within an hour or so of the start of Trick or Treat! Although we didn’t see a ton of costumes, there were a few that really took the cake…

Inflatable T-Rex: Inflatable costumes are so hilarious to me and we had a pair of T-Rexes that we got to witness waddling up and down my parents’ steep driveway. It was a complete hoot and we were in stitches as we watched them make their way to the next house in the neighborhood.

Crime Fighters: There were three little boys dressed up as policemen and their costumes were fine, but the interaction was top tier. As I handed out their candy, I told them that I didn’t do it and one of the kiddos deadpanned answered back “yes, you did”. His comedic timing was on point!

Rick Astley: The best costume of the night was, hands down, a kid dressed up as Rick Astley. As he approached me, I could have sworn I heard music. Then, he got closer and I realized I was right. He had a Bluetooth speaker playing “Never Gonna Give You Up” and was Rick Rolling the entire neighborhood. Johnny and I loved it so much that we gave him the rest of the candy we had and called it a night!

A wonderful Trick or Treat was had by all and it brought me and Johnny an incredible amount of joy. Happy Halloween!

What was the best costume you saw for Trick or Treat? How are you celebrating Halloween? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct30

Candy Queen COTD

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Candy Queen COTD

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD… or should I say COTD on lifewithlilred! Today, we are going to take a closer look at my Candy Queen Halloween costume. When I had the idea several months ago for a Candyland themed couples costume, we immediately fell in love with it. Johnny would, indeed, make a stellar Lord Licorice as you saw in yesterday’s post. My Candy Queen costume was one that was pieced together as there were no costume options for Queen Frostine or Princess Lolly. This hodgepodge costume stressed me out more than it should have, but it was well worth the headache – I felt like a star!

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Who? What? Wear?

Candy Hearts Dress: Secret Wishes, Amazon

Candy Button Platforms: An online order by the brand B.A.I.T.

Giant Lollipop and Lollipop Earrings and Headband: Amazon

Wig, Pink Tutu, Thigh Eyes, False Eyelashes: Spirit Halloween

After a lot of struggle, I finally ordered the Candy Hearts Dress and said a prayer to the fashion gods that it would work. This costume was my complete and total last resort. You could imagine the flood of relief I had when it arrived in the mail and I found that it was both cute and it fit! The only problem was that the skirt was insanely short, but I knew that ahead of time as per online reviews. My plan was to pair it with a tutu underneath to keep everything from hanging out lol. As soon as the dress was on was when I started getting excited because I essentially built the rest of the costume in that moment.

While shopping for the dress itself wasn’t ideal, you know your girl had an easy time in the shoe department! This was a cake walk in comparison and I ordered the pair of Candy Button Platforms by B.A.I.T. after five minutes of browsing. There were SO many incredible candy themed shoes, but they were SO incredibly expensive. The platforms I chose were under fifty dollars, can definitely be worn outside of Halloween, and featured an iconic candy print. I was sold and can’t wait to wear them next summer! The colors in the shoes also perfectly matched some of those in the dress, which was a nice touch. 🙂

Finally, it was time to accessorize! The accessories are really what turned the pieces I had into a true costume. I knew that candy themed jewelry was a MUST and I also wanted a gigantic lollypop to hold to drive the point home. I ended up with a set that contained the candy headband and earrings, and everything was aces after I superglued some of the lollipops back on the band. I also got the slightly dented pink lollypop, but what can you do lol. Similarly to the shoes, the jewelry and props went from relatively cheap to very pricey and I went with Option A.

Spirit Halloween is where I purchased the remainder of the accessories which included the wig, tutu, thigh highs, and rainbow false eyelashes. The tutu was just what I needed for underneath the dress and I adored the tiered effect that it gave. The dress should have been made like that all along! And can we PLEASE talk about the wig?! You guys have no idea how weird it felt to actually have long, flowing locks. This wig was everything and I couldn’t imagine anything different for my costume. I was so lucky it was the last one available! I didn’t think this costume could get any sweeter until I put the thigh high socks on. And, of course, the final candy surprise was the rainbow lashes for the ultimate pop of color!

My Candy Queen COTD was everything I wanted and so much more. Stay tuned for some bonus pictures tomorrow because I love this look that much. See you then!

What is your favorite Halloween candy? What is the best Halloween costume you saw this year? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah