Spooky but Sustainable: Cruelty-Free Beauty & Decor Ideas for a Conscious Halloween

Happy October!!! At long last, it's officially pumpkin season - Fall and Halloween have finally arrived.

The temperature is cooling down, homes are getting adorned with fall and/or Halloween decorations, scenes of pumpkin patches and corn mazes everywhere, creative costumes, pumpkin flavored everything, and Hocus Pokus is on replay over and over again.

Part of the fun of really any holiday are the DIY creations such as home decor, outfits, and tasty treats. Let's keep the Spooky season fun, creative, and safe for everyone and the environment.

Let's talk costumes because I know that there are Halloween lovers, like me, that already start thinking about what to be for October 31st as early as July. Personally, I love pulling items from my closet and drawers to create something myself. I may purchase a couple of accessories to complete the look such as wings, color contracts, or a wig, but they are items I look forward to using again for future Halloween looks (except the eye contacts unfortunately). Take my "Dia de los Muertos" look (top image) for instance. This entire look was simply pieces I picked from my everyday closet. A white linen dress with embroidered florals, a red lace shawl, statement earrings, and a floral headband as a finishing touch. This approach isn't only cost effective, it's 100% sustainable. True, sometimes we want to dress up a little more OTT with an official costume (as I'm doing this year), and there is nothing wrong with that. But if you're going to purchase a costume and accessories, please plan on reusing them again instead of tossing them out the very next day or within the year. That wouldn't be cost effective, sustainable, or eco-friendly. If you want to get rid of an old costume, please consider donating it or selling it. Same applies to pet costumes.

Makeup can sometimes play a huge role in your costume, such as my "Dia de los Muertos" look. With out that makeup, I would've looked like a casual lady giving out candy. Boo... as in thumbs down. Regardless of what your makeup look ought to be, please don't resort to those cheap Halloween makeup kits. Not only are they not cruelty-free nor vegan, but they are not made from natural nor quality ingredients. This is getting applied to your skin for several hours, so don't go the toxic route. The makeup I used for my "Dia de los Muertos" look was just my everyday cruelty-free & vegan cosmetics, which consisted of black eyeliner, black eyeshadow, white eyeshadow, and black mascara (all Kylie Cosmetics). Have fun creating your makeup look and embrace the challenge of doing something you've never done before without compromising your ethics or standards.

As far as compromising goes, there is no compromising in my home when it comes to fall decor. My husband and I love decorating for fall and Halloween, indoors and outdoors. In past years, we did use faux cobweb on our front porch and on the lawn here and there. But no more! Faux cobweb is not eco-friendly and causes birds and insects to accidently get entangled in them. Instead, I would recommend using a Spiderweb lace fabric to drape around your porch furniture or on small bushes. It still gives the eerie effect without any harm to the environment and can be used again and again. Pumpkins are obviously the highlight of the season and decorating your home with them is very easy and sustainable. Some of my favorite decorations are from DIY recyclable items such as wine bottles and egg cartons. Seriously, Pinterest is overloaded with creative DIYs for Halloween decor that can be done as a fun group activity.

Trick-or-Treating is the most magical night of the year. Children go from door to door around the neighborhood collecting goodies in their costumes. As for their goodie bag/bucket, avoid the plastic hand-held pumpkin that is unfortunately still being mass-produced. Instead, opt for an eco-friendlier option such as a fabric bucket that is appropriate for all ages. If you're bringing your fur baby along, make sure to keep them on a leash at all times for their safety. Children tend to accidentally drop candy while trick-or-treating, so make sure your fur baby isn't gobbling up any of them. Do bring along a reusable water bottle filled with fresh water and a collapsable water bowl to keep your fur baby hydrated. Ultimately, I would recommend leaving your fur baby at home where they can be safe and spook-free. And as for those staying in and handing out goodies, consider swapping things around a bit. Have a mixture of organic candy, cuties mandarins, and Halloween mini erasers.

It's October, everyone! So, let's have an incredible, unforgettable, and super fun month and Halloween that won't spook the environment and won't harm your budget or any living creature.

Happy Halloween, my kind ladybugs!

XoXo, Ody

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