For those who celebrate Halloween, deciding on  a costume can feel like  a monumental task. Luckily and just in time, Google released a review of the United State’s most-searched costume ideas in 2022; in its FrightGeist list, here are the most popular, interesting and pop-culturally relevant costume ideas to consider this Halloween.

Witch

Coming in at No. 1 on the FrightGeist list, the witch is a Halloween classic. There are seemingly an infinite amount of ways to dress up as a witch, and in this case, the more accessories, the better. There are also tons of popular witchy characters to draw inspiration from, such as Sabrina Spellman from the “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” (2018-2020), Elphaba from “Wicked” (2003) and the titular character from “Maleficent” (2014).

“Stranger Things”

Following the summer release of season four of Netflix’s “Strangers Things,” eccentric social-outcast Eddie Munson, played by Joseph Quinn, took the Internet by storm as one of the show’s most beloved characters. This year, Google’s FrightGeist reports “Stranger Things” as the fourth most popular costume idea — no doubt at least partially influenced by Eddie Munson’s unique sense of style and attitude in the show. With such an iconic cast, dressing up as any one of the show’s characters is surely a fun way to impress friends this Halloween.

Fairy

Fairies, like witches, are more versatile than other costume ideas. Traditional European mythology describes fairies as spiritual, supernatural beings that draw magic from the natural elements. In some depictions, they are helpful, protective creatures, and in others, they are mischievous and sinister. On the FrightGeist list, fairies ranked in at spot five — probably due in part to the September release of the popular Netflix show ‘Fate: The Winx Saga.” For a low effort look, throw on a pair of colorful wings, a matching dress and some lip gloss or eyeshadow. To enhance the costume, try incorporating flower- or plant-based accessories, glitter face paint and nature-themed, cottage core clothing.

Vampire

Vampire was the 12th most-searched costume idea this year, and for good reason. Compiling a vampiric look is a low-effort, high-reward experience with no shortage of themes to base the costume concept around. Vampire costumes typically center around gothic, black and red garments, pale or undead-like face paint and fake blood, but more modern depictions can include black leather outfits and clean, dark makeup. In all, there are decades worth of iconic vampires to emulate this Halloween, whether from “Dracula” (1931), “The Lost Boys” (1987), “Twilight” (2008) or “What We Do in the Shadows” (2014). 

The Sanderson Sisters

In light of the recent release of “Hocus Pocus 2,” many groups are choosing to dress up the Sanderson Sisters this Halloween. The antagonistic trio of witches, Winifred, Mary and Sarah, are dark magic users and are known for their hag-like appearance and satirically comedic attitudes throughout the films. With the sequel film released only a few weeks ago, “Hocus Pocus” secured a 14th place ranking on the FrightGeist list. The first film’s iconic zombie, Billy Butcherson, is also a popular costume choice.

Angel and Devil

Angel and devil costumes are a favorite for couples and best-friend pairs. Although there might not be a lot of variety in traditional depictions of these  conflicting characters, they remain classics in the world of Halloween costumes. To add flare to the look, consider adding accessories, over-the-top makeup and mythological reference or context. On the FrightGeist list, angel ranked 18th and devil ranked 27th among this year’s most popular costume ideas.

Zombie

Dressing up as a zombie is a great way to show off one’s make-up or art skills since most of the magic of this costume concept is in the undead details. Plus, with how easily recognizable it is, a zombie-esque spin can “spookify” any character. Unsurprisingly, zombies just barely missed the top 20 of the nation’s most-searched costume ideas this year. With “The Walking Dead” (2010-2022) consistently ranked among the most popular shows of the past few decades, zombies have garnered plenty of recent media attention and respect as a horror staple.

Superhero or villain

Superheroes and villains are among the most recognizable and popular Halloween costumes for all ages. Although costumes of this genre tend to be expensive or require a lot of effort, it is surely worth it to some people to spend a night as their favorite comic book character. Overall, superheroes and villains are consistently brought into mainstream media as new movies of this genre are released or remade every year. Recent movies “Thor: Love and Thunder” (2022), “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” (2022) and “Spider-Man: No Way Home” (2021) from Marvel Studios and “Black Adam” (2022), “The Batman” (2022) and “The Suicide Squad” (2021) from DC Films have superheroes and villains on many fans’ minds this Halloween. This year, Spider-man secured 2nd place on the FrightGeist list, followed by Harley Quinn in 10th, Batman in 19th and the general term “superhero” in 23rd place.

Sheet Ghost

As an honorable mention, the sheet ghost costume is a last-minute go-to for those with a sense of humor. In all, the only thing needed for this look is a white sheet with eye holes cut out — glasses or a hat can be added to increase comedic value. A popular portrayal of this costume was in the horror-comedy “Beetlejuice” (1988) when ghosts Barbara and Adam unsuccessfully attempt to scare Lydia away. The general term “ghost” ranked 25th place in the FrightGeist list.

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It’s spooky season! With Halloween just around the corner, the perfect costume is a must. Whether you plan on going out or staying in, here are some costume ideas that won’t scare your bank account. 

Most of these ideas would work for groups, couples or individuals.

Buy a bag of Smarties candy from the store and tape them all over a pair of pants to immediately become Mr./Mrs. Smartie Pants. This idea can also work with Nerds candy to be a nerd – add a pair of glasses to really look the part. 

Have a tropical shirt but don’t want to be a tourist? Add a pair of khaki shorts and boxing gloves to become Hawaiian Punch. 

Grab a loaf of bread from the store and some trophies or medals to be a breadwinner. 

When life gives you lemons, make a Halloween costume out of it! You can make a shirt that says “life” on it or carry around a box of Life cereal. Either way, don’t forget to bring the lemons!

Speaking of cereal, buy some mini cereal boxes from the store and empty them out. Tape the boxes and some plastic spoons to a plain t-shirt for a “Cereal Killer” look. If you want to make it a bit scarier, splatter some fake blood or red paint on the shirt. 

If it’s supposed to rain on Halloween, repurpose your umbrella into your costume. Print off pictures of Zac Efron, Channing Tatum, Ryan Gosling, Tom Holland, Tyler Cameron, your Jewell crush and others to tape to or hang from the umbrella. It’s raining men!

Arguably the easiest group costume is being M&Ms. Plain colored shirts with a white “M” pinned to your chest will do the trick. Coordinate your socks or pants color to your shirt for added effect.

A similar costume would be to tape “A” to a red shirt, “S” to the blue shirt and “T” to a green shirt for easy Alvin and the Chipmunks costumes. 

Another classic, easy costume is Sully, Mike and Boo from Monsters Inc. For Sully, get a blue shirt and put purple patches in a few spots. Mike’s costume would be a bright green shirt with a giant eyeball made of paper pinned to the stomach. Boo would simply need a pink shirt and pigtails. To make yours unique, add colored tutus or buy oversized shirts with colored shorts. 

Throw it back to April 2020 for this next look. Save up the empty toilet paper rolls from your bathroom to tape or pin to a shirt to remind everyone to be thankful we all have toilet paper now. You could also add masks, hand sanitizer bottles and signs to keep six feet away for a complete COVID-19 themed costume. 

For a more upscale look, you’ll need an old prom or homecoming dress. You can either carry a rose and be a Bachelor contestant or wear a tiara, sash and bouquet of flowers for a Miss Universe look. 

A perfect couple’s costume could be Jake from State Farm and Flo from Progressive. For Jake, you need a red shirt and khakis. Flo should be dressed in all white with a white apron. Adding name tags and talking about insurance all night would really drive home the point. 

Another fun couple’s costume is Bob Ross and a Happy Little Tree. You can find a Bob Ross wig and paint pallet at Party City and other costume stores. For The Happy Little Tree, you need a brown shirt with leaves taped or pinned to it. You can even channel your inner Bob Ross to draw little branches on your face. 

If all else fails, places like Spirit Halloween have great last-minute masks, wigs, hats and costumes. No matter what costume you decide on, have fun, and be safe this year. Happy Halloween!

It’s that time of year again when broke college students must scrounge for a Halloween costume for the variety of parties they will attend. Here are some easy and cheap costumes that anyone can pull off. Most of these can also work as a group costume.

For those who want to keep in the spooky spirit of Halloween, dressing as Wednesday from “The Addams Family” might be the costume for you. All you will need is a black dress with a white button-up underneath and to put your hair into two braids. Black tights and black shoes could be worn too.

Another idea that simply requires a dress is a waitress. Add an apron and a name-tag to complete the look. This could be made in a waiter outfit too. Just swap the dress for pants or shorts and a button-up shirt.

If the weather is supposed to be hot for Halloween, then dressing as a lifeguard could be your best bet. Simply wear white or red shorts and a white or red top, sandals and a whistle around your neck. Additional items could be white paint on your cheeks or nose to look like sunscreen, a hat or visor and a fanny pack.

For colder weather, a warmer costume idea is to dress as Damien from the movie “Mean Girls.” Grab a hoodie and sunglasses, and carry around a piece of paper that you’ve written, “She doesn’t even go here!” on.

Another idea is to dress as the Brawny Man. All you’d need is a red plaid shirt and a roll of Brawny paper towels to carry around. A beard is optional.

Additionally, Rosie the Riveter is an easy choice. Grab a red bandana and a button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up and you’re ready to show off those guns.

Arguably the easiest costumes are to be an Identity Thief or literally “50 Shades of Grey.” For the identity thief idea, simply write different names on a bunch of name tags and stick them on your shirt.

The “50 Shades of Grey” idea costs nothing. Wear a grey shirt and go to any store that carries paint and grab a bunch of grey paint samples. Tape or pin them to your grey shirt, and that’s it.

Most of all, Halloween is about having fun, but it’s important to choose your costume appropriately. Dressing as a Native American or wearing blackface is cultural appropriation, and when there are many other choices for costumes, it’s simply best to choose a costume that is not controversial.

Cartoon by Kitt Wilhelm.