How to Create Last-Minute Halloween Costumes

Saturday, October 31, 2020

The Weekender is a special collaboration between OZY Tribe members near and far to provide delicious recommendations for your valuable weekend time, as we grapple with turbulent times in America.

last-minute halloween costumes

1. Defender of the Night

Short on time before Halloween? Become a bat! Cut an old umbrella in half, attach it to the arms of a black hoodie using hot glue or safety pins then secure those metal umbrella thingies with black electrical tape. And voila: You're everyone's favorite nocturnal predator. For added effect, carry a banana around so you can lecture anyone who asks about it on the importance of bats to tropical fruit pollination. You can get creative about ears, teeth and makeup to compliment your newfound wings.

2. Halloween Face Masks

Since we're all wearing masks anyway, your costume is halfway there. For example, to become a jack-o-lantern, buy an orange face mask and draw on a nose and mouth. Or be a mummy: Buy a plain muslin mask and use gold thread to stitch muslin fabric around it. If even that feels like too much work, wear a standard surgical mask and pop on a blue shower cap for a quick doctor costume.

3. Tiger King

All you need is some eyeliner, cheetah print and a trucker hat to be one of the biggest moments of 2020. The only drawback is that other people are likely to try and do the same thing — but the good news is that this year, you don't have to see any of them. When it comes to Joe Exotic, Carole Baskin and the Tiger King crew, last minute and trashy is the way to go. Here's a trailer for the groundbreaking Netflix series if you need some points of reference.

throwback to the good times

Miss the good old days? We do too. Luckily, our friends at Cariuma have captured the nostalgic, effortlessly cool style we all crave with their brand-new Catiba Pro. Beyond its attractive vintage style, the Catiba Pro is built for an active lifestyle and has maximum durability without sacrificing comfort.

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cold weather beers

1. Winter Welcome

One thing we miss about this winter is the opportunity to curl up in front of a roaring pub fire with some kind of seasonal beer. Samuel Smith Winter Welcome — a malty, honeyed brew from Yorkshire's oldest brewery — is a limited edition designed for just that situation. Even if in 2020, the pub is our apartment and the fire is just the news. For the beer nerds among you: This ale is fermented in a special vessel known as a stone Yorkshire square, said to help create a full-bodied taste.

2. Cherry Cinnamon Crush

One of the joys of seasonal beers is that sometimes you just want to get something a little weird. We don't really associate cherries with winter, but hey, it's almost chocolate-covered cherry season. This sour, fruity Berlin-style weisse from Ohio's 10 Barrel Brewing Company also has a delightfully autumnal cinnamon flavor — and is bright red.

the freshest dry dog food ever

Ever checked the ingredients in your dog's food? It might scare you. Thankfully, our friends at Spot & Tango have sworn off mysterious ingredients and powdered meats for good. Their personalized UnKibble will provide your dog with the exact nutrients they need to live their best life. With free shipping and vet-developed recipes, could it get any better? Oh yeah, their meal plans start at only $6.99 per week. Check out Spot & Tango's UnKibble now, and use code OZY30 for 30 percent off!

fall watches

1. I'm Thinking of Ending Things

Charlie Kaufman's latest stab at surrealism is bewildering and a little distressing, so it's perfect for Halloween. This Netflix film, released this year, centers on a road trip followed by a Meet the Parents for a young couple, and — look, we pretend we won't tell you more because we don't want to spoil it, but it's also because who really even knows what happened? The performances, especially Jessie Buckley in the lead role, are top notch and will carry you through a maze of a story.

2. First Cow

Set in mid-1800s Oregon Territory, this sweet buddy movie follows two men who create a Gold Rush-era food start-up selling settlers honey-and-cinnamon biscuits — but whose success depends on milk from the territory's only cow, which belongs to someone else. This nouveau Western is funny, sad and strange, with incredible Pacific Northwest scenery to boot.

3. Borat Subsequent Moviefilm

After 14 years, did the world truly need more Borat? Turns out: Yes. Comedian Sacha Baron Cohen — who promised he'd retire the character in 2007 — is back as the Kazakh investigator. This time he expertly trolls Vice President Mike Pence and sets up Trump devotee Rudy Giuliani in unwitting cameos they'd probably like to forget, while exploring an America struggling with the pandemic — and itself — in this outrageously fun watch.

4. Act Out: Vote 2020

Missing live theater? This could ease your hunger. As Tuesday's U.S. presidential election looms, OZY is partnering with Tony-nominated actor Danai Gurira, acclaimed director Stephen Daldry, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage and dozens more theater colleagues in presenting Act Out: Vote 2020. This hour-long event on YouTube features monologues, songs and other dramatic performances to encourage audiences to vote. Don't forget to check out Friday's special episode of The Carlos Watson Show featuring Gurira and Heidi Schreck, who wrote and starred in What the Constitution Means to Me, discussing the project with Carlos.

hottest places on the internet

1. Discord

You may be familiar with Discord but chances are it's changed a little since you formed that impression. Originally a social media platform and communication channel aimed at gamers, the app is now hoping to appeal to a wider crowd. They've done so by making a more user-friendly onboarding experience, easing the process of setting up a server (don't be scared!) and even cutting back on the gamer inside jokes. And it's working: The number of Americans logging in daily has increased by 50 percent since the beginning of 2020, though that may be due to boredom in lockdown.

2. Clubhouse

The cat is out of the bag and there's no putting her back in. Created for venture capitalists to rub virtual elbows despite quarantine, the new invite-only (for now) voice-based social media app Clubhouse has been a hit among Silicon Valley's in-crowd. At the beginning of 2020, it had just two employees — and now it's been valued at $100 million and is getting buzz from heavy-hitters like activist DeRay Mckesson and hip-hop legends MC Hammer and Meek Mill. Maybe you can't get into the beta version now, but the platform says it's planning to "open things up."

3. Whiskey In Your Coffee

Our personal favorite online community is really close to home. OZY's newest morning newsletter — a collection of fun facts, analysis, gorgeous images and of course, the day's top news — already has a devoted following of readers who gather daily to play our games and keep us on our toes. Just this week we introduced subscribers to moon researchers and the world's greatest makeup artists. You won't get this anywhere else.

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