Kittens, we are ONE WEEK from Halloween and I thought it was high time to count off my top costume predictions for 2013!  While I’ll always be a fan of gore-spattered costumes or the elegance of classic horror, there is something to be said for topical costumes that bring the latest movies, memes and puns to vivid life.  So, without further ado, here are my picks for the top ten topical costumes of 2013, with tutorials and tips for creating your own versions!

1. Sharknado – Taking a bite out of pop culture this year was the intentionally B movie Sharknado, where a killer tornado rips sharks from the ocean and deposits them, wet, hungry, and extremely pissed off, over the city of Los Angeles. There are a lot of tutorials out there, but this one, complete with flashing lights and sound, is one of my favorites.

2. The Government Shutdown – Coming less than a month before Halloween, the US government shutdown has left major costume retailers scrambling to restock their shelves with political costumes.  This is a fun costume because there’s a wide variety of ideas that would work, many of which are very last-minute friendly. For example, wear a dark suit, sunglasses, and a sign that says “FBI: Will Investigate for Food,” or pair a business top with pajamas and a box of cereal and go as “Government Employee on Furlough.” If you’re a little more crafty, make a DIY Statue of Liberty costume and add a “Closed” sign. You can even dress up as that poor little kid who didn’t get to go to the zoo.

3. Anything Zombie – The yen for all things zombies seems impossible to kill, and with the non-stop popularity of shows like The Walking Dead, this trend shows no sign of dying any time soon. Dress up as any of the characters on the show, or simply turn yourself into a shambling animated corpse through the power of a little makeup and glue. Use the technique in the tutorial below, or check out this complete collection of zombie makeup techniques, including latex, prosthetic gel, and tips from legendary special effects artist Greg Nicotero.

4. 50 Shades of Grey – Kittens, like it or not, with 50 Shades of Grey making movie headlines on a regular basis, it’s not going away any time soon. Luckily, that makes it plenty ripe for a little satire, and what better time than Halloween? A punny costume is just as easy as collecting paint chips from the hardware store in various shades of grey (say…fifty) and attaching them to your shirt with a little hot glue or double-sided tape. You can accessorize with a few of your favorite things from the book, such as handcuffs, a tampon, or no sense of shame.

5. Breaking Bad – As the last year Breaking Bad was on the air, Halloween 2013 represents the last, best time to throw on a hazmat suit and carry around a little bit of blue. Although Walter White and Jesse Pinkman are at the top of the list for Breaking Bad costumes, the show offered a plethora of other colorful characters you could rock for Halloween. If you have the creativity and time, try out the tutorial below to make your own “cook” costume, or visit Breaking Bad Costume for a collection of tutorials for the show’s characters, including Badger, Skyler, Gustavo, and Tio Hector Salamanca.

Click here for Part Two (tutorials six through ten, plus two honorable mentions)!

You can also visit our archive of Makeup and Costume tutorials and Costume inspiration if you need more Halloween help.  Don’t forget to submit your costume photos this year for our annual Halloween Costume Contest.  We’ll be announcing the prizes tomorrow and they’re pretty spectacular, darlings.  Happy haunting!

Related Posts:

– You Did It in a Minute: 25 Last Minute Costumes

– While These Visions Did Appear: Fairy Costume and Makeup

– All the Cheap Thrill Seekers: Glamorous Bearded Lady Makeup

Categories: Costume DIY Tutorials, Costumes & Makeup, Makeup Tutorials

Tags: Breaking Bad, cosplay, costume, costume tutorials, crafts, DIY, Government Shutdown, halloween, Halloween costume, Halloween DIY, lists, makeup fx, makeup tutorials, memes, pop culture, punny, Sharknado, The Walking Dead