Halloween is only ten days away and if you still don't have a costume, your hair and beard might be a better starting point than you think. A wig you buy from your local pop up party store looks like a wig from a party store. What you already have on your head, styled the right way, can look like something you put true thought into and will hold up through a fun night out. Nothing needs to be permanent either. Most of the looks worth doing just take product and maybe a few minutes with a trimmer.
Work With What You Have
Think about what your hair and beard can do with some styling. Longer hair opens up more options: slicked back, a deep part, something textured and deliberate. Short hair and close cuts have range as well, it's just more about how you shape up the edges and how clean or rough you leave things.
Beards might be the most slept-on costume accessory guys have. The shape of a beard, where the cheek line falls, how low the neckline sits, whether it looks clean-cut or a little overgrown, all of that can help create a character before you've even put a costume on. A beard you normally keep cleaned up can look completely different shaped in a different way for one night.
A Few Ideas That Work
The slicked back villain. Comb everything straight back with a medium hold pomade or gel. More shine means more commitment to the look. Works for anything from a mob boss to a classic movie bad guy. Make sure your beard has clean, defined cheek lines for this look.
The rugged outlaw. Let the beard go a little longer and rougher than you normally keep it. Leave the cheeks alone but do clean up the neckline so it looks intentional and not just neglected. This will help separate the look from “styled for roughness” and “whoops, I forgot to groom”. Hair can be textured and unstyled on top.
The sharp gentleman. Hard part, clean edges, beard with a tight cheek line and a defined neckline. Good for a 1920s gangster, a spy, anything that calls for looking pulled together and a little dangerous. Make sure your lineup is on point for this one.
The era costume. 70s, 80s, early 90s all have specific signatures that are mostly about volume and less control. If your hair has any length, a pick and some root lifting before styling will help you out. A thick mustache or a beard with rounded, less structured edges fits this look. You can keep the hairline set natural for this.
Cleaning Up Before the Party
Whatever direction you go, make sure you give your edges some attention. Don’t give yourself a pass on having a sloppy lineup just because it’s Halloween. If anything, people might look at you more closely for the night.
Do the cleanup the day before, not the night of. If you're going out Saturday, do it Friday evening. That gives any irritation that may pop up time to settle and keeps things looking more natural.
Use the Cut Buddy Original along the hairline and temples to keep your sides even before the Trim Buddy makes contact. Trace the line first with the Speed Tracer Barber Pencils, especially if you're doing a cut different from your normal shape. You've got one shot before Halloween. Not really the time to wing it.
For the beard, define the cheek line and neckline based on the direction you picked. Tight and clean for anything polished and sharp. More relaxed for anything rough or vintage. Either way, make sure the neckline has been touched up.
What Not to Do
Make sure not to cut anything you're not ready to grow back. A Halloween costume is one night. Don’t impulsively trim a haircut or beard shape you regret for several weeks. If you're thinking about going shorter than usual or reshaping your beard in a big way, ask yourself whether you'd be fine with that result when you go into the work on November 2nd.
Also, it’s probably a good idea to pass on the costume store spray color unless you're really going to wash it out that same night. It can spread on collars and pillowcases, and can be difficult to get out of light colored hair.
The Bottom Line
Your actual hair and beard will always look better than a synthetic alternative. The costume directions that work best are the ones you can pull off with what you already have, shaped a specific way and cleaned up properly. Grooming that's meant to look rough still has to be intentional. That helps make a costume look like a choice rather than an accident.
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