Miss Argentina from Beetlejuice Costume

Miss Argentina from Beetlejuice

I began the Miss Argentina costume three Halloweens ago. I had no idea how complicated it would turn out to be- to get all the details just right. I originally intended to wear it Halloween 2014. I was still working on props at 11pm that night, so I decided to skip wearing it that night and have it ready to go the next year.
For Halloween 2015, I began prepping a week in advance, but got sidetracked helping a friend with her costume and ended up leaving everything for my costume until the day of the contests. I did actually assemble the whole costume, but it was a ‘comedy of errors’. Everything went wrong, like a nightmare where you are trying to get somewhere but can never make it, you know? By the time I finally got the costume on-with all the body paint- it was 2am! Only a few night owl friends actually saw it! I decided to call it my ‘dress rehearsal ‘ and shoot for year three perfection.
So- take THREE- Halloween 2016.
My brother in law is a makeup and special effects artist. We practiced painting the blue/green skin and applying the scars he built for me himself a week before Halloween. I wanted to make sure I was fully prepared this year! (The paint is WolfFX Sea Green)
He helped me with most of the body paint and applied the scars on Halloween evening. I painted my face and neck and applied the makeup myself, after much study of film stills of Miss Argentina.
The dress was a thrift store find. I cut it off just above the knees. I found tights that were the exact shade as the body paint, so I saved time on painting my legs.
For the sash, I used iron on transfer paper that could be printed from my printer. I chose a font that looked ‘ghoulish’ and cut out the letters carefully. I used stitch witchery underneath the transfers for extra hold. The wig- a long, curly, red cosplay wig. I pinned the curls into a messy updo.
The cape was the hardest part. After lots of trial and error, I ended buying fairy wing from the costume store, spray painting them red, covering them with glittery red tulle and shaping them to look like the flames on Miss Argentina’s collar. Then I attached a piece of the same tulle fabric for the cape- hand stitching it onto the collar. I applied hooks to the cape and eyes to the straps of the dress to anchor the cape in place, but allow me the option to take the cape off (helpful when getting in the car!)
Finally, the props. I wanted to include The Handbook for the Recently Deceased and Beetlejuice’s flier and business cards (as seen in the movie). I printed the book cover and title page in color. I glued the pages of an old book together and covered it with the printed cover. I pasted the Title Page inside. Finally I printed the Beetlejuice flier that the Maitland’s find in their book. I used tea to ‘age’ the paper and tore it to resemble the one in the film. I attached it inside the front cover of the book with a clip. I handed out the business cards all night.
The reactions to my costume were awesome! People asked me to take pictures with them all night! I felt like a character at Disney World. Everyone was especially impressed by my attention to detail. They loved the book and flier and the business cards. I won a contest at a local hangout. What a great night! So thankful to have finally pulled it off!