How to Be Bellatrix Lestrange for Halloween

Are you a big Harry Potter fan and want to be someone from the books for Halloween? Or did you just find Helena Bonham Carter's performance so amazing that you just HAVE to be Bellatrix? Well here's how.

Steps:

1. Make/Purchase a wand.

2. Make or thrift a long, black skirt. The plainer, the better for this look. Grab a silver marker or some silver paint, and draw patterned curlicues around the bottom. If there isn't already one, create a high slit either on the back or the side of the skirt.

3. Buy a long-sleeved black shirt. Cut off its sleeves, then reattach by loosely weaving in some ribbon or leather cord, so that the sleeve is about an inch or two away from the arm holes. Cut off the hemmed cuff of the sleeve, so that it frays. Add lace trimming to it the cuffs, if preferred. If it isn't already, make it a v-neck by cutting a 'v' at the neckline. Then, gather or pinch the base of the v-neckline about a few inches lower, so that it puckers a bit; sew around the pucker to maintain its shape. Embellish as desired.

4. Alternatively, you could cut the sleeves to elbow length and do a Dark Mark design on your arm using either Sharpies/Henna/Black Eyeliner etc.

5. Get a large piece of either black vinyl, leather, or other similar material or fabric -- as long as it's thick, black and sturdy, it'll be fine.

6. Wear fishnets. Add silver jewelry (necklaces and rings) with jewel-toned pendants. And black high heels.

7. Buy press-on nails, and file them to a point (not an ACTUAL one; leave them rounded off enough at the top). Paint them red, black or tan.

8. As for your hair: If you're getting a wig, get a standard Cher or Snookie style wig in black (can be curly, but doesn't have to be). Next, get some white paint and using an old mascara or makeup wand, streak it through so you get either one solid strand of white hair, or one half of the head/wig in white hair. If you already have long, dark hair, curl it the night before, then mess it up to really frizz up your hair. Part up with tendrils falling down. Buy white/silver hair paint, then spray one side of your head (or merely a strand). You can try braiding your hair the night before then slightly teasing it. that is what I'm doing.

9. Makeup: Do NOT put on a whole bunch of black makeup -- you're dressing as Bellatrix, not as Elvira. Instead, use a shade of foundation that is just SLIGHTLY lighter than your own shade. Using some BROWN or TAUPE eye-shadow, blend shadow onto your lids in layers, thereby creating a light, smokey-eyed effect. Next, add some shadow inside the corners of your eyes and curve downward, as though highlight the bags in your eyes. Then, brush the brown/taupe eye-shadow UNDER your cheekbones and along the sides of your nose, thereby creating a sharp, pallid expression. Finally, switch it up for lipstick: use a very, very pale color (not a deep red or black, which is what everyone else does). Dab on some lip-gloss. Essentially, pretty up your lips as you normally would. You want SOME part of Bella to have some sense of alluring to her; remember, in their youth, all three Black sisters were astonishingly beautiful.

10. Other additions you could to for the costume are wearing a push-up bra to maximize your assets, 'dirty' up your Halloween costume for a more "escaped-from-Azkaban" look. Use your imagination!