The Spookiest Things That Have Happened To Me
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Halloween is on the horizon
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It’s almost Halloween and unfortunately I’m too much of a grandma to have any pictures of me partying it up in a snazzy costume to show you.
But saying that, I did see lots of incredible looks on Twitter and I’m continually impressed by how talented and creative my fellow bloggers are.
So, to celebrate this – I wanted to share some of my fave Halloween inspired make-up tutorials and tell you about the spookiest things that have ever happened to me.
I’ve cut out all the times that I’ve hyperventilated because I’ve heard creaky footsteps upstairs or the door slam un-expectantantly, because otherwise we’d be here all night.
And I’m a huge scaredy-cat.
Styled by Wardrobe Doctor & Photography by Rachel Lipsitz
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Candle Encounters
So just to set the scene, my ex-boyfriend’s family home was a huge old Victorian, 9-bedroom house with lots of creepy corridors and hallways which I was convinced were haunted.
I had my own space in the house as I was living there for a short while and I’d treated myself to a couple of candles a few days prior.
They were hosted in these strong metal tubs, with the wax inside.
I’d bought them brand new and so knew that before I left the house one evening, they were completely in tact.
Everyone else in the house was away for the weekend and so apart from us, it was empty.
Upon returning late home that evening, I quickly popped into my room to pick up my pjs and my eyes were drawn to the candles.
They had each been crushed in their containers, almost as though someone (or something) had clasped their fist around it and tried their best to crush it and squeeze the wax out.
They were all misshapen and I couldn’t fathom how they’d got that way, as the metal was so, so strong.
I hadn’t left them burning or even touched them since I left, so there was no feasible explanation for why they were like that. Hmmm…
“Then the power went out, the fans cut off and it was deathly silent.”
Power cuts & knocks on the door
I went on holiday a few years ago and we were staying in a very secluded house on the top of a mountain, there were surrounding houses but as it was a very new development, no-one was in them yet.
One night, we were drifting off to sleep when suddenly we heard lots of scratching on the roof terrace.
Almost like someone was dragging something across the roof and then stopping, and then starting again.
That in itself was creepy enough, and we bolted the bedroom door just in case.
Then, the power went out, the fans cut out and it was deadly silent.
All we could hear was the scraping on the roof.
I shook like a leaf on the bed, not really knowing what move to make next and the noises went on for about 15 minutes before the power came back on and the noises stopped.
I don’t know how I slept that night, but I do know that the very next morning we were awoken by big booming knocks on the front door.
Bearing in mind that we were secluded and it would be very unlikely someone would be driving past.
We opened the door and there was a man standing outside who spoke absolutely no English but he kept pointing to the roof and laughing and then frowning.
He rang someone, laughed on the phone and then got in his van and left.
We ventured onto the roof terrace to see if anything was out of the ordinary but there was nothing there.
SO strange. And I definitely felt very creeped out, especially as the area we were staying was extremely close knit, everyone knew everyone and no-one had heard about this strange man when we asked.
Maybe it was a coincidence, who knows…
Things to do this Halloween if you’re not going out:
Watch scary movies – Hocus Pocus, Train to Busan, Sleepy Hollow, Honeymoon, Saw, Jaws – however scary you want to go, there’s SO many on Netflix!
Eat scary treats. I feel like Halloween is one of those festivities where copious amounts of chocolate, sweets and cake is totally okay. How incredible are these gruesome sweet treats from Dum Dum Doughnuts (as seen on Zoella’s Insta).
Stock up on goodies for trick or treaters. I remember how bloody exciting it was as a kid to dress up, head on out with our empty buckets or bags and return laden with goodies. Not great for the teeth but so many houses were unbelievably generous when I was a kid and I think I took it for granted. I’m looking forward to making sure if we have any trick or treaters, we treat them to a bowl of goodies to choose from to repay the favour.
Get baking. I probs won’t be doing this because I once poisoned some friends with a batch of my shortbread. No idea how. They were poorly for a day or two. The shortbread came out of the oven green (no food colouring required) and we still ate it. So it was our own fault really. However if you do like baking, you can get creative with some spooky snacks. A quick Google will bring up a whole host of exciting recipes!
Utilise your pumpkin. Scoop out the flesh and seeds – and have a pumpkin inspired Halloween feast. Pumpkin pie is delicious – as are toasted pumpkin seeds. Again, Google will bring up so many amazing recipes – but I am tempted to try it this year!
Remember that not everyone wants to get involved and so it’s important to look out for anyone vulnerable. Having trick or treaters knocking on doors all evening can be pretty scary as it’s out of normal routine, so if you have any elderly neighbours or family, be sure to check on them just in case!
And in case you ARE going out tomorrow night and want to dress up as something snazzy and test out your make-up skills, here are a couple of my favourites:
Gabriella Lindley – Gabby is incredibly talented at make-up and I love her vlogs because she documents everything so honestly. She completely floored me this halloween with her incredible replicas of Mona The Vampire, Atomic Betty, Velma and Wednesday Adams. Ah-mazing!
Sarah Ashcroft – Again, another firm fave of mine in terms of my YouTube subscriptions but Sarah has completely outdone herself with an amazing Clown make-up look, complete with scary contacts and a silky blonde wig. I don’t think I could pull this off quite as well as Sarah does, but it’s enjoyable to watch all the same.
J Bunzie – For something slightly less terrifying, head over to this channel for an incredible array of transformations and complete dress-ups. I adore this girl because not only is she so talented but she clearly pours so much time and creativity into each and every one of her videos. The Belle/Emma Watson video especially (which I’ve linked), is unbelievable.
Maddie Bruce – For a cute and affordable look that you can replicate using drugstore purchases, Maddie has created the ultimate unicorn dress-up look – and I’m kind of tempted to try it out, purely because I want to sit round the house looking like a unicorn. I feel like the postman might think I’m even stranger though (he’s already experienced me answer the door in a sheet mask and a sequin jumpsuit)…
Naomi Victoria – Again, another unicorn look but this time more of a last minute one – and one that I’m tempted to wear out. It’s super glowy and gorgeous and Naomi has an amazing channel, I’d definitely recommend it!
Dress & Shoes from Brand Attic
What are you upto this Halloween? Do you have any Halloween traditions in your home?