Posts Tagged ‘Clown Costumes’

Everybody Loves a Clown – How to Apply Your Makeup Right

January 28th, 2010

Clowns are classic.  You can hang out at a kid’s birthday, a grand opening, a masquerade or anywhere that seems like a circus.  (Well, maybe not the shopping mall on Black Friday, it may be a circus but a clown will get some strange looks.)

First choose your clown’s personality.  Are you looking for the traditional Whiteface clown?  An exaggerated mouth and eyes and big, red nose are the usual suspects of this type.  Or you can go European and dress as an Auguste clown with no white base, but accentuated (or extra large) eyes and mouth.  Sometimes a sad clown is in order and for that you’ll need to go with a Tramp – a dark face and sappy, melancholy eyes.  What’s your mood?

Putting clown makeup of any style on your face can be tricky.  Choose your facial features that are the most amusing.  Can’t think of which ones?  Ask an honest friend and then you’ll find out that you have really unusual nose or lopsided eyes.  Don’t take it personally; that’s what makes a good clown (and plan to squirt them with your daisy pin later).

Wash your face completely and pat dry.  Wrap your shoulders and chest with a towel, bib or smock.  Place yourself in a bright area in front of a large mirror (all the better to see that huge nose in).

Starting with the base or bottom layer, apply your makeup.  Usually this is white or skin tone.  Use your fingers to cover the entire face with a thin layer.

Move to the outlines and exaggeration of your eyes and mouth.  Once you’ve put that on, lightly cover it with baby powder to set it.  Here’s a little trick.  Close your eyes and look up.  Tap your bottle of baby powder to create a cloud in the air above your face.  It will settle on your makeup, just don’t open your eyes until it does.

Add lipstick, cheeks, nose and any other colors you like.  Use whatever works for your fingers and the type of makeup – brush, stick or swab.

Voila!  Now your masterpiece is complete and you have officially turned yourself into a fool.  Well, someone who clowns around anyway.

LULU Day

November 11th, 2009

The holidays are looming and the pressure builds. Who is coming to Thanksgiving? Who’s hosting it this year? What will I make? Will crazy Uncle Ted and Cousin Barney have another knock down drag out political debate? How will I make sure to get a piece of Grandma’s pecan pie before my sister woofs it all down?

Christmas lists. Who wants what and how the hell am I suppose to pay for that with the economy in its current downward spiral? Do we buy a Christmas tree or go artificial? What am I supposed to serve at Christmas dinner for Susie who just became vegan? Is Aunt Martha going to say another hour-long prayer before dinner as the food grows cold?

Healthcare reform bills. Current election issues. Your boss the power-hungry, control freak. The price of gas. The security your banking institution. The job market. The stock market. The military conflicts around the world.

These are just a few of the things we fret and stress over. Not to mention current standings in sports –  all the trades, acquisitions, injury reports that could greatly impact your weekly pool or fantasy league. The list of things we worry about could just go on and on.

Lucky for us there’s LULU Day.

November 14, 2009 is our day to get it all back in perspective. A day to consciously Loosen Up  and Lighten Up. Twenty-four hours to stop the incessant stressing about work, appointments, birthdays, holidays, bills, international affairs, who’s got what and who doesn’t.

Loosen Up, Lighten Up Day is just one day, just 24 hours, to smile more, breathe deeper, relax, and go low key. Is it possible? Can you loosen up for one day? Can you treat things more lightly for 24 hours? You can if you want to. And you can help someone else do it too.

Costumes – one simple piece or a full outfit – have been shown to be a highly effective tool on LULU Day. Somehow, wearing something silly and goofy makes us smile, laugh, and see that everything doesn’t have to be so serious.

So take the Tuesday, the 14th of November and loosen up a bit. Take the day off, wear a silly wig or glasses, go for a walk, hit the beach for a walk or just to lie there (if it’s warm where you are), get a massage, have your nails done, stare out the window and daydream, read a book, listen to music with your eyes closed. Just breath in and out, over and over. Maybe do a bit of yoga or meditation. Do what makes you laugh or smile. Make someone else laugh or smile.

Just make sure you don’t stress, worry, get upset, or get all serious. Don’t even think about all the yuck – just for one day. It will all be there on the 15th, I promise.  Get a little goofy, Loosen Up and Lighten Up, and let it all go. Who knows you may find you like it.

Celebrate Your Near Miss in Costume

August 17th, 2009

Have you ever had one of the “Whew! That was close” moments? You know, one where you realize you just barely escaped a pure disaster? We had a guy come into Scavenge yesterday who had just had one of those.

This was almost him!

He was at the gas station getting gas. Then he jumped into his car and pulled away  . . . with the gas pump still in his car!!! Luckily, he realized this just in time. He stopped and fixed his little problem and left with his heart pounding and up in his throat.

You know how that feels . . . when you just barely missed a total catastrophe? He was so glad that his day didn’t take that ugly turn. Instead of spending his day enjoying a Sunday in Santa Barbara, he would have been dealing with all sorts of crap that would have been no fun at all. So he decided he had to celebrate or commemorate his near miss in some way.

 red suspenders

He bought a red clown nose and suspenders and decided he would wear them for the rest of the day. In this way he would remember what could have been and all the yuck that he barely avoided.

I’m sure people asked him about his bright red nose and suspenders. Then he got to tell them why he was wearing them and he probably brought a smile to their faces and relived his lucky moment all over again.

Costumes . . . aren’t they just the best way to celebrate?! From the silliest stuff, to the strangest stuff, to  . . .  well, whatever. What have you got to celebrate? Had a near miss lately? Have you had one of those situations where things just could have gone so much worse? We all do, all the time. Sometimes we just don’t notice them and aren’t as grateful for them. Things may not be perfect, but let’s face it, they could be so much worse. So why not celebrate with a bit of a costume touch?

International Clown Week

July 31st, 2009

I say Richard Nixon, you say, “Watergate,” right? Well, I say it’s time we bring up one of Nixon’s greatest accomplishments. Did you know this great American proclaimed the week of August 1 – 7 to be International Clown Week.  Who knew!?

Nixon-and-Clown

The idea is to honor the work and contributions of clowns worldwide – though probably not the scary ones like in Stephen King’s IT (which, by the way, is being made into a movie). So get out there and shake the hand of every clown you pass this next week, give them a slap on the back and thank them for the good they do in the world- all the laughs they bring, all the children they make smile, all the elderly they cheer up.

Or  . . . throw a clown theme party. Have your guests dress up as clowns. Be ready for laughs as your friend’s appear in bright red afro wigs, the clown masks from the Dark Knight, suspenders, painted faces, and crazy clothes. Have a few costume creation pieces handy for those who come without costume – some makeup, clown noses, goofy hats, and wild shirts or pants from a thrift store will do.  Decorations are a snap – brightly colored balloons, streamers, circus posters, and some stuffed animals. Clown parties are great for all ages and who couldn’t have a good time and be full of smiles with clowns all around?

 

Be a clown at work or school. You don’t have to go all out, unless you really want to  appear as a total clown, but at least wear some brightly colored suspenders, a clown nose, big oversized shoes, or a colored wig. That’s the way Nixon would have wanted it.

Happy International Clown Week

Bored on April Fools Day? Not any more…

March 27th, 2009

Have you ever been to an April Fools Day Costume Party? If you have, then you know what I’m talking about. They are kinda creepy and very fun! See the creepy part is seeing all the clowns in one place. Not sure about you, but I’m not a big fan of clowns.

Snazzy Clown Costume Picture

Snazzy Clown Costume Picture

Dots Clown Costume

Dots Clown Costume

On the other hand, there are usually a bunch of jesters hanging around and I love a great jester costume! They are so easy to create on your own! All you really need is a jester hat, an oversized colorful top and some tights that are either just crazy colors or one leg in one color and the other leg another! Top it off with a wild wig and you’re good to go.

Jester Hat

Jester Hat